Old World Murder - Kathleen Ernst [44]
“Stanley is a jackass,” Chloe said. “Never mind. We can get it done. It’ll just take a lot of trips.” Neither her old Pinto nor Nika’s old Chevette had much cargo capacity.
Nika waved that away. “No, my fiancé is meeting us here to give us a hand. His car’s got a big trunk. It just pisses me off that Stanley wouldn’t help.”
Chloe and Nika were hauling boxes of textiles outside when a gleaming silver Eldorado pulled into the parking lot. A genuine smile softened Nika’s face as she went to greet the young white man who got out. He was thin, almost gangly, and stood a head taller than Nika. He framed her face with both hands, his face glowing, before leaning down for a long kiss. Chloe turned away and fumbled with a bag of quilts.
Then Nika led the young man forward. “This is my fiancé, Joel Carlisle.”
Joel wore horn-rimmed glasses and a Chicago Bears cap. Chloe wondered what punched the most hot buttons in rural Wisconsin: dating a black woman, driving a Cadillac, or rooting for the Bears. “You’re a life saver,” Chloe told him.
“No problem.” Joel shrugged. “I know Nika’s eager to make progress with the textiles.” The pride in his smile twisted Chloe’s heart.
It took several trips, but the three of them got all of the textiles transported to the new storage area before dusk. “Well, it’s a start,” Chloe observed, wiping grubby palms on the seat of her pants. Boxes and bags of quilts and bonnets, blouses and tablecloths, were piled on Nika’s table.
Joel looked at his fiancé. “You’ve got your work cut out for you.”
“Yes I do,” Nika agreed placidly.
At least someone was doing serious collections work that summer. “You guys up for dinner at Sasso’s?” Chloe asked. “I’m buying.”
The tavern was busier than she’d expected for a Monday night. After washing up, she and Nika and Joel settled at the bar to wait for a table. Chloe ordered a Pabst for Joel, and glasses of Zinfandel for her and Nika. Chloe could see why the Old World staff loved Sasso’s. The crowded tavern had a friendly vibe that reminded Chloe of her favorite pub in Brienz. That one served the best rösti, raclette, and äelplermagronen in the canton, though. Vegetarian heaven. But no surprise; Markus had delighted in finding restaurants that served food she could actually enjoy.
Well, no raclette tonight. Chloe was glad when their drinks arrived. She lifted her glass. “Here’s to a good start.” She had to shout to be heard above the din of chatter and laughter and the TV over the bar. “Thanks again, Joel. Nika and I would be lugging textiles by flashlight if you hadn’t helped out.”
“My pleasure.” He grinned, leaning one elbow on the bar. “From what glimpses I got, we hauled a lot of white stuff. Linen, cotton. Those pieces should clean up pretty well, right?” He looked to Nika.
“Right,” she said. “A good soak, a little sunshine—they’ll perk right up.”
Chloe smiled at Joel. “You’ve obviously absorbed some tricks of the trade.”
“Hard not to, living with this lady. She tends to bring work home, figuratively if not literally.” He bumped his shoulder into Nika’s affectionately. “I don’t mind. I’ve always been a history buff.”
Chloe really wished these two didn’t quite so clearly adore each other. You’re being petty, she told herself, but there it was. She and Markus had once been like that, playful and openly affectionate. Hadn’t they? “I understand you’re studying to be a pharmacist?” she asked, trying to focus.
“That’s right. Not sexy, but necessary nonetheless.”
Nika put her glass down. “Excuse me. I see the German lead over there. Jenny asked me a question about the tealeaf china in Schottler, and I looked it up for her.”
Chloe sighed as she watched her intern slide through the crowd to a warm welcome. “I don’t even recognize the woman she’s talking to,” Chloe said, “much less know her name. I’ve told everyone their questions will have to wait until I get my feet on the ground. I don’t know how Nika keeps it all straight.”
“She’s something,” Joel agreed, that proud shine in his eyes again.
“So, how did you two meet?”
“In the Marquette library. I was doing