The Line That Binds

by Carolyn LaRoche

  Marietta opened the door and checked the hall. "We're clear."

  Vivian laughed. "We aren't robbing a bank."

  "Spoilsport." Marietta swatted at her lightly. "Last one to the kitchen only gets half a glass of wine."

  "That's not fair! You had a head start!"

  "What are you two being so secretive about?" Eleanor asked, stepping in to the small hallway. Her eyes were red rimmed and puffy and her naturally light skin was pale, like she needed a week of sleep on a tropical island in a hammock.

  "Uh—" Marietta looked over at Vivian praying she'd just go along. "You know how I hate tags in my clothes? The one in this dress was killing me so Viv tore it out."

  "Yeah, Mari was climbing the wall trying to get the itch out so I offered to help."

  Eleanor shook her head. "You two are ridiculous. Can you please get out here and help divert my mother? She's driving me as crazy as that tag."

  Marietta linked arms with Eleanor and led her back to the kitchen. "Viv and I were just about to find a bottle of wine and rescue it from its contents. Join us?"

  "Just don't let my mother see. She'll accuse me of drinking my emotions and turning in to an alcoholic like my dad was."

  "For Heaven's sake, under the circumstances, I'd probably have an intravenous line straight in to my blood stream. It's the only way I'd be able to cope."

  They reached the kitchen. Vivian went to the cabinet and pulled out three Tervis tumblers and straws.

  "What are you doing?" Eleanor asked.

  "Making sure you mama thinks you are drinking juice. And that your two besties are supporting you with said juice because we are not wine lushes either."

  Eleanor laughed. "You are the best friends a girl could ever ask for."

  "Hey, we always got your back, girl." Marietta said, with a wink.

  Vivian filled the cups with ice and divided a bottle of pink wine between the three of them. Capping each cup, she tucked a straw in the opening and handed one to Eleanor and one to Vivian.

  "To Gary." Vivian held her cup up and Marietta and Eleanor followed suit.

  "To Gary," Marietta said.

  "I miss you, my love." Eleanor took a long sip of wine and then asked, "So, who's going to tell me why the two of you were really in that bathroom?"

  "What do you mean? I told you?" Marietta replied.

  "It was a great story, Mari. It worries me how easily you made it up but it was good. Believable too. Except for the fact that you had me cut that tag out last month at church."

  "Crap." Marietta scowled. "I forgot about that."

  "So, what's up? Your men took off from the church together and we haven't seen them all day. Now there's a police unit parked out in front of my house and no one told me they were coming. So, spill, girls. What's going on?"

  Marietta looked at Vivian who just shrugged. "Yours called you. Mine is still radio silent."

  "Okay, fine. Ricky called me. Told me they had a solid lead on the guy who killed Gary."

  Eleanor narrowed her eyes and gave Marietta a hard stare. "That's your big secret? Yeah, I don't think so."

  Marietta sighed, resigned that she wouldn't be keeping this from her friend. "He called 9-1-1 today and threatened to kill Ricky and Antonio too. That's how they got the lead on his location. Ricky sent a car to watch the house and told us all to stay put. Just as a precaution. He didn't threaten any of us."

  Eleanor sat down in one of the chairs at the kitchen table. "Well, this just keeps getting better and better."

  "What does, dear?" Helen, Eleanor's mother, appeared in the doorway of the kitchen.

  Eleanor shot Marietta the look of death, presumably so she wouldn't say anything.

  "The food, Mom. All the food people have brought this week. Each dish is better than the last." Motioning to Marietta and Vivian, she said, "You remember my friends?"

  "Yes, of course I do." Helen extended a hand to both Vivian and Marietta. "It's so nice to see you both again, unfortunate circumstances aside."

  Marietta nodded and smiled. "Yes, ma'am."

  "Please, just call me Helen. We're all friends here."

  "Could you please go check on the boys for me, Mom?" Eleanor asked. "Let them know I'll be clearing up the food soon if they want to eat again first."

  "I can't imagine where they put it all." Helen shook her head as she headed from the kitchen.

  "Helen?" Vivian called after her.

  "Yes, dear?"

  "Could you please deliver the same message to my son, Tony? He'll be with the twins."

  "Of course." Helen disappeared through the doorway.

  Eleanor let out a long breath. "She has to go home."

  Vivian laughed. "The day will end eventually."

  "Oh, didn't you hear? She's staying until Thanksgiving. Doesn't want the boys and I to be alone on such a family centered day. As if I won't already be miserable enough without Gary here."

  "You won't be alone. You're coming to my house, remember? I already bought a turkey," Marietta said, taking a drink of her wine. "Tell her your brother needs her out in California or something."

  Eleanor shrugged. "If only it were that easy. I'll give it a try though. And, you really don't have to cook for us."

  Marietta shook her head. "It's a done deal already. Bring your mama if you have to but we would love to have you. It would probably be easier on the boys too—they can spend the day playing video games with Ricky. He's actually off that day and would love someone to play against. They can all eat until they explode."

  "I could never subject you to Helen on a holiday."

  Marietta raised her cup. "I got a lot of wine and a lot of plastic cups. I'll be fine."

  "You really should go," Vivian said. "Marietta's a kick ass cook and if I didn't have to feed Antonio's huge family, I'd be there too."

  Eleanor inhaled deeply then exhaled slowly, looking from Marietta to Vivian and back again. "Okay, fine. As long as you don't mind that my mother will probably be with us."

  Marietta touched her cup to Eleanor's. "Like I said, I got plenty of mommy juice at my house."

  "Ha! Mommy juice." Vivian nudged Marietta in the ribs. "Like—anti-Eleanor's mom or survival technique for all mothers in the world?"

  "Both?" Marietta laughed.

  "I have no idea how I'd get through any of this without the two of you. Girlfriend hug." Eleanor held out her arms and Marietta and Vivian joined her in a three way embrace they'd nicknamed a girlfriend hug years ago.

  "You know we're always here for you," Vivian said.

  "I do. And there are no words to tell you how much I appreciate it. I just feel so—empty right now." Eleanor wiped at her eyes.

  The sound of footsteps running down the stairs made them all laugh.

  "Grammy says there's still food to eat," Jackson said as the three boys ran into the kitchen.

  "It's in the dining room. Make sure you leave some for the other guests!"

  "Eleanor!" Helen's voice echoed through the house.

  "Still in here, Mom!"

  Helen appeared in the kitchen. "You really should tend to your other guests, don't you think?"

  "This isn't a party, Mom. I'm the mourning widow. I am not supposed to entertain."

  "Well, do you have to sit here in the kitchen all afternoon?"

  Marietta walked to the sink and pretended to wash her hands so Helen wouldn't see her roll her eyes. That woman was ridiculous under the best of circumstances.

  "Come on, Ellie, I'll go sit with you." Vivian picked up their tumblers and headed toward the living room.

  "Right behind you!" Marietta replied, expecting Helen to follow but she didn't.

  "Marietta, right?" Helen asked when they were alone.

  "Yes."

  "I'm worried about Eleanor." The older woman twisted her hands in front of her.

  "She just lost the love of her life. She's handling it much better than most women would."

  "It's not what the world sees that concerns me. Eleanor
has always been a very private, guarded person. It's when she's finally alone that scares me."

  "She knows she can call me or Vivian anytime. Either one of us can be here in ten minutes or less."

  Helen nodded. "You girls are good friends to my daughter. Thank you. I know this has been a hard time for all of you since he died at work."

  "He was murdered. Hard time barely begins to cover it. My husband rode with him to the hospital. Vivian's husband was there at the shooting. He saw the whole thing. I can't even imagine what that's been like for him."

  "I was looking for some toilet tissues in Eleanor's bathroom this morning and I found a trash bag of bloody clothes stuffed under the sink." Helen's admission definitely caught her off guard.

  "Jeans and a sweatshirt?"

  Helen shrugged. "I'm not sure."

  "It's probably the clothes she had on at the hospital. What did you do with the bag?"

  "I left it where it was. I didn't want my daughter to think I was snooping."

  Marietta chuckled. "But you were doing exactly that."

  Helen huffed and put her hands on her hips. "Doesn't everyone keep extra toilet tissue under the sink?"

  Marietta just smiled. "I suppose. If you'll excuse me? I want to make sure those boys are leaving some of the food for others."

  She didn't wait for Helen to reply. She walked out of the room, thanking God her own mother was nothing like Eleanor's.

  In the dining room, the boys sat in a corner together, balancing heaping plates of casseroles and salads on their laps. Through the partially curtained window, she caught sight of a marked police unit parked across the street. Nothing else looked out of the ordinary. Several vehicles were parked in the driveway and along the road on both sides. A small crowd of people gathered off to the side by the pond. Gary loved that pond. He taught both his boys how to fish there. Tony had spent countless hours out there with them, running around and basically just acting like boys.

  Eleanor sat in an arm chair in the formal living room, Vivian right by her side on a matching chair. An older woman stood by them, patting the back of Eleanor's hand. She leaned in and gave her a quick hug before excusing herself and heading toward the door. When she got closer, Marietta recognized her as Nina Jerry, the lieutenant's wife.

  "Hello, Mrs. Jerry," Marietta said as the woman reached for the door knob.

  "Hello—"

  "Marietta Vasquez. Ricky Vasquez is my husband."

  She lifted her hand and pressed long, perfectly manicured fingers to her chest. "Oh, yes, I've met him many times. A very nice man. My husband speaks of him as a good officer."

  Marietta smiled, politely. "Thank you, ma'am. I appreciate hearing that. I think he's pretty great all around."

  "It's such a shame what happened to Detective Hart. It is my understanding he was well-liked and respected in the department."

  "You would be correct." Marietta felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. "Thank you very much for coming today. I know Eleanor appreciates it. Please excuse me."

  Turning around she headed back toward the powder room. She caught sight of Vivian watching her but didn't stop to explain. Once inside the bathroom, she took her phone from her pocket and called Ricky back.

  "Hey, baby." He sounded much less stressed than before.

  "Please tell me you got him?"

  "Not yet. But we will. They traced his phone call to a dive motel. He's not registered there but his ol' lady is. We're setting it up right now. Getting warrants and stuff." The clicking of computer keys sounded in the background. "I'm just making a few notes on the report while I wait and checking in with my hot mama."

  "I look good today too."

  Ricky let out a low whistle. "That dress sure shows off the girls in all the best ways. I didn't think a quick boob grab was appropriate in church but I was thinking about it the whole time."

  Marietta laughed, feeling the heat build in her face. "You're ridiculous. You know that, right?"

  "Maybe. But I'm all yours, baby."

  "I'm such a lucky girl. I told Eleanor. She knew something was up. The second I hung up my phone she was there, asking."

  "How is she doing?"

  "As well as can be expected, I suppose."

  "Okay, well, I've got to run. I'll call you when I can."

  "I love you, Ricky."

  "I know." He ended the call in the familiar way this time, leaving her holding her phone to her chest and whispering a quiet prayer for protection.

  Two hours later, as she and Vivian helped Eleanor and Helen wrap the rest of the food and clean up the rest of the house, she still hadn't heard from Ricky again.

  "I might never eat fried chicken or macaroni and cheese again," Eleanor said as she wrapped up a plate of chicken.

  "It's the south, we like our comfort foods." Vivian scooped heaps of pulled pork from a foil pan and into a plastic storage container.

  "I know. And I appreciate every single person who has thought of us." Eleanor dropped down into a chair and rested her head on her arm on the table. "I'm just so tired."

  "Why don't you go lay down? We can finish here." Vivian picked up a bowl of macaroni salad and handed it to Helen to put away. "Right, ladies?"

  "Absolutely, darling. You go rest. Your girlfriends and I can handle this."

  "I think I will. Thanks, girls, Mom. Call me if you need me."

  By the time they finished packing away all of the food, Ricky hadn't called with an update so Marietta went in to the living room where she slipped off her shoes, sat on the sofa, and tucked her feet up under her. A headache had been fighting to make an appearance for a while. Leaning against the arm rest, she allowed her eyes to close as she massaged her temples.

  "You and Vivian can head home if you'd like. I'll be here. Eleanor won't be alone." Helen sat on the love seat across from Marietta.

  "That's okay. I don't mind staying a little longer. Just in case other guests stop by."

  "Girl, am I beat," Vivian announced as she plopped into an arm chair.

  Helen turned to Vivian. "I was just telling Marietta that you ladies could head home if you'd like."

  "I'm too tired to drive at the moment. Too much juice in my sippy cup. I'm going to crash here for a little bit." She grabbed at an afghan on the back of the chair and pulled it up over herself. "Ah, this is nice."

  "Is there something going on that I don't know about?" Helen stood up in the center of the room looking back and forth between them.

  "What do you mean?" Marietta asked, using her sweetest voice.

  "Well, the two of you refuse to go home and there's been a police car parked out front for the last four hours at least. I know y'all think I'm oblivious but I've been around the neighborhood a time or two."

  "Crap." Vivian nodded to Marietta. "You might as well tell her or she'll be shooing us out the door with the broom."

  Marietta sat up straight on the couch, pulled back the curtains and waved to the officer outside. "Okay, fine. Ricky and Antonio and some of the other guys are following a lead on the shooter. A lead they got because he called 9-1-1 and made a threat against our husbands. We are under strict instructions not to go home until we hear from them."

  "Bless your hearts, girls. You've been carrying that around all afternoon?"

  They both shrugged.

  "It's not that big a deal," Vivian said.

  "Well, of course it is! This man is scary. I'd be worried sick if it were me."

  "Years of being married to a cop has made me used to it, I guess. I trust his training and his fellow officers to do the best they can to keep each other safe."

  Helen sat down in a chair. She picked up a throw pillow and fussed with it, not making eye contact with either Marietta or Vivian. "Gary trusted them too. That didn't turn out so well."

  Rage coursed through Marietta but she kept it under control. Helen didn't know all of the details. Like the fact that Antonio was there and couldn't do anything to stop it. Eleanor was her daughter, and she'd known G
ary all his life. It was a lot to deal with and accept.

  "Gary was ambushed. There was nothing anyone could do to stop that. This time, our guys have the advantage."

  "I sincerely hope that you are correct."

  Vivian yawned. "In the meantime, I'm gonna lay right here and take a nap. I'm beat."

  "How about the boys?" Helen asked.

  Vivian gave a little wave as her eyes closed. "We won't see them for hours. Not until they get hungry again. Tony brought over the newest racing video game."

  "Is it healthy for them to spend so much time on games?" Helen actually looked genuinely concerned.

  Marietta shrugged. "The twins are adults and Tony is a senior in high school. Under the circumstances, I don't see an issue." She faked a yawn. "I'm going to take a little nap too, if you don't mind."

  "I suppose it would do me good to lay down a bit as well." Helen rose and headed toward the guest room at the back of the house.

  When she was gone, Vivian opened her eyes. "I thought she'd never leave."

  "I know." Marietta looked at her cell phone. "Just like Ricky is never going to call."

  As if on cue, her cell phone rang.

  "Is it him?" Vivian asked.

  Marietta nodded. "Hi, honey. Everything okay?"

  Ricky chuckled. "We got him, if that's what you mean."

  "Oh, gracias Dios."

  This time Ricky full on laughed. "I thought you only kicked on the Spanglish when you are pissed at me?"

  "Did they get him?" Vivian asked from her spot under the blanket.

  "Yes," Marietta replied. To Ricky she said, "What now?"

  "He'll be processed and sent to jail until he can be arraigned. We've got one hell of a report to write tonight too. Sarge is already breathing down our necks to make sure every t is crossed and every i is dotted."

  "So, we can go home?"

  "Yeah. Tell Vivian Antonio will call her in a bit. He's at the magistrate’s office with—the suspect." She knew by the pause he wanted to say something else.

  "Okay. See you soon?"

  "It could be a while, babe. They aren't gonna let us leave until this is all wrapped up."

  "Just get home as soon as you can then. Love you."

  "Love you too. Text me when you go to bed and I'll try and call to say goodnight." He disconnected the call.