Миранда Джеймс - Claws For Concern

The cat meowed and reached out a paw to tap my arm.

“All right, come on,” I said to Diesel. “Let’s go put Charlie in his crib, and you can keep an eye on him, okay?”

That question elicited happy chirps, and Diesel followed me into the living room. I got the baby situated comfortably in the crib. I gazed down at him a moment, drinking in those perfect tiny features. Then I somehow managed to tear myself away, though I could have stood there for an hour or more to watch him.

When I left the room, Diesel was up on his back legs, looking into the crib. Since the cat was a bit over four feet long from the tip of his nose to the tip of his tail, he could easily see the baby. I knew he wouldn’t try to get into the crib. He would be content to watch the baby sleep, and the moment the baby stirred, he would let us know.

“. . . lunch at the bistro,” Frank was telling Helen Louise when I walked back into the front hall. “Then a movie. One of Laura’s friends has a small part in it, and Laura has been wanting to see it.”

Laura cast a longing glance in the direction of the living room.

“Have a good time,” I said. “Now, go and enjoy yourselves.” I put my hands on my daughter’s shoulders and turned her toward the front door. “Go.”

Laura laughed and gave me another quick kiss. “Thanks, Dad.” She gave Helen Louise a hug. “I promise we’ll call and let you know if the bistro is in a shambles because you aren’t there.”

Helen Louise made a shooing motion with her hands. “Get out of here before I call Henry and tell him to charge you triple for whatever you order.”

Frank grinned and took hold of Laura’s arm. “We poor academics can’t afford that, so we’d better leave. Come on, honey.” He opened the door and ushered his wife out.

I closed the door behind them. Helen Louise headed for the living room, and I followed.

We stood in the doorway. Diesel hadn’t moved since I’d left him and the baby. The cat’s gaze seemed to be focused intently on the sleeping infant. Helen Louise and I looked at each other and smiled. I pulled my cell phone from my pocket and took a picture of the scene to share with Laura and Frank later.

Then Helen Louise and I returned to the kitchen. I was hungry, more than ready for the lunch she had brought.

I refreshed our wine while Helen Louise retrieved the hamper and began to unpack it. I felt my mouth begin to water as I watched. First came the brie, followed by grapes. Next she uncovered a bowl of vichyssoise, the only cold soup I liked. After that, a plate of baked chicken. Finally, a container of French bean salad.

Flourishing the latter, Helen Louise said, “Let me warm this, and lunch will be ready.” She took the container to the microwave. “Ordinarily I wouldn’t do this, but this is best served warm.”

While she attended to the bean salad, I set the table. We started with the cold soup, then moved on to the chicken and the bean salad. Our final course consisted of brie and grapes. During the meal I shared with Helen Louise all that Ernie Carpenter had told me about Bill Delaney, his mother, and the Barber family.

“Horrible,” Helen Louise said when I finished. “Just horrible. I wish they had found the killer. I’d hate to think that person is still walking around free and unpunished.”

“Yes, me too,” I said.

Diesel came into the kitchen, meowing. Over that I heard baby Charlie crying. “Probably needs his diaper changed.” I pushed back my chair and moved toward the hallway. “I’ll go check on him. He can’t be hungry already.” I stopped suddenly as something occurred to me. “What would we feed him if he is hungry? Surely Laura and Frank brought milk.”

Helen Louise said, “Yes, they did. Frank put it in the fridge while you were in the living room with the baby.”

“Thank goodness.” I hurried to the living room as my grandson’s volume began to increase. Diesel trotted right along with me to supervise.

The bawling ceased when I touched the baby. He looked up at me with such trusting eyes, and I smiled, my face now only about twelve inches from his. “It’s okay, Charlie. Grandpa’s here, and so is your nursemaid.” Diesel warbled loudly, and the baby smiled.

He had really smiled. It wasn’t just the reflexive smile all babies have in their first month or two. He smiled in response to my smile. He was also making eye contact with me. Two milestones in a baby’s life, and today of all days. Laura hadn’t mentioned to me that Charlie could do either one of these things.

“We’ll have big news for your mama and daddy when they come to pick you up.” I examined the diaper, and my nose wrinkled at the smell. “You definitely need a change, mister.”

Diesel meowed loudly, no doubt intrigued by the smell. He watched as I cleaned the baby and put him in a fresh diaper. I talked to Charlie the whole time, using every chance I had to get him accustomed to my voice. It shouldn’t be long now before he started cooing.

Helen Louise joined Diesel and me beside the crib. “He is the most perfectly beautiful child I’ve ever seen,” she said.

I heard the wistful note in her voice. We had talked once about having children, and she admitted during that conversation that she would have loved to be a mother. Trying to establish her law career and working the long hours that entailed gave her no opportunity for motherhood. Then when she decided she’d had enough of the legal career and moved to France to pursue her culinary dream, she’d been too busy learning. Back in Athena again, she was working hard to establish a new business. By the time she thought about having a child, she was over forty with no good prospect for a father in sight. Now that I was in the picture, with us both in our early fifties, we were too old to have a child. Nor did either of us any longer have the energy to adopt and rear one.

“Yes, he is.” I put my arm around her and drew her close. We stood that way for a minute or two, Diesel as entranced by the baby as we were. He smiled again as we both talked to him. Then he yawned, ready to go back to sleep. I wrapped him up again, and Helen Louise and I returned to the kitchen. The ever-vigilant feline nursemaid remained on duty.

“There’s a bit of brie left.” Helen Louise gestured toward the cheese as she resumed her seat. “I know it’s your favorite, so it’s up to you to finish it off.” She picked up a grape and popped it in her mouth.

I sighed. “Yes, it is. I’ve already eaten too much, but I can’t resist that lonely piece.” I picked it up and was enjoying it when the house phone rang. I hurriedly swallowed so that I could speak clearly into the phone. I grabbed the receiver and greeted the caller. “This is Charlie Harris.”

A woman’s voice sounded in my ear. “Good afternoon, Mr. Harris. I’m calling from the emergency room at Athena Medical Center.”

SEVENTEEN

My heart rate increased dramatically as my mind conjured up terrible images of family members in distress.

Before I could speak, she gave me her name, which I promptly forgot. She continued, “We have a Mr. William Delaney here who’s been badly injured in an apparent hit-and-run. He is asking for you. He says you’re his cousin.”

“Yes, I am.” There was no point in arguing over the technicalities of the relationship. “I’ll be on the way in a minute. How badly is he hurt?”

“It would be better to talk about it here,” the woman said. “Please come as soon as you can.” She ended the call.

I hung up the phone and turned to Helen Louise. Noting her expression of concern, I quickly relayed the gist of the call.

“You go,” she said. “I’ll stay here and keep an eye on things. Call me and let me know how he is when you know more.”