Silver Linings

dress.”
    “Just a little something I whipped up a couple of weeks ago. I had to leave a lot of really nice stuff behind, damn it.”
    “I take it you left Hades in a hurry? Hugh tried to call you back after you phoned the other night, and the desk clerk said you'd already left with a suitcase. I was worried. What happened, Evangeline?”
    “Remember I told you some trick was coming down the hall to my room and I had to get off the phone?”
    “Yes?”
    “Well, it wasn't a john. It was some guy named Gibbs. He wanted to talk to me about a friend of his. Someone named Rosey.”
    “Rosey's dead. He was killed over on Purgatory.”
    “That right? Well, his friend Gibbs was afraid of that. Wanted to know if I knew what the hell was going on. Mentioned this Rainbird guy again and said he sounded like trouble. He told me about the way your friend Abbott had stolen his boat to get off Purgatory and how Abbott had offered money for information on whoever might have shot a man named Cormier. When the name Rainbird came up again, I got real nervous. It occurred to me that I might already know a little too much. I've always trusted my instincts, you know?”
    “So you decided to leave Brimstone?”
    “Not just Brimstone. I decided to put a lot of distance between me and this Rainbird character until things cooled down. It occurred to me I needed a little vacation and it wouldn't hurt to come back to the States to check up on my investments. Brokers and accountants can get a little sloppy if you don't breathe down their necks once in a while, you know?”
    “That's true,” Mattie agreed. “I make it a point to check in with mine in person a couple of times a year.”
    “Right. So I figure I'll kill a couple of birds with one stone. Take care of business back here and wait for things to settle down out there.”
    “That may have been a very smart move. I don't know for certain what's going on, but there's real trouble brewing. Hugh left yesterday morning.”
    “Yeah? What's he going to do?”
    “I wish I knew,” Mattie said sadly. “Look, if you don't mind sleeping on a big couch, you're welcome to stay with me for a while until you decide what you want to do.”
    Evangeline looked startled at first and than strangely grateful. “That's real nice of you, honey. Sure you don't mind?”
    “Not in the least. I think I'll rather enjoy having company.”
    Evangeline grinned. “I'll take you out to dinner. My treat.”
    “Sounds great. We can talk business investments.”

    They made a decidedly odd-looking pair that evening as they walked into the lounge of one of Seattle's best restaurants and sat down for a drink. Every eye in the place turned at least briefly toward Mattie's companion. And then, having assessed Evangeline and come to certain conclusions, those same eyes turned with great curiosity to Mattie.
    Evangeline looked extremely dashing in another of her own creations, a flower-splashed, low-necked dress with long sleeves and a hem that ended mid-thigh. Mattie felt quite staid in the demure, heather-toned, high-necked dress that Evangeline had decided was the only wearable garment in Mattie's closet aside from the red sarong. Mattie had declined to wear the sarong out in downtown Seattle on the grounds that it was too cold. This wasn't the islands, after all.
    “This is great, you know?” Evangeline glanced around at the ferns, polished wood, and dapper customers. “Usually when I'm in a bar, I'm working. Nice to be able to come in and just sit down and relax.”
    “I'm glad you're enjoying it. Evangeline, I'd like to ask a favor.”
    “Sure, honey.”
    “Would you go shopping with me tomorrow? I could use some advice.”
    Evangeline laughed and heads turned again. “You bet. Can't think of anything I'd rather do than go shopping.” She leaned forward. “And confidentially, honey, you could use some help.”
    “I know.”
    “I didn't want to say too much, but the truth is, I was a little shocked by what you've got in that closet of yours. All the wrong colors. And you need a style that makes the most of your figure. You're a little thin, but that's okay. The right styles will make you look sleek. Those business suits just sort of cover you up, if you know what I mean.”
    “I had a feeling they weren't quite me.” Mattie smiled. “At least, not any longer.”
    “So you and this Abbott are together full-time, huh?” Evangeline sipped her wine. “For real?”
    Mattie nodded. “He says