The names Jeff and Roger somehow didn’t fit them. Conway and Chet seemed too over the top. Braden and Don sounded about right. But, alas, they were Jeff and Roger, an understated Mutt and Jeff. Jeff brightened on finding me in the diner. A worried DeLois gave us space.

“I thought you went and ran out on us,” he said as they both sat across from me in the booth. I replayed his utterance in my head. Conway was not over the top.

“No, I just had to run some numbers, check in at the office, visit my girlfriend.” DeLois delivered my coffee.

“Bring me a coffee,” Jeff said without looking at her.

“Dr. Pepper for me, please,” Roger said. The please sounded like a foreign language in his mouth. He might as well have said bitte.

“So, what’s the word?” Jeff asked.

“Don’t know yet,” I said.

“Yes, you do.”

“No, I don’t.” I paused for dramatic effect. “It’s looking good.”

Jeff slapped Mutt with the back of his hand. “So, you need to come back out for more tests?”

“Maybe. I’m still waiting for some test results. Other people need to interpret the readings I’ve already taken.” I hoped he wouldn’t ask for details.

“And we’re getting the news first, right?”

“As first as I can manage.”

“So, what do I do?”

I shrugged.

They stood. “We’re good, right?” Jeff said.

“We’re good,” I said.

When they were gone, DeLois came to my table with a free piece of pie, slid it in front of me.

“What’s this?”

“What are you doing?” she asked.

I stared at her.

“Are you a cop or something?”

“No, DeLois, I’m no cop. I’m just a geologist.”

“Yeah, right,” she said. “I don’t know what you’re up to, but you’d better be careful. Those good old boys will kill you in a second.”

I nodded. “Thanks for the concern.” I looked across at the post office. “Have you ever seen the school bus they drive?”

“Yes.” Her tone changed, became quieter.

“You’ve seen the women?”

“Yes.”

“Let me ask you this: How often do the cops drive by here?” I asked.

“Every now and again. Just one comes around. He likes to talk to Jeff and the stupid one when he’s here.”

“Is that right?”

“That’s right.”

“Thanks for the pie,” I said.

“I hope you know what you’re doing.”

“So do I.”

I ate my pie and got up to leave.

“Thursdays,” DeLois said.

“Excuse me?”

“That’s when the bus comes by. I don’t know where they’re going.”

“Thank you, DeLois.”

As I was getting into my Jeep, DeLois came trotting after me.

“Did I forget something?” I asked.

“I get off at six,” she said.

“What?”

“I get off at six. I’ll make you dinner.”