botany. Shelley and I signed up just hoping to learn what kind of plants might grow for us. It turned out that Eastman's interest is entirely in patenting plants, not the basics like we expected. It's sort of interestingin theory, but not something of practical value to anyone in the class."
“And is this where the strange Ursula comes into your life? Who in the world is she?" Mel asked.
Jane sighed. "Ursula is hard to describe. She's an aging hippy. All tie-dyed and madly liberal or maybe madly conservative. I haven't quite figured that out. And she thinks there are vast conspiracies everywhere."
“What does this have to do with tofu?" Mel asked, laughing.
“She says she was a nurse in Vietnam and has taken care of a lot of old ladies since she lost her nursing status. She admitted it was a drug charge, but denies that it was valid. Only herbal cures. And free-range eggs and health food.”
Mel had stopped laughing. "Oh, right. I better check her out."
“Can you do that?"
“I hope so. But why is she calling you?”
Jane smiled. "Because she's got me marked as helpless — like the old ladies. And she must not have an old lady currently to look after. You should have
seen
the food she brought over. Tofu was the least disgusting. Mel, I think she means well, but she sort of scares me."
“In what way?"
“I guess it's the conspiracy thing. She talks about it all the time. The government is trying to poison us with strawberries, the Denver airport is really owned by Queen Elizabeth, and the Ma- sons control the world, the postal service in particular. It's just all so bizarre and paranoid. And even the so-called facts she cites are entirely wrong, but she doesn't want to know that."
“Facts like what?" Mel asked.
“Are you really interested? Let me think. She had the Templars a century off and seemed to think the Dauphin had survived and was English and formed the Virginia Company, which, if my memory for history is right, was long before he was even born."
“You're making this up.”
Jane looked indignant. "I haven't the imagination to make up someone like Ursula. And if I could, I wouldn't."
“Who else is in this class? Is it a big group?"
“It might have been originally. It was scheduled in a large room," Jane said. "But the attack on Julie was in the local paper and maybe a lot of attendees assumed the class was canceled. You could ask Stefan Eckert about that."
“Who's he?"
“The junior college staff person who's in charge of community relations and set these summer classes up. Well, he may be only second in charge. That's what Miss Winstead said."
“And is this Stefan odd, too?"
“Not at all. I think he got the job because he is so cheerful and handsome, though Miss Winstead hinted that he's up to something.”
Mel got up and paced. "And Miss Winstead is…?"
“Another person in the class. Former librarian. And former cousin-in-law of the substitute teacher, Dr. Eastman. She hates him."
“Why does she go to the class then?"
“You'll have to ask her the whole story, if you really want to know." Jane stopped and thought a minute. "That's odd… She'd signed up for the class to hear Julie speak, but said she always went to Eastman's lectures to make him uncomfortable. How would she have known he'd fill in”
? "If she knows the Stefan guy, he might have told her," Mel guessed.
Jane looked relieved. "That must be it. I'd hate to suspect Miss Winstead of anything worse than wanting to make a man she doesn't like miserable.”
Mel was quiet for some time. Then he asked, "Do you really think anyone in the class is a suspect?”
Jane shrugged. "Probably not. I keep wavering. But since you have so many others to consider, I doubt it."
“Could you give me a list of the others in the group?" Mel pulled a notepad out of his jacket. "Stewart Eastman, Ursula Who?"
“Appledorn."
“And how do you spell the Stefan guy's name?"
“No idea," Jane replied. "But Miss Winstead is Martha. And
“And is this where the strange Ursula comes into your life? Who in the world is she?" Mel asked.
Jane sighed. "Ursula is hard to describe. She's an aging hippy. All tie-dyed and madly liberal or maybe madly conservative. I haven't quite figured that out. And she thinks there are vast conspiracies everywhere."
“What does this have to do with tofu?" Mel asked, laughing.
“She says she was a nurse in Vietnam and has taken care of a lot of old ladies since she lost her nursing status. She admitted it was a drug charge, but denies that it was valid. Only herbal cures. And free-range eggs and health food.”
Mel had stopped laughing. "Oh, right. I better check her out."
“Can you do that?"
“I hope so. But why is she calling you?”
Jane smiled. "Because she's got me marked as helpless — like the old ladies. And she must not have an old lady currently to look after. You should have
seen
the food she brought over. Tofu was the least disgusting. Mel, I think she means well, but she sort of scares me."
“In what way?"
“I guess it's the conspiracy thing. She talks about it all the time. The government is trying to poison us with strawberries, the Denver airport is really owned by Queen Elizabeth, and the Ma- sons control the world, the postal service in particular. It's just all so bizarre and paranoid. And even the so-called facts she cites are entirely wrong, but she doesn't want to know that."
“Facts like what?" Mel asked.
“Are you really interested? Let me think. She had the Templars a century off and seemed to think the Dauphin had survived and was English and formed the Virginia Company, which, if my memory for history is right, was long before he was even born."
“You're making this up.”
Jane looked indignant. "I haven't the imagination to make up someone like Ursula. And if I could, I wouldn't."
“Who else is in this class? Is it a big group?"
“It might have been originally. It was scheduled in a large room," Jane said. "But the attack on Julie was in the local paper and maybe a lot of attendees assumed the class was canceled. You could ask Stefan Eckert about that."
“Who's he?"
“The junior college staff person who's in charge of community relations and set these summer classes up. Well, he may be only second in charge. That's what Miss Winstead said."
“And is this Stefan odd, too?"
“Not at all. I think he got the job because he is so cheerful and handsome, though Miss Winstead hinted that he's up to something.”
Mel got up and paced. "And Miss Winstead is…?"
“Another person in the class. Former librarian. And former cousin-in-law of the substitute teacher, Dr. Eastman. She hates him."
“Why does she go to the class then?"
“You'll have to ask her the whole story, if you really want to know." Jane stopped and thought a minute. "That's odd… She'd signed up for the class to hear Julie speak, but said she always went to Eastman's lectures to make him uncomfortable. How would she have known he'd fill in”
? "If she knows the Stefan guy, he might have told her," Mel guessed.
Jane looked relieved. "That must be it. I'd hate to suspect Miss Winstead of anything worse than wanting to make a man she doesn't like miserable.”
Mel was quiet for some time. Then he asked, "Do you really think anyone in the class is a suspect?”
Jane shrugged. "Probably not. I keep wavering. But since you have so many others to consider, I doubt it."
“Could you give me a list of the others in the group?" Mel pulled a notepad out of his jacket. "Stewart Eastman, Ursula Who?"
“Appledorn."
“And how do you spell the Stefan guy's name?"
“No idea," Jane replied. "But Miss Winstead is Martha. And
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