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about
murder.”
     
    ~~~~~~~~~~
     

Chapter 2
    Above all, keep a sharp look-out for signs of attack by
fungi and woodworm. Train jour nose to differentiate between the dusty and the
musty.
    —The Illustrated Guide to Furniture Repair and
Restoration
     
    Once Jessica and Borris discovered that Molly was also
staying at Traveller, they insisted on driving her to Casa 'Rita, the Mexican
restaurant where the head appraisers were gathering for a casual dinner. Borris
was clearly looking forward to having a margarita partner.
    "We need to take advantage of Jessica's sobriety,"
Borris said, holding the rental car door open for Molly. "She'll drive us
both home."
    "I still can't believe it," Molly was saying as
Borris turned onto Broad Street and drove past one strip mall after another. He
closely tailgated a Jeep Wrangler whose upside-down bumper sticker read, If
you can read this, please turn me over . Clutching the door handle
nervously, Molly looked out the window and continued, "Victoria and Frank
are married? I mean, they don't exactly strike me as a well-matched pair."
    "I'll explain everything to you, dear,"' said
Jessica, settling into her storytelling mode. "Victoria Sterling was
formally Vicky Jiminski. She was a waitress at this place called The Terrapin
Diner and lived in a run-down apartment complex on the outskirts of Baltimore.
Back then—we're talking about ten years ago—Frank owned a successful antique
shop in Baltimore and another in Alexandria, just south of D.C. He was having
unbelievable success as a furniture dealer and soon developed a reputation on
the East Coast for being an expert in his field."
    "Victoria knew nothing about antiques," Borris
continued as Jessica took a swig from her water bottle. "But she knew
Frank had money. He used to stop at The Terrapin because he loved their catfish
platter. Vicky often waited on him and was shrewd enough to realize that Frank
had the potential to provide her with a comfortable life."
    "Vicky has always been a looker." Jessica regained
command of the story. "With her tight skirts and long legs, it was easy
for her to exert her charms on wimpy, oversensitive Frank and, of course, he
was bowled over. It didn't hurt that she was ten years younger either. They got
married after two months of dating and then he quickly began transforming his
new bride. Vicky the waitress had her hair done, was attired in a new wardrobe
of designer clothes, and was given speech and acting lessons. And just like
that, she became the Ms. Victoria Sterling we know and love today."
    That's why her clothes are so frumpy and mismatched, Molly
thought. Victoria's never known what stylish clothes are. She just buys
clothing with the highest price tags.
    "How did she ever get on TV?" Molly asked.
    Jessica snorted. "Frank knew some people on the local
network who gave her a spot hosting a home makeover show. Trouble is,
Victoria's attractive, but she isn't too knowledgeable about decorating or
antiques. Still, she's a fast learner, can memorize her lines instantly, and
has a decent sense of timing and delivery. And let's face it, she has the right
look for our show—that conservative, slightly dowdy elegance that people find
nonthreatening and familiar."
    "How do you guys know all this stuff? Wouldn't Victoria
want to conceal her background?" Molly asked.
    "Nah," said Borris. "One night she was two
sheets to the wind and told us the whole story. She even confided that she and
Frank have separate bedrooms at home, not that we wanted to know about that ."
    "I asked why she stayed married to a man she obviously
didn’t love," added Jessica as they pulled into the parking lot of another
strip mall behind a white convertible with cowhide seat covers and a bumper
sticker that read, Save a cow, eat a vegetarian . "Victoria said
that she liked her lifestyle and had no interest in sex, so Frank was the
perfect husband."
    Molly mumbled, "How romantic."
    "Romance is a Hollywood notion," Jessica