Obviously, she was accustomed to thinking ahead for other people. “That was my responsibility,” he said as he held out his hand. Except where was his charger?
“I’ve got one,” she said, answering the question he hadn’t asked out loud. She pulled one out of a drawer. “I upgraded last year, so you can have this.”
He took it, taking a long frustrating moment to remember how to plug it in to his phone and then again into the wall socket.
“It’s really dead,” she said, “so it’ll take a few to even start.”
“I know how my phone works!” he snapped. Then at her raised eyebrows, he took a deep breath. Damn it, he wasn’t used to being this ill equipped to handle his life. “I need to call Alan. He’s the lawyer. But his number is in my phone and I can’t read to recognize his name.”
She nodded. “I’ve got that figured out, too.” She tapped on her laptop, which came to life on a Sesame Street program. “It’s just a matter of remembering things. I figure you start with the basics and build up until it comes back. It shouldn’t take you long.”
It shouldn’t, but even a few minutes was too long to remember something he’d been doing since he was five. And they didn’t have the time. They were supposed to go to the police station, but the cops would likely put them in separate rooms. She couldn’t cover for his lacks. And without time to find a lawyer, who knew what kind of legal hot water he could land in? It was just too complicated and he wanted to slam his head against the wall until his stupid brain worked.
And just when his frustration was growing into epic proportions, Alyssa touched his arm. “Hey, you haven’t eaten anything. Want some breakfast? Or at least coffee?”
“Coffee. Definitely coffee.” That way he wouldn’t just be stupid. He’d be alert and stupid.
“Coming up.”
She went back into the kitchen and he followed like a damned puppy dog. He watched as she pulled down a coffee mug and poured. And he lingered as he took it from her so he could stroke her fingers and not think about the disaster lurking ahead.
“Drink,” she said. “I’ll make us some eggs.”
“Thanks.” He drew the mug to his lips and inhaled.
Taint.
The scent was subtle, akin to bacon sizzled too long, and it made him wrinkle his nose in disgust. But it had been a long time since he’d had coffee, and God knew he wanted the caffeine, so he took a sip despite the smell.
Nausea roiled in his gut and he spit out the brew straight into the sink. He dumped his mug, too, while Alyssa stared at him in shock. And then he backhanded the faucet to kick it on, but the spray held the same smell. Stronger even, and he slammed it off as quickly as he could.
“What’s wrong?” Alyssa gasped.
“Did you drink that coffee?” he asked.
“Yeah. Some at least.”
He grabbed her mug and sniffed. Sure enough, the same taint was there. He dumped it while she sputtered her protest.
“It’s bad,” he said. Then he pulled her over as he turned on the water again. “Smell that. Can’t you sense it?”
She inhaled, but then shrugged as she straightened up. “It’s Detroit. Who can tell what’s in the water?”
“And you still drink it?”
She opened her mouth to argue, but then bit her lip. “I guess I didn’t think about it.”
He’d been a bear for the last ten months, but even he’d heard of the water disaster in Flint, Michigan. “No more water,” he said. “You don’t drink this at all.”
“Um, okay. We’ve got a few more bottles of your special water. Is it okay to wash the dishes?” She looked to her bathroom. “And what about the shower? You’ve been here a couple days now. Are you just now noticing this?”
He pursed his lips. She had a point. “Hold on,” he said as he crossed to the bathroom and flipped on the shower. It didn’t take more than ten seconds for him to smell the taint in the steam. It was thick enough to make him choke as he turned it off. “That wasn’t there yesterday,” he said. “Whatever it is, it’s new.”
“Oh goody,” she drawled as she plopped her hands on her hips. “Look, it’s impossible to function without using the water. Are you sure?—”
He cut her off. “I’m sure.” He kept his voice firm, though inside he was questioning. The UP had beautiful water and besides, he’d been a bear. What did he know about crappy city water? Except he couldn’t bring himself to change his mind. That water was bad. “We’ll mention it to Kennedy—” He cut off his words as an electronic chime sounded from the office. And continued to sound, along with a steady buzz. He looked to the room with a frown.
“That’s your phone,” Alyssa said. “Sounds like you’ve missed a few calls.”
