Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. Vol. 101, Nos. 3 & 4. Whole Nos. 610 & 611, March 1993

“Cookie,” Vonda said patiently, “what makes you think you’ll ever see one of those guys? You know the chances of that happening? You shouldn’t get your hopes up.”

Cookie hunched over the table, her freckles quivering. “It just makes sense!” she whispered. “Think about it. When they’re on the run they have to keep moving, don’t they? So they travel a lot. And this is an airport, right? See my point? They’ve got to travel and they’ve got to eat. I work in an airport coffee shop.” She fell back against the booth, beaming. “It’s just a matter of time before I see one.”

Vonda winked at Ruth. “So how about the guy in your apartment building? You got anything on him yet?”

Cookie sobered. “I’m just not sure about him. And you should be pretty sure before you call. I’ve been through all my tapes, but they try to look different. Disguise themselves, you know, beards and glasses and stuff. But I’m not giving up. I know he’s one.”

Before any more could be said, Arthur Woolsey approached. “Come on, girls. Time to wrap it up for the night.”

Small and tentative, Arthur was like a puppy asking to be petted. He was new at the job and had gone out of his way to be nice to them. Vonda suspected he had a thing for Cookie.

And Cookie was up, bounding away to do his bidding. Ruth and Vonda scooted slowly from the booth. Vonda rose, her lean elegant length towering over the little man. Leaning forward, she planted a kiss on the top of his straw-colored rug.

“Whatever you say, boss,” she murmured, giving his belly a little pinch.

Arthur squeaked, flapping his hands at her. “Honestly, Vonda, you’re incorrigible,” he said before hurrying away.

Vonda’s eyes danced at Ruth. “Artie says I’m incorrigible. Was that a slur, you think?”

It was the end of a long day. Ruth shifted, testing the soles of her aching feet. “Could be. But we’ve both been called worse. Come on, let’s go home.”

Two days later Ruth was surprised to look up from the counter and see Raymond smiling across at her. The bump her heart took surprised her even more.

“Hi,” Raymond said.

Ruth said, “Hi.”

She felt silly, like some high-school girl instead of a forty-two-year-old woman with two big kids. And she’d been feeling that way for a month, since the night they’d met at her church social. Feelings were bubbling up in her that she’d almost forgotten, and she wasn’t sure they were welcome. She’d been on her own for a long time, raising two boys by herself. She didn’t know that a Raymond in her life was what she wanted. But he was such a nice big bear of a man, with eyes earnest behind horn-rimmed glasses, a dark furry beard and gentle smile. Feeling self-conscious, she glanced to see if Vonda and Cookie were watching. They were. Vonda’s eyes signaled the question — Is that him?

“What’re you doing here?” Ruth asked, trying not to let him see how flustered she was.

“I hate to bother you, hon,” Raymond said. She liked his voice, too, deep and warm. “But I need to borrow your car. I’ve got this job interview over the river in Alton. Sounds like a good one. I’ll be back in time to pick you up from work.”

Raymond’s old car was sitting up on blocks behind his apartment. He’d been working on it, but it wasn’t running. Ruth thought quickly. She had customers waiting.

“Well, how did you get here?”

“A guy I know dropped me off on his way to work. I wouldn’t ask you, Ruth, if I had any other way to get there.”

He’d told her several times what a proud man he was, how he hated to ask for things. She remembered him saying it just last week when he’d borrowed twenty dollars to hold him until his unemployment check came through. Pride was important to Ruth, too.

“Sure.” She reached under the counter for her purse. “Just be sure to get back in time to pick me up.”

Raymond accepted the keys. He studied his hands on the counter, and his voice was so low that she had to lean forward to hear it. “I got to ask you for another ten, Ruth, just in case I need it. I know I already owe you. I’ll pay you back, I swear, just as soon as I’m on my feet again.”

When Ruth handed him the bill he squeezed her hand. “I’m gonna get that job. Then I’m gonna take care of you in style, I promise.”

“Watch out for the speedometer,” Ruth said. “It’s broken.”

Vonda was at her shoulder before Raymond was out of sight. “So how come I didn’t get to meet him?” she asked slyly.

Ruth hurried to shove a wedge of pie before a customer who’d been tapping his fingers on the counter. “He was in a hurry. On his way to a job interview.”

Vonda’s eyes were following him. “He looks nice. Good build. I think you stumbled onto something there.”

Then everyone got busy. Ruth didn’t have a minute to think until she took her coffee break, sliding onto the far stool at the counter with her back wedged against the wall. Instantly Cookie slid to a stop across from her, wiping a spot on the counter at Ruth’s elbow.

“Was that Raymond?” she asked without looking up.

“Yeah,” Ruth said. She was feeling a little uneasy and didn’t know why.

“He from around here?” Cookie asked.