Vineyard Fear Read Online Free PDF Page B

women rule the world.” Then she pushed away any frown that might have been on her face and lifted her glass. “Good to see you, John.”
    â€œAnd you.”
    â€œI saw that beautiful young professor and his doting students the other day. His students seemed to adore him.”
    â€œThe good ones mostly do,” said Skye. “He drives them hard, but they like it. The youngest associate professor at Weststock. Were he and his gang any kind of problem, J.W.?”
    â€œI never saw them while they were here. The normal dirty linens, dishes, and rubbish were here when they left. I found an earring, three stray socks that I added to the rubbish, and that backpack I mailed to its owner. I’d call them a pretty good crew.”
    We ate in the kitchen.
    â€œSay,” said Zee, “this is good fish, John. I think I recognize the stuffing. Jefferson’s recipe, isn’t it? And these julienned beets and carrots!”
    â€œSimple, but delicious,” said John, modestly.
    â€œLet me guess. Cook a pound and a half of carrots and a pound and a half of beets, then peel and julienne them and mix them up and heat the mixture through with some butter in a frying pan. Right?”
    â€œHmmmph,” grunted John.
    â€œThey look good and they taste great and they’re easy to fix! Terrific for a bit of color on the table at Christmas or Thanksgiving. Jeff showed me how to make this dish. Where did you learn it, John?”
    â€œHave some rice,” said John. “You’ll love it. J.W. showed me how to read the recipe on the box. And have some more wine. J.W. had me bring it over from the mainland.”
    â€œWhat’s for dessert?” asked Zee, with a laugh.
    â€œCognac. My own, by God!”
    Over cognac and coffee John learned of Zee’s August plans. He looked at me. “Seems that you’ll be the only one left on the island, J.W. I’m headed for Colorado in August.”
    â€œThere are worse places than this to be abandoned by your friends,” I said.
    â€œHow long since you’ve been off the island?”
    I thought about that for a while.
    â€œLast fall,” said Zee. “We went to a Red Sox game at Fenway. Remember?”
    â€œThat was it.” I get off once a year or so. It’s usually enough.
    â€œThey even won,” said Zee. “That was an unexpected bonus. We had a good time. Beer under the stands, popcorn and peanuts, all the stuff you’re supposed to do. We even met an old cop buddy of Jeff’s. He was there with his wife and kids.”
    â€œBrad Tracey.”
    â€œNicknamed Dick, naturally. He and Jeff got to talk cop talk for a while. His wife was nice. Two nice kids, too.” Zee’s voice changed tone when she mentioned Brad’s wife and children. Zee was getting close to thirty and I wondered if she was hearing the famous biological clock ticking inside her and if that might be one of the reasons she was going off to conferences in New Hampshire. It didn’t seem the time to ask her.
    â€œIf you can hold the island down until September,” said John, “I’ll be back to do some fishing before the fall term starts. The girls will have to be home early in the month so they can start school, but I’ll have a couple of loose days.”
    â€œI thought you scholarly types never really had a day off. I thought you were always thinking and thinking.”
    â€œHey,” said John, “I have to think all winter. When summer comes, give me a break.”
    After supper, we went for a walk in the evening light. There was a lane leading south from John’s barn. It ran along between trees on one side and a meadow of high grass on the other. A hundred yards along, John snapped his fingers.
    â€œOops. Gotta go back. Got to call Mattie. Don’t get lost.”
    We watched him move back toward the house.
    â€œI don’t think he really had to call Mattie,” said Zee.