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Authors: Mark Schweizer
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week at the auction over at the Frost place.”
“ Well, if he was just in town for Old Man Frost’s auction last week, what was he doing here this week?” asked Billy.
“ A good question,” I said. “You should be a policeman.”
“ Nah,” said Billy. “Don’t pay enough. I’d rather mow lawns.”
•••
Meg and I left the worship meeting and headed over to the Ginger Cat for lunch. An upscale lunch boutique that thrived on the tourist trade, the Ginger Cat had a knack for unpronounceable coffees, exotic teas, and a pretentious carte du jour that would do any snooty tea house proud. Since we’d managed to drag the meeting on past one o’clock, there was no problem finding a table and we chose one in the back.
“ Good afternoon, Elphina,” Meg said to our waitress, a waif of a girl dressed in black with jet black hair, who looked as though she could use a good meal over at the Slab rather than trying to subside on the employee-discounted octopus and celery salad with lemon juice. Meg glanced over the menu with a practiced eye. “I’ll have the zucchini and basil fusilli with bacon. And an iced tea.”
“ Is that your name?” I asked. “Elphina? I’ve never known an Elphina.”
“ It’s my vampire name,” replied Elphina, tossing her hair and revealing a thorned rose tattooed on the side of her neck. “It means ‘delicate one.’”
“ Well, Elphina, I’ll have a ham sandwich on rye,” I said, not bothering with the menu. “Hold the plasma. Just lettuce, tomato and a schmear of mustard.”
The waitress looked confused and the corner of her black-lipsticked mouth twitched as she stared at her pad, as if afraid to write my order on the paper. Her black fingernails flicked against the paper nervously.
“ That’s not on the menu. Do you mean our chipotle pork panini with roasted caper vinaigrette?” she asked hesitantly, regretting the question almost as soon as she posed it.
I raised my voice slightly. “No! No, I do not mean...”
“ That’s exactly what he means, dear,” interrupted Meg. “The panini. And bring him a cup of Nicaraguan Maravilla Gold.”
“ Yes, m’lady,” said Elphina, turning sideways and disappearing altogether.
“ I hope that was coffee you ordered for me,” I said with a sniff. “And when did vampires start coming out during the day and working at the Ginger Cat?”
“ It was coffee and don’t worry about the vampires,” said Meg. “It’s the ‘in’ thing right now.” She put both elbows on the table and rested her chin in her hands. “Now tell me about that man. You know. The dead one. The one in Lake Tannenbaum.”
“ Not much to tell. He was shot in the forehead and thrown into the lake. Kent’s doing the autopsy right now. No tire tracks either. Somebody carried him down the hill and threw him in.”
“ Maybe they made him walk down at gunpoint, then shot him,” suggested Meg. “Maybe it was a robbery.”
“ Could be,” I agreed.
“ And you have no idea who he is?”
“ None. No identification at all. Of course, there may be fingerprints on file, but we’ll have to wait and see.”
“ Hiya, Chief,” said a voice from behind me.
“ Hi, Bud,” I said, looking over my shoulder, but recognizing Bud’s voice immediately. “Come have a seat.”
“ Sorry I had to run off after the auction, but I had to get back to campus. I had a big final on Monday and our study group was meeting.”
“ That’s okay,” I said. “Meg and I have been enjoying the wine.”
Bud went white in his chair. “What!?” he hissed, leaning over the table. “Enjoying the wine!?”
“ It’s very tasty,” said Meg. “And it should be, seeing that it cost $275 a bottle.”
“ No!” shouted Bud, then lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “You aren’t supposed to drink it!”
“ Why not?” I whispered back.
“ Because we’re partners,” said Bud. “You might have bought it for $275 a bottle, but it’s worth a
“ Well, if he was just in town for Old Man Frost’s auction last week, what was he doing here this week?” asked Billy.
“ A good question,” I said. “You should be a policeman.”
“ Nah,” said Billy. “Don’t pay enough. I’d rather mow lawns.”
•••
Meg and I left the worship meeting and headed over to the Ginger Cat for lunch. An upscale lunch boutique that thrived on the tourist trade, the Ginger Cat had a knack for unpronounceable coffees, exotic teas, and a pretentious carte du jour that would do any snooty tea house proud. Since we’d managed to drag the meeting on past one o’clock, there was no problem finding a table and we chose one in the back.
“ Good afternoon, Elphina,” Meg said to our waitress, a waif of a girl dressed in black with jet black hair, who looked as though she could use a good meal over at the Slab rather than trying to subside on the employee-discounted octopus and celery salad with lemon juice. Meg glanced over the menu with a practiced eye. “I’ll have the zucchini and basil fusilli with bacon. And an iced tea.”
“ Is that your name?” I asked. “Elphina? I’ve never known an Elphina.”
“ It’s my vampire name,” replied Elphina, tossing her hair and revealing a thorned rose tattooed on the side of her neck. “It means ‘delicate one.’”
“ Well, Elphina, I’ll have a ham sandwich on rye,” I said, not bothering with the menu. “Hold the plasma. Just lettuce, tomato and a schmear of mustard.”
The waitress looked confused and the corner of her black-lipsticked mouth twitched as she stared at her pad, as if afraid to write my order on the paper. Her black fingernails flicked against the paper nervously.
“ That’s not on the menu. Do you mean our chipotle pork panini with roasted caper vinaigrette?” she asked hesitantly, regretting the question almost as soon as she posed it.
I raised my voice slightly. “No! No, I do not mean...”
“ That’s exactly what he means, dear,” interrupted Meg. “The panini. And bring him a cup of Nicaraguan Maravilla Gold.”
“ Yes, m’lady,” said Elphina, turning sideways and disappearing altogether.
“ I hope that was coffee you ordered for me,” I said with a sniff. “And when did vampires start coming out during the day and working at the Ginger Cat?”
“ It was coffee and don’t worry about the vampires,” said Meg. “It’s the ‘in’ thing right now.” She put both elbows on the table and rested her chin in her hands. “Now tell me about that man. You know. The dead one. The one in Lake Tannenbaum.”
“ Not much to tell. He was shot in the forehead and thrown into the lake. Kent’s doing the autopsy right now. No tire tracks either. Somebody carried him down the hill and threw him in.”
“ Maybe they made him walk down at gunpoint, then shot him,” suggested Meg. “Maybe it was a robbery.”
“ Could be,” I agreed.
“ And you have no idea who he is?”
“ None. No identification at all. Of course, there may be fingerprints on file, but we’ll have to wait and see.”
“ Hiya, Chief,” said a voice from behind me.
“ Hi, Bud,” I said, looking over my shoulder, but recognizing Bud’s voice immediately. “Come have a seat.”
“ Sorry I had to run off after the auction, but I had to get back to campus. I had a big final on Monday and our study group was meeting.”
“ That’s okay,” I said. “Meg and I have been enjoying the wine.”
Bud went white in his chair. “What!?” he hissed, leaning over the table. “Enjoying the wine!?”
“ It’s very tasty,” said Meg. “And it should be, seeing that it cost $275 a bottle.”
“ No!” shouted Bud, then lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “You aren’t supposed to drink it!”
“ Why not?” I whispered back.
“ Because we’re partners,” said Bud. “You might have bought it for $275 a bottle, but it’s worth a
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