Parlor Tricks

Chapter 35

Hank awoke to an empty bed and a hot cup of tea. He determined he didn't care for the chill of an empty bed any longer. Still, he dutifully sipped the tea as he got ready for the day, downing the last bit as he entered the kitchen.

"Morning," he announced himself as he entered without pause.

"Morning," Josie neared for a kiss before returning to her focus at the stovetop. She flipped an omelet onto a plate and slid it to him.

"Josie, you don't have to..."

"Take care of you?' She raised one eyebrow as though she were daring him to disagree with her.

Hank let out a sigh. "I appreciate it, but I miss waking up with you," he admitted sheepishly.

"Hm, guess you know how I felt," she teased as she scrubbed the pan.

"Sorry," he murmured as he tucked into breakfast.

She drew near, wrapping her arms around him before adding, "I'm sure we can come up with a compromise." Hank gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead and offered her a fork of eggs. "I'm good." She smiled as she chewed, pleased with her work.

"Agreed."

"Any big plans for today?" Josie's voice was coy as she pulled away.

"Just the shop." Hank made eye contact with her, so she knew he was not considering any pit stops. She let a small smile crack her lips as Hank reached for her hand. "I promise I'll discuss any crazy plans I get into my head," he gave her a reassuring smile.

"You can get away with a lot with those dimples, even for a homely malcontent," Josie teased as she squeezed his hand.

Hank spent some time in the sitting room before heading to the garage. He was in no rush to get there despite the awaiting work. The ladies chatted over more photos as Hank looked on. He could sense that Josie was growing concerned with his inaction, even so, he couldn't draw himself from the chair.

"Hank, could you help me with the dishes?" Josie poked an elbow into him as she picked up the sparse breakfast dishes. Silently, he rose and carried the last few behind her. "You working today?" She was trying to keep her voice casual despite the sharp intent of her question.

"You trying to get rid of me?"

"No, just concerned."

He pulled her waist to him. "I suppose I have something to stay for suddenly. It makes leaving less desirable." He sunk his face to her neck, planting a tickling kiss on it.

"Why don't you bring the truck here? You can work in the garage."

Hank mulled over the idea for a bit. "You mind if I park the Consul at the garage for a while?"

"Of course not; I'll just take your truck to the market."

"The market; do you need something? I can stop on my way home." Hank tried unsuccessfully to soothe the panic in his voice.

"Hank, you can't keep me hidden away."

"Can we discuss this tonight, please?" Hank felt the pleading cover his face.

"There's that pathetic face again," Josie gave him a pout back.

"Pathetic enough to get you to give me the shopping list?"

"No, but only because I need nothing... yet." She gave him a stern look. "Now, get out of here so you can get back here." She swished her hands at him as though he were a fly buzzing in her face.

Hank's fingers drummed along the steering wheel the whole way to the shop. It was unlikely for Peter to be anywhere but his office or home in the mid-morning hours, as recent information would advise. Still, Hank took a longer route than usual to allow for a deeper buffer between potential run-ins. His chest unwound as the shop door clanged down, hiding the car from view. Hank intended to watch it to the ground, but it was not the direction the moment took.

"Hey, Hank."

Hank's lungs pushed the air from him as though Peter's greeting had punched him with the force of a car. Hank sucked in a bit of air to allow for speech and tried to calm his expression before he turned to greet his old friend.

"Hello, Peter. What brings you to this part of town?" Hank knew he had skipped several pleasantries in his haste, but he couldn't stop himself.

"Oh, Nancy phoned to say you stopped in; I thought I'd swing by to see if you needed anything."

Peter's face was pale, with deep purple circles under his eyes. The exhaustion was revealing his frailty in finer detail.

Hank gave him a nod at the reasoning. "No, sir; I was stopping in to see Nancy. It had been too long."

"Yes, I suppose it had." Peter glanced around the lot, pushing Hank's nerves closer to the edge.

"Clara's been going through old photos lately, putting them in books. It got me thinking about the old place. I thought I would drop in. Probably would have fared better if I had brought a sandwich."

Hank quickly discarded the fleeting thought of attempting a smile. Unannounced social calls were outlandish enough; adding a smile to the mix would surely tip his hand.

"I'm sure she would appreciate it." Pater gave a wince of a smile. "How's business?"

"Not too bad; working on Chief Fox's truck at the moment."

Peter nodded as he surveyed the door to the garage hiding the Consul. "Well, I guess I'll be on my way." Peter's eyes moved to linger on Hank for longer than necessary. "I'll try to stop by this week. Looking through some old photos sounds like just what I need right now."

"Oh well, let me call you when Clara is well. She's spent most of her time in bed for the past couple of weeks. A terrible cold has settled into her chest." Peter eyed Hank suspiciously. "I was just about to take Chief's truck home and work on it there in case she needed anything."

"I'm sorry to hear it is lingering." There was a mournfulness in Peter's expression, but Hank didn't note any guilt, despite his efforts to ferret it out. "Hank," Peter's voice dropped low with sincerity. "You know you can come to me if you need anything. I'm always here to help. You and Clara are my family."

Hank stifled a grimace at the sentiment. "Of course, Peter. You've always been kind to us both."

Hank expected acidic bile to rise in his throat, but, instead, emotion pooled in the back of his eyes. Peter had always been kind since his father's death. Hank reminded himself that sincerity could easily disguise the guilt of culpability that dripped from the words.

With a last nod, Peter climbed back into his car and pulled away. Hank sucked in a full lungful of fresh air, painfully filling them. Relieved that the moment had passed and Peter's eyes did not seem too drawn to the garage where the Consul sat.