Westbrook isn’t listed in here.”
“That tells us something,” said Lew. “Like maybe she kept business separate from personal.”
Ray rapped the spine of the little book lightly on the table as he said, “She saw a lot of old Harold over the last year or so. I don’t know that I heard she was seeing anyone else. Not like she did a few years back.”
“When was the last time you saw her?” said Lew.
“End of June—on her birthday. But we never talked about … her self-employment opportunities.” Ray gave a sad smile. “That was not the Mary Margaret that I knew—or wanted to know.”
“Hmm,” said Lew, looking preoccupied. “Another thing—I have got to get up to the casino. Follow up on Donna and that poker business. You never know—could be someone from up there just as easy as a creep from Frank’s past.” She raised her eyebrows in exasperation. “I hope to hell I can get my arms around this case pretty darn soon. Too many leads, too few people to work ‘em. And right now? I need some sleep.”
“Why don’t Ray and I make the casino trip?” said Osborne.
“Have to be back by three for me to pick up Gina,” said Ray.
“That should work,” said Osborne.
“Depends how long we take with the Nehlsons,” said Lew. At the surprise on Osborne’s face, she said, “I’m planning on you being there, Doc. The usual routine: I talk, you watch. Vice versa. On second thought …” She tipped her head as she gave Ray a long look.
“I’d like you there, too, Ray. You and Doc both knew Peg over the years. Think you can handle that, Ray?”
“I think so. Actually, I would like to be there. I’d like to ask the family if I might say a few words at Peg’s funeral.”
“Why don’t you plan to do that after the meeting. I’d like to see how things go first.”
“Sure.”
“Okay—we’ve got a plan. See you two in the morning.”
“Wait. One more thing, Chief. I’ve been thinking about Robbie’s comment on that gas tank,” said Ray. “Why don’t I get Gina settled—”
“I’ll have Marlene find space for her in the department, Ray. She’ll need high-speed Internet access, and I doubt her cottage will have that.”
“Okay,” said Ray, “so I’ll get Gina set up and then I’ll take a drive around. Ever since you said Pat’s old lady told you they stopped for gas and one last drink on their way home from karaoke, I’ve been thinking about where they might have gone. A couple places have come to mind.”
“Fine with me,” said Lew, standing up. “Now I’m out of here. I am dead tired.”
“Lewellyn, fatigue becomes you,” said Osborne, ruffling her hair as he walked her to the car. She gave him a rueful smile as she opened the car door.
“I can’t afford to be so tired—I’m afraid I’ll miss something, Doc.”
“I miss this,” he said, pulling her toward him.
“Me, too.” She folded herself into his embrace, tired and warm.
“When this is over, Lew, maybe we can spend some time together? It’s been over a week now …”
She gave him a quick, light kiss that held all the sweetness of the raspberries. “You know I love to fish a full moon.”
“Two nights from now?”
“Two nights from now,” she said, “plan on it. I’ll loan you a float tube and we’ll go up to Sylvania.”
After Ray left, Osborne checked his answering machine. He had two messages. The first was from his elder daughter, Mallory: “Dad, I need a break. Turned in a paper on marketing cosmetic dentistry today and could really use some time away from the computer. Hope you don’t mind if I drive up for the weekend—take you to fish fry. Call if this is a problem.”
He checked his watch: too late to call. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see her. The question was: Would she understand why he couldn’t spend much time with her? Over the last two years they had been fumbling toward a better relationship, but Mallory had yet to give up one bad habit she had
“That tells us something,” said Lew. “Like maybe she kept business separate from personal.”
Ray rapped the spine of the little book lightly on the table as he said, “She saw a lot of old Harold over the last year or so. I don’t know that I heard she was seeing anyone else. Not like she did a few years back.”
“When was the last time you saw her?” said Lew.
“End of June—on her birthday. But we never talked about … her self-employment opportunities.” Ray gave a sad smile. “That was not the Mary Margaret that I knew—or wanted to know.”
“Hmm,” said Lew, looking preoccupied. “Another thing—I have got to get up to the casino. Follow up on Donna and that poker business. You never know—could be someone from up there just as easy as a creep from Frank’s past.” She raised her eyebrows in exasperation. “I hope to hell I can get my arms around this case pretty darn soon. Too many leads, too few people to work ‘em. And right now? I need some sleep.”
“Why don’t Ray and I make the casino trip?” said Osborne.
“Have to be back by three for me to pick up Gina,” said Ray.
“That should work,” said Osborne.
“Depends how long we take with the Nehlsons,” said Lew. At the surprise on Osborne’s face, she said, “I’m planning on you being there, Doc. The usual routine: I talk, you watch. Vice versa. On second thought …” She tipped her head as she gave Ray a long look.
“I’d like you there, too, Ray. You and Doc both knew Peg over the years. Think you can handle that, Ray?”
“I think so. Actually, I would like to be there. I’d like to ask the family if I might say a few words at Peg’s funeral.”
“Why don’t you plan to do that after the meeting. I’d like to see how things go first.”
“Sure.”
“Okay—we’ve got a plan. See you two in the morning.”
“Wait. One more thing, Chief. I’ve been thinking about Robbie’s comment on that gas tank,” said Ray. “Why don’t I get Gina settled—”
“I’ll have Marlene find space for her in the department, Ray. She’ll need high-speed Internet access, and I doubt her cottage will have that.”
“Okay,” said Ray, “so I’ll get Gina set up and then I’ll take a drive around. Ever since you said Pat’s old lady told you they stopped for gas and one last drink on their way home from karaoke, I’ve been thinking about where they might have gone. A couple places have come to mind.”
“Fine with me,” said Lew, standing up. “Now I’m out of here. I am dead tired.”
“Lewellyn, fatigue becomes you,” said Osborne, ruffling her hair as he walked her to the car. She gave him a rueful smile as she opened the car door.
“I can’t afford to be so tired—I’m afraid I’ll miss something, Doc.”
“I miss this,” he said, pulling her toward him.
“Me, too.” She folded herself into his embrace, tired and warm.
“When this is over, Lew, maybe we can spend some time together? It’s been over a week now …”
She gave him a quick, light kiss that held all the sweetness of the raspberries. “You know I love to fish a full moon.”
“Two nights from now?”
“Two nights from now,” she said, “plan on it. I’ll loan you a float tube and we’ll go up to Sylvania.”
After Ray left, Osborne checked his answering machine. He had two messages. The first was from his elder daughter, Mallory: “Dad, I need a break. Turned in a paper on marketing cosmetic dentistry today and could really use some time away from the computer. Hope you don’t mind if I drive up for the weekend—take you to fish fry. Call if this is a problem.”
He checked his watch: too late to call. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see her. The question was: Would she understand why he couldn’t spend much time with her? Over the last two years they had been fumbling toward a better relationship, but Mallory had yet to give up one bad habit she had
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