Part 18 (1/2)

Denial was futile. I'm not very good at hiding my feelings. ”I am. My son is being a pain in the b.u.t.t.” Seeing Leo's surprised expression, I held up a hand. ”Don't get me wrong. I understand he has tons of problems to tackle every day, and a child a.s.sumes a parent can weather his or her own little storms. After all, that's what parents do and keep their mouths shut.”

”Actually,” Leo said, leaning on the back of one of my visitors' chairs, ”we don't. Not after they get to be about six. Otherwise, they aren't ready for the real world. I ought to know. My ex and I knocked ourselves out keeping my drinking problem a secret from our kids-right up until I fell off the stage during the Christmas pageant at St. Elizabeth's in Van Nuys. Our oldest was in sixth grade at the time. *Daddy's sick' didn't cut it.”

”You have a point,” I conceded. ”In many ways, I didn't s.h.i.+eld Adam from grim reality. I couldn't-not when he got old enough to wonder where his father was.”

”What did you tell him?”

”That his dad lived in California.” I thought back to that awkward moment when my son had just turned four. ”Adam had heard of California. I showed him on a map and told him it was a long way from Portland. In fact, I hadn't known myself that Tom had moved from Seattle until I heard it a few months earlier through the grapevine at The Oregonian.”

Leo nodded. ”There must have been more questions when he got older.”

”Oh, yes.” I shook my head. ”That got harder, but I was candid. When Adam was ten, I gave him the birds-and-the-bees talk. Luckily, I had Ben to help steer him through that from a male's standpoint. I told Adam then that his father and I had made a mistake, that I couldn't marry Tom because he already had a wife and children, and that it was best for us-I meant Adam and me-to stay out of Tom's life. I tried very hard to not describe his father as a villain, even though I had dark moods of resentment and anger.”

”Not surprising.” Leo regarded me with an inquisitive expression. ”I...” He shrugged. ”Never mind.”

”What?”

”Hey, it's none of my business,” he said, looking embarra.s.sed.

”Oh, come on,” I urged. ”If it isn't, I'll tell you to stick it.”

Leo uttered a big sigh. ”I've wondered if Tom ever offered to help with Adam. Financially, I mean.”

”He called me a couple of times at first. I hung up on him. Then he wrote me a letter. I threw it away and never answered it.” I made a face. ”That was it-until he showed up eighteen years later.”

”So Adam really had only...what? An off-and-on relations.h.i.+p of five or six years with Tom?”

”A bit more,” I said, finally realizing why Leo was quizzing me. ”I know what you're thinking. Adam and Tom saw each other maybe a dozen times at most. Not enough to really bond. Ben was the surrogate father.”

”Not to mention Adam must resent those half siblings, who, in effect, held his father hostage while they lived a life of luxury and you toiled away to keep food on the table and a roof over Adam's head. h.e.l.l, Emma,” he said, straightening up, ”your son may be a priest, but he's still human. He could be having his own struggles with this situation.”

”Maybe,” I allowed, noting that Vida had returned and was casting an inquiring eye in our direction. ”I guess I should make allowances for that, but Adam's apparent indifference still hurts.”

Before Leo could respond, my phone rang. Figuring Ginny wasn't yet back from lunch, I picked up the receiver.

”Ms. Lord?” the cheerful voice at the other end said. ”This is Diana Hines in Everett. I called Debbie Murchison last night to inquire about Ella Hinshaw. She hadn't yet gotten back from Mount Vernon, but I left a message, and she called me on her lunch break a few minutes ago.”

Leo had gone back to his desk. Vida had poured herself a mug of hot water and was standing in the middle of the newsroom. ”Yes, Mrs. Hines,” I said, making sure my House & Home editor could hear me. ”How's Ella doing?”

The question rocketed Vida into my cubbyhole. ”Malingering, probably,” she muttered.

”She's doing fairly well,” Mrs. Hines said, ”and please call me Diana. Ella's going to need help when she's discharged, though. Her right side is paralyzed, though the prognosis is good.”

”I'll let Mrs. Runkel know,” I said, gazing innocently at Vida, who had settled into a chair. ”She'll be so pleased to hear how her sister-in-law is getting along. Thanks for calling.”

”That's not all,” Diana said hastily as Vida glared at me. ”I asked Debbie about the Josh and Ginger Roth thing. She had actually seen Mr. Roth-she presumed it was Mr. Roth-slipping his name into the mailbox slot a week or so ago.”

”She had?” I scribbled a note for Vida and pushed it across my desk. ”Did she talk to him?”

”Yes,” Diana replied. ”She asked if he was moving in. He told her he was, along with his wife. And then he left. Debbie was coming off the night s.h.i.+ft and was dead tired, so she went straight to her unit.”

”Did you ask her what he looked like?”

”She said he was very good-looking, thirties, well-dressed, brown hair. Is that any help?”

”It could be,” I said, noting that Vida was s.h.i.+fting impatiently in the chair. ”Maybe we can show her some pictures.” Thanking Diana, a second time, I rang off.

”Well now!” Vida huffed. ”What's this about?”

I gave her the details. ”Do you want to see Debbie?” I inquired. ”You could look in on Ella.”

”I already did, after work last night.” Vida made a face. ”Ella ought to have more s.p.u.n.k. Therapy should restore the use of her arm and leg, but dollars to doughnuts, she won't stay with the regimen. She'll expect everyone to wait on her.”

”Luckily,” I pointed out, ”Ella has quite a few relatives in town.”

Vida looked askance. ”I refuse to be numbered among them.”

Having no intention of getting into a Runkel family feud, and never exactly certain of how each was related to the others, I changed the subject. ”What about talking to Debbie?”

”You mean to show her the picture of the victim?”

I nodded. ”If she doesn't recognize him as the man at Pines Villa, get a description.”

”Very well.” Vida stood up. ”First, I must finish *Scene'. I could use one more item.”

”It looks like the squirrels have been digging in the planter boxes on Front Street,” I said. ”There was dirt all over the sidewalk by the one where I parked this morning.”

”Nasty creatures,” Vida murmured. ”So destructive. And prankish. They ate almost all of my daffodil bulbs this winter. I don't know why I'm buying more to plant this fall. At least they left some of the tulips.”

She started out of my office, but the mention of bulbs was a timely reminder for me. ”Hey,” I called out, ”you never told me what Rick Erlandson said when you went over to the bank to get your money order. Did he recognize the victim's picture?”

Vida turned around and scowled. ”Rick was in a meeting. I'll check with him when I go to the hospital to see Debbie. And,” she added grudgingly, ”Ella.”

”You might check at the Venison Inn with Oren and Sunny Rhodes,” I said. ”The blonde known as Ginger was there with a man last week. They'll remember-Milo and I already talked to them, but we didn't have a picture of the victim with us.”

Vida looked disapproving. ”I prefer not going into the bar. Midafternoon drinkers are often alcoholic. And Sunny doesn't ordinarily start work until the dinner hour.”

”Okay, I'll do it myself,” I said. ”Or send Curtis.”

”Good luck with that a.s.signment.” Vida stalked off.

Curtis returned shortly after she'd left. Leo was in the back shop with Kip. Ginny was languis.h.i.+ng behind the front desk.

”I'm going to get some lunch,” I informed my reporter. ”I won't be gone long.”

”Anything I can do?” he asked in a rather plaintive tone.

”All of your copy is in?”

He nodded. ”All six inches of it.”