T is for Trespass (Kinsey Millhone 20)

I tilted my head. There was an envelope with red line around the rim caught in a fold of the wall-to-wall carpeting. I reached down and retrieved it, taking a closer look. The envelope was addressed to Augustus Vronsky and bore the return address of Pacific Gas and Electric. The flap was still sealed. This was one of Gus’s utility bills. The red rim suggested a certain stern reprimand, and I was guessing his payment was overdue. What was this doing in the trash?

I’d seen the pigeonholes in Gus’s rolltop desk. His paid and unpaid bills had been neatly segregated, along with receipts, bank statements, and other financial documents. I remembered being impressed that he kept his affairs in such good working order. Despite his deplorable housekeeping skills, it was clear he was conscientious about day-to-day business matters.

I turned the envelope over in my hand. Had he not been paying his bills? That was worrisome. Idly, I picked at the edge of the flap, debating the wisdom of taking a peek. I know the federal regulations related to postal theft. It’s against the law to steal someone else’s mail-no ifs, ands, or buts. What’s also true is that a document placed in a trash container sitting at the curb no longer retains its character as the personal property of the one who tossed it. In this case, it looked like the unopened bill had ended up in the trash by mistake. Which meant it was still hands-off. What was I supposed to do?

If this was a dunning notice and I left it where I’d found it, his utilities might be cut. On the other hand, if I kept the envelope, I might end up in the federal pen. What bothered me was the virtual certainty that Gus wasn’t the one who emptied the trash these days. Solana did that. I hadn’t seen Gus outside for the past two months. He was barely ambulatory and I knew he wasn’t taking care of routine chores.

I climbed his porch stairs and put the bill in the mailbox affixed to his front door frame and then went back to my place. I’d have given anything to find out if Gus was looking after his finances properly. I passed through the gate and rounded the studio to the rear. I let myself in and went up the spiral stairs to the loft, where I stripped off my running sweats and hopped in the shower. Once I was dressed, I ate my cereal, after which I crossed the patio and knocked on Henry’s back door.

He was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee, the paper spread out in front of him. He got up to open the door. I held on to the frame, leaning forward to have a quick look around. “No fights in progress?”

“Nope. The coast is clear. You want coffee?”

“I do.”

He let me in and I sat down at the kitchen table while he got out a mug and filled it, then set the milk and sugar in front of me, saying, “That’s regular milk, not the usual half-and-half. To what do I owe the pleasure? I hope you’re not going to lecture me on my bad behavior.”

“I’m thinking about taking Gus some homemade soup.”

“You need a recipe?”

“Not quite. I was actually hoping to score soup that was already made. You have any in your freezer?”

“Why don’t we have a look? If I’d thought of it, I’d have taken him a batch myself.” He opened his freezer and began to pull out a series of Tupperware containers, each neatly labeled with the contents and the date. He studied one. “Mulligatawny soup. I’d forgotten I had that. Doesn’t sound like something you’d make. You’re more the chicken-noodle type.”

“Exactly,” I said, watching as he retrieved a quart container from the very back of the shelf. The label was so frost-covered, he had to scrape at it with his thumbnail. “July of ’85? I think the vichyssoise is past its sell-by date.” He placed the jar in the sink to thaw and returned to his search. “I saw you jogging this morning.”

“What were you doing out so early?”

“You’ll be proud of me. I walked. Two miles by my count. I enjoyed myself.”

“Charlotte’s a good influence.”

“Was.”

“Oh. I don’t suppose you want to talk about it.”

“Nope.” He pulled out another container and read the top. “How about chicken with rice? It’s only two months old.”

“Perfect. I’ll thaw it first and take it over hot. It’s more convincing that way.”

He closed the freezer and set the rock-hard soup container on the table near me. “What’s brought about such a neighborly gesture?”

“I’ve been worrying about Gus and this is my excuse for a visit.”

“Why do you need an excuse?”