The Doctor Dines in Prague (20 page)
Read The Doctor Dines in Prague Online
Authors: Robin Hathaway
ALSO BY ROBIN HATHAWAY
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Scarecrow
“ ⦠he who does not mind his belly, will hardly mind anything else.”
Samuel Johnson in
Boswell's Life of Johnson
Boswell's Life of Johnson
T
hey were all gathered at Fenimore's dining-room table. Vlasta was seated at one end, Anna at the other. Marie, Jiri, Horatio, Mrs. Doyle, Jennifer, Mr. Nicholson, and Detective Rafferty completed the party. The latter could hardly be left out when he had played such an important role in the zoo episode. Fenimore had been filled in on that when he returned and he was extremely grateful to Horatio and Rafferty for their rescue of Marie. (Horatio's reward had come in the form of a state-of-the-art yo-yo.) And Fenimore had been properly chagrined when he realized that he had played a part in the attempted kidnapping. If he had been more astute and less taken with Ilsa, he might have noticed her reading Jennifer's email address over his shoulder at the cyber café and prevented her from setting up the whole scheme.
hey were all gathered at Fenimore's dining-room table. Vlasta was seated at one end, Anna at the other. Marie, Jiri, Horatio, Mrs. Doyle, Jennifer, Mr. Nicholson, and Detective Rafferty completed the party. The latter could hardly be left out when he had played such an important role in the zoo episode. Fenimore had been filled in on that when he returned and he was extremely grateful to Horatio and Rafferty for their rescue of Marie. (Horatio's reward had come in the form of a state-of-the-art yo-yo.) And Fenimore had been properly chagrined when he realized that he had played a part in the attempted kidnapping. If he had been more astute and less taken with Ilsa, he might have noticed her reading Jennifer's email address over his shoulder at the cyber café and prevented her from setting up the whole scheme.
Anna had prepared the dinnerâa traditional Czech feast with all the trimmings. Fenimore had introduced her to the Reading Terminal Market, where she had spent a wonderful day roaming among the stalls, exchanging pleasantries in German with the Pennsylvania Dutch farmers and selecting all the ingredients. The celebration was for Vlasta. His “Welcome Home” party, or his coming-out partyâfrom the hospital, where he had received his
new stentâthe clever device by which his artery would be kept open, allowing blood to flow freely to his heart.
new stentâthe clever device by which his artery would be kept open, allowing blood to flow freely to his heart.
How ironic,
thought Fenimore,
that I had to wait until I got back to Philadelphia to have a bona fide Czech dinner.
He looked around the table at his friends and relatives.
Everyone I care about is either at this tableâor under it.
(Sal was nibbling at his shoelaces.) He reached down and gave her a piece of schnitzel. “Did you know,” he interrupted the general conversation, “that President Masaryk came to Philadelphia in 1918 and read
your
Declaration of Independence at
our
Independence Hall?” They were all speaking English now.
thought Fenimore,
that I had to wait until I got back to Philadelphia to have a bona fide Czech dinner.
He looked around the table at his friends and relatives.
Everyone I care about is either at this tableâor under it.
(Sal was nibbling at his shoelaces.) He reached down and gave her a piece of schnitzel. “Did you know,” he interrupted the general conversation, “that President Masaryk came to Philadelphia in 1918 and read
your
Declaration of Independence at
our
Independence Hall?” They were all speaking English now.
“What did you say, Andrew?” Anna asked.
He repeated what he had said more slowly, then added, “And tomorrow I will take you all to see the Liberty Bell.”
“Jiri, too?” asked Marie.
“Jiri, too.”
“I've seen it,” Rafferty protested, “a million times.” His office was located in the Police Administration Building only a few blocks from Independence Hall.
“Well, you're excused,” Fenimore said, “although I don't think it would hurt you to see it again.”
Rafferty snorted.
“Lovely.” Anna nodded, agreeable to the idea. Then she pointed her camera at Fenimore and said, “Smile.”
Fenimore looked straight into the lens and smiled (forgetting, for the moment, about his ears).
Conversation dwindled as they concentrated on their pala
inky filled with prune butter, topped with melted butter, confectioner's sugar, and sour cream. (Except for the guest of honor, of course. Poor Vlasta was on a low-cholesterol diet and had to make do with stewed apricots.)
inky filled with prune butter, topped with melted butter, confectioner's sugar, and sour cream. (Except for the guest of honor, of course. Poor Vlasta was on a low-cholesterol diet and had to make do with stewed apricots.)THE DOCTOR DINES IN PRAGUE. Copyright © 2003 by Robin Hathaway. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information, address St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
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THOMAS DUNNE BOOKS.
An imprint of St. Martin's Press.
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eISBN 9781466814356
First eBook Edition : February 2012
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Hathaway, Robin.
The doctor dines in Prague / Robin Hathaway.â1st ed.
p. cm.
ISBN 0-312-29036-5
1. Fenimore, Andrew (Fictitious character)âFiction. 2. AmericansâCzech RepublicâFiction. 3. Prague (Czech Republic)âFiction. 4. Philadelphia (Pa.)âFiction. 5. KidnappingâFiction. 6. PhysiciansâFiction. I. Title.
PS3558.A7475D625 2003
813'.54âdc21
813'.54âdc21
2003046827
First Edition: November 2003
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