It was too hard to hide her feelings and too late to be embarrassed for one minute more that she had them. Marie had told her that was what made people human - all those intense feelings.

She thought about what she liked about Jaylynn, and it occurred to her that one major thing was how alive the blonde was, how she took on life with zest, whether she was investigating a crime, talking on the phone, eating something tasty, making love, or crying at a sad movie. She wondered why Jay didn’t ever seem embarrassed by her emotions? How had she learned to let it all hang out like that?

Dez didn’t know the answers to those questions. She thought she would like to ask, but she didn’t know how to go about it. Yeah, right, just call up and say, Hey! Merry Christmas. I know I’ve been MIA for weeks now, but how ’bout we get together and chat?

She hunched down further into her jacket collar and turned back before she reached the corner. Now she strode quickly toward the parking lot and the warmth of the Chrysler. The heater was on full blast, and for once she was glad it felt like a sauna.

"Good timing," Vanita said. "He just finished the benediction, and now we can process out the lot and directly to Perkins."

Surprised, Dez said, "Perkins?"

"My treat," the older woman said.

"But what about your diet . . ."

Luella spoke up from the back seat. "We’ll both eat sensibly, Miss Worry Wart. Do you want to go or not? You in a big hurry to get somewhere?"

"No," stammered Dez. "In fact, I’m pretty hungry myself." She backed out of her space and fell in line behind the mini van.

From the back seat a quiet voice spoke up. "What do you think of giving Jaylynn a buzz - see if she could join us?"

Dez was glad she was driving so she didn’t have to look at her landlady. Her stomach dropped to somewhere, she figured, in the vicinity of the car’s undercarriage. "I don’t think she’s back from Seattle yet," she said calmly.

She heard a high-pitched beep and glanced over her shoulder to see Luella grinning and holding a compact cell phone to her ear.

"Luella! You’ve gone modern."

"Come on, squirt. I worked for the phone company for 39 years. It’s not like I’m unaware of the latest technology."

"But she bought it for me," Vanita said. "Always good to have a cell phone at your fingertips when you’re in the tub or on the pot or rooting around in the basement."

"Like you do a lot of rooting around in the basement," retorted Luella.

In a prim voice, Vanita said, "Well, whenever you do, I’ve got the phone for if you fall over in a dead faint and don’t answer my calls."

"Hush, it’s ringing . . ."

Dez wanted to tell her that she wouldn’t reach the blonde, but she figured her landlady would figure it out soon enough. She continued down the street driving toward the Perkins. From the back seat she heard Luella say, "Yes, hello. This is Luella. Jaylynn, give me a call at Vanita’s when you get time. Bye." The phone made a beep noise, then Dez heard a snap as Luella closed the phone up and put it back in her purse. "You sure she’s in Seattle?"

Dez thought for a moment. Would Tim lie to her? She didn’t think so. He had been reluctant to talk to her, but she did think he had been telling the truth. "She’s due back on Christmas Day, I think."

"So you’ve talked to her?"

"No. Not for a while."

Both women made little tsk-ing noises but stayed silent.

* * *

Dez helped Vanita out of the car, walking slowly toward the restaurant as she held on to the arms of both of the older women.