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“Your parents called and left a message,” a woman at the hotel’s front desk told Maureen as she produced her credit card. “They’re running late.”
“That’s impossible.” Maureen was flummoxed. “There’s some mistake.”
“I took the call myself.” The young woman sounded sincere.
Denny moved over to the front desk. “Believe me when I tell you they will not be coming. Because they are dead.” Denny spoke in a matter-of-fact manner that irked Maureen to no end. “They’re deader than dead. Dead as a doorknob.” She turned to Maureen and asked, “Were they ever planning to come on this trip with us?”
“No.”
“Did you ever invite them?”
“No, not that I recall.” Maureen wanted to tell her to shut up. But there was no shutting up her little sister. Her little sister had the zaniest ideas, but Maureen would support her this time. They shared a common loss. They were both orphans, no matter their age.
Maureen generated the cheerful facade she wore when on the show’s production set as she signed her name and reinserted her card into her wallet. She felt her world spinning out of control. She wished Denny would not speak about their death ever again. Even thinking about their memorial service made Maureen want to gag, as Amanda would say. She had come here to forget about that and everything else.
“How on earth could this happen?” Maureen asked.
The corner of Denny’s mouth lifted on one side. “I’ll bet this is one of Jimbo’s little pranks that are never funny.”
Denny was right about his often-tasteless humor.
“If you’re referring to my husband, you know he hates being called that. His name is James.” He despised even being called Jim.
“Don’t get your tail in a knot, Sis.”
“Why in heaven’s name would James do a thing like that?” As Maureen waited for an explanation, she asked herself why she’d invited Denny on this trip to begin with. She glanced over to see her daughter hugging her Aunt Denny around the waist. Lydia was staring at her with a look of confusion. As were all the other guests in the foyer.
It seemed their whole lives, Denny had tried without success to emulate Maureen. It wasn’t Maureen’s fault that she was older and that she worked her tail off to get good grades. Or that the camera loved her. Things didn’t always come easy for Maureen, but she persevered. And she also knew how to manipulate people. Yes, she admitted it to herself. She was manipulative. After all, how did she ensnare James in college? Not that he was the catch of the century.
“May I show you to your rooms now?” a twenty-something lass asked Maureen. “Welcome, I’m Molly.” The vivacious young woman dressed in a kilt glanced to Alec and grinned. “Hi there, handsome,” she said, sweet as honey.
Alec spoke to Maureen’s entourage. “I assume you’ll have supper and breakfast in the hotel. The food here is impossible to beat.” He spoke directly to Denny. “See you in the morning.” And then next he said, “I hope you all sleep well.” He turned to leave. “Goodnight.”
“Good night.” Amanda’s smudged makeup had transformed her face into a ghoulish clown, but she seemed oblivious, her attention set on Alec. “See you tomorrow.”
Had her daughter suddenly become interested in older men? Amanda had asked when she could start dating but had been told in no uncertain terms that she couldn’t date until she was sixteen.
“Don’t worry, there are a myriad of sights to see,” he said as if he could read her thoughts. “We can decide over breakfast.”
Lydia batted her eyelashes at him if Maureen was not mistaken. Had the young woman forgotten she was here to look after Amanda not flirt with the driver? Maureen would put a stop to this behavior. She spoke to Denny. “I’m putting you in the same room with Lydia, and Amanda will sleep with me.”
“Mommy.” Amanda spoke with a whine in her voice that betrayed her age. “I want to room with Aunt Denny.
“Not this trip.” Maureen held firm instead of her usual flimsy cave-in to her daughter’s demands.
“But you never let me do anything I want.”
Maureen felt like laughing out loud. She knew her daughter was a spoiled brat, and here was more evidence. But she held her tongue and clamped her lips together.
“Please follow me.” Molly escorted them up the grand carpeted staircase to the second floor.