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“It’s all right,” I tell her. She knows perfectly well that it isn’t, but she’s obviously here for a reason. “What is it?”
“I thought you should know that guy is back in town. He’s asking more questions about your friend. Amanda came by and said he’d been to the clinic a couple of times.”
Panic wells up inside of me.
“What did she tell him?”
“Nothing,” Margot says. “Don’t worry. She didn’t even want to say anything to me, but she said she got a weird vibe from him. She did recognize the picture and thought I should know about it even though you apparently told her not to mention it to me.”
“It was before we talked,” I say.
A gust of wind flips Margot’s hood from her head, and she grabs the fur lining to pull it back down, shivering.
“You want to come in?” I hate to even make the suggestion, but the wind is cold.
“I’m sure it’s warmer inside.”
“Okay, but…well, just be nice, okay?”
“Why wouldn’t I be nice?” Margot narrows her eyes at me.
“Fuck if I know. This is not the sort of thing I know how to deal with.”
“It will be fine, Bishop.”
“If you say so.”
“So,” Margot asks very softly, “who am I meeting?”
“She’s Seri right now,” I reply just as quietly. “I don’t know how she is going to react to you. Just don’t freak out, okay? And don’t say anything to her about…well, about the others.”
“Is this supposed to make sense?”
“None of it ever does.” I give her a half-hearted smile as I start leading her back to the cabin door. “But Seri doesn’t know about Iris or Netti, so just don’t mention them.”
“I have no idea how that would come up in polite conversation anyway.”
With great trepidation, I open the door and allow Margot inside. Seri is just inside the door, holding Solo in her arms.
“Seri, this is Margot.”
“Hello,” Margot says with a polite smile. She pulls off her gloves before holding out her hand, and Seri has to shuffle the cat around in her arms to shake it.
Apparently, Solo doesn’t appreciate the extra company. He wriggles in Seri’s arms and gives her a good scratch on her hand. She releases him with a sharp cry, and he scampers under the bed.
“Uh…that was Solo,” I say.
“I see.” Margot snickers.
“Are you all right?” I ask Seri.
“I’m fine,” she says as she rubs the scratch on her hand. “He just startled me.”
“Sorry about that.” I turn back to Margot. “He’s not accustomed to visitors.”
“Pets are supposed to mimic their owners,” Margot replies.
“Very funny.” I stand with the two women on either side of me, trying to figure out how this could be any more awkward. I should probably offer Margot a drink or something, but I can’t think of the right words.
