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“Well, I never get sick.” I grin and twirl the hair on the side of my head. “Those bunnies keep me nice and healthy.”
“Jerk!” Seri snickers, then winces as she holds her stomach. “Stop making me laugh!”
I hold up my hands in surrender and take a seat beside her on the rug.
“Actually,” I say, “being alone has its advantages. When you aren’t around people, you can’t catch what they have. The last time I was sick was a couple of summers ago. Caught something from Margot when I stopped in at the lodge for some fishing supplies. I’ve never been sick during the winter here.”
“Did you see her when you went into Whatì?” Seri asks.
“Um…” I swallow, not sure if I should divulge that information but then realize my hesitation answered the question. Seri raises an eyebrow at me, and I have to say something. “Yeah, I did. Briefly.”
“How is she?” Seri’s tone has changed, and she’s not longer making eye contact.
“She’s good. She was on her way to see her mother.”
“That’s nice.” Seri reaches over and picks Solo up from his box where he’s been sleeping. He startles, meows, and resists her attention for a minute, then starts licking potato off her fingers.
She’s jealous, and I consider calling her out on it but decide not to do so. The conversation has lead me in a good direction to ask her about the men I saw in town, and now is as good a time as any.
“I saw someone else while I was at the clinic.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know his name, but a guy was there looking for you. Two guys, actually. One was driving.”
“For me?” She stares at the cat and doesn’t make eye contact with me. “What did he look like?”
“A little shorter than me. Dark curly hair and a beard. He had your picture. I didn’t get a good look at the driver.”
“Did you talk to him?”
“Briefly.”
“What did you say?” I see her throat bob as she swallows.
“I told him I saw you at the gas station,” I say. “I didn’t tell him you were here.”
“What would they want with me?” Seri releases the cat and reaches for her drink.
“You tell me.” I stare at her, and she finally looks up at me.
“I have no idea.”
She’s lying to me.
Seri suddenly jumps up and heads to the bathroom, and I give her a worried look.
“I just have to pee,” she says with a blush. “All these fluids are catching up, I think.”
“That’s a good thing.”
“I guess so.”
Solo meows at the door, demanding Seri come back out.
Seri’s reaction is alarming. This isn’t the same as when she hasn’t been aware of something Iris has done. She knows exactly who I’m talking about, and she’s denying any knowledge. I’m hesitant to call her out on lying. The very idea of confronting her makes my head hurt, and I’m not sure if she will be any more willing to give me a straight answer if I did call her a liar. I might be better off talking to Iris.
Iris asked me for protection, and I think I’ll have better luck demanding information from her, but I don’t know how to summon her. I’m pretty sure she will be able to identify him if I tell her what he looks like. Netti may have information as well, and I find it easier to get information from her than either Seri or Iris.
