Carol was already heading for the stairs near the front door. “Oh, I think you'll find a few things in the neighborhood you still like. Why don't we go for a stroll after you settle in?”

* * *

“So, why the walk all over downtown?” Peter asked. “A new exercise program

for your knee?”

Lucius looked up from his watch. “Hmm? Oh, just need to get some screws

from the hardware store.”

Peter tilted his head. “Uh…the hardware store is the other way. And it's closed. Sunday, remember?”

Lucius took in a deep breath of air and slapped his chest like a lumberjack.

“But it's such a beautiful day. Let's take in the sights.”

The sights? In Golden Grove? The only sight around this weekend was the

herd of crazy bearded guys roaming the streets.

Lucius was looking at his watch again. He was walking at a snail's pace, looking up and down the block.

“You okay? Your knee hurting?” Peter finally asked.

Lucius rubbed his right knee. “Now that you mention it, it is a little sore.

Mind if we sit on a bench for a while?”

His older friend headed for a glossy green bench under one of the trees that

lined Broadway, one of the four streets on the town square. A man sat on one end

of the bench, legs crossed, calmly reading a paper, apparently unaware that his

absurd beard appeared to be attacking his face.

“Okay…” Peter said. It wasn't like he was in a rush. The only other thing on

today's agenda was grading papers, not his favorite, and the scenery downtown

might be amusing with all the beards.

Lucius sat, then bounced right back up again and started walking back the way they had just come.

“Hey? Hello?” Peter called, starting to get worried as he followed. “I thought

you wanted to sit.”

Lucius gave him a quizzical look as he hurried on. “What's that?” He was clearly acting strangely. Early-onset Alzheimer's? Missed medication?

Lucius shook his head. “Oh. I thought I'd get some…glue. From the Stop-n-

Pop.”

Glue? Maybe that was it. Lucius had been sniffing glue. Dr. Lucius Potter

was a glue-huffer.

Peter jogged to catch up. For a sixty-four-year-old, glue-sniffing Alzheimer's

sufferer, Lucius could sure move fast when he wanted to.

* * *

Kate was struggling to keep up with Carol's pace. “Tell me again why we needed

to come to the square?”

Carol was chugging along like a pint-sized freight train. “Oh, it's such a beautiful day for a walk.”

A walk maybe. Kate hadn't planned on a run though. She also hadn't planned

on a flat tire on her car. She'd gone out to move it into Carol's driveway and noticed that the left front tire was on the ground. Must have hit something on the way into town. She'd tried not to see it as an omen for her visit.

A jaunt downtown wasn't what she had planned for the afternoon either. Or

ever. The air was cool, but she was sweating. The last thing she wanted was some local to recognize her and then have to lie about how great it was to be back in good ol' Golden Grove.

Jinx. A woman walking a tiny dog was approaching them, smiling in recognition.

“Carol! Hi,” the woman said as she approached, then turned her attention to

Kate. “Is that Katie Brady?”

Oh, geez. It was happening. “Hi,” Kate said, totally not recognizing the woman with whom she was shaking hands. The dog was sniffing her ankle, his

wet nose tickling.

“Francine Butler?” the woman said, still holding her hand. “I was your

Sunday school teacher, in grade school.”

“Oh, yes, of course,” Kate said, plastering on a smile. “Mrs. Butler. How could I forget?”

“We're just on our way uptown to Ray's,” Carol offered.

We are? This was news to Kate.