Hooks Can Be Deceiving

by Betty Hechtman

  Janine seemed very different. She didn’t respond to Rhoda’s comment or acknowledge the group. She just waited until Marianne was situated and whispered something to her employer before going off into the bookstore. I noticed she took one of the easy chairs not far away. When I looked at her again, she was staring at the screen of her phone. It was only then that I noticed that Mrs. Shedd had slipped away.

  “We were all about to make one of the bracelets together,” CeeCee said in a slow, deliberate way, as if she was talking to a child. I’d been guilty of the same behavior until I’d gotten to know Marianne a little. I had to remember to explain to everyone that we needed to treat Marianne as if she were the same as the rest of us. Elise handed Marianne one of the kits.

  Then everything seemed to grind to a halt. Marianne kept trying to open her eyes wider as she fumbled with the contents of the small package. By the time she had arranged the coil of cording, hook, and beads in front of her, Eduardo was pushing away from the table and I saw that the hour was up.

  I felt like I had to do something about Adele. She had taken too well to the idea of being a crochet double. She had to understand that was not going to happen on the real show and there wouldn’t be a real show if Rory didn’t seem accomplished with a hook. The choice was to either talk to Adele again and reinforce the idea that she was supposed to be teaching Rory how to crochet or go straight to Rory.

  I decided to try the Rory option and caught up with her as she headed into the café, which gave me the perfect opening. I suggested we have a coffee together.

  “I was going to get mine to go,” she said, but seeing how all eyes in the place were on her, she changed her mind. She even called out a Dance Break as we waited for Bob to hand us our drinks.

  As we went to a table, Rory made eye contact with several people at the tables. Someone stood up and mimicked her Dance Break routine, and she gave them a thumbs-up. I was still getting used to her behavior, which was so different from CeeCee’s. CeeCee always seemed like a regular person who happened to be a well-known actor. She’d sign autographs if someone requested one or take a selfie with them, but she didn’t court it.

  Now that I had a chance to talk to Rory, I was suddenly at a loss for what to say. I mean, who was I to tell her how she had to act on what was supposedly her own show? I needed to say something to get a conversation going while I figured out how to segue into her crocheting. I looked back into the bookstore and saw Marianne and Janine walking up to the cashier stand, and I had an idea.

  I pointed to the two women. “So, I guess the woman with Marianne is her new companion.”

  Rory seemed disinterested and was fiddling with her iced tea. I saw her looking at a creamy frozen drink someone was picking up at the bar. “I’d love one of those, but I can’t do it.”

  I thought I knew why but asked her anyway. She gestured to the people at the tables. “I don’t want someone taking a picture of me drinking it and then posting it on social media with a caption like ‘Rory Graham pigs out.’”

  Even though it seemed like she was a glutton for attention, good or bad, I guess even she had her limits.

  We both saw Marianne heading to the café door. Janine was a few steps behind and caught up with her. The companion pointed to her watch, and Marianne reluctantly turned back.

  “It must be weird to have someone around all the time like that. After all, the person is a stranger, and they’re there in the middle of your life kind of telling you what to do, or not to do. I could see how it could make someone resentful.” I turned to Rory. “But then, I guess you know all about that, since you said you had some kind of companion.”

  Rory seemed more interested once it was clear that I was talking about her. “Yes, they’re really in your business,” she said. “Mine would have given me a lecture for even thinking about one of those drinks.”

  “It doesn’t sound like you were exactly friends,” I said.

  Rory let out a mirthless laugh. “Hardly. She took her job really seriously. Too seriously. But then, she’d worked as a sober companion before she worked for me.” Rory checked my expression. “You don’t know what that is, do you?” I shrugged, and Rory explained that her aide had helped people who were overcoming addictions. Rory let out a sigh and starting talking about how her companion had been bonkers about cell phones and that it had to do with something that had happened to a woman who’d gotten off pills but become addicted to her phone, and she’d somehow felt responsible. It was all a little confusing trying to keep track of who everyone was in the story Rory was telling.

  The best I could understand, the companion had felt bad about something that had happened to her previous charge and had taken it out on Rory by acting like the cell phone police.

  “On top of that, she was judgy,” Rory said.

  Her comment surprised me. “But I’d think being on reality shows about your life would make you immune to what other people thought.”

  Rory drank some of her tea and avoided looking at the drink at the next table. “I’m okay with them filming me looking like a fool if it brings in viewers, but there’s always stuff you don’t want to get out.”

  I’d been neglecting my coffee and finally took a sip. “I suppose you couldn’t have kept whatever the stuff was from her.”

  “Yeah, when someone is around you all the time like that, they know where the bodies are buried.”

  Rory was getting restless and I realized time was running out, so I made an awkward segue to the crochet situation. “You’re very lucky to have Adele as a teacher,” I said. “She really makes it easy, doesn’t she?”

  I watched Rory’s shoulders drop, and she took a sip of her drink. “Whatever. I just need to have the idea of it. The show wants me for my personality and Dance Breaks. I think Adele has a great idea there, being my crochet double. They can focus on her hands and make it look like they’re mine.”

  Before I could respond, two women in sweats came up to the table and called out, “Dance Break.” As Rory got up already gyrating, she looked back at me. “See what I mean?”

  Oh, no, we were in real trouble.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The animal brigade was waiting for me when I got home. I had stopped for groceries and, with my arms full, couldn’t shut the door fast enough to keep the cats from slipping out with the two dogs.

  The house was dark and the outside floodlights hadn’t been turned on, which indicated that Samuel must have gone off somewhere while it was still light. That meant they hadn’t been fed and Blondie hadn’t had her walk.

  I flipped on the indoor and outdoor lights and went searching in the yard for the cats. Cosmo and Felix were already engaged in some game of chase. Mr. Kitty was less of a problem. He usually just did a walk around the perimeter of the yard and then would actually come in when I called him. Cat was the one I was concerned about. Even at her advanced age, she was still a huntress and very generous about bringing whatever as a gift.

  Mr. Kitty was black and white and easy to see when the light hit him. Cat was another story altogether. Her purplish-gray color seemed to blend in with the surroundings. I found her in the corner of the yard staring at something in the darkness, poised to jump on it when it moved. She protested being interrupted.

  Because I had rushed after Rory, I’d missed saying good-bye to the group. When I’d returned to the yarn department, everyone had been gone. I’d done my usual cleanup and before leaving had checked on the placards for the upcoming author event. Mr. Royal was going to put them in their frames. I was pleased by how they’d turned out. Instead of the usual author photo, Missy Z was totally shrouded in shadow so she appeared as a silhouette.

  I felt bad that I hadn’t gotten a chance to talk to Dinah. It must have been mental telepathy, because just then the landline began to ring, and when I looked at the tiny screen, I saw it was her number. I kicked the door shut as I got the cats inside and grabbed the phone.

  “Am I glad to hear from you,” I sai
d, before telling her how I’d just been thinking about her. I was about to ask her what was up, but she interrupted.

  “Tell me you’re up for company. I have to get out of here, like now.” She sounded frantic, which was out of character. All those years of handling unruly students had given her the ability to deal with almost anything.

  “Sure. Come over now. I was going to make dinner—” I suddenly realized I was talking to dead air and that she’d hung up.

  As I unpacked the groceries, I was considering what the hang-up meant and whether I should call back when I heard the dogs start barking in the yard. When I looked out the glass kitchen door, I saw Dinah coming across the stone patio.

  I opened the door, and she and the dogs came in like a whirlwind.

  The dogs ran through the kitchen, and Dinah plopped down at the built-in table in front of the windows that looked over the yard. “Peace at last.”

  “What’s up?” I said, looking at my friend with concern. “What do you need, tea, coffee, or wine?”

  “Anything,” she said. “Maybe tea would be good. Or, no, make that wine.”

  I wasn’t much of a drinker. My idea of a glass of wine was what other people would consider a tasting pour. But I had a bottle of red wine I had opened to cook with the other night and poured her a glass. She sipped while I finished putting away the groceries.

  “And I thought the yoga classes in the house were a problem. How can such a lovely man as Commander have such an unpleasant daughter? She wasn’t comfortable staying in the bedroom across from ours and decided that she’d move into my lady cave. She didn’t ask anyone, just did it. When I came home, she was fussing with Commander because she’d found a chair in there that had belonged to her mother and was acting as if I’d somehow stolen it. I just couldn’t deal with any of it.”

  “You can stay here until she goes home if you want,” I said, but Dinah shook her head.

  “I’m just looking for some temporary respite and maybe a little fun, and then I’ll go back and deal with Cassandra.”

  I promised to try to provide some fun and gave her a reassuring hug before I suggested we start off with an evening stroll to give Blondie her walk. I was glad to have Dinah along. When I walked Blondie in the dark, I was always on the lookout for coyotes. It wasn’t an idle concern. We’d encountered one on a number of occasions. There was something scary about being followed by the slender doglike creatures that were clearly on the prowl. Blondie was about the same size as them, though a little fuller, and I doubted they would attack her, but I couldn’t be sure. Thankfully, all Dinah and I encountered that night was a night jogger wearing a headlamp. The walk seemed to soothe Dinah, and she was back to her usual self when we returned.

  “This gives me a chance to catch up on what’s going on with you,” Dinah said as she took her seat at the kitchen table again. She offered to help with dinner, but I told her to relax and enjoy her wine.

  I had been eating rather haphazard meals lately and, when I’d gone to the store, had gotten things to make a real dinner. I preheated the oven while I pressed fresh garlic into a triangle tip roast. Once it was cooking, I took out some green beans and tiny potatoes and cooked them in the microwave. I added butter and seasoning to both and turned to making a salad. I kept it simple with mixed baby lettuces, green onions, Persian cucumbers, avocado, and heirloom tomatoes. I drizzled olive oil and balsamic vinegar and tossed it.

  “I don’t want to think about Cassandra right now. Tell me what’s going on with you. What about Marianne? Did you find out anything more about what happened?”

  I reminded her of our Sherlock Holmes game the other day, and Dinah’s expression dropped. “Yes,” she sighed, “in my lady cave.” She shook her head in annoyance a few times and began talking about her situation again until she stopped herself. “Please go on. I need the diversion.”

  I began to give her a rundown. “I found out how Connie was electrocuted,” I said, and suddenly Dinah perked up as any thoughts of her situation seemed to vanish. She was fascinated when I told her about the radio and the sprinklers.

  “It must have been a freak accident. I mean, who would think up something like that?” my friend asked.

  “That’s a good point,” I said, and told her about Marianne usually walking at night. “So, if it wasn’t an accident, Marianne could have been the target.”

  Dinah moved to pick up her wine glass but knocked it forward instead, and the red liquid spilled on her black shirt. “Here I am asking you to spill information, and I’m the one spilling my wine. Great, now I’ll go home and smell of alcohol. I can just imagine what Cassandra will do with that.”

  I told her to go help herself to something in my closet while I took the dishes and silverware into the dining room. The timer went off, and I took the meat out of the oven. I was just slicing it when I thought I heard a soft knock at the door. When I went to check, the door was already open and Barry was coming in. He held up a bag.

  “Doughnuts, the official food of cops.” He said it in his normal Barry voice instead of the terse tone he used when he was in his detective mode. I was surprised by his casualness and that he’d obviously used his key to come in instead of calling first. I waved my hand, trying to signal him that something was wrong, but he seemed oblivious. “I found out something very interesting.”

  For a moment, I was stunned. Was he actually about to tell me something? But reality broke in and I realized I had to make him stop talking before Dinah reappeared. “We were just about to eat,” I said, with a heavy emphasis on the we. He suddenly got it and glanced around apprehensively.

  “Oh, a cozy dinner with Mason.” He sounded uncomfortable and sniffed the air. “It smells good.” He backed toward the door. “I didn’t see his SUV. I thought the coast was clear.”

  I heard footsteps on the wood floor. “I hope you don’t mind that I took this.” Dinah stopped by the entrance hall when she saw me standing there. The overhead lights in the vaulted ceiling were turned very low and the area was barely illuminated. It took a moment for the two of them to see each other.

  They both let out a surprised “oh,” but with a different meaning. Barry’s sounded relieved and Dinah’s very curious.

  Barry had moved the bag of doughnuts behind his back, and by now Cosmo and Felix had joined us. The doughnuts might have been hidden from view but not from Cosmo’s nose, and he went behind Barry and started jumping at the paper sack.

  Barry was quick on his feet and announced that he’d stopped over to take care of his dog. He even showed off the key and explained he’d come by to brush Cosmo.

  Dinah gave him a quizzical look. “It seems kind of late.”

  He mumbled something about being on his way home, and she dropped it.

  I noticed him sniffing the air again. I couldn’t blame him. It smelled delicious, if I did say so myself. What could I do but invite him to join us? He accepted without the slightest hesitation.

  Dinah kept looking from Barry to me and then around the room. I saw her gaze rest on the switch plate that had been loose. Barry had tightened the screws the last time he’d been there. I knew she was playing the Sherlock Holmes game all by herself and seeing what she could deduce.

  “How often do you come by to see Cosmo?” Dinah asked as she passed him the platter of meat.

  “It all depends on when I have time,” he said. “Crime never sleeps in LA.”

  I almost choked. Had he really just said that? It sounded like something off a book jacket. For a few minutes, no one said anything and the only noise was the scrape of the silverware against the plates and our chewing.

  “It’s admirable that you’re so attached to Cosmo,” Dinah said. “You must be exhausted from tracking criminals all day, and yet you still have time to come by for him.”

  “I do the best I can,” Barry said.

  “Then I guess this must be an off night,” she said. She paused and then let out her zinger. “Because you seem to have forgotten what y
ou came for.” She leaned toward him and gave him the death stare she used on her students when she’d caught them at something. “You said you were here to brush Cosmo.”

  Barry didn’t miss a beat but pushed away from the table and said he’d do it now. I brought out dessert, my famous Chinese Jelly. That was what Samuel had named it the first time I made it. It wasn’t Chinese and it certainly wasn’t jelly. It was actually my rendition of something we’d had at a Japanese restaurant that had the texture of Jell-O. It was made with milk and half-and-half, a little sugar, gelatin, and some almond extract. I put some into ice cream dishes for the three of us. And then it became a standoff to see who was going to leave first. In the end, Dinah and Barry walked out together.

  I hadn’t found out what Barry was going to tell me, but I did find the sack of doughnuts.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Since the Hookers didn’t have happy hour on Tuesday, once I took care of my morning tasks, I planned to take the rest of the day off. My first order of business was to place the signs for The Hot Zone event around the bookstore. More than once, I was stopped by a woman wanting to know if the book was in stock yet.

  “Is the author really going to read some of it out loud?” one woman asked, punctuating her question with a nervous laugh.

  As soon as I said she was, the woman wanted to know if she could reserve a seat. She was momentarily disappointed when I said it would be first come, first served, but then she recovered and asked how early she could get there.

  I met with Mr. Royal about the author’s demand for a private backstage area. We figured we could create an enclosure by moving around some bookcases.

  We had a mindful meditation group meeting that morning, and I went to see how they were doing. The seven of them were sitting in a circle in the event area. They all had their eyes closed and seemed to be chanting something, so I left them alone.