Ed Lynskey - Isabel and Alma Trumbo 03 - The Ladybug Song by Ed Lynskey Read Free Book Online Page A

corners. “Curt must
not have felt led to use the phone to call anybody.”
    “Most folks
now probably use their cell phones,” said Phyllis, finding a new tissue in her
pocketbook to give Ladybug.
    “Thanks,”
said Ladybug, accepting the tissue. She wiped her eyes dry with it.
    “How did
you find out about his suicide?”
    “Curt
told me during our last phone conversation he was headed on a trip to San Francisco, and he’d call me from there. When he never did, I got worried and contacted
the police who after some earnest convincing on my part checked up on him and then
gave me the bad news.”
    “Did
Curt tell you why he was going to San Francisco?”
    “He
liked to travel but only as a tourist in the Lower Forty-Eight because his home
was always in Chicago.”
    “How did
you stay in touch with him?”
    “Every
once in a while, he’d phone me. We made each other laugh even if it was long
distance. I can only suppose the last time he was on the bridge the good humor
was all gone from him.”
    “If he
was that determined, nobody could have stopped him or talked him out of it. Did
he leave a last note offering any explanation? Many of the suicide victims do
that.”
    “Then I
guess Curt bucked the trend because all the police found in his hotel room were
his two packed suitcases.”
    “I’m
sorry for your grief. Is there anything I can do for you, Ladybug?”
    “Thanks
but I’ll be all right now that I’ve had the chance to talk about it. Sorry I
dumped on lucky you like this. I invited you to our luncheon that was supposed
to be a fun get-together, and I’ve gone and ruined it. I should have kept quiet
about the stupid thing Curt did.”
    “Oh, for
crying out loud, stop it. I’m glad you confided in me. How long have you been upset
like this?”
    “Just for
a couple of days, and I know I’ll snap out of it sooner than later.”
    “I don’t
mind lending you a sympathetic ear. That’s what best friends do for each other.
What are you doing to keep yourself occupied since we last talked?”
    Ladybug
smiled for the first time since they’d sat down at the window booth. “I’ve gone
on the local circuit of craft fairs, but the craftspeople all seem to sell the
same type of merchandise.”
    “Yeah, I
run across a lot of the same craftsy stuff that has been tossed out as
rubbish,” said Phyllis as the bag lady. “Much of it I turn my nose up at taking
since who needs the duplicates.”
    “The
October days are also magnificent for walking, and I’ve worn out the soles on two
pairs of shoes doing it. My jaunts are getting longer each time I go out. I
like to walk over the paths running beside the Coronet River.”
    “I also do
a fair amount of walking in making my rounds.” Phyllis laughed a little. “We
should team up and do something monumental like walk from the east coast to the
west coast. We’ll make it a fundraiser to benefit our favorite charities where
our sponsors will make pledges.”
    “Your
idea is wonderful, and I love it, but my new rule is to steer away from anything
to do with the west coast, especially if it’s in San Francisco.”
    “I can see
why you feel like that, and it was only a suggestion. We can end our walk
anywhere you like.”
    “That sounds
great and I’ll keep it in mind. There is one aspect about Curt’s death that distresses
me.” Ladybug paused as if she was considering it.
    “What else
is bothering you, hon?”
    “It is probably
no big deal, but the San Francisco authorities never recovered Curt’s body from
the bay.”
    “Then how
do the police even know he made the jump?”
    “No
motorists or pedestrians were using the bridge at the time. Even the
ironworkers doing their constant bridge maintenance hadn’t arrived. Only a
dentist named Hallsworth was out for his daily jog. He passed by Curt going the
other way on the bridge’s walkway. Hallsworth was able to identify Curt from
his driver’s license photo on file.”
    “Why
didn’t Hallsworth