Conventional Murders
Page 4
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Laura and Dave were some of the last to exit the main auditorium following the contest, and by the time they arrived in the reception room the party had obviously already started. People were standing around in groups, drinking cups of coffee and tea and talking to one another very loudly. It was the airplane scene all over again, but this time there were more of them. Dave shepherded Laura over to the buffet table to pick up some coffee and scones.
Damn. The strawberry jam’s all gone. What’s a scone without strawberry jam? Dry and boring, that’s what it is.
"Laura", said Dave, "let me introduce you to some of my friends. This is John, another member of my club back in Melbourne."
"Laura!" effused John, "lovely to meet you! Which club to you belong to?"
"Laura is here today as a guest," Dave explained. "We met on the flight over and I somehow managed to convince her to come along and see what everyone was talking about."
"A Talkies Virgin, eh? Good for you, Laura! Do you do any public speaking yourself? What do you do for work?"
You expect me to answer that?
"Lovely to meet you too! So what is it that draws you to Talkies?" asked Laura, putting on her sweetest smile.
"Well, that's a good question... I guess it's really two questions, isn't it? What draws a person to Talkies and what keeps them here? Well, in my case..."
Aaaaaand there he goes! Good one, girl!
"...told me I needed to work on my 'soft skills,' and suggested Talkies as a possibility. I came and was instantly hooked."
"So that's what brought you to Talkies, so what is it that keeps you coming back?"
John appeared more than willing to talk about himself, which suited Laura quite well at this point.
"...a mentor to some of the newer members, and it was only then when I realized just how much I didn't know. But being a mentor - helping others - that really keeps me coming back."
Wow ... he's more than just a standard blow-hard! Wonders never cease. Maybe I should have actually paid attention.
There was a very audible "whoosh" from the end wall of the room, and many people's heads turned to see the rain sheeting down the windows. The once-blue sky had turned dark grey.
"Good thing these conventions are indoors!" exclaimed John. "I was wondering when the rain would get here. It's supposed to be pretty nasty all afternoon."
I thought the forecast was for clear skies. How did I miss that?
As if he could read Laura's mind, John went on, "it's amazing how quickly things change around here. Just yesterday the whole weekend was looking fabulous. Welcome to Tasmania, I guess!"
Welcome to Tasmania, indeed. I'm not going outside in that, no way!
"You know," started Laura, "that hiking trip is looking like it just cancelled itself. Dave, would you mind if I just tagged along with you for the rest of the convention? I hate to invite myself to the party, but I mean... look at that!"
"That would be wonderful! Like I said, we're always encouraged to bring guests along, and I'm sure you'll have a great time. But, let's think through this.... what about your friends? Will they still be going out hiking in this weather?"
"Oh yes, they're complete die-hards when it comes to camping. They stole their motto from the US Postal service; 'Rain, sleet, snow or hail'. Personally I think they're insane."
"And you don't want to join them?" asked Dave with a little smile. "Why ever not?"
"Gee, I can't imagine," Laura said, returning the joke. "There's only one minor problem: I'm going to have to go back to the hotel and arrange for a room for tonight. The convention ends tomorrow, right? I hope there's a room still available."
"Another thing you might consider," replied Dave, "is staying here. I know of a few people who have rented one of the villas attached to the convention center who have an extra room. I'm sure they'd be happy to let you stay with them. What do you think?"
Hmm.... sounds kind of dubious so far.
"Do you think that would be all right? I mean, would that be, you know, safe?"
"Oh yes, no doubt about it. The people I have in mind are two women roughly your age, and I'm sure you'll be best friends within about five minutes. I saw one of them as we were coming in. If you're interested, I'll ask her for you."
Laura agreed, and Dave went off in search, leaving Laura to chat to John for a few more minutes.
Did I just agree to that? Really??? I must be turning into one of them, because I'm losing my mind.... quickly.