Lucille Pfiffer Mystery Series Box Set

by Tanya R. Taylor

  “Why not? Nilla absolutely loves old people. Cant’ you tell?”

  “What makes you think the people in charge of that place would allow you to bring an animal in there?”

  “Leave the figuring to me, Merlene. I’m the brains; you’re the enforcer.”

  Although she rolled her eyes, I knew she was in. She didn’t have a choice.

  14

  _________________

  I could not get clearance to bring Nilla there to ‘entertain’ some of the old folk until three days later. Admirable Souls Nursing Home had really tight security. Guess Tony Brawn’s money had to get him the best even when it came to where he’d likely spend his remaining days.

  He wasn’t one of my favorite people when I was a young lady. I’d watched him on the news, parading around with that money hungry wife of his, Gena, attending ceremonies and flying abroad with dirty politicians. Tony always struck me as smug and cocky. The guy obviously thought he was God’s gift to the world. He wasn’t bad-looking, but not my type. Donnie’s wit, charm and intelligence would’ve run circles around the realtor. Maybe no one ever taught him to be a man, which was obvious how he seemed to ‘forget’ to hold the door for his wife after walking in places ahead of her. I’d seen that for myself – once when I was having lunch in Jimmy’s with a co-worker named Vera, and Tony and Gena walked in. Then another time when Donnie and I were a few steps behind them at the movie theater’s front door when the arrogant Tony did the same dumb thing. Some people just have no common courtesy and couldn’t find some if you paid them. In Tony’s case, I think he would’ve found some very quickly, regardless of the amount of money you offered him, because he adored that paper.

  Merlene and I showed up in our Sunday best. Merlene’s idea. She said we needed to look like nice, quiet, innocent old ladies who just wanted to spend some quality time with the good folks at the home. Abbe Higginbotham, Director of the home, said residents would be thrilled to have a puppy come along for the visit. Most of them loved animals, but there was one man in particular who hated them. Guess who that was?

  Anyway, Nilla loved to travel with me every chance she got, so I figured bringing her along to such a place will brighten someone’s day and probably earn me some good graces when my time came to cross over like Sir Clement did.

  “Mrs. Pfiffer! I’m Abbe Higginbotham. It was such a pleasure speaking with you the other day. And wonderful of you to come and visit our residents on your busy schedule,” she said.

  Merlene glanced at me suspiciously. I knew it was about that ‘busy schedule’ remark. Well, I had to tell the woman something to be able to get into their facility as a mere stranger. I’d quickly found out that not any and everybody can just walk right in. They only allowed names that were listed as family and close friends to see their residents. And if yours wasn’t listed, a family member had to be the one to not phone, but fax or email it in to them along with a copy of the person’s government issued identification card! Merlene and I didn’t stand a chance of getting in there to see Tony Brawn with all those extra reinforcements, so I had to tell Abbe I was the daughter of the late Thomas Fitzgerald, a former Chadsworth governor, and I’d married a Pfiffer. My lovely, polite, seemingly well-educated voice had convinced her that I must have had the class expected as a relative of the governor.

  She had rounded the bend from an office at the back after the receptionist informed her that we had arrived. Abbe was a very thin lady. Her dress seemed to swing along as she walked. I wondered if she ever knew what food was; maybe my neighbor Carla could introduce her to some. Abbe was clearly in her fifties, unless she was one that age had been cruel to and she was really much younger than she looked. I was very impressed with her gorgeous salt and pepper pin up and could see that her hair was quite long and silky.

  “Hi. I’m Merlene.” Merlene extended her hand to her.

  “Very nice to meet you,” Abbe replied. “Oh, and this must be precious Nilla.” She gently patted Nilla’s head. “She’s so cute!”

  “Took right after me,” I said.

  “I’m sure! Well, it’s wonderful to have you all here at our facility. The governor was quite a contributor to the home for many years.”

  “He was such a philanthropist.” I smiled.

  “Indeed, he was.” She smiled back. “Well, I don’t want to waste any of your valuable time, so if you’d kindly follow me, I’ll take you to the main area and my assistant Sheila will assist, should you need anything.”

  We followed her to an adjacent building where the housing unit for residents was located. The place was immaculate, resembling a five star hotel more than a regular nursing home. Abbe offered to show us around until she remembered since I was blind, it might not have been of much use to me. She decided to skip the tour of the facility, but I insisted she didn’t. We were shown the huge kitchen where chefs and helpers were busy preparing meals for the entire day, three large ‘social rooms’ comprised of soft, leather chairs and a large flat screen TV. We also saw the recreational area out back where many chairs and tables were on a concrete patio surrounded by eye-catching greenery and flowering plants of all kinds. I was impressed and could tell that Merlene was too. Nilla was allowed to walk around in her favorite purple harness and interact with people everywhere we went. It was nice to see their faces light up at the sight of her and many of the seniors made very lovely remarks. It was obvious, a few times, Nilla just wanted to run off onto the grass and join some of the folks who were stretched out on white towels out there. Even a pool could be seen about fifty yards away from the main recreational area.

  “What a beautiful place you have here!” Merlene told Abbe. “If David ever decides later on to put me in a nursing home, this is where I’d wanna be.”

  “Thank you very much, Mrs. Bostwick,” Abbe replied. “I’m so sorry you’re unable to see any of this, Mrs. Pfiffer.”

  “Oh, that’s all right!” I said. “I can sense how lovely the surroundings are.”

  “That’s nice to know.” She smiled.

  We soon made it back to the housing unit and that’s when Abbe’s assistant, Sheila, showed up.

  Abbe graciously introduced us. Sheila could not have been more than twenty years old. Quite a lovely girl she was with every strand in place inside of that burgundy ponytail.

  “Sheila once was Miss Teen Chadsworth,” Abbe informed us.

  “Is that right?” Merlene remarked. “Congratulations, Sheila.”

  “You must be a real catch,” I said.

  “Thank you, ladies. You’re too nice,” Sheila replied.

  “Yes. They often say that about me,” I told her.

  “May I hold her?” She was referring to Nilla.

  Sure,” I said.

  “She went to pick Nilla up, but my girl growled. Shocked me too. I thought Nilla would’ve liked her.

  Sheila backed off and stood up again.

  “She’ll just have to warm up to you,” Merlene said.

  “That’s quite all right,” Sheila replied.

  “Sheila will take over from here,” Abbe continued. “Please don’t hesitate to call on her or me if there’s anything you need during the course of your kind visit.”

  Merlene and I both thanked her and she walked away quickly.

  Sheila wasted no time in showing us where the residents slept and we already saw where they gathered for recreation and down time. I guess it all could’ve been classified as down time.

  She knocked on one of the room doors, then let herself in. Merlene and I followed with Nilla.

  “Clotis, I’d like to introduce to you some friends of our home,” she started. “This is Mrs. Pfiffer and Mrs. Bostwick, and this is Nilla,” she said rather matter-of-factly. I started to think she was a much older lady in a young person’s body.

  “Hello, beautiful ladies and pup,” Clotis said cheerfully. He was lying in bed with the television on.

  “Clotis is our oldest resident,” Sheila indicated. “He’s been with u
s now for the past fifteen years.”

  “You mean you’ve been tending to this fine gentleman since you were five?” I asked her.

  She seemed to be at a loss for words and Merlene, embarrassed for some reason, laughed it off and patted my hand. I took the hint.

  “How are you doing today, Mister Clotis?” I asked.

  “Not so good most days,” he lamented. “Mainly because I very rarely get out of this bed anymore.”

  “I’m afraid Clotis has been bedridden as a result of severe osteoarthritis and lupus,” Sheila explained.

  “Oh, I’m so sorry,” I told him.

  “No worries though. I usually choose to see the bright side of things. That’s why I can still keep a smile on this face of mine—at least, most of the time. If I’m lucky, I’ll be ninety-two years young next month. I’ve lived a long life and most of those years, I’ve enjoyed good health.”

  “I admire your optimism,” I replied.

  “It’s either be optimistic and be peaceful or be pessimistic and be miserable. I choose the former.”

  “Wise choice, sir,” Merlene chimed in.

  He looked at me curiously. “Say, is the sun shining brightly in here or are you wearing those dark glasses because you’re blind?”

  I smiled. “No... the sun is not shining brightly in here, Mister Clotis. I’ve been blind for a few years now.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry, dear. I hope you manage okay in spite of your disability.”

  “Thank you. I manage quite well; guess I’m pretty lucky.”

  “I’d say blessed,” he replied. “I love your attitude in spite of your challenges.”

  We chatted with Clotis for a few more minutes and Nilla got to sit next to him for a while before we moved on to Winifred Dupris’ room. Winifred was another long-term resident of the nursing home and was in her late eighties. She’d been confined to a wheelchair and was very frail-looking and somewhat despondent. I felt sorry for her because Sheila had indicated she hardly got any visits from any of her five children in the thirteen years she’d been there. Made me wonder what would cause some kids to completely turn their backs on their parents. I was also aware that nothing was cut and dry and was careful not to formulate any judgment in my mind regarding Winifred or her children. I didn’t know their background and it just wasn’t any of my business. The fact was we were there and maybe I could say something to make her laugh and if only for a while, she’d feel better about life.

  She lit up quite noticeably when she saw Nilla. It was as if she’d received that visit she’d been longing for. And Nilla seemed to warm right up to her as well. Merlene lifted Nilla up and allowed Winifred to pet her. Her hands were speckled all over with age spots and were a bit shaky when she used them.

  “Vanilla is such a lovely name,” she said. “When I have another daughter, I’ll be sure to name her after you.”

  Merlene looked my way and I ignored her. I knew she thought the woman was a nut, but maybe she had a touch of Alzheimer’s or something. I wasn’t about to burst her bubble.

  “Nilla would certainly be honored,” I told Winifred.

  In between the individual room visits, we chatted with people who were out and about in the vicinity of the housing unit. We learned quite a bit about some of their backgrounds and even cracked a few jokes here and there. I didn’t mind the old people there patting Nilla because I knew she would brighten their day. She always managed to brighten mine and I knew I was fortunate every day to have her.

  The real reason for our visit, however, was at the forefront of my mind. I wondered when we’d come across Tony Brawn and also what I was going to do with Sheila when we did. Abbe Higginbotham had mentioned on the phone that Tony hated animals, so I knew Sheila wasn’t about to allow Nilla into the scrooge’s room when the time came. And that was fine with me. I’m sure Nilla would’ve growled at him too and probably would’ve wanted to teach him a lesson about being friendly. Abbe had specifically called Tony’s name because she figured I’d know exactly who she was referring to. Tony Brawn had been a household name for many years.

  After Winifred was wheeled away by a transport aide to have her afternoon tea, we visited a few more folks before finally getting to see Tony Brawn. He was not in his room, but in a lounge area sitting alone and staring outside at the front lawn. Sheila did her usual introductions while Merlene stood a short distance away with Nilla, out of his view.

  “Mister Brawn,” I started, “I came to spend a few moments with you, if you don’t mind. Actually, my friend Merlene and also my pet Nilla came as well, but I understand you’re not a huge fan of animals, so they’re both just waiting for me nearby.”

  He didn’t seem to notice we were there. I used my cane to feel the empty chair next to him.

  “Do you mind if I sit down right here?” I asked.

  He kept his focus straight ahead as I took his silence as a no and sat next to him.

  “Mister Brawn doesn’t like crowds,” Sheila remarked. “He pretty much prefers to be in a room like this with few people around or better yet, alone.”

  This couldn’t be the same Tony Brawn, I thought. Mister Showboat and life of the party. Back in the day, he demanded attention everywhere he went with his snobbish behavior. He might’ve lost his zest for life; surely looked so, and he was nowhere as good looking as he thought he was when he was younger. The little hair left on his head was completely white—so were his bushy eye brows, beard and a slight moustache he carried. He wasn’t very clean-shaven for a man who was supposedly receiving the best of care at Admirable Souls. Maybe the staff there didn’t like him that much either and his family wasn’t coming around regularly to check on him. I could certainly understand him not being anyone’s favorite person.

  “We have some things in common,” I said, with a slight smile. “I’m not such a fan of crowds either.”

  I cleared my throat loudly at least twice before Merlene heard and got the message. I carried on making small talk with Tony until Merlene approached, telling Sheila she needed her assistance with something. Sheila excused herself and she, Merlene and Nilla started down the wide corridor. I didn’t have a lot of time, so I knew I’d better get to the point.

  “Tony, I know you can hear me in there somewhere,” I started. “I’m not here for you, but for Sir Clement Tucker whose land you took final ownership of after he was killed.”

  I immediately noticed his hands grasping the wooden arm of the chair. Apparently, he was paying close attention now, although he still wasn’t looking my way. “I’ve been seeing Sir Clement, Tony, and he wants justice. If you know anything at all about his murder, now’s the time to talk—to get it off your conscience.”

  I wasn’t sure he had one. But then…

  “Told them I’d tell! Told them I’d tell!” he blurted! “I told them!”

  He was riddling off some gibberish, still looking straight ahead.

  “Take me there, will you?” He finally looked at me.

  “Where? Where do you want me to take you?”

  “Harry’s house! Take me to Harry’s house. He knows everything! I keep telling them to take me; they won’t listen.”

  Now, he was speaking my language and I was hopeful.

  “What’s at Harry’s house?” I asked.

  “Why won’t you take me?”

  “I didn’t say I won’t take you, Tony, but you have to tell me why you want to go,” I said.

  “I saw him too.”

  “Who? Harry?”

  He shook his head as his eyes welled up. “Clement… I saw Clement.”

  “When did you see Sir Clement?”

  “Last night,” he replied. “In my dreams. I see him every night in my dreams. In my dreams. In my dreams. Take me to Harry’s house! Take me there! Take me! Take me!”

  A nurse soon appeared after Tony’s voice had gotten louder and louder, and she tried to calm him down, but he kept repeating himself, looking at me and pleading for me to take him to Harry’s house.
I only assumed the Harry he was referring to was Sir Clement’s brother.

  “They’ll kill me if I find it, but take me anyway! Take me!” he cried.

  Sheila showed up in a hurry with Merlene and Nilla right behind her. She assisted the nurse in trying to calm him, but the nurse and a transport aide decided to wheel him back to his room where he would be properly medicated.

  While he was being wheeled away, he looked back at me and said, “Please take me there! I’ve got to find it! I’ll stop them! I swear!”

  “I’m sorry,” I told Sheila. “I don’t know what came over him.”

  “Oh, that’s normal, Mrs. Pfiffer,” she replied. “He always gets that way and speaks random things like that. We’re used to it. He’d start out quiet and relaxed, then it’s like something comes over him and everything is talk of this Harry’s house and seeing people in his dreams. He gets really fired up. So, believe me, it wasn’t your fault at all.”

  I guess that explained why his people finally locked him away in this place and threw away the key.

  “That’s a relief,” I said. “I would hate to think I’d managed to upset nice Mister Brawn like that.”

  Sheila was reassuring and apologized for Tony’s odd behavior. I told her we’d wrap up our visit for the day and thanked her for being so gracious. I also asked her to thank Abbe for having us.

  “The pleasure is all ours.” She smiled. “It was so nice of you all to come and bring some cheer to Admirable Souls.”

  Sheila was an old soul indeed. She reminded me a little of that young lady I’d met on the cruise Merlene, Theodore and I had gone on not too long ago.

  “What was all of that?” Merlene asked as we headed to her car. “Before we arrived on the scene, I thought you were killing the man!”

  “He knows what happened,” I said. “Kept mentioning Harry’s house from early on. Something’s there, Merlene, and we have to find it.”

  “I agree. God only knows how long he’s been repeating those same words. Why hasn’t anyone taken the man seriously? At least checked out what he was saying?”