Paige leaned forward. “Does this mean you’re thinking about searching for him?”
We all looked at Trixie. “I’m not sure, and that’s why I’m here. What do you girls think?”
Stormi spoke first. “I think it’s an awesome idea!” Of course she would. That’s Stormi, forge straight ahead and deal with the consequences later. Paige on the other hand was more practical.
“What if you find out information that isn’t all unicorns and roses? And what if he doesn’t want to be found…or perhaps he doesn’t even know that he was adopted.”
I looked at Trixie. “I think you’ve considered all these aspects haven’t you?”
Trixie nodded. “Yes I have, but it’s good to have others opinions as well. What do you think Tara?”
I thought for a second. “You’re one of the strongest women I know Trixie. I believe what ever you unearth on your son; you’ll handle it with grace and class, as always. Do you want to have a relationship with him or simply want to know what happened to him? Maybe watch him from afar so to speak?”
A smile danced across Trixie’s lips. “That’s exactly what I was thinking. Although I was young and probably not in the best frame of mind, I made the decision to give him away. No one forced me to make that choice…I did it of my own free will.”
Trixie leaned back in the chair. “I have no right to disrupt this man’s life. He may have led a respectable life, with a wife and children, never even knowing he was adopted.”
“But what if he does know that he was adopted,” Stormi interjected. “Perhaps he’s wanted to find his birth mother.”
Trixie looked down at her hands. “I doubt it. You hear about people finding their parents or kids all the time. I have a feeling if he knew about me then he likely didn’t want to know who I was. But my curiosity has taken me by force. I would like to know who he is and what he’s become, but only from a distance, like Tara mentioned. I have no right to disrupt his life, not when I gave him away so many years ago.”
“But what if he wants to meet you?” Stormi wasn’t giving up on her happily ever after for Trixie and her son.
Paige leaned forward in her chair. “Stormi, let’s allow Trixie to forge her own path on this one.“ Paige looked at Trixie. “How can we help besides giving you our hodgepodge of advice that’s likely got you more confused than ever?”
At that moment Winchester woke up from his nap in the back room and jumped in Trixie’s lap. “There’s my little man.” She petted his head as he curled up in her lap.
“Well I’m not sure where to begin. I suppose I should start at the home for unwed girls. I doubt its still there however, although I believe it was affiliated with Mercy hospital in Atlanta.”
“Ohhh, I know who can help us!” Stormi squealed as she jumped out of her chair. “Let me go call Greg.” She scampered off to the back room to find her cell phone.
Trixie looked at Paige and I. “What do you think she‘s up to?”
Paige took a bite of her chicken salad sandwich. “Hopefully something useful. Trix, I hate to be a downer, but what if you find out something you’d rather not know.”
I knew where Paige was heading and I had to admit it crossed my mind as well. First we had Daniel Crager, Trixie’s first husband and the father of the son she was attempting to find. Daniel had mental issues, so the question was, would the boy have suffered the same problems as his father. Then there was Trixie’s daughter, Eileen, by her second husband. Eileen murdered Trixie’s best friend Greta. So the family tree was littered with mental problems. This had me afraid for Trixie. Not only was there the possibility she might find out something diabolical about her son, but what if during the investigation he discovered she was looking for him and could potentially cause her harm. I didn’t want to think negatively, but it was hard not to contemplate the possibilities given Trixie’s background. Luckily Paige was saying what I didn’t have the heart to.
Trixie petted Winchester’s soft head. “With my background I have no illusions of what I might find. In fact I’ll be surprised if he is normal. I’ve prepared myself for all sorts of scenarios. Like Eileen he could be in jail, or homeless, or even dead.”
That last one was like a stab in the heart. That was not something I had considered.
Paige put down her sandwich. “Trixie, are you sure you want to know? Even if you find out that he’s okay and has led a wonderful life, the fact that you aren’t a part of it will hurt too.”
“Paige I know you’re looking out for what’s best for me. That’s why I came here today. You girls are close to my heart, but you’re all different with various ideas and advice. I knew if I asked you all about this situation that I’d come away with valuable information and possibly things I hadn’t considered.”
She picked Winchester up and placed him on the floor. “After talking with you girls today I do believe I’ve contemplated every aspect and I’m ready to forge ahead.”
Stormi raced out of the back room. “That’s good because Greg knows a private investigator that may be able to help us. He works with the police sometimes, that’s how Greg knows him. He’s older and a little brusque, so says my man, but he’s good at what he does. We meet him tomorrow at his office in Sinking Springs.”
“We?” Paige asked. “Perhaps Trixie would like to handle this situation on her own.”
Stormi’s face drooped.
“Oh no,” Trixie exclaimed. “If you girls wouldn’t mind, I would love to have you go with me to see this….ummm, Stormi, what’s the man’s name?”
“Mr. Strickland…and we see him at his office at 10am tomorrow.”
So started a new adventure and one that would carry us into parts unknown.
*****
The next day we loaded up in Paige’s humongous SUV with all the bells and whistles to head to Sinking Springs and Mr. Strickland’s office. Trixie sat up front with Paige and Stormi and I sat in the plush bucket seats behind them.
Stormi sat behind Trixie. She settled into her seat and latched the seat belt. “My derriere is cold. You got one of those butt warmers in this vehicle?”
Paige backed the vehicle out from it’s parked space in front of my shoppe where we’d all gathered for the day‘s activities. “Sadly not for those in the back seats. But Miss Trixie and I shall have warm buns all the way to Sinking Springs.”
“That’s okay,” Stormi said. “Just blast the heat back here. I’m freezing.”
Paige looked in the rear view mirror. “Storm, you need to wear long johns, I’m telling ya. You’re always so cold in the winter and it’s really not that bad.”
“I would not get caught dead wearing long johns,” Stormi exclaimed.
“Then quitcherbitchin.” Paige had no sympathy.
Trixie turned around in her seat. “Stormi, wear a pair of hose under your pants. I swear it keeps my legs warm. Sometimes I even wear two pairs on these bird legs.”
“Now that’s a solution I could live with,” Stormi chirped.
The rest of the trip to Sinking Springs passed with the four of us talking about townspeople we all knew and how we were ready for spring. None of us liked cold weather, but we knew it helped us appreciate the warmer weather all the more.
Sinking Springs was a small town so finding Mr. Strickland’s office downtown was rather easy. The small brick building was old and the square plate glass window out front displayed his name with Private Detective underneath. As we walked into the building, the wood boards creaked underneath. There was an old couch and a couple of chairs sitting in the front room. The coffee table in front of the couch was littered with old magazines. The smell inside the space was musty with a hint of brewed coffee. I loved the smell of coffee, but not laced with mildew.
Stormi waved a hand in front of her nose. “Maybe we should have met him in Caesars Creek.”
“You mean you don’t like my swanky digs.” Mr. Strickland emerged from the one door leading to what I assume was his office. He wasn’t very ta
ll, maybe 5’6”. He was a little on the hefty side with a shock of thick gray hair adorning his head. He wore an old grayish suit with a white shirt and a thin light green tie. The ensemble looked rather worn and I doubted he had much better in his wardrobe. But his eyes held a twinkle that belied anything he was wearing.
Trixie stepped forward and held out her hand. “My name is Trixie Florez and I’m the woman requesting your assistance in a delicate matter.”
Mr. Strickland took her hand in his. “It’s very nice to meet you Trixie, but I’d like for you all to call me by my first name, Gabe.”
“Short for Gabriel I presume,” Trixie replied.
“You presume right,” Gabe answered.
Trixie introduced the rest of us and then Gabe had us sit down in his waiting room on the old couch and chairs. Trixie laid out her story for Gabe. He took notes in a small notebook and asked various questions, including if Trixie remembered any of the nurse’s names.
“Do you remember any nurses who took care of you at the home? They may be able to provide some useful information for us,” Gabe asked in his gravelly voice.
Trixie looked out the dirty front window. “There was a sweet young nurse who took care of us girls. Her name was Abby…Abby Wainwright I believe it was. Another nurse was older, so she may have passed by now. Her name was Trina, but I can’t remember her last name. Oh and there was someone else.”
Trixie got a faraway look in her eyes. “I doubt this woman is still around either. If she is she’d be at least 90 but I think she’d be even older than that. She was the administrator of the unwed girl’s home, but she ruled it like a prison. She had neither sympathy nor patience for us. We were the filth of the earth in her eyes. An abomination.”
“Why in the world would she even be a part of such a facility if she felt so strongly against the girls?” Paige asked.
“Who knows,” Trixie sighed. “Maybe she felt it was her calling to strip us of our dignity….like we weren’t already feeling down and out as it was. But actually she made good money there; at least that’s what I heard at the time. And it wasn’t just us girls that felt her wrath…the nurses were just as scarred as the rest of us. The six months I was there the turnover of nurses had to be 80 percent, except for Trina and Abby. For some reason they hung on. Maybe they felt sorry for us girls, I’m not sure. But Margaret Kreinhagen, that was her name, her imprint on my soul has never left.”
We all sat in silence for a few moments, not knowing what to say. Was it possible that Trixie’s bleak past was even more bitter? The only consolation was she only had to endure this woman’s hatred for six months of her life. Suddenly Gabe broke the silence.
“I’m going to make some calls this afternoon and find out who we need to talk to and where they can be located. Many of the unwed girl’s homes were done away with, but Mercy hospital may have the adoption records or at least a way to find out where they are.”
Gabe stood. “I’ll see what I can drum up on these women as well.”
Trixie looked at Mr. Strickland. “If Miss Margaret is still around she’d most likely know where the records are. But be prepared for a fight, especially if she finds out why you want them. I think she’d rather die than give a woman like me a chance to find her son.”
We thanked Mr. Strickland and loaded into Paige’s SUV. The mood was somber and I could tell the painful memories of the unwed girl’s home and subsequently giving up her child had taken a toll on Trixie. She looked like she’d aged 10 years since we arrived at Mr. Strickland’s office. I hated seeing her like that. It was as if a part of her was missing. The jovial side that we’d become accustomed to seeing had faded.
Then a thought occurred to me. Maybe the person we see on the outside isn’t always what’s lurking on the inside. Trixie has always appeared as a strong woman, but perhaps that was the façade she wanted the world to see. Maybe deep down she wasn’t as resilient as we’d all thought. I was worried about her. The ride home had us all a bit solemn. Even Stormi couldn’t change the mood with her ramblings.
That evening after dinner, I told Brandon of that day’s adventure and meeting Mr. Strickland.
“So do you think he’ll find the necessary information to locate Trixie’s son?”
I set two glasses of wine on the coffee table and sat down on the sofa. Winchester curled up beside Brandon. Guess he wanted some male bonding time.
“I don’t know. I don’t even know if this is a good idea or not.”
Brandon reached for his wine glass. “Why do you say that?”
I took a sip of wine. “Just the way Trixie seemed after the meeting with Mr. Strickland. She seemed, well…just not herself. Like it took everything out of her. And this woman…”
Brandon rubbed Winchester’s head. “What woman?”
“Trixie said she was the head of the unwed girl’s home and she sounded like a she devil.”
“But that sounds like some women I know…I’m even related to a few,” Brandon teased.
I smacked him on the arm. He could always make me laugh, even in the worst of circumstances.
“No, Trixie made this woman out to be pure evil. She treated the girls like dirt and wasn’t much better with the nurses. She made their lives miserable while she was there.”
“Well, that doesn’t sound good. You say it took a lot out of Trix to relive that again?”
I sat my wine glass back on the table. “She wasn’t herself on the way home. Just stared out the car window. That’s why I don’t know if this is the best thing for her.”
“You can’t make that decision for her. If this is what she wants to do, all you can do is be there for her. She’s wise enough to know if she should go through with it or not.”
Brandon was right. It wasn’t my call to make, it was Trixie’s. And I think at this point she was bound and determined to go through with it. Paige, Stormi and I would be there to pick up the pieces. I just hoped we could put her back together again after it was all said and done.
*****
The next few days life went on as usual. Stormi and I continued to deep clean The Frozen Scoop Shoppe and Winchester would entertain us during breaks as we’d toss a small ball here and there and he’d run to track it down between the chairs and tables. Normally I wouldn’t have him scurrying around the shoppe when customers were coming in for their ice cream fix, but this week the store was closed so Winnie could play all he wanted to.
Paige stopped in two days after our trip to Sinking Springs to see if we’d heard anything from Trixie. Stormi and I stopped our cleaning and sat down with Paige who had brought us each a latte from the café down the street.
Stormi pulled her cup out of the cardboard box Paige brought them in. “The mocha’s mine right?”
“Yes dear,” Paige replied. “I also got mocha because I need my chocolate fix since I can’t get any ice cream.”
“You can go to the grocery and get chocolate ice cream.” Stormi suddenly realized what she said and turned to me. “Uh oh…”
I squinted my eyes at her. “Blasphemy!”
Paige took a sip of her latte. “No way would Bruce allow anything but Tara’s ice cream in the house and I agree. Everything pales in comparison.”
“Well actually I broke down and bought a gallon of chocolate last night at the grocery,” I confessed.
Stormi was vindicated. “I don’t feel so bad now.” I gave her another look. “But you will never hear those words cross my lips again…I promise.” I smiled. We had to give Stormi a hard time every once in a while, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
As we sat enjoying our lattes and watching Winchester perform various tricks Brandon taught him, there was a knock on the front door. It was Trixie. She looked better than the last time I’d seen her.
I unlocked the door. “Trixie, have you heard from Mr. Strickland?”
She walked over a pulled a chair up to our table. “I have girls. He said the building that housed us unwed girls is long gone n
ow, and that the records were moved to Mercy hospital in Atlanta. However, as we all concluded, they are sealed, but he said we could go to court and see if they could be unsealed. He cautioned me that this process might be long and there’s no guarantee that it would work. He did have another option however.”
I wasn’t feeling good about this. “What’s the other option Trixie?”
Trixie sighed. “He’s located two of the women I mentioned the other day. Abby Wainwright and Margaret Kreinhagen. They are both in a nursing home right outside the Atlanta area. Mr. Strickland wants to talk to them as he thinks they may remember names and dates, but I have my reservations.”
A Frozen Scoop of Murder - The Bundle Edition (Books One to Six): Cozy Mysteries Page 23