“He said that’s why he liked her, that she could buy him anything he wanted and that he was making so little money here.” Penny looked up from the floor. “He wasn’t used to this you know. He had grown up with money and he always thought he would have money. Living on the pittance he was paid here was very difficult for him. And I love him so I understand.” She jutted her chin up a bit.

Susan, who didn’t think that a change in lifestyle justified taking up with any woman just for her money and suspected her companions would agree with her, tried to ask the next question without sounding judgmental. “Do you think he’s with her, the other woman, now?”

“Oh, no, I’m sure he’s not!”

“How do you know that?” Kathleen spoke up for the first time.

“She’s… well, she’s…”

“She’s married, isn’t she?” Kathleen continued.

“Yes. And Mike isn’t the first… or the only… man she’s been involved with! He said she’s had lots of lovers, that she only stays with her husband because he’s rich.”

Susan was beginning to think this woman and Mike probably deserved each other when Sally asked another question.

“Then you do know where he is right now?”

“I know he spent some time on the island. There are lots of empty houses this time of the year and Mike liked to… to explore them. I know this sounds bad, but he didn’t steal things or damage anything. He just liked to look around. But the police were looking for him and had started checking out some of the empty properties, so he left and I don’t know where he is now. Really,” she ended sadly.

“When was the last time you heard from him?”

“He was here and then that’s the last time. I’ve been so worried. If something has happened, if he’s been arrested or something, don’t you think I would have heard?”

“I’m sure you would have,” Susan said.

“Probably,” Sally said more abruptly. “But you know there are other men in the world.”

“Oh, not for me. I’ll always love Mike,” Penny protested. “We’re going to get married!”

“If you hear from him, will you let me know?” Sally asked. “Ask him to talk to me if that would be easier for you. I don’t believe he killed anyone, but he does need help. Running away wasn’t a very smart thing for him to do, you know.”

“I do. I do know that. I’ll try to talk him into talking to you. Mike always said you were the best of the… of the residents. He likes you.”

“I’m flattered.”

Susan thought Penny missed the sarcasm in Sally’s comment. “I think we’d better be going,” she said to Kathleen. “We don’t want to miss the ferry.”

“And I’d better get back to work,” Penny said. “The two o’clock ferry usually brings over some visitors. I need to get this chair back to the living room.”

“And I have a date with a jigsaw puzzle,” Sally said, standing up.

The four women parted. Penny picked up the chair and headed for the living room. Susan and Kathleen paused to say good-bye to Sally.

“Poor girl. She really loves him,” Kathleen said, looking down the hallway.

“She’s young. She’ll get over it,” Sally said.

“Are you surprised at what she said about Mike?” Susan asked.

“Not surprised. Sad, but not surprised. I’m afraid that young man has a tendency to get in over his head. I hope he grows up before he gets in serious trouble.”

“This is my phone number.” Susan handed a small slip of paper to Sally. “Will you call me if you hear anything else about him? If I’m not at home, you can always leave a message.”

“Of course. And will you do the same? Of course, you won’t have to leave a message. I’ll be here. I’m always here,” Sally ended with a rueful smile.

TWENTY-EIGHT

HE WAS SCREWED AND HE KNEW IT. THIS PLACE MADE Perry Island Care Center look like Canyon Ranch. The pay was rotten, the staff incompetent, the management only interested in making a profit. The residents… He couldn’t help himself; he woke up in the middle of the night worrying about the residents. Not that they were worth it. Poor and old and boring. Maybe they’d be better off dead. He sure hoped he didn’t end up like them, all alone in a rotten nursing home.

Susan stopped at Kathleen’s house only long enough to say hello to Jerry’s parents before heading straight home. Chrissy was walking out the door as she turned into the driveway.

“Have to run, Mom,” her daughter called out without slowing down. “I’m meeting Erika and I’m fifteen minutes late!” She climbed into her car and had the key in the ignition before her mother could protest.

“Where are the twins? And Shannon?”

“The babies are in the nursery and Shannon is in the kitchen. Everything’s fine.” Chrissy waved out of the window of her car and backed down the driveway.

Susan parked her car in the garage and used the connecting door to enter the house. Shannon was, in fact, in the kitchen, skimming through one of Susan’s favorite cookbooks as she ate her lunch. The baby monitor sat on the table next to an almost empty soup bowl.

Shannon looked up when Susan entered the room. “Hi. There’s still some tomato soup left if you would like some.”

“No, thanks. I’ve already eaten.” Susan wasn’t sure whether to mention P.I.C.C. or not.

“The babies are both bathed and are sleeping. Chrissy and I didn’t know if you had any plans, but we thought I could make dinner tonight. I do a wonderful chicken and chickpea tagine that she and Stephen like. Except for couscous and chicken thighs, you had all the ingredients here. I dashed out earlier and got what I needed. I hope it’s okay with you.”

Susan smiled. “I don’t know a single woman who wouldn’t be thrilled to have someone cook dinner for her. Perhaps I could whip up something for dessert.”

“Sounds great to me, but Chrissy is trying to lose weight.”

“I’ll do fruit in brandy. There’s Ben & Jerry’s vanilla in the freezer. Chrissy can skip the ice cream if she’s worried about calories, and the men can have double scoops. You, too,” she added glancing over at Shannon ’s slender figure.

“I’ve been thin since my first year of nursing school. You burn lots of calories being a nurse.” Shannon got up to put her empty bowl in the dishwasher.

“Even in a nursing home?” Susan asked. She removed her jacket, draped it on a chair, opened the refrigerator, and began pulling fruit out and placing it on a nearby counter.

“Especially in a nursing home. When people are in wheelchairs someone else has to do their walking for them. When I was growing up, my mother used to say that taking care of people at the beginning and the end of their lives is some of the hardest work there is-as well as the most rewarding.”

“And you’ve done both,” Susan said, examining a quart of blueberries for any signs of mold. “Which do you prefer?”

Shannon seemed to consider the question seriously. “I’m not sure. Old people… well, I always planned on working with old people. But taking care of babies is wonderful.”

“Rosie and Ethan are your second job with babies?” Susan asked, picking up a pineapple and breathing in its tangy scent.

“Yes. They’re so adorable and this job is a dream-nice family, nice home. What more could anyone ask for.”

“Cookies?” Susan muttered, opening a cupboard door.

Shannon looked startled. “Cookies?”

“They would go well with the fruit and ice cream and I know the men would love some. I was just wondering if I had some stashed away. But no. When I buy them, I eat them.”

“I’m the same way,” Shannon admitted. “But we could bake some. Brownies are quick.”

“Good idea. I use the basic Joy of Cooking recipe and add a half teaspoon of almond extract.”

“Yummy. My favorite brownie recipe has a layer of raspberry jam in the chocolate.”

“That sounds wonderful.”

“It might be interesting to combine recipes. You know, make the brownies with almond extract the way you usually do and then add a layer of raspberry jam. If you have jam.”