by Lori L. Lake
Hmmm, the only thing missing here is anything at all of a personal nature. Where are the photos? None of the walls displayed any art—no pictures or knickknacks. Jaylynn wondered if Dez had only recently moved in. It sure looked like it, otherwise how could she be so neat? Jaylynn remembered when she and Sara had moved into Tim’s rental house. Within two weeks the place was a mess, and not until the three of them sat down and bargained out a system for cleaning and picking up did the place become the slightest bit organized.
She slid behind the couch and stood looking at the books, CDs, and videos on the shelves there. She estimated she saw a hundred old vinyl record albums. Lots of nutrition and health books. Hundreds of CDs. She saw ones by artists she knew: Melissa Etheridge, Stevie Nicks, k.d. lang, Everything But The Girl, Billie Holliday, Etta James, Sarah McLachlan, The Pretenders, Cris Williamson, and more. She also noted unfamiliar names: Lucy Kaplansky, Cheryl Wheeler, Leo Kottke, Richard Shindell, Kristen Hall, David Wilcox, Dar Williams, Elizabeth Cotton, Michael Hedges. Eight of the Indigo Girls’ CDs—Jaylynn didn’t realize they had so many. She moved on and looked through a huge collection of videos, most of which Jaylynn had never seen. She slid one out and read the notes on the back.
True to her word, Dez emerged, again dressed in the red robe. “I’m hurrying, so don’t worry.” She strode gracefully across the room to the valet chair and sorted through the clothes, picking up several items.
“I’m not worried.” Jaylynn took a sip of her tea. “Hey, you’ve got a lot of good videos. I’ve never seen some of these.”
“Go ahead and borrow any you like.” Dez continued dressing.
Jaylynn shifted her gaze to give her privacy. “Thanks a lot. Maybe I’ll take you up on that sometime.” She couldn’t help looking over her shoulder, but when she caught a glance of Dez’s ivory-colored back, she turned away in haste, busying herself with reviewing the video she held. “Here’s one I always heard was good.”
“Which?” Dez asked in a low voice as she pulled a T-shirt over her head.
“Truly, Madly, Deeply.”
“Yeah, that’s pretty much one of my favorite movies of all time. Bring a box of hankies though.” She picked up her vest and slung it around her shoulders, then fastened the Velcro. After buttoning her shirt she adjusted her cuffs as she moved toward the doorway.
“I’d love to bring the box of hankies over some time and watch it.”
“Sure. Whenever. Come on, let’s get back out there.”
“You play guitar, huh?”
“Yeah, some.”
“You’ll have to play for me some time.”
When Dez didn’t answer, Jaylynn hastily returned the video and followed her to the kitchen. She set the empty glass next to the bowl on the drainboard, put on her jacket, and followed Dez out into the hallway. She waited for her to lock the door.
That wasn’t so bad, Dez thought. No awkward questions. No muss, no fuss.
“How long have you lived here?”
Oh, no. Now it starts. “Going on nine years.”
Jaylynn was ahead, moving toward the stairs, so Dez missed seeing her jaw dropping. “Wow, nine years. You sure haven’t accumulated much stuff.” Or many people, Jaylynn thought. That was definitely a single person’s pad.
“Guess not. I don’t need much stuff. I moved there right out of college and I’ve just stayed. I like the place.”
“It’s very nice.”
“Thanks.”
They thundered down the steps, Jaylynn in the lead, and she stopped with a start at the bottom of the stairs to find a silver-haired black woman standing there, arms crossed over her ample bosom. She wore pink slippers, a flowered housedress, and a pink sweater around her narrow shoulders. Her silver hair was swept back and held in place with two silver combs. The twinkle in her eye was evident to Jaylynn, even though she’d never seen the woman in her life.
“You two sounded like a herd of elephants. How can two little gals like you make so darn much noise?”
From the bottom step Dez said, “Sorry, Luella, but we’re in a hurry.”
“What’s the rush?” Luella asked, then turned to Jaylynn. “She never slows down much—even mows the lawn at a breakneck pace. Do you have to run to keep up with her?”
Jaylynn glanced back to see the warm smile on Dez’s face. “Go ahead, Jay, tell her. I’ll try not to get mad about it.”
Jaylynn looked back at Luella. “Actually, I can beat her in a foot race. Maybe not for a long distance, but in sprints for sure. And the noise coming down the stairs was probably more my fault than hers. Sorry.”
Luella moved toward her. With her soft brown hand she patted Jaylynn’s shoulder. “You must be her new partner, hmm? How long you been riding together?”
“She’s been training me for about eight weeks, I think.”
Luella looked over Jaylynn’s shoulder and fixed a level stare at her tenant. “Nice of you to mention it, Dez.” She made a tsk-tsk sound with her tongue. “Were you going to introduce us, or just let the poor woman wonder?”
Dez sighed and stepped down the last two stairs. “Luella, I haven’t—it’s not that I—” She shrugged and rolled her eyes. “Jay—Jaylynn Savage, this is Luella Williams, nosy landlady, chief cook and uniform washer.”
Luella flashed a mouthful of white teeth. “Chief cook. I like that. You eat the same gerbil food she does, Jaylynn?”
Jaylynn had no idea how to answer, so she was noncommittal. “I don’t—I don’t think so.”
“Good. When are your days off?”
“Mondays and Tuesdays one week—Monday through Wednesday the next week. For now. Same as Dez’s. Why?”
“Why don’t you come for dinner Monday night and we’ll have a decent meal. You like au gratin potatoes?”
“Love ’em!”
“How about steamed broccoli—maybe with a little cheese sauce?”
“Ooh, sounds yummy.”
“Can you come about six?”
“Sure. I guess. You want me to bring something?” She eyed Dez’s expression. Uh oh. Maybe that was the wrong answer. Dez didn’t seem any too happy.
“Oh, no,” Luella said. “That’s not necessary. And Dez, if you could grace us with your presence, I might even make a baked chicken for you.”
Dez didn’t know whether to be mad at Luella or not. Why did they have to run into her tonight? She’d carefully avoided having any of the new trainees over. Things weren’t like they used to be, back when she’d invited Ryan and Cowboy and Crystal and any number of other cops over for a big feast every month or so. They always congregated at Luella’s and regaled her with stories of their bravery and ability to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Dez hadn’t thought about it, but now she wondered if Luella missed it. The one time Crystal brought up their raucous get-togethers, Dez cut her off and said she wasn’t ready for parties, not with Ryan so recently dead. Crystal had wrapped a friendly arm around Dez’s waist and told her to let people know when she was ready.
How many months had passed? It didn’t matter. She still wasn’t ready.
Luella insisted on giving Dez a hug, and she shook Jaylynn’s hand and saw them out the back door. They got back in the police car, Jaylynn shivering. Dez called and reported back on duty. She flicked the switch for the heater, even though she knew she’d soon be roasting. Maybe she could turn it down a bit later when Jaylynn was warmer and not paying attention.
Jaylynn cleared her throat. “Dez?”
No answer.
“Dez, I’m sorry about that. I get the distinct impression you’d rather I’d given gracious regrets to your landlady.”
Dez came to a stop at a red light and, with a practiced eye, surveyed the area. She avoided Jaylynn’s gaze. “No, it’s okay. She gets lonely. It’ll be good for her. Forget about it.”
The light changed and Dez proceeded slowly through the intersection, keeping an eye on a car double-parked in front of the check-cashing outfit in the middle of the block.
“How come you have Luella do your laundry? I always see you hauling your uniforms out. I thought the department paid for it.”
“Yeah, they do,” she said in a grouchy voice. “But Luella does a much better job. Besides, she insists.” Actually, Luella always made a big deal about the maintenance Dez did around the place, and if she didn’t give her the laundry, Luella would cut the rent. Dez was well aware that Luella already undercharged on the rent and she couldn’t afford to take less. So Dez did all she could to keep the house up, and in return, Luella did all the wash and ironing.
Her thoughts were interrupted when, out of the blue, Jaylynn said, “So. What are you doing Sunday night after shift?”
Dez frowned. “Sunday night?”
“Yeah, I was thinking we could watch Truly, Madly, Deeply. Since I’m going to Luella’s Monday, I know you’d be stuck with me twice in two days, but hey, I’ll bring the hankies and popcorn? You supply the iced tea and video?”
Dez felt a moment of panic and was glad the inside of the car was dark. “I don’t know, Jay—”
The radio squawked as the dispatcher called their squad number and followed it up with information about an assault in progress and the address. Saved by the bell, Dez thought. She made an abrupt U-turn and sped away at a faster rate than she needed to. Jaylynn picked up the radio and answered the call.
For the moment all talk of Sunday night was forgotten.
Monday rolled around, and Jaylynn was excited at the prospect of going over to Luella’s. She hoped Dez would be there, but even if she wasn’t, she looked forward to the visit with Luella. Dez had told her not to worry about dressing up, so she’d worn pressed blue jeans, a warm thermal shirt with a light blue sweater over it, and her light brown Doc Martens. The air was still so cold that she wore her thermal mittens and down coat.
She drove over, having borrowed Tim’s beater, and arrived right on time. As she stood on the front porch, her senses were assaulted with mouth-watering smells. She rang the bell and Luella came to the door wearing pink slip-on slippers and a fluffy white apron over a belted dark blue dress. A splotch of red sauce stained the apron. She held a maroon mixing bowl in the crook of her arm, a wooden spoon poking out from some batter. “Aha! There you are,” Luella unhooked the porch’s storm door. “C’mon in. You can hang up your jacket right there on one of those hooks.”
Jaylynn moved through the porch area, stepped into the house, and closed the door behind her. Luella resumed mixing the contents of the bowl and led her into the kitchen.
Jaylynn asked, “Whatcha got there?” as she gestured at the bowl.
“At the last minute I decided I had a hankering for cornbread, so I’m mixing it up. Think we should have ’em in muffin cups or little loaves?”
“Hmmm, either way would be great.”
“Maybe I’ll make muffins. There’s a chance that fool friend of yours would eat at least one.” She set the bowl on the counter, bent down to open a low cupboard, and fumbled around until she got hold of a muffin pan. She handed it to Jaylynn. “Here, I’ll let you grease this thing up.” She gestured toward the can of Crisco on the counter. “Use one of those paper towels hanging there.” She pointed to the dispenser on the wall.
Jaylynn proceeded to grease each indentation. “You know, it smells good halfway down the block. What are you making?”
“We’re having spicy pork ribs and those au gratins I promised you. I made some broccoli—with and without cheese sauce—and I have a pie, too, for dessert.” She took the pan from Jaylynn, set it on the counter and spooned twelve dollops of batter into the cups, scraped out the bowl, and put the pan in the oven. “Those’ll be up in about twelve minutes, but until then, let’s go sit in the dining room.”
She slipped off the apron, hung it on the back of the kitchen door, and led Jaylynn into the other room where an elegant table was set.
“Ooh, what pretty plates.” Standing next to the table, Jaylynn bent and traced the tiny rosebuds and violets on the white background. There were three settings at the large table, one at the head and two others to its right and left. The other half of the table contained four sets of hot pads, ready to hold warming dishes.
“These came from my mother and father.” Luella pulled out a chair and sat. “Got ’em in 1945, right after the war. I started out with eight place settings, but I’m down to about six and a half now what with bowls or plates or teacups being broken periodically over the years.”
Jaylynn sat. “At my house, we’re still eating off the Melmac plates I brought with me to college.”
“If you like beautiful dishes, I know a wonderful store reasonably priced. If you ever want to go buy a set, I’ll come help you pick ’em out.”
“One of these days when I set up my own house, I’ll take you up on that offer.”
“Good girl.” She reached pat Jaylynn’s hand again. “Now tell me all about you, about how you became a police officer, and how you’re liking it.”
Jaylynn discovered Luella very easy to talk to. She listened intently, yet her attention did not feel at all intrusive. Jaylynn told her about growing up in Seattle, winning a four-year track scholarship to the U of M, and moving to snowy Minnesota five years earlier. When the timer went off and they got up to take the cornbread muffins out of the oven, she was telling Luella about choosing law enforcement because it interested her. “I thought I might be able to make a difference like Dez has made a difference in so many people’s lives.”
Luella paused, holding the pan in her hand. “You think she does?”
“Sure,” Jaylynn said, surprised.
Luella set the pan on the top of the stove and closed the oven. “I wish someone would tell her that. I swear, no one is harder on herself than she is.” She moved to the corner of the kitchen and picked up a broom. She held it up in the air and banged on the ceiling with the end of it.
Before she could set the broom back in the corner, Jaylynn heard a clump-clump noise and looked toward the back hallway. The door opened and a dark head popped in. “Hi, I’m here.”
Luella said, “Come on in and join the party.”
Dez appeared in the kitchen, hands in her pockets. She was decked out in red, white, and blue: blue jeans—Levi’s, to be exact—a bright red, long-sleeved shirt, and brand new white Nikes. Her face betrayed no emotions other than curiosity as her eyes surveyed the kitchen, coming to rest on Jaylynn. She nodded. “What’s up?”
Before Jaylynn could answer, Luella said, “It’s about time you high-tailed it down here. Everything’s ready, so you two go get settled.” She shooed them out of the kitchen.
Jaylynn said, “Don’t you need a hand?”
“Nope.” Luella grabbed her apron from the back of the door. “You two just clear out and let the serving expert do her thing.”
In the dining room they sat, and Dez said, “She really is a serving expert. Wait’ll you see what she trots out here with.”
Jaylynn licked her lips and grinned. “I can’t wait. I’m starving.”
“You know, Jaylynn, I’ve never met anybody in my life who was as hungry as you are all the time.”
“Yeah, right. And you’re not eating every three hours?”
“But I’m having totally healthy stuff.”
She smiled warmly at the cranky woman. “Whatever.”
Luella brought them each a glass of milk and then bustled in with a platter of pork ribs in one hand and a serving dish of seasoned chicken breasts in the other and set them on the hot pads. She went back and got a bowl of potatoes and a small container of brown rice. She carted in a double-dish of broccoli, one side with melted cheese and the other plain. The two cops watched in amusement as she hastened back and forth, coming in last with a wicker basket full of hot muffins. She sat down and reached a hand out to each of them. Jaylynn took a soft brown hand into her own and stifled a laugh when Luella gave Dez the evil eye.
Luella said, “Let the circle be unbroken.”
In res
ponse, Dez sighed and stuck her hand across the table, surprising Jaylynn, who realized with a start that she should take Dez’s hand.
Once the three women were clasping hands, Luella bowed her head and prayed, “Dear Heavenly Father, bless this food and bless these girls. May they both be kept safe in their daily work, and may the food before us refresh and fortify us all. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen. Okay, girls, eat up. Jaylynn, you don’t even have to think about eating that boring brown rice. That’s for Miss Polly Purebred over there.” She stood and moved to the other end of the table where she could supervise the passing of the dishes. Once they’d loaded up their plates, she took her own plate and filled it, then took it over and sat down. “Ahhh,” she said. “I’m dang near famished.”
Dez rolled her eyes. “I have at the table two of the biggest exaggerators on the planet.”
Jaylynn laughed and almost choked on her first bite of au gratin potatoes. With her mouth full she said, “Luella, this is undoubtedly the best—no, the most stupendous—no, the most incredibly, fabulously, wondrous meal I have ever eaten in my twenty-four years on the planet.”
Her conspirator grinned back. “I have never in all my livelong years had so much fun assembling a meal, especially knowing how unbelievably thrilled you two would be to partake in it.” She looked at Jaylynn, smirking and giggling as she chewed, then kicked Dez under the table. “You got anything to add?”
“Good chicken,” Dez said as she calmly forked up a piece and guided it to her mouth. The other two went off in a fit of laughter. “I can tell already you two are going to be a problem.”
“Why?” Jaylynn asked, batting her eyes innocently.
“At this rate, someone will have to apply the Heimlich maneuver to one or the other of you.”
This caused more laughing. “C’mon,” Luella said, “quit being so serious. What happened to your sense of humor?”
“Guess it’s on hiatus.” She took a bite of plain broccoli and gazed, deadpan, at Luella who met her gaze and narrowed her eyes to stare her down. A big grin spread slowly across Luella’s face until Dez broke down and smiled back. Luella reached down under the table and squeezed Dez’s knee until she yelped. In a huff, Dez said, “Guess it’s off hiatus now.”
