From Here to Paternity

help in making a mold or something for a bridge, you can give it to him.“
    Lucky took the tooth, glanced at it, and handed it back. “Sony, but that’s not HawkHunter’s tooth.“
    Jane laughed. “How many people have lost teeth by the front door?“
    “I don’t know, but this is someone else’s,“ Lucky said.
    “How do you know?“
    “It’s easy,“ he said. And he showed her.

Chapter 22

    When they got back to the condo, they found Linda chatting with the girls. “Hi, Mrs. Jeffry, Mrs. Nowack,“ she said, heading for her jacket. “I stopped in to check that everything was all right here. The sheriff called Tenny and said he couldn’t find any of you.“
    “What did he want us for?“ Jane asked.
    “Nothing in particular,“ Linda said. “At least I don’t think so. Just wondered where everybody had gone. Don’t worry, I’ll call him back for you. Unless you want to talk to him?“
    “God forbid!“ Jane exclaimed. “Has Willard wrecked anything?“
    “Willard?“ Linda got a mushy expression. “He wouldn’t do a thing like that. Oh, the Sunday papers were all over the living room and there was an awful lot of dog spit on the sliding glass doors—“
    “That cat’s been back, I’d guess,“ Jane said.
    “I took him out for a while and he chased some squirrels,“ Linda said. “That made him happy. I’m going home. It’s been a long day. Is there anything else you need before I leave?“
    “Nothing. Thanks. Oh—there is one thing,“ Jane said.
    “What’s that?“
    “I know you’re going to think I’ve lost the last of my marbles, but—well—as dumb as it sounds, could I look at the back of your teeth?“
    Linda burst out laughing. “Do you think you can fit your head in my mouth to do that?“
    Jane was blushing with embarrassment, which made her feel all the sillier. “No, I just want to stick my compact mirror behind your front teeth.“
    Linda nodded. “Oh, I get it.“
    “I don’t!“ Shelley exclaimed. “Have you both gone nuts?“
    Jane fished her compact out of her purse and slipped the edge of the mirror behind Linda’s upper teeth. Linda was grinning around the mirror. “Shelley, look at the back of Linda’s front teeth—“
    “Okay,“ Shelley said suspiciously.
    “Now, get another mirror and look at the back of mine.“
    Shelley did as she was told. Her eyes widened and she looked at each of them again. “Wow!“
    Linda removed the mirror. “Shovel incisors, it’s called. Indians’ front teeth cup on the back side. I think Orientals’ teeth do, too, but Occidentals are much flatter.“
    “That’s so strange!“ Shelley said.
    “There are skull differences, too, but I don’t know what they are,“ Linda said, pulling on her outdoor boots.
    “Jane, how did you know about this?“ Shelley asked.
    “I ran into Lucky and told him I’d found HawkHunter’s tooth in the snow. He just glanced at it and said it couldn’t be HawkHunter’s because of this shovel-incisor thing.“
    “How weird,“ Shelley said. “How many people do you think have lost a tooth by the front door lately?“
    Jane shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess it might even be an animal’s tooth. I didn’t ask him that.“
    “Well, if you think I’m letting you stick my compact in Willard’s mouth—!“ Shelley said, horrified.
    “I’m sure Willard wouldn’t mind,“ Linda said. There was a knock on the door. “That’s Thomas come to walk me home. See you ladies later.“
    They thanked her effusively for her attentions and Jane stood at the door, waving her off. Thomas Whitewing had an arm around her as they slogged off through the darkness. When Jane came back in, Shelley had poured each of them a glass of white wine.
    “You were very quiet on the way back here,“ Shelley said. “Were you thinking about that weird tooth thing?“
    “No, actually I was thinking about immigrants. Or, I guess they’re emigrants when they move within their own country. You and I were struggling and gasping as we came up the hill through the snow, but think of the thousands of women who literally walked over this mountain without the benefit of fancy waterproof snow boots and down-filled nylon parkas.“
    “Funny, I’d thought about that, too, as we were driving back here this afternoon,“ Shelley said. “But I was thinking that many of them either set out pregnant or became pregnant along the way. Some even had babies just before or during the trek.“
    Jane got up and