Part 12 (1/2)
”Yeah, wanna see?”
She was a game girl. ”Okay...”
Then I wasn't there anymore. As though wrapped in cotton, I heard her gasp of surprise. I slipped inside, went solid, and unlocked the door. She jumped when it swung open, but her short blond hair wasn't quite on end.
Yeeps! How'd you do that? I thought you were supposed to turn into a fog or something.”
I pointed an accusing finger. ”You've been reading Stoker again, haven't you?”
”Never mind that, why'd you never tell me about this?”
”You never asked.” But-” Shh, I want to listen.”
Now that we were inside, neither of us had much trouble hearing things.
Somewhere in the back Evan laughed and a girl's voice responded, ”That's right, now I'll hold it here and you shove it in.”
Bobbi's mouth popped open and she blushed a bright red.
”No, not that way!” the girl complained. ”Smoother...* get that flap as well.”
Flap! Bobbi mouthed the word.
”It can wait a minute,” said Evan. ”I thought I heard something out front.”
”You just don't want to do a little honest work,” was the retort.
Evan strolled in wearing a baggy set of mustard yellow golf pants, red shoes, and orange-and-green argyle socks topped off by an ancient paint-smeared s.h.i.+rt. His surprise from seeing us quickly translated into a smile. ”Jack! Bobbi! Welcome to my extremely humble home, come in.”
”If we're interrupting anything-”
”Nan, it's too late for that or I'd have kicked you out. I thought I'd locked the door anyway, oh well. My friend Sally was just helping me with the linens. It seems I don't know how to make a proper hospital corner.”
Sally also strolled in, a pet.i.te girl with rich brown hair and a lush figure under her light print dress. She was the maid Evan had been chatting with in the kitchen while his clothes dried. It looked as though the party hadn't been a total disaster for him, after all. Evan introduced us and Bobbi brought out the beer.
”This is great, what's the occasion?” he asked.
”Call it a homecoming gift,” said Bobbi. ”Where's Sandra?”
”Out somewhere, probably with Alex.”
”We were just there, she wasn't with him.”
Evan shrugged. ”Shopping, then, or at one of her girlfriends' talking about shopping. She'll be back before long. It's all right, she doesn't like beer.” He found an opener and popped some caps. Just in time I stopped him from wasting one on me.
”How was Alex when you left today?” I asked.
”Rancid as ever. Why?”
”Because he called Bobbi this afternoon and canceled the portrait commission.
When we went by he looked-”
”Like death warmed over,” completed Bobbi.
”Really? You mean he decided not to do the painting, just like that?”
I nodded. ”We thought you might have an idea why.”
”Me?”
”Or Sandra. Did they have any disagreements, stuff like that?”
”No, pretty much the opposite, from what I could tell. They keep going the way they are and I'll have this rat palace all to myself in another month.” Rat palace or not, he seemed very pleased with the prospect.
”Evan, I had an idea that Alex may have taken on the commission in order to help you out with Dimmy Wallace.”
He shook his head. ”He wouldn't have to do that, he's got plenty of savings. If I asked him for help he'd just give me the money but I haven't asked him for help.
Cheating the bookies is one thing, but Alex is my friend, more or less.””He said he had a painter's block-”
”Not him... well, maybe him. There's a first time for everyone, I suppose.”
”Sandra said he hadn't painted since his wife died.”
”There's a difference between a block and just choosing not to work. He's been sitting around feeling sorry for himself and wondering if he could have made things different for Celia. You ask me, you should go back and give him a kick in the pants and tell him to paint.”
”You really think he'd respond to that?”
”Of course he'd respond... but I'd want to be there to sec the fight.” He looked like Sandra for a second with the impishness in his eyes. ”This isn't like him, you know.
I've never known him to back out of a commission once the money's down. I really can't say what's wrong with him...”
”We could go back and ask this time,” suggested Bobbi. ”Could you come with us?”
He thought about it, but shook his head. ”I'm not too comfortable about that; he's a friend, but this isn't really my business, after all. I'll be honest about things: if Alex turns down the commission, I might have a chance to take his place...”
If anyone else had said it they might have sounded grabby, but not Evan.
”Of course it won't be an Alex Adrian, and I can't charge his price, but it'd be the best I could do.”
I shrugged reasonably. ”We'll see what works out.”
It was enough for him. ”Great, now I've got to put on a cleaner s.h.i.+rt and walk Sally home.”
”We can drive you-” I offered.
He held up a hand. ”Thanks, but we really would like to walk. Why don't you take Bobbi to dinner in the meantime. She's looking a little peaked and you don't want to lose those skin tones.”
Sally s.h.i.+fted and looked jealous until he put an arm around her and squeezed.