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“THE TABLE’S ALL SET,” Rochelle said. “I guess we can eat.”
They went through to the dining room. Dinner had been set out family style on the table, with bowls of fried fish, coleslaw, green beans, and biscuits.
“Thank you for getting dinner ready, Rochelle.” Almira came through the door, wearing a clean t-shirt and jeans and looking refreshed. Her hair was wet and neatly combed. “That was very helpful of you.”
Tristan pulled out chairs for each of the three women, starting with Mary-Alice and ending with his wife. Then he sat down himself and passed the green beans to Mary-Alice.
“So Mom, what were you going to tell me outside?”
Almira reached the serving tongs toward the fried fish platter and then paused.
“Well, today we—Rochelle, did you do this batter spicy or plain?”
“Plain. Sorry, Almira, I know you like the spicy kind.”
“No, no, don’t worry. Plain is perfect. I’m the one who can’t handle spicy, remember?”
Rochelle’s eyes widened.
“I know it’s counterintuitive,” Almira laughed.
Rochelle stared at Almira, burst into tears, and ran from the table.
“Mom!”
“What? What did I say?”
“You made her feel stupid again.”
“Tristan, all I said was—”
“Remember what the counselor told us? Mom, I love you, but Rochelle is my wife, and I have to stand with her.”
And then Tristan was gone, leaving Mary-Alice and Almira at the table.
“Well. I think it’s time to open the wine.”
Almira stood up and disappeared through a side doorway.
“Red or white?” She called out.
“You choose, dear. Anything is fine with me.”
Mary-Alice and Almira were sipping a decent red wine when Tristan returned to the dining room.
“Everything okay?” Almira asked.
“Mom, she’s a mess. Look. You can’t just—”
“Tristan, I can’t just what?”
“You treat her like she’s stupid. That’s what.”
“Stupid? Rochelle is obviously not stupid. She managed to get you to marry her, didn’t she? What did I say that upset her so much? All I said was I can’t handle spicy food.”
“Well, maybe it was the way you said it. See, now you’re rolling your eyes.”
Almira leveled her gaze at him.
“Tristan, sit down.”
He did.
“Your father is missing.”
Tristan looked from his mother to Mary-Alice and back to his mother.
“What do you mean missing? How? When’s the last time you saw him?”
Almira told her son the same thing she’d told Deputy Breaux.
He jumped up and pulled out his phone.
“You don’t believe me?” Almira asked.
“I never said that, Mom. I’m just gonna call the sheriff and see if there’s any new developments.”
From Tristan’s side of the conversation, it was clear there had been no new developments.
Tristan sat back down, his boyish good humor gone. Talking with the sheriff’s department had made the situation real.
“Mom. What happens to the business if Dad doesn’t come back?”
Almira turned her palms up.
“Geoff should have signed the papers. I mean, I think he did...”
Tristan blinked.
“Mom, you left it to him? Don’t you remember what happened with the life insurance?”
Mary-Alice wondered whether there was any way she might sneak out undetected. As she was one of only three people in the dining room, she realized this was probably not realistic. Instead, she helped herself to another piece of fried fish.
“That’s not fair, Tristan. When the insurance thing came up it was a busy time, and I can’t imagine he’d make the same mistake twice...oh, geez, who am I kidding. I’d better go check.”
Almira got up and left again, this time through a different door.
“Sorry, Miz Mary-Alice. I guess you caught us at a bad time. It’s not every day a person’s father goes missing.”
“Oh, no, I understand, dear,” Mary-Alice reassured him. “I truly do. I was with your mother when she made the report to Deputy Breaux. This must be very difficult for all of you.”
Almira returned, looking greenish under her platinum hair.
“The papers are still there,” she said.
“What does that mean, they’re still there?” Tristan’s handsome jaw tightened and he stood so quickly he almost knocked his chair backward. He reached back and managed to grab it before it toppled over. “He didn’t send them in? Did he at least sign them?”
“No. They’re still sitting in the sign-me folder on his desk. With the signature sticky thing telling him where to sign. No, he didn’t even sign them.”
“Mom, don’t you remember what the lawyer said? If anything happens to Dad, Danny gets everything.”
“I know.” Almira drifted over to the dining table and sank into her chair like a ghost. “I remember Geoff was joking about it. Sweetheart, I’m sure your father will be fine. He’s a strong swimmer. He’ll come back when he wants to. Mary-Alice, you haven’t eaten a thing. Tristan, come sit back down. We’re making our guest uncomfortable.”
“Oh, not at all,” Mary-Alice stammered.
Tristan pulled his chair out and sat down.
“My leave is only a week. Dad better turn up before then.”