The Bohemian Connection

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Book: The Bohemian Connection Read Online Free PDF
Author: Susan Dunlap
Tags: Suspense
Ask anyone who lives near her, they’ll know what I mean. Right now we have a sewer hole blocking our garage. That’s because Michelle kept bugging the city council to keep on the sewer company. If she had let things run their course it wouldn’t have gotten there till fall when the town wasn’t so mobbed and we wouldn’t have tourists driving up the street, slamming on their brakes at the hole, and then trying to turn around. We’ve almost had our car hit three or four times.”
    “Surely that’s not the only reason.”
    “No, it’s just the latest. I’ve known Michelle since she was a child. She’s four years younger than I am. When she was in high school my brother Ross took her out from time to time. He was already out of school—a big man. He’d invite her somewhere when the spirit moved him, then he’d forget about her. And she’d come over to the house looking for him. I sort of felt sorry for her—it was lousy of Ross—but at the same time she was such a pest. She was a very popular girl, and she just couldn’t accept that someone she wanted didn’t care about her.”
    Thinking of the picture inside Michelle’s yearbook, I asked, “What does Ross look like?”
    “I don’t know.”
    “Ross—your brother.”
    “I said I don’t know. I haven’t seen him in eight years, since my father died. He left town that day. My father had a heart attack. He had it because he was shoveling a hole and Ross was standing by watching him work—and there you have Ross’s character in a nutshell.” She swallowed. “Ross didn’t even bother to come to the hospital. Ward had to ride in the ambulance with my father. And when I looked for Ross to drive me there, he was gone. He just left.”
    “Where is he now?”
    “I don’t know. He lived in San Francisco, off some woman. That was years ago. He hasn’t come back. I wouldn’t see him if he did.” She looked down at the charcoal and when she looked at me again she seemed to be in control. “I’m sure I sound spiteful but if you knew Ross you wouldn’t be surprised. He came and went as he pleased. But there was always a job for him with my father. My father kept thinking it would work out, that Ross would shape up and take over the business, like a son should. It was lucky for him that he had Ward to get some work done. Ross was too busy with himself. He had to go to Mexico, or he had to picket at the Grove, or ride his motorcycle. He was always too busy to take customers around. Ward had to do that. Or my father. It’s no wonder he had a heart attack.”
    I waited a moment before asking, “When you saw him last, was Ross tall with sandy hair?”
    She nodded.
    “There’s a snapshot Michelle has of herself and a tall sandy-haired man holding a picket sign…”
    She nodded again. “Michelle showed it to me. She’d brought it to show to Ross, but, of course, he wasn’t there. That picture was the story of their relationship—Ross looking at the sign, Michelle staring cow-eyed at Ross.”
    “That was definitely Ross in the picture?” I could hear the excitement creep into my voice.
    “Yes. Of course. Why?”
    “Because I saw him on the back porch of your house today. It might not have been him, but it looked a lot like—”
    The charcoal snapped. Jenny sat staring at it. I couldn’t decide by looking at her if her reaction was shock, or anger, or both.
    “If Ross came back, would Michelle have spent the night with him?”
    Her eyes refocused slowly. “What?”
    I repeated the question.
    In that time she gathered herself together. “Probably,” she snapped. “If he’d asked her to walk barefoot to Nome she would have done that. And that’s—”
    “Jenny.” A couple was standing beside the easel. I hadn’t noticed them. I was sure Jenny hadn’t either. The man continued, “I really want a picture of my girl. Are you going to be through soon?”
    “Yes. I’m through now.”
    “What about my picture?” I said.
    “You got what
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