Trouble at the Red Pueblo (16 page)

“Yes. I speak French, English, Urdu, Hebrew and, of course, Arabic.”

“Great suffering zot! What do you do with all those languages?”

“During the summers I work as a researcher.”

“You mean when you’re not traveling?”

“No, even when I am traveling. I try to spend at least five hours a day at it, but I can work anywhere and anytime. I just need a good Internet connection.”

Spider smiled. “Well, I’ll be. You just never know.” He paused as a thought struck him. “You say you’re a professional researcher?”

“Yes.”

“What would you charge to do some work for me?”

Karam raised a brow. “Are you serious?”

“Yes. Do you ever do any genealogical research?”

“I do all kinds of historical research. Some of it is genealogical.”

“Okay. There’s a lady in St. George by the name of Alyssa Goodman. I need to know if she’s a blood relative of a man who lived in Kentucky during the Civil War.”

Karam nodded. “That will not be too difficult. But let me do one other thing for you as well.”

“You want to do something else? What’s that?”

“This rich lady who has caused heartache for the lady in the apron— her name is Tiffany?”

Spider nodded.

“I have met her. I do not think she is what she says she is. I do not think she has the money she says she wants to give.”

They were nearing Kanab city limits, and Spider stared so long at Karam that the young man cleared his throat and pointed at the highway. Spider pulled the car back into the right hand lane just as a tire hit the rumble strip. “What makes you think that?” he asked.

“My father is an investment banker. We are Palestinians, but we cannot live in our homeland. This has made it so one has to be very careful in judging people. One develops a kind of a sixth sense where money is concerned.”

“Yeah, but you’re not a banker. You’re a teacher.

Karam touched his breast. “I am my father’s son. I am an expatriate Palestinian. And this woman is not what she says she is.”

“Okay by me,” Spider said. “Have at it.”

“That means I am to proceed?”

“Yeah. Maybe I should ask what you charge.”

“I will do the work for you if you will let me use your car tomorrow afternoon.”

“That’s all? You sure?” As Spider approached the hotel, he noticed the pickup sitting in the parking lot. Laurie was back, and he’d soon be speaking the apology he’d worn out in rehearsal all day.

Karam apparently didn’t notice Spider’s distraction, for he went on explaining his need of a car. “Isaac told me about some petroglyphs north of Fredonia that you do not need four wheel drive to reach. The taxi is booked all day tomorrow, so the use of your car would be appreciated. Would you care to accompany me?”

Spider turned into the hotel lot and parked beside the pickup. “What?”

“Would you and Laurie care to go with me to see the petroglyphs tomorrow?”

“No can do. We have to go to Mesquite, but you’re welcome to the car.” He turned off the engine and reached in the backseat for a piece of paper, checking to make sure he wasn’t giving Karam something he was going to need. Turning it over, he wrote everything he remembered being told about Oscar Goodman and Tiffany Wendt.

Karam waited silently, taking the information when Spider handed it to him. “I will get busy right away,” he said.

“Let me get my papers, and I’ll give you the car keys.” Spider got out and opened the back door, stacking the files so he could carry them under one arm.

Karam pointed at the bundle. “You have been doing research, too?”

“Not in the same way as you, but, yeah. I guess I have.” Spider locked and closed the door, tossing the keys to Karam. “Have a good time tomorrow.”

Karam grinned. “It will be like I am seventeen again, driving my Yugo.” He waved and walked toward the side entrance of the hotel.

Spider headed for the lobby, his heart pounding as he practiced what he’d say to Laurie one more time.

LAURIE WAS IN
the bathroom. Spider heard her singing as he entered the hotel room. That was a good sign. Should he let her know he was here?

Setting his papers and his hat on the desk next to a shoebox, he walked to the bathroom door. He paused a moment, the tightness in his chest making it difficult to breathe, and then he tapped lightly on one of the raised white panels. “Laurie?”

The door opened so quickly, he didn’t have time to prepare himself. There she stood, dressed in Levi’s and an emerald green tee. She had obviously been drying her hair because it had a tousled, dampish look. Her brown eyes sparkled, and her mouth curved in her familiar smile of welcome.

“Hello, Darlin’,” he said. Unconsciously, his voice inflected up, so the greeting had a tentative feel. Dang. He didn’t want to do that. His mind groped for the words he had practiced all day.

She beat him to it. “I’m sorry I was such a witch last night,” she said, sliding her arms under his and around his back and leaning her head against his torso.

He could smell the scent of her shampoo. That, and the feeling of her body so close, released the knot in his chest and made his voice husky. “I’m sorry for being such a horse’s patoot. Forgive me?”

She didn’t answer, but she kissed him. The moistness of her open lips, soft on his own, set off fireworks inside. That kind of hunger and desire had been dampened down and pushed away during the last weeks of his mother’s illness. Spider cupped her face in his hands as his mouth covered hers, and he leaned in, pressing her against the doorframe.

“Mmmm.” Her arms tightened, and her fingernails scraped against his shirt, her breath coming quickly.

Spider swiveled away from the doorway, moving his hands from her face to her shoulders, caressing the bare skin of her arms and feeling her shiver. He reached around to pull her closer and lifted her feet off the floor. It was only two steps to the bed, and she curved her body with his as they lay down on the coverlet. With his mouth still on hers, he fumbled to find the bottom of her tee at the same time a vibration began in his chest.

Laurie pulled away, eyes wide. “What was that?”

“Great suffering zot!” he muttered as the buzzing repeated. “I think it was my phone. How do I turn the damn thing off?” He got up on an elbow, yanked it out of his pocket, and punched a button.

“Spider? Is that you?”

Spider stared at the phone for a moment as Karam repeated his greeting.

“Spider, are you there?”

“Yeah, Karam.” Spider held the phone to his ear. “I’m here.”

Laughing quietly, Laurie kissed Spider under the ear and disengaged, rolling over to sit on the edge of the bed and run her fingers through her hair.

“I began work on that research right away.” Karam sounded excited. “I am glad to report that I have some very interesting findings.”

Spider reached over and traced a finger across the small of Laurie’s back as he spoke to Karam. “That’s great. Tell you what, let’s have breakfast together tomorrow, and you can tell Laurie and me both about it.”

“Are you all right, Spider? You sound a little out of breath.”

“I’m fine. How about we meet at Houston’s Trail’s End at eight o’clock?”

“Okay near me,” Karam said.

It took Spider a moment to process what he was trying to say. “I think you mean okay
by
me.”

“Oh. Right. Okay by me.” Karam said good-bye and disconnected. Spider put his phone away and lay back on the bed, watching Laurie cross the room. “He really knows how to spoil the moment.”

Laurie smiled from over her shoulder. “It’s not spoiled, just postponed. Wouldn’t you rather wait so we can savor it? So we don’t have to worry that someone’s going to call or knock on the door?”

Spider shook his head. “Nope.”

She slid her feet into a pair of sandals. “Why don’t you take a shower and then we can go find a corner booth somewhere to have supper.”

“You think I need a shower? Any particular temperature?”

She wrinkled her nose at him. “Go do it. I want to hear about your day, and I want to tell you about mine.”

“Nobody’s asking me what I want,” he muttered, sitting up and pulling off his boots.

Laurie looked up from examining the papers on the desk. “What did you say?”

“Nothing.” He unbuttoned his shirt. “While I’m in the shower, why don’t you read the top stack. It’s about a gal by the name of Dorcas Coleman. She’s another one that got tangled up with ol’ Austin Lee.”

Laurie counted the stacks. “Boy, you have been busy today. Hurry and get ready. I can’t wait to hear all about it.”

Spider cast one last glance at the depression in the bed and went into the bathroom to shower and change, as requested. He emerged twenty minutes later in fresh Levi’s and a short-sleeved shirt but with hair still wet. “I didn’t shave,” he said.

“I love the scruffy look.”

“Well, that’s what you’ve got.” Spider pulled on his boots. “Where do you want to eat?”

“Let’s just stroll and stop when we see something good.” Laurie waited by the door as he put the room key in his pocket and picked up his hat.

They held hands as they rode the elevator down and strolled through the lobby. Outside, the evening was dusky and warm, and they walked toward the center of town.

Spider put his arm around Laurie. “Before you tell me about your ride, let me ask you something. Why didn’t you tell me last night, when I was doing my imitation of the north end of a south bound mule, that Jack wasn’t going to ride with you?”

“I don’t know. I guess it made me mad you were making such a big deal about me going out with him. I mean, Jack? You wouldn’t mind me riding with Bud Hefernan, would you?”

“No. It’s just—” He didn’t know how to put it, so he tried another tack. “Karam said that jealousy is more about self-love than love.”

“Well that’s an interesting topic for you to be discussing.” Laurie paused in front of the Rocking V Restaurant.

“Yeah. But, you know, I think that’s right. I didn’t want you riding with Jack because he’s handsome and educated and successful. It had to do more with self love, or maybe lack of it.”

“It had to do with you being silly. Jack can’t hold a candle to you in the looks department.”

“Yeah?”

Laurie pulled away and looked him up and down. “Yeah. And as far as the successful part, you’ve been father to two boys that have turned out to be good men. That beats house, money, car, land, cattle, and horses any day.”

“All that?” Spider bent forward to examine the menu in the window. “Want to eat here? Food looks all right.”

“What looks best to me is that booth at the end of the row where we won’t be disturbed.”

“You got it.” Spider opened the door and let her precede him. When the hostess approached with menus, he pointed to the booth at the back. “Can we sit there?”

“Sure.” The young woman led them to the back of the restaurant and stood aside while they slid in, both on the same side. “Are you newlyweds?” she asked, handing each a menu.

Laurie caught Spider’s eye. “No. We just like each other.”

The waitress left, and Spider tipped his menu toward the light. “Is it kind of dark in here?”

“That’s what you get when you want to be alone in a corner booth. Just order a steak. You don’t have to see the menu to have that.”

“That’s a great idea.” He put his menu on the edge of the table and propped his chin in his hand as he gazed at his wife. “You’re beautiful. I don’t say that enough.”

Laurie put a finger to her lips. “Shh. You’re just saying that because you want to get me in your bed. Tell me about your day.”

The waitress returned with water glasses and her order pad and took the order— two steak dinners.

When she had gone again, Spider said. “Let me hear about your day first.”

Laurie unrolled her silverware and put the linen napkin in her lap. “It began oddly.”

“Oh?”

“When I got to Jack’s, I found that Amy had stayed up all night baking cookies. The whole kitchen counter was covered two layers deep, and you remember how much counter space there is in that kitchen.”

“What was she doing that for?”

“I guess because she wanted to. She said they’re having trouble getting her medication balanced, and she’s a little manic.” She laughed. “A little. I’ve never seen so many cookies. I brought a shoebox full back to the hotel with me.”

“A shoebox? What are you going to do with that many? And why didn’t you offer me one?”

She unrolled his silverware, handing him the napkin and laying the place setting in the proper place. “You had other things on your mind.”

“Okay. So was the mountain of cookies the only odd thing about the day?”

“No.” Laurie paused while the waitress set down their salads and bread. “When it came time to go riding, Amy made it clear to me that she, not I, would be riding Taffy.”

Spider frowned. “Did she know that Taffy was your horse?”

“Apparently. That was why she went out of her way to stress that she was going to ride her. They have a bond, she says. Taffy knows what she’s thinking.” She shrugged. “I don’t remember all the things she said. The end result was that I rode the pinto.”

Spider leaned over and kissed the crown of her head. “I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I know you were looking forward to a reunion with Taffy.”