Kay Scarpet - Cruel And Unusual Part 7

"No tree?"

"Is that a problem?"

"I guess not. Is it snowing?"

"As a matter of fact, it is."

"Iave never seen snow. Not in person."

"Youad better let me talk to your mother," I said.

Dorothy, my only sibling, was overly solicitous when she got on the phone several minutes later.

"Are you still working so hard? Kay. You work harder than anyone Iave ever met. People are so impressed when I tell them weare sisters. Whatas the weather like in Richmond?"

"Thereas a good chance weall have a white Christmas."

"How special. Lucy ought to see a white Christmas at least once in her life. Iave never seen one. Well, I take that back. There was the Christmas I went skiing out west with Bradley."

I could not remember who Bradley was. My younger sisteras boyfriends and husbands were an endless parade I had stopped watching years ago.

"Iad very much like Lucy to spend Christmas with me," I said. "Would that be possible?"

"You canat come to Miami?"

"No, Dorothy. Not this year. Iam in the middle of several very difficult cases and have court scheduled virtually up to Christmas Eve."

"I canat imagine a Christmas without Lucy," she said with great reluctance.

"Youave had Christmas without her before. When you went skiing out west with Bradley, for example."

"True. But it was hard," she said, nonplussed. "And every time weave spent a holiday apart, Iave vowed to never do it again."

"I understand. Maybe another time," I said, sick to death of my sisteras games. I knew she couldnat get Lucy out the door fast enough "Actually, Iam on deadline for this newest book and will be spending most of the holiday in front of my computer anyway," she reconsidered quickly. "Maybe Lucy would be better off with you. I wonat be much fun. Did I tell you that I now have a Hollywood agent? Heas fantastic and knows everybody whoas somebody out there. Heas negotiating a contract with Disney."

"Thatas great. Iam sure your books will make terrific movies."

Dorothy wrote excellent childrenas books and had won several prestigious awards. She was simply a failure as a human being.

"Motheras here," my sister said. "She wants to have a word with you. Now listen, it was so good to talk to you. We just donat do it enough. Make sure Lucy eats something besides salads, and I warn you that sheall exercise until it drives you mad. I worry that sheas going to start looking masculine."

Before I could say anything; my mother was on the line.

"Why canat you come down here, Katie? Itas sunny and you should see the grapefruit."

"I canat do it, Mother. Iam really sorry."

"And now Lucy wonat be here, either? Is that what I heard? What am I supposed to do, eat a turkey by myself?"

"Dorothy will be there."

"What? Are you kidding? Sheall be with Fred. I canat stand him."

Dorothy had gotten divorced again last summer. I didnat ask who Fred was.

"I think heas Iranian or something. Heall squeeze a penny until it screams and has hair in his ears. I know heas not Catholic, and Dorothy never takes Lucy to church these days. You ask me, that childas going to h.e.l.l in a hand basket."

"Mother, they can hear you."

"No they canat. Iam in the kitchen by myself staring at a sink full of dirty dishes that I just know Dorothy expects me to do while Iam here. Itas just like when she comes to my house, because she hasnat done a thing about dinner and is hoping Iall cook. Does she ever offer to bring anything? Does she care that Iam an old woman and practically a cripple? Maybe you can talk some sense into Lucy."

"In what way is Lucy lacking sense?" I asked.

"She doesnat have any friends except this one girl you have to wonder about. You should see Lucyas bedroom. It looks like something out of a science fiction movie with all these computers and printers and pieces and parts. Itas not normal for a teenage girl to live inside her brain all the time like that and not get out with kids her own age. I worry about her just like I used to worry about you."

"I turned out all right," I said.

"Well, you spent far too much time with science books, Katie. You saw what it did to your marriage."

"Mother, Iad like Lucy to fly here tomorrow, if possible. Iall make the reservations from my end and take care of the ticket. Make sure she packs her warmest clothes.

Anything she doesnat have, such as a winter coat, we can find here."

"She could probably borrow your clothes. When was the last time you saw her? Last Christmas?"

"I guess it was that long ago."

"Well, let me tell you. Sheas gotten bosoms since then. And the way she dresses? And did she bother to ask her grandmotheras advice before cutting off her beautiful hair? No. Why should she bother telling me that-"

"Iave got to call the airlines."

"I wish you were coming here. We could all be together."

Her voice was getting funny. My mother was about to cry.

"I wish I could, too," I said.

Late Sunday morning I drove to the airport along dark, wet roads running through a dazzling world of gla.s.s. Ice loosened by the sun slipped from telephone lines, roofs, and trees, shattering to the ground like crystal missiles dropped from the sky. The weather report called for another storm, and I was deeply pleased, despite the inconvenience. I wanted quiet time in front of, the fire with my niece. Lucy was growing up.

It did not seem so long ago that she was born. I would never forget her wide, unblinking eyes following my every move in her motheras house, or her bewildering fits of petulance and grief when I failed her in some small way. Lucyas open adoration touched my heart as profoundly as it frightened me. She had caused me to experience a depth of feeling I had not known before. Talking my way past Security, I waited at the gate, eagerly searching pa.s.sengers emerging from the boarding bridge. I was looking for a pudgy teenager with long, irk red hair and braces when a striking young woman met my eyes and grinned.

"Lucy, " I exclaimed, hugging her. "My G.o.d. I almost didnat recognize you."

Her hair was short and deliberately messy, accentuating dear green eyes and good bones I did not know she had. There was not so much as a hint of metal in her mouth, and her thick gla.s.ses had been replaced by weightless tortoise-sh.e.l.l frames that gave her the look of a seriously pretty Harvard scholar. But it was the change in her body that astonished me most, for since I had seen - her last she had been transformed from a chunky adolescent into a lean, leggy athlete dressed in snug, faded jeans several inches too short, a white blouse, a woven red leather belt, loafers, and no socks. She carried a book satchel, and I caught the sparkle of a delicate gold ankle bracelet. I was fairly certain she was wearing neither makeup nor bra.

"Whereas your coat?" I asked as we headed to Baggage.

"It was eighty degrees when I left Miami this morning," "Youall freeze walking out to the car."

"Itas physically impossible for me to freeze while walking to your car unless youare parked in Chicago."

"Perhaps you have a sweater in your suitcase?"

"You ever notice that you talk to me the same way Grans talks to you? By the way, she thinks I look like a apet rocker.a Thatas her malapropism for the month. Itas what you get when you cross a pet rock with a punk rocker."

"Iave got a couple of ski jackets, corduroys, hats, gloves. You can borrow anything you wish."

She slipped her arm in mine and staffed my hair. "Youare still not smoking."

"Iam still not smoking and I hate being reminded that Iam still not smoking because then I think about smoking."

"You look better and donat stink like cigarettes. And you havenat gotten fat. Geez, this is a d.i.n.ky airport," said Lucy, whose computer brain had formatting errors in the diplomacy sectors. "Why do they call it Richmond International?"

"Because it has flights to Miami."

"Why doesnat Grans ever come see you?"

"She doesnat like to travel and refuses to fly."

"Itas safer than driving. Her hip is really getting bad, Aunt Kay."

"I know. Iam going to leave you to get your bags so I can pull the car in front," I said when we got to Baggage. "But first letas see which carousel it is."

"There are only three carousels. I bet I can figure it out."

I left her for the bright, cold air, grateful for a moment alone to think. The changes in my niece had thrown me off guard and I was suddenly more unsure than ever how to treat her. Lucy had never been easy. From day one she had been a prodigious adult intellect ruled by infantile emotions, a volatility accidentally given form when her mother had married Armando. My only advantage had been size and age. Now Lucy was as tall as I was and spoke with the low, calm voice of an equal. She was not going to run to her room and slam the door. She would no longer end a disagreement by screaming that she hated me or was glad I was not her mother. I imagined moods I could not antic.i.p.ate and arguments I could not win. I had visions of her coolly leaving the house and driving off in my car.

We talked little during the drive, for Lucy seemed fascinated by the winter weather. The world was melting like an ice sculpture as another cold front appeared on the horizon in an ominous band of gray. When we turned into the neighborhood where I had moved since she had visited last, she stared out at expensive homes and lawns, at colonial Christmas decorations and brick sidewalks. A man dressed like an Eskimo was out walking his old, overweight dog, and a black Jaguar gray with road salt sprayed water as it slowly floated past.

"Itas Sunday. Where are the children, or arenat there any?" Lucy said as if the observation incriminated me in some way.

"There are a few." I turned on my street.

"No bikes in the yards, no sleds or tree houses. Doesnat anybody ever go outside?"

"This is a very quiet neighborhood."

"Is that why you chose it?"

"In part. Itas also quite safe, and hopefully buying a home here will prove to be a good investment."

"Private security?"

"Yes," I said as my uneasiness grew.

She continued staring out at the large homes flowing past. "I bet you can go inside and shut the door and never hear from anyone never see anyone outside, either, unless theyare walking their dog. But you donat have a dog. How many trick-or-treaters did you have on Halloween?"

"Halloween was quiet," I said evasively.

In truth, my doorbell had rung only once, when I was working in my study. I could see in my video monitor the four trick-or-treaters on my porch, and picking up the handset, I started to tell them that I would be right there when I overheard what they were saying to each other.

"No, there isnat a dead body in there," whispered the tiny UVA cheerleader.

"Yes, there is," said Spiderman. "Sheas on TV all the time because she cuts dead people up and puts them in jars. Dad told me."

I parked inside the garage and said to Lucy, "Weall get you settled in your room and the first order of business after that is for me to build a fire and make a pot of hot chocolate. Then weall think about lunch."

"I donat drink hot chocolate. Do you have an espresso maker?"

"Indeed I do."

"That would be perfect, especially if you have decaf French roast. Do you know your neighbors?"

"I know who they are. Here, let me get that bag and you take this one so I can unlock the door and deactivate the alarm. Lord, this is heavy."

"Grans insisted I bring grapefruit. Theyare pretty good, but full of seeds."

Lucy looked around as she stepped inside my house. "Wow. Skylights. What do you call this style of architecture, besides rich?"

Maybe her disposition would self-correct if I pretended not to notice.

"The guest bedroom is back this way," I said. "I could put you upstairs if you wish, but I thought youad rather be down here near me."

"Down here is fine. As long as Iam close to the computer."

"Itas in my study, which is next door to your room."

"I brought my UNDO notes, books, and a few other things."

She paused in front of the sliding gla.s.s doors in the living room. "The yardas not as nice as your other one."

She said this as if I had let down everyone I had ever known.

"Iave got plenty of years to work on my yard. It gives me something to look forward to."

Lucy slowly scanned her surroundings, her eyes finally resting on me. "Youave got cameras in your doors, motion sensors, a fence, security gates, and what else? Gun turrets?" "No gun turrets."

"This is your Fort Apache, isnat it, Aunt Kay? You moved here because Markas dead and thereas nothing left in the world except bad people."

The comment ambushed me with terrific force, and instantly tears filled my eyes. I went into the guest bedroom and set down her suitcase, then checked towels, soap, and toothpaste in the bath. Returning to the bedroom, I opened the curtains, checked dresser drawers, rearranged the closet, and adjusted the heat while my niece sat on the edge of the bed, following my every move. In several minutes, I was able to meet her eyes again.

"When you unpack, Iall show you a closet you can rummage through for winter things," I said.

"You never saw him the way everybody else did."

"Lucy, we need to talk about something else."

I switched on a lamp and made certain the telephone was plugged in.