“Well, it looks like nobody’s home,” Marley said loudly. “I suppose we should go.”
“Yes.” Abby nodded eagerly. “Let’s go.”
They walked quickly back to the car, but once inside, they both started to giggle like schoolgirls. And as Abby drove away, they burst into loud ripples of laughter.
“Oh, that was fun,” Marley finally said. “It reminded me of sixth grade. Remember when we TP’d Don Gibson’s house on Halloween?”
Abby nodded. “I do! And remember how we freaked out when Mr. Gibson stood on the porch in his long johns, and how he was yelling that he had a shotgun and knew how to use it?”
“Caroline practically wet her pants, she was so scared.”
They both started laughing again, recalling other details of that wild evening. Then the car grew quiet, and Marley began thinking about Caroline. She must be feeling awful with her mother’s life hanging in the balance and the law treating Caroline like a criminal.
“Do you think those were really Joan Wilson’s cigarette butts?” Abby asked as she turned toward the hospital.
“I sure hope so.”
“I’ll bet they could run a DNA test on them. Wouldn’t that prove something?”
“Undoubtedly.” Marley patted her purse. “Also, they can determine if the cigarettes are the same brand as the ones found in Mrs. McCann’s bedroom.”
Abby chuckled as she pulled into a parking space. “Nice work, Sherlock.”
“You, too, Watson.”
“I do feel a little guilty for lying to the manager,” Abby admitted.
“All done in the line of duty,” Marley assured her. “I think God will forgive us.”
They hurried into the hospital to find that only Janie was in the waiting area. They quickly relayed their findings, and Janie told them that Caroline was with her mom. “Mrs. McCann’s been moved to ICU. She’s stabilized but not conscious. Caroline just went in there a few minutes ago.”
“What should we do with the evidence?” Marley asked.
“Why don’t you let me handle it,” Janie suggested. “I plan to act as Caroline’s attorney anyway. Hopefully she won’t really need my help. But she has so much on her mind right now between her mom’s injuries and the burned-out house. The least I can do is to cover the legal angles for her.”
“Oh, I hadn’t even thought about the damage to her mom’s house,” Marley said. “How bad is it?”
“Well, I poked around a bit when I took Chuck over there. I put him in the backyard with some food and water and he seems okay for now. But the house is definitely not habitable. Mrs. McCann’s room is badly burnt, and the rest of the house has considerable smoke damage.”
“Poor Caroline.” Marley shook her head. “She so didn’t need this.”
“I know.” Janie sighed. “I told her that she and Chuck can stay with me tonight.”
“Or she can stay with us,” Abby offered.
“Or me,” Marley said, “although I’d have to put her on my couch.”
“Well, my house is closest to the hospital,” Janie pointed out. “We might as well stick with that plan for the time being.”
Marley removed her precious evidence from her purse, handing the wad of tissues over to Janie. “I was careful not to actually touch the cigarette butts,” she told her. “And these are clean tissues. I didn’t have a plastic bag on me.”
“Actually this is perfect.” Janie looked at the small white bundle. “Plastic bags hold in moisture, and that can damage the evidence. This is great.”
Abby patted Marley on the back. “See, you really are a good sleuth.”
“Speaking of sleuths”—Janie glanced at her watch—”maybe I should pay Detective Alberts a visit while he’s still on duty.”
“And I should probably get home to start dinner,” Abby said a bit reluctantly. “Otherwise Paul might use this as an excuse to run out and eat a triple cheeseburger or some other form of heart-attack-on-a-bun.”
“I’ll stick around here for Caroline,” Marley offered. After Janie and Abby left, Marley sat down and tried to pass the time by perusing the old magazines in the waiting room. When Caroline joined her, Marley could see that she’d been crying.
“How is she?” Marley asked gently. Caroline began to cry even harder. Marley enveloped Caroline in a hug and let her cry.
After a while, once the crying stopped and they were both blowing their noses, Caroline described her mom’s condition. “I just don’t see how she can possibly survive this. Burns … damaged lungs … and the Alzheimer’s.” Caroline took in a jagged breath. “I don’t like to question God, but the truth is, I wonder. I mean, why would he allow my mom to suffer like this? What is the purpose?”
Marley had no answer.
“The poor woman didn’t have a great life to start with. She did get some peace after my dad died. But even that was cut short by the Alzheimer’s. I just don’t get it.”
Marley thought hard, wishing for something to say that would comfort Caroline. Again she came up empty.
“Now she’s just lying there all bandaged up, unconscious and possibly suffering in silence, breathing on a ventilator. It all feels so senseless. Really, she would be better off dead.”
Marley remembered something. “Didn’t you say that your mom had made a living will back before her Alzheimer’s got bad?”
Caroline nodded sadly. “She did.”
“Well, if it’s like the one my parents had, wouldn’t it mean that no one is supposed to use any artificial means of life support to keep her alive?”
“Something to that effect.”
“So why are they keeping her alive on a ventilator? Why don’t they allow her to die peacefully, like she wants?”
“Because of the police.” Caroline wiped her nose. “Janie said that until the investigation regarding the fire is resolved, the police can get a court injunction instructing the hospital to keep my mom alive indefinitely.”
“Oh dear.” Perhaps the findings of Marley’s investigation would change the law’s perspective. She quickly told Caroline about the apartments and the cigarette butts. “In fact Janie is taking the evidence to the police right now.”
Caroline threw her arms around Marley again. “What would I do without the support of my friends?” she cried. “You guys are the best. Better than family!”
Chapter 9
JANIE
“Honestly I think Abby is right about Detective Alberts. I’ll bet he watches too many crime shows on TV,” Janie said as she handed Caroline a cup of Sleepy Time herbal tea. It was past eleven, and even though she’d already made up the guest room with fresh sheets, silk pajamas, and a nice set of toiletries that she knew Caroline would appreciate, it seemed that Caroline was too wired to go to bed.
“Too many crime shows?” Caroline frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I mean it’s almost as if he’s hungry for crime. Like he’s actually hoping for real murders to occur.”
“That’s seriously twisted.” Caroline took a sip of tea and sighed. “He should be thankful that Clifden is a relatively peaceful town. If he wants excitement, he should head down to LA.”
“Or New York.” Janie sat down on the sofa.
“So what did he say about the cigarette butts?”
“You mean after he got over the shock of hearing that someone else was out there doing his job for him?”
Caroline’s brow creased. “I hope that didn’t rub him the wrong way.”
Janie smiled. “I actually handled it rather carefully. I made sure that other police staff were around when I presented the evidence to him. And I made it sound like it had been his idea right from the start.”
“He fell for that?”
“He seemed to. I mostly tried to act as if I’m simpl
y trying to help him get to the bottom of this case.”
“I wonder how long that will take.”
“I’m not sure. It’s not helping that Joan Wilson seems determined to make herself scarce.”
Caroline nodded. “Yeah, I called the agency again, and they hadn’t heard from her either. It seems like that alone would cast some suspicion her way.”
“My thinking exactly. I even pointed that out to Detective Alberts.” Janie pulled her legs under her on the sofa and leaned back. “How was your mom doing when you left her this evening?”
“The same.” Caroline reached down to pet Chuck. He was lying on the oriental carpet that had been in Phil’s family for several generations. Although Janie knew these old carpets were tough, she felt a little uneasy about having a dog in her house. Still, she was determined not to let Caroline know about this. Good grief, her friend had enough worries without adding that to the pile. “As I was sitting with her—just talking, you know, like she could understand me—I got to thinking that it might’ve been a blessing in disguise that the police intervened in regard to the living will.”
“How so?” Janie took a sip of her tea.
“Well, I’m pretty sure that Mom would be dead. I just think there’s no way she could survive without the ventilator. Even with it she might not make it through the night.”
“I’m not quite grasping how that’s a blessing in disguise.”
“Because it allowed me to have more time to be with her, to talk to her. I know she probably can’t understand a word I’m saying, but what if she can?”
“Good point. I’ve read some medical research that suggests there is sometimes a lot more going on in a person’s head than it seems.”
“Tonight I was telling myself to talk to her like she was really aware, to tell her how I feel, how much I love her, and how I really want to catch up with her in heaven someday.” Caroline looked down at her mug of tea. “I even prayed the old sinner’s prayer with her.”
“The old sinner’s prayer?”
Caroline nodded. “It’s what they used to say in Sunday school when I was a little girl. Where you confess you are a sinner and you ask Jesus into your heart, and you accept his forgiveness. I kind of prayed it in proxy for Mom. Do you think God will honor that?”
Janie couldn’t help but smile at this. “I don’t see why not. And for all we know, somewhere in the deep regions of her mind, your mom might’ve been right with you and saying amen.”
Caroline brightened. “That’s what I’m telling myself.”
“So maybe you’re right. Maybe this injunction is really a blessing in disguise.”
“It all feels so surreal,” Caroline said. “This morning I was lamenting about how I have no life and feeling overwhelmed with my mom, and the next thing I know everything is different. I can’t even wrap my head around it.”
“I’m sure it will take a while to let reality sink in, and to sort it all out. Fortunately there’s no hurry, Caroline. In fact what you probably need most is a good night’s sleep.”
“I’m keeping you up late,” Caroline said. “Please don’t feel like you need to sit here with me, Janie. I’m fine, really.”
“I’m fine too.” Janie took another sip of tea. “Trust me, if I wanted to go to bed, I would.”
Caroline looked relieved. “Enough about me and my problems. I want an update on Victor and his ex. How’s that going?”
Janie just shrugged. “It’s hard to say.”
“Hard to say in what way?”
“In that Victor isn’t saying much.”
“When did you last talk to him?”
“This afternoon. I called him. I thought, since he’s your friend too, he’d be interested to hear about your mom.”
“And?” Caroline waited expectantly.
“And, well, I don’t know how to say this except that he seemed a bit distant.” Janie felt a small ripple of fear to hear her own confession aloud.
“Distant like he didn’t want to talk to you? Or distant like maybe his ex was right there listening and he didn’t want to say too much?”
Janie hadn’t really considered that possibility. She did now. “I’m not sure,” she admitted. “But my gut feeling was that he wasn’t himself.”
“Oh, I’ll bet it was because his ex was in the room with him, Janie. He’s in a pretty uncomfortable spot. Just give it some time.”
Janie nodded like maybe Caroline was right. But deep down she didn’t think so. Janie was fairly sure that whatever she’d had with Victor was coming to a slow but certain death. Maybe it was for the best. Maybe the purpose of her relationship with Victor was simply to show her that it was possible to have feelings for a man again. But even as she tried to convince herself of this possibility, she felt sad. It was going to be hard to let go.
“Have you met his ex yet?” Caroline persisted.
Janie shook her head.
“Aren’t you curious?”
“Actually I am.”
“If I weren’t in the middle of my own mess, I would try to think of a way that we could all meet Victor’s ex. You know, like a dinner party or something.”
Janie waved her hand. “I don’t think so. And, like you said, you need to focus on your own life right now.”
Caroline held up her mug. “Your herb tea must be working, because I think maybe I can go to sleep now.”
Of course, Janie felt wide awake. She said good night to Caroline and went into the kitchen to clean up the tea things. Then she turned off the lights, but instead of going to bed, she returned to the darkened living room and sat down and just thought. What if her relationship with Victor really was over? Was she okay with that? Or was there something else she needed to do to keep the relationship alive?
She went round and round in her mind, replaying scene after scene between her and Victor. Up until quite recently the scenes were lovely and memorable—almost a storybook sort of romance, which only left her feeling more confused and sad.
Finally she replayed her last conversation with Victor. She’d called him from the hospital this afternoon, and when he answered the phone, he had sounded like his usual upbeat self, but when he realized it was her, she felt certain that his voice turned just a bit formal, perhaps even frosty. She quickly relayed the information about Caroline’s mom. Though he displayed what sounded like genuine concern for Caroline, the tone of his voice sounded oddly impersonal and almost detached.
“Well, I’m sure you’re busy,” she had said after a silent lapse of several seconds.
“I’m sure Caroline needs you,” he responded.
“So take care,” she said in what she knew was her business voice, although she’d only been following his lead.
“You, too.”
Something between them had definitely changed. Something truly was wrong. Janie felt certain that something could only be Donna.
Janie stood and began pacing. By the light of the street lamp outside, she walked back and forth in the shadowy living room, trying to figure this thing out. Maybe Victor had realized that he still had feelings for Donna. Maybe he had even decided he wanted to be with her. Who could blame him for wanting to reunite his family? Holidays, birthdays, weddings, even funerals—all would go much more smoothly with the original family back together again. Ben and Marcus would have their parents back together too. Really, it was a wonderful thing. Janie should be happy for all of them. Truly she would be—once she got over her own personal loss.
She stopped pacing and stared out the front window. Even so, why wouldn’t Victor do the noble thing and be up front with her? Why wouldn’t he take the time to explain his change of heart? Was that too much to expect? After all, they were adults. These things happened. Why not simply be open and honest about it? Full disclosure.
Janie
sighed. She really was tired. Rehashing this over and over really wasn’t a healthy use of time or brain power. It was possible she was blowing the whole thing out of proportion. She needed to let it go, at least for tonight. Perhaps she’d see it all differently in the light of morning.
What Janie saw in the light of morning was a big hairy dog drinking out of her toilet. “Hey, Chuck,” she gently scolded him, “why don’t you go drink out of the other toilet?” He looked up with innocent eyes and a dripping mouth, then meandered on out, making his way to the other end of the house, where Caroline was staying. As Janie cleaned the drips from the toilet and the marble tiled floor, she wondered just how long she’d be comfortable housing Caroline and her dog. After seeing the condition of Caroline’s home yesterday, Janie felt certain that Caroline would be homeless for a while. It wasn’t that Janie wanted to kick them out anytime soon, but eventually Caroline would have to find another place to live—a place that catered to large dogs.
As Janie made coffee, she considered how to stay on top of things with the police. Hearing the back door open made her jump, and she was relieved to see Caroline come in.
“I took Chuck over to my mom’s backyard again,” she told Janie. “Gave him food and water. He should be okay for most of the day while I stay at the hospital.”
Janie nodded. “He seemed comfortable there yesterday.”
“I poked around the house some more.” Caroline sighed. “It’s such a mess. I don’t even know where to begin with it.”
“You might want to begin with an insurance claim.” Janie slid a mug of coffee toward Caroline.
Caroline blinked. “Oh, you mean for the house.”
“Your mother must’ve had homeowner’s insurance.”
Caroline frowned now, as if thinking hard.
“You did have guardianship of her, didn’t you?”
“Yes, of course.”
“So you handled all the bills and things?”
“Yes, I’m just not sure that there was insurance on the house. I mean since the house was paid for.”
“Surely she had a homeowner’s policy.”
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