Prayers For Rain Part 37

a. Father dies, 1976. a. Father dies, 1976.

b. Mother marries Dr. Christopher Dawe, '79, moves to Weston. b. Mother marries Dr. Christopher Dawe, '79, moves to Weston.

c. Graduates Mount Alvernia HS, '88. c. Graduates Mount Alvernia HS, '88.

d. Graduates Johnson & Wales, Hospitality Mgmt., '92. d. Graduates Johnson & Wales, Hospitality Mgmt., '92.

e. Hired, Four Seasons Hotel, Boston, Catering Dept, '92. e. Hired, Four Seasons Hotel, Boston, Catering Dept, '92.

f. Promoted a.s.st. Mgr., Catering Dept., '96. f. Promoted a.s.st. Mgr., Catering Dept., '96.

g. Engaged to D. Wetterau, '98. g. Engaged to D. Wetterau, '98.

h. Stalked by C. Falk. Car vandalized. First contact w/ me: February '99. h. Stalked by C. Falk. Car vandalized. First contact w/ me: February '99.

i. D. Wetterau accident, March 15, '99. (Call Devin or Oscar again, try to see BPD report.) i. D. Wetterau accident, March 15, '99. (Call Devin or Oscar again, try to see BPD report.)

j. Car insurance cxld due to lack of payment. j. Car insurance cxld due to lack of payment.

k. May, receives photos of D. Wetterau and other woman. k. May, receives photos of D. Wetterau and other woman.

l. Fired from job, May 18, '99, due to tardiness, multiple absences. l. Fired from job, May 18, '99, due to tardiness, multiple absences.

m. Leaves apartment, May 30, '99. m. Leaves apartment, May 30, '99.

n. Moves into Holly Martens Inn, June 15, '99. (Two weeks missing. Where'd she stay?) n. Moves into Holly Martens Inn, June 15, '99. (Two weeks missing. Where'd she stay?)

o. Seen w/ Red-Haired Geek and Blond Rich Guy @ HM Inn, June-August '99. o. Seen w/ Red-Haired Geek and Blond Rich Guy @ HM Inn, June-August '99.

p. C. Falk receives nine letters signed K. Nichols, March-July, '99. p. C. Falk receives nine letters signed K. Nichols, March-July, '99.

q. Karen receives private psychiatrist's notes, date uncertain. q. Karen receives private psychiatrist's notes, date uncertain.

r. Raped by C. Falk, July '99. r. Raped by C. Falk, July '99.

s. Arrested for solicitation, July '99, Springfield Bus Depot. s. Arrested for solicitation, July '99, Springfield Bus Depot.

t. Suicide, August 4, '99. t. Suicide, August 4, '99.

Overview: Falsified letters sent to C. Falk suggest third-party involvement in K. Nichols's "bad luck." C. Falk not not being vandalizer of car suggests same. Third Party could be Red-Haired Geek, Blond Rich Guy, or both. (Or neither.) Possession of psychiatrist's notes suggests possibility of Third Party being employee of psychiatrist. Further, ability by psychiatric employees to garner personal info of private citizens supplies opportunity to Third Party to infiltrate K. Nichols's life. Motive, however, seems nonexistent. Further, a.s.sumptions- being vandalizer of car suggests same. Third Party could be Red-Haired Geek, Blond Rich Guy, or both. (Or neither.) Possession of psychiatrist's notes suggests possibility of Third Party being employee of psychiatrist. Further, ability by psychiatric employees to garner personal info of private citizens supplies opportunity to Third Party to infiltrate K. Nichols's life. Motive, however, seems nonexistent. Further, a.s.sumptions-

"Motive for what?" Angie said.

I put my hand over the page, looked back over my shoulder at her. "Didn't your mama ever teach you-?"

"It's rude to read over someone's shoulder, yes." She dropped her bag on the empty seat to her left and sat down beside me. "How's it coming?"

I sighed. "If only the dead could talk."

"Then they wouldn't be dead."

"Staggering," I said, "that intellect of yours."

She backhanded my shoulder and tossed her cigarettes and lighter on the bar in front of her.

"Angela!" Shakes Dooley came bounding down the bar, took her hand, and leaned over to kiss her cheek. "Well, if it ain't been too many days."

"Hey, Shakes. Don't say a word about the hair, okay?"

"What hair?" Shakes said.

"That's what I keep saying."

Angie hit me again. "Can I get a vodka straight, Shakes?"

Shakes pumped her hand vigorously before letting it go. "Finally, a real drinker!"

"Going broke on my buddy here?" Angie lit a cigarette.

"He drinks like a nun these days. People are starting to talk." Shakes poured a generous helping of chilled Finlandia into a gla.s.s and placed it before Angie.

"So," I said when Shakes left us alone, "come crawling back, eh?"

She gave me a smoky chuckle and took a sip of Finlandia. "Keep it up. It'll make torturing you later that much more pleasurable."

"Okay, I'll bite. What brings you here, Sicilian Spice?"

She rolled her eyes as she took another drink. "I got some oddities regarding David Wetterau." She held up her index finger. "Two, actually. The first was easy. That letter he wrote to the insurance company? My guy says it's a definite forgery."

I turned on my stool. "You already looked into this?"

She reached for her cigarettes, extracted one.

"On a Sunday," I said.

She lit the cigarette, her eyebrows raised.

"And turned something up," I said.

She curled her fingers and blew on them, polished an imaginary medal on her chest. "Two things."

"Okay," I said. "You're the coolest."

She placed a hand behind her ear and leaned in.

"You're aces. You're the bomb. You put the 'B' in bad-a.s.s. You're the coolest."

"Already said that." She leaned in a little closer, hand still behind her ear.