Free A Little Learning by Jane Tesh

Overview.’”
    “Monkey painting. How original.”
    “That reminds me. How many paintings do you have ready?”
    “I’m still trying to decide.”
    “What about my picture?”
    “If you’d sit still long enough, I could finish it.”
    “What about all those little sketches?”
    “They’re too small.”
    “Excuses, excuses.”
    Milton returned. “So sorry to keep you waiting. Now, to answer your question. You say the victim was wearing a nicotine patch and you want to know if that could have affected her heart. It was a bit foolish of her, but unless she was covered in patches, I doubt it would’ve caused a heart attack. Do you have access to her medical records? There are a couple of possibilities, but I’d have to know her history.”
    “Do you know anyone at the Celosia hospital? Can you call in a favor?”
    He stroked his little chin. “I might.”
    “Her name was Amelia Lever.”
    “Let me see what I can do. I’ll call you.”
    “Thanks, Milton.”
    “My pleasure, and again, congratulations.” He held my hand a little longer than I liked, but I felt sorry for him and didn’t pull away. “Jerry, you’re a lucky man.”
    “Yes, I am, thanks.”
    “You take care of her. Madeline, I’ll call as soon as I have any information.”
    “Okay,” Jerry said as we walked back to our car. “I’m looking for a big gold watch with an ‘S’ on it.”
    “Any idea where to find one?”
    “Foster’s Pawnshop.”
    I might have known Jerry would be familiar with the finer pawnshops of Parkland. Foster’s was not what I expected. Instead of a dingy hole in a back alley, the shop was a gleaming modern building with clean floors and an organized array of appliances, musical instruments, and computers. Jerry headed to the back to the glass shelves filled with jewelry. A small gnarled man looked up from the cash register.
    “Afternoon, Jerry.”
    “Bilby, this is my wife, Madeline. Mac, this is Bilby Foster.”
    I shook hands with the little man, who grinned, showing several gold teeth. “Nice to meet you.”
    “My pleasure,” he said. “Jerry, have you come to buy this lovely lady a nice trinket?”
    “I’m looking for a gold pocket watch, specifically one with an ‘S’ on it.”
    Foster frowned and pulled out a tray of watches. “Don’t think I’ve got one like that. Have a look. You might see something else you like.”
    There were plain gold watches, plain silver watches, watches decorated with flowers and vines, watches with pictures of horses or locomotives, and one watch that played a tune when opened.
    “I need one with an ‘S,’” Jerry said. “Keep an eye out for one, will you?”
    “All right. Frankie was asking about you the other day. Wanted to know if you were still interested in what he talked to you about several months ago.”
    “No, I’m out of that.”
    Foster looked surprised. “Really? Thought with you wanting a special kind of watch you might be running a little fob off game.”
    “The watch is for something else.”
    “Oh.” He glanced at me and then winked and made a little zipping motion by his mouth. “Gotcha.”
    We got back into the car. “Fob off game?” I asked.
    “Do you really want to know?” Jerry said.
    “Not if you’re finished with it.”
    “I am, I promise.”
    “You just want to fool Flossie Mae and Sylvie.”
    “I just want to make them happy. There’s a difference. Anywhere else you need to go?”
    “I don’t think so.”
    “Why don’t we stop by the Weyland Gallery and see where they’re going to hang your pictures?”
    I had to admit I was curious. “I suppose we could have a look.”
    The Weyland Gallery was in the Parkland Museum of Art, about twenty minutes from the pawnshop. A young woman at the front desk directed us to the gallery. We walked along quiet halls until we reached the current exhibit, a collection of odd sculptures made of pipes and fuzzy blue circles mounted on twisted coat hangers.
    “If this were a