Page 109 of Head Room

Especially since that article was several years old and as far as I could tell there’d been no Part 2 produced.

“If by Cowboy Cocktail you refer to the Prohibition-era cocktail that contains scotch and cream,” Mrs.P said, “I can say only that I know those are the primary ingredients, as well as that I cannot speculate as to how anyone of that era or any other concluded that cowboys would favor cream in an alcoholic drink.I cannot further enlighten you on the making of that cocktail, nor would I wish to if I possessed that knowledge.”

Mrs.P being acerbic about cocktail ingredients made me fight a grin, which surely would not have encouraged her to share further.

I was rewarded for that restraint when she continued.“Nor can I elucidate on the entirety of the financial stratagems now sometimes included in the would-be jocular termCowboy Cocktail, since my knowledge in that capacity is limited to one specific element, which is not only an element of thisCowboy Cocktail, but on its own is also used and abused by a much wider portion of the population of malefactors.”

I unwound all that, coming to the conclusion that I probably knew the answer, but asking anyway.“What is that element?”

“Registered agents, beyond which, I do not have the expertise to elucidate the complications of that system for you, Elizabeth.”

Didn’t have the expertise or didn’t want to tell me?

Did she know why Frank Jardos asked James about registered agents?

Did this touch on the negotiations between the veterans and the museum?

Did she view not telling me as loyalty to the museum’s best interests?

Or...I suppose it was possible she truly didn’t have the expertise.From what James said, it seemed an area unlikely to impinge on Mrs.P’s life.

Either way, I better move on.Mrs.P would not be swayed and I was running out of time before Aunt Gee arrived and tried to feed me.

“Thanks for your time.Tell Gee I said hello.”

James had ruled himself out.

Now Mrs.P was out.

One more human option remained, however, before I went home to try my luck on the Internet.

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

I parked nearthe offices of theSherman Independence,but didn’t go inside immediately.

I’d like to say that I remembered that this was the day, the hour before deadline for the next edition of the paper.

What actually happened was that as I drove past, I glanced in the two big windows of the century-plus-old building and caught a tenor of activity that I recognized as the last throes of deadline.

After accessing messages and voice mail to find nothing I wanted or needed to deal with, I checked in with Audrey.

Orson had left and she had no need for me — I was going to get a complex about that, right after I stopped enjoying it.

As I pulled up Irene’s manuscript on my phone, I thought about the notes she left.

Each of these passing references to historical elements would require considerable research, with many more details than Mrs.P had given me.

Each phrase represented a lot more work for the author.

Along with her notes about the relationships, especially between Maggie and Ransom.

Easy to writeThey’re wary of each other, but making small, halting progress at getting to know each other.

But to show that, to build scenes...I had a new appreciation for writers.

I hoped Kit would have insights for me soon.

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