“Nah,” Beau says. “Just convinced me I could probably take you.”
The hope I’d generated that someone else was going to handle solving this problem for us drains from my body like when a plug is yanked from an old bathtub. This goose is a load of troubleIdon’t want either, but I suppose I have no choice in the matter. Beau has a point; it makes the most sense for us to contact the museum and let them know what we have. And should anything go sideways, we at least would be less likely to be accused of killing and stuffing the bird ourselves. Not to mention, I did take this on as a favor to Nicole. It wouldn’t be right not tosee it through for her. To try to protect her as much as I can while still returning the goose to its rightful home, especially now that I know she was unwittingly in possession of stolen goods.
“All right,” I concede. “Give us the goose and the email address for your contact at the museum and we’ll work on getting it back to them.”
“Cool. I’ll send you the article too so you can tell Jeff about how you identified it as the stolen one. But do me a favor and keep my name out of it. Just in case. Don’t want to piss him off and have him deny my collections access request.” The last bite of pie disappears into his mouth and, as he swallows, he says, “So you own an antique shop?”
“Half owns it,” Annie whispers so that only I can hear. When I look at her, she flashes a cheeky smirk that makes me want to throw her over my shoulder and haul her off to a private location. Then the smile is joined by the tip of her tongue coasting along her bottom lip before she takes the corner of it into her mouth, and I’m honestly not even sure if the location needs to be all that private so much as nearby.
“Cal?” Beau prompts.
I shake my head, regaining focus. “I do, yes.”
“Like I said, taxidermy is mostly a hobby right now, but grad school is expensive, man. I’ve been trying to find ways to earn some extra cash. Would you be interested in carrying some of my mounts on consignment? Here, lemme show you what I’ve been working on lately.” Beau pulls out his phone and turns it around to show us a photo of a bunch of stuffed rodents dressed like Hollywood starlets in famous films. “The Marilyn Monroe squirrel has gotten a ton of love on socials.”
“Sorry, that’s not really the kind of stuff we sell,” I say, staring down at the bizarre images on his screen. “We’re pretty much only in the antique business. Not the…thisbusiness.”
“Oh. All right.”
“I might be interested, though,” Annie says, studying a rat Gloria Swanson that is apparently ready for its close-up with genuine consideration. “Not right now, but in a few months. I’m going to open up my own store in Asbury Park, in New Jersey. Sort of a curiosity shop along with more traditional antiques. These could be a fun addition.”
My head whips to the side to stare at Annie. This is the first time she’s mentioned anything about this, and something about her not telling me her plan feels like a tiny knife to the gut. I guess a large part of me was banking on there being a chance that she might admit to herself that there’s something substantial between us, might even choose to stay here in Baltimore awhile so we could keep exploring it.
But if she didn’t feel it worth sharing her dreams with me, I need to accept the possibility that it’s because she never had any intention of me being part of them. Or maybe she’s not actually as set on the idea as she’s made it seem? Maybe she thinksI’mthe one who doesn’t want to give this a try, and is planning her life back in New Jersey accordingly?
“I’ll hold on to your number and be in touch in late spring, hopefully,” she adds, and it does very little to help me figure out where we stand.
“Sweet,” Beau says, leaning back in the booth.
With Lylah nowhere in sight, I do a quick calculation of how much our meal costs and throw a twenty onto the table to cover the total and tip. Then I open up the navigation on my phone. “Where do you live?” My question must come out overlybrusque, because it causes Annie to give me a confused but pointed look. “So we can come by to pick up the goose,” I elaborate more calmly.
Annie excuses herself to go to the restroom while Beau gives me an address in Towson. “Meet you there,” he says, showing no signs of leaving beyond pulling his beanie back down over his ears. I follow his gaze and find him staring longingly at Lylah, who has reemerged from the kitchen and is now behind the counter, blowing bubbles with her gum while playing on her phone.
I consider suggesting he should just ask her out, see if there’s anything there instead of living in the excruciating limbo of not knowing if she’s interested. But then I think about my own situation with Annie and realize I’m probably the last person on earth who should be giving relationship advice. My only qualification is being a delusional, smitten fool. I suspect Beau doesn’t need any help in that arena, so I keep my mouth shut.
Catoctin, Maryland— September 1908
“It’s so beautiful.”Ora sighed as she and John sat some distance away to continue observing the goose. “Such a shame to have to kill it. Especially as geese mate for life.”
“Pardon?” John asked, clearly startled.
“They mate for life,” she reiterated.
“No, not that part. You’re going tokillAlbus?”
“Well, no. Not myself. I’ll find someone local who is a better shot, as it’s never been an area in which I excel, and the last thing I want to do is wound it and make it suffer.” She watched as John’s jaw fell open. “How did you think we collected specimens?” she asked.
“I guess I just assumed that you waited until they died of natural causes.”
She smiled patiently, the way one does when faced with the innocence of a small child. “Occasionally, we might. But no, most of the birds in our museum collections were killed in thefield. I cannot say I enjoy it, because I don’t. Not in the least. But it is a scientific necessity. Part of the job.”
John sputtered. “So you came here with the intention ofmurderingthe beautiful bird I sent you?”
“You mean the one youcompletely fabricated?” she pointed out dryly. “Come now, John. Surely you cannot be cross with me for planning to euthanize a creature that doesn’t actually exist.”
“I am opposed to violence of any sort,” he said. “You know that.”
“Even that against fictional creatures, apparently.”
