For Whom the Minivan Rolls: An Aaron Tucker Mystery - By Jeffrey Cohen Page 0,75
the kids.”
“Galoot?” Mahoney said, raising his eyebrows.
“I meant it in the most affectionate way possible,” I said.
“You stay on that side of the table, Pal,” he said. “I still have my knife.”
Abby put the dishes in the dishwasher and sat back down at the table. “So you were just trying to irritate the Barlows today?”
“Well, there were plenty of news organizations there, too. If somebody wants the complete story, they now know there’s a reporter who has the inside track.”
“Oh yeah,” said my wife. “Screaming ‘Don’t vote for Mayor Murder’ while you’re being thrown out of a suburban backyard cookout is going to look really good on your resumé. Not to mention I don’t know how I’m going to get through the supermarket now. Everyone will be staring at me.”
I stood up. “They all stare at you now, Honey,” I said. “At least the men do.”
At the door, she kissed me a little more passionately than she normally would. “Drive safe,” Abby said. I gave Mahoney the eye over her shoulder. He understood the message, and I left.
The ride to Emmaus seemed a lot longer this time, even though I could listen to A.J. Croce, Elliott Smith, Janis Ian, and Ella Fitzgerald on the way. But Mahoney’s absence meant two things: no friendly banter, and possible danger at home. It was difficult to resist the urge to call home on the cell phone every three minutes. But I managed to call only twice en route, and things were fine both times, although Leah couldn’t make up her mind whether to take a bath or a shower. Some decisions are just too big to be made quickly.
I had wanted to talk to MacKenzie on the phone, but his number was unlisted. And I didn’t have time for Barry Dutton to come home (where he wouldn’t be overheard consorting with the enemy), get the number from Verizon, and call me back with it. But this way, MacKenzie wouldn’t know I was coming beforehand, and with his hearing, it could be a while before he knew someone was at the door, especially if he was in the greenhouse.
He took a couple of minutes to answer my ring, and did seem surprised when he saw me at his door. The trip had taken twenty minutes less than the first time, mostly because this time I knew where I was going. MacKenzie invited me into the living room for coffee, but I asked if we could talk in the greenhouse. He seemed puzzled, but agreed. He didn’t walk as quickly as he probably had at fifty. Or sixty. The walk to the greenhouse was probably more than he was prepared for, but he didn’t complain.
Once there, he asked if I was here to buy some flowers or a shrub, assuming that I’d asked to come into the greenhouse to choose the one item I wanted to take home. I assured him that wasn’t the reason for my trip.
“Then I can’t say I completely understand,” he said slowly. “I’ve already told you I can’t help with the matter of the phone call.”
I walked to the drawer where he had gotten the cell phone on the last visit, and asked if I could take it out. MacKenzie nodded, but still seemed puzzled. I turned the phone on and pushed a couple of buttons.
“You see, Mr. MacKenzie, you and I were both thrown off the track the last time. Could you do us a favor, and get for me the card with your cell number on it?”
He thumbed through the index cards again, and retrieved the card while I talked. “We forgot to think that someone might have wanted to deceive both of us, that they’d know we’d check the phone number on the threatening phone call.”
MacKenzie found the cell phone number on his card, and I walked to him to get it. “I don’t see why that would make a difference, Mr. Tucker,” he said. “I still know I didn’t make that call.”
“And I don’t think you did, sir, but I do think that someone you know made it.”
His eyebrows jumped up. “Really? But the only ones who come back here are me, my daughters. . .”
“. . . and the people who come to buy your plants,” I said.
There’s a button on every cell phone that will tell you what phone number it’s using. That is, if you forget your own phone number, it will be glad to show it to you. And when I pressed