Smoke And Ashes

“What? Really?” Brittany giggled, the sound mimicking the titters coming from the poolside. “I think it’s fascinating.” She ran her finger down David’s arm. “You have such a noble job—saving lives.”

Heather couldn’t stand the way David’s face transitioned from a glare to a smile as Brittany touched him.

“I need a drink,” Heather said.

Everything would be okay. She just needed to fake it and get through this day without breaking down and having everyone find out about her failing marriage.

“I’ll go with you. Nathan’s made the best strawberry margaritas.” She looped her arm through Heather’s and made her way toward the tiki bar.

Heather glanced back at her husband, but he’d already started to talk to another woman. Across from her, poolside, was Kevin. He sent her a sexy smile as he waved.

“Two margaritas, por favor!” Brittany called to her husband.

The winter-pale Nathan had on a coconut bra T-shirt, red hibiscus-covered Bermuda shorts and a party store straw hat. “Coming right up.”

He shook his chest, making the coconuts jump. “Where’s the smile, Heath?”

“I...uh...”

“She just hasn’t had a drink yet. That’ll make everything better. Isn’t that right, bestie?” Brittany giggled and pushed her into a seat.

“Lime in the Coconut” came on the speakers and Nathan did his best impression of a hula dancer as he flipped on the blender. But not even the goofy Nathan could make her laugh today.

He poured the mix into a bowl-sized glass. As he sat the glass in front of her, the scent of tequila was strong in the air.

“Little heavy-handed with the tequila, huh?”

Nathan laughed. “I just want you to get to feeling better. Remember, it’ll be better tomorrow.”

She doubted it.

One of her neighbors, the woman from three doors down who always walked her Pomeranian in the mornings, stepped to the bar and drew Nathan’s attention.

“So what’s going on?” Brittany asked.

“Huh?” Heather took a long sip from the delicious, strawberry drink.

“You’ve barely spoken to David all day.”

Brittany thought that his avoidance was her fault? Brittany was her best friend, but if Heather told her what was truly going on and how close she was to divorce, the gossip would fly faster than cottonwood fluff in spring. Then again, if she didn’t explain, Brittany was likely to assume something far worse than the truth.

“We’re going through a rough patch.”

“I got that. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look at David like that before.”

“Like what?”

Brittany chewed on her lip. “Well... You looked desperate.” She said the word as if it left a foul taste.

She could hardly admit that she was desperate, or Brittany wouldn’t just carry the foul taste for the word, she would have a foul taste for her, as well. She couldn’t lose her only girlfriend.

“It’s hard, Brittany. One minute I can’t imagine my life without him, and the next I’m so angry. I’m so confused.”

“What do you want?”

“I don’t know, but I can’t give up.” She may not love him at the moment, but her mother had always told her that love varied in marriage—now was just a low.

Heather took a drink, letting the tequila soak into her tongue. “How can I get him back?”

“You’re talking to the right woman.” Brittany wiggled her finger. “I’ve got just the thing.”

* * *

“HAVE YOU SEEN COLTER?” Kevin asked, handing Lindsay a juice box.

She shaded her eyes as she looked up at him from beside the pool.

“Uh-uh. You think he’s still at practice?”

Kevin glanced down at his watch. “He should’ve been done an hour ago.”

“He’s gonna come. It’s okay, Daddy.”

He nodded as he took out his cell and called his son. It went straight to voice mail.

“Colter, this is Dad. Sorry I missed your practice. I had a thing with work. Lindsay and I are at the barbecue. Where are you? Give me a call. Love ya, bud.”

He slid the phone into his pocket and walked toward a long table filled with food. He popped a stuffed mushroom into his mouth, savoring the flavor as Bob Marley & the Wailers sang in the background.

His phone buzzed. “Colter?” he asked without looking at the screen.

“No, Kevin. It’s Detective Lawrence. I got your message.”

“Thanks for getting back to me. Did you get a chance to run by the house?”

“Yeah, your guys showed me around. Thanks for waiting.”

“Sorry. I had a meeting.”

“A meeting where they play Bob Marley?” Lawrence sounded annoyed.

“You know how it is,” Kevin answered with an awkward laugh. He didn’t need Lawrence to think of him as anything less than professional, and he was already on his last leg after leaving in the middle of an investigation. “Did you get a chance to pull up Goldstein’s record?”

“She has a few citations, but nothing major. Certainly nothing that would make me think she would be behind an arson. Then again, it’s the ones you don’t see coming...” Detective Lawrence sighed. “You got any suspects?”

“I’m looking into it.”

“You haven’t spoken to Goldstein yet?”