their color. Apparently he’s succeeded, and he wants more time, but he’s had trouble paying for the time he’s used. If you’re in the shop tomorrow, you’ll probably see him.” I wasn’t about to say any more, and I thought it wise to change the subject. “So, tell me how you tore yourself away from all your kinfolk.”
Allison proceeded to recount the events of the last few days, but it was clear that she was drunk with jet-lag, and I took pity on her and interrupted her tale. “You want to crash here tonight? You look wiped out. Frank’s been sleeping in Cam’s room, but you can have the couch.”
“Uncle Frank’s staying here?”
“Sure. I can tell you’ve never tried to find a hotel room in Tucson during Gem Show.”
“If you’re sure you don’t mind.”
“Allison, you know me. I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t mean it. I’ll even lend you a nightie.”
“Thank you, Em. It’s good to be home.”
I put what was left of the food away and let my two guests duke it out for bathroom privileges. When I headed for my own room, I ran into Allison in the hallway. “Em, I’m glad we’re okay, the two of us. But I’m still worried about Cam. It isn’t like him to run away like this, is it?”
I felt a prickle of fear. She was right: I had never known Cam to simply disappear. Sure, he had been hurt by Allison’s inability to talk to him, but I hadn’t considered the possibility that his continuing silence could be due to something else. And I had to admit I had no idea where to even begin looking for him. Was he lying in a ditch somewhere? Or had he gone on a bender and ended up in a Mexican jail? I didn’t know where to start.
“Maybe I could ask Matt what we could do, in the morning?”
She gave me a tremulous smile. “Could you? I don’t mean to trouble you, but I really do need to see him, to explain.”
“I’ll call Matt first thing in the morning. You get some sleep.”
But I went to bed with a nagging worry in the back of my mind.
Chapter 11
The Romans wore peridot to protect themselves from enchantment and also to ward off depression.
The next morning, Allison and Frank were up be fore me and busy in the kitchen area. More jet lag, no doubt. At least I would get a good breakfast out of it.
“Good morning,” I said, reaching for the coffee. “Sleep well?”
“Until I woke up at three. I guess I’m still on Irish time,” Allison said.
“It’ll pass,” I said wisely, based on my vast experience of the last week. “Give it a few days. Hand me the phone, will you?”
She passed the handset to me, and I punched in Matt’s home number. When I got no answer there, I tried the station and was put through with only a short delay. “Hi, stranger,” I greeted him when he answered.
“Hey there. Everything all right?”
“What, I can’t call you just to chat?”
“I’d love to, but I’ve got to get to work.”
I went on quickly. “Listen, there is something I’d like to run by you. Do you have time for a quick lunch?”
He sighed. “Don’t count on it. You know we always have security issues around the Gem Show, and I don’t know if I can get away.”
I thought briefly. “I know, and I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t important. How about I bring some sandwiches by?”
“Sounds good. Maybe around one? There’s an all-hands meeting at eleven, and who knows how long that will run.”
“Deal. See you then.”
I turned to find Allison watching with a half-smile, and no sign of Frank.
“Did Frank leave?”
“He did. He said he had business to attend to. Things going well with Matt, then?”
“I think so. We had dinner at his place on Monday.”
“Ah,” she said and then fell silent.
“I’ll ask him what to do about Cam. If anything. I mean, we don’t have any real reason to worry—it seems silly to get the police involved, if he’s just gone off to mope.” I hoped. Was I trying to convince Allison or myself?
“I hope you’re right.
Allison proceeded to recount the events of the last few days, but it was clear that she was drunk with jet-lag, and I took pity on her and interrupted her tale. “You want to crash here tonight? You look wiped out. Frank’s been sleeping in Cam’s room, but you can have the couch.”
“Uncle Frank’s staying here?”
“Sure. I can tell you’ve never tried to find a hotel room in Tucson during Gem Show.”
“If you’re sure you don’t mind.”
“Allison, you know me. I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t mean it. I’ll even lend you a nightie.”
“Thank you, Em. It’s good to be home.”
I put what was left of the food away and let my two guests duke it out for bathroom privileges. When I headed for my own room, I ran into Allison in the hallway. “Em, I’m glad we’re okay, the two of us. But I’m still worried about Cam. It isn’t like him to run away like this, is it?”
I felt a prickle of fear. She was right: I had never known Cam to simply disappear. Sure, he had been hurt by Allison’s inability to talk to him, but I hadn’t considered the possibility that his continuing silence could be due to something else. And I had to admit I had no idea where to even begin looking for him. Was he lying in a ditch somewhere? Or had he gone on a bender and ended up in a Mexican jail? I didn’t know where to start.
“Maybe I could ask Matt what we could do, in the morning?”
She gave me a tremulous smile. “Could you? I don’t mean to trouble you, but I really do need to see him, to explain.”
“I’ll call Matt first thing in the morning. You get some sleep.”
But I went to bed with a nagging worry in the back of my mind.
Chapter 11
The Romans wore peridot to protect themselves from enchantment and also to ward off depression.
The next morning, Allison and Frank were up be fore me and busy in the kitchen area. More jet lag, no doubt. At least I would get a good breakfast out of it.
“Good morning,” I said, reaching for the coffee. “Sleep well?”
“Until I woke up at three. I guess I’m still on Irish time,” Allison said.
“It’ll pass,” I said wisely, based on my vast experience of the last week. “Give it a few days. Hand me the phone, will you?”
She passed the handset to me, and I punched in Matt’s home number. When I got no answer there, I tried the station and was put through with only a short delay. “Hi, stranger,” I greeted him when he answered.
“Hey there. Everything all right?”
“What, I can’t call you just to chat?”
“I’d love to, but I’ve got to get to work.”
I went on quickly. “Listen, there is something I’d like to run by you. Do you have time for a quick lunch?”
He sighed. “Don’t count on it. You know we always have security issues around the Gem Show, and I don’t know if I can get away.”
I thought briefly. “I know, and I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t important. How about I bring some sandwiches by?”
“Sounds good. Maybe around one? There’s an all-hands meeting at eleven, and who knows how long that will run.”
“Deal. See you then.”
I turned to find Allison watching with a half-smile, and no sign of Frank.
“Did Frank leave?”
“He did. He said he had business to attend to. Things going well with Matt, then?”
“I think so. We had dinner at his place on Monday.”
“Ah,” she said and then fell silent.
“I’ll ask him what to do about Cam. If anything. I mean, we don’t have any real reason to worry—it seems silly to get the police involved, if he’s just gone off to mope.” I hoped. Was I trying to convince Allison or myself?
“I hope you’re right.
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