The SurpriseWhen I returned home, Tony, his mother Molly, and his sister Katherine played croquet in the garden. His father Roy sat under a lawn canopy smoking a cigar.
Why was Roy here? What did he tell Tony?
A maid stood behind Roy, waiting for orders. Roy’s men watched our surroundings; I imagined they scanned for marksmen. Not that I expected any to appear on the Spadros Manor grounds. But when you had as many enemies as Roy, paranoia became prudent.
Katherine Spadros was thirteen and in that gangling awkward age of intensity and drama. She dropped her mallet and charged, auburn hair flying, to envelop me in a crushing embrace. “Oh, Jacqui, I’m so happy to see you!”
“I’m happy to see you as well.” When she let go, I took a breath. “Who’s winning?”
“Mama, but I’m second.”
I lowere
