Dead to Rights

“Butch?” Joa

“I said it was all right for her to call me that,” Butch said quickly. “I hope you don’t mind.”

Shaking her head and knowing she was licked, Joa

“Part of the problem was all the dog hair hung up on a paper clip in the middle of the hose. I’ve been tinkering with the motor, though, too. You’re going to be amazed when I put it back together.”

Butch’s high spirits were somehow irresistibly infectious. “I’m sure I will be,” she said with a smile. “Have you two made any other plans while my back’s been turned?”

“He wants to go on the underground-mine tour,” Je

“You could come, too,” Butch offered, looking at Joa

Joa

The look of disappointment that crossed Je

“Wait a minute,” Joa

With a sigh of satisfaction, Butch put down the vacuum cleaner motor, stood up, and sauntered over to the kitchen sink to wash his hands. “No Eagle,” he said firmly. “Je

“But…” Joa

He gri

NINETEEN

Seeing that the waffle-making was in good hands, Joa

Hastily pulling Andy’s old robe over her dripping body, Joa

“You’re not going to believe this,” Maria

“Two of what?”

“Two babies. Two girls. Ruth and Esther. That’s what we’re calling them. That was what was going on with Jeff-what he couldn’t tell me over the phone or write about, either. And it’s why he needed the extra company. He was afraid one of the officials might take offense and change his mind.”

Joa

“‘That’s right. One of the nurses in the orphanage came to Jeff secretly a little over two weeks ago and told him about Esther. Ruth, her sister, was the baby we were supposed to get originally. Esther would have been left behind. The nurse told Jeff that without Ruth sharing her food, she was sure Esther would die-probably would have died already. Once Jeff knew Ruth and Esther were twins, he couldn’t bear to separate them.”

“Two. Why, Mari, that’s wonderful,” Joa

“You should see her, Joa

“If they’re twins, how can they be so different?” Joa

There was a slight hiccup in Maria

As she listened, Joa

“How serious a heart murmur?” she asked. “And can it be fixed?”

“We don’t know yet,” Maria

“Jeff kept the whole thing a secret because he wasn’t sure he’d be able to pull it off. He was afraid there’d be some kind of last-minute hitch. He could have called once they got to the airport, but he didn’t. He decided he wanted to surprise me. Isn’t he wonderful?”

“He’s wonderful all right,” Joa

“When can you come meet them? Do you want to come for coffee later on this morning?”

Joa

“Absolutely.”

“We’re about to have breakfast. We’ll stop by around ten, but just for a minute. Long enough to say hello. Most likely a friend of mine from out of town will be with us. If you don’t mind, that is.”

By the time Joa

“It’s Sue Espy,” Je

“Do you want to?” Joa

“Well?” Je

Butch looked uncomfortable. “Your mother and I haven’t had a chance to discuss it yet.”

“Discuss what?”

“I was talking to Je

Je

Butch sighed and shook his head. “Stood up again,” he said. “Just my luck. How about you? Would you consider going to di

“On one condition,” Joa

“What’s that?”

“We go in my car. I’m not built for motorcycles.”

The phone rang again, almost as soon as Je

“Matt Bly, the composite guy, is due here at ten,” Dick Voland a

“Who’s ‘we’?” Joa

“Jaime Carbajal,” Voland answered. “I figured that would give me a chance to check him out and see how he does when he’s working solo.”

“How about if I meet you at the hospital?” Joa

“All right,” Voland said, “but be advised. It’s just like I said it would be. We’re paying through the nose for this guy. I don’t want to waste any of his time.”

Once the breakfast dishes were loaded into the dishwasher, Je

“Ready,” Je

To Joa