be the sort of person who seeks free medical advice at parties.”
Alice was the sort of person who laughed easily. She laughed now. “I get that all the time, but with you I don’t mind. You’re a fascinating woman. I suspect there’s a lot more to you than meets the eye.”
“A woman of mystery. That’s what my boyfriend says. At least I’m going to pay for lunch.”
CHAPTER 9
Jason’s motel appeared to be less expensive than mine. Well, as long as it had a decent bed and clean bathroom and didn’t smell of cigarette smoke. I was sure five-star hotels were overrated, although I had no memory of ever having stayed in one. I parked the Porsche in front of the building and called him.
He came out of a second-story room and down the external stairs much faster than I was used to seeing a member of his generation go. He was wearing a sweatshirt and a brimmed hat. He walked briskly across the parking lot and greeted me with a smile and a hug.
“Hi, Cynthia. Well, did you learn anything useful? You said you were collecting information.” Then he stood back and looked at me. Although my arms and legs were covered and I was wearing dark glasses, he must have seen something. “Are you okay? You look kind of bedraggled.”
“Yes, except I was rolling in poison oak and somebody tried to kill me last night.” I tried not to sound too dramatic.
That took the bounce out of him. “You poor kid. Do you want to sit down and tell me about it? My room is kind of small. There’s a cafe around the corner…”
“It might be better if we took a walk. Less chance of being overheard. Do you want to walk on the beach?”
“Actually, I’d prefer to walk on the beach to sitting in a restaurant. Living in the mountains, I don’t see the beach much. I’d like to take advantage of being here while I can. Are you sure you’re up to it?”
“Yes, as long as we don’t go too fast.” I looked down at my flimsy shoes. I’d already walked my daily limit in them. Any farther and they would start to hurt my feet. I remembered I had my running shoes in a bag in the car.
“Just a minute.” I opened the door, took off my street shoes, and put on socks and the running shoes.
“Do you always drive a Porsche?”
“At home I drive an old Toyota.”
“I’ve always had a secret desire to own a Porsche. It’s a good thing I can’t afford one, however, because it would shorten my life expectancy.”
“Are you afraid you’d crack it up?”
“No. I’m afraid I’d drive it when I should be walking. I walk at least four miles a day to stay in shape.”
“I’m impressed.” He did look healthy. His body was thin and straight, with no tilt or wobble when he walked.
“Where I live nothing is level, so I either have to walk uphill or downhill.”
No wonder he was able to climb up and down the cliff. Jason was giving me a different perspective on senior citizens. He had long legs and walked fast. I’m not short, but I almost had to run to keep up with him. Even so, I suspected he wasn’t going his usual speed. I hated to admit defeat, but I was suffering.
“Can we walk a little slower? Going too fast makes my poison oak itch. If I start scratching I won’t be able to stop.”
Jason slowed down. “How did you get poison oak?”
I explained I went to a park with a friend, leaving out most of the details.
“That’s nasty stuff. I guess I’m lucky. I’ve never had it, although I’m an outdoor person.”
“Well, you probably won’t catch it from me.”
Jason smiled. “So I don’t have to stay away from you?”
“The doctor didn’t say I had to be quarantined.”
We came to the cliff and looked down on Redondo Beach, with its large expanse of soft, off-white sand. I knew Southern California beaches were some of the best in the world. We negotiated a long ramp down to the combination bike path and walking path, and headed north toward the Redondo Beach marina.
The concrete path was split into sections,
Alice was the sort of person who laughed easily. She laughed now. “I get that all the time, but with you I don’t mind. You’re a fascinating woman. I suspect there’s a lot more to you than meets the eye.”
“A woman of mystery. That’s what my boyfriend says. At least I’m going to pay for lunch.”
CHAPTER 9
Jason’s motel appeared to be less expensive than mine. Well, as long as it had a decent bed and clean bathroom and didn’t smell of cigarette smoke. I was sure five-star hotels were overrated, although I had no memory of ever having stayed in one. I parked the Porsche in front of the building and called him.
He came out of a second-story room and down the external stairs much faster than I was used to seeing a member of his generation go. He was wearing a sweatshirt and a brimmed hat. He walked briskly across the parking lot and greeted me with a smile and a hug.
“Hi, Cynthia. Well, did you learn anything useful? You said you were collecting information.” Then he stood back and looked at me. Although my arms and legs were covered and I was wearing dark glasses, he must have seen something. “Are you okay? You look kind of bedraggled.”
“Yes, except I was rolling in poison oak and somebody tried to kill me last night.” I tried not to sound too dramatic.
That took the bounce out of him. “You poor kid. Do you want to sit down and tell me about it? My room is kind of small. There’s a cafe around the corner…”
“It might be better if we took a walk. Less chance of being overheard. Do you want to walk on the beach?”
“Actually, I’d prefer to walk on the beach to sitting in a restaurant. Living in the mountains, I don’t see the beach much. I’d like to take advantage of being here while I can. Are you sure you’re up to it?”
“Yes, as long as we don’t go too fast.” I looked down at my flimsy shoes. I’d already walked my daily limit in them. Any farther and they would start to hurt my feet. I remembered I had my running shoes in a bag in the car.
“Just a minute.” I opened the door, took off my street shoes, and put on socks and the running shoes.
“Do you always drive a Porsche?”
“At home I drive an old Toyota.”
“I’ve always had a secret desire to own a Porsche. It’s a good thing I can’t afford one, however, because it would shorten my life expectancy.”
“Are you afraid you’d crack it up?”
“No. I’m afraid I’d drive it when I should be walking. I walk at least four miles a day to stay in shape.”
“I’m impressed.” He did look healthy. His body was thin and straight, with no tilt or wobble when he walked.
“Where I live nothing is level, so I either have to walk uphill or downhill.”
No wonder he was able to climb up and down the cliff. Jason was giving me a different perspective on senior citizens. He had long legs and walked fast. I’m not short, but I almost had to run to keep up with him. Even so, I suspected he wasn’t going his usual speed. I hated to admit defeat, but I was suffering.
“Can we walk a little slower? Going too fast makes my poison oak itch. If I start scratching I won’t be able to stop.”
Jason slowed down. “How did you get poison oak?”
I explained I went to a park with a friend, leaving out most of the details.
“That’s nasty stuff. I guess I’m lucky. I’ve never had it, although I’m an outdoor person.”
“Well, you probably won’t catch it from me.”
Jason smiled. “So I don’t have to stay away from you?”
“The doctor didn’t say I had to be quarantined.”
We came to the cliff and looked down on Redondo Beach, with its large expanse of soft, off-white sand. I knew Southern California beaches were some of the best in the world. We negotiated a long ramp down to the combination bike path and walking path, and headed north toward the Redondo Beach marina.
The concrete path was split into sections,
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