[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
sight of her, coolly checking out the crowd at each restaurant she
passed.
Tonight Toni wore faded red walking shorts, a short-sleeved
white oxford-cloth shirt, and navy blue deck shoes. Her hair blew
around in the breeze, settling right back into place when the wind
stopped. She caught sight of Noel and her smile was immediate,
but a little guarded.
Hi, there, she said when she reached them. It s good to see
you again, April.
Come join us, April said. We just ordered.
Toni didn t answer immediately. She waited for a beat or two,
97
Susan X Meagher
then her eyes shifted nervously for a second. I m sure you two have
a lot to catch up on. But it was good to see you again. She put her
hand on April s shoulder and patted it. Have fun. Then she was
gone, walking much quicker than she had been.
Noel watched her leave, wondering what was going on with
her. She wanted to thank her for the flowers, but Toni had seemed
in a very big hurry. She glumly reasoned that she probably had a
woman waiting for her and couldn t waste a moment.
:
After April left, Noel walked down to Jackie s, pleased and a
little surprised to see Toni in the back, playing pool. Noel ordered
a drink and chatted with Jackie, who was, in keeping with her
profession, expert at making small talk.
Toni eventually walked over to the bar and sat down next to
Noel. Hi, she said, still looking a little uncomfortable.
Can I buy you a drink?
You can buy me some sparkling water. I already had my beer
for the day.
Noel put in the order and, when Jackie turned away, she
leaned over and said, I loved the flowers. I would have called you
yesterday, but April showed up unexpectedly and the day got away
from me.
Oh, that s okay. No problem. In seconds, Toni seemed
substantially more relaxed. Her smile was easy and full as Noel had
come to know it. What did you two do? Go anywhere?
No, but we did go through some of Max s things. If you would,
could you come up with a list of her friends in town? There isn t
much that has any monetary value, but I m sure a lot of it would
mean something to you& and her other friends.
Thanks, Toni said. She looked genuinely touched. That s very
98
The Legacy
nice of you.
I know how important you were to her, so I want to make sure
you have anything of hers that you want. Her drink was finished,
and she was a little tired, so she stood up and took her keys and
wallet off the bar. Come by some time and take a look around. She
wanted to kiss Toni, at least on the cheek, but she felt odd doing so.
She didn t know if Toni liked to keep her private life private, and
for all she knew, Toni had designs on the woman she was playing
pool with. So, she just smiled, said goodnight to all, and left.
Furtively, Jackie had watched the entire interaction, and now
she smiled knowingly, watching Toni stare at the closed door for a
long time, a puzzled look on her handsome face.
:
A few days later, Heidi called Noel with a business proposition.
I ve found someone who s very interested in The Sandpiper. He
can be in town this afternoon if that works for you.
With no action whatsoever, Noel had almost forgotten she d
put the place up for sale. But now that she was reminded in such
a surprising fashion, her palms felt sweaty, and her inclination was
to say she didn t want Heidi to show it. But she knew that was
irrational, so she agreed.
She helped the cleaning crew get the rooms in shape, and they
were ready by the time Noel and her client, Rod Strahorn, a hedge
fund manager from Manhattan, arrived. He seemed like a nice
enough fellow, but when he started to walk through the house,
Noel immediately got her back up.
Heidi tells me that I can be frank with you, he said. She says
you re not attached to the property like most owners are.
That s probably true, she cautiously agreed, not liking the tone
he used.
99
Susan X Meagher
I m looking for a sturdy frame that I can gut and turn into a
nice summer house for my family. I d rather go to the Hamptons,
but there s a lot of bad feeling there towards Wall Street. His smile
was vaguely feral, and Noel found it quite unattractive. He looked
at the corners and the doorways, ignoring the rooms themselves.
This place might need a little shoring up, but it s got the benefit of
being a complete dump. He grinned at Noel, and she decided that
grin probably got him most of what he wanted with women. But
she was immune to his charm, and felt more than a little offended.
She didn t comment, however, mostly out of deference to Heidi.
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]