All Dressed in White (Under Suspicion #2)(11)

“Well, this certainly is a lovely restaurant,” her mother said, once the waiter was gone. Charlotte had chosen this spot because she knew that her mother would appreciate the elegant and spacious dining room, filled with fresh flower arrangements. She had also made a point to pull her long, messy, light brown waves into a knot at the nape of her neck. Her mother always had a way of suggesting that she wear her hair in a more stylish cut. To Charlotte’s ear, it sounded like her mother wishing she were more like Amanda. “How is everything going at work?”

As Charlotte spelled out the plans for marketing the new line of yoga wear, including a fashion show on the cable channel New York One, her mother seemed to be only half-listening. “I’m sorry, Mom. I’ve run on too long. Oh no, I’m not turning into Dad, am I?”

“Don’t even suggest it,” Sandra said with a smile. “Remember when the three of you set a timer to see how long he could babble about the new convertible bra?”

“That’s right. I almost forgot.” Some of the Pierce children’s biggest laughs had been at their father’s expense. Big, manly Walter Pierce had no qualms talking about bras, underwear, and girdles at the dinner table, in front of their friends, or in the checkout line at the grocery store. It was all just work to him, and he loved his work. The particular incident Mom referred to was Thanksgiving, and the bra was the Ladyform “3-in-one,” which converted from standard straps to strapless to a racer-back. Ladyform was the first to launch that design.

When it became clear that Dad was conducting yet another one of his “seminars,” Henry was the one to retrieve the timer from the kitchen. He, Charlotte, and Amanda had covertly passed it in a circle around the table as their father described every configuration, going so far as to use his napkin in a demonstration. By the time he realized what was going on, his children’s faces were close to purple from trying to suppress laughter, and the timer had hit the eight-minute mark.

“You kids always gave your father the hardest time,” Sandra said, reminiscing.

“Oh, he loved it. Still does,” Charlotte added, reminding herself that her mother and father rarely spoke anymore. “So, Mom, you called yesterday and announced that you were on your way to New York. I love seeing you, but I suspect you didn’t fly across the country just to have lunch with me.”

“It’s about Amanda.”

“Of course it is.” Everything her parents said or did or thought was always about Amanda. Charlotte felt cruel for her immediate reaction, but the truth was that her parents had always favored Amanda, even before she disappeared. Charlotte had spent most of her life feeling less accomplished, less attractive, and less recognized than her little sister.


Things had gotten even worse once Amanda was out of college and working at Ladyform, Charlotte thought bitterly. She had been at Ladyform four years before Amanda joined the company. But Amanda had come up with the idea of pairing famous female athletes with fashion designers to create high-end sports bras. After that, Dad treated Amanda as though she were Einstein reincarnated. Amanda’s idea was a great one, Charlotte thought grudgingly. The fact that I’ve been more than filling her job these past five years doesn’t seem to have been noticed by either of my beloved parents.

She signaled the waiter. When he came over, she said, “A vodka martini, please.” Then she looked at her mother. “Okay, Mom, what about Amanda?”





11





As soon as they left Brett’s office, Laurie gave Jerry a light squeeze around his shoulders. “You were terrific in there. I can’t believe how much you knew about the case!”

“I was in college when Amanda Pierce disappeared. My entire dorm was completely obsessed. I think I missed two days of class, glued to CNN. I knew then that what was supposed to be a little internship here was my true calling.”

Harvey from the mailroom passed them, wheeling a cart of mail with one hand, the other occupied by a half-eaten croissant. “You’re officially my favorite person at work today, Laurie.”

“Happy to hear it, Harvey.”

Once Harvey was out of earshot, Jerry said, “His wife wouldn’t be so happy. Last I heard, she had him on some gluten-free diet. I’m glad he’s cheating a bit. The mail’s been messed up all week.”

Laurie smiled. Jerry always seemed to know everyone’s business. “So how come you never suggested the Runaway Bride for the show if you were that into the case?”

“I don’t know. I wasn’t sure you’d like it.”

“Because of Greg? Jerry, once Greg’s murderer was found, I had a sense of peace. Certainly not closure but peace. That’s why if our programs give other people that feeling, I’m glad.”

It was true. Once she finally got the answers she’d been looking for about Greg’s death, she realized that there was something comforting about certainty. A restoring of order. Though she originally created Under Suspicion purely to have a successful news program, she now saw it as a way to help other families.

“Honestly, I considered suggesting Amanda’s case for the show once I got promoted to assistant producer. But then when we were in Los Angeles on the Cinderella Murder case, we were staying in that enormous house, and you said something about the pool being nearly as big as the one at the Grand Victoria. You looked sad thinking about it. I assumed—” He let the thought go unspoken.