Page 115 of Head Room
“We don’t have any theories.We have fragments of information, that’s all.We don’t even know if the dead man is Frank Jardos.Not for sure.”
“That’s where you started.”
“Thanks for pointing that out,” I said grimly.
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
In the KWMTnewsroom, I gaped at the overhead TV monitor showing weatherman Warren Fisk calmly saying the wordsSnow...Maybe hail...up to three feet...Currently snowing.
In June.
Not even early June.
And my parents arrive tomorrow.
Coats.Halloween.The wedding didn’t matter, only the marriage.
Yet I felt reasoned sanity melting away.“This is my fault.”
Audrey picked up my mutter.She had good hearing.
“How is it your fault?You can change weather?”
“I worried about a grasshopper infestation ruining wedding events.”
“Grasshopper infestation?Have you seen one?”She cut a quick look toward the exterior doors, perhaps checking for the splat of insect bodies against the exterior glass and already mentally adjusting assignments to provide coverage.
“No.But they can happen around here.I have it on good authority.”My mother-in-law-to-be mentioned it a few months ago.Not to scare me.Almost positive about that.Plus, I looked it up.“White-whiskered grasshoppers, in particular can go after range grasses.”
“Okay.”She drew it out in disbelief.“But what does that have to do with snow?”
“I focused on the possibility of white-whiskered grasshoppers and that let the snow sneak in when I wasn’t thinking about it.And I should have been, since Ihaveexperienced what the weather can be like around here.”
Diana came from the back at that moment.“All set, Audrey.I’m taking off now.”
“Thanks for tweaking that package for the Ten.Could you do one more thing for me?”Like all good editors, she did not wait for a response.“Talk Elizabeth down.I think she’s having pre-wedding jitters and I don’t have time.”
“I amnothaving pre-wedding jitters.That’s ridiculous.”
Diana, as a good employee and good friend, took me by the elbow and steered me away from Audrey’s desk.
Although that also was toward the exterior doors Diana wanted to use.So she only got half credit.
“Jitters?You?”
“Weather,” Audrey called after us.
Diana raised her brows.“There’s no rain in the forecast for the weekend the last time I—.”
“Rain?There’s a blizzard — inJune.”
“Next weekend?”
“No, now.Didn’t you see the weather?”
“Oh, that.”
“Oh,that?”
