Read Online Hawk Moon by Ed Gorman - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ed Gorman
Tags: Mystery & Crime
Ads: Link
hello."
Trace Wydmore. Soaking wet. She knew better than to believe his 'just walking by' story. Their relationship had taken a sudden, sharp turn the other night and Anna still felt confused and a little frantic.
She had always considered herself to be a good girl. Now she had her doubts.
Trace, a few years older than Anna, handsome, lanky, shy, came in. Anna built a small fire in the fireplace. Trace sat close to the flames, shivering.
"I really appreciate this, Anna."
They spent a pleasant half-hour, Trace giving her a couple of new facts about the great state of Iowa (Did you know that Iowa's hens lay eggs that bring an income larger than that of all oranges in the United States? Did you know that the amount paid for Iowa cattle in the stock-market is more than the receipts of all the tobacco crops in the United States?').
"You don't need to thank me anymore, honest."
She was nervous and he was, too. They were going to talk about anything except what they really needed to talk about, which was what had happened the other night.
Trace stared into the fire. "Kind of lonely lately, with my parents gone and all." He raised his eyes and looked at Anna. "Pop says it's time I settle down and take a wife and start a family."
"Sounds like good advice."
"I told you they were in Europe, didn't I?"
She nodded. There was a time she'd been mistrustful of Cedar Rapids' rich people, but in the course of her job she'd met most of them and found them to be, in pretty much the same proportion as not-rich people, good and bad alike.
She was especially enamored of Trace's family. Even though they were always going off to Europe, and always having social events for their friends, they were nice, decent, unpretentious people with a genuine love for this community and its people.
"Say, Anna, did I show you that new key ring I got to give away at the Visitors' Bureau?"
Trace was what you'd call a Booster. There was no subject he liked espousing more than Cedar Rapids. He could have gone into far more profitable work with one of his father's various businesses, but instead he chose to work at the Visitors' Bureau.
He dug in his pocket and took out a key ring and handed it to Anna.
"Shape of a horseshoe, notice that? Supposed to bring you good luck."
"I see that," Anna said, examining the U-shaped key apparatus that was stamped on the curve of the U with: GOOD LUCK FROM CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA.
Then she noticed the black, moon-shaped fishing lure. Where'd you get this, Trace?"
"The lure?"
"Uh-huh."
"From Doug Shipman back when we started that Semper Fi Fishing and Drinking Club of ours. I guess it was our junior year in college — during the summer, I mean, when we were all back here."
"How many did he give out?"
"Let's see. There were four of us. But what's so interesting about that gosh-darn old lure, anyway? I even forget I have it most of the time."
"Tell me about the others who got them."
He looked at her, frowning. "You sure you feel all right, Anna?"
"I feel fine, Trace. You have a lure and Doug Shipman has a lure — and who are the two others?"
"Uh, Bob Wethcoat. For one."
"Where is he?"
"Los Angeles. Stocks and bonds."
"Was he here last month?"
"Why, no, Bob hasn't been back here for years."
"Who had the fourth lure?"
"Jimmy Daly."
"And where's he?"
"Dead. Influenza. Remember back in '94? Poor kid."
"So you and Doug are the only two with these lures?"
"Far as I know. I sure wish you'd tell me what you're being so mysterious about."
"How about some hot cocoa?"
"Boy, that sounds great. But I don't mean to put you to any trouble."
"No trouble at all."
"Say, how come you're smiling so much, anyway?"
"Scientific detection."
"Huh?"
"Scientific detection."
"Oh, Lord."
"What?"
"I set you off again. You talk about scientific detection almost as much as I talk about Cedar Rapids."
And then they were both silent and knew that they would have to talk about it now. Not even the things she'd learned about the
Trace Wydmore. Soaking wet. She knew better than to believe his 'just walking by' story. Their relationship had taken a sudden, sharp turn the other night and Anna still felt confused and a little frantic.
She had always considered herself to be a good girl. Now she had her doubts.
Trace, a few years older than Anna, handsome, lanky, shy, came in. Anna built a small fire in the fireplace. Trace sat close to the flames, shivering.
"I really appreciate this, Anna."
They spent a pleasant half-hour, Trace giving her a couple of new facts about the great state of Iowa (Did you know that Iowa's hens lay eggs that bring an income larger than that of all oranges in the United States? Did you know that the amount paid for Iowa cattle in the stock-market is more than the receipts of all the tobacco crops in the United States?').
"You don't need to thank me anymore, honest."
She was nervous and he was, too. They were going to talk about anything except what they really needed to talk about, which was what had happened the other night.
Trace stared into the fire. "Kind of lonely lately, with my parents gone and all." He raised his eyes and looked at Anna. "Pop says it's time I settle down and take a wife and start a family."
"Sounds like good advice."
"I told you they were in Europe, didn't I?"
She nodded. There was a time she'd been mistrustful of Cedar Rapids' rich people, but in the course of her job she'd met most of them and found them to be, in pretty much the same proportion as not-rich people, good and bad alike.
She was especially enamored of Trace's family. Even though they were always going off to Europe, and always having social events for their friends, they were nice, decent, unpretentious people with a genuine love for this community and its people.
"Say, Anna, did I show you that new key ring I got to give away at the Visitors' Bureau?"
Trace was what you'd call a Booster. There was no subject he liked espousing more than Cedar Rapids. He could have gone into far more profitable work with one of his father's various businesses, but instead he chose to work at the Visitors' Bureau.
He dug in his pocket and took out a key ring and handed it to Anna.
"Shape of a horseshoe, notice that? Supposed to bring you good luck."
"I see that," Anna said, examining the U-shaped key apparatus that was stamped on the curve of the U with: GOOD LUCK FROM CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA.
Then she noticed the black, moon-shaped fishing lure. Where'd you get this, Trace?"
"The lure?"
"Uh-huh."
"From Doug Shipman back when we started that Semper Fi Fishing and Drinking Club of ours. I guess it was our junior year in college — during the summer, I mean, when we were all back here."
"How many did he give out?"
"Let's see. There were four of us. But what's so interesting about that gosh-darn old lure, anyway? I even forget I have it most of the time."
"Tell me about the others who got them."
He looked at her, frowning. "You sure you feel all right, Anna?"
"I feel fine, Trace. You have a lure and Doug Shipman has a lure — and who are the two others?"
"Uh, Bob Wethcoat. For one."
"Where is he?"
"Los Angeles. Stocks and bonds."
"Was he here last month?"
"Why, no, Bob hasn't been back here for years."
"Who had the fourth lure?"
"Jimmy Daly."
"And where's he?"
"Dead. Influenza. Remember back in '94? Poor kid."
"So you and Doug are the only two with these lures?"
"Far as I know. I sure wish you'd tell me what you're being so mysterious about."
"How about some hot cocoa?"
"Boy, that sounds great. But I don't mean to put you to any trouble."
"No trouble at all."
"Say, how come you're smiling so much, anyway?"
"Scientific detection."
"Huh?"
"Scientific detection."
"Oh, Lord."
"What?"
"I set you off again. You talk about scientific detection almost as much as I talk about Cedar Rapids."
And then they were both silent and knew that they would have to talk about it now. Not even the things she'd learned about the
Similar Books
