Ogrodnik Interior 2.0c Read Free Page B

used to break the jaw. Did the robber punch Dad and then hit him with the rock? Seems like overkill if all he wanted was the cash. And then there are the fingerprints on the wallet. They said that the only fingerprints on the wallet were Dad’s. That means the robber didn’t wipe it down, so was he wearing gloves? That indicates pre-meditation. In any event, the police theory doesn’t add up for me, so I’ll investigate on my own to see what I can come up with.”
    “You’re right. It sounds fishy,” Randy replied and then let the silence hang for a moment.
    “What else is going on in your life?”
    “Not much really. I’ve been clearing up my dad's affairs and waiting for the investigation to finish. I know I’ll have to sell his house and most everything in it, but right now, those aren’t a priority for me.”
    Randy hesitated for a moment before venturing into an area he knew would be sensitive. “Are you seeing anyone?”
    “Really, you’re going there? I just put my father in the ground and you think I’m worried about female companionship?”
    “Yeah, I am going there. You need someone in your life. Jake’s not around and your dad is gone. You have nobody.”
    Elliot nodded but said nothing.
    “What happened to that online dating site you told me you were going to try?”
    “I tried it once, and I’d rather have a Tabasco enema than go through that again.”
    “It didn’t go well?”
    “To say the least. My dating profile was built by answering over a hundred questions. Hell, they even asked me what my preferred sexual position was. I told them anything that didn’t include a magazine and my hand.
    “My date and I had a 97% compatibility probability. I guess we fell into the other 3%. I took her to Magnan’s for supper. She sent her steak back to the kitchen three times and then, finally satisfied with it, took one bite and decided she wasn’t really hungry. After that I spent the rest of the evening dodging questions about my net worth. It was the most agonizing eighty-three minutes of my life.”
    “Yeah, but did she have big tits?”
    “Go ahead; laugh it up. I’d like to see you put yourself out there.”
    “So you’re going to quit after one try?“
    “You know what I loved about Sarah? I loved the sound of her laugh. I loved it when I’d catch her looking at me for no reason. How do you map out those qualities in a profile questionnaire? Randy, compatibility can’t be forecast with a pile of data points. I’ll wait and meet someone the old-fashioned way.”
    “You mean like clubbing someone over the head and dragging her back to your cave by the hair?”
    “Ha. Not that I have anything against good old cave sex. I mean, meeting someone during the course of my everyday life and when something clicks, it’ll be unforced and natural.”
    “Okay, okay, moving on,” he said raising his hands in a mock surrender.
    “How’s Jake doing?”
    “I came here to discuss my future, and you’re grilling me like a T-bone steak,” Elliot protested for a moment and then gave in when he saw they were falling on deaf ears. “I guess he’s good. We didn’t have much time together at Dad’s funeral, and we really don’t talk much anymore. Mostly we exchange messages on Facebook.”
    “That doesn’t sound like a recipe for a solid father/son relationship. You two used to be so close.”
    “Yeah, well, he’s got his life, and I’ve got mine. Times have changed.”
    Mesman looked at his friend thoughtfully. “Where did it go wrong for you? Six years ago, you were the crown jewel of this faculty, a two time Perkins-Bohr winner and one of the most influential criminologists in the country. Look at you now. It’s like you’ve given up on life. What happened to the Elliot Forsman I used to know?”
    “You know damn well what happened,” Elliot said with a tone of resignation as he leaned back in the chair. “The old Elliot fell off that platform with Sarah. Now all that’s left