me talk to my students—we’re meeting later today—and see what I can round up. Meantime, why don’t you see the computer tech on site at the college, someone we can coordinate with.”
“Can you let me know the approximate cost when we talk next?” asked Lew.
“Maybe nothing,” said Gina. “This could be considered research under the grants we just got. But I’ll see. Hey, I got a small favor to ask. I got the utility bill for my cabin and it is way up. Could you ask Ray to check and see if the furnace is going crazy—or maybe the pump for my well has run amok? Something is out of whack—it’s two hundred bucks over last month’s.”
“I’ll ask Ray to check it out,” said Osborne, leaning into the speakerphone.
“Thanks, Doc. Talk to you folks later.”
Setting the phone down, Lewellyn Ferris beamed up at Osborne as she said, “Case study for a dissertation? I want to see a case study that shows the goddamn Wausau boys and the Feds a thing or two. This may be the last time they blow me off.”
“As far as paying for Gina and her team,” said Osborne. “I’ll bet Patience Schumacher would be more than happy to subsidize their work.”
Lew’s eyes widened with happy speculation, “Doc, you are so right. I’ll touch base with Patience this morning before I try squeezing another penny here. If she’ll come through, the mayor will love me.”
Ray’s voice on Osborne’s cell phone sounded far away if not slightly slurred. “Ray, you there and okay?”
“Yeah, what?”
“I’m in Lew’s office and we just got off the phone with Gina Palmer. The last utility bill on her cabin was very high. She was hoping you could check her place out and see if something has been left on—the furnace, the water pump, something is not working right out there. Think you have time to check on that later today?”
The sound of bed covers rustling. “Doc, did you say Gina Palmer?”
“Right. Lew’s got her helping out with a computer glitch out at the tech college—we’ll be talking to her later. The sooner the better if you can manage it. Ray.”
“Lemme get over to her cottage and shee what I can do.” Again the worrisome slur.
“Thanks, hold on a second.” Osborne covered the phone with his hand as he whispered to Lew, “Think of something. I’m worried he’s drinking again. I could be wrong but—”
“Dinner. Invite him to my place for dinner tonight. Suzanne arrives this afternoon. No kids. She’s feeling pretty low. Might help both of them to know they aren’t the only one suffering. Sometimes sharing someone’s else’s pain helps you gain some perspective on your own life—know what I mean, Doc?
“And you know how Ray loves helping people out—let’s put Suzanne on his radar and see if that might change his focus a little.” Lew grinned. “It’ll certainly change hers. Those two were just a few years apart in high school and I remember at least one of Suzanne’s girlfriends had a crush on Ray. At the very least we’ll have good food and a chance for pleasant conversation that may get both their minds off their respective problems for a short time.”
“Good idea,” said Osborne, taking his hand off the phone. “Ray, Chief Ferris would like for you to come to dinner at her farm this evening. Her daughter, Suzanne, is driving up from Milwaukee and she thought it would be nice to have a few friends over. Are you free?”
“Sure.” Ray sounded surprised. “Want me to bring some walleyes?”
“Want him to bring walleyes?” said Osborne to Lew.
“No, just his gorgeous self.”
Osborne repeated the instructions only to hear Ray say, “Then I’m bringing dessert. I have an apple pie in the freezer.”
Clicking his phone off, Osborne said, “That helped. He started to sound a little better.”
“Secret to a happy life is planning ahead,” said Lew. “Now get out of here. I have things to do and places to go, Doc.”
C HAPTER 16
O sborne was midway through
“Can you let me know the approximate cost when we talk next?” asked Lew.
“Maybe nothing,” said Gina. “This could be considered research under the grants we just got. But I’ll see. Hey, I got a small favor to ask. I got the utility bill for my cabin and it is way up. Could you ask Ray to check and see if the furnace is going crazy—or maybe the pump for my well has run amok? Something is out of whack—it’s two hundred bucks over last month’s.”
“I’ll ask Ray to check it out,” said Osborne, leaning into the speakerphone.
“Thanks, Doc. Talk to you folks later.”
Setting the phone down, Lewellyn Ferris beamed up at Osborne as she said, “Case study for a dissertation? I want to see a case study that shows the goddamn Wausau boys and the Feds a thing or two. This may be the last time they blow me off.”
“As far as paying for Gina and her team,” said Osborne. “I’ll bet Patience Schumacher would be more than happy to subsidize their work.”
Lew’s eyes widened with happy speculation, “Doc, you are so right. I’ll touch base with Patience this morning before I try squeezing another penny here. If she’ll come through, the mayor will love me.”
Ray’s voice on Osborne’s cell phone sounded far away if not slightly slurred. “Ray, you there and okay?”
“Yeah, what?”
“I’m in Lew’s office and we just got off the phone with Gina Palmer. The last utility bill on her cabin was very high. She was hoping you could check her place out and see if something has been left on—the furnace, the water pump, something is not working right out there. Think you have time to check on that later today?”
The sound of bed covers rustling. “Doc, did you say Gina Palmer?”
“Right. Lew’s got her helping out with a computer glitch out at the tech college—we’ll be talking to her later. The sooner the better if you can manage it. Ray.”
“Lemme get over to her cottage and shee what I can do.” Again the worrisome slur.
“Thanks, hold on a second.” Osborne covered the phone with his hand as he whispered to Lew, “Think of something. I’m worried he’s drinking again. I could be wrong but—”
“Dinner. Invite him to my place for dinner tonight. Suzanne arrives this afternoon. No kids. She’s feeling pretty low. Might help both of them to know they aren’t the only one suffering. Sometimes sharing someone’s else’s pain helps you gain some perspective on your own life—know what I mean, Doc?
“And you know how Ray loves helping people out—let’s put Suzanne on his radar and see if that might change his focus a little.” Lew grinned. “It’ll certainly change hers. Those two were just a few years apart in high school and I remember at least one of Suzanne’s girlfriends had a crush on Ray. At the very least we’ll have good food and a chance for pleasant conversation that may get both their minds off their respective problems for a short time.”
“Good idea,” said Osborne, taking his hand off the phone. “Ray, Chief Ferris would like for you to come to dinner at her farm this evening. Her daughter, Suzanne, is driving up from Milwaukee and she thought it would be nice to have a few friends over. Are you free?”
“Sure.” Ray sounded surprised. “Want me to bring some walleyes?”
“Want him to bring walleyes?” said Osborne to Lew.
“No, just his gorgeous self.”
Osborne repeated the instructions only to hear Ray say, “Then I’m bringing dessert. I have an apple pie in the freezer.”
Clicking his phone off, Osborne said, “That helped. He started to sound a little better.”
“Secret to a happy life is planning ahead,” said Lew. “Now get out of here. I have things to do and places to go, Doc.”
C HAPTER 16
O sborne was midway through
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