“That is sort of convincing, isn’t it?”
She sipped her brandy. “Let’s assume Jamie’s mother is Amanda Sykes.”
“Who once had a romance with then-Congressman Justin Wright.”
“Where’s Amanda Sykes now? Out at the Kinkaid castle? If she is, how do we get in there to rescue her?”
“Whoa, dobbin, you move too fast.”
“You should’ve seen me on the freeway.”
“Thank God I didn’t. I may, hopefully, soon answer at least one of your questions.”
“I’m all ears.”
“And such pretty ones.” He kissed her. “I stopped at your competition and bought a bouquet of flowers.”
“Oh?”
“I had it sent out to the castle, but I didn’t want it to look like it came from me. “
She kissed him back. “Who’s the lucky girl?”
“Her name is Maria Angelo, a cook or something out there, and a friend of Addie Kinkaid. I wrote a note giving her my cell number. Addie is rather hard to reach.”
“Sounds like a good idea.”
“We’ll hope so. I didn’t want the message intercepted by one of the Ninja, so I wrote in Spanish-and you know how good my Spanish is.”
“You should have come to DeeDee’s Flowers. Se habla Espanol. What did you think you were saying in your note?"
“That Addie was in trouble and needed her.”
“She probably thinks you wanted a date.”
“Then she’ll definitely call. You didn’t happen to get that number Marco was calling when you so rudely-”
“I did of course.”
He had just jotted it down when his cell phone rang. “I couldn’t be so lucky, could I?” Spanish, his understanding nil, assaulted his ear. All he got were the names Maria and Addie. “Habla mas despacio, por favor.” If that slowed her down, he couldn’t detect it.
“Let me try.” Doreen took the phone from him.
He stood there feeling helpless, listening to Doreen’s si, si’s and yo comprendo’s. She even threw in an es verdad or two.
“What do you want me to tell her?”
“That Addie Kinkaid lost her home and is living at the Salvation Army temporarily. Also-” Doreen’s streak of Spanish silenced him.
“What else do you want to know?”
“I didn’t know your Spanish was so good.”
“I’m good at lots of things.” Her grin was wicked.
“Ask her if she knows where Josh is. Addie wants to reach him.”
He realized he might understand some of it, if he made the effort. But Doreen was doing her thing, so he gave up and quickly became bored. He fixed himself a highball then remembered the call he intended to make. He used the house phone. Lupe answered on the second ring. He told her about the rumor on the street. “There’s a number to call if you see the boy. I’d like to know whose it is, but I’d have to ID myself and that’s not too hot an idea.”
“What is it?” Then, “I’ll give it a shot first thing in the morning.”
Doreen ended her call and stood there, looking smug.
“Do I get to learn anything?”
“That drink looks good. May I have one?”
“You’ve had a cognac.”
“I’m in training for lushdom. Maria is most upset about Addie. I told her she was okay and you were keeping an eye on her.”
“Thank you, I forgot to add that.”
“She says Josh, whom she calls nino, is not a bad boy. He probably has no idea his mother is on the street. It is not his fault, etc. etc.”
“Where is the rotten kid, does she know?”
“Maria suffers inordinately that she does not know. The last she heard he was in Denver at an auto show.”
“Which I already knew. It’s something anyway. I’ll get on it. You spoke an awful lot of words to learn so little.”
“You should improve your Spanish. It’s a flowery language.”
“Why, when I have you.”
“One other thing. I asked if there was a woman staying there, young, perhaps in her 20s, light brown hair.”
“And?”
“Maria works in the kitchen and has nothing to do with house guests.”
“Too bad, would’ve been nice.”
“She thought perhaps Josh would know.”
“If we only knew where Josh was.”
He warmed leftover stew in the microwave while Doreen tossed a salad. They were just starting to eat when there was a rap at the kitchen door. He answered. It was Karen, clutching a small, male hand. He looked like Oliver Twist about to ask for “more.”
“What’s happened?” Doreen asked. “Aren’t you and Jamie going to Fresno?”
Karen looked at her hands, her feet, into space, anywhere but at Doreen.
“I guess I know the answer to that,” Doreen said softly.
“I can’t…do this no more, DeeDee, it’s too much…responsibility, I’m scared.”
“But Jamie’s mother-”
“I don’t hardly know her. She had no right. I did my share. It’s time for…”
“I see.” Doreen firmed her lips.
“Me and Marco and Tommy got a life to live, too.”
Doreen went to Jamie, picked him up. “It’s quite all right, Karen. I’ll see that Jamie is cared for.”
Guilt was a scar on Karen’s face. “I’m sorry, it’s just-”
“It’s all right, Karen.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Take care of him myself, of course.” Now she laughed. “Don’t look so surprised. I haven’t forgotten how to be a mother. It’s like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I haven’t made one in years, but I still know how.”
“I guess you don’t want me working for you no more.”
“Don’t be absurd. I’ll expect you first thing in the morning.”
“She looked away. “No, I won’t be able to…be around you.”
“I need you, Karen.”:
“I’ll stay till you find somebody.” Karen turned toward the door, then stopped. “Almost forgot, here’s your $200.”
“Thank you. There’s one thing you can do for me, Karen. If you should hear from Jamie’s mother tell her where he is. But please don’t tell anyone else, especially-”
“Marco, I know. I won’t.”
Doreen watched her leave, then, still holding Jamie, looked at Walter. ”Should I have asked you first?”
“You know better than that, it’s just-”
“It won’t be hard to trace him here, I know. We’ll just have to be careful, won’t we?”
He took the boy from her, held him aloft. “Young man, would you like some of Grandpa Byerly’s famous stew? It’s served in the finest kitchens of Europe, not to forget Asia and Antarctica. Do you know where that is?”
“Of course he does.”
“Smart kid we got here.” He sat him on a stool. ”Or would you prefer Grandma Doreen’s unforgettable peanut butter and jelly sandwich?”
“Jelly.”
“I shouldn’t have given you the choice.”
Later he said to her softly. “While we’re not worrying about possible dangers, shall we also not worry about becoming too attached to a certain little boy and losing him?”
She looked at him soulfully. “I’ll be good, I promise.”
“And when you’re good you’re very, very good.”
14: Detective Lupe Grills
“Eat your cereal.”
Jamie’s tower of Fruit Loops climbed past two inches. “Why?” he said. An orange loop was nestled atop a red one.
“So you’ll grow up big and strong.”
“Why?”
Byerly laughed. “Maybe you should go back to grandmother school.”
“I haven’t forgotten a thing, and I’m having so much fun.”
“With all those whys the kid will grow up to be a research scientist.”
“It’s just the age, love, have you forgotten?”
A brown loop was added to the stack, then another red one. “Look, DeeDee.”
“I am, I am, it’s an-”
“Engineering marvel,” he said. “The kid’s an architect.”
The tower grew another loop. Both the boy and Doreen clapped and squealed, then it collapsed amid groans. She scooped the fallen cereal into a bowl, poured milk and said, “Now you’ll just have to eat the naughty Fruit Loops.” At last Jamie picked up his spoon.
“You taking him to the shop?”
“Nothing else to do.”
“I’m not driving for Care Wheels today. I could-”