Jack stopped dead in his tracks. “Father-in-law? Then that would mean you’re—”
“Widowed.” The girl shrugged. “Not all of us are old hens.”
“Really? Christ…I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be. My husband died some time back, stupidly, in the middle of a Bop fight.”
Jack glanced at her. “A what?”
Maybe he asked too softly, or possibly she wasn’t listening. Either way, Louise continued as if Jack hadn’t spoken.
“Ages ago. I remember him, and I know I was in love, but mostly the memories seem like they belong to someone else. I don’t feel much — strange, I know. The Prof says it’s one way of dealing with the trauma.”
Jack tried again. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but what’s a Bop?”
“A Bop?” Louise regarded him with an expression close to amazement. “You know, Jack — a Cape, of course. Everyone knows that.”
“He was a Cape?”
This time, she laughed in husky fashion. “God, no! He was in the wrong place at the wrong time, when those awful people decided to have a brawl.”
Obviously.
When would Jack get it through his thick skull? If her husband were a Cape, he more than likely wouldn’t be dead — at least according to the old rules. Jack nodded, but had other things in mind. Killed in a battle between Capes? He had to think about that, and played for time.
“What was his name?”
“His name?” A shadow passed across Louise’s face, as if she’d been caught sleeping. “Honestly? It’s the past. I’m all for the here and now. C’mon. You really do want to meet the Prof.”
“The what?”
“Not the what, silly, the who — Professor Sekrine, my eccentric inventor-cum-father-in-law.”
“Don’t you mean father-in-law-cum-inventor?”
“Hah! What a silly slip-up!” She laughed again. “Although, p’raps, he might’ve invented me. I should ask.”
Jack studied her. “Louise, I doubt anyone could invent you.”
“Are you dissing or flattering me?” The girl blushed. As far as Jack was concerned, she looked still prettier while doing so. “Well, what’s the verdict?”
“Both?” he hedged.
“Humph! Perhaps I should turn you away.”
“Homeless again,” he said, with a smile belying how close to the truth it felt.
For her part, Louise seemed to sense some of that. “Of course I’m kidding!” She leaned over and kissed his cheek.
“Care to repeat that?”
“Maybe.” Her eyes held onto his.
“You mentioned this professor’s name was Sekrine, but yours is Starkwell.”
“Starkwell’s my maiden name. I stopped using Sekrine after my hubby passed away. Seemed like a good idea at the time.” She blinked a few times. “So, hop to it — otherwise we’ll fall asleep here in the stairwell!”
“Now?”
“No, tomorrow.” Louise edged the glasses down her nose in order that Jack could better observe as she rolled her eyes. In any case, she still had a smile.
“Well,” he said, lacking any solid argument, his byte of bravado having scarpered, “didn’t you say this professor would be caught napping?”
“I think I said likely. Sometimes he works all night, pottering away on his devices. The Prof runs the antique shop here during daytime hours, though often I discover him kipping at the till. Come on, you’ll like him. And if he’s hit the sack, well, we can play quiet. Right?”
“Right.” Jack had to laugh. “What kind of play are you talking up?”
“The mind boggles.”
Louise took his hand in hers; they ascended the ten steps, whereupon the girl opened the letterbox. Finding nothing, she unlocked the big front doors, they pushed one of them inward, closed it as silently as possible, and proceeded up a set of extremely squeaky stairs.
“Well, I think it’s safe to say we’ve woken up the entire building,” Jack decided.
“Shhh.”
On the landing, the door to his right swung open and a man with seriously competitive tall/dark movie-star looks drilled him from inside its gateway. This neighbour had on a purple satin dressing robe with a swirl pattern and tassel-end belt.
“Everything all right, Louise?” he asked.
In spite of the effete dinner wear, the man looked ready to bludgeon Jack to death — if this turned out to be the girl’s father-in-law, he decided he was in serious trouble.
“All perfect, Mister Phillips.” Louise presented him with a charming smile that seemed to tame the beast. “Sorry for disturbing you. Good night.”