Walter stood in place, arms folded on his chest. A buzz of whispered conversations floated around the room.
“Who else has a question?” Linen Suit plastered a smile on her face. Silence was the response. “Let’s give Walter a big thanks for sharing. Then we’ll get started on the social part of tonight.” The applause this time was even fainter than at the start, although Tommy had stood. He clapped loudly, wearing a big smile for Walter. The rest of the attendees began to rise and drift toward the tables at the back.
I watched for a moment. I didn’t know a soul there, but my late lunch with Alana was a while ago. I might as well stick around for a bit. I headed into the hall first and found the ladies’ room. I was in the last stall when two other women came in.
“Worst talk ever,” one said.
The other gave a throaty laugh. “You can say that again. Was he on something?” Her voice was low and rich.
“I heard he has an addiction issue.”
“Really?” Low Voice asked as water ran.
“Yes. I don’t know why he would. He seems like he exercises and keeps himself in good shape, but a friend said she saw him handing over money to a dude down by the beach.”
“You mean in exchange for drugs? Heroin or crack?”
“Maybe.”
“Bad stuff. I wonder how he can keep running his business.”
“I’m not sure he is, at least not well,” the first voice said. “Did you see their latest quarterly report? He applied for a big loan from this very bank and was denied.”
Low Voice whistled. “I wonder why Madam Chair even invited him tonight.”
“He’s been on the schedule for months. You know how she likes to schedule a year’s worth of speakers.”
The door whooshed open and shut, and the room grew quiet. I finished up and washed my hands, alone with my thoughts. Walter Russom, pillar of the business community—and an addict? Wow. I wondered if what she’d said was true. And if he was addicted to something, did he ever cross paths with Zoe?
I headed back into the room, now awash with chatting and laughter. Walter held a small plate but wasn’t eating, and he stood by himself. Somebody should remedy that, and it might as well be me. I accepted a plastic cup of white wine at the drinks table and loaded up a small plate of my own with a mini-quiche, a Buffalo wing, a few cubes of cheese, and a small bunch of grapes.
“Good evening, Walter.” I smiled at him.
He gazed at me, giving his head a little shake as if I’d startled him. “Evening.”
“Robbie Jordan. We met this morning at the farmers’ market.”
“Ah, yes. Katherine’s friend. And you came to my little talk tonight.”
“I did.” I took a sip of wine. “What did you think of what the alpaca farmer said?” I cocked my head, watching him.
He didn’t meet my gaze and lifted his chin. “She has no grounds. Our product is safe.”
“Not according to Paul Etxgeberria.” Should I mention my mom, too? I decided not to. “He also told me it is highly toxic.”
“Then he’s a damn fool.”
“You mean ‘was.’ You didn’t hear that he passed away yesterday?”
His eyes shifted left. “No, I didn’t.”
“It’s very sad. He was so committed to improving the environment.”
Walter finally looked at me. He’d narrowed his eyes and his nostrils flared. “Who are you again? Are you one of those radical kooks?”
“No. I’m just visiting. I came back for our high school reunion. The one Katherine organized.”
Tommy walked up, jittering with nervous energy. “Oh, hello, ma’am. Was the information I gave you useful to your uncle?”
“Very, thank you so much.”
Walter looked from Tommy to me and back. He opened his mouth.
“There you are, Walter.” Linen Suit appeared at his elbow.
I took the opportunity to turn away. I’d had enough of Walter Russom. And I sure didn’t want Tommy to start calling me Irene in front of his employer.
Chapter 31
Once again I found myself with an unscheduled evening and ants in my pants. When I got back to the B-and-B, the kitchen was dark, so hanging out with Carmen and her mom wasn’t going to happen. I paced around my room for a few minutes. I texted Alana, but she replied she was busy with her parents. Jason didn’t respond when I pinged him. I wrote to Liz and asked if she wanted to go visit Ceci’s farm in the morning and she didn’t return a text, either. Was this what my life had come to? Back in the place where I’d grown up and nobody to hang out with? I wasn’t about to contact Zoe after the way she’d reacted to me.
“Think creatively, Jordan,” I scolded myself. I snapped my fingers. I could go to the movies, something I never made time for at home. I didn’t mind seeing movies alone. I wouldn’t be talking to anyone during a film, anyway. I checked the local listings. An art theater downtown had a screening of an indie flick I’d heard about, and it started in twenty minutes. Good. I grabbed my bag and sweater and headed back downstairs.
After about ten minutes I noticed headlights close behind me. They were super bright and positioned higher than mine, like it was an SUV or another vehicle larger than my little economy rental. Somebody was hot to trot, but there was nowhere for them to pass me on the city street until I pulled into the theater’s parking lot. I made a circuit but groaned to find it full. I blew out a breath and headed back onto the street. Two blocks farther, around the corner, and another block and a half down, I finally found a place at the curb. I locked the rental and hurried back toward the main drag. The moon was ascending, blood orange from the smoke
