sentiment, he shifted his focus to my car. “Why don’t you bring in the dogs? Give us time for a real visit.”
“Fine with me,” I said. I pointed to elections signs on his lawn. One read SHREVE; the other read GINA BROWN. “Nice signs,” I said. Gina Brown was running for city council in Ward 3. She was a nurse-practitioner with innovative ideas about community-centred health care and a take-no-prisoners approach that I found appealing.
When the dogs and I came into the house, Howard was already in the kitchen, pouring coffee. I picked up my mug and took a sip. The coffee was good but very strong. “This should clear away the cobwebs,” I said.
“I sure as hell need something,” Howard growled.
“Troubles?”
“Boredom,” Howard said. “Never get old, Jo.”
I put my hands over my ears. “Can’t hear you,” I said. “Howard, there are a dozen things you could be doing. Writing that book you’ve been going to write for twenty years. Volunteer work. Teaching. The university would be thrilled to have you teach that class in Canadian politics again next semester.”
Howard spooned sugar into his coffee. “The kids piss me off,” he said. “Strolling into class whenever the spirit moves them, texting, whining about their grades.”
“Okay,” I said. “So you don’t want to write, you don’t want to volunteer, and you don’t want to teach. Howard, if you’re really at loose ends, why don’t you come and work on our campaign?”
“Because I don’t like your husband.”
“He doesn’t like you either,” I said. “But you wouldn’t be working with Zack. You’d be working with me. I really could use some help.”
Howard looked at me hard. “Are you feeling okay?”
“Just too much on my plate.” I gave Howard a précis of the events of the last two days.
When I was through, Howard said, “Jesus, no wonder you look tired. Aside from joining the campaign – which I’ll have to think about – is there anything I can do?”
“Yes,” I said. “Tell me what you know about how involved Graham Meighen and Lancaster Development are in Scott Ridgeway’s campaign.”
Howard added more sugar to his coffee. “Apparently, Meighen has let it be known in the business, construction, and real estate communities that they have to win this one,” he said.
“We’ve done polling,” I said. “They’re ahead.”
“Yeah, but they’ve never had a serious opponent before. They know that Zack won’t be a pushover, and they’re nervous about the slate of progressives running for city council. The status quo works for these guys,” Howard said. “But, Jo, they’re honest citizens – at least as honest as they have to be – they wouldn’t be part of a hoax that involved a threat to take a kid. And they certainly would not have had a guy murdered.”
“Well somebody did,” I said.
Howard narrowed his eyes at me. “This really is getting to you, isn’t it?”
“It is,” I said. “And if you’d seen what they did to Cronus it would be getting to you too. We’re all vulnerable, Howard, and in that wheelchair, Zack is an easy target. I just wish I knew what I was up against.”
Howard put his arm around my shoulder. “Whatever it is, you don’t have to fight it alone,” he said. “Throw in an invitation for dinner the next time you cook brisket and I’ll join your campaign.”
I leaned in. “Funny, I was just on my way to the butcher to order a brisket. My recipe takes two days. How about Thursday night?”
“You’re on.”
When I pulled up in front of Lakeview Fine Foods, my phone was ringing. It was Zack.
“Perfect timing,” I said. “I was just going in to order a brisket.”
“Good. I love brisket. How come we haven’t had it lately?”
“Because it’s been summer,” I said. “Zack, I’ve invited Howard to have dinner with us Thursday night. I want him to join our campaign.”
“I don’t like him.”
“He doesn’t like you either. But we need
“Fine with me,” I said. I pointed to elections signs on his lawn. One read SHREVE; the other read GINA BROWN. “Nice signs,” I said. Gina Brown was running for city council in Ward 3. She was a nurse-practitioner with innovative ideas about community-centred health care and a take-no-prisoners approach that I found appealing.
When the dogs and I came into the house, Howard was already in the kitchen, pouring coffee. I picked up my mug and took a sip. The coffee was good but very strong. “This should clear away the cobwebs,” I said.
“I sure as hell need something,” Howard growled.
“Troubles?”
“Boredom,” Howard said. “Never get old, Jo.”
I put my hands over my ears. “Can’t hear you,” I said. “Howard, there are a dozen things you could be doing. Writing that book you’ve been going to write for twenty years. Volunteer work. Teaching. The university would be thrilled to have you teach that class in Canadian politics again next semester.”
Howard spooned sugar into his coffee. “The kids piss me off,” he said. “Strolling into class whenever the spirit moves them, texting, whining about their grades.”
“Okay,” I said. “So you don’t want to write, you don’t want to volunteer, and you don’t want to teach. Howard, if you’re really at loose ends, why don’t you come and work on our campaign?”
“Because I don’t like your husband.”
“He doesn’t like you either,” I said. “But you wouldn’t be working with Zack. You’d be working with me. I really could use some help.”
Howard looked at me hard. “Are you feeling okay?”
“Just too much on my plate.” I gave Howard a précis of the events of the last two days.
When I was through, Howard said, “Jesus, no wonder you look tired. Aside from joining the campaign – which I’ll have to think about – is there anything I can do?”
“Yes,” I said. “Tell me what you know about how involved Graham Meighen and Lancaster Development are in Scott Ridgeway’s campaign.”
Howard added more sugar to his coffee. “Apparently, Meighen has let it be known in the business, construction, and real estate communities that they have to win this one,” he said.
“We’ve done polling,” I said. “They’re ahead.”
“Yeah, but they’ve never had a serious opponent before. They know that Zack won’t be a pushover, and they’re nervous about the slate of progressives running for city council. The status quo works for these guys,” Howard said. “But, Jo, they’re honest citizens – at least as honest as they have to be – they wouldn’t be part of a hoax that involved a threat to take a kid. And they certainly would not have had a guy murdered.”
“Well somebody did,” I said.
Howard narrowed his eyes at me. “This really is getting to you, isn’t it?”
“It is,” I said. “And if you’d seen what they did to Cronus it would be getting to you too. We’re all vulnerable, Howard, and in that wheelchair, Zack is an easy target. I just wish I knew what I was up against.”
Howard put his arm around my shoulder. “Whatever it is, you don’t have to fight it alone,” he said. “Throw in an invitation for dinner the next time you cook brisket and I’ll join your campaign.”
I leaned in. “Funny, I was just on my way to the butcher to order a brisket. My recipe takes two days. How about Thursday night?”
“You’re on.”
When I pulled up in front of Lakeview Fine Foods, my phone was ringing. It was Zack.
“Perfect timing,” I said. “I was just going in to order a brisket.”
“Good. I love brisket. How come we haven’t had it lately?”
“Because it’s been summer,” I said. “Zack, I’ve invited Howard to have dinner with us Thursday night. I want him to join our campaign.”
“I don’t like him.”
“He doesn’t like you either. But we need
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