Софи Келли - Final Catcall

“Good to know,” I said.

Andrew had finally made his song choice. The first few notes of the music came out of the speakers and I had the urge to pull my shirt up over my head. It was “My Girl” by the Temptations.

“Not exactly subtle, is he?” Burtis said, picking up his fork again.

Peggy returned with our food just as Andrew got back to the counter. She set an oversize oval plate in front of each of us. Andrew looked at his and blinked. I’d already picked up my fork.

There were scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, fried potatoes with onions, tomato and some fresh rosemary, and two thick slices of raisin toast. I knew from past experience that the eggs would be fluffy, the bacon crisp and the potatoes golden on the outside and fork soft on the inside.

Burtis made short work of the last of his fried tomatoes and drained his coffee. He climbed off his stool and put one hand on my shoulder. “You have a good day, Kathleen,” he said.

I smiled. “You too, Burtis,” I said.

He nodded at Andrew and walked over to the cash register.

“I no longer have any feeling in my right hand,” Andrew said once Burtis was out of earshot.

“Count yourself lucky then,” I said, reaching for my coffee. “I’m pretty sure he could break it if he wanted to.”

We ate in silence after that until Andrew groaned and leaned his forearms on the countertop. “Oh, man, that was good,” he said. “Do they make that bread here? And where the heck do they get tomatoes that don’t taste like Styrofoam?”

There was part of a sausage and half a piece of bread left on his plate. “Yes on the bread and I don’t know about the tomatoes.”

I leaned sideways, speared the sausage with my fork and ate it. Then I broke the bread in half and ate that, too.

Andrew rolled his eyes. “You win, and where the heck did you put all that?”

I patted my midsection. “I was hungry.”

Peggy came back and refilled my cup and after I’d added cream and sugar I swung around so I was facing Andrew.

“I have a question about Friday night,” I said.

“Sure,” he said, turning his cup in slow circles on the green Formica.

“What else did you see?”

“Aside from that SUV on the highway? Nothing.”

“You’re sure?”

“I’m sure. Just the dark blue SUV.”

“Close your eyes,” I said.

Andrew narrowed his gaze at me. “Why?” he asked suspiciously.

“Because it will help you concentrate.”

“And I’m concentrating on what, exactly?”

I made a face. “Will you just do it, please?”

He closed his eyes.

“Okay, we’re driving toward the water. The marina is coming up on the left side. What do you remember?”

“How good you smelled,” he said at once.

“That’s not helping.”

He shrugged. “You asked what I remembered. That’s what I remembered.”

I flexed both hands, squeezed them into fists and resisted the urge to slug him.

“We’re turning into the driveway. Do you see any cars coming out?”

He shook his head. “No.”

I didn’t remember any vehicles passing us, either. “What about in the parking lot?”

“Two half-ton trucks with some kind of logo on the door, a white cargo van and a silver sedan. The car had a flat.”

I could picture both vehicles, although I hadn’t noticed the car had a flat tire. “Anything else?”

“Three sailboats out in the water.” He opened his eyes. “I’m sorry, Kathleen. I didn’t see anything.”

I folded my fingers around the heavy stoneware mug. “It’s okay. You should call Detective Lind, though, and tell her about the SUV.” I still had Hope Lind’s card in my pocket. I pulled it out and handed it to him.

He turned the cardboard rectangle over and frowned at me. “Who’s this Detective Lind? I thought your friend was investigating.”

“Detective Lind is in charge for now,” I said. “Marcus is working on something else.”

He shrugged and tucked the card in his shirt pocket.

I drank the last of my coffee and set the mug back on the counter. “Thank you for breakfast,” I said, “but I need to get home.”

“I was hoping you’d show me around,” Andrew said, slipping off his stool.

“I think you’ve pretty much seen all of Mayville Heights in the last week.” I brushed crumbs from my jeans as I stood up.

“I guess I have,” he said, dipping his head and giving me that killer smile. “I was hoping to go to the top of the bluff. I heard there’re some good hiking trails. And after that I thought we could drive into Minneapolis for a late dinner.”

“Thanks, but I can’t,” I said, pulling my wallet out of my purse.

Andrew held up a hand and shook his head. “No, Kath. I invited you.”

I hesitated.

“You may as well say yes,” he said with a gleam in his green eyes. “My legs are longer. I can get to the cash register before you can.”

“All right. Thank you.”

He took a step closer to me. “C’mon, Kath. It’s Sunday. Come with me.” He held out both hands. “Show me what’s so great about this place.”

“I already have plans,” I said. My plans were to make more sardine crackers for Owen and Hercules and to scrub the kitchen floor, but they were still plans. I twisted my watch around my wrist. “Go home, Andrew,” I said. “I mean go home to Boston. I’m glad that you came, but I won’t change my mind. It’s . . . The time for us has passed.”

It sounded like a line from a bad novel, but it was true. We were never, ever getting back together. I think I’d heard that line in a song.

Andrew smiled, a genuine smile, not his I-am-so-damn-cute smile. “I have six more days to change your mind. I’m not going anywhere.”

He paid for breakfast and we went out to the car. As he pulled out of the parking lot I saw him glance up the hill.

“Don’t,” I said quietly.

He looked over at me. “Don’t what?”

“Don’t head for the bluff instead of taking me home and think I’ll be okay with it.”

He looked away and shook his head, not even trying to hide the smile. “See? You know me better than anybody.”

“It’s your big glass head,” I said lightly. “It’s like a fishbowl. I can see right through you.”

His expression grew serious. “That’s why we belong together.”

I sighed and shook my head. There didn’t seem to be any point in saying anything. Andrew didn’t want to listen.

“I’ll call you later,” he said when we got back to the house. “Maybe I’ll be able to persuade you to have dinner with me.”

“Call Detective Lind,” I said as I got out of the car. “It’s probably not important, but she still should know what you saw.”

“Okay,” he said with a shrug. “And I’ll talk to you later.”

I walked around the side of the house and sat on the back stairs. Hercules came across the grass, stopping every few steps to shake a paw. He sat beside me, a sour look on his face. I used the sleeve of my sweatshirt to wipe the top of his front paws, which seemed to appease him a little.

“I saw Burtis at the diner,” I said.

Herc murped softly, which I took to mean “Tell me more.”

“Abigail was driving one of his old trucks Friday night. The night she said her phone died. The night nobody knows where she was.”

Hercules leaned his head against my arm. “Merow,” he said softly.

“I know,” I said, reaching over to stroke his fur. “There’s no way this is good.”

15

I made kitty crackers for the boys and chicken stew with dumplings for myself. When Andrew called after lunch I turned down his offer for dinner. Again.

The cats and I spent most of the afternoon out in the yard, working the compost Harry Junior had dropped off into the cold frame box where I was going to try growing lettuce and kale early in the spring. In midafternoon Rebecca walked over for a visit and we had cranberry scones and tea in her gazebo.