cup of coffee and lay back on the pillows. Minutes later she was sound asleep.
CHAPTER NINE
MAUDE MET JAKE at the door when he came back inside.
“I’m very sorry that I rushed to judgment about Mrs. Merridan,” she said stiffly. “I didn’t know her true circumstances.”
“Gossip is a dangerous thing,” Jake replied. “She has some serious issues.”
“She told me.” She grimaced. “What sort of monster was she married to?”
“One of the worst kind,” he replied. “I think he’ll put her in harm’s way next. Her animals were a warning.”
“Her poor cat,” she replied. “She said she found him in the woods with a string tied tight around his neck and welts all over him. She took him to a vet and adopted him. She was very upset that he’d gone through something similar again.” She lifted her eyes to his. “She’s not what I thought.”
“She’s not what I thought, either, Mrs. Barton,” he replied quietly. “She’s like a chameleon. She pretends to be something she’s not so that men won’t hit on her. She’s afraid of them.”
“Poor child,” she sighed. “What a life she’s had.”
He nodded. “She could have gone on in college and taught physics. Pity she didn’t.”
“Physics?” Maude exclaimed.
He chuckled. “She graduated from MIT.”
“Well, you never know about people, do you? I fed her some scrambled eggs and bacon. Not a good idea to take medicine that powerful on an empty stomach. My cousin is on the same sort of dose.”
“Someday, I hope, they’ll come up with a treatment that works better and isn’t as dangerous,” he returned.
“And then they’ll take ten years to approve it for general use,” Maude muttered. “I’ll just go clean up the kitchen. What would you like for supper, Mr. McGuire?”
“Just soup and salad. I expect that’s all Ida will want, too. She’s upset about her cat.”
“I know how she feels. I have four cats at home. One got run over by a car and barely escaped with his life. They had to take off one of his legs, but he still runs pretty good,” she added with a smile.
He nodded. “Lucky cat.”
“That’s his name, all right. I’ll have supper on the table about six.”
“Six is fine. How’s Ida?”
“Fast asleep.” She shook her head. “She’s got such huge dark circles under her eyes. I don’t think she sleeps well at all.”
“She has nightmares,” he returned.
“And that doesn’t surprise me at all.”
“If the vet’s office calls here, if they can’t reach me on my cell phone, take a message, okay?”
“I’ll be glad to. And, sir,” she added, a little shamefaced, “I’m sorry about the way I was when Mrs. Merridan came in here. She’s not the woman I expected. Not at all.”
He smiled. “She’s not the woman anybody expects.”
* * *
HE WENT IN to look at Ida. She was curled up on her side in the huge bed, her eyes closed, long black eyelashes lying on her cheeks. She looked beautiful like that. He had to force himself to leave the room.
When he recalled not only the sheriff’s, but also the investigator’s interest in her, he felt himself bristling. He had competition. He wasn’t sure how he was going to handle it, which surprised him, because he’d been certain that Ida wasn’t getting next to him. Apparently, he’d made a miscalculation. It gave him something to think about while he worked in the office.
* * *
IDA WOKE UP just in time for supper. Maude brought her a tray with soup and salad and homemade dressing, with a cream puff for dessert.
“I could have come to the table, Mrs. Barton,” she protested. “This makes so much more work for you!”
Maude just smiled. “It’s no work at all. I love to cook. And it isn’t as if you’re on the tenth floor of some apartment building, you know. You’re just right down the hall.”
Ida laughed softly. “So I am. But thank you.”
“Very welcome. I hope you enjoy it.”
She went back into the kitchen and dished up Jake’s supper. He was sitting at the table reading a market bulletin and glaring down at it.
“Now, now, Mr. McGuire, reading all that political stuff is just going to mess up your mind and ruin your appetite.”
He laughed hollowly. “True enough,” he conceded. He folded the paper and moved it to one side.
“It’s a good night for soup,” she pointed out. “Viciously cold and they’re calling for a foot of snow tonight.”
“I know. I’ve been making phone calls to get things organized here. You’d better get on home while the road’s