68 Hungry (2/2)

He lowered his eyes and red face paint as he passed, T-shirts and boxer shorts from the planks of the shiny wooden floor. Everywhere Laila saw thick balls of dust dancing through the breeze of their movements here and there. ”Uh, my cleaning lady is on vacation.” He was obviously embarrassed. ”My office.” He opened a door for Laila.

They entered a larger broom cupboard, where light fell on an old desk through a tiny window. The officer had to squeeze between the wall and the table to sit on the office chair. He motioned for Laila to sit down. She looked dubiously at the wobbly plastic chair in front of the desk and sat down carefully on it.

The officer put Laila's ID and her papers on the worn plastic surface and slammed the computer under the desk. Loudly the computer began to rattle. Laila looked doubtfully at the huge wreckage of screen that occupied almost half of the desk. An old 15 inch screen. Benedict would not even have tackled the museum-ready device with the pliers. The officer pounded on the keys and mumbled ”Belinda Hammersfield.”

”Do you also tell me your name, Officer?” He stared at the screen in concentration. ”Robert Marshall” Laila coughed to drown her laughter. He rolled his eyes. ”I know all the proverbs, nomen est omen, the name is program, self-fulfilling prophecy ... Do you have anything to add to that, lady?” Laila pressed her lips together and shook her head vigorously, but her eyes sparkled with laughter. He turned off the computer and returned her papers to Laila. ”Everything alright. So, breakfast?”

Laila was surprised, actually he should have asked her a few questions after the review. People were always interested in their job as a therapist and wanted to know how to stay mentally healthy themselves when dealing with so much misery and despair. The officer apparently did not care, or did not want to waste more time on official business on his vacation.

Together, they entered his single kitchen and prepared a typical men's breakfast. Eggs, bacon, toast and Instandcoffee. Officer Marshall had to get the plastic chair out of his office so they could sit down together at the small kitchen table. Laila enjoyed the conversation with him and learned a lot about the village and its job. No 200 souls lived here. Tendency falling.

The offspring worked after attending school in the paper mill or fled to the city. Robert Marshall was preoccupied with retrieving runaway cattle, keeping coyotes out of chicken stables, or settling the drunken drunk in the pub and then preventing them from getting drunk into the car. All in all a pretty unspectacular job.

Laila listened. ”There's a pub here?”

”Yes, it's about a 20-minute walk through the forest.”

”Is there any good beer?”

”Well, the area is actually known for its whisky here.”

”What's up with Officer Dick, may I call you Dick, right?”

”Nobody called me that since school.”

”Good, Dick, what do you think about that? I'll revise myself for the sumptuous breakfast and invite you to the pub tonight.” He opened his eyes in disbelief. ”You want to go out with me?” Laila calmly studied her fingernails. ”Why not? So I could look for a place to live in. Is the pub well visited?” Dick laughed drily. ”He is well-attended, always the same usual suspects, you will hardly meet anyone who will offer you a bed without any ulterior motives.”

Laila looked up in surprise. ”How so?”

”Because you are by far the most attractive on two legs, which has ever entered this place. Since even our last year's prom queen looks like a withered wallflower, I can not let that happen.” He jumped up and walked up and down in big steps. After just two meters, he was forced to change direction in the small kitchen. Suddenly he stopped and looked at Laila beaming.

”You'll stay with me for a few days, you'll sleep on the couch, no, I'll sleep on the couch after two or three days, you'll be sick and probably want to move on. ” Laila did not think long. ”Good, but only if I'm allowed to take over the leave for your cleaning lady. The food purchases go on my bill.”

”Agreed.” He smiled in a happy mood. ”Man, they'll break their mouths if they see us both.”

”There is one thing left.” Laila got up and put his coffee cup in his hand. ”I do not sleep with anyone under a roof I'm not with you Call me Linda.” She pushed her cup against his. ”OK Linda, I'm Dick.” Laila grinned.

”That's not true.” She took his face in both hands and kissed him firmly on the mouth. ”Do you help me with my things?” She turned toward the exit. When he did not follow her, she looked back. ”Dick?” Dick still stood rooted in the kitchen, running his fingers over his lips. ”Di-i-ck?”

He looked at her with a stupid expression. He seemed to be somewhere else, far away. ”Hm?”

”I have two travel bags in the car, are you helping me?”

”Oh, yes, of course.” He stumbled toward Laila and stuck his foot in the plastic chair frame. Laila grinned, that would be a nice holiday start. When was Dick the last time with a woman? If he was as hungry as Laila, then auspicious days - and nights - would be waiting for her.