“Which is why she wanted so many questions asked about that subject,” Josie mused. “Did Courtney really have that much power? Did she choose what subjects you covered?”

“Hey, she’s the talent.”

Josie thought for a moment. He still hadn’t answered her original questions. “So what exactly did she say about me?”

“She said that she had helped you and that you betrayed her.”

“What?”

“She claimed you seduced her boyfriend.” He looked skeptical.

“And you believed her story?”

“Hey, she’s talent,” he repeated.

EIGHTEEN

JOSIE HAD PICKED up three pizzas as well as two six-packs of Coors and one of Diet Coke. But even after a hard day no one seemed particularly hungry. Everyone had been talking about Courtney and what to do with her body since they walked in the door, still sweaty from work.

So far, they had consumed one pepperoni pizza, half of the cheese with extra garlic, and all the beer. Annette seemed to be a bit tipsy. Josie realized she had been serving beer to a minor and decided the only thing to do was to make sure Annette had a ride home-after they made some decisions.

If they ever came to an agreement. The women had repeated and repeated the details of the day. Their shock at the discovery of Courtney’s body. Their panic when it looked like Bobby Valentine might discover their secret. The long afternoon, not talking about what was uppermost on their minds, waiting for this evening so they could.

“We need to come to some decision,” Josie insisted. “Courtney cannot stay up there. She is going to start to smell soon.” A giggle escaped her lips. “And she would really hate that.” She felt another giggle bubble up and pursed her lips. Perhaps Annette wasn’t the only woman who had had too much to drink.

“What do you suggest?” Jill asked quietly. Jill had been noticeably reticent, eating and drinking little, walking around the room examining the birdhouses that lined the small space.

“Frankly, I have no idea what to say. My instinct is to call the police-” Josie said.

“Good God. Why?” Dottie’s flat voice interrupted.

“They’re here to help us,” Annette said.

“Bull.”

“Well, I don’t know how you were brought up, but my mother always said that if there was a problem I could go to the cop on the corner for help. Or dial 911,” Annette added.

“Your mother may have been right for where you grew up. But the police on this island are notorious for arresting the wrong person. And I’m afraid the wrong person they arrest for Courtney’s murder could be…” Josie paused. “Could be one of us.”

Dottie looked at Josie. “Do you want to tell her or do you want me to?”

“I… It’s your business. You should be able to keep it private if you want” was Josie’s answer.

“Yeah, I should be able to. But in my life, what should be and what are are two different animals.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but you’re entitled to your privacy,” Jill said.

“She’s right,” Josie agreed.

“Yeah. But I think I should explain. Otherwise no one is going to understand why I think we should-or should not- call the cops.”

“Listen, it’s completely your decision.” Josie had hoped it wouldn’t come to this, but she understood what Dottie was up against.

“Okay. No point in beating about the bush. I was in prison.”

Neither Annette nor Jill spoke.

“I think if you’re going to say that much, you’re going to have to explain what put you in prison and how you ended up at Island Contracting,” Josie suggested quietly.

“What put me in prison was stupidity and how I ended up here is Josie.”

“Maybe you should tell them just a bit more,” Josie said.

“Prison?” The word just reached Annette’s consciousness.

“Yeah, I was there for assault. I beat up some idiot in a bar fight. Turned out his brother-in-law was a cop. I didn’t deny doing it. The bastard deserved what he got. But I didn’t deserve three years in prison. In some circles, punching that guy in the mouth would have been considered a public service.”

“Why? Why did you do it?” Annette asked.

“Guy called me a dyke. Said working as a carpenter wasn’t an appropriate job for a woman. He kept trashing me. And I got angrier and angrier and drank a bit too much. On the way out of the bar, he grabbed my breast and I slugged him-once or twice.”

“And you were arrested?” Annette sounded horrified.

“Yeah. And a few months later convicted. I got six years.

But served slightly less than three. I was released early because of good behavior-and because Josie was willing to hire me. But maybe you would like to explain about that.”

“Well, it’s a long story. I don’t know whether you know the history of Island Contracting, but it was begun by a man named Noel Roberts and he tried to hire people who needed help.”

“Women who needed help?”

“I’m not sure he set out to hire women, whether women just happened to need more help than men, or whether he was one of the only contractors who would hire women workers. It was the early sixties. There weren’t many women in the business and the ones who were had a very difficult time finding jobs.”

“What did he do? Put an ad in the paper asking for women who needed help and were trained carpenters or plumbers or electricians to apply to Island Contracting?” Jill asked.

“No, he was more… what’s the word? More proactive than that. For instance, I was pregnant and waiting on tables at a luncheonette here on the island when I met Noel. We chatted a few times when he came in to eat and one day he asked me to have dinner with him.” Josie smiled, remembering that afternoon. It had been unseasonably hot. The air-conditioning hadn’t been turned on yet. She had been seven months pregnant with swollen feet and sweating profusely as she worked. It had never occurred to her that Noel might be making a pass. She had accepted out of curiosity and because, in her financial situation, a free meal was something she couldn’t pass up.

“It was at that dinner that he made his offer. I could come to work for him-in the office, if necessary, and bring the baby if I couldn’t find anyone to take care of him-and he would teach me a trade and keep me employed and-this was the most important thing then-insured.

“I didn’t even stop to think, I had agreed before I finished my salad.” She had already been living in Risa’s house but had never suspected that her landlady would be willing-in fact, thrilled-to sit with Tyler until he was old enough for day care.

“And over the years, I learned that Noel hired many women under similar, if not identical, circumstances. So when Sam told me about Second Chance-”

“What’s that?” Annette asked.

“Second Chance is an organization dedicated to keeping recidivism rates low,” Dottie explained.

“It’s made up of people who believe that those who are convicted of a crime are less likely to end up in prison again if they are given a second chance to live a normal life. And that the first thing necessary for a normal life is a job. Sam’s known about the organization for years.”

“Sam Richardson? The guy you date who owns the liquor store? Why would he know about it?” Jill asked.

“He used to be a prosecuting attorney in New York City,” Josie explained.

“Oh?”

“Yeah, in fact, he was involved with the group when he was in New York, and he still keeps in touch and gets their newsletters. So when he read that they were looking for placements for women who had been trained in nontraditional jobs-for women that is-he told me about it and I sent in Island Contracting’s address.”

“And when I was up for parole, I was put in contact with Second Chance and they sent me Josie’s name.”

“Most of the prisoners… people…”

“Call us prisoners. That’s what we were.”