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Agatha sensed that change was coming. Maybe not tomorrow, maybe not even this year, but Clarice was taking an online bookkeeping course, and at a point in the not-too-distant future, Buckley would have to find some other poor sap to iron his underwear.
Chas grabbed Hawk’s hand. “Can we go see the tigers now?”
“Sure.”
“And there are red pandas too. I watched them on a camera on the internet.”
“Do you know where we’re going?”
“I learned the map. Will you ride on the carousel with me?”
Agatha was trying not to laugh, and even Clarice was smiling.
“I’m probably too big for that.”
“But if you’re not?”
It couldn’t be worse than riding in a Mad Max-style armoured pickup through a sketchy part of Al Anbar province, right?
“As long as your Auntie Agatha promises not to take any pictures.”
“What if my finger just happened to slip on the button?” she asked.
“Babe…”
“Okay, okay. The memory alone will be worth it.”
“You can take a picture of me.” Chas tripped over a loose paving stone. “Shit.”
Clarice sucked in a breath. “You shouldn’t say that word, sweetie.”
“Daddy says it. He says it a lot. And he yells at me for singing and at Charity for playing her violin. When we go to stay with Uncle Eddie, can I sing again?”
Chas looked to Clarice, whose cheeks turned scarlet. “Uh…uh, yes, you can.”
When they went to stay with Uncle Eddie? Was Buckley spending that much time away from home that he’d fail to notice if his wife and daughters spent nights with her ex? Agatha was burning to ask, Hawk could tell, but she managed to keep her mouth shut until they reached the tiger enclosure. When Chas ran forward to peer through the windows, Agatha turned to her sister and raised an eyebrow.
“Sleepovers?”
“I can’t stand it any longer.” Clarice’s words tumbled out in a rush. “None of us are happy, and Buckley’s temper’s gotten ten times worse since he lost money on some crypto thing. Eddie has a guest house on his property, and he said we can stay there until I get a job and find somewhere more permanent.”
Smart move.
“The girls are okay with that?”
“Chas can’t wait to spend more time there.”
“What about Charity?”
“I haven’t told her yet, but she’s miserable because Buckley won’t let her practise her piece for the school concert. I know I’m her mom and I’m biased, but she has real talent, and she’s gradually dropping all of her other hobbies to focus on music.”
“I’m just happy you have a safe place to go.” Agatha took both of Clarice’s hands in hers. “Do you have any idea when you’ll leave?”
“Next weekend. Buckley has a work conference in New Hampshire.”
Alleged work conference. Agatha had been monitoring Buckley’s finances just in case a divorce was on the horizon, and she’d noted that the man spent a fuck ton of money on OnlyFans, including five hundred bucks for a VIP ticket to a meet-and-greet with one of the women.
“Will you be okay moving on your own?” Agatha asked.
