When the tears didn't stop, she cradled the girl.
Ben said, 'Next,' and crooked a finger. A small, chubby boy stepped into position and stared down at his arm. Dimpled fists drummed his thighs. Ben reached for a pad.
'All done, Angie,' said Pam, walking the girl to the door. 'You did great!' The child sniffed and sucked her lollipop and the white paper stick bobbed. 'These are some visitors from the mainland, honey. This is Angelina. She's seven and a half and very brave.'
'I'll say,' said Robin.
The girl wiped an eye.
'These people came all the way from California,' said Pam. 'Do you know where that is?'
Angelina mumbled around the sucker.
'What's that, sweetie?'
'Disn'land.'
'Right.' Pam tousled her hair and guided her outside, watching as she ran to the church.
By the time she returned, Ben had vaccinated two more children, working rapidly, as rhythmic as a machine. Pam stayed with us, comforting the children and seeing them off.
'School's still in session,' she said. 'They're in class for another hour.'
'Who teaches?' I said. 'The priest?'
'No, there is no priest. Father Marriot was called back last spring and Sister June just left for Guam- breast cancer. Claire- Ben's wife- was our substitute, but now she's the faculty. A couple of other mothers serve as part- time assistants.'
Another weeping child passed through.
'Guess I should do a few,' said Pam, 'but Ben's so good. I hate inflicting pain.'
Cheryl was sweeping the entry to the big house, but when we walked in she stopped.
'Dr. Bill said give you this.' She handed me a scrap of yellow, lined paper. Moreland's writing:
West Hollywood exchange. Milo's home number.
'That's one in the morning, L.A. time,' said Robin. 'Wonder what it could be.'
'You know what a night owl he is. Probably something to do with the house and he's trying to catch us at a good time.'
Mention of the house tightened her face. She looked at her watch. 'It's two-thirty there, now. Should we wait?'
'If he was up an hour and a half ago, he probably still is.'
Cheryl stood there, as if trying to follow the conversation. When I turned to her, she blushed and began sweeping.
'Is it all right to use the phone for long distance?'
She looked puzzled. 'There's a phone in your room.'
'Is Dr. Bill around?'
She thought. 'Yes.'
'Where?'
'In his lab.'
We went back to the run to pick up Spike. He and KiKo stopped their play immediately and he ran to Robin. The monkey shinnied up a low branch, then let go and landed feather light on my shoulder. A small dry hand cupped the back of my neck. He'd been shampooed recently- something with almonds. But his fur also gave off a faint hint of zoo.
We left with both animals. Robin said, 'I'd like to freshen up.'
'I'll go ask Moreland about using the phone.'
She turned back toward the house; KiKo jumped off and joined her and Spike. I walked down to the outbuildings and knocked on Moreland's office door.
He said, 'Come in,' but the door was locked and I had to wait for him to open it.
'Sorry,' he said. 'How was your swim?'
'Terrific.'
He was holding a pencil stub and looked distracted. His office was the same size as the one he'd given me, but with pale green walls and no furniture other than a cheap metal desk and chair. Papers, loose and bound, carpeted half the floor. The desk was blanketed too, though I did notice one high stack that had been squared neatly and placed in the center. Journal reprints. The top one, an article I'd written ten years ago on treating childhood phobias. My name underlined in red.
The door to the lab was open. Tables, beakers, flasks, test tubes in racks, a centrifuge, a balance scale, equipment I couldn't identify. Next to the scale was a tall jar full of the gray-brown pellets he'd used to feed the insects. A smaller container of some sort of brownish liquid sat beside it.
'So,' he said, taking off his glasses. His tone was strained; I'd interrupted something.
'I wanted to check if it was okay to use the phone for long distance.'
He laughed. 'Returning Detective Sturgis's call? Of course. There was no need to ask. Give him my best. He's a pleasant fellow.'
Robin sat there caressing her two hairy pals as I dialed. The phone rang twice and a cranky deep voice grunted, 'Sturgis.'
'Hi, it's me. Still up?'
'Alex.' Milo's voice lightened. I hadn't thought much about his missing us.
'Yeah, wide awake,' he said, reverting to a grumble. 'So how's Bali Hoo?'
'Sunny and clear. Want to hop over and join us?'
'I don't tan, I parboil.'
'Thought you were Black Irish.'
'That's temperament, not complexion. So, you pretty much settled in?'
'Very nicely. Just got back from diving in a gorgeous coral reef.'
'Yo, Jacques. There really is a Garden of Eden, huh?'
'My fig leaf says yes. What are you doing up past your bedtime, sonny boy?'
'Working double shifts and building up the overtime. Reason I called is the guy who's handling your house has a couple of questions. Seems the crown and floor moldings Robin told him to order have been discontinued. He can get something similar, a little wider, or go for her exact specifications and have it custom milled. The difference is a couple of thou and he wants authorization. Also, the cost of your alarm is going to be a little higher than estimated. Something about having to connect up with a power line that's outside the basic contractual area. Probably another grand. It's never
'I'll put her on right now.'
I handed over the receiver. Robin said, 'Hi!' and KiKo's eyes widened. As she began to speak the monkey stuck his head closer to the phone and began talking along in a wordless chittering singsong.
'What? Oh… no, it's a monkey, Milo… a
She talked to him about the construction, then ended with more small talk and returned the phone to me. 'I'm
