Page 130 of Evil Bones
Ruthie’s UNCC friend Danielle Hall.
Hall offered a hand to help me rise.
“I slipped while climbing the rocks to look for my cat,” I managed, feeling foolish.
“Algae can be a mean mother. You sure you’re okay? Maybe I should take you to a hospital?”
Reflexively unwilling to admit that I’m ever anything less than shipshape, I immediately protested. “No, no, I’m fine. Just klutzy. Never met a rock I couldn’t trip over,” I said, trying to affect nonchalance at having scraped skin off my limbs twice in the past twenty-four hours.Jesus, Brennan, get your act together.
We stood a moment, the noon sun sparking the hoop riding Hall’s brow.
“You’re probably wondering what I’m doing here.” Hall broke the awkward silence.
“Whatever the reason,” I said, wondering exactly that, “your presence was certainly serendipitous for me.”
Hall regarded me blankly.
“Lucky timing,” I clarified. Then a sudden thought occurred to me. “I don’t suppose you’ve seen Ruthie in the last couple of days?”
“I’m sorry. I haven’t.”
“Would you happen to have contact info for Lester Meloy?”
“I do on my phone. But I don’t have it with me.”
“Right,” I said, hiding my disbelief. These days, it seemed like everyone under thirty had their phone with them 24/7.
A moment, then, “Ruthie probably didn’t tell you about my hobby.”
“She did not.”
“I mean, why would she?”
I said nothing, anxious to get inside and out of the heat.
“I paint landscapes. Most are crap, I know. But I like working with oils. Ruthie said your pond was bussin, so I wanted to get a few pics.”
I assumed “bussin” was a positive thing.
“I suggest you shoot from the bottom, not the top of the rocks,” I said.
“Smart,” said Hall, winking and pointing a very large finger at me.
“Thanks again,” I said.
“No biggie.”
“Have at it.” My attempt at a smile hurt the scrape on my cheek.
Hall gave a double thumbs-up.
I moved off toward the Annex, eyes doing one last visual sweep for the cat. An Amazon delivery truck parked on the circle drive blocked much of my view of the front lawn. Noting spiderweb cracking on the rearview mirror, I wondered briefly about the company’s upkeep regs.
I was at my door when Hall yelled at my back.
“What does he look like?”
I turned, unsure her meaning. “Sorry?”
