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Are You Afraid Of The Dark :: Sheldon Sidney
Страница: 18 из 173" Diane gave him a long, passionate kiss.
* * *
PARIS WAS A wonderland. Their first stop was at Givenchy, to buy outfits for both of them, then over to Louis Vuitton, to get luggage for all their new clothes.
They took a leisurely walk down the Champs-Elysees to the Place de la Concorde, and saw the storied Arc de Triomphe, and the Palais-Bourbon, and la Madeleine.
They strolled along la Place Vendome, and spent a day at the Musee du Louvre. They wandered through the sculpture garden of the Musee Rodin and had romantic dinners at Auberge de Trois Bonheurs, and Au Petit Chez Soi, and D'Chez Eux.
* * *
The ONLY THING that seemed odd to Diane was the telephone calls Richard received at peculiar hours.
"Who was that?" Diane asked once, at 3 a.m., as Richard finished a phone conversation.
"Just routine business."
In the middle of the night?
* * *
"Diane! diane!" She was shaken out of her reverie. Carolyn Ter was standing over her. "Are you all right?" "I'm-I'm fine." Carolyn put her arms around Diane. "You just need time. It's only been a few days." She hesitated.
"By the way, have you made arrangements for the funeral?" Funeral. The saddest word in the English language. It carried the sound of death, an echo of despair.
"I-I haven't-been able to-" "Let me help you with it. I'll pick out a casket and-" "No!" The word came out harsher than Diane had intended.
Carolyn was looking at her, puzzled.
When Diane spoke again, her voice was shaky. "Don't you see? This is-this is the last thing I can ever do for Richard. I want to make his funeral special. He'll want all his friends there, to say goodbye." Tears were running down her cheeks.
"Diane-" "I have to pick out Richard's casket to make sure he-he sleeps comfortably." There was nothing more Carolyn could say.
* * *
THAT AFTERNOON, DETECTIVE Earl Greenburg was in his office when the call came.
"Diane Stevens is on the phone for you." Oh, no. Greenburg remembered the slap in the face the last time he had seen her.
What now? She probably has some new beef. He picked up the phone. "Detective Greenburg." "This is Diane Stevens. I'm calling for two reasons. The first is to apologize.
I behaved very badly, and I'm truly sorry." He was taken aback. "You don't have to apologize, Mrs. Stevens. I understood what you were going through." He waited. There was a silence.
"You said you had two reasons for calling." "Yes. My husband's-" Her voice broke.
* * *
PARIS WAS A wonderland. Their first stop was at Givenchy, to buy outfits for both of them, then over to Louis Vuitton, to get luggage for all their new clothes.
They took a leisurely walk down the Champs-Elysees to the Place de la Concorde, and saw the storied Arc de Triomphe, and the Palais-Bourbon, and la Madeleine.
They strolled along la Place Vendome, and spent a day at the Musee du Louvre. They wandered through the sculpture garden of the Musee Rodin and had romantic dinners at Auberge de Trois Bonheurs, and Au Petit Chez Soi, and D'Chez Eux.
* * *
The ONLY THING that seemed odd to Diane was the telephone calls Richard received at peculiar hours.
"Who was that?" Diane asked once, at 3 a.m., as Richard finished a phone conversation.
"Just routine business."
In the middle of the night?
* * *
"Diane! diane!" She was shaken out of her reverie. Carolyn Ter was standing over her. "Are you all right?" "I'm-I'm fine." Carolyn put her arms around Diane. "You just need time. It's only been a few days." She hesitated.
"By the way, have you made arrangements for the funeral?" Funeral. The saddest word in the English language. It carried the sound of death, an echo of despair.
"I-I haven't-been able to-" "Let me help you with it. I'll pick out a casket and-" "No!" The word came out harsher than Diane had intended.
Carolyn was looking at her, puzzled.
When Diane spoke again, her voice was shaky. "Don't you see? This is-this is the last thing I can ever do for Richard. I want to make his funeral special. He'll want all his friends there, to say goodbye." Tears were running down her cheeks.
"Diane-" "I have to pick out Richard's casket to make sure he-he sleeps comfortably." There was nothing more Carolyn could say.
* * *
THAT AFTERNOON, DETECTIVE Earl Greenburg was in his office when the call came.
"Diane Stevens is on the phone for you." Oh, no. Greenburg remembered the slap in the face the last time he had seen her.
What now? She probably has some new beef. He picked up the phone. "Detective Greenburg." "This is Diane Stevens. I'm calling for two reasons. The first is to apologize.
I behaved very badly, and I'm truly sorry." He was taken aback. "You don't have to apologize, Mrs. Stevens. I understood what you were going through." He waited. There was a silence.
"You said you had two reasons for calling." "Yes. My husband's-" Her voice broke.