Book of Shadows Read Online Free PDF Page B

fifty-four, only traces of a cheerful beauty remained in her round face. Her close cut hair, dyed blond, was combed forward to soften what time was doing to her looks. She showed the strain of starting to live with a pain that could only diminish but never vanish.
    Ellie said, “Louie lifts his head up whenever he hears the elevator. Then when-when N-Nat doesn’t come through the door, Louie, uh, Louie—”
    She pressed both hands against her mouth to keep from crying out. Louie was a Great Dane, a huge black and gray dog named for Louis XIV, France’s Sun King. Marisa glanced at the dog, who stood near the glass doors leading onto the patio as though keeping watch over what might have been Nat Shields’ final resting place.
    Ellie dabbed at her reddened eyes, then turned to Marisa and forced a smile. “Watched you on the show today. Something to take my mind off … off—You were great as always. My God, you are some homewrecker.”
    Marisa grinned. “That’s me. Yvonne the terrible. Never did like that name, but it seems to fit the character. Ellie, are you sure you don’t want me to stay over? All I need is a quiet place to go over my lines for tomorrow’s show—”
    The second the words left her mouth, Marisa wished she’d never said them.
    Ellie’s fingers moved in her lap like frightened birds. “It sure is quiet around here … now.”
    Marisa closed her eyes.
    Ellie patted Marisa’s hand with pieces of damp tissue. “Thanks anyway, but I’ll be fine. Nat’s sister Wallis is staying with me for a few more days. She’s been quite a help, let me tell you. At the moment she’s out talking with the broker about selling the farm. She’s invited me to come back to Miami and stay with her and Arnold, but I said no. Jesus, I know what that would be like. The sorrow and the pity and all of it aimed at poor Ellie. You know what I mean: voices dropping to a whisper when you enter a room and the faces long as broom handles because everyone thinks they have to be morose while you’re in the area. I think Nat would find it goddam funny.”
    Ellie smoothed her skirt over her thighs. “Then comes ‘The Dating Game,’ with Wallis and Arnold pushing me into nauseating close encounters. I hate shuffleboard. I hate anything athletic, but especially I hate shuffleboard, which seems to be the national pastime in Miami. Besides, Wallis is a manipulator. She’s not happy unless she’s controlling your life. I’m crawling around at the moment but any day now I’ll be on my feet and staggering. I feel I have to keep talking or I’ll just fall apart. Stop me if I get to be too much, will you?”
    Marisa reached out and touched her. “You know better. I’m here if you need me and I don’t want to hear any more apologies about anything. I mean that.”
    Ellie touched her hand. “Dear God, I need you. I do.”
    The tears came again.
    “I’m here, Ellie.” Marisa reached for her and held her close. “I’m here.”
    “Marisa?” Ellie Shields’ voice was muffled against Marisa’s shoulder.
    “Yes?”
    “What did the police want?”
    “Police?”
    Ellie Shields looked up at her. “Fifteen minutes ago, remember? I took the call. Sergeant Laura asked for you, he identified himself as a policeman and I gave you the phone and you never told me what he wanted. Does it involve Nat? If it does I have a right to know.”
    Marisa nodded in agreement. “You have a right to know. I—I made some calls on my own.”
    “Why? Is there something you’re not telling me?”
    “No. I’ll tell you everything, believe me. The fire department said it was an accident, that Nat was probably injured by the mares when they smelled smoke. Nat was unable to get out of the burning barn after the mares hit him.”
    “I know that. Go on.”
    “Ellie, I did see Nat leave the shop with two people, a white-haired man and a tall woman.”
    “Nat was alone when he died, Marisa. What are you getting at?”
    Marisa took a deep breath