Chapter 37 Chapter Thirty-Seven

Jean Trent wore khaki slacks and red sandals, which she matched with a red tank top.She sat in the sun room on the west side of the building, even though there was no sunlight to bathe in at the moment.Jane already had a glass of cocktail in her hand.She asked Puller and her sister what to drink. Puller ordered a beer, and Cole chose ginger ale. "Wow," said Jane, "you two must be in trouble by the looks of it." "Sorry for being late," Cole said. "We've got a case that's holding us up." "No rush. This gave me time to drink an extra martini." She glanced at Puller. "You should have one, too."

Puller ignored her advice and asked, "Any news from your husband? Has he gotten where he's going?" "He rarely calls me when he's out. I don't even know when he'll be back." "Where's Megan?" Cole asked. "Swimming laps and laps in the pool." "Swimming so late?" Cole said. "She wanted her tummy to shrink back. I told her it would be fine when she grew up, it was just cute baby fat now. But the other girls laughed at her and she couldn't take it." "It's the same with me," Kerr said. "Roger was born with a big frame, and he put on weight easily. We never had that problem in my family." Jane looked over to Pooler, who was sitting on a small couch covered in green and purple vines. with.Jane said to him, "Well, if you're a frame of reference, your family should have genes for being tall."

"Indeed," Puller said. "Father or mother?" "Father." "What about your mother?" Jane asked. Puller didn't answer, but looked away and looked around the room.Jane looked at his belt. "Do you have to wear a gun to a dinner party?" "It's the rule. I have to keep my gun with me at all times." Cole asked: "Will Meghan join us for dinner?" "It's hard to say, she is still on a diet in order to lose weight." "This is not good, sister. A little girl of this age should be greedy when she sees food."

"I reasoned with her and always ended up with red faces. I also took her to specialists. They wanted her to take the pills they were prescribing, and I firmly stopped them. We hope this is just a stage in her growing up The phenomenon." Cole doesn't seem entirely convinced by this. "So it's just the three of us having dinner tonight?" "Maybe so," said Jane. "Oh, is it or isn't it?" "I can't say with absolute certainty at the moment." "Great." Cole said impatiently, "Did I tell you that I have encountered too many unanswered questions today, so I'd better go see my niece."

"Driving here, I didn't see a pool in the yard," Puller said. "Indoor swimming pool," said Jane. "People in our part don't like the outdoor sunshine so much." "Soot also turns pool water black," Kerr said.The sister turned to Cole and said, "This is total, pure bullshit, and you understand that." "Do I really understand?" The maids brought their drinks.Cole picked up his ginger ale and passed the beer to Puller.She said, "Okay, here I go. You two can talk about me behind my back." she left.Jane turned to Pooler and touched his beer bottle with her glass.

"By my standards, she's overwound." "She is a policeman, and she has to be serious in doing things. And she is a woman, in order to be recognized by others, she has to work harder." "Since you say so, maybe that's the case." "You two sisters are very different. You are alike in appearance, but you are different in other respects." "I won't disagree with you. So why are you two late? You couldn't have slept with her?" "Already?" said Pooler in a tone of surprise. "She definitely doesn't strike me as the type to sleep with anybody."

"I don't mean that, and she's not that kind of person. But she's attractive, and single. You're attractive, too, and I didn't find a wedding ring on that big hand of yours." "That doesn't mean that statement about how 'has been' is true." "Well, I just think that my little sister is so reckless." Puller leaned back on the sofa and took a sip of his beer. "No, we didn't have sex. We had a blast together." She straightened up. "What did you say?" "Someone sneaked a bomb in the truck in front of the house we were going to. We were only seconds away, or we wouldn't be able to attend your party tonight, or any night."

Jane put down her glass, stared at him and said, "You're kidding." "I don't joke about nearly losing my head." "Why didn't Sam mention it?" "I don't know, she's your sister. You obviously know her better than I do." She picked up the glass again, but didn't bring it to her lips."I wish she wasn't a cop," she said, staring at the olive-green liquid. "why?" "Too dangerous." "Many things are at risk." "You know what I mean," she said curtly. "She was a public servant who risked her life to maintain order and keep the good citizens of Drake safe. I admire her."

"You're a soldier, aren't you? And a public servant." "From the description of this occupation, you are right." "Ever been to Iraq or Afghanistan?" "I've been there." "I had a crush on a guy in high school. His name was Rich Daniels, and he joined the Army right out of school. He died in the first Gulf War. He was only nineteen." "Would you still marry Roger Trent if he came back from the war?" She drank the rest of the martini. "I see no reason for you to have anything to do with it." "You couldn't be more right. I was just chatting with you until your sister comes back."

"Well, don't bother you about chatting or anything. It feels good to be alone." "Why do you want me to come here tonight?" "I don't know, honestly. I just thought it was a good idea at the time. I'm a person who makes decisions lightly." "Really? You don't make me feel that way." "Oh, that's exactly what I am." "Tell me about the last death threat your husband received." "Why? Just chat? I said I don't need this kind of chat." "No, I'm speaking to you now as an investigator."

"That was a stupid act, it made no sense." "Death threats are rarely pointless follies." "Well, those threats are true, though." "Do you think it's the same people making threats again? Do you think your husband shouldn't be worried about that? Because he's obviously scared." She seemed less confident now, and her hands trembled as she put down the glass. "I don't think I'm the best person to answer those questions." "You don't seem to care much about all this this afternoon." "My husband is not a man that everyone loves. There are many people who hate him." "Do you know this yourself?" "yes." "And yet you married him." She looked at him sullenly. "Yeah, I'm still married to him. So what? He wasn't rich when we got married, and he was struggling to start his own company. So, I didn't marry him for the money." "I didn't say he was rich then, and I didn't say you married him for money." "But you think so." "I believe he has many other good qualities." "Yes, he is." "It's good to know that." "I don't like your attitude." "I don't have my own attitude, I just want to try to say what you mean." "Not trying hard enough."