A Frozen Scoop of Murder - The Bundle Edition (Books One to Six): Cozy Mysteries

by Constance Barker

  “Because of how long it’s been?” Paige asked.

  Trixie nodded. “Even if Abby has her wits about her, it would be asking a lot for her to remember names and dates. Although is wasn’t like there were many of us girls there at the time. There were about ten of us when I was there.”

  Stormi got up to toss her cup in the trash. “Trixie, that doesn’t sound like too many. Maybe she would remember. It’s worth a shot don’t you think?”

  “Yes I do think it’s worth a shot. Besides, I would love to see Miss Abby. She was always a sweetheart. She wasn’t much older than us pregnant girls so we had a sort of kinship with her.”

  I was waiting for someone to ask the inevitable and of course it was Paige.

  “What about Margaret Kreinhagen?”

  Instantly Trixie’s face drooped. Every time that woman’s name was mentioned it was like someone let the air out of Trix’s tire. Whoever this Margaret woman was, her wickedness lasted decades.

  “If you can believe it, they’re in the same nursing home. Mr. Strickland said it’s a large mega nursing home facility so likely they don’t even see each other. He wasn’t sure what shape either one was in either so it may be a moot point.”

  “Do you even want to see Miss Margaret?” I asked.

  “No,” Trixie answered immediately. “I’ll let Strickland handle her…but I wouldn’t mind seeing Abby. She’ll likely talk more easily with me than she would with him being a stranger and all.”

  “I’d be glad to go along if you want Trixie,” I said. Paige and Stormi volunteered as well.

  “I hate dragging you girls all over the countryside…but it sure would be nice to have my reserves at the ready if I need them.” Trixie smiled sweetly and we assured her we’d like nothing better than to be there for her. The trip to Sunny Acres nursing home was set for the next day. We would set out in Paige’s SUV once again and meet Mr. Gabe Strickland there.

  That night as I lied in bed I couldn’t sleep, wondering what or even if we’d find out anything for Trixie. I stared at the dark ceiling wondering what it must be like for Trixie to live a life of several tragedies. My heart hurt for her. I could only pray that she wouldn’t have to suffer another one.

  *****

  The drive to Sunny Acres nursing home facility took about an hour. We chit chatted on the way in Paige’s SUV, but the air was electric with anticipation and trepidation. Mr. Strickland was to meet us there. When we pulled into the parking lot he waved us down and Paige pulled into the slot next to his old Crown Victoria. We piled out of the SUV and followed Mr. Strickland to the front entrance. At the front desk he asked to see Abigail Wainwright and we were told she was last seen outside in the courtyard area.

  This nursing home also had an assisted living space where seniors could live in what were more like apartments rather than rooms. These seniors could cook, leave on their own, and basically take care of themselves, but still have the security of a staff on hand in case they needed medical assistance. Abby lived in the assisted living area of the nursing home so it didn’t come as a surprise to hear she was roaming the grounds. The lady behind the desk showed us to the outside common area and where we might locate Abby.

  Once out there we looked around the garden courtyard filled with walkways, manicured shrubs, and benches. Trixie spotted Abby right away. She was small and not very tall. She wore white pants with a dark purple top that made her white hair stand out like a halo around her head. And she wore the cutest pink tennis shoes. Her back was to us and Trixie walked up and softly said, “Abby?”

  She turned around and we could see the soft porcelain skin and the bright green eyes. While there was some sagging of her facial skin, there were barely any wrinkles and you just knew her skin felt like a baby’s. She looked at Trixie and then the recognition bloomed across her face.

  “Trixie,” she exclaimed and held out her arms. Trixie quickly went to her and they embraced. When they parted, Abby held onto Trixie’s arms.

  “You look the same as I remember!”

  Trixie laughed. “I know that isn’t true since I was a young woman of 20 back then.”

  Abby leaned towards her. “But I can tell you still have that young spirit.”

  Trixie motioned for us to come over. “I want you to meet my friends.”

  Trixie introduced us all including Mr. Strickland. We decided to head into one of the common rooms within the facility where we could sit and talk. Mr. Strickland excused himself to make a phone call. I believe he was simply being gracious, allowing Trixie and Abby time to catch up and let the woman folk have their hen fest before getting down to business.

  The two women chatted like they’d only seen each other yesterday. Funny how you can meet people who are significant in your life in one way or the other, not see them for years, but then pick up right where you left off. It must be a kinship of some kind and these two women had it.

  Abby was only 8 years older than Trixie so there wasn’t much of an age difference between them. They talked about a few of the girls they remembered at the home and some of the shenanigans they pulled. Like the time one of the girls smuggled in her white pet mouse into the unwed girl’s home. It lived in her little suitcase for a few days until one morning her bunkmate opened it and the mouse ran out. High pitched screams and scrambling onto chairs and beds erupted through the home until one of the janitors cornered it. The girl begged the janitor not to kill it. He allowed her to catch it, but it had to go back home. But Abby said the nurses talked about the incident for years and laughed every time.

  It was fun listening to the two of them reminisce and it brought about a relaxing atmosphere before getting down to the real reason we were here. After 30 minutes, Mr. Strickland walked back into the room and pulled up a chair.

  Abby looked at Mr. Strickland and then back to Trixie. “I have a feeling you aren’t here just to talk about old times.”

  Trixie nodded. “I do want to come back and visit with you Abby especially since we’ve had such a nice time pondering the past, but you’re right. I’m here on a quest. I didn’t think I could do it alone so my friends here were kind enough to join me. You see, Mr. Strickland is a private investigator and he’s been commissioned to help me find my son.”

  Abby’s face abruptly turned pale. The person we first met with the sweet smile and rose colored cheeks suddenly changed her demeanor. Her eyes were downcast and her back straightened. In a small voice she said, “I don’t think I can help you with that.”

  Abby stood up. “I’m not feeling very well. I think I better head to my room and lie down.”

  Trixie stood up as we all looked at one another. Mr. Strickland was the first to speak.

  “Abigail, are you sure there is nothing you can tell us about Trixie’s son?”

  Abby was already headed for the door and then she stopped and turned and looked at Trixie. Her face was stricken. “I’m sorry Trixie…but no.” With that she turned and fled out of the room.

  We sat stunned not knowing what to do or say. The fact that Abby said she didn’t know anything wasn’t all that surprising, but the way she reacted was. Her response to the question said volumes. And not in a good way. It was as if her soul light had been extinguished. The person that walked out of the room was not the Abby we met in the courtyard.

  Mr. Strickland got up and gathered us to walk outside. Once we got to the vehicles he said, “I think we all know that Miss Abigail knows something that she’d rather keep to herself.”

  “The look on her face when you asked about your son was so strange,” Paige replied. She looked at Mr. Strickland. “What do you think is keeping her from revealing anything.”

  Mr. Strickland leaned against his Crown Victoria. “Hard to say, but she knows what happened to your son Trixie.”

  Trixie was holding up better than I was. My heart was racing.

  “Why would she keep it to herself?” Trixie asked. “I mean I can take whatever she has to tell me. I’ve prepared myself fo
r the worst, like he may be dead or in jail. I have one kid in jail, what’s one more.”

  I could tell the exasperation in Trixie’s voice. To come this far and then be turned away by a woman she trusted a long time ago had to be frustrating. Trixie opened the door of Paige’s SUV and sat down.

  “I have a feeling Abby is looking out for me by not revealing what she knows. However, she doesn’t really know me. She knows the girl I was, not the woman I am now. I’ve half a notion to go back in there and try again.”

  “Let’s give her some time to think things over,” Mr. Strickland replied. “She’s been hit with quite a load in just one hour. If we give her time to mull it over, say we come back in a few hours, she may feel more like talking.”

  Paige pulled the car keys from her purse. “I think that’s a good idea. Why don’t we go get something to eat and then come back this afternoon. If she still doesn’t want to talk then we may have to pursue plan B.”

  We all knew what plan B was…Margaret Kreinhagen. No one wanted to resort to that but we decided Mr. Strickland would take care of her. I didn’t want Trixie anywhere near this she-devil.

  Paige had seen a restaurant on the way into town so we stopped there to get something to eat. Mr. Strickland excused himself and sat at a separate table. I wasn’t sure if he didn’t want to be included with a bunch of women or didn’t want to disturb us with his cell phone calls. We concluded it was both.

  The restaurant was locally owned and had that family feel to it. None of us were really hungry so we ordered half sandwiches and bowls of soup. The waitress brought steaming bowls of potato and broccoli and cheese soups along with ham and turkey sandwiches with all the dressings. Although we weren’t hungry we ate like we were. The food was delicious. We even decided to have coffee and a slice of their fresh made pies. Stormi and I had the peanut butter pie while Paige got coconut cream. Even Trixie ordered a slice of lemon meringue.

  Over coffee we discussed the strange reaction from Abby when Trixie’s son was mentioned.

  Stormi held her cup of coffee in the air. “It was like she saw a ghost or something. What could have her that spooked?”

  We paused for a second while the waitress refilled our coffee cups. Paige added more cream to her coffee. “I think we can all agree that whatever she knows is not good.”

  Trixie nodded in agreement. “Yes and I’ve prepared myself for the worst, but she doesn’t know that. Hopefully we can get her to open up. She raced out of the room so fast that I didn’t have a chance to explain that to her. I was simply floored the old girl could move that quickly.”

  Stormi snorted. “She’s in good shape and so are you Miss Trixie.”

  Trixie took a sip of coffee. “Thank you my dear….Ben and I walk two miles every day. Which reminds me. I need to give him a call and let him know what’s going on. Excuse me girls.” Trixie got up and walked outside to make her call.

  I could tell Paige wasn’t keen on us investigating this any further. “I really think we should let sleeping dogs lie at this point. Whatever that woman knows is bad and it could mean another dagger to Trixie’s heart.”

  I agreed in part. Finding out devastating news concerning a son you gave up long ago might be the crushing blow to the Trixie we’ve known and come to love. But another part of me wondered if the not knowing was just as damaging.

  I set my coffee cup on the table and looked at my two friends sitting across the table from me. “How would you all feel if you were in her place? For myself, I would have to know even if it’s bad. At least if I knew I could somehow come to terms with it. Maybe not for awhile, but eventually. The not knowing is what would kill me…the what if that happened or what if this happened to him. The scenarios running through my head would be constant and debilitating. But I know everyone is different in how they handle certain situations. Paige, maybe you’re different.”

  Paige nodded as she swallowed a gulp of coffee. “True, everyone handles situations differently. For me, if I had given up a child for adoption, the case would have been closed in my mind. I made my decision and I’d have to live with it. I’d close the door and not look back. That would be the only way I could live with it. Sometimes, to protect your heart, you have to build that wall, otherwise you’d languish in guilt and regret. I wouldn’t want to live like that or put my loved ones through it either.”

  Stormi leaned back in the booth. “You both make good points. I can see why Trixie recruited us to see our differing opinions. For me, there’s no question. I could never give up my child no matter what the circumstances.”

  Stormi looked back to ensure Trixie wasn’t walking up. “That’s not to say I’m against it, and Lord knows most of these women are committing a selfless act by giving up their child…trying to give their baby a better life than the mother thinks they can offer at the time. But for me, I don’t think I could even consider it.”

  So there it was. Three very different scenarios of how three independent and strong women would react to the situation Trixie found herself in. But it wasn’t our decision to make as we kept trying to tell ourselves. As much as we wanted to shield her from pain and sorrow, we couldn’t make the choice. And now it looked as if the information Abby was keeping from Trix was devastating.

  Trixie approached the table and sat down next to me. “I spoke to Mr. Strickland after making my call to Ben. He’s ready and said we might as well try one more time with Abby. If she doesn’t respond then he’ll go visit Madge.”

  Stormi looked confused. “Wait…what? Who’s Madge?”

  A smile flickered across Trixie’s face. “Oh that’s what we called Margaret Kreinhagen. She hated it so of course we wouldn’t call her anything else.”

  We paid for our lunches and met Mr. Strickland in the parking lot. “I was able to talk to Ms. Wainright.”

  Trixie moved towards Mr. Strickland. “Oh my, you were?”

  “Yes…she apologized for her behavior earlier. She said she was simply taken by surprise and didn’t mean to upset you or your friends.”

  “So she’s willing to talk with Trixie again?” Paige asked.

  Mr. Strickland removed his car keys from his pants pocket. “Yes, she said she’d meet us in the same common room at the nursing home if you wanted to talk with her.”

  “I definitely do,” Trixie said. “I don’t care what she knows, even if it’s bad, I’d rather know than not.”

  So with that we piled into Paige’s SUV and followed Mr. Strickland back to Sunny Acres nursing home. What we would learn that day was nothing we expected.

  *****

  A cool wind had picked up by the time we reached the nursing home. A cold winter system was moving in and it chilled me to the bone. At least that’s what I thought it was. Later I would remember that chill and liken it to the news we were yet to hear.

  We met Miss Abby back in the same room she raced out of only a few hours prior. She looked better than the last time we saw her. At that time her face had turned white and she couldn’t wait to leave, but now she appeared as we’d first met her. The pink in her cheeks was back and she was smiling. Trixie walked over to where she was sitting at one of the small circular tables.

  Trixie took her hand. “I’m so sorry Abby…I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  Abby patted her hand and motioned for her to sit. “No it is I who should apologize. I shouldn’t have reacted that way. I suppose seeing you out of the blue brought back so many memories of you girls at the home and it made me sad.”

  We stood apart from the two women, allowing them some privacy although we could still hear the conversation. Mr. Strickland remained on the far side of the room talking into his cell phone.

  Trixie sat down and pulled her chair closer to Abby. “Why did it make you sad?”

  Abby sighed and then continued. “There was much laughter when you girls were there, but there was also sadness, especially after each birth. You girls had made up your mind while pregnant to give up your child for adoption, b
ut after the birth and when it came time to actually do it…well that’s when the tears came.”

  I could see the pain in Trixie’s face emerge as Abby continued.

  “Some of the girls wept openly, even screamed for them not to take the baby away. Those were the worst. Others would cry privately. We nurses could tell because their eyes would be red and swollen. And then there was you Miss Trixie. You were one of the strongest girls I’d ever met inside those walls. You would help those girls who gave birth to get through those awful first days.”

  Trixie nodded but didn’t speak.

  “It was that rush of remembering those times that overwhelmed me. I’d stored those memories in a locked room in my mind. Sometimes you have to do that in order to get by with the business of the day. When I first saw you I remembered the good times, and there were many of those fortunately. But when you mentioned your boy…well that unlocked the door and flooded my memory of the pain and anguish that I didn’t dare ponder in these later years.”