I had left the door ajar for the dogs, and now they nosed it open and came in, sniffing vigorously around the cabin, their eyes bright from their return to the woods. One of them sniffed at Jill as she sat there, and she turned and bent down toward it. It licked her face and she reached out suddenly and began to pat it. Susan nudged me and nodded, but I’d seen it already.
The other two dogs joined the first one and Jill took turns patting them. One of them reared on his hind legs and laid his forepaws in her lap and licked her face again. Jill put her arms around him and hugged him, her face against the side of his muzzle. Tears moved on her face. The dog looked a little anxious as she rocked sideways holding him in her arms, but then he discovered the salty tears and lapped them industriously, making no attempt to escape.
Chapter 39
BY the time Susan left on Sunday night, Jill was talking. She wasn’t saying much. But she said yes, and no. As in:
”Would you like more coffee?“
”Yes.“
”And would you like to take a walk?“
”No.“
On Monday morning a reporter from the Herald showed up and I was forced to threaten him. I got phone calls from the Globe and all three network affiliates in Boston. I told each that I would shoot anyone I saw.
A half hour later I got a call from Rojack. ”I want to know how Jill is,“ he said.
”She’s resting comfortably,“ I said.
”I’d like a bit more than that,“ he said.
”I don’t blame you,“ I said. ”How’d you get this number?“
”I know a lot of people,“ Rojack said. ”Some of them are important.“
”Nice for you,“ I said.
”I know you don’t hold me in high regard, Spenser, but I care about Jill. I have the right to know how she is.“
”Un huh,“ I said.
”You have no right to interfere. I want to see her.“
”No.“
”I love her, dammit, do you understand that?“
”Not in this case,“ I said. ”You can’t see her. Later, maybe.“
”I’m afraid I must insist.“
”Sure,“ I said. ”That’ll turn me inside out.“
”If I can get the number, I can get the location,“ Rojack said. ”Perhaps Randall and I will pay you a visit.“
”Perhaps I will stick Randall in the lake,“ I said.
”Whatever you may think, Spenser, I love that woman. I want to help her.“
”The way you help her now is to leave her alone.“
”You won’t change your mind?“
”No one sees her,“ I said.
”We’ll be up. You were lucky with Randall the first time.“
”I was kind the first time,“ I said. ”This time he’ll get hurt.“
I heard the phone click. I hung up and looked at Jill sitting by the window in a straight chair looking at the lake, where the three dogs were busy sniffing out something. I picked up the phone and called Henry Cimou and asked for Hawk. He was there.
”Remember I told you about a guy named Stanley Rojack?“
”Un huh.“
”Walks around with a big geek named Randall, thinks he’s tougher than Oliver North.“
”Wow,“ Hawk said.
”They say they’re going to come up here and bother us,“ I said.
Jill continued to watch the dogs through the window. If the name registered it didn’t affect her.
”You want me to drive out and tell them not to?“ Hawk said.
”Yeah,“ I said, and gave him the address. ”Randall does karate,“ I said.
”Good,“ Hawk said. ”It’s fun to watch.“ I hung up.
”That takes care of that,“ I said to Jill. She made no response.
Jill spent a lot of time with the dogs. She got dressed for the first time, on Monday, wearing some clothes that Susan had bought her, and sat on the floor trying to get the dogs to take turns retrieving a ball. She did this in so
