Alpine Zen : An Emma Lord Mystery (9780804177481) by Mary Daheim Page B
Authors: Mary Daheim
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as I approached his desk.
“Welcome,” he said glumly, “to the chilliest place in SkyCo. Except it isn’t in this weather. Why does Vida have to go off on these tangents? Is it all a plot to force me into early retirement because I smoke?”
“Don’t ask,” I said, sitting down in the chair next to his desk. “The only advice I’ve gotten about her is from Milo, who thinks I should can her. Or give her a choice to snap out of it.”
“The Duchess is the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met,” Leo declared, glancing at Mitch, who’d ended his call. “Has she taken your head off yet today, Laskey?”
“Only twice,” he replied, getting up from his chair. “I’m considering another humor piece, this time about small-town tyrants.”
“That’s funny?” I retorted.
Mitch turned thoughtful. “No. Nothing’s funny in here. I think I’ll go nose around for something that is.” He ambled out of the newsroom.
“Switch gears,” I said to Leo. “Do we still have Ed’s old clip art file?”
Leo grinned. “You’re so desperate for a laugh that you want to bring back Bronsky?”
“Ed was never a laughing matter,” I asserted. “Unless you count him being a joke as an ad manager. I want to look up peace symbols.”
“How come?” Leo inquired. “You’re going retro?”
I explained about the dead man’s belt buckle. “It might look familiar to someone around here if we run a picture of it. I mean, in terms of identifying the dead guy.”
Leo shrugged. “Seen one peace symbol, seen ’em all. I take it there’s nothing unusual about this one?”
“It’s silver. Well, silver-plated, I guess. It’s kind of tarnished.”
“That’ll happen if the peacenik’s been buried for a long time in the dump site,” Leo noted. “I assume there’ll be an autopsy?”
“Yes,” I replied. “Doc’s resources are too limited, so it’s up to SnoCo to bail us out. If they’re piled up—literally—it could be days before they get back to the sheriff. Not that there’s any rush.”
Leo tapped ash from his cigarette. “I suppose Dodge would know of anyone who’d gone missing since he’s been on the job.”
“He would,” I asserted. “When it comes to his work, Milo’s memory is flawless. Taking out the garbage is another matter.”
“I did that a couple of times when I was with the family in May.” My ad manager looked faintly sheepish. “I kind of liked it. Liza referred to my household chores as communal living. But she laughed when—Say,” he interrupted himself, “were there any hippie communes around here back in the day? This whole area is perfect for that kind of setup.”
“Vida would know—of course,” I said. “Maybe I’ll wander down to Milo’s office and ask him. My office is starting to overheat.”
Leo chuckled. “Can’t keep away from the guy, huh?”
“More like I’m trying to avoid Vida,” I responded, lowering my voice. “She’s so unpredictable these days.”
“She doesn’t talk as much,” Leo allowed. “That’s not all bad.”
A couple of moments later, I headed on my way, pausing only to wave at Alison, who was on the phone, apparently taking a classified ad. Vida’s Buick wasn’t in sight, but Milo’s Yukon was in place. When I walked into headquarters, a tearfulLori was seated behind the counter with Jack Mullins patting her back.
“Her grandma just died,” he said, sounding unusually solemn. “Her mom called. They’d moved Grandma Cobb out of the ICU because she wasn’t responding. She was ninety-two. No real surprise. Right, Lori?” He kept patting her. “Go home. I’ll hold down the fort.”
“No,” Lori said in a small voice, wiping away the tears. “Mom and Dad are taking care of everything. I’ll probably have to take time off for the funeral anyway.” She pulled a tissue out of the box on her desk and blew her nose. “Grandma and Grandpa are together again. That should make me happy. But it doesn’t.”
“It
“Welcome,” he said glumly, “to the chilliest place in SkyCo. Except it isn’t in this weather. Why does Vida have to go off on these tangents? Is it all a plot to force me into early retirement because I smoke?”
“Don’t ask,” I said, sitting down in the chair next to his desk. “The only advice I’ve gotten about her is from Milo, who thinks I should can her. Or give her a choice to snap out of it.”
“The Duchess is the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met,” Leo declared, glancing at Mitch, who’d ended his call. “Has she taken your head off yet today, Laskey?”
“Only twice,” he replied, getting up from his chair. “I’m considering another humor piece, this time about small-town tyrants.”
“That’s funny?” I retorted.
Mitch turned thoughtful. “No. Nothing’s funny in here. I think I’ll go nose around for something that is.” He ambled out of the newsroom.
“Switch gears,” I said to Leo. “Do we still have Ed’s old clip art file?”
Leo grinned. “You’re so desperate for a laugh that you want to bring back Bronsky?”
“Ed was never a laughing matter,” I asserted. “Unless you count him being a joke as an ad manager. I want to look up peace symbols.”
“How come?” Leo inquired. “You’re going retro?”
I explained about the dead man’s belt buckle. “It might look familiar to someone around here if we run a picture of it. I mean, in terms of identifying the dead guy.”
Leo shrugged. “Seen one peace symbol, seen ’em all. I take it there’s nothing unusual about this one?”
“It’s silver. Well, silver-plated, I guess. It’s kind of tarnished.”
“That’ll happen if the peacenik’s been buried for a long time in the dump site,” Leo noted. “I assume there’ll be an autopsy?”
“Yes,” I replied. “Doc’s resources are too limited, so it’s up to SnoCo to bail us out. If they’re piled up—literally—it could be days before they get back to the sheriff. Not that there’s any rush.”
Leo tapped ash from his cigarette. “I suppose Dodge would know of anyone who’d gone missing since he’s been on the job.”
“He would,” I asserted. “When it comes to his work, Milo’s memory is flawless. Taking out the garbage is another matter.”
“I did that a couple of times when I was with the family in May.” My ad manager looked faintly sheepish. “I kind of liked it. Liza referred to my household chores as communal living. But she laughed when—Say,” he interrupted himself, “were there any hippie communes around here back in the day? This whole area is perfect for that kind of setup.”
“Vida would know—of course,” I said. “Maybe I’ll wander down to Milo’s office and ask him. My office is starting to overheat.”
Leo chuckled. “Can’t keep away from the guy, huh?”
“More like I’m trying to avoid Vida,” I responded, lowering my voice. “She’s so unpredictable these days.”
“She doesn’t talk as much,” Leo allowed. “That’s not all bad.”
A couple of moments later, I headed on my way, pausing only to wave at Alison, who was on the phone, apparently taking a classified ad. Vida’s Buick wasn’t in sight, but Milo’s Yukon was in place. When I walked into headquarters, a tearfulLori was seated behind the counter with Jack Mullins patting her back.
“Her grandma just died,” he said, sounding unusually solemn. “Her mom called. They’d moved Grandma Cobb out of the ICU because she wasn’t responding. She was ninety-two. No real surprise. Right, Lori?” He kept patting her. “Go home. I’ll hold down the fort.”
“No,” Lori said in a small voice, wiping away the tears. “Mom and Dad are taking care of everything. I’ll probably have to take time off for the funeral anyway.” She pulled a tissue out of the box on her desk and blew her nose. “Grandma and Grandpa are together again. That should make me happy. But it doesn’t.”
“It
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