by Liz Bradbury
“Well, I have to concede that,” she smiled.
We were both full and there was still a ton of food on the table. I asked Rafael for some take-home cartons. While we were putting the leftovers into boxes Kathryn asked, “So you spoke to Bart, Connie, and Miranda, was that everyone?”
“I left both Rowlina and Leo phone messages. No word from Rowlina but I bumped into Leo in front of your building. He’s upset about Carl.”
“Oh, that reminds me, I read most of Carl’s VTS manual. It certainly does have a high opinion of itself and dull directions. I wasn’t kidding when I said I nodded off twice. Of course, I had a lot of exercise last night...” Kathryn smiled mischievously. “Anyway... I think the way Carl was able to get it to work so well was by frequently using the keyword macro function. Did you read about that?”
“Uh huh.”
“The manual says you can do a needs scan for any of the user based files. That might be a way to find Carl’s password. Also I think you’re right about Carl having a high sensitivity microphone. Did you speak to Jimmy about that argument I overheard? The one he had with Carl?”
“No, but I’ll set something up.”
I could tell Kathryn wanted Jimmy to be cleared. I took out my cell phone, punched in Jimmy’s number and got him on the third ring. He hemmed and hawed, but I insisted on a meeting the next morning, before Carl’s memorial service. He finally agreed to 10:00 AM.
Rafael brought us a big plastic bag to carry the boxes of leftovers. He also brought Kathryn back her change. She left him a very generous tip. That was another plus in her column. I’m suspicious of tip cheapskates.
As we were just about to leave, my cell phone rang. I peered at the tiny screen. “Oh gee, it’s Cora Martin, Farrel and Jessie’s senior citizen neighbor who’s watching their house while they’re away. I’m sorry I have to get this... Cora?” I said into the phone.
“Maggie? It’s Cora, dahling. I’m so glad you’re home.”
“Well, I’m on the cell phone Cora. I’m at the Mexicana.”
“You are, dahling? Say hello to Mrs. Estevez for me.”
“Cora, do you need me to do something?” I looked at Kathryn who was chuckling softly while picking up her water glass.
“Oh yes, dahling, yes. I was at Farrel and Jessie’s. There’s an electrical problem there. I want you to look at it, dear.”
“Electrical? What happened?”
“I went to feed the kitties and I turned on the light in the front hall and the bulb exploded. To death it scared me.”
“Exploded... you mean the glass broke? Or it just popped and went out?” I asked patiently.
“Well, it was a big pop. Do you think it just burned out? I could go and put in a new one. I’d have to stand on a chair.”
“No, no Cora, don’t stand on a chair!” I put my hand over the receiver and mouthed, she’s very short, to Kathryn who smiled broadly. “Cora, I’ll go and fix it right now. I can do it on my way home, I have their key.”
“Oh good dahling, I don’t want the girls to come home and be in the dark... So, Maggie, Mrs. McCourt tells me you have a new friend... and that she’s a doctor!”
I looked right into Kathryn’s eyes while I said clearly to Cora, “Yes, I do, but she’s not a medical doctor Cora, she’s a professor at the College.”
Kathryn nearly choked on her water. Her look of astonishment was hilarious.
After I’d said goodbye to Cora, Kathryn demanded in amazement, “Who told her?”
“Mrs. McCourt... she’s the head housekeeper at the Dakota.”
Chapter 32
We said good night to Raphael and I asked him to be sure to tell Mariana Estevez hello from Cora Martin and me.
Outside, a cold December wind swept snowflakes off tree branches and window ledges. They clung to our hair as we crossed the park toward Farrel and Jessie’s.
“The food and the heat in the restaurant helped, Maggie, but I’m still cold,” shivered Kathryn, “if you’re expecting to get anything you want, you’re going to have to do better.”
“I like a challenge, especially when the prize is so lavish. I’m sorry we have to make a stop on the way home, but trust me, it’s not good to disappoint Cora.”
We got to Farrel and Jessie’s in no time. I managed to let us in and turn off the alarm without setting it off. Kathryn bent down to pet Griswold and Wagner as they wove their bodies around our legs.
Griswold said, “Merf.”
Wagner said, “Ow.”
I turned on the lights and Kathryn looked at the house eagerly. “This is very nice,” she said, turning in a circle, viewing the living room.
The hanging light just inside the front door was out. I left Kathryn busily examining the ornate oak woodwork, while I got a new bulb and screwed it in. I called Cora and told her it was all fixed. She was pleased, but didn’t want to chat because “Judge Judy” was on.
A stained glass window at the front of the house had diverted Kathryn’s attention. “Is this original?” she asked. “How old is the house?” Clearly appreciating the architectural fine-points of buildings was a scholarly and passionate pursuit for Kathryn.
I explained that the house was really two rowhouses combined into one and that Farrel had done most of the rehab work. “They’re still working on it. Farrel just finished this solid walnut staircase.”
Kathryn was swept away. She moved toward the back of the house where the large dining room and kitchen open into each other. Kathryn looked out the dining room window toward the space between the Old Side and New Side houses. I pointed out the addition that joined the two original kitchens into one, leaving a small enclosed courtyard in the middle.
“Farrel and her friend Barb built that deck,” I explained as I took Kathryn into the addition. She looked out the bay window facing the lovely backyard. We could see tiny white lights illuminating the garden.
“This is amazing,” Kathryn breathed at seeing the koi ponds Farrel had built for Jessie.
“Wait until you see it in the daylight, see that staircase at the back? It goes to the garage rooftop gardens, they have raised vegetable beds up there. And those are all fruit trees.” I pointed to the side of the yard.
“I want to see the whole house,” Kathryn demanded, her eyes flashing. Interesting spaces beat a path to this woman’s heart. Her excitement was making my blood run faster.
“I knew you’d say that. I hate to dampen your architectural ardor, but I can’t show you the house unless Farrel and Jessie are here. They’d never forgive me. Don’t worry, they’ll let you see it another time, they like to show it off.”
Her face showed disappointment. “Maggie, you’re a shameless tease. You thrill me with an interesting place like this, and then interrupt full gratification?” She was beginning to tease me, now.
I pointed through the French doors, “Look carefully,” I suggested.
She turned and looked into the interior courtyard. A leafless tree in a tub strung with tiny purple lights romantically illuminated the snow-covered space.
She focused on something. “What’s that,” she asked pointing to a large rectangular shape rising about a foot above the deck.
“I’m so glad you asked... it’s... a hot tub. Take off your clothes,” I said in a forceful whisper.
“Really?”
“There’s nothing better to chase the chill away than several hundred gallons of 104 degree bath water.”
“Is it deep?” she asked with interest.
“Deceptively. It’s about 40 inches deep. You can float in it. There’s a little bathroom over there,” I nodded toward the far end of the kitchen, “I’ll get us some towels.” When I got back, I went out into the courtyard, cleared the snow off the tub cover and folded it back onto the deck. Steam rose from the water’s surface. I turned off the kitchen lights so only the purple lights and the stars illuminated the courtyard.
Kathryn stood barefooted in her shirt and jeans. She watched me as I pulled off my sweater, stepped
out of my shoes and socks, and then took off my pants. I put my arms around her. She kissed me, but I could feel her shivering. I didn’t hesitate. I pulled off the rest of my clothes and put them all in a pile on one of the chairs in front of the bay window. I slipped Kathryn’s jeans down her legs as she unbuttoned her shirt and undid her bra. She clearly felt self-conscious standing naked in a stranger’s kitchen... who could blame her?
“Now, this is the hard part,” I explained, “the three-seconds of naked December exposure before you make it to the water. There are seats in the corners, step down there. Watch me.”
“I can’t take my eyes off you,” she whispered.
I slipped out the door, took two steps barefooted on snow, then stepped carefully into the tub.
Kathryn hesitated, then came out the door and sped into the tub, steadying herself with one hand on the brick wall.
“Oh, oh, oh... it feels so hot.” She eased in, like Bugs Bunny lowering himself into a soup pot.
“Give it a minute, you’ll get used to it. Lean your head back and look at the stars. Try not to get your hair too wet or it will freeze.”
After a moment Kathryn stated simply, “This is heaven.”
Farrel once told me that making love in a hot tub was like being weightless. Now I could see what she meant. I could wrap myself around Kathryn. I could hold her in my arms or on my lap. I could raise her hips to my mouth gently. And she could do all of the same to me, effortlessly. And we did, for quite a while. When I coaxed her to climax, she called out at the height of her pleasure. I tried not to think about Cora next door, hearing the sound and wondering what was going on over here. I’d thought it would be hard for me to be satisfied in the water, but it was so easy with Kathryn.
“Are you warm now?
“Mmm hmmm,” she said in a deep relaxed voice.
“Have I met all your demands?”
She opened her eyes wide realizing that she was in debt, “Uh oh,” she said apprehensively, “um... just what will the anything you want be?”
“We shall see... later.”
Suddenly a bright light went on in the backyard behind the house. The light shined through the bay window, across the kitchen addition and through the French doors to the hot tub.
“Oops,” I mumbled.
“What? What’s happening?” asked Kathryn in bewilderment.
“I guess Farrel and Jessie are coming home early,” I explained in what I hoped was a casual voice.
Kathryn was laughing, but she was also vexed, “Oh, for heaven’s sake Maggie! Why must I meet all of your friends and family when I’m naked?”
“Well, it is your best outfit...” I said while I realized with increasing embarrassment we hadn’t even brought the towels outside with us. “It’ll be OK. They aren’t nearly as likely to tease us as Sara.”
Kathryn covered her face with her hand and shook her head. I turned the aerator up so the clarity of the water changed to cloudy white. Through the windows we could see two middle-aged women wearing heavy winter jackets coming from the garage door.
Jessie, who is several inches shorter than Farrel, came first, carrying two pillows under her arm and a food cooler in one hand. Farrel trailed behind her carrying two travel bags over her broad shoulders and a large plastic storage box in her arms. Jessie’s cheeks were pink from the cold, contrasting the white highlights in her hair. She unlocked the kitchen door and Farrel followed her in, each pausing to knock the snow from their heavy shoes on the outdoor mat.
They turned on a bright kitchen light, further illuminating the hot tub and its contents. We could see them moving around the kitchen, pulling off their heavy jackets. They seemed tired. I saw Farrel stretch when she put down the plastic container. I was facing the French doors. I felt Kathryn creep behind me.
I heard Jessie say with concern, “Why isn’t the warning alarm beeping?”
Farrel turned and noticed our piles of clothing on the chairs. She walked over to them, then turned and looked out the French doors at the tub. “I think we just caught two lovely young mermaids in our courtyard lagoon,” said Farrel with amusement.
Jessie asked in surprise, “Who?”
We could hear a murmured reply. Then Farrel said in a loud voice, “Maybe we should go away for a few hours?”
I called out, “Maybe you could just go upstairs for about 15 minutes?”
I saw Jessie plug the coffee maker in and turn it on; an instant later they were gone. I said to Kathryn, “See they aren’t teasing us.”
“And that’s supposed to make me less embarrassed?” said Kathryn sarcastically.
I jumped out of the tub and got the towels. Kathryn took her clothes into the bathroom while I put the cover back on the tub and then dressed hurriedly in the kitchen. I hadn’t thought we would be disturbed at all, but at least we hadn’t been interrupted in the throes of passion. That might have been too much for Kathryn to bear.
I went to the backstairs and called up, “We’re out of the tub now.”
“Kathryn?” I said turning back to the bathroom door. She pushed it open with one hand, standing there fully clothed, shaking her head at me, with that half smile playing across her lips.
“I just love it when you look at me that way,” I laughed. “Am I going to get a spanking when we get back to the loft?”
“You should be so lucky!” she said sardonically.
Farrel and Jessie had come down the walnut staircase into the dining room. Griswold and Wagner were swirling around their legs doing variations on their merf—ow routine.
“Jessie, this is Kathryn Anthony. Farrel, you know Kathryn,” I said casually, as though we hadn’t just been caught frolicking naked in their spa.
Jessie said hello to Kathryn graciously. She and Farrel were trying very hard not to burst into grins.
I broke the ice by raising my voice to say, “What the hell are you guys doing coming home tonight!?!” Everyone laughed.
“We just set up for a few days. We did so well we left early, instead of staying for the rest of the weekend. The show management was thrilled, they resold our booth space before we were even off the field,” said Farrel.
“We wanted to be back for Carl Rasmus’s memorial service. We called people from the road and told them we’d have a brunch afterwards. So, we had to be back to get that ready,” Jessie said. She was smiling at Kathryn and me. I knew they both wanted the story. After all, the last time I’d seen them, I’d been asking if they thought Kathryn might be a lesbian. I guess the verdict on that was definitely in.
I explained, “Cora called to say there was a light bulb out here and she wanted me to fix it. So we stopped by and...”
“And I was cold...” added Kathryn.
“And Maggie had the perfect cure for that?” smirked Farrel.
Jessie sensed that the situation was getting too silly for everyone. “Kathryn,” she said sensibly, “your hair is wet, why don’t you come upstairs with me so you can use a hair dryer. If you go outside like that your hair will turn to icicles. And when we come back down we can have some cake. Farrel, get that angel food cake out of the freezer.”
Kathryn smiled at Jessie with gratitude. I heard her say to Jessie as they headed toward the front stairs, “Your house is so wonderful, will you show me some of the rest of it?”
Jessie Wiggins was brilliant. She wanted to know about Kathryn and me but she knew I wouldn’t talk if we were all together. Now that Farrel and I were alone, I’d spill the beans and Jessie could get the details from Farrel later.
“So, how long has this been going on?” grinned Farrel, as she pulled a foil covered package from the freezer.
“Since last night,” I grinned back.
“Is it serious?”
I nodded.
“You don’t look very serious with that goofy grin... but you do seem to be glowing. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen you look this way before. Does Kathryn agree that this is serious?”
“I asked her to go st
eady and she said yes.”
Farrel snorted, “Are you going to give her your letter jacket?” I glanced at the stairs, thinking that Kathryn and Jessie might come back any minute. “Don’t worry, Jessie will keep her occupied for a while. She wants me to get all the inside information. Maggie, I hope you don’t take this the wrong way but... I’ve heard people around campus refer to Kathryn as the Ice Queen. Have you... um...?”
“Oh yeah, uh huh... four times last night, no five... and twice this morning and...” I glanced back at the hot tub.
“Five times in one night? Yow, Maggie,” Farrel chuckled, “don’t let her get away! She’s so attractive, and that voice! Smart, successful at her job... are her politics OK? Is she out enough?”
“Yeah, everything. I keep wondering if I’m dreaming.”
“Does Sara know?”
I told her an abbreviated version of Sara and the security cam. Farrel burst out laughing. I grabbed her arm. “Shhh, please don’t say anything. Kathryn was a good sport about it, and now, tonight...” I glanced back at the hot tub.
“I’m sorry we walked in on you. We called your message machine to ask you to come to the brunch tomorrow. Bring Kathryn too, of course. I’m sure Jessie’s inviting her right now.”
“I’m not sure I’ll be able to come, I’ll be working on Carl’s case, but Kathryn might come. Would that be all right? Whom else did you invite?” She listed a few names including Sara and Emma. We could hear Jessie and Kathryn coming back downstairs.
“Did you see everything?” I asked Kathryn.
“Some. Jessie said I could see the rest of it tomorrow in the daylight... when we come to brunch?”
Jessie removed the foil from a large piece of angel food cake and put it in a bowl. She took a jar of strawberries in light syrup from the refrigerator and placed it, with a large spoon on the dining room table. Farrel had gotten bowls, utensils and coffee mugs. When we sat down, I explained to Kathryn that I would probably have to work much of the day on Carl’s case, but that if she wanted to come for brunch, I could meet her here later.
“Would it be all right for me to come?” Kathryn asked Jessie, who was already nodding. Kathryn turned to Farrel, “Jessie told me to ask you about the antique and flea markets.”
