Read Online The Tenor Wore Tapshoes by Mark Schweizer - Free Book Online
Authors: Mark Schweizer
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Jarlzburg.
"Wow," I said. "This is great. I don't know why I don't marry you."
"Why indeed?" asked Meg, looking at me quizzically. I gulped and tried to change the subject as quickly as etiquette would allow.
"Yes, well…ahem…"
"Never mind," said Meg with a laugh. "You looked positively panic stricken."
"Whew."
"What did Kent have to say?"
I filled her in on Kent's narrative over lunch. I told her about meeting Hogmanay McTavish. We discussed the weather (which was perfect) and some church business. You know, I really didn't know why I didn't marry her. Other than the fact that I was terrified.
"You know that I'm off the vestry this election," Meg said, cutting a sizeable piece of the Jarlsburg and handing it to me.
"I'd heard that."
"And I'm on the nominating committee."
I nodded, my mouth too full of cheese to answer.
"What do you think of that new lawyer? Rob Brannon."
I swallowed. "He seems to be a good guy. Rich. Smart. Plenty of time on his hands. He'd be a good choice I guess, but I don't think he'll do it."
"Really. I think he might be interested if I asked him in the right way."
"Nah. You forget that I'm a professional," I said, remembering my recent conversation with Rob. "I can read people. There's no way he's going to be on the vestry. He's not the type."
"You certainly are sure of yourself," Meg said.
"I'm almost always right."
"Would you care to make a wager?"
"I certainly would. What are the stakes?"
"Well," she said, biting her lower lip. "If you win—which we both know you will because you are, after all, a professional—then I will go with you to Seattle next summer and sit through the entire Wagner Ring Cycle."
I could feel my eyes growing wide.
"Really? What's the flip side?"
"If I win—which we both know I won't because I'm only a woman and couldn't possibly convince a single, good-looking lawyer to be on the vestry—then you have to do whatever I ask you to do. No complaining."
"Is this a ploy to get me to marry you?"
"Nothing to do with marriage," Megan said. "Cross my heart. I just don't know what I want you to do yet."
"I don't know. A wager with unidentified stakes? Sounds fishy to me."
"What about this then? If I have to go to Seattle for a week, then you have to go wherever I say. Not to exceed five days."
"Still a bit vague. Will you be coming with me?"
"Maybe. Maybe not. But, if you're chicken, I understand."
"It's a bet," I said. "Seattle, here we come."
"You can't tell him I'm going to ask. That wouldn't be fair."
"Oh, shoot!" I said, suddenly remembering my other quasi-appointment. "I knew there was something else I was supposed to do this morning! The lawyer in question is coming by to look through those papers we found with the body. I'd better run."
"Don't you tell him! I mean it!"
"I won't say a word. Thanks for lunch."
* * *
I found Rob back at the station. He was sitting at my desk with a stack of papers in front of him and an empty accordion folder off to the side.
"Find anything interesting?" I asked, my irritation just under the surface, but certainly palpable.
"Oh, hello, Chief," said Rob with a disarming smile, then, seeing my expression, added, "Nancy just stepped out for a moment. She was in here with me till about three minutes ago."
As if on cue, Nancy walked up behind me.
"Sorry, boss," she whispered. "I had to go to the bathroom. Pete came in with Mr. Brannon here and made it clear that he wanted this guy,"—she nodded toward Rob—"to go through the Gifford file."
I nodded and smiled at Nancy who was obviously as irked as I at the intrusion.
"Thanks, Nancy. I'll take it from here."
I turned back to Rob who was busy putting the sheaf of papers back into the folder.
"Find anything interesting?" I repeated.
"Well," Rob said looking down at his notes, "there are two sets of mortgage papers. Unsigned. I don't know if they were refiled, but I suspect they were. Once Lester disappeared, these folks would have started again with
"Wow," I said. "This is great. I don't know why I don't marry you."
"Why indeed?" asked Meg, looking at me quizzically. I gulped and tried to change the subject as quickly as etiquette would allow.
"Yes, well…ahem…"
"Never mind," said Meg with a laugh. "You looked positively panic stricken."
"Whew."
"What did Kent have to say?"
I filled her in on Kent's narrative over lunch. I told her about meeting Hogmanay McTavish. We discussed the weather (which was perfect) and some church business. You know, I really didn't know why I didn't marry her. Other than the fact that I was terrified.
"You know that I'm off the vestry this election," Meg said, cutting a sizeable piece of the Jarlsburg and handing it to me.
"I'd heard that."
"And I'm on the nominating committee."
I nodded, my mouth too full of cheese to answer.
"What do you think of that new lawyer? Rob Brannon."
I swallowed. "He seems to be a good guy. Rich. Smart. Plenty of time on his hands. He'd be a good choice I guess, but I don't think he'll do it."
"Really. I think he might be interested if I asked him in the right way."
"Nah. You forget that I'm a professional," I said, remembering my recent conversation with Rob. "I can read people. There's no way he's going to be on the vestry. He's not the type."
"You certainly are sure of yourself," Meg said.
"I'm almost always right."
"Would you care to make a wager?"
"I certainly would. What are the stakes?"
"Well," she said, biting her lower lip. "If you win—which we both know you will because you are, after all, a professional—then I will go with you to Seattle next summer and sit through the entire Wagner Ring Cycle."
I could feel my eyes growing wide.
"Really? What's the flip side?"
"If I win—which we both know I won't because I'm only a woman and couldn't possibly convince a single, good-looking lawyer to be on the vestry—then you have to do whatever I ask you to do. No complaining."
"Is this a ploy to get me to marry you?"
"Nothing to do with marriage," Megan said. "Cross my heart. I just don't know what I want you to do yet."
"I don't know. A wager with unidentified stakes? Sounds fishy to me."
"What about this then? If I have to go to Seattle for a week, then you have to go wherever I say. Not to exceed five days."
"Still a bit vague. Will you be coming with me?"
"Maybe. Maybe not. But, if you're chicken, I understand."
"It's a bet," I said. "Seattle, here we come."
"You can't tell him I'm going to ask. That wouldn't be fair."
"Oh, shoot!" I said, suddenly remembering my other quasi-appointment. "I knew there was something else I was supposed to do this morning! The lawyer in question is coming by to look through those papers we found with the body. I'd better run."
"Don't you tell him! I mean it!"
"I won't say a word. Thanks for lunch."
* * *
I found Rob back at the station. He was sitting at my desk with a stack of papers in front of him and an empty accordion folder off to the side.
"Find anything interesting?" I asked, my irritation just under the surface, but certainly palpable.
"Oh, hello, Chief," said Rob with a disarming smile, then, seeing my expression, added, "Nancy just stepped out for a moment. She was in here with me till about three minutes ago."
As if on cue, Nancy walked up behind me.
"Sorry, boss," she whispered. "I had to go to the bathroom. Pete came in with Mr. Brannon here and made it clear that he wanted this guy,"—she nodded toward Rob—"to go through the Gifford file."
I nodded and smiled at Nancy who was obviously as irked as I at the intrusion.
"Thanks, Nancy. I'll take it from here."
I turned back to Rob who was busy putting the sheaf of papers back into the folder.
"Find anything interesting?" I repeated.
"Well," Rob said looking down at his notes, "there are two sets of mortgage papers. Unsigned. I don't know if they were refiled, but I suspect they were. Once Lester disappeared, these folks would have started again with
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