Violet seems flustered. Maybe she’s still in shock.
‘KT said she had a lot of fun with you, said you were a great friend.’
‘She said that? That’s sweet. We’ve only known each other a year but we were real close, you know. We had some wonderful times together. Those parties last year. I guess with you being in London and all she needed someone here in the city.’
‘KT and I weren’t in touch so much this past year.’
‘I know, sweetheart. I’m sorry. Katie told me you didn’t take the news well. Her studying over here.’
I clench my teeth. ‘We’d always lived in the same place, the two of us.’
‘It’s hard with sisters; I got five of them,’ she says, her expression softening. ‘Trust me, I know.’
‘Totally different with a twin, though.’
Violet looks at me and says, ‘Let’s sit down over there, come on.’
We walk into a baseball field and sit on the green-painted spectator benches. There’s no one playing. It’s empty.
‘How are you coping, with the news, with the adjustment? How are you holding up inside here?’ She taps the side of her head.
‘It’s still a shock. Doesn’t feel real. Maybe I’ll come to terms with it after the funeral. Maybe then it’ll make more sense.’
‘Will that be here in the city or in England?’
‘In our village near Nottingham, in the Midlands. Dad’s going to talk to airlines about it.’
‘That’s too bad,’ says Violet. ‘I would have liked to be there to say my goodbyes.’
‘You can’t fly over?’
‘I can hardly make rent this month, Molly. In fact, truth be told, I can’t make rent this month.’ She starts to frown and then she taps her temple with her finger. ‘But I’ll be there with you guys in spirit. I swear on my life I’ll be there in England in spirit.’
We both stare forward at the rust tone of the trees and she says, ‘Smoke?’ I shake my head and she shrugs and lights up a cigarette. ‘You two were real close until she moved over here, eh?’
‘As close as two people can be.’
She turns to me and shakes her head. ‘You look just like her. It’s weird, but it’s nice, you know what I mean? I don’t mean to be disrespectful, it’s just a comfort in a way to see you. It’s like I still have a piece of my Katie here, you know.’
Your KT?
Three boys approach with a mitt and a bat and a ball. All three are wearing baseball caps.
‘Ballpark’s closed, kids,’ says Violet. ‘Come on, it’s October already.’
The smallest kid says, ‘My uncle said we could play here.’
Violet sniffs and says, ‘Your uncle? The park’s closed. What, you want to argue with me some more about this? Can’t you see we’re talking here, me and my friend? Jesus. Can’t you see we’re talking?’
They wander off, dragging their bat along the ground.
‘Upper West Side brats.’
‘How can you tell?’
‘Oh, I can tell. It’s easy.’
‘What do you think happened to KT, Violet?’
She takes a long drag on her cigarette and then blows smoke out of her nostrils. ‘Only God knows, but she had some people in her life I’d say might have been . . . how should I put this? Toxic, maybe. Problematic.’
‘Who? Scott Sbarra?’
‘Scottie? Nah, Scottie’s a sweetheart. He doesn’t have a vicious bone in his body, that one. Never messed her around too much, always treated her nice as far as I heard, and that’s a rare thing – you find me another guy like that at our school, especially a jock.’
‘Who, then?’
Violet looks at me. ‘She ever mention any of her teachers, her professors?’
‘Professor Groot?’
‘Yeah, exactly. Professor Eugene Groot. Everyone knows you have to keep your eye on him.’
‘Why?’
She stumps out her cigarette and lights another. ‘’Cos he’s a leery silverfox motherfucker, that’s why.’
I cringe at the language.
‘What? You OK?’
‘I’m just not used to cursing.’
‘Get outta here. Truly?’
I nod.
‘You’re not shitting me?’
I shake my head.
‘Fuck, Molly. Your sister swore like a sailor. I need watch my mouth around you, really?’
‘It’s OK. I think I’m getting used to it.’