Five O’Clock Shadow Read Online Free PDF Page A

seemed Grams was telling the truth; five tissues had only made a dent in the brightness of the red.
    â€œOh well, I was just waiting for the hospital to let me know when I could pick you up. I didn’t expect a call so soon, sweetheart. You must be all well now.” Grams was fussing with Pauly’s hair, pulling what she called “wisps” forward and trying to smooth other naturally curly strands, pat them in place across the crown. It was a losing battle. Pauly could have told her that, but didn’t say anything about her hair or the “all well” part. How could she get well from the death of her husband, murder of her husband, and his deceit? She made eye contact with the detective who had questioned her. Was there a hint of sympathy?
    â€œI’ll give you a call in a week or so. Let you know how the investigation’s going. You’ll be staying with your grandmother?” The younger man made it a question more than a statement, and looked from one to the other.
    â€œOh dear, here, let me give you one of my cards.” Grams dug to the bottom of her bag and produced a fluorescent pink card shaped like the head of a clown with
Lulu’s Live Entertainment
printed across the bottom next to a phone number.
    â€œHome entertainment, the works for little people. Clowns, magicians, live animal acts, no party too big or too small. Oh mercy, I am forgetting my manners. Lucille—I prefer Lulu—Caton.” She held out her hand. The one with the three-carat diamond in platinum. One of her nicer engagement rings, Grams always said. Worth more than the giver, which was why he was no longer around.
    Pauly sighed. It was a barely concealed family secret that Grams had performed more acts behind the footlights than those aimed to entertain children. More along the line of shedding clothing to music. Oh well, at least Grams was using her first married name. Pauly’s grandfather had been husband number one, or so Grams had led them to believe. If the new boyfriend got her to the altar, that might be number five. Or was it six? Pauly thought six.
    â€œNow, unless there’s something else, I must get this poor child home.” Grams looked brightly from one detective to the other. “No? Well, then, I suggest you just shoo on out of here. Our little girl needs to make herself presentable.”
    Amazingly, the men followed her directions; one shuffled the pictures together, stuffed them into a manila envelope and picked up the recorder while the nicer, cuter one offered the customary “call us if you need anything—we’ll be in touch” before both disappeared into the hall.
    â€œI just bet you will.” Grams muttered under her breath. “Were they hard on you?” She didn’t wait for Pauly to answer but continued, “I told the hospital not to allow visitors unless I could be here. And definitely not the police. Not alone. But do you think they listened? No. You’d think in this kind of hospital, they’d know better.”
    â€œGrams, please. I’m doing fine.” A lie, but maybe if she left this place, got out into the sunshine and fresh air, away from the blank walls, she would be.
    ***
    â€œI took the liberty of moving you out of your apartment.”
    Pauly started. She had been staring out the car window at the winter-bleak landscape. No more vestiges of fall after a rain had beaten the last of the foliage from the trees.
    â€œYou broke my lease?”
    â€œIt was easy, uh, under the circumstances. And I might have thrown in a couple free performances for the owner’s grandkids.”
    â€œThanks.”
    â€œWell, that doesn’t sound very convincing. I honestly thought it would be too painful to go back to a place that had memories of what’s-his-name.”
    â€œRandy, Grams. Saying his name doesn’t hurt.”
    Grams had been against her marriage and had wanted to know why Pauly couldn’t