Chapter 18

Being able to throw myself into grocery shopping and making lunch for Rita allowed me to distract myself from the Nicole situation. Nicole, I thought to myself. I needed to check the video from last night. I knew what Gloria had planned. She was going to try to get Nicole to party. I didn’t think Nicole was that dumb if she was going to try to advance her pregnancy scheme, but it couldn’t hurt to check.

Before I went to the grocery store, I pulled up the Hooker House archive on my laptop. I cruised through the previous evening at six-times the normal speed. I picked up Gloria, Alix, and Alyssa at various times going to the kitchen for drinks or cocaine, popping outside to smoke or swim, but Nicole barely moved. She was glued to the TV, legs and arms crossed. She put on a good act. I was about to give up and go about my day when I finally noticed something that barely caught my eye. After Gloria and Alyssa had left for the night, while Alix made a pitstop in the restroom, Nicol