Apparently she was going to spend the night the way she had spend the evening: watching videos. She leaned back and then sat up straight with a gasp. “Tyler!”

“I know, Mom, we’ll talk in a minute. There’s something here you have to see. There’s a reason.” His voice was pleading.

“It better be a good one. Because, generally speaking, I don’t think watching X-rated videos is a good mother-and-son type of activity. I…” The opening credits were more than brief and they were into the meat of the picture in seconds. Josie didn’t know whether to laugh or lecture. Then she sat up. “Do you know who that looks like?”

“It is. Jill Pike. The woman who works for you. Her hair is a little longer, but it is her.” He glanced over at his mother. “We can keep watching, but-”

“You wanted me to see her.”

“Yes. I thought you should know. Considering the disappearance of Courtney and what people in town are saying…”

But Josie had other things on her mind. “Tyler, where did you get this video?”

“Well…”

“I thought the reason you could work at that place was that it was a family store, that it didn’t carry videos like… like this one.” She waved at the now blank TV screen.

“That’s true. Really, Mom.”

“So where did this come from?”

“Well…”

Josie had a hard time not smiling; he looked adorably sheepish. “Well what?” she said sternly.

“Both stores are owned by the same person and the videos are ordered together. Nothing of this type is supposed to come into Family Video, but if you ask the delivery guy nicely, he sometimes mixes up the orders.”

“Tyler…”

“I didn’t do it, Mom. One of the kids I work with did.”

“The young man who was here last night.”

“Yeah.”

“And you were watching this last night?”

She watched him struggle. Was he going to tell the truth or not?

“No. We watched a different one then. But I saw this one a few days ago.”

Josie was silent for a minute. “I don’t want this type of thing in my house,” she said quietly. “It demeans women and… and I just don’t like it.”

“Sorry. I won’t do it again. Mom?”

“What?”

“Are you going to fire her?”

“Jill? Of course not.”

“Did you know about this?”

“No, I had no idea. But she’s a good worker, a good carpenter. I’m glad to have her working for me. I wish I hadn’t seen this, though.”

“Why?”

“Because I have to let her know that I know about it. It’s the only way to keep our relationship honest. And I sure hate to have to bring it up. It will probably hurt her.”

“Yeah, I guess. But I had to let you know, didn’t I?”

“You did. Thank you.” She reached out and ruffled his red hair. “And you know what?”

“No.”

“If I ever find you watching this stuff again, you’re grounded.”

TWENTY-SIX

AS SOON AS she woke up, Josie called Jill. They agreed to meet at the office half an hour before the workday was scheduled to begin. Josie could hear Jill’s nervousness over the phone. She fed the cat, wrote a quick note to Tyler thanking him for showing her the video the night before and reminding him to return it to the store, and started down the steps.

Risa was waiting at the bottom.

“Cara, I not sleep last night.”

“What’s wrong?” Josie asked, instantly concerned.

“I think about you and your work and that television show.”

Josie smiled. “I appreciate your concern, Risa, but I really have to go now. I have a meeting before work.”

“Cara…”

“We’ll talk tonight.”

“Cara, that producer, that Roberto Valentine-”

Josie stopped. “What about him?”

“He was here last night. He was looking for you. He said it was important.”

“Did he say what was important?”

“No, just that he must see you and talk with you. That it was important,” she repeated.

Josie thought for a moment. Did Bobby Valentine know Courtney was dead? Did that mean he knew where the body was located? “Did he say anything, anything at all, that would give you a clue as to what he wanted?”

Risa repeated her statement. “It was important.”

“Well, I’ll be sure I see him as soon as possible. What’s this?” she added as Risa handed her a large paper bag.

“With that man running around talking about important things to say to you, and little Tyler looking so serious and worried, I start to get upset myself. So I bake. I calm down.”

Josie opened the bag and peeked in. “Biscotti! Risa, thank you!”

“I have a bag for Tyler, too. I think you not do much home cooking this season.”

Josie hugged her. “You’re the best, and you know Tyler prefers cooking from your home to anything I might produce. I’ve got to run. Thank you! Thank you!”

Josie got in her truck, started it, and plunged her hand into the bag of biscotti. Her overalls were getting a bit tight, but no sane person would turn down Risa’s cooking. She munched all the way to the office.

Jill was perched on the front porch rail of the office for Island Contracting. Swinging her legs, her long hair moving in the early morning breeze, she didn’t look much older than Tyler. Then Josie remembered the video.

But the face that looked up at her wasn’t that of a naive young woman with nothing on her mind. Josie got the impression that Jill had passed a difficult night.

“Hi.”

Jill’s response was a surprise. “You know, don’t you?”

Josie decided to be honest. “About the films-the tapes- yes, I do. My son and his friend…”

“I can guess.” Jill jumped down and slid her hands into the pockets of her jeans. Josie realized for the first time that Jill’s clothing was always a size or two too large. It was, she now realized, an attempt to camouflage a remarkable body. “Do I get two weeks’ severance or doesn’t that apply?”

Josie was taken aback. “What are you talking about?”

“You’re firing me, aren’t you?”

“No, why would I fire you?”

“Because of the video.”

“No way. What you did before you came to Island Contracting is your own business.”

“I lied on my application.”

“Well, yes, but…” Josie stopped herself before she admitted that particular activity could be considered an Island Contracting tradition. “You probably thought you had a good reason to,” she finished her sentence.

“But it says on the bottom of the third page of the application that inclusion of inaccurate information is grounds for dismissal.”

“Does that sound like me?” Josie asked, smiling. “It’s just a standardized form.” She thought for a moment. “Maybe I could cover that bit up with Wite-Out.”

Jill’s face brightened and she laughed. “You probably shouldn’t. That would be almost like asking people to lie to you. Don’t you want to know about the people you hire?”

“Sure, but our hiring practices are a bit different from most contractors’. One of the founding principles of Island Contracting is to help people. A lot of people make mistakes, but not a lot are helped to correct them. We do that.”

“Like Dottie.”

“Exactly.”

“But things are different right now.”

“You’re talking about Courtney.”

Jill nodded. “Yes. Let’s face it, as soon as the police find out she was murdered, Dottie will be a prime suspect.”

“You’re right, of course. But no one knows she’s dead.” And Josie hoped she would be able to figure out who the murderer was before anyone did.

“But once the word about my past is out, Dottie won’t be the only suspect. I can just see the headline ‘Porn Queen Suspect in Murder of Courtney Castle.’ ”

“Porn queen?” Josie repeated the phrase.

“Yeah, like Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile, or Elizabeth, Queen of England. I’ve always wondered what royalty had to do with skin flicks.”

Josie was silent.

“You want to know why I did it, right?”

“Look, it’s your business and I don’t want to be nosy, but…”