Cherry Two

Part 12

Chapter 10

With supper finished early for once, Keenan Devereux walked over to Sonia, planted a light kiss on her mouth, then settled into the couch alongside his wife. He seemed to take immediate interest in the news on a large plasma TV screen. Calley eyed them from a suspended womb chair in silence. Keenan had to be six or seven years older than Sonia and looked even more mature than the actual age difference might suggest. His tightly cropped beard had turned grey under a high forehead. Long-boned and lanky, Keenan towered over everyone except Kent, who was catching up fast.

This unusual quiet evening Calley took the opportunity to watch them together as she pretended to read. At forty-two Sonia looked obscenely young for a mother of two boys—especially Alain-and had been taken for Keenan's daughter on more than one embarrassing occasion. Her face, yet to reflect any trace of age, still resembled the framed photos of sister Calley in her twentieth year—the year she died.

Wearing only shorts, six-foot Kent came through from the kitchen carrying a plate of cold pizza and tried not to look at Calley. The female intruder into their household had blown him off without reservation when Kent made assumptions about her availability that couldn't have been more off base. His rugged good looks and athletic build had never failed him before, but this time he'd struck out to his smaller, older brother whom he considered zero competition. A situation he could neither fathom nor cope with. Virtually ignoring Calley now seemed like his only solution.

Keenan leaned back over the couch and pointed a finger at Kent. "Hey, you know the rules—shirt on inside the house. We're all impressed by your tan. Save it for the beach."

Kent gave a sullen shrug and headed for the stairs, taking the pizza with him. In his room the teen wouldn't have to deal with the stupid Calley situation face-on.

"Where's Alain?" Keenan said to Sonia as Kent disappeared. He lowered the TV sound with a remote.

Sonia curled her legs tighter on the cushion. "He'll be home soon. He wants to ask you something related to a special research project he's been doing for university."

"Research? What research? He didn't say anything to me."

Sonia twisted and glanced over to where Calley listened quietly. "Calley, tell Keenan what Alain told you earlier."

Calley looked up from the magazine. "It's what you would call cold cases. Is that the proper way to say it?"

Keenan furrowed his brow. "Yeah, I know what he means. When did this business start? Alain has his hands full with criminal law."

"I might be to blame for that," Calley added coyly. "I wanted to know some things."

Sonia looked at Keenan and gave a contemplative shrug. "My sister," she whispered. "I said it would be okay."

A silent "Oh" formed on Keenan's mouth. "Are you sure, hon? It's a subject we all agreed to drop years ago."

Her hand reached behind Keenan's neck. "I'll be fine. Calley came a long way to hear the truth. If Alain wants to dig it up again, then let him. It doesn't hurt so much now. My sister Calley was the aunt he never knew, yet we hardly ever talk about her in case I take some sort of weeping fit. It's time this family faced history—time I faced history. Raking over her murder won't solve anything... but at least we won't have to tippytoe around the subject any more. For what it's worth Alain and Calley are taking some sort of interest. Kent's head is elsewhere and I can't blame him for that."

Keenan gave a huff. "Surf, sand and bikini babes? What kind of career build is that?"

Sonia smiled. "So at least one member of our family won't be a cop. Is that so bad?" From the corner of her eye she watched Calley as the girl took this moment to extract herself from the dangling womb chair and walk over to the couch. She went to her knees and leaned on the back with her arms. The startling resemblance to the former Calley impressed on Sonia every time the lithe girl moved.