Page 37 of Forgotten Path

“True. Or the lead singer of a bad Jimmy Buffett cover band.”

They stifled their giggles when Bodhi King joined them at the counter.

“Please, laugh. It’s healing,” he assured them.

“We were just remembering Doc’s, uh, distinctive sartorial style,” Steffi explained.

“I believe it’s called overgrown beach bum,” Bodhi said in a serious tone before breaking into a gentle smile of his own.

Brianna smiled, too.

Steffi gestured toward her. “Bodhi, this is Brianna Allen. Brianna is the sustainability something or other at the paper company.”

“Chief Sustainability Officer,” she provided, extending her hand.

“Bodhi King. Pleased to meet you, Brianna. Although I wish the circumstances were different.”

“We all do,” she agreed.

His grip was firm, but not too firm, and his hand was warm in hers. She felt the full focus of his attention as he shook her hand.

“Can I get you a drink in honor of Doc?” Steffi asked.

“It’s not a Doc-a-ri, is it?” Bodhi countered.

“A what?”

“Some concoction the bar cart near his home serves. It’s named after him.”

“Oh. Well, this concoction was created by Doc, but he called it a gin and tupelo tonic.”

“I’d love one. Hold the gin.”

“And the honey, right?”

“Right.”

Steffi smiled and ducked behind her massive blender.

“How did Doc die?” Brianna blurted. “Did he really fall from the loft?”

“The police investigation’s barely gotten underway. So I’m only speaking for myself, and unofficially.”

He paused and she nodded her understanding.

Then he went on, “I believe he died instantly when his spine separated from his skull as the result of severe trauma. I found him at the base of the loft ladder, so it’s reasonable to posit that he fell.” He spoke slowly, choosing his words with evident care.

He studied her face while she absorbed his answer. She felt exposed suddenly, as if she were one of the translucent moon jellies that bobbed around in the Gulf, blue-veined and see-through, floating along on the current. A shiver of unease tickled her spine.

You’re being ridiculous. He can’t read your mind.

She shook off the feeling and refocused on the conversation. “How did you know you’d find him here? Did you know about the clinic?”

“I didn’t know he’d be here, and I didn’t know about the clinic. I found a Juice Joint loyalty card on the floor of his Jeep. I didn’t have any other leads, so I drove up here to check it out.”

“In Doc’s Jeep?”

He blinked, and she realized the question sounded like a non sequitur.