Cat Seeing Double by Shirley Rousseau Murphy

Author:Shirley Rousseau Murphy
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins

16

The aromas of garlic and chilies drew Ryan like a benediction. The enticement of a spicy, delicious meal, the hot Mexican music, the soft light cast by the swinging lanterns, all the rich setting of Lupe’s Playa seemed to cosset and comfort her. On the brick patio beneath the gently blowing oaks, they had their favorite table in the far corner beside the brick wall. This was where she and Clyde had first met, when she first arrived in the village and Dallas brought her here for dinner. Now, seated beside Clyde, ordering a beer, she took his hand, comforted by his strong presence. Ever since taking the call on her cell phone she had felt even more uncertain, even more raw and exposed.

She hadn’t told Clyde about the call, hadn’t wanted to spoil their evening. Now, she tried not to keep glancing out through the pieced-brick patio wall, to the street, to see if she had been followed. Yet she couldn’t help watching the host’s desk, through the patio doors, studying each new arrival, wondering…a thin man, the caller had said. She had no idea whether she would know the person—if she’d been followed, if this wasn’t some hoax, someone wanting to harass her. Who could have made such a call?

Certainly Max Harper received some strange phone calls. But she wasn’t a cop, she was a private citizen. How could this call tonight have any connection to a police informant?

Whatever the truth, that anonymous call, just after the murder, had given her a deep and lasting chill.

It wasn’t as if she knew her neighbors, as if any of them would be concerned about her safety. Certainly none of them would have her phone numbers handy.

“So, you have another date? You want to hurry on through dinner?”

She looked at him blankly.

“You’ve been staring out at the street like you’re waiting for a lost lover.”

“I had a phone call, coming down. He wouldn’t give a name. Said that when I left the apartment I was followed. I didn’t want to tell you, and spoil the evening. He described a slim man driving a gray hatchback, said he’d been parked above the apartment apparently waiting for me. It’s probably some nut call, but…”

Clyde’s expression startled her. His face flushed but he didn’t seem exactly surprised. “What the hell. You don’t need crazy phone calls on top of everything else.”

“It made me a little nervous, that’s all,” she said quickly. She wiped some water from the table with her napkin and unrolled the blueprints, weighting them down with the chip and salsa bowls. Clyde leaned over, studying the drawings. She had presented the floor plan and several elevations. The vaulted ceiling of the new room was impressive, both from the street and from within.

But even with the excitement of the promised addition, Clyde’s mind remained on the phantom snitch. His thoughts about the tomcat were not charitable. Did Joe have to upset Ryan? Probably the car Joe saw had been some neighbor or visitor pulling away, and Joe had let his imagination run.

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