Smiling, Cass lifted her hand and cheerfully said, “Hi.”
They both turned and looked at her at the same time. Both the same way with matching dumbfounded expressions that screamed why are you talking to us?
“Okay, weird,” Cass said. “I had this weird flashback to Terminator and the human robots. Older model.” She nodded at the older gentleman. “Younger. Can we join you?”
Both men in sync peered out of the booth.
“Like Men in Black,” she said. “I’m Cass.” She held out her hand
“Arthur…” He paused. “Smith. And this is my father, Bill.”
“Smith?” Cass asked. “For real or is that a Men in Black joke?”
“Men in Black joke,” Bill answered. “He’s afraid you’ll recognize his name. Please sit. Join us.”
Cass slid in next to Bill. “Recognize huh? Are you famous?”
“I’ve been in the news a lot lately,” said Arthur. “Not for anything illegal.”
“Of course not. I actually work for the paper. I promise this isn’t for an interview. So what is your…” She paused and looked up when Brian returned. “Where’s the pitcher?
“Glen said he will bring it over once he figures out what to do with the fax from John Feeny.”
“John Feeny?” Bill asked. “The actor?”
Brian nodded. “Apparently the sheriff of Seaver told him to fax here.”
Cass clarified. “We lose cell and Wi-Fi all the time here.”
Brian continued. “And Glen doesn’t know what to do with it.”
“Oh.” Cass leaned out of the booth. “Hey, Glen, she’s staying with Ada. Fax him back and tell him and I’ll deliver that to Ada’s. I’m headed there in a bit.”
“Sure thing,” Glen replied. “I’ll put it in an envelope for privacy.”
Arthur crinkled his brow. “That is odd.”
“Yeah, it’s Griffin,” Cass said. “Brian, sit. This is Arthur and his father Bill.”
Arthur held out his hand. “Art, please, call me Art.”
“Art,” Brian greeted him, then his father.
“He is using the alias Smith. What is your last name?” Cass asked. “I may know it.”
“You probably will if you’re the press,” Art said. “Bohr.”
“Oh, like in Niels?” Cass asked.
“Niels?” Brian asked.
“Yeah, Niels Bohr, a physicist, won the noble prize in 1922. He was like very instrumental with understanding the atom and introducing us to quantum. You related?”
Bill nodded. “Yes. My great-grandfather’s brother.”
“Your great-grandfather is Harald?”
Art produced a quirky smile. “How do you know all this?”
“I’m a geek. But I don’t recognize your name like you think I should. And lucky for you I can’t look you up online right now.”
“Good.” Art smiled.
“So, Mr. Bohr. I saw you and your dad pull into town,” Cass said. “I have never seen an entrance like that.”
“Really?” Arthur asked.
“I also heard.” Cass folded her hands on the table. “I’m curious. How is the world as we know it about to end?”
Arthur smiled. “You know, that came out wrong.”
“So the world isn’t going to end.”
Arthur shook his head and looked at his father.
“Bill, you think it is?” Cass asked.
“No. No. Not at all.”
“But you told Kit, the cop, you were headed right here, to Griffin, and that he’d thank you.”
Art shrugged.
“And you implied Griffin was the only place to be.”
“Not only.”
“And that means?” Cass pushed.
“Art,” Bill said, “she asks more questions than that officer.”
“What did Kit ask?” Cass questioned.
Art shook his head. “Nothing really. He made us wait, then said not to leave town. Which we won’t. We’re going to try to get a room at that motel.”
Cass bobbed her head. “That’ll be easy. It’s empty this time of year. So… The reason you gave for blowing him off for eight miles?”
“A bad excuse,” Art said. “Like saying you were speeding because you have to go to the bathroom.” He nervously chuckled. “You really didn’t think I meant the world is going to end, did you?”
“‘As we know it,’” Cass said. “Those were your words.”
“I’m sorry,” Art said. “I am. Especially if you thought you were getting a story.”
“Not me. Him.” Cass pointed to Brian. “He made me ask you the questions. He’s the human-interest story guy. I’m glad to know the story isn’t true and the world isn’t going to end.”
“As we know it,” Brian added.
Cass smiled and pointed to Brian, then turned serious. “Look, Art, Bill, I’m sorry if we’re coming across pretty crappy and cynical. I guess if I made it light, you’d feel more comfortable. But I can see that I just annoyed you.”
Bill twitched his head once to the right. “She’s good. Picking that up.”
Cass gave a polite smile. “I can accept that. I didn’t mean to come off strong.” She looked up when Glen set down the pitcher and the sealed envelope with Lena’s name on it. “Enjoy the beer.” She stood, grabbing the envelope. “Welcome to Griffin. Brian, you ready?”
Brian stood.
“If you guys will excuse me.” Cass placed the envelope in her pocket. “If I don’t see you, best of luck. I have a vacation to pack for. I leave this evening. Nice meeting you.”
She walked to the door with Brian.
Brian paused as he pushed open the door and whispered, “What was all that about?”
“My Hail Mary pass,” Cass returned the whisper. “Hopefully it will be caught if I’m right…”
“Cass,” Art called out.
“There it is. Go on,” Cass said. “I’ll fill you in.”
Brian nodded and walked out.
Cass turned around to see Art had trotted to her.
“Look,” Art said, “I can’t say much only because I don’t want to sound insane. But I’ll tell you enough to keep you in town. Deal?”
“Deal.” Cass walked back to the table.
9.
STRANGELY WEIRD
Route 66, Arizona
There was something about driving down Route 66, window all the way down, hot desert air flowing in while Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” blasted on the radio. That was heaven for Griffin’s Chief of Police, Carl Stanton.
It had been a nice day off, even if he had to go into the next county to help his cousin with the removal of the dead pred bugs. It was hard work, but interesting. Carl wasn’t a young man, wasn’t old either, but the crunching sound beneath his feet as he shoveled them made him laugh like he was a kid again.
It was satisfying. Maybe because the pred bugs were such a bad thing.
His cousin didn’t even have a farm. He had a garden. A few berry bushes. But he was so inundated with them: they not only destroyed his garden, but his grass and trees too, and had coated his roof, which was not normal behavior for them. They didn’t touch all the berry bushes though; it was like they were saving them for later.
The pred bug hotline had been called and, fortunately, the area would be covered by the morning’s spray.
Carl worried about that, even doubted that it would work considering they were spraying thirty miles west. The hotline assured them it would carry.
Sure enough, it did.
They went from hearing the clacking of the bugs to complete silence.
Music to their ears.
Carl hated those bugs and was glad Griffin didn’t have them, nor did Seaver. His current destination before heading home.