One Millhaven Lane

by Bliss Addison

  Nate's words of caution rang in her mind: Be careful, Asia. Bobby could be anywhere. Anywhere, Asia. Particularly where you least expect him to be.

  What could be more unexpected than old lady Hornecastle?

  Standing on the Oriental rug in the foyer, Asia listened. Other than the ticking clock against the wall at her left, the house was quiet. She wondered where the old lady was.

  "Mrs. Hornecastle?" Asia asked, taking tentative steps through the hallway.

  It was early afternoon and sunny, yet the house was dark.

  She reached the living room doorway and peered inside. Heavy drapes covered the front window.

  She called to Henrietta again, giving her eyes a chance to adjust. Something whizzed past her ear and landed on the floor behind her. Asia wouldn't back down. She was there to help Henrietta and help her she would.

  "Anything else you care to fire at me? Now's your chance." Asia's eyes had adapted but visibility was still negligible.

  "Don't you listen, girl? I told you to go away."

  "My mama always said I had a head like a turnip." Asia followed the sound of the old lady's voice and found her sprawled on the sofa, a blanket covering her legs. Empty food containers from The Haunted House littered the floor and coffee table. In times of joy, need and sadness, the citizens of the Grove banded together and helped, even those persnickety old ladies who wouldn't lend of themselves for anyone.

  "Here you are." Asia walked to the end table and switched on the light. "Isn't that better?"

  Henrietta harrumphed.

  Asia patted Henrietta's hand. "It's nice to see you too." Henrietta had aged considerably since Asia had last seen her. A first-grade teacher, the kind who left a lasting impression on five-year-olds but not in a good way. Henrietta didn't frighten her. Asia knew how to handle bullies and nasty teachers now.

  "Oswald at the meat shop said you're having a little trouble with your knee," Asia said.

  Another harrumph.

  "Fine. Don't talk to me." Asia took off her jacket and threw it over the arm of a chair. "I'm not leaving here without doing what I came to do." She tied her hair back and undid the drawstring on her backpack.

  "What do you have in there?" Henrietta asked, bringing her sparse eyebrows together.

  Asia wondered whether Henrietta thought her day of reckoning had come. "Rewards," Asia said, jiggling the bottles and grinning. "But only if you do your exercises."

  "I'm too old for exercise."

  "How would you have liked the doctor to say you were too old for a knee replacement?"

  "Harrumph."

  "Now, let me have a look at your leg." Asia rubbed her hands together to warm them.

  "Are you a nurse?"

  "Yes, ma'am, I am. It's fair you should know though I don't practice nursing anymore, but I keep up-to-date." Before Henrietta could change her mind, Asia lifted the throw and removed the bandage covering Henrietta's knee.

  "How is it?" Henrietta asked, lifting her head from the pillow and squinting at her leg.

  "It's healing nicely. When did you have the surgery?"

  "Can't remember."

  "When were you released from the hospital?"

  "Can't remember that either. Besides, what business is it of yours?"

  "Get this done in Boston, did you?"

  "Yup. Horse doctors, they got up there." Henrietta folded her arms across her bosom and jutted her chin. "When they weren't sticking me with needles, they were shoving things up my unmentionables. Pin cushions and guinea pigs, that's what they think of old people. Never answered one of my calls. Don't know why they attach that buzzer to the bed if they have no intention of responding. I could have been dying, for all they knew. And the food," she rolled her eyes, "rank, is what it was. How'd they expect the sick to regain their strength feeding them crap like that? Stale bread and rotten fruit. I saw mold in a Jell-O cup, I did."

  Asia sympathized.

  Henrietta looked at her as though she only then recognized her.

  "I know you. You're...you're..."

  "Joanna McDevitt's daughter. We live just down the street. You taught me in first grade."

  Henrietta narrowed her eyes. "Oh, I get it now. This is payback, isn't it?" She snatched the blanket from the edge of the sofa and threw it over her legs. "Well, you aren't going to get the chance, little missy. I remember you. Mischievous, little one. Always pulling pranks on the other kids. Set little Sissy Mersereau's hair on fire."

  "Miss Hornecastle — "

  "Get out. Get out now." She cowered in the corner of the sofa, her eyes widening with fear.

  "You're confusing me with my twin brother, Bobby. You remember him, don't you?"

  Henrietta looked into space awhile, then dipped her head and frowned. "He doesn't live in the Grove anymore. Bad seed, that one."

  Asia couldn't argue. "He's back in town. Didn't you hear?"

  She pruned her lips. "Seems I remember something about that. That Healy fellow brought a flyer around, asking for our help in apprehending him. Cops in this town couldn't find their ass with a magnifying glass. Harrumph."

  Asia held back a smile. "You haven't seen Bobby, have you?"

  "Naw. He'd have no reason to come here."

  Asia heard a noise upstairs. Her pulse quickened. She looked at Henrietta. "Is someone in the house besides us?"

  "Nobody wants to spend time with an old lady. It's probably a cat scratching at a window. They climb the tree out front, then leap onto the porch."

  It sounded more like a two legged creature to Asia. She wouldn't rest until she knew for certain what caused the noise. "Is it all right if I take a look?"

  "Suit yourself. It seems you do anyway."

  Asia walked into the hallway and peered upward into the darkness. As she reconsidered her notion to investigate, something landed heavily with a resounding thud on the floor above her head.

  Chapter Ten

  Startled, Asia jumped in the air, landed and settled in place. She listened. Whatever caused the thud had stopped. With her mind telling her how bad an idea it was, Asia tiptoed up three steps and stopped. Everything was quiet. That didn't mean there wasn't someone or something up there though. She'd heard a noise. It wasn't her imagination.

  "Is anyone up there?"

  Her cell rang. She nearly jumped out of her socks. Keeping her gaze on the upstairs landing, she took the cell from her belt and answered. "Asia McDevitt."

  "Where are you?" Nate asked.

  "Henrietta Hornecastle's and I think someone's in the house."

  "Barricade yourselves in the kitchen. I'll be there in five."

  Asia closed her phone and hurried into the living room. "Time for those exercises, Henrietta," she said, keeping her voice soft. Without waiting for a response, Asia turned the woman's legs sideways.

  "I don't want any exercise. I already told you that. You really do have a one-track mind."

  "You can thank me later." She ducked under Henrietta's arm and pulled. Henrietta didn't budge. Asia turned and looked at Henrietta. "I can't do this alone. I need your help. Please."

  Henrietta appeared to ponder Asia's plea.

  She couldn't wait out the old lady. Asia glanced over her shoulder at the stairs before taking a different tactic. "How does a cup of coffee sound?"

  "I prefer tea."

  "Fine, tea then, but you have to earn it by walking to the kitchen." She looked over her shoulder again. All clear. She turned back. "All set?"

  Henrietta nodded. "I'll try."

  "Good."

  Asia took hold of her again. This time when she pulled, Henrietta came forward. Asia helped her stand. "I knew you could do it."

  "I'm not an invalid. I go potty without assistance."

  Asia hobbled with Henrietta into the kitchen and sat her on a chair at the table. She appeared casual when she closed the doors and turned the skeleton keys in the locks.

  "Why'd you shut the doors?"

  Asia thought fast. "To keep in the heat. I
wouldn't want you catching a chill. Now how about that tea?"

  Asia took the kettle from the stove and emptied it in the sink.

  "What did you do that for?" Henrietta asked. "Water's metered and expensive. Those clowns on the town council sit around thinking of ways to get more money from us. But I'm smarter than them." She tapped her temple. "I buy my water at the grocery store."

  Asia hid her smile behind a cough.

  "I don't know why I hooked up to municipal water. My well is fine. Seemed like a good idea, at the time, I suppose. Where's my tea?" She looked at the kettle in Asia's hand. "Water's not going to boil that way, girly."

  Asia turned on the burner under the kettle, then propped Henrietta's leg on a chair. "More comfortable?"

  Henrietta didn't seem impressed with Asia's nursing skills. She remembered her benefactor, and how she'd trusted Asia, placing herself in Asia's care heart and soul and never once questioning her.

  Eileen was a generous and loving woman. Asia was fortunate to know the love of not one but two pure souls. Her mother and Eileen would have become fast friends, had they met. Unlike Henrietta, who seemed to revel in alienating those around her.

  "Police, open the door."

  Asia recognized Nate's voice.

  "What are they doing here?" Henrietta asked. "Delivering more flyers, I suppose."

  "I'll check." Asia opened the door leading into the hallway. Two seconds later, she was throwing herself at Nate. He wrapped her in his arms. She clung to him.

  "Are you hurt?" he asked.

  She shook her head and untied her hands from his neck.

  Nate looked at Carter, keeping watch on the second floor. "I'll take lead."

  Carter nodded.

  With a flick of his finger, Nate indicated for Asia to go back to the kitchen.

  "Be careful," she said.

  Asia re-entered the kitchen with the whistle of the kettle.

  "Water's ready," Henrietta said. "Where have you been?"

  "Nate and Carter are here. I answered the door. Remember?"

  "Of course, I remember. I'm not senile."

  "No, you're not." Asia spotted the canister marked "Tea" on the counter.

  Henrietta watched the door Asia had entered. "Where are they?"

  "Who?"

  "The police." Henrietta narrowed her eyes. "What's the matter with you, girl?"

  "They're upstairs, investigating the noise we heard earlier."

  "What noise? I didn't hear any noise. Since when do the police investigate noises in people's houses? I can't keep air in the tires of my car, but do they investigate that? Nooo. The last I saw of the statue of Our Lady of Perpetual Help was when it was floating down the Jemseg River. It's those little hooligans over on Ocean Westway. But do the police investigate them? Nooo."

  Minutes later a knock came at the inside door. "It's Nate. Open up."

  Asia virtually flew to the door and led Nate inside. "Was it him?"

  "Him who?" Henrietta asked. "There's something the matter with you people. You talk in riddles."

  Nate said to Henrietta, "A bird found a way in through an air vent in your attic. We helped it find its way out."

  Henrietta scoffed.

  He peered at Asia, frowning. "What are you doing here?"

  "I'll explain later."

  "Are you ready to leave?"

  She watched Henrietta sip tea. "In a few minutes. I want to get her settled back on the sofa, but before that I'd like to neaten the living room." Asia hadn't checked, but she wouldn't have been surprised to find mold in those take-out boxes.

  "I'll give you a hand."

  In the living room, Nate filled a trash bag with empty food containers and paper cups while Asia cleaned the coffee and end tables.

  "Where's Carter?" Asia asked.

  "He left, said I had everything under control."

  "He's afraid of Henrietta, huh?"

  "Oh yes." Nate grinned. "Aren't you?"

  "I have you to protect me." It was her turn to grin.

  Minutes later, Asia and Nate helped Henrietta onto the sofa. Asia covered the woman's legs with a throw and put the phone and television remote within her reach. "I'll come by in the morning to check on you," Asia said.

  "If you feel you must."

  Nate rolled his eyes.

  Asia couldn't have put it better.

  Outside on the sidewalk, Nate said, "I'll walk you home."

  "It isn't necessary." She looked up at the unblemished sky. "It's a beautiful day. Nothing is going to happen to me today."

  "How do you know?"

  "The air. Can't you smell its purity?"

  She looked at him. He didn't seem impressed with her theory.

  "I'll take your word on that, but if you don't mind, I'd still like to see you home."

  "If you feel you must." She laughed. "I sound like Henrietta."

  "She's a pickle, isn't she?" Nate laughed.

  "I guess."

  "How did you end up there?"

  "Your spies didn't tell you?" She bumped his hip.

  "Spies?" he asked, innocent-like.

  "Don't play dumb with me, mister. I saw Stacey cozying up to the telephone pole across the street from Mom's."

  "Stacey, really?" He frowned. "She must have taken it upon herself to watch over you. It would be reckless of the GPD to engage non-trained personnel —"

  "Yeah yeah yeah." She giggled. "She's not packing heat, is she?"

  He threw back his head and laughed. "How'd you pick her up?"

  "It wasn't anything she did. If I hadn't known where to look, because of your superb coaching, I wouldn't have spotted her. Did you encourage her to surveil me?" Enjoying herself, she walked slow to stretch out this time she had with Nate.

  He shook his head. "If you hadn't found her out, I probably would never have known. She has no experience with someone like Bobby and could become collateral damage. I'll have a word with her."

  Asia nodded. "Don't be too harsh with her. She meant well."

  "She wants to be a cop."

  "It's a noble occupation. How's Carter feel about her career choice?"

  "About how you'd expect. He's her father and doesn't want her hurt. Answering the telephone is safe."

  "Is she seeing someone?" Asia wanted everyone to be as happy as she.

  "From what I hear, every guy she brings home, Carter criticizes. He's a formidable presence."

  "That he is. Yet, Henrietta intimidates him."

  Nate looked at Asia. "She was hot for him a few years back."

  She stopped short. "You're joking."

  "No, ma'am. He gave her a drive home from an AA meeting one night and she put her hand on his thigh. He ran off the road and into a field, hit one of Kelly's prized Herefords. I guess there was a lot of screaming going on, mostly from Carter."

  Asia envisioned Carter and Henrietta together and a shiver overtook her. She couldn't imagine Henrietta embroidering let alone cuddling with someone. Poor Carter.

  "Did she give up on him after that?"

  Nate shoved his hands in the pockets of his jacket. "No, but Carter managed to avoid her until she took the hint."

  "I can see what Henrietta saw in Carter. He's funny, courteous, kind and set for his retirement years. A good catch for some lucky woman. Is he seeing anyone?" Asia thought about Jewel and how fun it would be to match-make.

  "There was one great love of Carter's life and she passed on."

  "Adelaide's been gone for a decade. I'm not saying he should forget her, but he must get lonely at the ranch. That's a big old rambling house." A little company, a fine wine, a nice meal, petits fours...Jewel would be perfect for him!

  "Asia."

  She detected a note of reprimand in his tone. "What?"

  "Don't go matchmaking. Carter won't like it."

  "Only if it doesn't work out for him. I'll make sure it will."

  "You've already got him paired with someone, haven't you?"

  She pulled in her bottom li
p and looked straight ahead, gazing at him peripherally. His startled expression made her laugh. "You look like somebody gave you a wedgie."

  They arrived at her Mom's.

  "Here we are," she said. "You don't need to see me inside."

  His cell rang. "Damn things. Why does a telephone ring at the most inopportune time? If I didn't need one, I'd feed the thing to the hogs."

  "Today's technology doesn't give us a moment to ourselves."

  He answered the call, looking at her and holding a finger in the air. But Asia couldn't wait. Nature beckoned. So did her pot roast. She'd been longer at Henrietta's than intended.

  Wasting no time, she sprinted toward the house.

  "Wait for me, Asia," Nate said at her back.

  "I can't." She took the steps two at a time.

  At the door, she grabbed the key from her pocket, shoved it in the slot and turned. Nothing happened. "Don't go all temperamental on me now. Please-please-please. She looked toward Heaven as she danced from foot to foot, saying a silent prayer. She turned the key again. This time she was rewarded. She thanked God for the mercy.

  Asia dashed inside, threw off her boots, let her backpack drop to the floor as she scurried through the hallway. Part way to the downstairs bathroom, she stopped abruptly, realizing something wasn't right.

  She listened. The house was quiet; too quiet. There should be some noise. Just then the furnace started and water pipes rattled. She let out a deep breath and continued through the hallway, but the unease she'd felt clung to her. Something was off. What was it? It dawned on her then. The aroma of pot roast should be wafting through the house.

  She ran into the kitchen, looked at the crock-pot sitting sedately on the counter, its electrical cord coiled rightly beside it.

  "Damn." She rolled her eyes and shook her head at her stupidity, which put a kibosh on her home-prepared meal." She looked at the wall clock. If she plugged the crock-pot in now, they'd be eating at nine o'clock tonight. She sighed. "The best laid plans."

  From the kitchen, she heard footsteps on the front veranda seconds before the front door squeaked open. "I'm in the kitchen." But she couldn't wait for Nate to come to her. Nature resumed its call and she made a mad dash for the bathroom.