"Johansen, Iris - The Face of Deception" - читать интересную книгу автора (Johansen Iris)

I guess Ill allow you that much slack. She moved toward the door. But Ill be listening to hear your bedroom door close. She paused and then said awkwardly, Im not coming home right away after work tomorrow night. Im going out to dinner.

Eve looked up in surprise. With whom?

Ron Fitzgerald. I told you about him. Hes a lawyer in the district attorneys office. I like him. Her tone was almost defiant. He makes me laugh.

Good. Id like to meet him.

Im not like you. Its been a long time since Ive been out with a man, and I need people. Im not a nun. For Gods sake, Im not even fifty. My life cant stop just because

Why are you acting so guilty? Have I ever said I wanted you to stay home? You have a right to do whatever you want to do.

Im acting guilty because I feel guilty. Sandra scowled. You could make it easier for me if you werent so hard on yourself. Youre the one whos a nun.

God, she wished her mother hadnt decided to go into this tonight. She was too tired to cope. Ive had a few relationships.

Until they got in the way of your work. Two weeks tops.

Mom.

Okay, okay. I just think its time for you to live a normal life again.

Whats normal for one person isnt always normal for another. She looked down at her com-puter screen. Now, scat. I want to finish this before I go to bed. Be sure you drop in tomorrow night and tell me all about your dinner.

So you can live vicariously? Sandra asked tartly. I may or may not.

You will.

Yeah, I will. Her mother sighed. Good night, Eve.

Good night, Mom.

Eve leaned back in her chair. She should have no-ticed her mother was becoming restless and unhappy. Emotional instability was always dangerous for a re-covering addict. But, dammit, Mom had been clean since Bonnies second birthday. Another gift that Bonnie had brought when she came into their lives.

She was probably exaggerating the problem. Growing up with an addict had made her deeply suspicious. Surely her mothers restlessness was both typical and healthy. The best thing that could happen to her was a solid, loving relationship.

So let Sandra run with it, but watch the situation closely.

She was staring blindly at the screen. She had done enough tonight. There could be little doubt the skull belonged to little Bobby Starnes.

She noticed the Logan insignia as she logged out and turned off the computer. Funny how you never paid any attention to things like that. Why the hell would Logan be asking questions about her? He probably wasnt. More than likely it was a mistake. Her life and Logans were at opposite ends of the spectrum.

She stood up and moved her shoulders to rid them of stiffness. Shed pack up Bobbys skull, take it and the report to the house, then ship them out the following morning. She never liked to have more than one skull in the lab at the same time. Joe laughed at her, but she felt she couldnt give her full attention to the job she was working on if she could see another skull silently waiting. So shed overnight Bobby Starnes and the re-port to Chicago and the day after tomorrow Bobbys parents would know that their son had come home, that he was no longer one of the lost ones.

Let it go, Eve.

Her mother didnt understand that the search for Bonnie had become woven into the fabric of her life and she could no longer tell which thread was Bonnie and which were the other lost ones. That probably made her a hell of a lot more unstable than her mother, she thought ruefully.

She walked across the room and stood before the shelf bearing the new skull.