Read Online Murder of a Barbie and Ken by Denise Swanson - Free Book Online
Authors: Denise Swanson
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apparent in his stride. “So, where is she?”
“Uh, I don’t know.” Skye got up and checked the bathroom and kitchen again. “She was watching TV last time I saw her. I was napping in my bedroom when I heard the bell, and when I came out to answer the door, she wasn’t here.”
“Maybe she left.”
“She wouldn’t leave her stuff.” Skye gestured around the room.
“No. Maybe she went to town for something.”
“That’s another funny thing. I noticed this morning there was no car in my driveway. I meant to ask her how she got here but I forgot. If she left, someone would’ve had to pick her up.” Skye looked into the foyer. “And her coat’s still hanging on the hall tree.”
“She’ll turn up. Don’t worry about Bunny. She can take care of herself.”
“What are you going to do when she does?” Skye drew him down on the sofa and curled up next to him.
“Send her back to wherever she came from.”
“She said she’s been living in Las Vegas.”
“That’s what she always wanted, bright lights, fast living, and no responsibility.” Simon rested his head on the back of the sofa and stared at the ceiling.
Skye hugged him. “Why did you say she was dead to you? What happened?”
He sighed. “Dad was a high school basketball star.”
“From Scumble River, right?”
“Right. Bunny was from Laurel. They met at a game. She saw him as her ticket out of small-town life.”
“And your dad?”
“He was mesmerized by her.” Simon’s voice had an edge to it. “He had a basketball scholarship from Loyola, and she convinced him to marry her and bring her along.”
“What happened?”
“Dad wrecked his knee, lost his scholarship, and dropped out of college. He ended up operating a crane at the steel mills. She went to work as a go-go dancer at a club. Things were okay until she got pregnant.”
“Your dad wanted her to quit her job and be a full-time mom?” Skye guessed.
“Exactly, but that was the last thing she wanted. AndBunny always got what she wanted. She went back to dancing right after I was born. My dad said he’d walk in at five-thirty after his shift at the mill, and she’d hand me to him, then head downtown to the club.”
Skye squeezed his hand. “That must have been rough on them both, having such different dreams.”
“Rough on Dad, you mean. Bunny ignored his wishes completely. She stuck around for a couple of years, but left when I was three.”
“Was that the last time you saw her?”
“Oh, no.” The skin across his prominent cheekbones tightened. “That would have been too easy. If she had just divorced Dad, let him get remarried, and disappeared for good, maybe I could forgive her.”
“But she didn’t?”
“Every few months she would pop in with a toy, take me to the zoo or a movie, and promise that she was coming back for good real soon.”
Skye could feel his hurt. She squeezed her eyes shut to stop the tears from falling. “But she never did?”
“No. Later I found out that she came to visit only when she wanted money from Dad.”
“Your dad never tried to divorce her?”
“He loved her until the day he died.”
Skye kissed his cheek, knowing there was nothing she could say to ease his pain.
“I was fourteen the last time I saw her. We hadn’t heard from her for nearly five years before that. Then one day I came home after school, and there she was sitting on our front steps.” Simon was silent for a while, then said, his voice thick and unsteady, “She really fooled me that time. She said she was tired of being on the road, and she was getting too old to dance, and she wanted to come back.”
“What happened?”
“Dad and I welcomed her home like the prodigal mother.She stayed almost a month. Then one day she was just gone.”
“No note? No good-bye?” His expression told Skye that something worse was coming.
“She didn’t leave a thing,” Simon’s face hardened, “but my dad had given her access to his bank
“Uh, I don’t know.” Skye got up and checked the bathroom and kitchen again. “She was watching TV last time I saw her. I was napping in my bedroom when I heard the bell, and when I came out to answer the door, she wasn’t here.”
“Maybe she left.”
“She wouldn’t leave her stuff.” Skye gestured around the room.
“No. Maybe she went to town for something.”
“That’s another funny thing. I noticed this morning there was no car in my driveway. I meant to ask her how she got here but I forgot. If she left, someone would’ve had to pick her up.” Skye looked into the foyer. “And her coat’s still hanging on the hall tree.”
“She’ll turn up. Don’t worry about Bunny. She can take care of herself.”
“What are you going to do when she does?” Skye drew him down on the sofa and curled up next to him.
“Send her back to wherever she came from.”
“She said she’s been living in Las Vegas.”
“That’s what she always wanted, bright lights, fast living, and no responsibility.” Simon rested his head on the back of the sofa and stared at the ceiling.
Skye hugged him. “Why did you say she was dead to you? What happened?”
He sighed. “Dad was a high school basketball star.”
“From Scumble River, right?”
“Right. Bunny was from Laurel. They met at a game. She saw him as her ticket out of small-town life.”
“And your dad?”
“He was mesmerized by her.” Simon’s voice had an edge to it. “He had a basketball scholarship from Loyola, and she convinced him to marry her and bring her along.”
“What happened?”
“Dad wrecked his knee, lost his scholarship, and dropped out of college. He ended up operating a crane at the steel mills. She went to work as a go-go dancer at a club. Things were okay until she got pregnant.”
“Your dad wanted her to quit her job and be a full-time mom?” Skye guessed.
“Exactly, but that was the last thing she wanted. AndBunny always got what she wanted. She went back to dancing right after I was born. My dad said he’d walk in at five-thirty after his shift at the mill, and she’d hand me to him, then head downtown to the club.”
Skye squeezed his hand. “That must have been rough on them both, having such different dreams.”
“Rough on Dad, you mean. Bunny ignored his wishes completely. She stuck around for a couple of years, but left when I was three.”
“Was that the last time you saw her?”
“Oh, no.” The skin across his prominent cheekbones tightened. “That would have been too easy. If she had just divorced Dad, let him get remarried, and disappeared for good, maybe I could forgive her.”
“But she didn’t?”
“Every few months she would pop in with a toy, take me to the zoo or a movie, and promise that she was coming back for good real soon.”
Skye could feel his hurt. She squeezed her eyes shut to stop the tears from falling. “But she never did?”
“No. Later I found out that she came to visit only when she wanted money from Dad.”
“Your dad never tried to divorce her?”
“He loved her until the day he died.”
Skye kissed his cheek, knowing there was nothing she could say to ease his pain.
“I was fourteen the last time I saw her. We hadn’t heard from her for nearly five years before that. Then one day I came home after school, and there she was sitting on our front steps.” Simon was silent for a while, then said, his voice thick and unsteady, “She really fooled me that time. She said she was tired of being on the road, and she was getting too old to dance, and she wanted to come back.”
“What happened?”
“Dad and I welcomed her home like the prodigal mother.She stayed almost a month. Then one day she was just gone.”
“No note? No good-bye?” His expression told Skye that something worse was coming.
“She didn’t leave a thing,” Simon’s face hardened, “but my dad had given her access to his bank
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