Theo straddled the chair across from her. Stacking his arms on the back, he said, 'So that's your story, huh?'
She began to smile. 'Unless or until you find a couple of 'Welcome to Bowen' cards. In that event, my story will change.'
'Tell Jake I said thanks.'
'Thanks for what?' she asked innocently.
'Hey, Mike, you want some gumbo?' Noah asked as he searched through the drawers looking for a ladle. 'For breakfast?
I'll stick with an energy bar.' 'What about you, Theo?'
'Sure,' he said. 'You know what goes great with gumbo? Potato chips.'
'Sorry, I don't have any potato chips. They aren't good for you, anyway. Too much sodium.'
'It will balance out with the sodium in the gumbo,' Noah told her.
'You do too have potato chips. Two jumbo-size bags, and they're the real thing. None of that low-fat cardboard stuff. Did you forget you bought them at the grocery store last night?' 'I must have.'
'You know what goes great with gumbo and chips?' Noah asked.
'What's that?' Theo asked. 'Cold beer.'
'I'm on it.' Theo got up and went to the refrigerator. Michelle shook her head. 'Gumbo, potato chips, and beer at ten-thirty in
the morning?'
'It's eleven, and we've been up for hours. Don't frown like that, honey. Let us corrupt you. Join in…'' 'Is she a health nut?' Noah asked. 'I think so,' Theo replied. 'She lives by the credo 'If it tastes good, spit it out.' '
'When you boys are having your multiple bypasses, remember this conversation.'
'I talked to Dr. Robinson,' Noah said then. He had found the ladle and was scooping the gumbo into two bowls. Theo already
had the sack of chips and was opening it.
'And?' she prodded.
He put the bowls on the table, grabbed two tablespoons, and sat down. 'He could only think of two men who gave him real trouble, and I'm running a check on both of them. An old guy named George Everett was one difficult patient. Do you know
him, Mike?'
'No, I don't.'
'Everett refused to pay his bill because Robinson didn't cure him of his indigestion. Everett had a drinking problem, which he
also blamed on the doctor. He told Robinson he wouldn't be drinking himself drunk every night if he weren't in such terrible pain. Anyway, Robinson turned the account over to a collection agency, and that didn't sit well with Everett. He got all juiced up and called the doctor and threatened him.'
'What about the other man?' Theo asked.
'The name he gave Robinson was 'John Thompson,' but I doubt that's his real name. He only saw the doctor once, and that
was just a day or two before Robinson closed shop and sent his files to Mike. Thompson's a druggie from New Orleans. He
drove all the way to Bowen in hopes that the physicians here would be more lax, I suppose. Anyway, he told Robinson he had
this terrible back pain and needed some prescriptions for pain medication. He wanted the heavy stuff and knew just what to
ask for. When Robinson refused, he told me the junkie became enraged and threatened him.'
'Did he report Thompson to the police?'
Noah took a swig of beer before answering. 'He should have, but he didn't because he was leaving Bowen, and he didn't want
the hassle. That's what he told me, anyway.'
'I'll bet Thompson tried other physicians in St. Claire,' Michelle said.
'That's what I figured too,' Noah said. 'So I checked it out.' He grinned then as he made the comment, 'I really love getting doctors out of bed early in the morning. Anyway, if Thompson did go to other doctors, he used a different name. No one remembers treating him.'
'In other words, a dead end.'
'I think it's time for both of you to close this file,' Michelle said. 'And stop worrying. I'm going to clean up my clinic, put
stronger locks on the doors and windows, and move on. I suggest you do the same thing.'
Since neither Theo nor Noah argued with her, she assumed they were too stubborn to admit she was right.
'It's gonna rain.' Theo made the prediction and then took a bite of gumbo.
'The sun's out,' Noah remarked.
'Yeah, but my knee aches, so it's gonna rain. My shoulder's throbbing too.'
Noah laughed. 'You two are perfect for each other. A hypochondriac hooking up with a doctor. That's a match made in heaven.'
'I'm not a doctor,' Theo said dryly.
Noah ignored the smart-ass comment. 'Mike, have you ever been to Boston?'
'No, I haven't.'
'You'll like it.'
She thought about what he was saying for a couple of seconds, then responded, 'I'm sure, if I ever get there for a medical conference or a vacation, I'll love it.'
Noah glanced back and forth between Theo and Michelle. She'd sounded defensive, but he could see the sadness in her eyes.
She was giving up before she'd even gotten started, he decided. Theo's response was just as interesting. His whole body had tensed.
'So, it's two ships passing in the night?'
'Something like that,' Michelle said.
'Leave it alone, Noah.'
He nodded, then switched topics. 'So tell me, do we still fish Saturday if it rains?'
'Fishing's better in the rain,' Michelle said. 'Says who?' Noah asked. ' 'John Paul.'
'Am I ever going to meet your brother?' Theo asked.
'I doubt it. You're leaving Monday, remember?'
It was like a sore tooth she kept rubbing. He hadn't pulled the rug out from under her. She'd known he was going to leave.
So why was she feeling so devastated?
'You'll meet her brother at The Swan Friday,' Noah said. 'Jake told me John Paul works as a bartender and a bouncer on weekends.'
Michelle shook her head. 'Daddy knows John Paul won't show up this weekend. By now, my brother knows who you both
work for, so he'll stay away.'
'Your brother wouldn't happen to be a wanted man, would he?' Noah asked.
'No, of course not.'
'What's he got against the FBI?' Theo asked.
'You'll have to ask him that question.'
'Which kind of hinges on the feet that I'll have to meet him so I can ask him the question,' Theo said.
'My brother is a very private person,' she said defensively. 'If and when he decides he'd like to meet you, then he'll find you.'
She smiled as she added, 'You won't see him coming. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got work to do.'
She got up from the table, tossed her empty can in the trash, and then began to gather up the dirty dishes.
