Nervous Water by William G. Tapply Read Free Book Online

I said, “hearing her voice. I still think of Cassie as a toddler. She couldn’t have been more than two or three the last time I saw her. Not even talking in complete sentences. And now, suddenly…she’s all grown up.”
    â€œAnd how old were you?” said Evie.
    I nodded. “Thirteen, fourteen maybe.” I checked the scrap of paper and started to dial the other number.
    Evie reached out and grabbed my wrist. “Wait,” she said.
    I pressed the Off button. “What?”
    â€œWhat are you doing?”
    â€œI’m going to call the house.”
    â€œLet’s think this through.”
    â€œWhat’s to think through? I want to talk to Cassie.”
    She tilted up her beer bottle, emptied it, and handed it to me. “Why don’t you fetch us another beer,” she said. “And while you’re at it, bring out my cell phone. It’s in my bag in the kitchen.”
    I went in, grabbed two bottles of beer from the refrigerator, found Evie’s cell phone, and took them back outside.
    Evie flipped her phone open. “What’s the number for the dentist’s house?”
    I dictated it to her.
    Evie pecked it out, then pressed her phone against her ear. She looked up at the sky for a moment, then said, “Yes, could I speak to Cassie, please?…Um, this is Evelyn Banyon. Is this Richard?…Me? I’m a friend of hers…Well, see, I knew her in San Francisco, oh, this was several years ago. I’m here in Boston now, visiting for a couple weeks, and I heard she was married, and I was hoping…Oh, I see. Well, when do you expect her?…Sure, okay, that would be great.” She recited her cell phone number. “Right. Good. Thank you. And congratulations, Doctor. Cassie’s a wonderful girl.”
    She took the phone from her ear, looked at it, and put it on the table. “He says she’s not there. He’s not sure when she’ll be back. He’ll tell her I called.” She took another swig of beer. “He was lying about something.”
    â€œYou think?”
    She nodded.
    I reached for her phone. “My turn.”
    She put her hand on it. “Use a different phone.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œWhat if he’s got caller ID? If you call from the same phone five minutes after I did, he’ll know something’s up.”
    â€œSomething is up, honey,” I said. “Why should I pussyfoot around this fucking dentist? I want to talk to Cassie, that’s all. It’s pretty straightforward.”
    â€œYou’d make a terrible hospital administrator,” said Evie. “I don’t know how you make a penny as a lawyer, I really don’t. Nothing is straightforward. Everything has angles and twists and shadows.”
    I smiled. “So what do you suggest, Signora Machiavelli?”
    â€œMaybe the dentist is telling the truth,” she said. “Maybe Cassie’s in the shower or out shopping or away for the weekend. If so, he’ll give her my message and she’ll call back, wondering who the hell this old friend from San Francisco is whose name doesn’t ring any bells, and I’ll hand her over to you, and you can talk to her.” Evie shrugged. “But, see, you might as well assume he’s lying, in which case, actually talking to Cassie is going to be trickier. You’ve got to keep your options open, that’s all. Try not to arouse his suspicion. Wait a couple hours, then call from a different phone. And you’ve got to decide whether you’re going to be her long-lost cousin or a lawyer with confidential legal information for her.”
    â€œBut I’m both of those things, more or less.”
    She rolled her eyes. “That’s hardly the point. If one identity doesn’t do the trick, you’re going to need the other one.”
    I stared at her. “God, you’re devious.”
    She grinned. “Thank you. That’s very