5
Rune Alignment
Chapter 3
"Have a good time tonight," Eames said to Goren as she took her keys from her bag. Goren barely looked up from his portfolio, nodded, and mumbled, "Yeah, you too. Bye."
At six twenty, Goren had to decide whether to go home and change or stay and finish up. Nearly two hours left, hmmm, what to do? He had to admit, he was excited about tonight. Part of him said go get cleaned up. Look nice, smell nice. Impress her. However, she would be in clothes she had worn all day. She might feel funny about that. Do not do anything to mess this up. Stay here, do work, and then go. He ran his hand over his face, the stubble was not too bad, besides, some women liked that about a man; they thought it was manly. He pulled off his tie, folded it, clipped it with his tie bar, and slipped it into his pocket. Unbuttoned the top button, and felt ready to go.
Goren set out for the University at seven forty-five. He drove straight to Belzberg Hall but didn't know where to park. He drove around, decided to park in the closest faculty lot, and put his "OPB" card in the window. Not supposed to do that kind of thing, but. . . He entered the building at eight o'clock and walked to the second floor. Faculty offices sat half way down on the right. He tried the reception door, locked as he expected. Nothing to do, but wait, he thought. A classroom door opened further down on the right. Students emptied into the hallway and started his way. Goren walked up the hall, through the group to the classroom door.
There she was, talking to two students, gathering her things as they talked. Look at her, she laughed at something funny, throwing her head back. Like an exquisite, rare butterfly, Goren watched her. The two students left and she continued gathering her things. Still he watched. Wintermantle lugged up her bag, turned and saw him standing there, watching.
Again, her smile spoke volumes. "Oh! Hello, Detective, have you been waiting long?"
"No, perfect timing. Here, let me carry that for you."
"Ah, a gentleman, that's nice. Thank you," she said and handed over the heavy bag; Goren took it as if it weighed nothing. "I just need to stop by my office so I can drop this off and get my wrap. Then we'll be off."
She is so nice, thought Goren as they walked to the offices. Wintermantle unlocked the reception office door and flipped on the light.
"My office is down this way. Here we are." Small, like the others he guessed, her office was on the left with two narrow windows that looked out on Selman Drive. Loaded, floor to ceiling bookshelves lined two walls. Her desk held a laptop, a stack of folders, an old desk lamp, and not much more. A peek into her work world showed a tidy, cozy, scholarly and professional space. She stepped around her desk while Goren stood in the doorway.
"Where should I put this?" Goren asked.
"Just set it on that chair, thank you. I'll get my wrap and purse." She pulled a leather shoulder bag from a desk drawer.
Goren saw a cape-like thing hanging on an old iron hook and asked, "Is this your wrap?"
"That's it," she smiled and came around from her desk. He held the wrap for her and she chuckled, "You are the gentleman. I like that. Actually, this end is the top and it goes like this." Goren had the thing upside down and inside out. "Here, let me," she offered and took the wrap from him. He let go as she took it and looked sheepish, huge hands trying to help, but touching nothing. "It is quite a contraption to navigate until you get used to it." She turned the wrap and pulled it around her. "There we are. Ready?" Her voice, like dark syrup.
He nodded and stepped out; she flipped off the lights and locked the door. She repeated the actions at the reception door and they started down the hall.
"Where did you park? I forgot to mention where you should go."
"I found a spot in the faculty lot on Lowell. I put the "Official Police Business" card in the window, Goren said. "I thought that lot might be where you park."
"Good for you, that's exactly where I park," she said as they exited the building and started toward the lot.
"Hey, Dr. Wintermantle, wait up a sec," a voice called from behind them.
Goren and Wintermantle both stopped and turned. A young man trotted up and asked,
"Hey, Dr. Wintermantle, I was wondering about that scroll you showed this evening. I wanted to ask you . . ."
Wintermantle interrupted, "Elliott, I'm on my way out. You'll have to make an appointment for us to discuss this when we both have more time. Call Gina to set a time, all right? Good night." Wintermantle turned and began to walk away. Goren turned with her.
"Hey, aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" Elliott called.
"Keep walking. Don't turn around," she whispered.
"Do you want me to send him away?" Goren asked.
"Dr. Wintermantle?" Elliott hollered.
"No, no. He'll stop. Let's keep going."
"Ok, Dr. Wintermantle, I'll call and make an appointment, 'night." Elliott hollered. He stood and watched the pair continue to the parking lot. "Whore bitch," he muttered under his breath.
"Who is that guy, one of your students? Is he bothering you?" Goren asked.
Wintermantle sighed, "He is a student. In fact, he is in every one of my classes this semester. I think he has a crush on me, that's all. There's my car." They walked up to an old silver Volvo in excellent condition. "Where are you? And, where are we going?"
"I'm right over there in the green SUV," Goren replied, pointing. "Get in, lock your doors and then follow me, ok?"
"Ok, I'll be right behind you."
Goren led her to a coffee shop in the East Village. They parked around back and walked down the alley to the front. He held the door for her.
"Bobby! How the hell are ya? Haven't seen you in ages," shouted a man who appeared to be the owner, or manager, or head server, maybe the cook as he made his way to the door.
"Hey, Dickie, I'm fine, how are you?" Goren and Dickie shook hands with an added quick embrace as men do. Wintermantle stood and watched a completely different side of Goren. Here was a man confident and at ease with this friend of his. In her office, he was shy and fumbling. On the way to the car, she saw the strong, professional, assured side of him. This guy has many facets. And, his name is Bobby, huh? Sweet.
"Who is this lovely lady?" Dickie asked.
"This is Dr. Gleason Wintermantle." And to her, "This is Dickie, proprietor of this fine establishment."
Dickie shook Wintermantle's hand and then kissed the back of it. "Doctor, huh? Are you his shrink?" he laughed.
"I'm delighted to meet you, Dickie. No, I. . ."
Goren cut her off with, "Dr. Wintermantle is helping the department with a case. Where can you put us so it will be quiet?"
"Why don't you take your old booth? It's quiet and cozy. Let me get you some menus."
With his hand on the small of her back, Goren guided Wintermantle to the second booth from the back wall. "Give me your wrap and I'll hang it up here." He hung both coats on the hook. She slid in facing the back wall; he took the bench facing the front door.
"This is your old booth? Is there a story?" Wintermantle asked with a raised brow.
With a shy grin, he said, "I used to come here with some buddies a long time ago. There's really no story."
Her cell phone rang inside her bag. "Oh, I'm sorry, let me turn this off," she said she dug it out.
"You should at least see who it is," Goren suggested. "It might be important."
Wintermantle flipped open the phone, looked at the number and said, "I don't know this number."
"Answer it, then."
"Hello? Yes, speaking." Wintermantle listened, frowned and then said, "Who is this?" She flipped the phone shut, turned it off and returned it to her bag.
"Is everything ok?" Goren asked.
"It was a wrong number, that's all."
"But he asked for you by name, didn't he? You said, 'Yes, speaking.' Let me see the phone number." She plucked the phone from her bag, turned it back on and handed it over. "This is a pay phone number. What do you make of this?"
"Really, Detective, it is nothing. A mistake, a prank, nothing. Let's not give it any more time, alright?"
Goren looked at her deeply for several heartbeats, gave her the phone and said, "Call me Bobby."
Dickie returned with the menus and said with a smile, "It's on the house if it's nothing more than pie and coffee," and returned to his post up front.
Goren looked at this beautiful woman across from him. "Are you sure you don't want me to look into this?"
"No, really. I'm going to have tea. They have tea here, don't they?"