Like Nancy, her apartment was a throwback to the sixties. Instead of couches she had big, fat orange pillows scattered across the living room floor. Macramé flower stands hung in the corners of the room with candles inside, casting dim, lacy shadows. A large lava lamp bubbled inside her fireplace hardly giving off any light at all. A bookshelf, basically made with planks separated by masonry bricks, stood against one wall. It was filled with metaphysical, spiritual, and new age titles. I guess some people do read in Glacier. She didn’t get those from Bookmarks. I made a mental note to include a New Age section in the stock I planned to buy for the bookstore.
Ron Dufuss arrived during my living room investigation with an arm load of groceries. Much to Nancy’s apparent surprise, he’d come prepared to make our supper an extravaganza of Mexican food. He was tall and slender. Large, black framed glasses hid his grey eyes. Nancy introduced me and left us perched on her cushions to share a glass of wine and a bottle of beer while she unpacked Ron’s groceries. She’d already spent a good deal of time preparing that evening’s meal—beef stew and a big bowl of Caesar salad. The Mexican food that would have been fun to fix if he’d let her know earlier, would have to wait for another time.
Ron filled the awkward empty space with small talk as we waited for Nancy to join us. He explained he was a radiologist at the hospital, talked about the doctors and nurses he worked with, and explained how he and Nancy first met.
Nancy had been at the Brookfield farmer’s market, at a card table inside a pop-up tent that was filled with hanging crystal ornaments. She’d been telling fortunes with tarot cards.
“I thought it was a joke,” he said, gulping some beer. “There she was, this hippie chick, using funny cards to tell fortunes. But I changed my mind pretty quick.”
Intrigued, I dipped salted tortilla chips into a bowl of guacamole and waited for his story.
“I got in line, waited, and pretended to be interested in the crystals they were selling. She was only doing a three-card spread for the readings, so it didn’t take too long. I sat in the folding chair opposite her when it was my turn and just stared. She was beautiful. I didn’t know what to say. She shuffled the cards and then had me cut them into three piles. She turned the top card from each pile over. What happened then was spooky. Right away, she described a problem I was having at work. I asked her who’d she been talking to at the hospital and she gave me this really hurt look and I knew right then she was for real. I apologized and told her she was right on.” He slurped again. “I don’t know where the courage came from but then I told her she was beautiful. I told her to check her own fortune because a handsome guy was going to take her out for dinner that night.”
I smiled at the romantic story. “Did she go?”
“I sort of rocked her by saying she was beautiful because she giggled when I did, but she said no thanks. Then she invited the next person to take a seat. I stood around outside the tent until the market closed down and when she came out I asked her to have dinner with me again. It was so weird. She looked at me for the longest time and finally said ‘You’re buying’. We met at a diner in Eugene. The rest is history.”
“So are you two …” I held a hand in the air and crossed two fingers.
“Not really. We see each other but it’s not serious. We’re sort of like two old sailors who share a drink every once in a while and talk about buried treasure.”
“I’m not sure I know what you mean,” I said.
“Nancy has her life and I have mine,” he answered. “We’re different. She wouldn’t fit into my crowd and I’m not the spiritual type that would fit into hers. But we still get together. Sometimes we drink too much and things get a little intimate, but it’s never anything planned. Hooking up is like our buried treasure. It’s something we’ll never find.”
He glanced in the direction of the kitchen. “Don’t forget you’ve got guests out here, witch lady,” he shouted.
Nancy laughed.
I said, “Like you said, in your job you get to know all the doctors around here. What about the dentist?”
Nancy joined us, interrupting Ron’s reply. She knelt beside him and drank from his bottle.
“I was asking Ron about Doctor Santos. Can you tell me about him, Ron?”
Ron tugged his bottle back from Nancy’s grip and slowly began. While arranging their dinner date, Nancy had warned him about my curiosity. She’d told him not to get upset because it was just the way I was. Nosy.
“He moved into a Glacier about eight years ago from the Philippines,” Ron began. “It didn’t take long before he met someone. I think Margaret Shea must have been one of his first patients. I guess he fell in love with her overbite.”
Nancy laughed at Ron’s joke.
“Margaret works at Feeney’s Hardware Depot. Has worked there since she was in high school. Anyway, she goes in for a checkup and the doc suddenly decides on a DIY project. He’s at the hardware every day or two buying one thing or another. ‘Course Margaret helped him every time.” Ron smiled as he spoke, like he was exposing a secret. “Before you knew it they were dating, off to the Lee for dinners or over at the Long Branch for drinks. It wasn’t six months after he got to Glacier that he and Margaret got married. Everyone could tell they were in love whole hog. We all thought it was nice. In no time they had a couple of kids. Margaret stayed on at the hardware once the kids got bigger and the doc worked hard at building his practice. And they got involved in the community. Margaret’s active in the Women’s League at church and he belongs to the Rotary I think.”
“What happened with Mrs. Podeski? She cleaned his house for a while and then he fired her. Any idea why?”
“Oh, people talked,” Ron said, groaning as he got up from the cushion and headed to the kitchen.
“Don’t push too hard,” Nancy whispered when he was out of ear shot. “I’ll ask about what happened to Mrs. Podeski but give it a minute.”
With a frustrated groan of my own, I got up and decided to find out what Su-Jitzu was up to. He’d been acting peculiar. When we left The Grind to walk to Nancy’s, he tore off out of sight. It took several minutes of calling him before he happily trotted back, licking his lips. And then the tiny terrier had been missing from the party, which was also totally out of character. He usually insisted on climbing into my lap wherever I sat down. Sitting on a cushion at ground level should have been irresistible. But instead he’d found himself a quiet spot beside the kitchen counter. When I entered the kitchen, I found him there lying motionless.
Alarm bells were suddenly clanging. Su-Jitzu was on his side, his legs poking out stiffly like an overturned hobby horse. “What’s wrong, Su?” I reached to pet him and it was as if a switch inside his head got flipped. He was suddenly convulsing. “There’s something wrong with Su,” I shouted in alarm.
Ron dropped what he was doing at the counter and immediately joined me. “I didn’t notice him. I think you’re right.” His tone was dismal. “I saw this before when someone brought their dog to emergency instead of the vet. Nancy! You better give Humphrey Milne a call and do it fast. I think Su’s been poisoned.”
I looked at Ron in panic and then back at the terrier. His eyes were glassy and open but he didn’t look to be in pain. “Who’s Humphrey Milne?”
“The town vet,” Nancy replied tersely. As she dialed a number listed on a plastic refrigerator magnet, I lifted my tiny friend into my arms and followed Ron to the door.
8
The waiting room at the vet’s office was small and smelled of dog. I paced across it from the chairs lined up on one wall to a half counter that opened to the vet’s operating theatre and care room on the other. I’d been truly relieved to meet Dr. Milne, considering Su-Jitzu’s terrible state. He took Su from my arms and disappeared with my poor, stricken baby into the back of the office. I started to follow him, but Nancy held me back.
“Better if you let him work without an audience,” Nancy said. “We’ll stay with you until he comes out.�
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“That might take a while,” I replied, staring at the swinging door. “You should go tell Uncle Barney what’s happened. He’ll get mad at me if you don’t.”
Nancy nodded and looked at Ron. “We’ll come right back.”
“It’s okay. I can walk home from here after the vet has had a look. Who knows how long this will take?”
Nancy gave me a tight hug. “Well, call if you need me, okay?”
Time seemed to drag after that. For all my worries about Barney, I found myself more worried about Su. I kept thinking about how he could have been poisoned and could only think of the moment when I left Joan’s house. I remembered finding Su-Jitzu in the corner of the yard licking his paws. But that was hours ago! I hugged myself and paced some more. When we left for Nancy’s, he disappeared …why?
I was overcome by a sudden wave of nervous exhaustion, so I slumped into one of the plastic chairs and looked at the wall clock. We’d been there twenty minutes already! What is taking so long? I could hear some sort of activity going on in the other room, metal pans banging. Just relax. He’ll be alright.
The outer door to the vet’s office slowly opened as I fumed and I looked up to see Bill standing in the doorway. He looked nervous and uncertain as usual and he quietly shut the door behind him. “How’s Su doing?”
“How’d you know about Su?” I asked, suspicious for no good reason.
“I ran into Nancy as I was leaving the cop shop. She told me.”
“Were you visiting Uncle Barney?”
Bill shook his head. “I didn’t see him. The chief wanted a DNA sample and to ask me some more questions.”
“About Mrs. Podeski?”
Bill took a seat right beside me but didn’t reply. “Ron thinks Su was poisoned.”
On the verge of tears, I hid my face with one hand. Bill must have noticed how fragile I seemed to be. Awkwardly he tried to comfort me by draping an arm over my shoulder. For a moment, my anger and hurt about Jim made me stiffen. But that was then and this was now. I felt Bill’s hug was gentle and let him pull me close. “Su’s a tough little bugger. He’ll be okay. You’ll see.”
I didn’t know whether or not to let Bill hold me. Again, I considered pulling back. This stranger is hugging me! But for reasons I didn’t quite understand, I sat still instead and luxuriated in the warmth of his body. His hug felt natural. Comforting. So much so that I leaned into him and started to cry. The upwelling of pent-up emotion was embarrassing yet the tears relieved me. I felt safe cradled in his arm.
Dr. Milne appeared at the swinging door then and, after pulling off latex gloves, leaned against his counter on one elbow. “It was good that you brought your dog in as fast as you did. He was definitely poisoned by something. Strychnine I think, based upon the symptoms, but I’m confirming that with some tests. It could’ve been a whole bunch of other things too.” He crouched at my knees. “You didn’t see him getting into anything, did you? Chocolate, for instance? Garbage? Anything in the kitchen?”
I shook my head. “Why would someone poison my dog?”
“We’ve had some other cases. It seems someone doesn’t like dogs much or is plain sick.”
“Can I see him?”
“He’s knocked out right now. I had to give him a drug to prevent the seizures and put him to sleep. I’d like to keep him here for a couple of days to make sure everything is okay. Why don’t you let him rest and come back tomorrow? He’ll be better then.”
I looked into his eyes. They seemed caring. “Okay, if that’s best.”
“Nancy says she brought you and Su over,” Bill said. “Do you need a ride to her house or to The Grind?” I thought it was a generous and innocent question, but inexplicitly I didn’t feel comfortable getting into a car with him.
“That’s okay. I want to walk home.”
“Then I’ll walk with you,” he said, not asking my permission.
“No, really. It’s okay.”
“No arguments,” Bill said. He took my hand and gently pulled me up from the chair. As we walked to the door he continued to cradle me with one arm as though the stress of Su’s condition might make me fall. As we walked Main Street towards The Grind, I tried to stare ahead but I was acutely aware of Bill’s footsteps beside me. His footfalls were sure and his presence comforting. I was glad he was there. When we reached the end of the first block, I stopped.
“Thanks for being so kind,” I said, looking up to his face in the shadows.
Bill looked away. “I didn’t do anything.”
He’s so self-effacing. I linked my arm in his and started walking again. “You kept me from breaking down completely. I appreciate that.”
“You’re welcome,” he said sheepishly. Bill seemed more embarrassed than pleased by my gratitude.
The street was quiet except for the crunch of our feet on the pavement. All the actors have gone to bed. The mountains loomed around us, silent and massive, shaggy with conifers. Hanging baskets of flowers dangled from hooks above our heads, also motionless. There was not a breath of breeze. I felt like I was dragging Bill along. His pace was slow and reluctant. I gave his arm a slight tug, pulling him forward to match my stride. “I’m sorry I asked you what you were doing that night. I know Uncle Barney didn’t do anything and I’m blindly searching for someone who did. I apologize.”
Bill saw a street bench beneath a weeping willow and steered me towards it. We sat and he cupped his hands in his lap. “I hope you believe I had nothing to do with her death.”
I put a hand on his thigh and gently squeezed. “I do,” I said, then realized what I’d done so automatically could mistakenly be seen as intimate, so I pulled my hand away. “Sorry …” I said, embarrassed.
“Don’t be.”
We sat there in silence in the darkness for a long moment. “Ummm, how long have you known Barney?” I asked, as much to break the silence as to get information. I had an urge to reach for his hands but stopped myself.
“About three years,” he said. “I met him the first time in Bookmarks actually.” He leaned back and looked up at the stars.
“I love that place too,” I said. “I used to go there as a kid and spend whole afternoons reading different books.”
Bill chuckled. “I’m sort of doing the same thing now. I’ve been reading in Bookmarks almost every day for years. Coffee and a book. Got to be a habit. Barney never asked me to pay.”
“Then I came along,” I said with a huff, crossing my arms. “I’m sorry if I seemed mean, but it is a bookstore and not a library.”
“You’re right. You weren’t being mean. I took advantage of Barney’s hospitality for a long time and got used to it. But it was still kind of embarrassing when you asked for money the way you did.”
I giggled. “Consider it a cheap three-dollar slap on the wrist then.”
“It was five dollars,” he said with mock indignation.
I stood and held out a hand. “Come on. I’ve got to get up early so The Grind is ready for its favorite bibliophile in the morning.”
We walked the rest of the way in comfortable silence, hand in hand.
At the door to The Grind I fumbled with my keys. Bill was standing close and it made me nervous. Maybe I was doing it to try and prolong the moment. After a failed try at the lock, Bill took the keys from me, found the one for the door and unlocked it. “I’ve opened the café for Barney a couple of times when he was away. That’s how I knew which key to use,” he said like an apology. I pushed the door open.
“This is kind of corny, but would you like to come in for a cup of coffee?”
Bill smiled and looked at his feet. “I never drink it after supper,” he said. “How about an afternoon raincheck?”
I was confused about what to say. Allowing him a raincheck was sort of like making a date to see him again, so I said nothing. We stared into each other’s eyes for a moment and he leaned towards me. I tensed, fully expecting a kiss on the cheek, but he stopped himself. His smile evaporated and h
e stepped backwards from the doorway. “Tomorrow?”
I nodded again and watched him turn away.
In seconds, he was swallowed by the darkness. I went inside and shrugged off my shoes. That would have been interesting. I clunked my way up the stairs, peeling off my jacket as I went. I felt guilty about looking forward to his peck on the cheek. It’s too soon after Jim. Don’t fall in the same old trap. When I got to my bedroom in the dark, I flopped onto the bed. His hug was nice and warm. I smiled and then caught myself. He’s still a suspect. You better be careful, girl.
I had trouble falling asleep. Despite everything, I couldn’t get Bill out of my mind. He was such a nice guy! I played all kinds of romantic scenarios in my imagination. Our first kiss when it finally came. Romantic walks by the Mole River, down past the swimming hole, where the water ran still and deep, and the bald eagles flew over. Lying on its grassy banks with him. More. I had to force myself to think about Barney and Su-Jitzu before I could fall asleep late into the night.
When the alarm went off, I rolled out of bed with a tired groan. Taking care of The Grind while Barney was away was going to sap all of my energy. Thank goodness Nancy was around take the strain of running the café. I’d been considering what she said about snooping around the crime scene and asking so many questions. Barney had to rely on a professional police investigation without the meddling of an amateur. I remembered what Poe had written about the Paris police though. Basically, Poe’s detective thought the police were amateurish. Maybe they’re better now. I have to rely on them. The Eugene CSI team would come up with clues that would no doubt exonerate Barney. I decided I had no choice but to wait for some results. Meanwhile, there was a terrier to worry about. Not to mention my own future, and this novel I planned to write once I had a plot idea.
After a quick shower I dressed in a pair of black jeans and gray silk shell, one that Jim had always admired on me because it brought out the auburn highlights in my hair. Forget about him, Mel! I gave myself a mental shake but changed the shell for a burnt-orange T-shirt that went well with black jeans. I could faintly hear Nancy downstairs already preparing for the day, grinding beans and sorting out plates and silverware from the dishwasher. I put on a pair of Sketchers slip-ons and a smile, and descended the stairs towards Bookmarks and The Grind two at a time.
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