stopped and turned as she got to the office door. “Those Forrest twins? Are they the kids of the old boyfriend I’ve been hearing about?”
“I don’t know. What are you hearing?” June asked cagily.
“Just that you dated Birdie and Judge’s son in high school and he’s moved back with his sons.”
Sounded pretty harmless. “Yeah. The same.”
“Pistols,” Susan said. “Better not turn your back on them.”
“Really?”
“Oh, really. I left them in the examining room for maybe ten minutes and they were into everything. I had to reclaim a speculum from one’s pocket.”
“Seriously?”
“Uh-huh. If they were mine, I’d frisk them every day when they came home.”
It was almost seven by the time June was able to call Tom and tell him she could finally have that cup of coffee. Since it was so late, she ordered a hamburger for herself and a bowl of chow outside the back door for Sadie. Tom arrived just as June was taking her first bite.
“I’m sorry, Tom. Have you eaten?”
“I took a dinner break at home a couple of hours ago. What’s going on at the clinic? I think I saw every car I know over there today.”
“Back-to-school physicals. Nothing earthshaking. What’s on your mind?”
“You should have a heads up. I found Clarence. He’s back in that hovel in the forest. And he’s either not taking his drugs or they’re not working.”
“Oh no!”
“He’s not real bad yet—”
“He was never real bad, Tom, as long as he had his environment under control.”
Tom scratched his chin. “That’s right,” he said facetiously. “I really shouldn’t misinterpret him shooting me as evidence that he was in a bad way.”
June leaned forward. “We agreed, if he had wanted to hit you, you’d be dead.”
“June, he mistook me for someone he served with in Vietnam.”
“Poor Clarence,” she said. “Did you get him out of there? Get him to the hospital? Or at least home?”
Tom shook his head. “He won’t budge. He told me to tell his family that they were better off without him.”
June put her hamburger down. “Oh God. Is he suicidal?”
“I’m not sure. I told Jurea and the kids that he was upset by the changes they’ve gone through in the past few months. It has been quite a lot, if you think about it. And I have a call in to Charlie at the VA. You might want to check on Jurea, see how she’s doing.”
“I might want to check on Clarence…”
“Let’s be careful not to bombard him with attention. I just wanted you to know that the Mulls are in trouble again.”
“I am so, so disappointed to hear that. I’ll give socialservices a call tomorrow, see if Corsica Rios or some other caseworker can drop by and see if Jurea and the kids need anything. But I can’t think of much more we can do.”
Tom shook his head in exasperation. “I’ve thought of every possibility, including tranquilizer darts.”
“Tom!” June scolded. She tried again with her burger, taking a big bite. Mustard, ketchup and the grease George Fuller was famous for squished out and a big splotch of it landed right between her breasts on her pale blue knit top. It was not a small splotch.
“Nice,” Tom said.
Before she could even put the burger down and grab a napkin, Judge Forrest and Chris came sauntering into the café. They were immediately greeted by someone at the counter who hadn’t seen Chris since he’d been back.
“Great timing,” Tom observed.
She began to scrub the spot with her napkin and while chewing, muttered, “He keeps giving me reasons to hate him.”
“You might as well get this over with,” Tom said.
“Why? I’ll just make a run for it and you can apologize for me. Say my beeper went off or something.”
“Don’t be a coward. Cowards die painfully in the end.”
“God,” she said, scrubbing. “Cherokee wisdom, as if I don’t suffer enough.”
“Hi, June.”
She looked up and there he was, looking down at her as she scrubbed her
“I don’t know. What are you hearing?” June asked cagily.
“Just that you dated Birdie and Judge’s son in high school and he’s moved back with his sons.”
Sounded pretty harmless. “Yeah. The same.”
“Pistols,” Susan said. “Better not turn your back on them.”
“Really?”
“Oh, really. I left them in the examining room for maybe ten minutes and they were into everything. I had to reclaim a speculum from one’s pocket.”
“Seriously?”
“Uh-huh. If they were mine, I’d frisk them every day when they came home.”
It was almost seven by the time June was able to call Tom and tell him she could finally have that cup of coffee. Since it was so late, she ordered a hamburger for herself and a bowl of chow outside the back door for Sadie. Tom arrived just as June was taking her first bite.
“I’m sorry, Tom. Have you eaten?”
“I took a dinner break at home a couple of hours ago. What’s going on at the clinic? I think I saw every car I know over there today.”
“Back-to-school physicals. Nothing earthshaking. What’s on your mind?”
“You should have a heads up. I found Clarence. He’s back in that hovel in the forest. And he’s either not taking his drugs or they’re not working.”
“Oh no!”
“He’s not real bad yet—”
“He was never real bad, Tom, as long as he had his environment under control.”
Tom scratched his chin. “That’s right,” he said facetiously. “I really shouldn’t misinterpret him shooting me as evidence that he was in a bad way.”
June leaned forward. “We agreed, if he had wanted to hit you, you’d be dead.”
“June, he mistook me for someone he served with in Vietnam.”
“Poor Clarence,” she said. “Did you get him out of there? Get him to the hospital? Or at least home?”
Tom shook his head. “He won’t budge. He told me to tell his family that they were better off without him.”
June put her hamburger down. “Oh God. Is he suicidal?”
“I’m not sure. I told Jurea and the kids that he was upset by the changes they’ve gone through in the past few months. It has been quite a lot, if you think about it. And I have a call in to Charlie at the VA. You might want to check on Jurea, see how she’s doing.”
“I might want to check on Clarence…”
“Let’s be careful not to bombard him with attention. I just wanted you to know that the Mulls are in trouble again.”
“I am so, so disappointed to hear that. I’ll give socialservices a call tomorrow, see if Corsica Rios or some other caseworker can drop by and see if Jurea and the kids need anything. But I can’t think of much more we can do.”
Tom shook his head in exasperation. “I’ve thought of every possibility, including tranquilizer darts.”
“Tom!” June scolded. She tried again with her burger, taking a big bite. Mustard, ketchup and the grease George Fuller was famous for squished out and a big splotch of it landed right between her breasts on her pale blue knit top. It was not a small splotch.
“Nice,” Tom said.
Before she could even put the burger down and grab a napkin, Judge Forrest and Chris came sauntering into the café. They were immediately greeted by someone at the counter who hadn’t seen Chris since he’d been back.
“Great timing,” Tom observed.
She began to scrub the spot with her napkin and while chewing, muttered, “He keeps giving me reasons to hate him.”
“You might as well get this over with,” Tom said.
“Why? I’ll just make a run for it and you can apologize for me. Say my beeper went off or something.”
“Don’t be a coward. Cowards die painfully in the end.”
“God,” she said, scrubbing. “Cherokee wisdom, as if I don’t suffer enough.”
“Hi, June.”
She looked up and there he was, looking down at her as she scrubbed her
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