Now I was out of food but still hungry.
I sipped on my latte. It was too bitter to drink fast.
Good. That would give me something to do and maybe curb my appetite a bit if I drank it slowly.
I tapped my foot and waited.
What was the deal with stakeouts? Why had I been so excited? This was boring. How long would I have to wait for some action?
What was I hoping for anyway?
Wait.
A car just turned the corner.
Yippee! Action.
Maybe someone was coming to see Celia. I strained to identify the car. It didnt look like Alans Lexus.
It was a Toyota. It drove right past me.
Darn!
I fidgeted around the van. Kenny had some pretty good gear in here. I picked up a trombone. Man, it was heavy. My cell phone rang and I dropped the instrument as though Id been caught in the act of stealing it.
I fished my cell phone out of my purse. Yes.
Kate! Hows the stakeout?
It was Kenny.
Boring. How do you play this thing? Its really heavy.
Are you messing with my stuff? Kenny laughed. Why is it boring?
I ate all my food and nothing is happening.
Whatd you bring with you?
A bagel.
That is boring.
I laughed. So, whats up? Do you need your van back?
Youve only been gone thirty minutes.
Is that it?
Do you want some company? Kenny asked.
Not yours.
Kenny laughed. I can bring you some chips or something.
Hmmm.
Catering ŕ la seventeen-year-old.
Chips sound good, I said.
I cant bring beer or anything. Im not drinking age, Kenny said.
Im on a stakeout! This is serious business. Im not here to drink beer.
You have to have something to drink with chips.
Im drinking coffee, I said.
Coffee doesnt go with chips.
Okay, bring some soda then. Something with caffeine, I said.
Okay, Kenny said cheerfully.
All right, see you soon.
Uh, Kate?
What.
Uh, are you going to come pick me up or what? Because you have my van.
Christ.
I cant leave the site, Kenny.
Bummer.
Three hours had passed since Id first parked the van and now I had a more serious problem than hunger and boredom. I needed a hospitality break.
Should I risk going down the street to the shop and use the restroom?
I thought about Laurie. Surely shed be hungry by now and my breasts were starting to burn. Before leaving home, Id examined my breast pump. It had a car attachment for power that plugged into a standard car charger. But who wanted to pump in the car?
After all, it wasnt like there was any kind of privacy in a car. What did other moms do? Use a nursing wrap?
I recalled a news item about one mom getting pulled over because she was breastfeeding while driving. Now that was taking multitasking to a whole new level.
Id tried distracting myself from my bodily needs by killing the time on the phone. I called Jim to check on Laurie; he reported that Laurie was watching him from across the room and making coo-coo eyes at him.
I dialed Paula and caught up with a few friends I hadnt spoken to in a while. I called my brother long-distance; he had moved cross-country for work and this would be the first Thanksgiving we wouldnt be together. I chatted with Kiku. my future sister-in-law. She filled me in on some planning details for her wedding with Jims brother, George. Considering George was on probation due to his antics during my first case, things were going relatively well for them and their new baby. I even called Kenny back a few times.
As soon as I decided that I simply had to go down the street to that shop, the door to the midwife center swung open.
Oh yes!
Action.
I grabbed the binoculars and put them to my eyes, only I was so excited that I did it backward and the effect was that Celia looked miles away. I quickly switched them around and Celia zoomed right up to me, giving me the impression that she could reach out and touch me. I pulled away from the binoculars to verify Celias distance.
She was half a block away and hadnt bothered to notice the van at all.
She was dressed in a track suit with running shoes. I watched as she reached her car, a yellow VW bug, and got in.
I jumped into the drivers seat of the van and started the engine.
Please, Celia, bring me a clue.
It could blow the case wide open if she drove straight to Alans clinic and engaged him in a juicy kiss.
Either that or maybe shed be going to see a client. Then I could at least get a trail on her activities, find out more about her from someone outside Roo & You.
I followed her car to a local gym. She parked and went inside.
There was no way I could wait here for her to finish a workout. Nothing for me to do, but go home to Laurie and Jim empty handed, or empty headedwhatever the case may be.
As I started home, I found myself driving right back to the midwife center.