The Brief Luminous Flight of the Firefly by Ellen Byerrum

Author:Ellen Byerrum
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lethal Black Dress Press
Published: 2022-04-08T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 23

“Cat drag you in this morning, Mary Margaret?”

“Thanks a lot, George.”

George Prescott strolled into the office Tuesday, looking jaunty in his blue seersucker suit. But the day was young. It would be wrinkled and rumpled before it was over. He carried a cup of something hot in his hands and he seemed almost cheerful. Today, his battered metal Thermos contained “Roosevelt coffee,” he told her, hot water poured over used coffee grounds. There was not much kick left. But the honey Mimi gave him yesterday would help.

Mimi knew she looked sleepy from her long night of mourning and questioning. Her face was puffy and her eyes swollen. Her smart black-and-white plaid cotton dress was an attempt to disguise how exhausted she looked and felt. It featured elbow-length sleeves with black cuffs, and standing black ruffles graced the V neckline. The dress was always striking on Mimi, but her carefully pressed outfit had been crushed by the heat and humidity during her bus journey to D.C. this morning. She felt wrinkled and out of sorts, and the day hadn’t even begun yet.

Mimi hated to ruin George’s mood, but someone had to do it. “And I may look bad, George, but I feel even worse. I have to talk with you.”

His voice dropped. “Come into my office.”

Mimi grabbed the police report on the Richardsons’ sugar theft and rushed in. She waved the report aloft dramatically before setting it on Prescott’s desk with emphasis. She’d read it while standing and swaying on the bus, having missed all the seats. It didn’t tell her anything she didn’t know. The report had abbreviated some of the details, particularly about feeding the bees and how much sugar that required, and it demonstrated that Lt. Baker was not much of a writer.

“First, here’s the report. Second, I have to take a couple of days off. And before you point this out, I know there’s a war on. But I’ve earned the time. The complaints and the black market will percolate along just fine without me.”

George removed his jacket and placed it over the back of his chair before sitting down. He waved her into his visitor’s chair. “When? When do you need the time?”

“Immediately. Starting tomorrow.”

“What in Heaven’s name is going on? You act like there’s been a death or something.”

“There has been a death.”

Mimi refused to cry in front of George, but it was hard to speak without crying. She finally managed to tell him about Kitty without choking up more than twice, and about the promise she had made to deliver the bad news to Kitty’s mother. He was incredulous.

“How do you even know a woman in that profession?”

“My mother would tell you it’s a special talent I have. Picking up strays. People, not pets.”

“I’d like to have a chat with your mother someday.”

“I doubt that.” Mimi allowed herself a smile at the image. George would be running for cover before he even got a word in. “Anyway, it’s a long story.”

“I’m sure it is.

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