“It was a little kid,” Connie said. “The kid said the nice man gave you bracelets.”
The front door banged open, and Lula burst in.
“I got it. Heaven help me, I got the plague. I woke up and I was all itchy, and when I got to the bathroom I saw them!”
“Saw what?” Connie asked.
“The boo-boos. I got them. They’re all over me. I’m gonna die. I got plague boo-boos.”
“Have you been to a doctor?” Connie asked.
“No. I came straight here. I’m afraid to go to a doctor. He’s gonna tell me my fingers and toes are gonna fall off and then I’m gonna die. I read about it, and it’s not good to die from the plague. I’m gonna need a closed casket. I’m gonna look terrible. And I’ll tell you another thing. I want my money back on those dumb flea collars. They don’t work.”
“Where are the buboes?” I asked her.
“All around my neck and ankles.”
Connie got up and took a close look. “You’ve got a rash from the flea collars.”
“I never thought of that,” Lula said. “I guess I should take them off. I even wore them in the shower, and come to think of it they got all sticky.”
Connie gave Lula scissors, and Lula cut the flea collars off and threw them away.
“This here’s a big relief,” Lula said. “I thought I was a goner.” She looked over at me. “Holy cow, what’s with you!”
My hand went to my face. “You mean the scrapes and stitches?”
“I mean the Pilates pants and the little black T-shirt. That’s a total new look for you. It’s damn sexy. I might try that look on myself.”
“It’s comfortable,” I said. “The material doesn’t pull on my scabs.”
“We got an abbreviated version of yesterday from Tank,” Connie said. “And Susan Gower called and said you came in for some stitches, but you were okay.”
“I got some skin taken off when Pooka hit me with the van. I was lucky I wasn’t hurt worse.”
“Tank told us you were with Becker.”
“Pooka had been keeping Becker in the garage behind his house by Kiltman. I think he moved him when he moved the fleas.”
“Why’d he want Becker?” Lula asked.
“Pooka needed a blood source for his fleas,” I said. “He had Becker drugged, and he was taking blood from him.”
Lula’s eyes rolled back into her head, and she crashed to the floor.
“Either she just had a massive heart attack or else she fainted,” Connie said. “Get her feet elevated.”
I propped Lula’s feet up on a couch cushion, and Connie draped a wet towel over her forehead.
Lula opened her eyes, but she looked like she was still out.
“No blood,” she said. “You can’t have my blood.”
“No one’s taking your blood,” Connie said. “You fainted.”
“Did I pee my pants?” Lula asked. “I heard sometimes you pee your pants when you faint.”
We got Lula up on her feet and moved her to the couch.
“I didn’t actually faint,” Lula said. “I just had a moment. You better not tell anybody I fainted. It would ruin my reputation for being sensitive but tough.”
“I’ve got your messenger bag from Lula,” Connie said to me. “I put it in the bottom file drawer.”
I retrieved my bag and pulled my phone out. Twelve missed calls from my mother and four from Morelli. I didn’t want to talk to either of them. I didn’t know what to say.
“I’m picking Gobbles up so he can check back in with the court,” I said to Connie. “Hopefully we can get him rebonded right away, so he doesn’t have to spend a night in jail.”
“Vinnie’s there now. I’ll tell him to wait for you.”
“I’ll go with you,” Lula said. “And on the way back we can stop at a drugstore, and I can get some cortisone cream for my neck. It’s already feeling better now that the flea collar is off. Except I feel underdressed without my bedazzles.”
•••
Gobbles was waiting on the sidewalk in front of Julie’s house when I pulled up. He got in the backseat, and he looked nervous.
“I hope this goes okay,” he said. “I don’t want to be in jail. It’s scary when they close the door, and you’re behind bars like a caged animal.”
“Vinnie is there now,” I said. “We’ll do everything we can to get you released.”
Ten minutes later I parked in the public lot, took Gobbles directly into the courthouse, and turned him over to Vinnie.
“He’s going to be okay,” Lula said. “I got one of those feelings again.”