Chapter 7: Interrogation
“True.”
Grace stood, shook herself, and then strode towards Zach. “I have work to do and don’t have time for macho posturing. You know, ‘cave man protect woman’ kind of thing.”
He stopped her with his hand on her shoulder. She recoiled, her face scrunching at him, but her eyes met his. Her gaze steadier than her body. She tried to move out of reach.
“I’m watching you. Carefully. If you bring trouble to Dolores, you’ll have to answer to me.”
His anger came out in his words, and he cursed himself for losing control. He let go and flexed his fingers which hummed as if he had touched a live wire.
She didn’t answer, but brushed past him and down the outside steps.
***
Grace’s anger hadn’t dissipated with all the physical labor of moving boxes into her apartment. Five trips up and down the steps.
Her leg muscles screamed at her, but she didn’t notice them.
She only remembered Zach’s touch. Her arm still burned from his fingertips. When she looked, she expected to see an impression of his hand.
“I’m just horny.”
She had gone longer than this without sex, but her thirtieth birthday hovered on the horizon. That age brought on greater sexual needs, didn’t it? She also knew her powers would change. Or she’d lose them, which appealed to her. “That must be it. My brain isn’t right.”
Shaking her head, she attempted to brush off whatever he’d left behind on her. A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.
Dolores stood on the landing outside, with a plant and some takeout. She’d changed out of her work clothes and now sported stretchy pants and an oversized T-shirt, both the color of her blue eyes.
“You are a vision,” Grace said, her stomach rumbling.
Dolores cackled. “And I didn’t even freshen up my make up.”
“Come in,” Grace said taking the plant from her hands. “Is that food for me?”
“Us. I figured you’d be too busy to cook.”
“Thanks. I’m too busy to cook most days. I make reservations better than anyone. That, and microwave popcorn.”
Her landlady set the bag of food on the kitchen counter. Grace watched her for a moment. Like most people she did look better in life than in death. A vision of Dolores’ lifeless body flashed into Grace’s mind.
She couldn’t forget why she was here.
“Did Zach interrogate you?”
Grace shook off the macabre hallucination and smiled. “He tried. No light shining in my face, though.”
“That’ll be next time. I apologize for him. He’s a little overzealous.”
Dolores removed items from a bag while Grace searched for plates. “He’s a cop. He’s just that way, I’m sure.”
Her landlady stilled. “He isn’t a cop anymore.”
She said it as if there were more to the story, but her own sense of decorum held her back. Grace made a mental note to find out what she could.
“No?”
“A PI, now. Still I wish he’d trust me more.”
“Is that why he’s the ex?”
Dolores laughed. “Guess you’re pretty straightforward about what you want. There’s more than one reason we aren’t married anymore.”
Grace bit her lip. “That was forward of me.” Why did she want to know? Not usually a gossip, her own question struck Grace as odd. She mulled over the idea that Zach had something to hide. That’s why he thought Grace also had a secret.
Well, she did, but not nearly menacing one as he thought.
Dolores waved her off, then set about putting Chinese food on the plates Grace had found. “That’s okay. I’m pretty much an open book. Unlike Zach who plays things close to the vest.”
“That can get tough.”
“True.”
Grace sat at her kitchen table and let herself be served. Dolores opened the bottle of diet soda and poured them each some.
“I probably should have made you something. Maybe on the weekend.”
“Dolores, I appreciate you thinking of me. I’d lost track of time.”
“I keep doing that, too. My girlfriends tell me it’s a symptom of the pregnancy.”
“I wouldn’t know first hand, but it sounds about right. And since I’m not pregnant, I have no excuse.”
“You’ve just moved into a new town. It is understandable. Takes time to get your bearings.”
Grace shrugged and chewed on her General chicken. “I can usually hit the ground running.”
“You move around a lot?”
“My dad was in the army. I guess I held onto the wanderlust.”
“I’ve lived in this town all my life. Can’t imagine living anywhere else. Zach was even my high school sweetheart. How’s that for clichéd?”
Grace laughed with Dolores. She found the woman easy to talk to. Even more reason she didn’t want her to die. She needed to live and raise this child growing inside of her.
Grace sighed and decided to ask more about Zach. He remained her only suspect at this point.
***
Zach pulled into Dolores’ driveway wondering why there were no lights on in the house. “Well, I can have another go at Miss Harmony.” Strangely, he looked forward to seeing her again.
As he ascended the steps, the ring of women’s laughter caught him by surprise. Grace’s door stood wide open to the warm, spring air. When he reached the top of the steps, Dolores and Grace were sitting on the couch.
He paused, eavesdropping on their conversation. About him. Dolores recounted how they met.
“I’m sure Miss Harmony has no interest in our personal life,” he said before she could go further.
The two women looked at him as if he were an alien. Grace sported a ponytail. Wisps of her light hair framed her face, bringing out her emerald green eyes.
Zach moved into the one room apartment, navigating around boxes. “I was looking for you.”
He sounded possessive and wanted to kick himself. The last thing he needed was to give Dolores the impression she had a shot with him.
“Oh? I was giving Grace, here, a hometown welcome. We
had dinner together. If you want something, I can heat up some stew.”
“Just heat up the Chinese,” Grace suggested.
Her gaze hadn’t stayed on him long as if it pained her to see him. She hid something, some huge secret, and he hoped to God it wouldn’t blow up in his face.
“No, Grace, that’s for you.” Dolores stood. “I’ll get something for Zach. Won’t take a moment.”
“Lors, don’t get up. I didn’t come by for you to feed me. I’m not hungry anyway.” He raked a hand through his hair. This was not working out. “I just wanted to talk to Miss Harmony.”
Dolores looked at him then back to Grace. “I think you’ve interrogated her enough.”