To everyone’s surprise, the next person who spoke was Bianca. “He may be going to the VA hospital, too. To see Slick.”
Edith added, “Looks like a wild goose chase just started. And we ain’t the goose. So, we best be going and get to the chasing.”
With that, Edith, Star, and Guardrail said goodbye and left to find Dog.
Chapter Nine
The crowd in the Grumpy Chicken was light, and it was a good thing. Star was on the phone, and as usual things were not going to plan. “No, I’m not kidding, we're looking for Dog right now. We think he might have headed off for the local hospital.” I noticed Star’s voice sounded tired.
I listened to the whole story, and somehow it didn't surprise me. Living in The Grumpy Chicken with Dad must have taught me to roll with the punches, even when things get stranger than normal. “So, it feels like Ida, Piper, and I have sat this one out long enough. But I’m not sure what's the best thing for us to do.”
Star snorted on the other end of the phone. “We could use you here in Statesboro. We need to look into the heart attack that happened to Lugnut, but now we also have the bad oxygen that almost killed Dog’s other friend, Slick. It’s too much of a coincidence and I keep getting the feeling that Lugnut’s ghost is about to make another appearance. The spirit world is unsettled.”
“I hear ya. Lugnut’s heart attack followed by his ghost in your shower was a warning. I understand your assessment of that. And now this other friend from Vietnam has something weird happen. That seems like too much of a coincidence.”
Star paused, then added, “Yes, and ... “
I heard the rustling noises and then Edith’s voice came over the phone. “We can do all the analyzing and theorizing you girls want when you get here. But we need two teams here in Statesboro. Get your pretty little bottom moving, missy. We need you here to investigate the Slick guy while we try and find Dog. And that still leaves investigating the odd occurrences surrounding Lugnut’s death.”
I heard more rustling. Guardrail’s voice suddenly boomed from the receiver and I had to hold it a couple of inches from ear. “We talked about things here and there is no way we can cover all the bases. Edith is right. You need to get moving. When can you be here? I need to be able to focus on finding my buddy.”
I took a deep breath. “Let me talk to Ida and Piper. We will get on the road as fast as possible. It's only noon, and I think we should be able to get there before dinner time.”
“Alright. Sounds good. Now, I got to go and find Dog. Bye.” With that the call ended and I realized Dad was staring at me.
“I guess you overheard. I need to go to Statesboro and help Edith, Star, and Guardrail find Dog. He's missing, but they think he may have gone to visit another friend who had an accident and is in the hospital.”
Dad huffed and folded his arms. “Guess that is to be expected. Something bizarre is always happening and no one ever sits still around here.”
I chuckled. “What would you have us do? Ignore the events and not help our friends when they need it?”
Dad grimaced. “You make it sound soooooo like the right thing to do when you say it like that.”
“It is the right thing to do.” The smile crept over my face even though I didn't want it to. I was afraid Dad might think I was being smug.
His eyes darted around. “I know. I just miss my little girl when she’s gone.”
I melted and went over to hug my father. “It will be a quick trip. You won’t even have time to miss me. I can’t be gone too long. You sneak more beer than you should without me nagging you to watch your health.”
“I didn’t think of the extra beer, that is good.” Dad tried to smile, but the coy face gave him away.
“Well, don’t drink too much beer. I’m asking Dixie and Bones to keep an eye on you while I'm gone.”
Dixie came out though the swinging door from the kitchen. “I heard my name. Did I get a raise?”
The laugh just slipped out of me. “Not exactly. It’s more like more responsibility. I need you to keep an eye on Dad. I need to head for Statesboro with Ida and Piper for a bit.”
Dixie glared back at me. “I hate when I have to watch Tom’s beer consumption. He always threatens to fire me.”
“He doesn’t mean it. You both know it. But he needs to limit how much he drinks. It’s bad for his health and I need you to help me take care of him.”
Dixie shrugged and held her hands up in defeat. “I feel like ...”
“I should go, too.” I almost forgot Digger was sitting at the end of the bar, alone, when he raised his voice and interrupted. “I’m not sitting here any longer drinking beer by myself while Dog and Guardrail are gone.”
The sound of breaking glass made me flinch. But there was a low, thud at the same time. It happened so fast, I could not figure out what it was.
Dixie howled. “Son of a malted turd! Digger’s beer exploded!”
Dad was standing near Digger when it happened and I saw him checking himself for injuries. But it appeared that he was fine.
Digger checked, too. But he was not so lucky. He clutched a wound over his left eye with both hands. I was surprised, and so was everyone else when he spoke. “I guess the grumper doesn’t like my idea!”
Dad was still white and muttered. “You might be more right than you know.”
I grabbed a wet towel and tried to tend to Digger. He grabbed the cloth and moaned when pressing it to the cut. “That sure doesn’t feel like it's going to help my good looks.”
Dixie chuckled. “I wouldn’t worry. Maybe it will improve things. You got to stay positive.”
Digger glared with the one good eye he had left. “You saying I’m ugly.”
Dixie shrugged. “Just trying to keep things light. No offense intended.”
I had no time for nonsense and cut them off. “Come on, Digger. I’ll take you to see Doc. If you need some stitches, he can patch you up. Dixie, can you call Ida and Piper and tell that we need to go to Statesboro, now. Ask them to get ready and pick me and Digger up at Doc’s.”
Dad scanned the bar. “Sure, leave me and Bones here alone.”
“I’m not taking Dixie. She just needs to make a few calls. And I saw you check the place, just like I did. So, we both know it's dead in here and you’ll be fine.”
“Dixie, can you make the calls?” I was surprised at the agitation in my voice.
Dixie frowned at me and nodded yes. “You never think I should go on one of these junkets. You know, I can help. It would be nice to be out of the pub once in a while.”
Bones wandered out of the kitchen and came through the swinging door. “I hate hearing everything all by myself in the back. And I have opinions, too. Take her instead of Ida.” He pointed at Dixie. “Since Ida took a time out with Scooter so he could go shoot episodes in Europe, she's been a bit of a, um, scatterbrain.”
I knew he was right. Ida was depressed and not at her best with the current break in her relationship. “You know what, you're right. Think you can hold this place down with just you and Dad?”
Bones nodded in the affirmative. Dad was getting his wits back and barked at me. “You just can’t resist dumping the workload on me, can ya?”
“There isn’t much to do, and if you need help, call Ida. She can help you if she has to.” I raised my eyebrows to let Dad know I was not going to change my mind.
Dad huffed. “Fine. At least she’ll let me drink as much beer as I want.”
“Don’t be difficult with her. She is touchy right now with things being rocky with Scooter. Be considerate.”
Dad laughed. “She is a tough one and the last thing I want is to stand in for her boyfriend if she feels she needs to vent.”
I chuckled. “I knew you understand better than you let on.”
Dixie hurriedly threw off her apron and grabbed her coat. “Do I still need to call Piper?”
“Well unless you got a new car that I don’t know about, yeah. Piper is the only one of u
s with a decent car.” I helped Digger to his feet and we headed to the door.
Dixie fumbled in her jeans pocket and pulled out her phone.
I glanced back to Bones and hollered. “Can you make sure that mess where Digger was sitting is clean?’
Bones snickered. “Sure. No problem. I have lots of experience cleaning up a beer explosion by a ghost chicken.”
Dixie looked up from the cell phone, turned and scolded Bones over her shoulder. “Don’t be a smarty pants. And I have cleaned way more unusual things in this place.”
I heard Bones try to whisper to Dad, but his voice carried. “I think she's forgetting a few things and underestimates me.”
Dixie glanced at me and smiled, then whispered, “He still has a lot to learn.”
I nodded. “Yep. Now let’s get Digger back together so we can get a move on to Statesboro and help Dog with all of this.”
Chapter Ten
Dog Breath leaned forward so the cabbie could hear him. “Keep the meter running and wait here, I will be back in about ten minutes.”
With a quick check of every window, Dog made his way around the small, one story ranch. In the back, he found an unlocked window. He opened it all the way.
Slowly and carefully, Dog climbed in through the open window since he thought he heard voices inside. Slick’s accident made no sense to him. He needed to look around his house for a clue or anything that looked unusual.
The entry point dropped the not so stealthy motorcycle mechanic into Slick’s den. It was clean and meticulously organized and Dog expected no less. Slick worked in motor pool office in Vietnam, and once he returned home found similar work behind a desk as administrator. And he knew how to keep things neat and organized.
The books and bug specimens caught Dog’s eye. One of the things that intrigued Slick over in Vietnam was the insects. Some were huge and bizarre and he wanted to know more about them. He began to study them and developed a fascination with the small creatures. His love of insects may have developed overseas, but he brought it home and was always trying to learn more about them.
A quick scan of the den told Dog Breath that this room was not going to provide any clues, so he moved on. He still heard the voices. But now he could tell it was a radio left on in the bedroom, probably an alarm playing news for no one.
In the living room, he made a beeline for the coffee table and found a pill bottle. He picked it up and read the label, but it confused him. The prescription was for Harry Campbell. What was Lugnut’s heart medication doing in Slick’s house?
He pocketed the bottle, and while doing so, it jumped out at him. A small green gas tank. “Bingo, and the hose is still hooked up.” Dog smiled since he knew this was the tank that must have put Slick in the hospital.
After quickly coiling the small length of hose around the valve, Dog picked up the tank and power walked to the front exit. He may have come in through a window, but he was in a hurry now and the front door was the fastest way back to his cab.
He closed the front door and made sure it latched, then he hurried back to the cab. However, the cabbie saw him coming and jumped out of the car. He held his hand up like a traffic cop signaling stop. “You’re not getting in my cab with that thing.”
Dog looked down at the green tank in his arms and paused. Then he looked the cabbie in the eye. “I have a medical condition and need oxygen. It's safe and a doctor prescribed it for me. It's not a problem.”
The cabbie eyed him. “I thought you said you were from out of town?”
Dog once again paused. “Well, I am. But my buddy was holding my tank for me. But I need it today. It was an emergency. That is why I couldn’t wait for my friends to drive me and took a cab so they could stay at the funeral home.”
The wary cabbie studied him from the side of his face. “It looks dangerous to me.”
Sensing he almost had the cautious cabbie’s consent to bring the tank, Dog decided he needed to do one last thing to convince the driver. So, he put the mask on and cracked the valve. “See there's nothing to worr...” Dog collapsed unconscious onto the sidewalk.
THE NURSE FLUFFED HIS pillow and smiled. “Glad to see you awake. Your vitals are coming back, too.”
“How long have I been here?” Dog tried to sit up while he spoke.
“Only about a half hour.”
“I had a green tank and some pills in my pocket. They are really important and may be key evidence in a murder.” Dog was trying to find his pants while pleading with the nurse.
“Calm down, all your possessions are safe.”
His head was groggy and he felt like he'd been hit by an NFL linebacker. But then a thought overwhelmed him and he glanced around the room, looking for something that told him what hospital he was in. “What hospital is this? I was looking for the VA facility.”
The nurse smiled. “Why, silly, this is the VA hospital. Your cab driver said you talked about your Vietnam friends and he knew you were a vet. And this was the closest hospital. So, he brought you here. We checked your wallet and confirmed your service.”
“Well, I am a Vietnam vet, that's true.” Dog had a pounding headache and rubbed his temples. “I never caught a break, but maybe, just maybe. Is there a Slick...I’m sorry. Is there an Eric Cooke registered here?”
The nurse looked at him puzzled. “That’s a bit odd to ask after a near death experience, but why do you want to know?”
“It's important, and more people may be in danger. I think someone may have committed murder, and is trying to kill others.” Dog pleaded with his eyes.
“I can check. In the meantime, get some rest. You don’t seem to understand you were just about dead when the cabbie brought you in here.” Then she turned and left.
The nurse returned in a couple of minutes and she stood at the end of the bed and folded her arms. “How did you know Eric was here?”
Dog stared out the window and couldn't look her in the eye. “It was his gas that knocked me out. I suspected that someone may have tried to hurt him with the oxygen he used. But the cabbie didn’t want the tank in his car. I thought a small whiff wouldn’t hurt me. But when I took a sniff to show the driver it was safe to take in the cab, well, next thing I wake up here.”
“You’re lucky you didn’t die.”
“And so was Slick. That's what we call Eric. And that's why I need to see him. I think someone tried to kill him. I must see him. What room is he in?”
“You are in no shape to walk anywhere. And we still don’t know what happened to you. Well, you confirmed the oxygen tank part of the story, your account is just like the cabbie’s. I better get that tank secured and have it checked for what is in it.”
Dog scooted up toward the headboard and tried to sit up slightly. “I need to go see Slick. Is there any way I can go see him now?”
“Well, I guess I could bring you in a wheelchair.”
Dog Breath clapped his hands together in delight, but then he grabbed his forehead. “Wow, this headache is brutal.” He then tried to smile as a sign of thanks. “A wheelchair will work. Let’s go, and put it on my bill.”
The nurse chuckled. “Oh, we bill for everything, trust me. As for seeing your friend, you seem genuinely worried about something. So, I will take you, but I want security to accompany us. I have no idea what's going on here, but the one thing I am sure of, this all very unusual.”
“That’s just fine. In fact, we may need to call the police before this is done. Oh, and one more thing. Can you test those pills in my pants pocket to see if they were tampered with or poisoned?”
The nurse threw her hands in the air. “There you go again! That is downright weird to ask something like that.”
“I had heart pills for Lugnut, I mean Harry Campbell in my pocket. They need to be tested. I suspect someone replaced his pills and murdered him.”
The nurse cocked her head. “Harry Campbell? That name sounds familiar. And he just died?”
Dog sighed. “Yeah, his heart went su
ddenly. It’s why I suspect the pills.”
“I can have the lab analyze the pills. But that will have to wait.”
“No, it needs to happen now. We have no time; can we drop the pills off at the lab on the way to see Slick?”
The nurse refolded her arms. “A little bossy for a new patient, I can see you're going to be a handful.”
“It’s important.”
She studied Dog for a moment. “I will have an orderly take the pills down with a request to analyze them. “
Dog sighed and his head drooped a bit in relief. “I can’t thank you enough.”
“I’m only doing this because you said others might be in danger. So, hold your thanks. I still have no idea which end is up with you.” She slowly turned to the door. “I’ll go get a wheelchair and a VA police officer. Then, we can go see Eric.”
“Slick, no one calls him Eric!”
The nurse barked back. “It says Eric Cook on our registry. So as far as I’m concerned, it’s Eric.”
She left, but returned promptly pushing a wheelchair, and with an officer in tow. Dog made use of the short time and labored to sit up on the edge of the bed. When the nurse entered, he was holding the hospital gown shut with one hand behind his back. “Can I get something a little more like real clothes?”
The nurse checked the wheelchair to make sure it was ready to use. “That is standard issue, soldier. And no one will give you a second look, everyone is accustomed to it in here. Now, let’s load you up.”
With some effort she managed to get Dog Breath into the chair. “Well, it looks like we’re ready to roll, Mr. Bell. Hold on.”
“Call me Dog Breath.”
The nursed laughed and rolled Dog out of the room. The VA hospital was huge and after fifteen minutes, the nurse said. “We're almost there, just a couple of rooms to go.”
Dog was lost and there was no way he would have found Slick’s room on his own. Plus, his head felt light and he had no strength in his legs. The nurse was right, his wheelchair ride worked out for the best in more ways than one.
A Whiskey Sour Wipeout Page 5