Chapter 8
Gathering Evidence
"Ahhhhhhhh-chooooo," Raylan let out the third or fourth sneeze over the past five minutes, as he, Winona, Adam, and Willa walked around the perimeter of the Supreme Court Building. He pulled out his handkerchief just in time for another sneeze.
As if the day couldn't get any worse for him, it appeared he was allergic to something in the air.
"How are you doing, Cowboy?" Winona asked him. His eyes were teary, and he was sniffling.
"Just great," he said sarcastically, clearing his scratchy throat. He'd never had something come on so fast.
"There's a pollen alert out for today," Adam mentioned. "After all the storms this winter, you have entered an allergy vortex."
"What the hell is an allergy vortex?" Raylan asked. He sounded very stuffed up but still spoke with a bite.
"Hell if I know," Adam pushed back a little. "That's what they're calling it on the news here . . . a worse allergy season than usual."
"Look," Winona interjected, changing the subject. "There's a CVS pharmacy across the street. Maybe they have something for you like an antihistamine or something. No sense in you being miserable on this trip."
Too late for that, Raylan thought to himself.
After a rifling of two or three more sneezes in a row, he finally said, "Let's head over to that pharmacy."
Adam talked Raylan into letting him push the stroller for a while, and he and Winona remained outside of the pharmacy as Raylan went inside. He headed straight to the back to talk to the pharmacist.
"Hey, I'm from out of town, and I seem to be havin' a reaction to somethin' in the air," Raylan explained.
"You need Zyrtec-D," the pharmacist said and handed him a pack of the 12 hour release tablets without missing a beat. "Everyone here is on this stuff."
"No shit," Raylan said, pulling his wallet out of his pocket. He spied a refrigerated shelf next to the register and pulled out a cold 7-Up. Then, he saw a big package of cough drops. "I'll take these, too," he said.
"That'll be $42.95," the pharmacist said.
"Whoa," Raylan peeled off the last of his cash and handed it over. "You don't know where I could find a cash machine, do ya'?"
"Yep. There's one inside the store, closer to the entrance."
"Thanks," he said. As soon as he paid, he took one of tablets out of the package and downed it with the soft drink.
"That formula works well, but it could make you drowsy," the pharmacist warned. "You might not want to drive or operate machinery until you see how you do on it."
"No problem," he said. "I'm not drivin'."
The pharmacist handed him a bag to put everything in, and Raylan headed for the cash machine.
Meanwhile, outside, Winona took the opportunity to apologize to Adam for Raylan's behavior.
"I understand," Adam said. "The guy wants to get this initial meeting with Anna over with."
"Yeah, but that's no reason for him to be rude," she clarified.
"Believe it or not," Adam shared. "Anna can be like that, too, when she's under stress. Sometimes, she embarrasses the hell out of me. I've learned not to take it personally."
"No kidding," Winona nodded with familiarity. "I don't take it personally when he's like this, but I don't take any crap off of him, either. Thank goodness it doesn't happen very often. Most of the time, Raylan's a great guy."
"Anna's a sweetheart most of the time, too. I promise not to hold this against him," Adam assured her.
"That's very kind of you," she said.
Adam glanced at the time on his cell phone. "Anna shouldn't be that much longer. If you like, we could catch a cab and head over to the house. Hang out there. I don't think Raylan is into playing tourist."
"No. I think Raylan feels pretty lousy," Winona agreed.
Raylan walked out of the pharmacy in time to hear the tail end of their conversation. Truth was, he was feeling lousy, and he nixed the idea. "I don't want to meet Anna for the first time feelin' like this. The pharmacist said these might make me drowsy, maybe a nap would help, too."
"It's time for Willa's nap anyway." Winona nodded. "And I wouldn't mind freshening up. Is that okay, Adam? We could go back to the hotel for a couple of hours and take a cab to your place around . . . five?"
"Perfect," Adam said. "That will give me time to get things started so I don't spend the whole time you're there in the kitchen." He turned the stroller back over to Raylan and held out his hand for a parting shake. "I hope you feel better."
"Thanks," Raylan said, accepting the shake. "Tell Anna I'm lookin' forward to meetin' her later. Hopefully by then I'll be breathin' a little easier."
He laughed. "No problem. Goodbye, Winona." He squatted in front of the stroller. "And you, too, Miss Willa." The baby gave him a slobbery grin.
-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-
Along the kitchen counter, Adam pulled out the Kitchen Aid stand mixer, food processor, baking pans and cooling rack. He began his prep by buttering and flouring the cake pans. Anna walked into the kitchen, carrying bags of groceries on Adam's shopping list.
"Jeez, I thought that bitch was never going to let us out of there," she complained. "I'm all about the case, you know that about me. But this Goodall . . . she hauls us all in on a Saturday to do this bureaucratic, dotting i's and crossing t's budgetary bullshit paperwork that makes Finchbaugh's bullshit seem amateur."
Pulling the bottles of wine and the bourbon from the bags, Adam came up behind her, grabbed her by the shoulders and kissed her on the cheek. "Feel better now? Maybe a beer would help."
"Yeah, a beer sounds great," she smiled.
As Adam went to the fridge to get her a cold one, Anna asked, "So? Tell me. What's Raylan like?"
"Honestly?" he asked as he popped the top and poured the beer into a glass for her. "He's kind of a dick."
"How so?" she asked, taking a sip of the beer.
"Well," Adam said thoughtfully. "He didn't like the restaurant. Didn't like all the variety. Ordered bacon and eggs," he laughed. "Complained about the prices, then picked up the tab. The walking tour came to a screeching halt when he came down with allergies. That's why they went back to the hotel. Well, that and so the baby could have a nap."
"Sounds like he likes to be in control of things," Anna listened carefully. She could relate to that. "What about Winona and the baby?"
"Oh, Winona's cool. Pretty lady. Very easy to talk to. You'll like her," Adam reported, pouring sugar into the mixer. "And Willa, the baby? She's too cute. I think she likes me."
"All the ladies like you," Anna said with a grin.
He returned it. "What's not to like?" After a beat he said, "Leave those out, Babe," referring to the mushrooms she was just about to put away in the fridge."
She placed the package of shitakes near him and reached over and took his hand, giving it a little squeeze. "Thanks for taking care of them in my absence. Sounds like Raylan's a tough guy. He's a marshal. I'm not surprised."
"Your mother might be right. There were things about him that reminded me of you," he squeezed her hand back. "It's his height, his frame. His build. He's slender, like you, but very muscular, toned. And there is something about the bone structure of his face. I think it's in the eyes, across the bridge of the nose. His fingers are long and slender, like yours." Adam went back to adding dry ingredients into the mixer. "He's like a taller and more masculine version of your body."
"That what Mama said," she nodded.
"Oh, and there was one more thing," he spoke over the sound of the motor. "His walk. I swear, he walks just like you."
"My walk?" she asked.
"Yeah," he smiled. "Your very sexy walk."
"You think Raylan is sexy?" she teased.
"For a guy," he shrugged. He began to crack the eggs and drizzle the oil into his batter.
"I think sexy is when you cook a gourmet meal for me and our guests," she flirted, rubbing herself against him.
He smiled and protested, "I need to get this cake in the oven." He playfully pushed back.
Her hands began to explore his body, concentrating on the bulge in his jeans. She followed him around the kitchen, teasing him relentlessly as he poured the batter into the pans and placed them into the pre-heated oven. He set the timer and then, he turned toward her and took her into his arms. Their mouths met, clothes flew, and they made urgent love on the kitchen floor.
-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-
Raylan woke from his nap to find Winona putting on her makeup. She had showered, done her hair up, and put on a pretty, sleeveless navy dress that clung to her in all the right places.
"How are you feeling?" she asked, applying mascara to her long eyelashes in front of the bathroom mirror.
He began to cough. "Probably better than I sound." He sat up.
"You'd better get in the shower. I put your grey shirt, tie, and slacks on a hanger here, in the bathroom."
"Okay," he said. He noticed Willa was also up in her carrier seat, dressed in a cute little navy and white checkered suit with a matching bib, babbling away.
"Raylan, do you think you might try and be a little nicer to Adam? You were pretty rude to him this morning." There. She said what she'd wanted to say all day.
"Well, you were nice enough for both of us," he replied. He sounded a bit miffed.
"Don't play jealous because I know you're not." She brushed powder on as a finishing touch to her make-up and turned to him. "He's a nice guy. Give him a break."
"The guy's a pussy," Raylan croaked, stating it as if it was a matter of fact.
"He's a metro man," she countered. "And he's your sister's boyfriend. She cares about him."
"You mean my alleged sister's boyfriend," he corrected her. "He's her pretentious boyfriend."
"And what was with your constant cracks about spending money?" she asked, turning towards him with her hand on her hip. "We've been spending money all week. Why all of a sudden . . . and in front of Adam? Raylan, I was embarrassed by your rude behavior!"
"I know. I'm sorry," he apologized, losing his voice. "I'm worried about money," he confided.
"Why?" she asked. "What's changed in the last 24 hours that I don't know?"
He now had her full attention. "I've been summoned to appear in front of Assistant Director Goodall, first thing Monday mornin'," he admitted. "She knows, Winona. She knows I used her password."
Winona stepped closer to the bed. She knew something more than meeting Anna Rulé had been bothering him. This explained it. "You have to be in Miami to see Karen by Monday?"
"No," he shook his head. "Her post is here. Now that she's now a big wig, she's housed at the head office in Arlington, Virginia, 'bout 10 minutes from here . . . if there's no traffic. She musta just been in Miami last week."
"Oh," she sat down next to him on the bed. "Well, at least you're already here, nearby," she tried to make light. After a moment she asked, "Are you worried about losing your job?"
Raylan reached over and put his arm around her shoulder. "I think I can convince her I had a good reason for doin' what I did. I'm gonna tell her the truth."
"About looking for your sister?" she asked. "Yeah, I think that would be a good idea."
"Hey," he shrugged. "I've talked myself outta far worse before," he smiled, trying to believe his own bullshit.
Winona reached up and placed her hands on his face. His eyes looked like he had a bad cold. His voice was hoarse. He didn't have a fever.
He brought her in for a hug, being very careful not to mess her hair or makeup. "Ya' look beautiful," his voice cracked.
"Thank you," she said. "You sound terrible."
"Like I said," I sound far worse than I feel. "That pill did dry me out. I'm pretty sure it's allergies, and I'm not contagious." Giving her another hug, he said," I'd better go take that shower. Let's go meet Anna."
-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-
"You look gorgeous," Adam said, peering over her shoulder. Their eyes met in the mirror, hers doubtful.
"It's not too . . . busy?" She nodded to the wild black and white print of the sleeveless maxi-dress.
"I like it," he assured her. "But then, I liked the other three dresses you had on, too."
"Should I put my hair up?" She lifted it off her neck and turned her head, first one way, then, the other to look at it.
He squeezed her shoulders. "You look fine either way. Don't be nervous."
"I don't know why I am. I'm never nervous."
He backed away, pulling a white, collarless shirt out of the closet and shrugging into it. "It's not every day you meet your brother for the first time." He tucked the shirt into his dark denim jeans and slipped a black belt through the loops.
"Half-brother," she corrected. "Maybe."
Adam laughed. "If he's not your brother, I'll eat McDonald's for a week."
That earned him a smile. "Wow. You must be damn sure." She wrapped her arms around him and kissed his mouth. "I'll take that bet." Releasing him, she bent and retrieved a package from the black leather satchel leaning against the dresser.
"What's that?"
She handed it to him. "DNA testing kit. We can have the preliminary results in a week, and the final results within three."
He followed her out of the bedroom with the envelope. "What? He walks in, and you're gonna say, 'Nice to meet you, can I have some DNA?'"
She turned and looked at him. "It's smart, don't you think?"
"Well, yeah, but maybe not tonight." He slid open a drawer in the buffet table and lay the envelope inside, softly shutting it. "Let's just enjoy the food and the company, okay?"
From the dining room, they heard the doorbell ring.
"It's Show Time," Anna said, letting out a deep exhale while leading Adam by the hand.
Anna opened the front door and ushered everyone inside. "I guess everyone met everyone earlier today, except for me. I'm Anna, of course."
Raylan, who insisted on wearing his Stetson, and earned a strange look from the cab driver for it, tipped the brim. "I'm Raylan." His scratchy throat had him sounding like a long-time smoker. "This is Winona and our daughter, Willa."
Anna, a little overwhelmed, noticed Raylan was carrying the baby's carrier. She was almost eye to eye with the man, who was only about four inches taller than her. He studied her as well.
In the awkward silence, Adam suggested, "Why don't we all go into the family room where there is more space? I've got some drinks and appetizers ready for us in there. Follow Anna."
Adam and Winona hung back, watching Raylan and Anna walk ahead. They looked at each other in astonishment. It was true. Anna and Raylan shared a very unique walk. And the similarity in their slight muscular builds was uncanny.
"So, what can I get you to drink?" Anna asked Raylan.
"Ya' wouldn't happen to have a bourbon, would ya'?" he asked in his best Kentucky accent.
"Well, we did. Until Adam used it in the cake," Anna said, channeling hers from New Orleans.
"No, no," Adam corrected her. "There's more than half a bottle left."
"Excellent," Anna said. "I'll join you in one. How do you take yours?"
"Over ice," Raylan croaked.
"That some cold you have there," she acknowledged, as she walked into the kitchen to get some ice. The open floor plan allowed them to continue talking over the island.
"I'm pretty sure it's allergies," he said, his voice about gone. He coughed, sounding wheezy. "Although I've never had 'em before."
"I never had them until I moved here," Anna shared. "Turns out I'm allergic to the tree pollen around here. Crape Myrtle in particular, this time of the year."
"Do say?" He wondered if shared allergies were an indication of shared parentage.
"Winona, what can I get for you?" Anna asked, finally turning attention to her and the baby. "We have about every liquor you can think of. Beer. Wine. And some flavored vodkas."
"I've got a bottle of champagne chilling," Adam interjected. "Would you like a glass?"
"Yes, that sounds fun," Winona smiled.
Raylan sat Willa in her carrier, up on the bar, where she commanded 'ooohs and ahhhhs' from Anna and Adam. Winona handed her the monkey and her toy keys to wave around as she babbled and smiled.
"Anna," Raylan said, barely above a whisper. "I hate to come off as blunt, but I'm a 'cut to the chase' kinda guy. What do you say to the two of us doin' a DNA test as soon as possible?"
Winona cringed at Raylan's rather rude approach.
On the other hand, Anna shot Adam a look but of a different kind. "Would you mind?" she asked him, sending him down the hall.
When he returned with the kit, it gave a sigh of relief to all.
"All we have to do is swab the inside of our cheeks for sixty seconds and mail it in. We'll have preliminary results in a week," she explained to Raylan. "The final result comes two weeks after that."
Anna broke open the kit and read Raylan the instructions aloud. They decided to do it before eating or drinking anything, per the instructions. As the two of them conducted the test, Adam brought out a crudité platter with hummus for dipping and popped the cork on the chilled bottle of champagne. He poured some for Winona and for himself in crystal flutes.
After Raylan and Anna each swabbed their cheek for the required 60 seconds, they placed the swab in the designated containers and screwed on the lid, sealing them tight. They filled out the label and the paperwork, and Anna placed their samples in the fridge to be shipped overnight with the enclosed ice pack on Monday.
To celebrate, Anna handed Raylan a glass of bourbon, keeping one for herself. Raising her glass, she toasted, "To DNA testing."
"Cheers," Raylan croaked with a grin. He thought he caught a glimpse of something familiar in Anna's face, hoping he wasn't buying into the contagion of wishful thinking by Adam, Winona, and Marguerite Dumois.
(To be continued . . .)