Don't Touch Me! - 20

 

"But why? Why did it come on so suddenly?"

"You probably have a better idea about that than I do," Brent said.

"I don't! It's so damned…frustrating and scary. Nothing happened. One day I was fine. The next, my world was turned upside down."

"Then we'll have to figure out the cause."

"We? You'll help?"

Brent shrugged, replying with more casualness than he felt. "Sure. But not until we know for certain you're not going to have a murder charge hanging over your head. One problem at a time. Okay?"

Cody nodded. "I can live with that. Thank you, for…for caring."

"I like you. I want to see things get back to normal for you."

"You and me both," Cody said plaintively.

"It's going to happen."

"As Mother used to say, from your lips to God's ears."

"Cody, very off topic but, do you mind my asking why you always call her Mother, not Mom or Ma, or something less formal?"

"It's something my dad insisted on almost from the moment I was old enough to talk. No Mama or Mommy, just Mother."

"And yet he didn't want you to call him 'Father'?"

"No. We were buddies. She was… I think he felt she was the woman who took care of us, so I was supposed to be respectful."

"She did that until her arthritis kicked in. Right?"

"Yes. Then he took care of her until his death, and I took over."

"Did you resent it?"

Cody looked at him in surprise. "Of course not. I suppose I might have, if I'd been the kind of guy who had a lot of friends and was always out and about. But since I was spending all of my time writing by then, it wasn't that much of a bother."

"Okay. I just wondered." Brent chuckled. "I'm a nosy kind of guy. It's why I became a private detective."

"A good one, too, as far as I can tell."

"I do my best." Brent picked up his cup, realized it was almost empty and got up pour some more. "Do you need a refill?"

After checking, Cody shook his head. "Do you want something to eat?"

Brent glanced at the clock over the counter. "Want? Yeah. But I have to get out of here. I have a stakeout tonight, so I need to get home and change."

Cody sighed, walking to the front door with Brent. "Will I…? Will you come by tomorrow?"

"If I can. And definitely if I hear anything from Walt, although it's probably too soon."

Cody nodded bleakly. "I'll keep my fingers crossed."

Brent replied with a smile, "We both will," then left.