Where There's Smoke

“Don’t be silly,” Janellen said. “Mama made my brothers work during their summer vacations. They used to come in all sweaty and stinky—not that you’re stinky,” she said hastily. “I just meant that this kitchen was built for working men to… you know, to enjoy and relax in.”

Realizing that she was blabbering, she forced herself to stop. “You obviously came here to discuss something with me, so sit down, please.”

After a moment’s hesitation, he lowered himself onto a kitchen chair, balancing his buttocks on the edge of the seat.

“Wouldn’t you like something to drink?” she repeated.

“Lemonade, I guess.” He cleared his throat.

“You were a million miles away when I came in,” he remarked after taking a long swallow of his drink.

“I’d just had a very disturbing telephone call.” She debated whether she should discuss the call with him. He was looking at her expectantly, and it would be a relief to talk about it with someone who was uninvolved and therefore impartial.

“Have you been following the story of the little girl from Eden Pass who almost lost her arm?”

“I heard she died.”

“Yes. Her funeral was today. Such a tragedy.” She paused. “The doctor who treated her for shock and took her to Tyler—”

“Dr. Mallory.”

“Yes. Well, she… she called just now. See, she was once… my older brother was…”

“I know.”

She gave him a grateful smile. “Then you can imagine how embarrassing and uncomfortable it’s been for us to have her here in Eden Pass.”

“How come?”

The question was totally unexpected, and for a moment she was taken aback. “Because she brings back such bad memories for us.”

“Oh.”

He didn’t seem convinced, so she felt compelled to explain. “Lara Porter ruined Clark’s political career.”

Bowie cocked his head to one side and lightly scratched his neck as though ruminating on her point. “She’s not a husky old gal by any stretch. I don’t figure she could wrestle him down, strip him naked, and force him into bed with her, do you?”

This wasn’t the first time Janellen had considered that, but only privately. If she had verbalized her thoughts, Jody would have gone through the roof.

Prudently Janellen avoided further discussion in that direction. “Somehow the media found out that Lara Porter is in Eden Pass, passing herself off as Dr. Mallory. Apparently she was accosted by reporters at Letty Leonard’s funeral this morning and had to call Sheriff Baxter to disperse those who’ve besieged her clinic.”

Bowie smacked his lips with disgust. “Imagine them disrupting that little girl’s funeral like that.”

“I know. It was ghastly of them.” For a moment she reflected on the continuing turbulence caused by her brother’s affair with Lara Mallory Porter. “It’s believed that the Leonards are going to file a medical malpractice suit against her,” she told Bowie, then paused to take a deep breath. “She thinks my mother is responsible.”

“Is she?”

“No.”

“You don’t sound too sure.”

Her fingertips brushed her lips once before moving to her blouse. It didn’t have buttons, so she fiddled with the fabric, then nervously laid her hand on the table near her untouched cup of tea.

“I don’t know if she is or not,” she admitted at last. “Dr. Mallory called to speak to her. Maydale told her that Mama was resting. She wouldn’t take no for an answer and demanded to speak to whoever was available.” She fidgeted with the salt and pepper shakers. “I wish Key had been here. He’s a pro when it comes to confrontation. He would have known what to say to her.”

“What did you say?”

“That I’m sure our family didn’t cause her recent hardships.”