Craig Smith - Cold Rain

‘That must mean you’re still in love with me.’

‘That’s why it hurts. I look at you, and I just start aching.’

‘I didn’t betray you, Molly.’

‘Doc had a girlfriend,’ she offered quietly, seemingly by way of explanation. ‘I don’t know when it started, but it went on for years. Maybe it’s still going on.

Who knows? Olga acts like she doesn’t know about it, but I knew about it when I was twelve. You know what I hated the most? I hated that Olga put up with it, and I swore it would never happen to me.’

‘It didn’t happen, Molly!’

‘Right. That’s why we had a little lover’s spat last night?’

‘You saw Denise Conway? She’s plain. Nothing about her is interesting.’

‘I’m guessing she’s more interesting when she’s naked.’

‘I wouldn’t know.’

Molly smiled without affection. ‘I read her diary, David. I read it so many times it makes me sick to think about you and her.’

‘Makes me sick too.’

She pushed me away laughing as she did. ‘You’re a lying used car salesman! You can’t help yourself. You’ll lie about this until the day you die!’

‘What if she’s lying?’

‘That doesn’t make sense. She didn’t give me the diary. Buddy did. He found it in her closet. She was hiding it from him.’

‘Buddy told her what to write.’

‘Please. This cost him his relationship. The two of them were going to get married until you came along.’

I shook my head, staying calm, pushing my case with the dispassion of a good salesman. ‘Think about it, Molly. Last summer I was here all the time. We were working ten-hour days finishing the house. When did I have time to go into town and seduce this girl?’

‘Denise looks like the kind of girl who doesn’t take a lot of seducing. Besides, you weren’t here all the time.’

‘Talk to her today. Have her tell you something about me, something only a lover would know.’

Molly looked at me strangely. ‘I’m not about to humiliate myself in front of that girl.’

‘She won’t answer you! I’ll tell you right now: she won’t say a damn thing because she doesn’t even know me. Just talk to her, Molly. You’ll see I’m telling the truth.’

‘You should have stayed on the car lot, David. You’re so earnest when you lie.’

From anger to amusement. Was I making progress or had I lost her so completely that I had become a joke?

I spent the day painting the largest room in Lucy’s new apartment. Molly called different people, then left early, intending to visit the Sloans before she went to the funeral at two o’clock. We caught snow flurries late in the afternoon. Lucy rode Jezebel in the pasture, working lead changes. I watched for a while, then worked in the barn until she brought Jezebel back to her stall.

After she had kicked down some hay for both horses, she told me she had talked to her mother about the grass. ‘And?’

‘She was glad I told her. I think she was proud of me for being honest about it.’

‘Get a lecture?’

‘It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.’

‘Olga around?’

Lucy handed me a conspiratorial smile. ‘Next room.’

Molly came back to the farm around seven o’clock.

I tried not to sound too curious about where she had gone after the funeral, but Molly picked up on my insecurities at once, and seemed almost to enjoy my discomfort. ‘After the funeral, quite a few of the faculty adjourned to Friday’s.’

She named some of the people who were there, including the men who had participated in tossing me out of the funeral home the night before. As an afterthought she mentioned Buddy Elder. ‘Actually, Buddy and Randy Winston talked me into leaving Friday’s and going to Caleb’s.’ Noting my exasperation, she explained, ‘Everyone was dying to talk about you, David. As long as I was there, they couldn’t.’

‘So you went out with the two men I dislike more than anyone else on campus?’

‘That was a plus, but mostly I did it because it was fun. I had a nice time.’

‘Anyone make a pass?’

‘Randy couldn’t stop. When I didn’t pick up on the subtle stuff he put his hand under my dress.’

‘The son of a bitch.’

‘I told him I’m staying at the farm until Sunday. If he wants to drive out and pick me up sometime for a real date, I’ll be his love slave for the night.’

‘If he shows up, I’ll break his nose.’

‘I think he knows that, David. He said he thought it might be a good idea if we met in town.’

‘You’re not going to go out with the guy?’

She shrugged indifferently. ‘I haven’t decided.’

‘I feel like I’m the one who died. Damn vultures. So what about Buddy? Was he on his best behaviour as usual?’

‘He thought I should give you another chance, considering the way Denise is.’

‘Sweet guy,’ I answered.

‘He is. Sexy, too. I can’t get enough of that southern accent. He makes whatever he’s talking about sound like hot maple syrup has just been poured over it.’

‘The guy pulled a gun on me, Molly. Twice!’

She laughed at me, imagining more lies, I expect.

She had not heard about the gun, so twice was just typical David Albo hyperbole. ‘I guess he and I have a lot more in common than I thought.’

The phone rang. Lucy answered it. A moment later she joined us, telling Molly, ‘For you.’

Molly left the living room with the phone. I heard her laughing. Lucy rolled her eyes and said, ‘ Robert.’

I snapped to attention. ‘Who’s Robert?’

‘He’s supposed to be showing her real estate, but I think he’s been showing her something else.’

I felt the blood leave my chest. ‘What does he look like?’

‘I don’t know. Old.’

I didn’t know whether to be gratified or irritated.

‘How old?’

‘Your age… maybe.’

‘Maybe?’

‘Maybe younger.’

‘Big gut, smelly, bad breath?’

She laughed. ‘Noooo. Cute. Kind of. Nice ass.’

It was our general policy not to say the really bad words in front of Lucy, so I walked out on the front porch.

Molly finished her call fairly quickly and caught me as I was coming in.

‘Robert?’ I asked.

Molly glanced at Lucy, who simply shrugged. ‘Not really your business anymore, David,’ she said.

‘Is this the guy you were out with the night I called?’

‘The night you called I think I was entertaining the Miami Dolphins.’

With that, I made a fast exit for the den. An hour later the phone rang again. I had been reading without much concentration, thinking about getting ready for bed or making a drink or driving to Florida and finding Robert. Molly had already gone to bed, and I wondered if Robert had called back for some prearranged phone sex. Curiosity getting the better of me, I walked over and picked up the extension.

A young woman’s voice said, ‘Is Dr Albo there?’

Molly started to speak, but I interrupted. ‘I have it, Molly.’ Molly hung up.

‘Dr Albo?’ I thought it was Johnna Masterson’s voice, but there was an edge of excitement or fear that made me uncertain. I asked who was calling.

‘It’s Johnna.’

‘What do you want, Johnna?’ I said this without the pretence of courtesy. If Johnna Masterson had wanted to talk she might have tried the funeral home the night before.

‘I have to talk to you.’ She spoke in near-panic tones, shuddering and gasping at the finish.

‘Then talk.’

‘Not on the phone. I’ll meet you at the Denny’s on Washington Avenue in an hour. Please!’

‘Why would I want to drive into town? You won’t even tell me-’

‘It’s about Buddy!’ She sounded scared. It sounded like she was crying.