Page 56 of Insidious Threats
Ellie’s lip quivered, and Sasha gave her a small smile of encouragement. If she had to guess, she’d bet the twins’ college fund that Cinco had never once told his daughter that he was proud of her.
“So, Leona, Ellie and I work together. We’re in the area for a case.” They were, sorta. “We thought we’d surprise Ch—” She couldn’t bring herself to call Cinco Chuck. “—Ellie’s dad. But Vern told us he may have left the area.”
“Well, now, I think he must’ve. He was in here just about every night for months on end, but I haven’t seen him since some time in December. One of the fellas said he went to Canada.”
“Do you remember who?”
Leona tapped her finger against her lips, then shook her head. “Can’t say for sure. Tell you what, you look over the menu while I fix your drinks. Decide what you want to eat, and then I’ll take you over to the motley crew of painters and shabby writers he pals around with. They might be able to tell you more about his plans. How’s that sound?”
“That sounds like an excellent idea,” Sasha told her.
The barkeep met her gaze over the top of Ellie’s bent head. They both seemed to realize that the younger woman was pretending to study the menu to hide the tears swimming in her eyes. She gave Sasha a small nod of understanding.
When Leona headed over to the bar, Sasha placed her hand on Ellie’s forearm. “Rule number three: Emotionally mature people express their emotions.”
Ellie sniffed and nodded, but didn’t look up.
“So, you can fight back those tears if you want to. But you might feel better if you go to the ladies’ room and cry. Just come back here ready to move on, because rule number four is we don’t declare preemptive victoryorpreemptive defeat.”
Ellie raised her chin and swallowed hard. “I don’t need to cry,” she insisted fiercely.
“Suit yourself,” Sasha told her. “Just know that there’s no big prize for stoicism at the end of your life.”
It was a lesson that had taken her twenty years of practicing law, a decade of marriage, and eight years of motherhood to learn. She hoped Ellie Prescott would be a faster study.
* * *
Sasha and Elliewere polishing off their sandwiches and the plate of fries they’d split, when Leona appeared at the table, wiping her hands on her green apron.
“Do you need anything else?”
“I think we’re set.”
She laid the bill facedown on the table. “No rush, take your time finishing up. But when you’re ready, I’ll introduce you to some fellas who know Chuck.”
She nodded toward the fireplace, where a cluster of men, most of whom appeared to be middle-aged or older, was engaged in a boisterous conversation. A young couple with their heads bent over a chessboard sat off to the group’s left, shooting them the occasional dirty look when a roar of laughter or a raucous shout rose up. Sasha wasn’t sure the collection of artists was in the right frame of mind for a serious chat, but given the determined set of Ellie’s chin, they were about to find out one way or another.
“Let’s do it now.” Ellie wiped her mouth, dropped her napkin on the table, and pushed back her chair.
Sasha handed Leona her credit card along with the check and drank the last gulp of water from her glass. “Lead the way.”
The tavern owner wove a serpentine path between tables, and Sasha and Ellie followed her from the dining room to the cozy seating area in the front of the bar. Four overstuffed chairs and two well-used couches formed a loose semi-circle around the hearth. All the chairs were occupied, and two men sat on the sofa closest to the fireplace. The hum of overlapping conversations died as Leona approached.
“Ah, heck, did the lovebirds playing chess complain?” A dark-skinned man in a tweed cap asked.
“No, Barnaby. But give them time,” Leona said. “I’m sure it’s coming.”
Someone in the group gave a small hoot of laughter. Leona shot the collective group the stink-eye, then gestured toward Sasha and Ellie, standing behind her.
“This is Chuck’s daughter, Eleanor,” she explained.
Ellie turned her lips up into the approximation of a smile and raised her hand in a wave. “Everyone calls me Ellie—well, except my dad.”
“And this is Sasha.”
“Hi,” Sasha said.
Several of the assembled men nodded in greeting.
