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

intervene and stop Curt?”
    “It all happened
so fast Hallsworth said he didn’t have the time to react. He didn’t actually
see Curt but heard him scream ‘Geronimo!’ At least he kept a little sense of
humor until the end. Anyway, Hallsworth rushed back to the bridge railing,
looked down at the bay, and saw nothing unusual bobbing on the water’s surface.
He called 911 from his cell phone and reported it to the police.”
    “What
came of it?”
    “What
you’d probably expect. The police filed the report of the Golden Gate Bridge claiming its next suicide victim. I’m sure it’s a drill they’ve done all too many times,
and he became the latest statistic.”
    “It’s just
a tragedy,” said Phyllis. “Could this Hallsworth be a crank making up what he saw
happen on the bridge to get some attention?”
    “He is a
credible eyewitness the police official told me over the phone, and I believed
her.”
    Phyllis
keyed on an item. “Why did Curt pack the two suitcases he left in his room?”
    “There
is nothing weird about that. He was always the neat and meticulous Felix Unger
type.”
    Phyllis
knew Felix Unger was the character in the TV sitcom The Odd Couple she’d
watched during the early 1970s.
    Ladybug sent
her blank gaze out the window into the sunny street. “I was probably the only
person left in the world who cared the slightest bit about Curt, but I don’t
feel enough concern to take the trip out to Frisco and check into the
circumstances surrounding his death.”
    Phyllis
decided not to remind Ladybug that Isabel and Alma were sleuths since neither
lady liked to take long trips. Phyllis wasn’t crazy about flying either. “You
might feel better if you went anyway and got some closure out of it,” said Phyllis
    “I might
find a little peace of mind,” said Ladybug “But it’s less trouble to wait here and
get through my shock. Given a little time, it will run its course, and I’ll be
back to my old chipper self.”
    I certainly
do hope so for your sake, Ladybug , thought Phyllis. She smiled with a nod at
her friend.
    “I guess
I’m that hungry, after all,” said Ladybug staring her largely untouched lunch.
    Phyllis
nudged her dish away from her. “Me, either,” she lied. “I ate a late
breakfast.”
    “Unless
you want to order dessert, I’ll grab the check this time,” said Ladybug.
    “I’m all
done,” said Phyllis. “Are you sure about paying for us?”
    “Don’t
worry about it,” said Ladybug with a hollow laugh. “Believe me when I say I can
afford it.”
    “Okay,
but only if you insist on it,” said Phyllis. “Thanks.”

Chapter 9
     
    Rosie
and Lotus weren’t at home at Rosie’s gingerbread cottage and the lady sleuths left
in the sedan. Despite the October day’s cool weather, Alma had a hankering for
a tall glass of iced tea, and she insisted they stop to get it. Naturally,
Eddy’s Deli was their unanimous choice. They trooped inside and claimed the same
window booth where Phyllis and Ladybug had sat down for their lunch the
previous week. Phyllis felt a pang of melancholy, but she put off feeling blue because
she was too busy right then.
    Jet-haired,
tall, and willowy Tabitha, Eddy’s longest-tenured server, strolled out of the
kitchen bearing a pleased smile on her heart-shaped face. Rumor had it Eddy was
sweet on her, and Tabitha just shrugged if her customers asked her about it.
She and Sammi Jo had gone to high school together a few years ago.
    “Hey
there, you all,” said Tabitha. “What brings you in on this awesome October
day?”
    “This
year’s leaves will be breathtaking,” said Phyllis.
    “The
leaves will be a dizzying pageantry of colors,” said Alma.
    “What
can I get for you ladies?” asked Tabitha.
    “The poetic
Alma would like to order a tall glass of your iced tea,” said Isabel, sending
her sister a sidelong glance.
    “Nothing
is wrong with taking five minutes out of the day for a little pick-me-up refreshment,”
said