We'll Meet Again

90

“No more, Jenna, that’s definitely enough. I swear to you I’m getting a buzz on.”

“Oh for heaven’s sake, Moll, you’ve had a glass and a half.”

“I thought this was at least my third.” She shook her head as if trying to clear it. “You know, this wine is potent.”

“What’s the difference? With all you have on your mind, you might as well relax. You hardly touched dinner.”

“I ate plenty, and it was good. I’m just not very hungry.” She raised her hand in protest as Jenna poured more wine into her glass. “No, I can’t drink any more. My head is spinning.”

“Let it spin.”

They were seated in the study, both with their heads back, their bodies sunk into comfortable, overstuffed chairs that faced each other across a small, low table. For several minutes they sat in silence, while a jazz piano CD played softly in the background.

In a pause between songs, Molly spoke. “You know what, Jen? Last night I had a nightmare. It was very unsettling. I thought I saw Wally Barry at the window.”

“Good Lord!”

“I wasn’t scared, just startled. Wally would never hurt me; I know that. But after seeing him at the window, I turned back and all of a sudden this room looked the way it did that night when I came home and found Gary dead at his desk. And I think I’ve figured out why I made that connection-I believe Wally really was here that night.”

Molly had kept her head back while she spoke. She was starting to feel so sleepy. She tried to keep her eyes open and to raise her head. What had she just said? Something about finding Gary.

Finding Gary .

Suddenly her eyes were fully open, and she sat forward.

“Jen, I just said something important!”

Jenna laughed. “Everything you say is important, Molly.”

“Jen, this wine tastes funny.”

“Well, I won’t tell the mighty Cal you said that. He would be insulted.”

“Click, snap. That’s another sound I heard.”

“Molly, Molly, you’re getting hysterical.” Jenna stood and crossed to her friend. Standing behind the chair, she put her arms around her and bent her head forward so that her cheek was resting against Molly’s head.

“Fran thinks I’m going to commit suicide.”

“Are you?” Jenna asked calmly, relaxing her embrace and standing back, then moving to sit on the table in front of Molly.

“I thought I was. I planned to. That’s why I got all dressed up. I wanted to look classy when they found me.”

“You always look classy, Molly,” Jenna said softly. She slid Molly’s wineglass closer to her. Molly reached for it and knocked it over.

“Not classy to be clumsy,” she murmured, slumping back in her chair. “Jen, I did see Wally at the window that night. I’m sure of it. It may have been a dream last night, but it wasn’t before. Call him, okay? Ask him to come over and talk to me.”

“Molly, be reasonable.” Jenna chided. “It’s ten o’clock.” Grabbing their cocktail napkins, she mopped the spilled wine from the tabletop. “I’ll get you a refill.”

“Noo… no… no. I’ve had enough.”

My head hurts, Molly thought. Click, snap. “Click, snap,” she said.

“What are you talking about?”

“The sound I heard that night. Click… snap… click, click, click.”

“You heard that, dear?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Molly, I swear you are getting your memory back. You should have gotten a buzz on sooner. You just sit there and relax. I’ll get you that refill.”

Molly yawned as Jenna picked up the empty glass and hurried to the kitchen.

“Click, click, click,” Molly said aloud, in synch with the clicking sound Jenna’s high heels made on the hallway floor.