Annamarie suddenly felt hungry and smelled biscuits. Not the refrigerator ones she made, but her mom’s homemade buttermilk biscuits. Annamarie hurried downstairs for breakfast.
Chapter Three – Goodbyes
Annamarie was enjoying a cup of tea after breakfast when the phone rang. Her mom answered, walked back into the kitchen, and asked Annamarie, “Do you want to speak with Garret’s mother?”
“Of course, Garret was Daniel’s friend.”
“Hello.”
“Hi, Annamarie,” Mrs. Frant said, “I’m so sorry to hear about Daniel. I would’ve called sooner, but wasn’t sure you would talk to me.”
“Of course I would. You were so kind and let Daniel and I attend the Memorial Service for Garret. I hold no ill will whatsoever. Garret got in with the wrong people and both he and Daniel lost their lives because of it. I hope wherever they are, they’re together.”
Mrs. Frant continued to tell Annamarie that she and Mr. Frant were leaving Timmus Woods. Mrs. Frant had found another nursing job in Oaklin and her husband’s business was there. The owner of a mechanics shop in Oaklin and his two sons were thinking about expanding their business and offered to buy Garret’s mechanics shop. They also made the same offer on the Frant’s house. Mrs. Frant continued to explain that she and Mr. Frant found it difficult to live in Timmus Woods since many people blamed Garret for Ben’s death.
“I called to say goodbye, but I also would like to ask if it’d be all right if we came to Daniel’s visitation tonight. We wouldn’t stay long and won’t come back for the funeral tomorrow. We need to say goodbye to Daniel. I have known him since he was a little boy. My worry is we’d be in the way.”
“Never, Daniel was so grateful he was able to go to Garret’s service. He would want you there. I don’t want you to worry, Mrs. Frant. When you and Mr. Frant come this evening, I want you to walk right up to me, and ignore any hateful minds. You’re welcome and this is my husband’s funeral.”
Mrs. Frant was so grateful she began to cry, causing Annamarie to cry, too. Through their tears, they said they would see each other later. Annamarie hung up.
* * *
Annamarie’s mom had heard her end of the conversation and told Annamarie, “You’ve grown into a loving woman who did the right thing for two grieving parents.”
“I’m concerned about George and Maureen.” She looked down at her hands, which were clenched in her lap. “They’ll cause trouble.”
“I heard you say it was your husband’s funeral and it should be your decision. I agree and will stand by your decision and your side tonight.”
Annamarie hugged her mom. “You’re the best.”
Paula was worried tonight could be overly tense, but she was going to take care of her daughter no matter who got in her way.
The phone rang again. Annamarie answered. It was Bonnie and she was trying to talk to Annamarie and cry at the same time. When Bonnie cried, Annamarie cried. They had been best friends since junior high and with Steve’s wife Deb, they made up the female version of the Three Musketeers. Paula knew exactly who was on the phone when she heard Annamarie talking through her tears. Slowly, both girls calmed down.
“I spoke to Deb and we both want to see you. Deb is worried you might not want to see her after the break-in incident, when Steve shot Garret.”
“Of course, I want to see you both.”
“We’ll be right there.”
Annamarie looked at her mom and said, “Bonnie and Deb will be right over.”
“I wondered where they’ve been.”
Five minutes later, the doorbell rang. Bonnie stood on the front porch with a pink bag from the Chocolate Shoppe in Oaklin. Deb had a large plate of peanut butter cookies. Both girls knew how to spoil Annamarie. They were all hugging and crying and talking at the same time. Paula had to break them up so they could come inside and sit down, thinking this is exactly what Annamarie needed. Bonnie apologized again for not calling sooner.
“I’ve been at school checking out resources and registering for classes the past three days. Dad knew I’d be home tonight and didn’t want to call and mess up my getting my college plans taken care of.”
Annamarie understood and she also understood Deb was nervous about calling since Annamarie might blame Steve for what happened to Garret. Deb said Steve was so broken up over Garret and now Daniel, she was afraid to leave him alone. He was at a doctor’s appointment in Oaklin and she had some free time.
“I have the best friends in the world,” she said as she reached for a cookie and looked into the pink bag.
Bonnie and Deb did their best to occupy Annamarie’s mind all morning.
* * *
While Annamarie was trying to relax with her friends and cope with her grief, Maureen was on a rampage, engaging every emotion except grief. George had gone into the office with the excuse he had important calls to make, but it was a lie to get away from his wife. His heart was breaking at the loss of his only child. He thought the two of them could share some comfort in their grief, but Maureen was intent on trying to take his father’s house away from Annamarie.
A call to Mr. Townsend had proved useless. He told Maureen he was Annamarie’s lawyer and had been Daniel’s. He would read Daniel’s will at the proper time and she was not privy to more information unless he called her. She hung up on him and called every probate lawyer in the phone book. The ones she was able to speak to told her the same thing; there was nothing they could do until the will was read. Without knowing the contents of the will, they had nothing they could argue. Maureen decided they were all useless and stupid.
Daniel whispered in his mother’s ear. She thought she was remembering him and agreed with what she heard. The house should be hers and she would get it regardless of what needed to be done. Daniel laughed. Maureen smiled.
* * *
Steve dropped in at the sheriff’s office after his appointment.
“My sessions are going well. The doctor thinks I can return to work soon. I’ve accepted the fact Garret’s death was justifiable and in the line of duty. Any other officer would have done the same and I would have done the same if it had been any other person pulling a gun.”
“That’s a major breakthrough.”
“I might be able to be back at work in a week or two.”
The sheriff was happy to hear it because the borrowed deputy was getting on his nerves.
The sheriff asked Steve, “Is Daniel’s death going to set you back at all?”
“No, I feel bad about Daniel, but since I had nothing to do with his death, I don’t feel any responsibility.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
“I’m more concerned about Deb. She’s taking it so hard and worrying about how Annamarie is going to cope.”
“Most of the town has the same concern since losing Daniel was the climax of a horrible series of tragedies for the Logan family and the town.”
The two men shook hands and said they would see each other at the visitation. Sheriff Richardson told the borrowed deputy he would have to stay late because he and Greta would be going to the visitation. The borrowed deputy agreed, but didn’t look pleased. The sheriff half hoped the kid would make some sort of wisecrack so he could send him back to Oaklin. The sheriff would sleep at the station for two weeks until Steve came back if it meant sending the kid home.
* * *
The phone rang at Annamarie’s parent’s house. Her mom answered, “It’s for you, dear. It’s Dr. Norse.”
“Hello.”
“Good morning, Annamarie, are you feeling any better?”
“A little, but I’m still tired.”
“I don’t have the results of your pregnancy test yet and will likely have it tomorrow, but I did receive some results. Everything is okay except you’re borderline anemic. It might have been why you fainted, coupled with the possible pregnancy and stress. Continue with the vitamins and I’m sending you some information on iron-rich foods. I don’t think you ne
ed more supplements at this time.”
Annamarie had forgotten half of what he told her, but thanked him and hung up. Her mom asked what he had said and Annamarie told her about possibly being anemic, and that Dr. Norse would send her a list of foods to eat.
Bonnie, a third year nursing student, said, “Oh, I know what you need to eat.”
Her list was long and most of the foods made Annamarie ill to think about. She wrinkled her nose, but thanked Bonnie and promised she would eat them. Annamarie really wanted a burger, fries, and cherry cola.
* * *
While the three girls were discussing good and bad foods in the kitchen, Paula took the time to call Elaine. Elaine was happy to hear from her and asked how Annamarie was doing.
“That’s why I’m calling. The doctor said Annamarie needs a lot of rest and good food for a few months. I was wondering if you would like to help.”
“I’ll do whatever I can for her.”
“Annamarie will return to work when she’s ready and will be living in the Logan house. She’ll need a full time housekeeper. I also thought I would bring her home on weekends to fuss over her and you could have weekends off.”
“I’d be more than happy to help. There’s a bedroom downstairs that Mr. Logan used. I would be more than happy to live there during the week, if Annamarie needs me. I know she hates being alone.”
“Would it be an inconvenience for you?”
“Not at all. I have more time on my hands than I care to admit. I love working in the Logan house, and I care for Annamarie. It would be my pleasure.”
“You will be paid full time live-in wages.”
Elaine was pleased with the arrangement. She said she’d see them at the visitation.
* * *
Deb had to get home to see how Steve was doing and Bonnie had some errands. Both young women said they would be with Annamarie at the visitation. They gave each other a hug and then a big “group hug” the way they did in high school. Paula yearned for those carefree days.
Annamarie walked her friends out and came back and sat in the kitchen with her mom. Paula told her that she made arrangements with Elaine to live in during the week while Annamarie needed her and not to worry about the money.
“I have some savings and I’ll help pay for Elaine.”
“Mom, Grandpa Logan left a generous trust amount for house care, which includes any help that might be needed. There’s ample money to pay for Elaine’s wages.”
Annamarie hugged her mom for being so helpful and generous.
Mother and daughter enjoyed a light lunch, and Paula suggested Annamarie take a nap because she would need strength for that evening. Annamarie didn’t want to sleep since it would make the time pass more quickly. She dreaded the visitation. She wanted to stay home.
Lying on her bed, she sang along with the songs on the radio and slipped off to sleep. She woke to the sensation of fingers at her throat. There was no one in the room. She tried to scream—the fingers tightened. Her heart pounded in her chest and her throat where the fingers gripped tightly.
She whispered, “Daniel, I know you’re here. Please stop, I’m pregnant. The doctor says stress is bad for me. What if I lose this baby?” The fingers loosened their grip and didn’t return. Annamarie couldn’t tell her mom what happened. She continued to lie in bed and breathe deeply to relax and fell back to sleep.
* * *
She did not see a campfire. There was sunlight coming through the trees. Magdalena was sitting on a blanket next to a sleeping child. Magdalena smiled at her and said, “Sleep well, my child. You need rest and I will always be watching. Your great-grandfather, Josef, will keep Daniel away from you. Do not fear.”
Annamarie fell into a deeper sleep. When Annamarie awoke, she remembered the dream. She was distressed by Daniel haunting her and worried about the stress on her child. She prayed Josef would keep Daniel away.
She looked at the clock and saw it was nearly four o’clock. She should get up and dressed for the visitation. She grabbed her old pink robe and decided when she burned the awful black dress she would also burn the silky black robe Daniel bought for her. She was tired of black. When her mom thought it was proper for her to dress in bright colors again, she was going to buy the brightest she could find. Annamarie wondered if they had brightly colored maternity clothes. She certainly wasn’t going to wear black for a year or even a month. This was the 1960’s and Annamarie loved color. She doubted they had black maternity clothes. Pregnancy is supposed to be a happy time.
* * *
The bus pulled up at a station outside of Phoenix. Bulk emerged from the bus and looked around. He loved seeing desert and cactus. Timmus Woods had only oaks and pines. He could be free here. The bus driver told him the motel across the street was nice and the restaurant next to it served good food at decent prices. It sounded wonderful to Bulk. He waved goodbye to the bus driver and walked to the motel. The clerk said they only had two rooms left because of all the construction workers staying there.
“Construction workers?” Bulk asked.
“Yeah, if you’re looking for work, they’re always hiring. They’re building a lot of new homes not far from here.”
Bulk took one of the last two rooms and walked to the restaurant. Bulk was built for construction work and if he could get a job, it would be great. The pretty waitress brought Bulk his food and gave him the phone number of the construction company.
“You should call them. You look like you can do the work.”
She smiled and winked at Bulk.
Bulk smiled back, ate his meal, and made the call. The man answering the phone talked to Bulk about his experience and where he was from. He said his foreman was staying at Bulk’s motel and if he liked him, then he had a job. Bulk thanked the man and hung up. He went back to the motel to clean up and wait to hear from the foreman. He was excited to start his new life.
If Bulk knew what was going on back in Timmus Woods, he would have another breakdown and most likely would never recover.
* * *
Paula called to Annamarie, “What would you like for supper: salmon patties, tuna patties, or egg salad sandwiches?”
“Mom, are you trying to make me sick? You know I swore once I left home that you couldn’t force me to eat anything I didn’t like. I’ll never again touch a salmon or tuna patty.”
“I boiled the eggs this morning. I wanted to get your attention.” Paula’s smile gave away her joy at teasing her daughter.
“Ugh,” replied Annamarie.
Paula smiled again and returned to preparing the egg salad. Annamarie walked into the kitchen in her pink robe.
“Are you going to keep the robe forever?”
“I think so. I love it.”
Annamarie’s dad walked in the back door and smiled. “This is wonderful; both of my girls are here.”
“I’m not a girl.”
“Well, you certainly aren’t a boy.”
“Funny, Dad. I’m a woman.”
“Oh boy, you sound like your mom. Now I’ll have to contend with both of you being women with minds of your own, I suppose.”
“Don’t you always?”
“I’m off to bathe. Did you leave me any hot water, Annamarie?”
“Yes, Dad,” Annamarie mumbled as she was looking through a magazine.
Her dad shook his head and said “Women” as he headed for the bathroom.
“How about tomato soup with the sandwiches?”
“Great, it’s like when I was a kid. This would be nice if it wasn’t so sad. Mom, it’s hard trying to keep my spirits up so I don’t make me and the baby sick. How will I do it tonight? People will think I’m cold and I’m not sure I can do it. All I want to do is scream and cry.”
“Try and relax, but crying is also a way to release the stress you’re feeling. It can be a healthy thing. If you think you’re going to start to scream and throw hymnals through the stained glass windows, let me know and I’ll take you to the ER, but being em
otional right now is okay.”
“My emotions are so erratic. I wanted to laugh with Bonnie and Deb, but felt guilty. Crying too much makes me sick to my stomach. I feel like I’m going crazy.”
“Not crazy, only pregnant.”
“Who’s pregnant?” asked Theo as he walked back into the kitchen.
Paula and Annamarie looked like a pair of deer caught in the headlights.
“Well…?” he asked.
Annamarie babbled, “Deb thinks she is.”
Paula blurted out, “Mrs. Graysbe’s Pomeranians.”
“Sorry I asked.” Theo headed back toward the bathroom.
His comment caused Paula and Annamarie to reduce the stress of his question with gales of laughter.
“Wow, too close,” Annamarie murmured.
“Much too close,” Paula agreed and set the table for supper.
Although this was one of Annamarie’s favorite meals, she picked at her sandwich, eating the egg salad, leaving the bread, and eating the noodles Paula added to her soup, but leaving most of the soup in her bowl. Her mom was happy she ate something. She did eat some of the cherries and grapes from the fruit bowl.
* * *
Annamarie excused herself to get ready for the service. When she pulled out the dreaded black dress, she was glad it had cooled off a bit. She put on her dress and realized she didn’t have any scarves to tie up her long hair. It was too warm to wear it down. She remembered when she was in high school, she had a drawer full of hair ribbons. She found them where she left them. Searching through the mess in the drawer, she found a long black ribbon. Brushing her hair up and back off of her neck, she tied it with the black ribbon tightly to keep it in. Her hair was not quite in a ponytail, but definitely not hanging down. She was as ready as she was ever going to be to see her husband in a casket--even if she was responsible.
She turned to leave the room and didn’t see the mirror darken with swirls of black fog.
Walking into the living room at six-thirty, she stated, “I guess I’m ready.”
Her mom asked, “Are you sure you can do this; people would understand if you can’t.”
Annamarie and Magdalena (Gypsy Spirits Book 2) Page 4