Chapter 4

Without taking her eyes off Sharon or moving her lips, Jaye whispered, "She's smiling. Why the hell is she smiling?"

Giving a small shrug, Eric instinctively stepped away from Sharon as she neared.

"Am I interrupting something? A private talk? An intervention?"

"Look, I'm sorry about the phone call. I was just pondering a philosophical ideal and wanted your legal opinion." Jaye smiled as large as she could.

"You couldn't afford my fee. But that isn't why I'm here really."

"It isn't?"

Sharon waved her sister's hesitation aside with a hand gesture. "No. I just think we need to have a sister-to-sister chat."

Jaye's face fell slightly. "Nuh-uh. The last time you said something like that, you told me Mr. Mumps died."

"Mr. Mumps?" Eric said, looking from one sister to the other.

"A chipmunk I rescued when I was 11. The general consensus was that he committed suicide. Still, I always had my doubts." She glared at Sharon.

"Oh, please. The little rodent threw every scrap of food we gave him right back out of the cage, and he constantly dumped his water." She stopped herself and smiled again. "Really, Jaye, I've been looking for you since I got your message. I have an early client meeting, so I need to talk to you. Now."

Jaye looked to Eric. "Don't let her take me."

He glanced at Sharon and said, "I don't get involved in family matters. There's no winning side. Plus, I'm sure they need me back out at the bar." He quickly left the area.

Leaning around Sharon, Jaye watched him walk away. She couldn't suppress a small smile.

"Good to see you still find him appealing. Maybe there is hope for you yet."

Jaye cut her eyes towards her sister. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Sharon shook her head. "Nothing. Come on. I'll drive you home. From the way you look and from what I've heard, you shouldn't be driving. And you look pale. When was the last you time you ate anything?"

Submitting to being led, Jaye said, "Please, don't talk to me about food."

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Outside, Sharon clicked her key fob and the SUV unlocked. Stench hit her as she opened the door, causing her to step back. She sighed.

"Ah, jeez, what happened to your car, Sharon? It smells like you've be hauling dirty diapers in there."

"A little rat dog out at your trailer park is what happened. He kept…you know…farting all around the vehicle. Then I ended up stepping in a pile of his shit. I thought I cleaned it all up."

"Oh, you missed some, all right."

"Well, you had better hope that smell comes out."

"Me? I didn't make you step in dog crap."

"I wouldn't have stepped in any if I wasn't looking for you." She dug around in her purse to find a bottle of perfume.

"It was just a phone call, Sharon. Not a cry for help. Not that you'd come running if it was."

Sharon held her nose and spritzed the subtle resin-scented perfume. "I resent that."

"Ah-ha," Jaye answered as she pulled herself up into the SUV. "That's a defensive tone. What are you hiding? Why are you really looking for me?"

"What? I can't be concerned about your welfare? I swear you act like I have no compassion."

"Of course you do," Jaye said, pulling the door shut. "It all depends on what you get out of it."

Sharon gasped. "God, you are being a bitch."

Jaye leaned her head back and furrowed her brow. "Let's see, there can't be any money involved 'cause I don't know anyone who would pay to check up on me."

"True enough, although I think I could find people who would pay to make you go away."

Glancing at Sharon, she could see a definite look of annoyance, but not as pronounced as she expected. "So that leaves emotional blackmail, which would mean Mom and Dad. Well, Mom, because she's the Queen of Guilt." Then she turned and stared at her older sister.

Sharon kept her face as neutral as she could and stared straight ahead. "I can't believe you think I'm prone to Mother's manipulation." She could feel Jaye's gaze as clearly as if it were a finger, wet with spit, slowly moving closer and closer to her ear. A favorite sibling torture in the Tyler household. Never failed to gain a response from the victim.

"Okay, okay. Dad asked me to check up on you. You haven't come to the house to mooch recently, and he's still worried about you dealing with the hostage situation, so he wondered if I'd follow up. But that was two or three days ago. I actually let it slip my mind until I got your voice mail."

Jaye nodded. "Thank you. Your lack of concern is untarnished." She cleared her throat. "Can we get going? Maybe that will help cut the odor."

"Strike a match."

Her hand went instinctively to the pocket holding the wax lion though she knew she was the only one who could hear her inanimate buddy jabbering. Actually, the advice made sense.

As Sharon put the SUV into reverse, Jaye felt around the console between the two front seats until she found a book of matches. Thank god for Sharon's old-fashioned accessories. She pulled three matches loose and lighted them.

Now, was it the flames or the smoke from the extinguished matches that helped kill odor?

She waved the flames around.

"What the hell are you doing? Put those out."

Jaye turned in her seat. "In a minute. I'm trying to get rid of this god-awful odor." She reached back to wave the matches through the backseat area. Looking back to make sure she didn't scorch Sharon's leather seats, she arced the flames up, around and down.

Suddenly, two large round eyes looked back at her.

She screamed, jerking her arm back and causing the matches to go out.

Sharon, who had been intent on backing up, screamed in response to Jaye, overturned the wheel and flinched, inadvertently tromping the gas pedal. The large vehicle lurched to the right, roared and smacked firmly into another car pulling out of its parking space. A sudden loud crunching bang, and then all was silent.

From the backseat, in the stretching moment of silence, came a small squeaky fart and a tired bark.