Interesting, I thought. How many other incidents like this had Gavin been involved in recently?
“Yeah, yeah. Elmwood is an ass,” Gavin said. “I can’t help it if I try to defend myself against Neanderthals all the time. I’m getting so freaking tired of these threats and attacks, I don’t know what I’m going to do.” He took a couple of steps toward me. “You can rest assured, Charlie, I’ll be taking this up with the president of Athena and with the local authorities. Maxine is my witness.”
He strode away with the rather dowdily dressed Maxine right behind him.
I didn’t bother calling after him with a response. There was no point.
After a moment I became uneasily aware that a number of people nearby stood watching me. One of them, a bald, tall, muscular young man who sported double earrings in each ear as well as heavily tattooed forearms, came up to me.
He extended a hand. “Bob Coben, Mr. Harris. I am happy to shake your hand. I work with Dr. Fong, and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to do exactly what you just did. I’ll be happy to serve as a witness for you, that he swung at you three times before you retaliated. Plus I’ll be happy to tell whoever it is what a complete and utter jerk he is.”
I shook his hand. He had a firm grip, and I tried not to wince. “Thank you, Mr. Coben. I appreciate that. I provoked him, however, so it really was my fault.”
Coben shrugged. “I didn’t hear what you said to him, but frankly, it doesn’t take much to provoke him. He’s always convinced everyone is out to get him, and he lashes out all the time. He’s lucky he’s still employed. Actually, the word going around on campus is that he’s gone as soon as the semester’s over. Our president loathes him, just like everyone else who’s ever spent more than five minutes with him.”
Another person approached while Bob was talking. A woman of average height, she sported dark, curly locks and a warm smile. She extended her hand.
“Hello, Mr. Harris, I’m Cathleen Matera. Sorry, but I couldn’t help overhearing what you two were discussing. I also saw what happened and would be happy to be a witness for you, if necessary.”
I shook her hand and returned her smile. “Thank you, Ms. Matera. I regret I displayed such poor behavior in front of you all. Sometimes my temper gets the better of me.”
Cathleen Matera laughed. “I worked with Gavin in Colorado, mercifully for me only for about three years. We had a party after he left our library.”
Bob Coben snorted with laughter. “I’m looking forward to a party like that myself.”
“I went to library school with him, lo these many years ago,” I said. “He never endeared himself to his fellow students, I have to say. It’s rather sad to see he has never learned to get along with people.”
“He is rather pathetic,” Cathleen Matera said. “He is his own worst enemy, of course, but he’s such a narcissist he will never understand that.”
“Yeah, he’s always frustrated that the rest of the world can’t see and appreciate his genius.” Bob Coben ran a hand over his smooth pate. “I have to go now, got to meet someone for dinner, Mr. Harris, but don’t forget my offer.” He dug in the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a business card.
I accepted the card and thanked him. He nodded and sauntered off. I turned to Cathleen Matera, who was digging in her handbag. She, too, pulled out a business card for me.
“I appreciate this,” I told her. “I’m sorry, but I don’t have any cards with me.”
“Not to worry.” Her cheeks dimpled when she smiled, I noticed. “I think I know where to find you. I need to get going myself. Talk to you later.”
As she walked away I realized the small crowd that had been watching us had dispersed. I felt considerably relieved. I hoped I didn’t have to talk to anyone else for a while about my poor behavior.
I headed for the door, intent on getting back to the office, collecting Diesel, and going home. I was surprised that I hadn’t seen either Marisue or Randi, but perhaps they had decided to skip the welcome. There was a reception later that I had to attend. I had enough time to get Diesel home and freshen up, however, before I had to be back for it. I’d rather stay home, of course, but duty called.
Yet another reason to rethink my interest in the job as a permanent part of my life.
I managed to reach my car without being further detained. During the short drive back to campus, I thought about Gavin’s threat to denounce me to Forrest Wyatt and the local authorities. Would he really follow through on that? He well might, I decided. He was probably vengeful enough. If he did, I would turn the matter over to my lawyer, my son, Sean. He could handle it. I refused to worry about it for now.
Diesel and I made it home shortly after five. I made sure he had fresh food and water, and I left him happily munching his favorite dry food while I went upstairs to undress and freshen up.
I decided a hot shower was in order, and when I finished I found Diesel snoozing on the bed. I sat down by him for a few minutes to cool down before getting dressed. He turned on his back for me to rub his belly. He purred while I did so.
“I’ve got to go out again in a little while,” I said. “You’re going to have to stay here, though.” He meowed, and I felt sure he understood me. “Stewart and Haskell are going to be here with you, though, and Dante, too.” Dante was Stewart’s little poodle. He and Diesel were good friends. “They’ll take care of you until I get home again.” Diesel meowed again while I continued to stroke.
Stewart Delacorte, a chemistry professor at Athena, and his partner, Haskell Bates, a deputy in the Athena County Sheriff’s Department, occupied an apartment on the third floor of my house. Haskell had only recently moved in, and I frankly felt more secure having both him and Stewart in the house with me, now that both my children were married and living in homes of their own. My young boarder, Justin Wardlaw, would soon be back after a semester in England. He had one final year at Athena, and then he would no doubt move on. I would certainly miss him, and so would Diesel.
That thought led me back to the possibility that Laura and Frank and my grandson might be headed for Virginia over the summer. I really didn’t want to think about that at the moment. It was too depressing.
I forced my mind back to the conference and my responsibilities. I looked forward even less than before to that cataloging panel on Saturday morning, now that I’d had a run-in with Gavin. Having to sit with him on a panel wasn’t a prospect calculated to fill me with anything but disquiet, not to mention loathing. I had no choice, however. I had to hope that he wouldn’t kick up a ruckus when he saw me there.
Perhaps I should discuss this with Lisa Krause, tell her about the incident, and help her find someone to take my place on Saturday morning. Yes, I decided, that was what I needed to do. No point in exacerbating an already tense situation by putting Gavin and me together in a public setting again.
Diesel tapped my hand—the hand that had stopped stroking his belly. I smiled and rubbed a little more. “You’ve had enough of that,” I told the cat. “Time for me to get dressed, though I really don’t want to put on another suit and tie and go out again.” My dry-cleaning bills had gone up considerably, and I was at the point of having to buy a couple of new suits. Not to mention a few new ties. I had given most of mine away once I retired from the public library, and now I had only three. And maybe a few new dress shirts to go along with the new suits and ties. I could probably use another pair of shoes as well.
I sighed. This job was getting expensive. I gave Diesel one last rub and a scratch of the chin, and went to finish dressing.
Downstairs, Diesel and I found Stewart and Haskell in the kitchen. Haskell sat at the table, sipping a beer, while Stewart worked at the stove, adding ingredients to a large pot. Dante, his poodle, left his side and came to greet Diesel with a few licks. Diesel tolerated them for a moment, then put a paw on the dog’s head to stop him. He moved away from Dante and went to sit beside Haskell’s chair. Dante turned his attention back to Stewart, his eyes riveted on the stove.