Aurora Springs in recent years. In fact, you didn't even move back here until you took the job in the Department of Archives.'
'I'm serious, Mrs. St. Clair. Cadence City has been a real eye-opener.'
Elly managed to get a grip on the phone. He let her have it and went to see how the toast was doing.
'Mom?' Elly scowled ferociously at Cooper. 'Yes, I know. He slept on the sofa, Mom. Not that it's anyone's business.'
The toast had popped up. Cooper removed the slice, put it on a plate, and carried it back to the table. Rose hopped down off the windowsill to join him.
'He's just a houseguest as far as the neighbors are concerned, Mom,' Elly said. 'Also, I might add, as far as I'm concerned.'
There was another pause in the conversation. Elly listened with an air of grim patience.
'Yes, Mom, I know how it would look back home in Aurora Springs, but, see, that's the beauty of living in Cadence. Here in the big city, no one worries about what you do or with whom you do it. Everybody minds their own business. It's an interesting concept. Well, got to run. Almost time to open up the shop. Give my love to Dad. Bye.'
She hung up the phone, crossed her arms, and glared at Cooper. 'Henceforth, you do not, under any circumstances, answer my phone. Is that clear?'
Cooper gave Rose one half of a slice of toast and ate the other.
'Your house, your rules,' he said. 'But just out of curiosity, are you sure no one around here is interested in your love life?'
'For Pete's sake, I don't have a love life.'
'You've got a sex life now, though. In my experience, a lot of folks, even your big-city, sophisticated, wine- snob types, are interested in other people's sex lives.'
'Isn't it time you got busy with your so-called investigation?'
'Well, if you're going to be that way about it-'
'I am.'
Chapter 20
SHORTLY BEFORE THREE O'CLOCK THAT AFTERNOON, A familiar figure materialized out of the heavy fog that still filled Ruin Lane. The door of St. Clair's Herbal Emporium opened, setting off the overhead chimes.
Elly cringed. She was developing a phobia to the stupid little doorbells, she thought. They had been ringing almost constantly all day. Ever since she had turned the Closed sign to Open she'd had an abnormal number of visitors. Very few had been interested in purchasing her tisanes.
Beatrice Kim, the owner of Dead City Rarities located two doors down, bustled into the room. Her face glowed with anticipation.
'Good afternoon, Elly,' Beatrice said cheerfully.
'Hello, Mrs. Kim. Come to pick up your week's supply of rez-root tisane?'
'Yes, indeed, dear.' Beatrice beamed at her. 'Can't go through the week without my rez-root. And how's little Rose?'
Rose left off sorting through her box of bracelets and scampered along the top of the counter to greet Beatrice, mumbling happily.
'My, don't you look lovely today.' Beatrice admired the beads of the bracelet-necklace that peeked through Rose's tatty fur. 'The blue matches your eyes. Definitely your color, sweetie.'
Rose batted her lashes with blatantly false modesty and looked hopeful.
'Gracious, did you think I'd forgotten?' Beatrice removed a clear plastic bag bulging with cookies from the pocket of her coat. She opened it and took out one cookie. 'There you go. Peanut butter and chocolate chip. Baked them fresh just last night.'
Rose accepted the snack with a polite air and fell to nibbling daintily but with great efficiency.
'Here's your rez-root, Mrs. Kim.' Elly put a small white sack on the counter and stepped briskly to the cash register. 'That'll be fifteen dollars, please.'
'Thank you, dear.' Beatrice put the plastic bag full of cookies on the counter and gave Elly a conspiratorial wink. 'I made some extra for you and your houseguest.'
'Thank you,' Elly said, determined to be polite. 'That was very thoughtful of you.'
Beatrice raised her eyes to the floor above with a politely inquiring expression. 'The two of you got home quite late last night. Expect you were out having a wonderful time on the town, hmmm?'
'How do you know that we got home late?'
Beatrice waved one hand in a casual manner. 'Saw your lights come on for a few minutes around three in the morning.' She chuckled. 'Not your usual bedtime, is it, dear?'
Elly leaned both elbows on the counter. 'Were you spying on me, Mrs. Kim?'
'Heavens no.' Beatrice's eyes widened. 'I wasn't sleeping very well. Got up to fix myself some of your excellent moonseed tonic and couldn't help but notice the lights over at your place.'
Elly's jaw tightened. 'You and everyone else on the block, apparently.'
'I beg your pardon?'
Elly sighed. 'Sorry, Mrs. Kim. The thing is, I've had a nonstop stream of people in here today, all from around the neighborhood. Everyone seems to be extremely curious about my houseguest.'
'Well, you can't blame us, dear.'
Elly raised her brows. 'I can't?'
'With the exception of Griggs, the florist, this is a very friendly neighborhood,' Beatrice reminded her. 'We take an interest in each other. By the way, I saw Phillip and Gar-rick a short time ago, and they told me that they let you borrow their pass to The Road to the Ruins. I'll bet you and your friend danced the night away.'
'We did dance, yes.'
'How romantic. Phillip mentioned that he thought he saw your friend's car pull out of the alley earlier this morning. Did he go home?'
'No. He went out to take in some of the local sights.'
'Which ones?'
'I believe he said something about going to the zoo.'
'Oh, I see. Then he'll be returning soon?'
Elly drummed her fingers on the counter. 'Yes, Mrs. Kim.'
'I'll come back later, in that case.'
'Why?' Elly asked bluntly. 'Your rez-root is ready now.'
Beatrice peered into her pocketbook with an air of vague dismay. 'I seem to have forgotten my wallet.'
'Don't worry, I'll put it on your account, Mrs. Kim.'
'No, no, dear, that's quite all right. I prefer to pay cash.'
'I wouldn't want you to make an extra trip.'
'I'm just down the street.' Beatrice smiled benignly and went to the door. 'The exercise will do me good.'
She let herself out onto the narrow sidewalk and vanished into the fog.
Elly looked at Rose, who had finished her cookie and was showing a marked interest in the bulging plastic bag that Beatrice had left behind.
'So much for my theory that here in the big city people aren't interested in their neighbors' private affairs,' Elly said. 'Looks like Mr. Guild Boss was right about folks being entertained by the goings-on in other peoples' sex lives.'
Rose made a sympathetic sound and began to fiddle with the little plastic slider that sealed the bag.
Elly tried to shake off the restless anxiety that had been growing steadily within her. She glanced at the clock. 'He's been gone for hours. What do you suppose is keeping him?'
There was a soft whisper of plastic on plastic. Rose had gotten the bag open. Gleefully, she reached inside
