“You don’t have to hide it from me,” he said behind her. “I’m not surprised you still read your horoscope every morning. I remember at boot camp when you used to steal the warden’s newspaper and rip out the horoscopes.” He turned to grin at her.
“You think it’s silly. Go ahead and make fun of me.”
He shook his head. “I think it’s you. There is nothing silly about you. So what does it say?”
She started to tell him that it wasn’t anything, but he took the paper from her and read the Capricorn blurb out loud. For a moment, she’d been too surprised that he remembered when her birthday was that she wasn’t listening.
“...time to make bold choices that will positively impact your future. Trust,” he read and looked up at her, “in your own judgment. It’s time to collect on all that you sowed. Any idea what that means?”
“I have a big design project I’ve been working on,” she said without looking at him. “I’m sure that’s it.”
“Hmm,” he said. “My horoscope is interesting this morning, too.” He glanced up at her. “But then as I recall, we’ve always been compatible.”
She wasn’t about to touch that, especially after the dream. “I need to get to work,” she said again.
“What, no breakfast?” he asked and handed her a banana.
“Thank you.” At the door, she asked, “Will I see you later?”
“If you’re asking if I am going to abandon you, I’m not. The judge asked me to come here to look into your problem and that’s what I intend to do. Which means I will be staying with you until I find the answer.” He rushed on before she could speak. “Also I’ll be dogging you until I figure out what’s going on.”
Dogging her? “Why the judge thinks a math teacher can save me, I have no idea,” she muttered.
He chuckled. “Don’t worry. You won’t know I’m even around.”
“Not likely,” she grumbled as she left.
On the walk to the office, she didn’t see Lindy. Relieved, she pushed open the door into the design office, anxious to get to work so she could get her mind off everything. Especially Shep.
“Charlie?”
She groaned inwardly. She’d almost gotten past Amanda’s office. She had no choice but to turn back.
Amanda stood in the hallway outside her office smiling. “Are you free for lunch today?”
Excuses bubbled up, all of them so ill formed that they never reached her lips. “Lunch?”
“You are familiar with the concept, aren’t you?” Amanda laughed. “Let’s go early, say 11:30? Somewhere fun. My treat.”
Fun? Nothing about lunch with Amanda could be fun, she told herself as she hurried to her desk. She hoped dead mouse wasn’t on the menu.
“Did The Enforcer just invite you to lunch?” Tara whispered, eyes wide with wonder. “What horrible thing have you done now?” she joked.
“You don’t want to know.”
* * *
JUDGE WT LANDUSKY hadn’t been to Bozeman since he’d graduated from Montana State University many years ago. He’d settled in the Whitefish area after he retired, spending his winters in Florida fishing and golfing. Often he felt like a cliché, his life had become so predictable. He’d become so predictable.
As he drove into Bozeman, he wasn’t surprised at how much it had changed. Over the years, he’d been aware that it was often one of the fastest growing cities in the state—rivaling the Whitefish area.
Driving down Main Street, he was flooded with memories from the time he’d spent here in his youth. Blanketed in the latest snow and decorated for the holidays, downtown looked as it always had. The light on the Baxter Hotel was blinking, signaling that there was fresh snow at Bridger Bowl. He thought of all the days when he should have been in class during the winter when he’d been up on that hill enjoying the powder.
To be young again, he thought, catching a glimpse of his graying hair in the rearview mirror. Where had the years gone? He sighed, knowing that his melancholy was due to hearing from an old love recently. She’d proven to him that anyone could have a broken heart and at any age. Unfortunately, it had put him into a what-if-I’d-done-things-differently mood, one he was tiring of quickly.
Not one to spend time looking back, he parked in front of one of the stately brick buildings along Main Street and climbed out. He knew that Charlie Farmington lived just a few blocks from here, but he assured himself that Shep would get to the bottom of her problem. If needed, WT would assist, but he wasn’t in town because of Charlie. She was in good hands. He on the other hand was in uncharted waters.
The envelope with its cryptic note was in the breast pocket of his coat as he crossed the icy sidewalk and entered the building. A short elevator ride to the fifth floor and he was standing at the closed door to Judge Margaret Kane’s office. He’d come this far and yet he hesitated.
“You going to stand there all day?” A woman’s voice came from behind him, making him start. He turned to see a slim, petite woman with a head of shoulder-length, wiry red hair streaked with gray. Her big blue eyes had tiny laugh wrinkles around them.
“Hello, Meg.”
She broke into a radiant smile that made him feel as if the sun had just come out. “It’s been a long time.”
“Too long.” He’d had his doubts about coming here, but was now glad that he had.
“Come in, Billy,” she said, stepping past him to open the door.
He followed her in. The office was like the woman, startling in its contrasts. The furnishings were eclectic; a blend of old and new, polished wood, glass and chrome dotted with soft, comfortable chairs and a couch in bold colors. Like the woman, it felt comfortable.
She waved him into one of the overstuffed chairs and busied herself removing her coat and boots. He’d forgotten how small she was because her personality was so large.
“I wasn’t sure you would come,” she said, shooting a look at him. “I’m glad you did.”
“Me, too.” He reached into his pocket and brought out the envelope. “Your note was...intriguing.”
She smiled as she put on a pair of black high heels and smoothed down her suit skirt. Like him, she’d retired but still did pro bono work and mentored youth in a program much like the one he started years ago.
“Coffee? You still take yours black?”
He nodded and she pressed a button on her desk phone. “Two coffees, both black. Thanks.” She disconnected and instead of taking her chair behind her desk, sat down in the opposite overstuffed chair and folded her legs at the ankles. She’d always had great legs. That, too, he noticed hadn’t changed.