Confession Is Murder Read Online Free Page A

I don’t think you should be doing that.”
    “I’ve always wondered about Connie. I never could figure her out. Or what Joseph ever saw in her, for that matter.” She motioned toward the open closet door. “Get a load of all these clothes.”
    Lucille peeked inside. The closet was so neat, unlike her own with all her shoes in a tangle and half her things falling off the hangers. Connie had scented sachets and everything lined up on beige padded hangers.
    “Kind of boring, don’t you think?” Flo glanced through a row of beige sweaters, beige blouses, and beige dresses.
    Lucille shrugged. “It suits her, I guess.”
    “Even Connie’s hair is beige,” Flo said. “Rita keeps trying to get her to change it—go blonder or darker or something. But Connie says she likes it that way.” Flo closed the door. “And Rita says she’s a cheap tipper.”
    “Well, she’s been good to Joseph.”
    Flo snorted. “Joseph’s been good to her, you mean. No kids, never worked. Spends a ton on herself.” She gestured toward the closet.
    “She wanted kids. You heard what she said at the church.”
    “Yeah, what was that all about? That wasn’t like Connie.” Flo was peeking into the drawers, and Lucille was getting nervous. “She probably only wanted kids so she could shop in the baby department. They’d be like another accessory.”
    Flo had never liked Connie, Lucille realized. She hated any woman she thought had it easier than she did. She was always going on and on about the ladies at the Clip and Curl where she worked.
    Lucille supposed it was because she’d had to struggle so hard herself, being a single parent almost from the time Anthony Jr. was born.
    “Is it hot in here?” Flo closed the door to Connie’s closet.
    Lucille shook her head. “You’re having one of them hot flashes, Flo. I get them all the time. I keep throwing the covers off while poor Frankie’s practically sleeping in his parka.”
    “Don’t be ridiculous.” Flo fanned herself with her hand. “I’ve got years to go before I hit the change.”
    “We’re the same age, and I started already. Fifty isn’t too young.”
    “Honestly, Lucille, there’s no need to go around telling everyone how old you are.” Flo went over to the dresser and opened one of the drawers. “Look at this.” She held up a skimpy beige negligee, making it whirl in front of her like a ghostly go-go dancer.
    “That sure don’t look like Connie,” Lucille said.
    “Yeah, except it’s beige like everything else.” Flo shook her head. “Maybe we don’t know Connie that well after all.”
    Lucille took the nightgown and held it up in front of herself. She looked in the mirror. “I wonder what Frankie would think if I showed up in bed wearing something like this?”
    Maybe Frank would like it. Maybe he was tired of her old flannel gowns, the socks because her feet were always cold, the tattered robe she threw on every morning to make the breakfast. Maybe he would go out and find himself a woman who owned stuff like this. Lucille felt her chest tighten. She had to get out of here.
    “Come on, Flo, let’s go back downstairs.”
    “Wait a minute—there’s something else.” Flo was fishing around in the back of the drawer.
    “What are you doing?” Lucille hissed under her breath. “We gotta get out of here.”
    “Hang on.” Flo pulled her catch from the drawer and held it up.
    “What’s that?” Lucille stared in disbelief.
    “Plastic wrap.” Flo crowed. “Who would have thought, our little Connie.”
    “I don’t get it.”
    “There was this book, I think it was called something like Total Woman. Don’t you remember? It was all about keeping your man satisfied at home.” Flo’s voice dropped seductively. “One of her tricks included showing up at the door wearing nothing but clear plastic wrap.”
    Lucille took a step backward. “You’ve got to be kidding. C’mon, Flo, that’s not true, is it?” She gestured toward the box. “Why