Deadly Cost of Goods

by Margaret Evans

  Jenna nodded.

  “I’ll get this updated digitally and over to the printer today. We have to get these printed and distributed fast. Memorial Day is one week away. How many copies on glossy paper are we doing?”

  “What did Harry tell you?”

  “I don’t think he did.”

  Laura called Harry Kovacs. It was now not too early for her barber landlord to be up for the day. He answered on the third ring.

  “Laura, good morning. What can I help you with?”

  “Harry, you’re on speaker phone next door with Jenna and me. We’re going to press with the Memorial Day flyer. How many?”

  “Well, let me think. Twelve and a half thousand people and divide that by an estimated number to accommodate families and those who can’t come, so maybe give or take about five hundred. We’ll want some for the town archives and the library as well.”

  “It’s twelve half pages long. This town has a lot of veterans.”

  “I know. Jenna mentioned it earlier. I’m good with five hundred glossy flyers. How soon can we get them out there in shops and public places?”

  “The lady told me two days if we get them the digital files today, which we’ll have to them in about two hours,” Jenna put in.

  “So we’ll distribute them late on Wednesday. Okay, that will work. Cutting it a bit close, but it will work. I’m very appreciative of you two working so hard and fast on this. Oh, make that seven hundred flyers and don’t worry about the cost. We want to make sure all the vets’ families get multiple copies. And don’t forget to share your layout files with my brother Charlie, too, for the town website and the Bulletin. He’ll adapt as necessary.”

  They ended the call with Harry and Jenna grabbed her things.

  “Okay, I’m off. See you again at three o’clock, was it?”

  “Yes. Kelly should be here at the same time so we can coordinate the coloring books with the Heritage Days booklets. Bring three print copies of the final Memorial Day flyer with you. We can probably steal some from that so we have less work to do and more consistency across the information.”

  “When’s Connor coming back?”

  “Sometime tomorrow.”

  “You miss him,” Jenna stated. Not a question.

  “Yes, I’ve been lonely.”

  “He probably is, as well, Laura.”

  * * *

  Next on Laura’s agenda was a quick trip, or what she intended to be a quick trip, to the St. Louis County Minnesota Recorder's Office and Registrar of Titles office, located in Duluth, the county seat. She was on the hunt for the ownership of the Old Library and the land on which it resided.

  First, she had to wait in line. No surprise there. But when it was her turn, they directed her to a different line that would show her what book to search. When she got up to the counter on that line, they gave her a book number and a page number and aimed her at a door through which they had to push a button to give her entrance.

  Inside the new room, Laura had to sign in and was shown where the “books” were. Once she found the right book, she had only to find the right page number, right? Then she would know all, again, right?

  The buzzer sounded in Laura’s head.

  She found the complete address, legal description, lot number, plat number, and everything else, including the county easement on the property. It was surprising to see how big the acreage was around the library. It went much farther than she thought.

  But no ownership name.

  There was mention of a one-hundred-year trust but no beneficiaries were listed. Instead, there was a reference to the Raging Ford Bank & Trust Company as the trustee.

  With three hours wasted on this trip and nothing new learned, Laura was now going to be late meeting Nicky and Max at the New Library to help her move the things she wanted from the basement storage room into a room at the end of the community center, unless she hurried. She went through a sub sandwich drive-through for a bite and drink on the way to the New Library.

  * * *

  At the same time Laura was rushing to meet her friends, jamming food into her mouth on the way, an argument was ongoing at the Raging Ford Medical Center and Hospital regarding the use or non-use of certain items to help small children, who had to stay in the hospital and were frightened, to relax and feel more secure.

  Helga Burghardt, R.N., was trying to coax a small, stuffed animal away from a child about to go into surgery.

  “We’ll hold him for you, dear,” Burghardt said.

  Her supervisor, Marla Branson, also an R.N., but Nurse Manager, told her to let the child keep the small animal he was hugging. He started crying every time Burghardt tried to take it away.

  Dr. Christian Hamilton, the surgeon about to scrub for the child’s minor surgery, came over to see what the problem was.

  “Germs!” Burghardt cried. “Can’t have germs in the operating room.”

  At this point, the three-year-old was crying buckets.

  “Nurse Burghardt,” the surgeon said calmly, “these stuffed animals come to us sterile in sealed bags. The only germs on it are likely his. The child is okay to keep his animal with him.”

  Then he whispered in her ear.

  “We can remove it after he’s been anesthetized. But let’s keep him calm and happy for now.”

  With everyone in agreement at this point, Marla Branson, ran her hand gently over the child’s head as he hugged his furry mini-elephant, soothing him and stopping the tears.

  “These little animals are the best ideas we’ve had in a very long time,” the surgeon commented.

  Helga shrugged and smiled at the child.

  “Sorry. It’s okay for you to keep him,” she said.

  Marla Branson didn’t really think she had won a battle with Helga, but that she had won a battle for a small, frightened child.

  “Helga,” Marla said as they left the room and the O.R. nurse came to get the little boy. “Dr. Hamilton is right. The only germs on it would be the boy’s. I do appreciate your care about keeping germs out of the O.R. as much as we can, and I will note that in your file.”

  It was definitely not good for feuds to remain within a nursing team. Not good at all, Branson thought as she watched Helga return to her other little patients. But she would need to keep an eye on Helga and anything she did to prevent the children from keeping their stuffed animals. No one should get between a frightened child and a soother.

  Chapter 20

  Laura arrived at the New Library just behind Max and Nicky in Max’s pickup. At this time of day, there were few spaces left, so they found what they could and met at the front door.

  “Wait here in the lobby while I go get the key,” Laura said, taking the stairs as there were hordes of people using the elevator. She was back in a jiffy with Glenda Thursson and the key, and the group descended the stairs to the basement rooms with Max dragging a collapsed hand truck.

  “You’ll need a room to look through box contents. You have permission from our boss to put the boxes and anything else you want to go through in an empty room next to the community center,” Glenda said. “I have a sign that says ‘Antiques for the Old Library Exhibit’ if anybody wanders in. I have another key to lock that little room. I’m your designated librarian for this wonderful project.”

  “That’s awesome,” Laura responded as they followed Glenda to the locked storage room. “It’s everything with a pink stickie note on it,” she directed to Max and Nicky. She was hoping to have a moment alone with the two men as an opportunity to find out more about their perpetual arrangement with Connor to help Laura at the drop of a hat, whenever, wherever, and whatever the job.

  Max and Nicky took a few minutes to negotiate through the big room to assess what they needed to rearrange. At this point, they couldn’t yet access all the items they were transporting to the other room, especially the big card catalogue.

  “Okay,” Nick said. “Where are we putting the things Laura wants to look at, Ms. Thursson?”r />
  “Right over here, gentlemen,” Glenda responded, opening the door to the community center across the hall. She strode to the far end and unlocked another room. There was a table and two folding chairs already there, waiting for Laura and Glenda as they sorted through the materials for the planned display upstairs. There would need to be documentation of what they removed for the display and what remained unused, so Glenda kept her clipboard handy.

  As the men worked to reorganize the items to be left in the storage room and retrieve the ones Laura marked, Glenda turned to Laura.

  “We have just the spot for the display. I’ll show you once we’re finished down here. Do you have time to start going through everything today?”

  “No, not today, but I can come over after work almost every night this week. I think the only part that will take time will be my going through all the microfilm reels. Everything else should go quickly. Are you available any of the evenings this week?”

  “Thursday and Friday until nine o’clock.”

  “That’ll work. I can come both days. Thanks for making yourself available, Glenda.”

  “My pleasure. I told you this was a great idea and Melba would love it.”

  It took the men roughly forty-five minutes to rearrange boxes so that they could access everything with a stickie on it. Once that was done, it took only ten minutes for them to move the marked items across the hall to the small room at the end of the community room.

  Glenda’s clipboard noted the box numbers that were being removed.

  Then came the biggie: the card catalogue from the far corner. It was the reason Max had brought the convertible hand truck, the one with the swing-down, heavy-duty, longer deck. With the idea in mind that antique furniture was usually heavier, too, Max’s hand truck also had pneumatic wheels.

  Max was right. It was light-stained, solid oak and weighed a figurative ton. They wouldn’t let Laura help, but she did have a moment alone with them while Glenda was looking over the boxes that had already been moved into the room behind the community center.

  “Hey, can you stop for a minute?” she asked.

  They both looked up.

  “I have a burning question to ask both of you. I need to know why it is that whenever I need some help with anything, the two of you drop everything you’re doing and come help, including when you’re at your real jobs.”

  They shuffled their feet a bit, looking at the floor. Shrugged their shoulders, glanced at each other.

  “We like to help,” Nicky said.

  “Connor says you guys owe him big time for something, but I wonder why that favor seems to be going on forever. Why are you never even?”

  “Well, that’s because—” was as far as Max got because Nicky punched him in the arm.

  “No reason. We’re just all good friends and we don’t mind helping you,” Nicky ended.

  Laura gave them both a disgusted look and said, “Come on, then. Let’s get this thing moved.” It was not in her to let things go, so she wasn’t going to give up on this yet. She may have to talk to somebody else in the town who might know. Maybe Harry. Or Jenna. Or…Erica.

  As soon as the dusty but beautiful card catalogue was moved into the ante room, Laura had enough space to run back through the storage room to see if she had missed anything. She found one box marked “Library Rules and Library Cards,” plus another box that was labeled “Microfilm Reels,” so she asked Connor’s friends to please move those two, as well.

  Max and Nicky had rearranged everything in the storage room so that it was more organized by item and box inventory list. The aisles were a bit wider and there was now access to everything else in the room, plus space to put back everything taken out today.

  “This is wonderful, boys!” Glenda cried. “I’ll get our librarian assistant to make card signs on the walls so everyone can find anything that’s stored in here more easily.” She locked up both rooms and led the way back up the stairs.

  “I was thinking,” Laura posed, “that maybe next Sunday we can ask Max and Nick to move the actual things we need moved upstairs to the main level or wherever the display will be, like the card catalogue and microfilm readers. Does that sound like it’ll work for you, Glenda?”

  Max and Nicky both nodded their availability.

  “Sunday is fine, although morning is better for me. Having it on the main floor will also make it easier to get the catalogue all cleaned up and polished. During open hours, we have a drape we can cover it with and I’ll make a big, enticing sign about the display and the Heritage Days Festival. We’ll even put up some bunting. Want to come see where the display will be?”

  She led the trio to a space against the back of the new books, which had a lockable glass case, and room next to it where the card catalogue could fit.

  “We moved the second book shelf of new books over there,” she said, pointing to a location not far from the first set of books. “I think with the big space in front of the glass case, there’s plenty of room for the display in the case, the card catalogue, and the microfilm readers, plus a small table of other items we might want to put out. What do you think?”

  “This is perfect!” Laura said, delighted there was so much space for the entire display.

  As Laura left, with Max and Nicky following her, dragging the collapsed hand truck, she suddenly stopped and called them closer.

  “I want you both to know that I have appreciated everything you have done for me. But please know I will one day find out the big secret.”

  “Thank God,” Max said, sighing loudly. It earned him another punch in the arm from Nick, this one harder than the last.

  “Laura, it doesn’t matter why we help because we don’t mind helping you. I wish you would leave it at that,” Nick said.

  “What happens when you want the big screen TV back? I’m getting used to it. It’s actually helped me solve a couple of mysteries by looking at the ‘bigger’ picture.”

  “My brother won’t want it back, Laura,” Max said. “You can keep it. None of my family has more than one room where it will fit. Nick’s right. It really doesn’t matter why we do this. If you need help, we are here and glad to do it.”

  So she gave them each a big hug and had to leave it there as she rushed to her next meeting back at the shop.

  * * *

  Laura, Kelly and Jenna were three very organized individuals, which made going through the tasks of what to do for the coloring book and the Heritage Days booklet easier. Jenna and Laura loved Kelly’s sketches for the kids’ coloring book, including her use of tracing and reproducing some of the enlarged photographic images of the town and important buildings. Kelly had added very limited text blurbs and questions at the bottom of every page so the little kids could learn what the things were that they were coloring but not get bored.

  Together, the three of them made as many crossovers with the Heritage Days booklet as possible that would make things interesting for people. They thought long and hard about making the coloring books free, because Harry had said they could do that. In the end, they decided to include a four-pack crayon set to the books and charge fifty cents for each book, quantities to be determined later.

  The Heritage Days Festival booklet went through a lot of history of the town, highlighting the three founders, Samuel Rage, Quinn Dowell, and Aldous Munley with a photo of the three men standing in front of the iron ore mine that provided the town of Raging Ford the wherewithal to get built and developed as it had. Then, different buildings and gardens and homes were highlighted, as well as the public buildings and schools that also had benefited from the mining money. The booklet ended up being close to thirty pages long, and the cost to print roughly five hundred copies on glossy paper would make it about ten dollars a copy to purchase. If they had one thousand copies printed and stapled, the cost per booklet went down to eight dollars each.

  Jenna got the approval for one thousand copies from Harry, and she and Kelly left with their tasks to finalize the col
oring book and the Heritage Days Festival booklet.

  Laura dropped from exhaustion and she hadn’t the strength to make a dinner, so she made a sandwich and plopped herself in her father’s La-Z-Boy upstairs and turned on the TV.

  Halfway through the third Friends episode she had decided to binge-watch into oblivion, she got a text from Connor with a shot of him at the podium, wearing his white glove. She laughed but still didn’t tell him about the YouTube video of them dancing. She didn’t want his knowing about it or even seeing it to affect how he talked to the rookies on the last evening of his participation.

  She sent him a laughing emoji and promptly fell asleep.

  Chapter 21

  Connor Fitzpatrick was back from his trip to the academy in Minneapolis. He sat in Laura’s kitchenette for a quick stop at lunchtime and stared at her refrigerator. There was a new sign up, a very long one, with a number of notebook pages taped together. It ran onto the floor.

  I PROMISE TO LISTEN BETTER TO CONNOR.

  I PROMISE TO LISTEN BETTER TO CONNOR.

  I PROMISE TO LISTEN BETTER TO CONNOR.

  I PROMISE TO LISTEN BETTER TO CONNOR.

  I PROMISE TO LISTEN BETTER TO CONNOR.

  It looked endless, but he counted the lines on one page and multiplied them by the number of pages. He looked closely to see if any pages had been photocopied. Nope. All handwritten originals.

  One hundred times.

  He poked his head into the workroom.

  “Can you actually do the pricing like that with only one hand that’s working?”

  Laura was busy punching price tags onto the items that had to go onto the shelves for the afternoon crowd. She looked up and laughed.

  “ ‘I am woman, hear me roar.’ ”

  “Who sang that?”

  “Helen Reddy. It was one of Mom’s favorites. She made Daddy listen to her sing the whole song whenever he couldn’t figure out how she got everything done.”