Read Gone in a Flash for Free Online Page B
Authors: Susan Rogers Cooper
said.
‘At my expense!’ she said.
‘A joke is usually at someone’s expense. This time it was you,’ I said.
Megan went to the counter and poured herself a cup of coffee. She got the cream out of the refrigerator, poured in half a cup, then added three Equals.
‘Like a little coffee with your sweet cream?’ I asked.
‘Gosh, Mom, you are just a barrel of laughs this morning, aren’t you?’ she said and, me being queen of sarcasm, I could tell she was trying out for the role of princess.
Looking at my other two daughters, it was like they were watching a tennis match: heads going this way and that, following the play by play from the mother and daughter match in front of them.
I took my coffee and wandered into the family room, turning on the TV and honing in on
The Today Show
. Five minutes of that, and there was a break for local news. It basically all went over my head until I heard the name ‘Driscoll.’ As in the hotel. As in the hotel Willis and I stayed at in Austin, where a dead body had been found.
‘… Driscoll Hotel. The identity of the man who fell or jumped from there Sunday morning has been verified as James Unger, thirty-nine, of Houston, Texas. He was a chemist at a laboratory in Houston that he owned with his wife, Elizabeth Unger. Mrs Unger was unavailable for comment.’
‘Huh,’ I said. I picked up the landline as I had no idea where my iPhone was, and called Willis. When he picked up, I said, ‘They identified that guy who fell off the garage roof at the Driscoll.’
‘Yeah? Who?’ he asked.
‘James Unger. He was a chemist from Houston. He and his wife owned a lab there.’
‘Well, what a shit,’ Willis said. ‘I mean, if he jumped. That’s a shitty thing to do to his wife. If he fell, then hell, what an awful thing to happen.’
‘Very well put, dear,’ I said, albeit a little sarcastically. ‘I think you’ve covered all the bases.’
‘Unless, of course, as Bess mentioned, he was murdered.’
‘Then what would the correct response be?’ I asked.
‘Quite like the “if he fell” response, with an added, “the assholes!” You know, for emphasis.’
I sighed. ‘Are we terrible people?’ I asked.
‘Probably,’ he said. ‘Another call, babe, gotta go,’ and he hung up.
THREE
VERA’S STORY
TUESDAY
W e arrived in our nation’s capital as it was turning midnight. The hotel had been notified that we were getting there pretty late, so they were ready for us. I know my place in this world, and I know God wouldn’t give me anything more than I can handle, but I figured He and I were gonna have to have a little talk about my hotel roommate. Yes, you guessed it: Rachael Donley, the separated alto who made googly eyes at Brother Joe. Since my friend and supposed roommate Gladys was down with the flu, and since Rachael didn’t have a roommate assigned, I got her.
The room was real nice, with two queen-sized beds, a kitchenette, a table and four chairs, and a large, flat-screen TV. Willis and E.J. bought me one of them last year for Christmas, and I gotta say, going back to one of them regular TVs woulda been a burden. Not that I was gonna sit around our nation’s capital and watch TV. No way. I had a few things to say to the president, and I was gonna get in to see him if it hare-lipped Texas.
So me and Rachael Donley got in our room and looked around. I wasn’t sure I could look at her because, well, I didn’t want to judge.
‘This is nice,’ she said.
‘Uh huh,’ I said.
‘Which bed do you want?’ she asked.
‘You choose,’ I said.
‘Do you want to be near the window? Or do you think it would be too cold?’ she asked.
‘What part of “you choose” do you not understand?’ I said, finally looking at her. She seemed a little taken aback by the question, and I felt a little bad. ‘You take the window,’ I said. ‘I
do
get cold at night.’
‘OK,’ she said, and threw her suitcase on the bed closest to the window. Then she
‘At my expense!’ she said.
‘A joke is usually at someone’s expense. This time it was you,’ I said.
Megan went to the counter and poured herself a cup of coffee. She got the cream out of the refrigerator, poured in half a cup, then added three Equals.
‘Like a little coffee with your sweet cream?’ I asked.
‘Gosh, Mom, you are just a barrel of laughs this morning, aren’t you?’ she said and, me being queen of sarcasm, I could tell she was trying out for the role of princess.
Looking at my other two daughters, it was like they were watching a tennis match: heads going this way and that, following the play by play from the mother and daughter match in front of them.
I took my coffee and wandered into the family room, turning on the TV and honing in on
The Today Show
. Five minutes of that, and there was a break for local news. It basically all went over my head until I heard the name ‘Driscoll.’ As in the hotel. As in the hotel Willis and I stayed at in Austin, where a dead body had been found.
‘… Driscoll Hotel. The identity of the man who fell or jumped from there Sunday morning has been verified as James Unger, thirty-nine, of Houston, Texas. He was a chemist at a laboratory in Houston that he owned with his wife, Elizabeth Unger. Mrs Unger was unavailable for comment.’
‘Huh,’ I said. I picked up the landline as I had no idea where my iPhone was, and called Willis. When he picked up, I said, ‘They identified that guy who fell off the garage roof at the Driscoll.’
‘Yeah? Who?’ he asked.
‘James Unger. He was a chemist from Houston. He and his wife owned a lab there.’
‘Well, what a shit,’ Willis said. ‘I mean, if he jumped. That’s a shitty thing to do to his wife. If he fell, then hell, what an awful thing to happen.’
‘Very well put, dear,’ I said, albeit a little sarcastically. ‘I think you’ve covered all the bases.’
‘Unless, of course, as Bess mentioned, he was murdered.’
‘Then what would the correct response be?’ I asked.
‘Quite like the “if he fell” response, with an added, “the assholes!” You know, for emphasis.’
I sighed. ‘Are we terrible people?’ I asked.
‘Probably,’ he said. ‘Another call, babe, gotta go,’ and he hung up.
THREE
VERA’S STORY
TUESDAY
W e arrived in our nation’s capital as it was turning midnight. The hotel had been notified that we were getting there pretty late, so they were ready for us. I know my place in this world, and I know God wouldn’t give me anything more than I can handle, but I figured He and I were gonna have to have a little talk about my hotel roommate. Yes, you guessed it: Rachael Donley, the separated alto who made googly eyes at Brother Joe. Since my friend and supposed roommate Gladys was down with the flu, and since Rachael didn’t have a roommate assigned, I got her.
The room was real nice, with two queen-sized beds, a kitchenette, a table and four chairs, and a large, flat-screen TV. Willis and E.J. bought me one of them last year for Christmas, and I gotta say, going back to one of them regular TVs woulda been a burden. Not that I was gonna sit around our nation’s capital and watch TV. No way. I had a few things to say to the president, and I was gonna get in to see him if it hare-lipped Texas.
So me and Rachael Donley got in our room and looked around. I wasn’t sure I could look at her because, well, I didn’t want to judge.
‘This is nice,’ she said.
‘Uh huh,’ I said.
‘Which bed do you want?’ she asked.
‘You choose,’ I said.
‘Do you want to be near the window? Or do you think it would be too cold?’ she asked.
‘What part of “you choose” do you not understand?’ I said, finally looking at her. She seemed a little taken aback by the question, and I felt a little bad. ‘You take the window,’ I said. ‘I
do
get cold at night.’
‘OK,’ she said, and threw her suitcase on the bed closest to the window. Then she