The Hunt for the Peggy C by John Winn Miller

Author:John Winn Miller
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bancroft Press

CHAPTER 10

Rogers struggled into his quarters dead tired, hoping to get a few hours of sleep before his next early morning watch, and was surprised to find Miriam walking around the cabin, holding something in her hands and perusing his bookshelves. “Is something wrong with Arie?” he asked.

“No. Uncle Levy is taking care of him,” she said, spinning around in surprise. “I hope you do not mind me coming. I do like to read.”

Rogers stood in the doorway, uncertain how to react. “Help yourself.”

Miriam walked over to him, shut the door, and held out the framed picture of U.S. Navy midshipmen she had found hanging on Rogers’ office wall. “This is you, yes?” she asked, pointing to one of the cadets in the picture. “But your name is not Rogers.”

“You should go.”

“Why did you leave Annapolis?”

“What?”

“Is that where you killed someone?”

“You really should leave,” he said, opening the door, his voice tight.

Miriam pushed it closed again and edged up next to Rogers. “You fought over money? A girl? Your honor? You tried to do the right thing, yes?”

Clearing his throat uncomfortably, Rogers backed away. “There was nothing noble about what I did, if that’s what you mean.”

“Then you ran away?”

“Wasn’t my choice.”

Miriam set down the picture and clasped Rogers’ face in her hands, which Rogers enjoyed for a moment before thinking better of it, and turned and opened the door. “Please, it’s not a good idea for you to be in here.”

Ignoring his plea, Miriam floated around the room, checking out the books again until she found a copy of Anna Karenina. She plucked it off the shelf. “So sad about Anna and Count Vronsky. Forbidden love.” She tossed the book on the bed.

“Yeah, sure…but,” Rogers said in confusion.

Miriam took another book from the shelves: Sea Wolf. “And what about Maud? Was not she first true love of Humphrey?” She tossed that book on the bed, too.

“I, uh, I don’t remember,” he said, paying close attention.

She plucked The Sun Also Rises off the shelves and held it in Rogers’ face as she eased the door shut behind her. “Jake. There is the wounded Jake in here. Not like you, yes?”

“No, no, he’s not. But—” he said, starting to catch on to the game.

Miriam shoved him onto the bed and crawled on him, kissing him hard on the lips and pulling on the buttons of his shirt.

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