Running on Empty by Sandra Balzo Page A

the mailboat. 'Cap'n Bob started
     having heart palpitations, literally, so Nicole sat him down, told the tourists to
     stay put and jumped off to get help.'
    'Nicole. The Goldstein girl, correct?' Mrs. B said. 'Very impressive composure for
     someone so young. Such a pity she has no aspirations beyond the University of the
     Mountain.'
    Bobby, who hadn't had the grades to get into U of M, and AnnaLise, who hadn't had
     the money, just looked at her.
    Mrs. B spread her hands. 'What?'
    AnnaLise turned back to Bobby. 'Dr. Stanton was there, but only to treat Cap'n Bob.
     The medical examiner was arriving and Chuck needed to talk to him, so I thought the
     only way I could help was to ride the short distance back here and let you know what'd
     happened.'
    'And very considerate of you, Little One,' Mrs. B said. 'Especially given that we
     were holding lunch.'
    Bobby appeared too upset to respond to his mother's insensitivity. Or maybe he'd just
     gotten used to it. 'I suppose the police will be able to track down Ichiro's family
     from his passport.'
    'Just hope he did not carry it with him,' Mrs. B said.
    This time AnnaLise ignored her. 'I'm sure there'll be papers in his apartment, especially
     since he was planning to stay and open a business here. Besides, what about the ancestry
     project you told us about?'
    'Oh, of course,' Bobby said. 'His DNA will be on file and the results he's received
     should have a home address for him.'
    'DNA,' Mrs. B said, shaking her head. 'AnnaLise's mother was telling me about that.
     An invasion of privacy, in my opinion.'
    'It's entirely voluntary,' AnnaLise pointed out. 'Your DNA profile becomes part of
     a database, where it can be compared and contrasted with others in the future.'
    'So long-lost relatives can appear on your doorstep,' said Mrs. B. 'Feet planted,
     but
with their hands out.'
    'Except maybe to give, not to receive,' AnnaLise said. 'Look at Kathleen.'
    Mrs. B tick-tocked her head, left-right-left. 'Kathleen whom?'
    AnnaLise didn't mention it should be 'who', not 'whom'. Unless, of course, you changed
     the syntax so it became 'to whom are you referring?' Or, better yet, 'to which Kathleen...'
    'Don't pretend you don't remember her, Ma,' Bobby blurted irritably. 'She practically
     lived here during high school.'
    'Of course. The Tullifinny girl,' Mrs. B said tightly. 'Given she rejected you, I
     thought you might not want to be reminded.'
    'I'm not the one who likes to bury the past.'
    'I buried
your father, Bobby, and if I prefer not to talk about what I have lost—'
    'Fine, fine,' Bobby said, holding up his hands. 'Don't.'
    Mother and son glared at each other.
    AnnaLise cleared her throat. 'I'm sorry. I didn't mean to reopen old wounds.'
    'Not at all dear. Now I believe you were talking about Kathleen — ' she threw a look
     at Bobby — 'and someone giving, not receiving?'
    'Yes,' AnnaLise said uncomfortably. 'And unexpected relatives. Apparently Rance Smoaks's
     mother left him a fair amount of money.'
    That stopped Mrs. B in her elitist tracks. 'What? That... inebriate?'
    AnnaLise nodded. 'Sheree Pepper called the amount "a bundle".'
    '$1.6 million, to be exact,' Bobby said. 'A life insurance policy that Nanney Estill
     had forgotten about. When she died last month, Rance became a millionaire overnight.'
    'Just last month?' AnnaLise asked. 'Did he get to spend any of it?'
    'If there's any justice left in this world, only on the Jim Beam bottle he was emptying
     when he died,' Bobby said. 'Other than that, Kathleen gets it all.'
    'Well, she certainly earned it,' AnnaLise said. 'Whatever did she see in him?'
    'Power,' Mrs. B said. 'Powerful men are immensely attractive.'
    Like... Dickens Hart?
    Bobby was looking at his mother. 'Rance Smoaks was a bully and a drunk.'
    'But chief of police at the time,' AnnaLise said. 'Good-looking, too, back then.'
    'Please,' Bobby said. 'You're not telling me you were "attracted", too.'
    'No, I—'
    'Star-fucker.'
    Bobby and AnnaLise