S Is for Silence

way to the entrance, I glanced back, amused at how conspicuous my VW looked in the midst of all the pickups, camper shells, vans, and RVs.
    The exterior of the restaurant was rough-hewn, its weathered board-and-batten façade as squared up and staunch as a saloon on a western movie set. The interior was a continuation of the theme: wagon wheels, oil lamps, and wooden tables covered in red-and-white-checked cloths. Happy hour was under way. Where I’d anticipated the odor of cigarettes and beer, the air was rich with the scent of prime beef being grilled over oak.
    Tannie had reserved us a table on the left side of the bar area, which was jammed with people. On the right, through an arch, I could see two or three dining rooms, but my guess was the regulars preferred to eat here, where they could keep an eye out for pals. I was probably one of the few unfamiliar faces they’d seen in a while, judging by the curious looks being turned on me.
    The hostess showed me to the table and moments later a waitress approached. She handed me a menu printed on plain white paper. “You want something to drink while you wait for your friends? Wine list is on the back.”
    I glanced at the list of wines by the glass, bypassing hard liquor in favor of something more familiar. I ordered a glass of Chardonnay and then caught sight of a man, sitting at the bar, whose gaze seemed to be fixed on me. I turned to see if he was staring at someone else, but I seemed to be it. Once the waitress went off to fetch my wine, he eased off the bar stool and headed in my direction. He was tall, with a lean, rangy body, and long arms. His face was narrow, as lined and weathered as a contour map. Broken capillaries in his cheeks made him appear flushed, and exposure to the outdoors had mottled his skin to a nutty brown. His hair, once dark, was now a salt-and-pepper mix.
    When he reached the table, he held out his hand. “Jake Ottweiler, Tannie’s father. You must be her friend.”
    “Nice to meet you. I’m Kinsey. How are you?”
    “Welcome to the Blue Moon, which most of us refer to as ‘The Moon.’ I saw you when you came in.”
    “So did everyone else. You must not get a lot of walk-in trade.”
    “More than you’d think. Folks from Santa Teresa drive up on a regular basis.” His eyes were a piercing blue against the sunburned darkness of his face. Tannie had told me he’d farmed the land for years, but his part-ownership in the Blue Moon had apparently introduced an element of gentility. He’d traded in his work boots and overalls for slacks and a nicely cut navy sport coat over a soft white shirt.
    When the waitress reappeared and set down my glass of white wine, he murmured, “I’ll take care of that” with scarcely a glance at her. It was clear they’d dealt with each other for so long the need for conversation was reduced to a minimum.
    I said, “Will you join me?”
    “Briefly. At least until Tannie gets here. I’m sure you girls have lots to talk about.” He pulled out a chair and ordered a drink with the lift of one hand. When the waitress had moved off again, he leaned back in his chair and studied me. “You don’t look like my idea of a private eye.”
    “These days, we come in all shapes and sizes.”
    “How’s it going?”
    “An investigation like this requires the patience of a saint.”
    “Seems like a fool’s errand, if you want to know the truth.”
    “No doubt,” I said. “Can I ask you a few questions as long as I have you here?”
    “Be my guest. I don’t know that I can help, but I’ll tell you what I can.”
    “How well did you know Violet?”
    “Well enough, I guess. I used to see her in here two and three times a week. She was a troubled soul, but not a bad person by any means.”
    “I heard she took you to small-claims court because of an incident in which your dog killed hers.”
    “That was bad. I felt sorry for her, but I had my dog under control. Hers was running loose, so she was as much at fault as I was. In the end, I had to put my dog down, but it had nothing to do with her. Anyway, we settled it. I could have argued the point, but to what end? Her toy poodle was dead and she was brokenhearted until she got Baby.”
    “Were you at the park for the fireworks the night she disappeared?”
    “I was. Tannie was supposed to go with her brother, but he took off with his friends so the two of us went.”
    “Did you see Foley?”
    “No, but I know he and Livia Cramer got into it.