Officer Jones (41 page)

“What the…”

Monica bounded down the stairs and through the kitchen. “Jamie, leave the cat alone.”

“Mom, I was just…”

Yeah right.

Not fooled by the bright sun, Monica put on her down-coat and stepped out into the chilled November air. She headed toward her daughter and the likely confrontation that would spoil the morning. “Maggie, what are you doing?”

“I’m almost done,” she said without looking up.

“What did I tell you about burying bodies in the backyard?” she asked with a disarming smile.

“Jamie’s class will be so excited that he’s bringing his comedian mother for Career Day.”

The twenty hours of labor, the late night feedings, the trips to the emergency room for the asthma attacks …
for this?

“Now that I’ve humored you, maybe you can return the favor by telling me why you’re digging up the backyard?”

Maggie let out an angst-filled sigh. “It’s part of the Heritage Paper project. We have to bury a time capsule that can’t be dug up for thirty years. Oma and I put it together.”

“My Bon Jovi shirt isn’t in there, is it?” Monica asked, still going with honey over vinegar. She checked her watch—they were getting late.

“That shirt is a dark family secret that should remain buried.”

Monica tried to keep a straight face, but couldn’t hold it. Either could Maggie, and she began to laugh at her own wittiness. It was one of those rare moments that made all the negotiations and mental gymnastics worth it. There hadn’t been a lot of laughs since Frederick died, but then again, there wasn’t a whole lot of sunshine at the end of his life, either.

Monica draped her coat over Maggie’s shoulders. “Your brother and I will be inside eating breakfast when you finish.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

A cease-fire. The day was looking up Monica, but she knew with two kids it could start going the other way at any moment.