You'll have to see for yourself."
"Did you meet the owner "Mr. Leland Gaunt, from Akron, Ohio," Polly said, and now Alan could actually hear the hint of a smile in her voice. "He's going to be quite the heartthrob in Castle Rock's smart set this year-that's my prediction, anyway."
"What did you make of him?"
When she spoke again, the smile in her voice came through even more clearly. "Well, Alan, let me be honest-you're my darling, and I hope I'm yours, but-"
"You are," he said. His headache was lifting a little. He doubted if it was Norris Ridgewick's aspirin working this small miracle.
"-but he made my heart go pitty-pat, too. And you should have seen Rosalie and Nettle when they came back..."
"Nettle?" He took his feet off the desk and sat up. "Nettle's scared of her own shadow!"
"Yes. But since Rosalie persuaded her to go down with her-you know the poor old dear won't go anywhere alone-I asked Nettle what she thought of Mr. Gaunt after I got home this afternoon. Alan, her poor old muddy eyes just lit up. 'He's got carnival glass!' she said.
'Beautiful carnival glass! He even invited me to come back tomorrow and look at some more!' I think it's the most she's said to me all at once in about four years. So I said, 'Wasn't that kind of him, Nettle?' And she said, 'Yes, and do you know what?' I asked her what, of course, and Nettle said, 'And I just might go!' "Alan laughed loud and heartily. "If Nettle's willing to go see him without a duenna, I
ought to check him out. The guy must really be a charmer."
"Well, it's funny-he's not handsome, at least not in a moviestar way, but he's got the most gorgeous hazel eyes. They light up his whole face."
"Watch it, lady," Alan growled. "My jealous muscle is starting to twitch."
She laughed a little. "I don't think you have to worry. There's one other thing, though."
"What's that?"
"Rosalie said Wilma Jersyck came in while Nettle was there."
"Did anything happen? Were words passed?"
"No. Nettle glared at the jerzyck woman, and she kind of curled her lip at Nettle-that's how Rosalie put it-and then Nettle scurried out. Has Wilma jerzyck called you about Nettle's dog lately "No," Alan said. "No reason to. I've cruised past Nettle's house after ten half a dozen nights over the last six weeks or so. The dog doesn't bark anymore. It was just the kind of thing puppies do, Polly. It's grown up a little, and it has a good mistress. Nettle may be short a little furniture on the top floor, but she's done her duty by that dog-what does she call it?"
"Raider."
"Well, Wilma jerzyck will just have to find something else to bitch about, because Raider is squared away. She will, though. Ladies like Wilma always do. It was never the dog, anyway, not really; Wilma was the only person in the whole neighborhood who complained. It was Nettle. People like Wilma have noses for weakness.
And there's a lot to smell on Nettle Cobb."
"Yes." Polly sounded sad and thoughtful. "You know that Wilma jerzyck called her up one night and told her that if Nettle didn't shut the dog up, she'd come over and cut his throat?"
"Well," Alan said evenly, "I know that Nettle told you so. But I also know that Wilma frightened Nettle very badly, and that Nettle has had... problems. I'm not saying Wilma jerzyck isn't capable of making a call like that, because she is. But it might have only been in Nettle's mind."
That Nettle had had problems was understating by quite a little bit, but there was no need to say more; they both knew what they were talking about. After years of hell, married to a brute who abused her in every way a man can abuse a woman, Nettle Cobb had put a meat-fork in her husband's throat as he slept. She had spent five years in juniper Hill, a mental institution near Augusta.
She had come to work for Polly as part of a work-release program.
As far as Alan was concerned, she could not possibly have fallen in with better company, and Nettle's steadily improving state of mind confirmed his opinion. Two years ago, Nettle had moved into her own little place on Ford Street, six blocks from downtown.
"Nettle's got problems, all right," Polly said, "but her reaction to Mr. Gaunt was nothing short of amazing. It really was awfully sweet."
"I have to see this guy for myself," Alan said.
"Tell me what you think. And check out those hazel eyes."
"I doubt if they'll cause the same reaction in me they seem to have caused in you," Alan said dryly.
She laughed again, but this time he thought it sounded slightly forced.
"Try to get some sleep," he said.
"I will. Thanks for calling, Alan."
"Welcome." He paused. "I love you, pretty lady."
"Thank you, Alan-I love you, too. Goodnight."