Breaking Ground by William Andrews Page B

can’t believe how reserved we are—‘frosty’ is what she calls it. But I tell her it’s not how we
are
, just how we
act
. We’re afraid that if we showed our feelings, well, they’d get out of hand and sort of take over and run us. But people do care.”
    â€œThank you, Ben. That makes me feel better.”
    â€œBetter not show it, though,” he said and winked, and they both laughed. “Well, I’ve got to go find my New Jersey bride now. Take care of yourself; see you around.”
    Marston’s comments made Julie feel so good that she found herself eager to talk to others, but, as she was moving toward thetable with the treats, she was stopped by a burly man wearing a red flannel shirt and rough corduroy jeans. “We need to talk,” he said brusquely.
    â€œOh, Mr. Dyer,” Julie said. “Did you enjoy the concert?”
    â€œSure. Look, I’ve got to get my crew to Birch Brook. You find out from the cops if we can do the excavation by the weekend?”
    â€œI talked to Chief Barlow, but he says it’s up to the State Police. I’ll check again today.”
    â€œIf we can’t do it tomorrow, I’ve got to pull that backhoe out. You let me know.”
    Luke walked away. Julie wanted to find Mike but knew she should work the crowd first. She passed among the people lining up for lemonade and cookies and introduced herself and welcomed them to the Ryland Historical Society. It was the kind of work she enjoyed, putting a public face on the society, but she cut it short when out of the corner of her eye she saw Mike and Henry talking.
    â€œNice concert, Julie,” the attorney said when she approached them.
    â€œThanks.”
    Mike nodded but didn’t speak. Julie realized she had interrupted them, but Luke’s threat to abandon the site excavation troubled her, and she asked again when the site would be available. Mike said he’d check with the State Police that afternoon and let her know. Julie sensed the two men would prefer her to leave them to their conversation, but she decided to wait them out. Finally Mike said to the attorney: “I’ll get back to you about that, Henry. You home later today?”
    Henry said he would be. He looked over to the refreshment table. “Better go keep a closer eye on my kids,” he added. “They’ll wipe out those cookies if I don’t.”
    When Henry left, Mike said to Julie: “I see you were talking to Steven Swanson.”
    â€œI hadn’t seen him to express my sympathy before,” Julie said.
    â€œHe say any more about that meeting you and his mother were supposed to have?”
    â€œHe brought it up. He admitted that Mary Ellen sometimes didn’t bother to tell people that she had an appointment with them. That’s just the way she was.”
    â€œDid he tell you what his mother wanted to talk to you about?”
    â€œHer ‘contribution to the society.’ I don’t exactly know what that means—if she meant in general or something in particular.”
    â€œThat’s what he told me, too. Henry’s the one who knows about all this, but I wasn’t able to finish my talk with him just now.”
    â€œSorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt. Don’t let me keep you if you want to talk to him now.”
    â€œBetter to see him in private anyway.”
    As the police chief turned and walked off, Julie was tempted to yell out again that she was sorry about the interruption. She
was
sorry she had annoyed Mike, whom she both trusted and liked. At least he didn’t seem to be making so much of Steven’s statement that his mother had planned to meet Julie at the tent before the groundbreaking. But then he didn’t say anything about checking her alibi.
    â€œWe’ve met, Dr. Williamson,” the man who interrupted her thoughts said as he extended his hand. “Frank Nilsson,” he