Gargantuan_ A Ruby Murphy Mystery - Maggie Estep [40]
I sat down in the straight-backed chair and stared at the phone for a few minutes. Eventually, I picked it up and dialed. On the fourth ring, Ruby’s machine came on, telling me she couldn’t get to the phone but to please leave good messages. I wanted to hang up but didn’t.
“Ruby, it’s Ed. Just saying hi. Call my cell when you have a chance.”
I hung up.
The overhead fluorescent was throbbing like a migraine. I locked the office and made my way toward Corso’s barn. A radio was blaring light jazz. The music rendered all the more vapid by the volume. An old man limped along next to a chestnut horse. Though the old guy had a stud chain running under the horse’s lip, the chestnut was pulling the man, leading him to specific patches of grass that the horse would then nibble at lightly before taking offense, picking his head up, and pulling the old guy a few feet farther to a different patch of grass. The man seemed fine with letting the horse pull him around. Probably relieved at not having to decide where to go anymore.
I found Roderick in front of Corso’s shedrow, hanging bandages out to dry. I watched him carefully pull all the wrinkles out of the wet bandages then make sure they were all hanging evenly. He stood back to examine his handiwork.
“Roderick,” I accosted him, “how’s it going?”
He turned to look at me. He was frowning and didn’t seem to remember that we’d met in the cafeteria a few days earlier.
“I’m Sam. Sam Riverman? Met you in the cafeteria a few days ago? I got a little string of claimers?”
“Oh yeah,” Roderick said, less than enthusiastically.
“How ya doin’?”
“Workin’,” he stated, letting his eyes skate over the whole barn area. It was impeccably clean. Sterile. No music. No cats or goats. All the dirt was raked.
“You want to get a drink later?” I asked him.
Now the guy really frowned and I realized I’d fucked up. He probably thought I was coming on to him. There are all kinds on the backstretch, including guys who’d hit on a slow-witted meat-sock like Roderick. I should have been more careful. I guess I was losing my touch.
I tried to backpedal. “I don’t know too many folks around here,” I said, motioning around me. “I just got into all this. I’m hoping one day I can hire a little help. Word has it you’re the best.”
“Yeah,” he said, cocking his big red head, like maybe the flattery had actually had an effect. “I got my hands full as it is and you couldn’t afford me anyway.” He laughed hard at this.
“Okay,” I shrugged, knowing it was time to back off. “I’ll see you around, huh?” I turned away from the big lug. And came face-to-face with Lucinda. She was all cleaned up now, wearing dark blue jeans and a vivid blood orange T-shirt. Her long hair was loose.
Roderick suddenly came to life.
“Hi, Rod,” Lucinda smiled at him. I hadn’t realized the two of them knew each other.
“Lucinda,” he choked out.
“Sam?” She looked at me. “I thought you had work to do.” Her eyes got smaller.
“I got an hour to kill before feeding,” I said.
“Oh.” She looked down at her feet.
“Let’s have a drink,” I offered, looking from Lucinda to Roderick. Lucinda agreed. Roderick did too. Which might not have been what Lucinda had in mind but it was fine by me.
We made our way over toward the track. The announcer was just calling the seventh race and we all listened as Birthday Suit and Alacrity battled neck and neck. Birthday Suit got a length on his nearest opponent and crossed the finish line first.
“I’d like to work that one,” Lucinda mumbled, more to herself than us, but Roderick heard.
“He’s one of Will Lott’s. Probably ain’t gonna happen. Lott’s got Asha