named Arliss who was systematically unfaithful, most recently with her girlfriend, Charlene.
âHe has really tore himself with me this time,â she said, as she plunked down a bowl of steaming oatmeal in front of me.
By the time I finished eating, I knew everything there was to know about Arliss and she knew a lot about Jonah Robb.
âIf it was me, Iâd hang on to him,â she said, âbut now not at the expense of meeting this doctor fella your friend Vera wants to fix you up with. Iâd jump right on that. He sounds real cute to me, though personally Iâve made it a practice not to date a man knows more about my insides than I do. I went out with this doctor once? Actually heâs a medical student, if the truth be known. First time we kissed, he told me the name of some condition arises when you get a pubic hair caught down in your throat. Tacky?Lord God. What kind of person did he think I was?â She leaned on the counter idly swiping it with a damp rag so sheâd look like she was busy if the boss stopped in.
âI never heard of a doctor dating a private eye, have you?â I said.
âHoney, I donât even know any private eyes, except you. Maybe heâs tired of nurses and lab technicians and lady lawyers and like that. Heâs been dating Vera, hasnât he? And what is she, some kind of
in
surance adjuster . . .â
âClaims manager,â I said. âHer boss got fired.â
âBut thatâs my point. I bet they never sat around having long heart-to-heart chats about medical malpractice, for Godâs sake. Heâs bored with that. Heâs looking for someone new and fresh. And think of it this way, he probably doesnât have any communicable diseases.â
âWell, now thereâs a recommendation,â I said.
âYou better believe it. In this day and age? Iâd insist on a blood test before the first lip lock.â
The front door opened and a couple of customers came in. âTake my word for it,â she said, as she moved away. âThis guy could be it. You could be Mrs. Doctor Somebody-or-other by the end of the year.â
I paid my check, bought a newspaper from the vending machine out front, and went back to my room. All was quiet next door. I propped myself up in bed and read the
Brawley News
, including a long article about âpalm gardens,â which I learned was the proper term for the groves of date palms strung out on both sides of the Salton Sea. The trees, exotic transplants brought in from North Africa a century ago, transpire as much as five hundred quarts of water a day and have to be pollinated by hand. The varietiesof datesâthe Zahidi, the Barhi, the Kasib, the Deglet Noor, and the Medjoolâall sounded like parts of the brain most affected by stroke.
As soon as it seemed civilized, I called the convalescent hospital and talked to Mrs. Haynes about Agnes Grey. Apparently, sheâd been as docile as a lamb for the remainder of the night. Arrangements for her transport to Santa Teresa by air ambulance had been finalized and she was taking it in stride. She claimed she couldnât even remember what had so upset her the day before.
After I hung up, I put a call through to Irene and passed the information on to her. Agnesâs outburst still felt unsettling to me, but I didnât see what purpose my apprehension might serve.
âOh, Motherâs just like that,â Irene said when I voiced my concern. âIf sheâs not raising hell, she feels sheâs somehow remiss.â
âWell, I thought you should know how fearful she was. She sure raised the hair on the back of my neck.â
âSheâll be fine now. Donât be concerned. Youâve done a wonderful job.â
âThanks,â I said. As there didnât seem to be any reason to remain in the area, I told her Iâd be taking off shortly and would give her a call as soon as I got
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