“My father taught me a great deal, Detective Marker. He’d had a hard knock life and he was generous with those life lessons. He’s a criminal and he did bad things but his lessons were good. He didn’t hide who he was from me but part of his teaching didn’t include how to be a killer, either be one or be an accessory to one. If he killed Harvey and plans on killing Ricky, those sins are going to be on his soul, not mine. So if you’re asking me if I’d impede, even if that impeding meant standing aside and doing nothing, the investigation into the murder of the man who assaulted me or the planned murder of the man who raped me, the answer is no.” After delivering my speech, I stood, back ramrod straight and finished, “Can I meet Roxie’s dog now?”
Detective Marker’s lips twitched (now, what did he find amusing? really, I didn’t get it) and he said, “Yeah, Sadie, we’re done.”
“Good,” I replied shortly, leaned down and picked out a chocolate-covered yeast. “C’mon Roxie, I want to meet Shamus,” I called, swept the room with a glance noticing that the entirety of the Hot Bunch had the lip twitch going on, except Hector, who was grinning straight out. Seriously, what, exactly, was so f**king funny?
I decided I didn’t care, I ignored them and sashayed out of the house in my indecently short bimbo skirt that Hector made me promise never to wear again (ha! take that!), bare feet (thank goodness it was warm, even for early Autumn) and Hector’s huge flannel.
It wasn’t until Daisy and Indy joined us, Jet had come out with the fresh pot to give us all a warm up and Roxie was holding my coffee and donut while I threw a Frisbee for the adorable, cuddly, soft, seriously-over-happy Shamus that I realized that I’d spent the entire morning as me.
No Ice Princess, no Attitude Sadie, no Take Charge Sadie and no Pretend Sadie.
Just me.
And I didn’t know what to think of that.
But I did know it brought the weird, happy glow back.
And, incidentally, Hector was not wrong about the ibuprofen and Midol, it worked like a charm.
* * * * *
The Best Day of Sadie Marie Townsend’s Life
Except for the morning, that Sunday was the best day of my life.
Better than any of the days when my father was away “on business” and I could pretend I was free.
Better, even, than any of the waning memories of being with my Mom.
Simply the best.
* * * * *
At first, I thought it was going to go from bad to worse.
Because, after the men held a meeting inside while the women drank coffee, played with Shamus and picked over Hector’s response to my tattoo (at length and in some detail) outside, Detective Marker left. So did Indy, Lee, Roxie, Hank and Shamus.
Eddie, Jet, Daisy and Marcus stayed but only so Hector, Marcus and Eddie could go over what they wanted me to try to get my father to talk about and how I should do that.
Once they were through, I smiled and said, “Easy.”
Eddie and Marcus looked at each other, not in a friendly way though, they didn’t appear to like each other much but instead they seemed to be putting up with each other for the sake of whatever was happening (now) with my father.
Hector kept looking at me. “Not easy, Sadie. You’re gonna have to stay sharp and on target and listen to any cues he gives you that he knows what you’re up to.”
“No problem,” I responded.
Hector bit his lip and shook his head then he said softly, “Mamita, I know you been playin’ your father your whole life but when you were, you weren’t sleepin’ with the guy who put him in prison. He doesn’t trust you now. You’re safe, no one can get to you, but you want to get anything out of him, you gotta be smart, not cocky.”
Someone, please tell me Hector didn’t just call me cocky!
“I’m not being cocky!” I snapped.
“You’re bein’ cocky,” he returned.
I gave him a glare. “Trust me, Hector, I know what I’m doing.”
“Just listen to what I’m sayin’ to you,” Hector returned calmly.