smiled. “You mean Jed's obsession.”
His roommate punched him in the arm. “Jed's not obsessed with her, man.”
“Yes, he is.”
“No, he's not. Besides, she's still overseas, isn't she? Japan or someplace.” Gel-head looked at me.
I shrugged. “Guess you'll have to ask Jed,” I said.
“What do you want to know about her for?”
“No particular reason.”
The four of us stared at one another for a second or two.
“That's all I needed to know for now,” I said. “Thank you very much.”
I turned to go, and they all got to their feet.
I paused on my way to the door. “I would like each of your names, though. In case I need to talk to any of you again.”
“I'll bet old Jedi stole a couple cases of beer from that restaurant down on the corner again,” Square-jaw said.
“Yeah, right,” the girl said.
“Your names?” I repeated.
They both looked at Gel-head. He shrugged. “Why not? Hersch,” he said. “My name's Penn Hersch.”
The girlfriend said her name was Kayla Vestervelt and the other roommate's name was Chad Lippman.
“Hey, Pavlicek,” Hersch said. “We gotta tell Jed you were here, you know.”
“Fine with me,” I said. “Thanks for your time.”
My cell phone rang again.
“O-ooo … a busy man.”
I pushed the button and answered.
“Frank, it's Jake.”
“I was wondering what became of you.”
“Information takes time, my man.”
“I'm just finishing up with some people. Let me get out to my truck.”
The foosballers were both thinking it was some kind of big joke now, laughing and poking at each other as the girl went to the door and opened it. Chuckling herself, she avoided my gaze as I passed her on the way out.
I waited until she closed the door, then walked back down the sidewalk and climbed into the privacy of my cab. “Still there?”
“Just painting my nails. How'd you make out with the crows today?”
“Nothing.”
“Figures. It's hard enough scaring up a tail chase in wide-open country. Your vineyard owner might be better off trying to lure a wild resident redtail into setting up shop around his spread.” I could hear his yellow Lab, Hercules, whimpering about something in the background.
“You've got the dog with you?”
“Thought I'd bring him along for the trip.”
“You're still in town, then?”
“In the Jeep down across from your office. Sipping latte from some joint called the Mudhouse. Funky place.”
“What'd you find out for me?”
“You're not going to like it. I checked on that number you asked me about,” he said.
“Right. Were there any calls?”
“Something going on with these girls and their father, Frank?”
“Quite possibly.”
“After you told me about the turnip-face pulling his cannon on you, I figured you'd want to know about this right away.”
“Know what?”
“This is the missing daughter's phone, right?”
“Right.”
“She or someone else made only one call after the time you gave me. It was to a Charlottesville listing,” he said.
“What number?”
“Her father's unlisted cell phone.”
“Wonderful.”
“Not only that. She got a call back from him ten minutes later.”
“How do you know that?”
“Don't ask.”
“Interesting.” I explained to him about my spying the turnip while Nicole and I were hunting and my encounter with him out at the Drummond estate.
“Sounds like you've got a gnarly one on your hands.”
“Can you do me another favor?”
“What's that?”
“You have somebody at home who could watch the birds and the ranch for tonight?”
“I'd have to make a call, but yeah, sure.”
“I've got Cassidy Drummond stashed at Marcia's house. I'm pretty sure no one knows she's there. Would you mind heading over there, keeping an eye on things? You could crash on the couch or something.”
“No problem.”
“Just tell Marcia I sent you for extra insurance and not to worry.”
“You don't think she's gonna worry when she sees me show up?”
“Can't be
His roommate punched him in the arm. “Jed's not obsessed with her, man.”
“Yes, he is.”
“No, he's not. Besides, she's still overseas, isn't she? Japan or someplace.” Gel-head looked at me.
I shrugged. “Guess you'll have to ask Jed,” I said.
“What do you want to know about her for?”
“No particular reason.”
The four of us stared at one another for a second or two.
“That's all I needed to know for now,” I said. “Thank you very much.”
I turned to go, and they all got to their feet.
I paused on my way to the door. “I would like each of your names, though. In case I need to talk to any of you again.”
“I'll bet old Jedi stole a couple cases of beer from that restaurant down on the corner again,” Square-jaw said.
“Yeah, right,” the girl said.
“Your names?” I repeated.
They both looked at Gel-head. He shrugged. “Why not? Hersch,” he said. “My name's Penn Hersch.”
The girlfriend said her name was Kayla Vestervelt and the other roommate's name was Chad Lippman.
“Hey, Pavlicek,” Hersch said. “We gotta tell Jed you were here, you know.”
“Fine with me,” I said. “Thanks for your time.”
My cell phone rang again.
“O-ooo … a busy man.”
I pushed the button and answered.
“Frank, it's Jake.”
“I was wondering what became of you.”
“Information takes time, my man.”
“I'm just finishing up with some people. Let me get out to my truck.”
The foosballers were both thinking it was some kind of big joke now, laughing and poking at each other as the girl went to the door and opened it. Chuckling herself, she avoided my gaze as I passed her on the way out.
I waited until she closed the door, then walked back down the sidewalk and climbed into the privacy of my cab. “Still there?”
“Just painting my nails. How'd you make out with the crows today?”
“Nothing.”
“Figures. It's hard enough scaring up a tail chase in wide-open country. Your vineyard owner might be better off trying to lure a wild resident redtail into setting up shop around his spread.” I could hear his yellow Lab, Hercules, whimpering about something in the background.
“You've got the dog with you?”
“Thought I'd bring him along for the trip.”
“You're still in town, then?”
“In the Jeep down across from your office. Sipping latte from some joint called the Mudhouse. Funky place.”
“What'd you find out for me?”
“You're not going to like it. I checked on that number you asked me about,” he said.
“Right. Were there any calls?”
“Something going on with these girls and their father, Frank?”
“Quite possibly.”
“After you told me about the turnip-face pulling his cannon on you, I figured you'd want to know about this right away.”
“Know what?”
“This is the missing daughter's phone, right?”
“Right.”
“She or someone else made only one call after the time you gave me. It was to a Charlottesville listing,” he said.
“What number?”
“Her father's unlisted cell phone.”
“Wonderful.”
“Not only that. She got a call back from him ten minutes later.”
“How do you know that?”
“Don't ask.”
“Interesting.” I explained to him about my spying the turnip while Nicole and I were hunting and my encounter with him out at the Drummond estate.
“Sounds like you've got a gnarly one on your hands.”
“Can you do me another favor?”
“What's that?”
“You have somebody at home who could watch the birds and the ranch for tonight?”
“I'd have to make a call, but yeah, sure.”
“I've got Cassidy Drummond stashed at Marcia's house. I'm pretty sure no one knows she's there. Would you mind heading over there, keeping an eye on things? You could crash on the couch or something.”
“No problem.”
“Just tell Marcia I sent you for extra insurance and not to worry.”
“You don't think she's gonna worry when she sees me show up?”
“Can't be
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