usually held back by a pair of ray-Bans or a ponytail fell straight to her shoulders. Her eyes were deep and dark, like international waters. She had strong features and a long, fit body. Frank could have been a knockout, but her bearing clearly discouraged male attention.
'I'm sorry. I have to put up with apes like that all week, and the last thing I want to do is deal with them on my own time.'
'I understand. Believe me.'
The waiter glided to the table. Greeting Frank by name, he asked if she'd like to start with a carafe of wine.
'Not tonight, but the lady might like something.'
Gail declined and the waiter recited the specials. After he left, the doc smiled coyly.
'I like the way you said, 'the lady' like there was only one of us here.'
'I don't consider myself a lady.'
'Why not?'
'Ladies are . . . hmm. How best to put this without being offensive.'
'I was going to say, you're on some pretty thin ice.'
'Ladies are beautiful and gracious,' she said carefully.
'Neither of which you are?'
'I don't see myself as beautiful, nor gracious.'
'Really?'
'No. I mean, I'm not ugly, but I'm not winning any beauty contests either.'
'Well, I think you're very good-looking. And gracious to boot.'
'Well, thank you. Now can we change the subject?'
Gail laughed and picked up her menu. Noting the red bumps on her hands, Frank said, 'I see you you're still wearing latex.'
'I'm always running out of the vinyl gloves and then I forget to order them.'
'You can get them at a drugstore, can't you?'
'Yes, but I forget to do that too. I'm not horribly organized.'
'I know. I've seen your office,' Frank teased.
'I remember that day you came barging in when you were Working on the Delamore case.'
Frank winced slightly, but Gail didn't notice.
'I thought you were the rudest person I'd ever met.'
'See?' Frank said. 'Not gracious at all.'
'You weren't that day. So RHD ended up breaking that case. Did you help them with it?'
'Hey. I'm sure we can find better things to talk about. The oso bucco's to die for.'
Gail's mouth dropped open.
'You eat veal?
'Sure. Why?'
'Do you know how they raise veal calves?'
'In tiny little cages with no exercise or food, only milk to keep them tender.'
'And you can still order it knowing that?'
'If I don't order it will they stop making it?'
'No, but how can you participate in such cruelty?'
'Guess I shouldn't order the lamb, either,' Frank joked, but Gail's outraged expression didn't change.
'I know you're not a vegetarian. I saw you slam that roast beef the other night.'
'No, I'm not. But at least cows and pigs and chickens have some sort of a normal life.'
Frank conciliated, 'Would you be happy if I got pasta?'
'You can get whatever you want. It's your conscience, not mine.'
Don returned, asking if they'd decided.
'Certainly not the oso bucco,' Frank mumbled.
'I should certainly hope not,' Gail shot back. Without even opening the menu, Frank said, 'I'll have the butternut ravioli, Caesar salad, and a glass of the Baileyanna chard with dinner.'
Gail smiled into the menu, saying, 'And I'll have the veal Marsala —'
'—hey!'
'Just kidding,' she laughed, ordering the eggplant Parmigiana. Don whisked the menus away and Gail smoothed the perfectly flat tablecloth.
'So. Does this count as our second date?'
The question startled Frank enough that she chuckled out loud.
'I'm not sure. Do you want it to be?'
'I'm not sure, either,' Gail offered. 'I figured that's why I'd better check.'
'Then how 'bout we just say it's dinner and call it good?'
Gail grinned, 'That'll work.'
Dinner was excellent, and as they shared a creme Brule, Gail mentioned that one of her doctors was execrable. Frank smiled.
'You know what I like about you, doc?'
'Tell me.'
'You use big words like didactic and execrable.'
'I've got to put eight years of college to use
Watching Gail swipe her spoon at the last of the Brule, Frank asked, 'Are we done here?'
'Oh God, I am so full I can barely breathe. That was exquisite.'
They both reached for the tab but Gail snatched it.
'This one's mine.'
'I won't argue,' Frank said.
'Smart,' Gail said, pulling out a credit card. 'I like that in a woman.'
Frank walked Gail to her car, making sure she got in safely. The doc teased Frank about being gallant.
'Wouldn't look good if I let the County Coroner get assaulted.'
'Are you always on duty?'
'Gets to be a habit after a while. You pick up a sixth sense for stuff you couldn't filter out even if you wanted to.'
Through the rolled down window, Gail smiled up, telling Frank she had a lovely evening.
'I'm glad it was just dinner. It's nice getting to know you.'
'Yeah,' Frank agreed, oddly touched by their candor. She quickly scanned the doc's streetlit features. Angular shadows accentuated the high cheekbones, the narrow, emerald eyes, and the pert, upturned nose. Her complexion was ethereal in the twilight. A part in her bangs revealed two creases. Smaller lines parenthesized her mouth and radiated from her eyes. Frank wondered what it would be like to touch them, realizing she'd never gotten that chance with Maggie.
Frank straightened, slapping the Pathfinder's roof.
'Look. You be careful driving home. I'll see you next week.'
Frank left Gail staring behind her.
Chapter Seventeen
At the cemetery, Frank spotted Bobby standing a discrete distance from Placa's funeral.
'What are you doing here?' he murmured.
'Thought I'd take in the action,' she whispered back.
'Shoot, if I'd known you were coming I'd have stayed home. It would have saved me grief with Leslie.'
'How's she doing?'
'All right,' Bobby smiled, then blurted out, 'She might be pregnant.'
'No way.'
'Yeah. She's going to the doctor on Tuesday.'
'Hey, I hope it works out.'
Bobby's wife had miscarried twice before. They wanted lots of kids and were in the process of adopting a
