Having left Cal in my apartment with two new boxes of cereal and the
remote, I sat in my office later that afternoon trying diligently to finish
up some work so I could take a long weekend.
Unfortunately, I couldn't help but let my mind wander over what Cal blurted out on the drive from the airport. I knew Annie was upset about everything. How could she not be? I took the easy way out...no visit, no call, just a note. And then there was Bobby...He just questioned my sanity. He thought I was flushing a promising career down the drain to take a job, sight unseen in a city that we had only read about in history books.
At the time, Cal seemed to be the only one in favor of my...escape. He was right there helping me pack up the pieces of my past. How many times had Cal himself announced a new mission in life only to pursue it as far as his attention span would let him? I would never admit it to his face but I admired the guts he had to chase his dreams, no matter how obscure they were at times.
By the time I had double-checked the last report I had to file for the day, I had made the decision to just enjoy having my little brother around for a few days instead of beating myself up over the 'what if's'. I couldn't expect life to stop in Kewaunee just because I grabbed the first chance I could to get out. Now if I could only convince myself.
Great, the last signature....Dinner at a steak house sounded good. Maybe even a few beers and a game of pool somewhere....somewhere decidedly Cavanaugh free. All I had to do was clean off my desk and...
"Knock, Knock...you in there farm boy?"
I looked up from my pile with a big sigh. Great, just when I thought I could stop dwelling on the 'what ifs' of life for one day.
Jordan breezed into my office like she owned it.
"Penny for your thoughts, Hoyt... You look like you were a thousand miles away. "
She sat on the edge of my desk and began to thumb through the stacks of paperwork laying there.
"Anything interesting?"
"Just taking care of some old....stuff...." I quickly closed the file I was working on.
Giving up her search she began to play with the name plate sitting at the edge of my desk. After thinking all day about living with my hyperactive, free spirited brother for however long he planned on staying-- her actions were starting to get on my nerves. She wanted something from me I could feel it. But I was not in the mood to get wrapped up onto one of her tangents right now. Opening a drawer in my desk, I grabbed the name plate from her and throw it inside. Slamming it closed I stood and walked over to the door.
"Bad day?"
What are you doing here Jordan?"
"I was in the neighborhood.... Since when do I need a reason to stop by and say Hi?"
HA! She did want something. Well, whatever it was I frankly didn't have the time or the patience to deal with her. "Because you never just stop by and say Hi."
This wasn't fair. Jordan hadn't done anything to deserve my argument...at least not yet. But I was going to leave my office without being led by my nose. Today I was going to be ready.
Jordan bit her strawberry colored lip. Damn, she was beginning to pull out the big guns already. She must have known I was preparing for battle. "Well, this time it's different"
"Yeah, right...I don't have time right now Jordan. I was just getting ready to leave." I crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the wall, bracing myself for her request.
"I was hoping I could get you to look over the Stephenson file with me."
There it was...The set up..."The Stephenson case? I thought that was closed."
Jordan studied her fingernails instead of answering. She was working her next tactical move. All I had to do was ...wait...let her to speak first and I would have the upper hand. Don't bite Hoyt, don't bite....Crap, I felt the words bubble out before I could stop them.
"And you're stirring the pot because you don't have anything better to do?" She had a direct hit without even opening her mouth! But I wasn't sunk yet...
"The department was in such a hurry to put it to rest...I was hoping maybe we can talk about over dinner." Oh no, she blindsided me. Dinner. It was a ploy Hoyt; one designed to knock down your defenses...I scraped my hand down my face and stepped away from the wall. Damn the torpedoes...
"As tempting as that sounds Jordan, I have plans tonight." By that deer in the headlight look I realized I scored a direct hit!
"You have a date!"
I smiled, her reaction was not quite what I had in mind, but it worked. If she assumed Cal was my date... so be it. After the beating my self confidence has had since this morning I needed the boost. Victory was at hand I could feel it....
"Would that be so hard to believe Jordan?"
"It's just...I didn't.....wow....I guess....have...good time."
She hopped off of my desk and stood there for a second. Little did I know she had one last shot in her arsenal...
"Guess I'll see you around..." She reached a finger up and traced my jaw.
Crap. I felt the murky seawater begin to rise around my neck... "Here, let me see it...."
Jordan pulled the file out of her bag and handed it to me with a smile. I kicked myself for falling straight into her trap...and she knew it by the smirk on her face. I looked over the standard report. I remembered hearing a sound bite or two about the case earlier in the week. It was ruled an accidental death. It seems the lady was some kind of heiress who was totally off her rocker.
"What am I looking for?"
Jordan looked over the open file and pointed at the tox screen. "Amy Stephenson died of Brodifacomn poisoning. Rat poison pretty standard stuff even in the 7 digit high rise condo they found her in. She must have mistaken it for her Grapenuts for the amount that was in her. Her intestinal tract was pretty much mush."
I cringed at the visual she just gave me. "And you wanted to talk about this over dinner?"
With a nonchalant wave of the hand she continued "But this is what I wanted to show you...she had traces of Chordane in her system."
"Which is?"
"Some nasty stuff that was banned here in the States almost thirty years ago...." I closed the file with a snap. She was beginning to pull me into that vortex of a mind of hers. Maybe if I just stepped away...
"Ok, I'll take a look at it later Jordan ...I need to go home and change, I'm going to be late."
"Oh, right...I... ah give me a call when your...free...or...ah...I'll be working at Dad's place tonight."
I couldn't help the smile that crept onto my face. She may have won the war. But the small victories are sweet. "I'll call Jordan...when I'll available."
To be continued...
Unfortunately, I couldn't help but let my mind wander over what Cal blurted out on the drive from the airport. I knew Annie was upset about everything. How could she not be? I took the easy way out...no visit, no call, just a note. And then there was Bobby...He just questioned my sanity. He thought I was flushing a promising career down the drain to take a job, sight unseen in a city that we had only read about in history books.
At the time, Cal seemed to be the only one in favor of my...escape. He was right there helping me pack up the pieces of my past. How many times had Cal himself announced a new mission in life only to pursue it as far as his attention span would let him? I would never admit it to his face but I admired the guts he had to chase his dreams, no matter how obscure they were at times.
By the time I had double-checked the last report I had to file for the day, I had made the decision to just enjoy having my little brother around for a few days instead of beating myself up over the 'what if's'. I couldn't expect life to stop in Kewaunee just because I grabbed the first chance I could to get out. Now if I could only convince myself.
Great, the last signature....Dinner at a steak house sounded good. Maybe even a few beers and a game of pool somewhere....somewhere decidedly Cavanaugh free. All I had to do was clean off my desk and...
"Knock, Knock...you in there farm boy?"
I looked up from my pile with a big sigh. Great, just when I thought I could stop dwelling on the 'what ifs' of life for one day.
Jordan breezed into my office like she owned it.
"Penny for your thoughts, Hoyt... You look like you were a thousand miles away. "
She sat on the edge of my desk and began to thumb through the stacks of paperwork laying there.
"Anything interesting?"
"Just taking care of some old....stuff...." I quickly closed the file I was working on.
Giving up her search she began to play with the name plate sitting at the edge of my desk. After thinking all day about living with my hyperactive, free spirited brother for however long he planned on staying-- her actions were starting to get on my nerves. She wanted something from me I could feel it. But I was not in the mood to get wrapped up onto one of her tangents right now. Opening a drawer in my desk, I grabbed the name plate from her and throw it inside. Slamming it closed I stood and walked over to the door.
"Bad day?"
What are you doing here Jordan?"
"I was in the neighborhood.... Since when do I need a reason to stop by and say Hi?"
HA! She did want something. Well, whatever it was I frankly didn't have the time or the patience to deal with her. "Because you never just stop by and say Hi."
This wasn't fair. Jordan hadn't done anything to deserve my argument...at least not yet. But I was going to leave my office without being led by my nose. Today I was going to be ready.
Jordan bit her strawberry colored lip. Damn, she was beginning to pull out the big guns already. She must have known I was preparing for battle. "Well, this time it's different"
"Yeah, right...I don't have time right now Jordan. I was just getting ready to leave." I crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the wall, bracing myself for her request.
"I was hoping I could get you to look over the Stephenson file with me."
There it was...The set up..."The Stephenson case? I thought that was closed."
Jordan studied her fingernails instead of answering. She was working her next tactical move. All I had to do was ...wait...let her to speak first and I would have the upper hand. Don't bite Hoyt, don't bite....Crap, I felt the words bubble out before I could stop them.
"And you're stirring the pot because you don't have anything better to do?" She had a direct hit without even opening her mouth! But I wasn't sunk yet...
"The department was in such a hurry to put it to rest...I was hoping maybe we can talk about over dinner." Oh no, she blindsided me. Dinner. It was a ploy Hoyt; one designed to knock down your defenses...I scraped my hand down my face and stepped away from the wall. Damn the torpedoes...
"As tempting as that sounds Jordan, I have plans tonight." By that deer in the headlight look I realized I scored a direct hit!
"You have a date!"
I smiled, her reaction was not quite what I had in mind, but it worked. If she assumed Cal was my date... so be it. After the beating my self confidence has had since this morning I needed the boost. Victory was at hand I could feel it....
"Would that be so hard to believe Jordan?"
"It's just...I didn't.....wow....I guess....have...good time."
She hopped off of my desk and stood there for a second. Little did I know she had one last shot in her arsenal...
"Guess I'll see you around..." She reached a finger up and traced my jaw.
Crap. I felt the murky seawater begin to rise around my neck... "Here, let me see it...."
Jordan pulled the file out of her bag and handed it to me with a smile. I kicked myself for falling straight into her trap...and she knew it by the smirk on her face. I looked over the standard report. I remembered hearing a sound bite or two about the case earlier in the week. It was ruled an accidental death. It seems the lady was some kind of heiress who was totally off her rocker.
"What am I looking for?"
Jordan looked over the open file and pointed at the tox screen. "Amy Stephenson died of Brodifacomn poisoning. Rat poison pretty standard stuff even in the 7 digit high rise condo they found her in. She must have mistaken it for her Grapenuts for the amount that was in her. Her intestinal tract was pretty much mush."
I cringed at the visual she just gave me. "And you wanted to talk about this over dinner?"
With a nonchalant wave of the hand she continued "But this is what I wanted to show you...she had traces of Chordane in her system."
"Which is?"
"Some nasty stuff that was banned here in the States almost thirty years ago...." I closed the file with a snap. She was beginning to pull me into that vortex of a mind of hers. Maybe if I just stepped away...
"Ok, I'll take a look at it later Jordan ...I need to go home and change, I'm going to be late."
"Oh, right...I... ah give me a call when your...free...or...ah...I'll be working at Dad's place tonight."
I couldn't help the smile that crept onto my face. She may have won the war. But the small victories are sweet. "I'll call Jordan...when I'll available."
To be continued...