I brooded a little longer, then put the cards away. I wasn’t about to fool with them any further. Not yet. First, I wanted as much information as I could get.
I headed back for the car. As I walked I reflected that this April 30 wasn’t over. Suppose S didn’t really consider this morning’s encounter as aimed directly at me? In that case there was plenty of time for another attempt. I also had a feeling that if I began getting close S would forget about dates and go for my throat whenever there was an opening. I resolved not to let my guard down at all henceforth, to live as in a state of siege until this matter was settled. And all of my energies were now going to be dire toward settling it. My well-being seemed to require the destruction of my enemy, very soon.
Should I seek counsel? I wonder. And if so, from whom? There was an awful lot I still didn’t know about my heritage . . .
No. Not yet, I decided. I had to make every effort to handle things myself. Besides the fact that I wanted to, I needed the practice. It’s necessary to be able to deal with nasty matters where I come from.
I drove, looking for a pay phone and trying not to think of Julia as I had last seen her. A few clouds blew in from the west. My watch ticked on my wrist, next to unseen Frakir. The news on the radio was international and cheerless.
I stopped in a drugstore and used a phone there to try to reach Luke at his motel. He wasn’t in. So I had a club sandwich and a milkshake in the dining area and tried again afterward. Still out.
Okay. Catch him later. I headed into town. The Browserie, as I recalled, was the name of the bookstore where Rick worked.
I drove by and saw that the place was open. I parked a couple of blocks up the street and walked back. I had been alert all of the way across town, but could not detect any sign that I was being followed.
A cool breeze touched me as I walked; hinting of rain. I saw Rick through the store’s window, seated at his high counter reading a book. There was no one else in sight in the place.
A small bell jangled above the door as I entered, and he looked up. He straightened and his eyes widened as I approached.
“Hi,” I said, pausing then for a moment. “Rick, I don’t know whether you remember me.”
“You’re Merle Corey,” he stated softly.
“Right.” I leaned on the counter and he drew back. “I wondered whether you might be able to help me with a little information.”
“What kind of information?”
“It’s about Julia,” I said.
“Look,” he answered, “I never went near her until after you two had broken up.”
“Huh? No, no, you don’t understand. I don’t care about that. It’s more recent information that I need. She’d been trying to get in touch with me this past week and-“
He shook his head:
“I haven’t heard from her for a couple of months.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, we stopped seeing each other. Different interests, you know?”
“Was she okay when you-stopped seeing each other?”
“I guess so.”
I stared straight into his eyes and he winced. I didn’t like that “I guess so.” I could see that he was a little afraid of me so I decided to push it.
“What do you mean ‘different interests’?” I asked.
“Well, she got a little weird, you know?” he said.
“I don’t know. Tell me.”
He licked his lips and looked away “I don’t want any trouble,” he stated.
“I’d rather not indulge either. What was the matter?”
“Well,” he said, “she was scared.”
“Scared? Of what?”
“Uh-of you.”
“Me? That’s ridiculous. I never did anything to frighten her. What did she say?”
“She never said it in so many words, but I could tell, whenever your name came up. Then she developed all these funny interests.”
“You’ve lost me,” I said. “Completely. She got weird? She got funny interests? What kind? What was going on? I really don’t understand, and I’d like to.”