Chapter Thirty-Two

They slept in the next morning, and when Georgia woke up, she wanted to make love again. She’d missed Jimmy’s body and the way it fit so perfectly with hers. She made coffee for them, which she carried into the bedroom, but after two sips, she set her mug down on the bedside stand and took his away too. Then she leaned over and lowered her face to his chest, using her mouth to make sure he knew what she wanted. He closed his eyes, sighed, and took her head in his hands. They were ready to go to the next step when her cell trilled.

“Crap,” she said.

“Let it go.” His voice sank to a whisper.

She considered it, but she’d put out several feelers yesterday. It could be someone with new information. “I’m sorry, love.”

Jimmy groaned and rolled over. “You owe me. Big-time.”

She brushed her fingertips across his chest and picked up her cell. An unfamiliar Chicago number. “Davis here.”

“Joel Siegenthaler. We met, uh—on the corner of Sheridan and Morse yesterday.”

“Of course. Thanks for calling, Joel. What’s up?”

“So this weird package was delivered the other day. For Kitty. Well, it was actually for her brother.”

Georgia rocked forward, alert and focused.

“It’s a yurt.”

“A yurt? You mean one of those tents shaped in a circle?”

“I guess. Not my thing. First I heard of ’em.”

Georgia slid out of bed and went to her laptop. “Hold on.” She googled “yurt” and clicked on “Images.” A page of photos popped up. Yurts were round portable tents with wooden frames. Nomads in Central Asia had used them for centuries, covering the tents with animal skins. But modern yurts, made from stronger materials, could function as vacation cabins as well as extra guest rooms, home offices, or just a place to relax. Most yurts today weren’t portable, and many were custom-made.

“It didn’t come assembled, did it?”

“No. It came in a big box with a bunch of smaller packages inside.”

“And this yurt had Jarvis’s—I mean Scott’s—name on it?”

“That’s what the super said.”

“When did it arrive?”

“About two weeks ago. I told the super about meeting you, and she told me about the thing. It’s been sitting in the basement. She wants the company to pick it up since Jarvis is gone.”

“What’s her name and number? The super?”

“Elizabeth Start.” Siegenthaler gave her the number. “I told her you might call. She and her husband probably know more about Kitty than anyone else in the building.”

“You rock, Joel. Thanks for following up.”

“Well, you never know when I might need a PI.”

“Damn straight.”

• • •

Georgia threw on some clothes, kissed Jimmy good-bye, and headed out. While she waited for the Toyota to warm up, she called Elizabeth Start.

“The quicker you can get rid of this thing, the better,” she told Georgia. “It’s taking up all the space in our basement.”

“On my way.”