Greg Tenorly Suspense Series Boxed Set

by Robert Burton Robinson

  He let them in and locked the door behind them. “I’m not sure how much I can help. I don’t remember who came in around that time. And if they just made copies, I wouldn’t have any record of their documents,” said the man.

  “Could you check to see if somebody paid with a credit card?” said Greg.

  “Sure, I can do that.” He walked behind the counter to the computer and began typing and clicking. After a few minutes he said, “Let’s see, between 12:00 and 1:00… Nobody paid with a credit card during that period. Just a few cash payments.”

  “What if they printed documents from one of those computers?” said Greg, pointing to the four desktop computers along the back wall. “Are copies of those documents saved somewhere?”

  “Yeah. They’re saved on the print server for a week. I’ll check it.” He worked at the computer a few more minutes and then said, “Here’s something.”

  “Can I see it?” said Greg.

  “Yeah. Come around.”

  Greg and Cynthia walked behind the counter and looked over the man’s shoulders. The title of the document read:

  Informed Consent for Participation in a Clinical Trial

  It didn’t make sense to Greg. Why would the killer be involved in a clinical trial of experimental drugs for Alzheimer’s disease? Beverly didn’t have Alzheimer’s. But Nancie Jo Gristel did. Who else? He had just heard of somebody else who had Alzheimer’s. It was Mallie Mae Mobley. And her son had just taken a leave of absence from his medical practice.

  Then he remembered the nurse at the hospital the other day. She seemed to know the Mobleys better than she let on. Maybe he was just grasping at straws. But it might be a clue. And right now it was the only one they had.

  “Thanks. You’ve been a great help,” said Greg.

  “I have?” said the man.

  “Yes, you have.” He turned to Cynthia. “Let’s go.”

  As they got into the car, Cynthia said, “What’s going on? Where are we going?”

  “To see a nurse.”

  29 - MACY'S KISS

  Macy checked the clock on the instrument panel as Elmo pulled into the garage. It was 9:34 PM. Their day was about to end. And what an amazing day it had been. She wished it could go on until midnight, until tomorrow, until forever. But now she had to walk Mallie Mae to her room and get her ready for bed.

  Elmo and Macy got out of the car, and Macy was about to open the back door to wake up Mallie Mae. But Elmo walked around to her and motioned for her to wait. He looked in the back seat. Mallie Mae was in a peaceful slumber.

  He took Macy in his arms and spoke softly. “This has been the most wonderful day.”

  Macy had so many things to say, but couldn’t manage to say any of them before Elmo began to lean in to give her a kiss. Earlier in the evening, when he had kissed her forehead on the dance floor she had overwhelmed with emotion. This time he was going for the lips. She wondered if she would literally faint in his arms.

  Realizing she was holding her breath, she tried to relax and inhale, which only served to fill her lungs with his marvelous scent and radiate quivers throughout her body. The few inches of movement from his lips to hers passed in slow motion—probably because her brain was processing a million thoughts a second. Every nerve ending stood waiting on high alert.

  But how could the real thing compare to her fantasies? What if it was a disappointment? Or worse yet, what if it was much better than her fantasies, but led nowhere? One exciting kiss wouldn’t guarantee a happy ever after.

  Quit thinking and just kiss him, Macy told herself.

  She was surprised at how natural it felt—as though their lips had been created by God as a complemental set. She was kissing the only man she had ever loved. And now she knew her fantasies had been but a superficial portrayal of this exquisite reality.

  When he gently pulled away and she came out of her trance, she had no idea how long it had lasted. But it was not long enough.

  “Better get Mom to bed,” said Elmo.

  “Okay.”

  Macy turned to open the back door.

  “And after you get her settled in, why don’t you come down for a while? I’ll be in my study,” said Elmo, smiling.

  “Okay, I will.” Macy wondered just how fast she could get Mallie Mae to bed.

  **********

  “Why are we going to see a nurse?” said Cynthia.

  “It’s just a hunch,” said Greg. “Wednesday morning I was at the hospital sitting with a church member whose husband was having back surgery.”

  “Yeah, I remember.”

  “And we were talking about the Mobleys, and how Elmo was taking a leave from his medical practice because he had just discovered his mother had Alzheimer’s. And there was a nurse over at the computer who seemed to be taking quite an interest in the conversation. I felt guilty when I started to feel that we were gossiping. So, I went over to the nurse and apologized.”

  “Why did you apologize to her?”

  “I don’t know. I just had the impression she might be a close friend of the Mobley family, and that she might have been offended by what was being said.”

  “So, what did she say?”

  “She told me it was okay. And she acted as though she was no more than a casual acquaintance. But I didn’t buy it. She definitely knew more than she was saying,” said Greg.

  He parked the Bonneville in the hospital parking lot and they got out and walked toward the main entrance.

  “What’s her name?” said Cynthia.

  “I don’t remember.”

  “Well, then how are we going to find her?”

  “I do remember that it sounded Biblical. Her name sounded like a character from the Bible.”

  “Okay, this could take a while. Where do we start? Mary?”

  “Mary… I think it is Mary.”

  “Mary who? Is her last name also Biblical?”

  “Actually…I don’t know. Maybe,” said Greg.

  “Mary Magdalene? Surely not.”

  “Wait—that’s close.”

  Cynthia looked at Greg in disbelief as they walked through the glass doors and into the lobby.

  “May I help you,” said the elderly woman at the information desk.

  “Yes,” said Greg. “I need to find a particular nurse, but I’m not sure about her name.”

  “Uh…” The woman had no idea how to respond.

  Cynthia knew what Greg was about to say. The poor woman would think they were both crazy.

  “It sounds Biblical. Mary something. Like Mary Magdalene,” said Greg.

  When the woman began to smile, Cynthia thought she looked a little scary. But it maybe it was because of the fact that the woman didn’t have any teeth.

  “Oh. I think I know who you’re looking for: Mary Magdely,” said the woman.

  “Yeah, that’s it,” said Greg.

  “She usually works days. But she could be pulling a double. If so, she’d be on the second floor.”

  “Thank you so much,” said Greg.

  He and Cynthia walked to the elevator.

  When the doors opened at the second floor Greg spotted her immediately. She was in the nurse’s station.

  “Mary?” said Greg.

  “Yes?” she said as she looked up. She seemed to remember him. “May I help you?”

  “I’m Greg Tenorly. I was here on Wednesday during a surgery and talked to you briefly.”

  “Yes, I remember you.”

  “Oh, and this is Cynthia Blockerman.”

  The two women exchanged hellos.

  “We were wondering if we could talk to you in private for just a minute,” said Greg.

  “Well, I’m pretty busy tonight…”

  Cynthia stepped forward. “It’s a matter of life or death.”

  The pain she saw in Cynthia’s eyes was more convincing than her words. She told one of the other nurses she was taking her break. Then she led them into an unoccupied room and closed the door.

  Greg to
ld her about the murder and the kidnappings, and Cynthia’s mother. Then he explained how he thought the killer was the same one who had murdered Nancie Jo Gristel. He told her about the crazy neighbor and the bumper sticker and the copy shop and the clinical trial document. Then he explained his theory that it was all somehow connected to the Mobley family.

  “You’re not implying that Elmo is a kidnapper and a murderer, are you?” said Mary.

  “No. Not at all,” said Greg.

  “I’m sorry, but I don’t know anything that will help you,” said Mary as she turned to leave.

  “Wait,” said Greg. “You know something. I could see it in your eyes the other day.”

  “Look, we don’t have a clue where to look next,” said Cynthia. “You never know what might help us.”

  “Okay. But I don’t see how this will help. And I’ve never told anybody,” she said. “In the early ‘80s I worked in the Emergency Room. And Morford Mobley, Elmo’s father, was an Emergency Room doc. We had worked together for several years.

  “One night two men came in. They were fairly new in town, and had moved here from San Francisco. I don’t really know why they moved to Coreyville. I think they chose our town at random. But one of the men looked terrible. He was coughing uncontrollably and spitting up blood. The other man was not in much better shape.

  “So, Morford spent an unusually long time examining the men and asking them questions. Then he prescribed some drugs and sent them on their way. Afterwards, he told me in private that he believed the man and his friend both had a new disease called AIDS. Back then, some people were calling it ‘Gay Cancer.’ Everybody was scared to death of it. They thought you could get it just by being in the room with somebody who had it.

  “But Morford was the most compassionate doctor I’ve ever known. He wanted to help the men somehow. And in the days and weeks that followed it was on his mind constantly. Finally, he decided to build his own little clinic to care for them. And he would try to develop better medicines and other types of treatment for their disease.

  “But as he listened to other doctors and nurses talking about AIDS, he knew it would be extremely difficult to do such a thing. Nobody would want a clinic like that near their home or business. So, he came up with the idea of building the clinic on his own property.”

  “But it didn’t work out,” said Greg.

  “Actually, it did,” said Mary.

  Greg and Cynthia looked at each other.

  Cynthia said, “I’ve never heard anything about it.”

  “That’s because it’s underground,” said Mary. “I can see by the look on your faces you think I’m a nut. But it’s true. He waited until Mallie Mae was away on a tour of Europe with her sister. They were gone for over a month. And Elmo was practicing medicine in Dallas. The black men who built it were sworn to secrecy.”

  “Wow. I can’t believe nobody ever told that secret,” said Greg.

  “Mallie Mae knew about the lab. But she didn’t know about the secret door to the clinic. And there was a long hallway that led to the barn.

  “Morford quit his job at the hospital to do experiments and run the clinic. They had plenty of money, so he didn’t need the income. Mallie Mae thought it was a little weird, but she didn’t mind as long as he was happy.

  “He offered me a job, and I gladly took his offer. I was very much in love with him, but I never told him. He was always faithful to Mallie Mae.

  “After a couple of months, the first two men told us about another couple they knew who also had AIDS. Morford agreed to take them as well. So then, all four of the beds in his little clinic were occupied. Most days Hadley, Morford’s manservant, would help me walk them through the long passageway and out behind the barn to sit for a while in the open air. And Hadley prepared meals for them. I don’t know how he did without Mallie Mae finding out, but as far as I could tell, she never knew about the clinic.

  “We worked so hard to save them. And the thing I remember most is how much those men appreciated what we were trying to do for them. They would break down in tears just talking about it. And that would make me start crying.

  “But it really got tough when they began to give up, and just wanted to die. They were happy that somebody in this world had cared enough to work so hard to save their lives. But they knew the end was near, and they were ready to go.

  “But Morford didn’t want to let them go. He kept working frantically for a breakthrough. He was only sleeping about two hours a night. Mallie Mae begged him to get more rest.

  “Finally one day, he told me to go back to work at the hospital. And when I refused, he became angry, and told me he could no longer stand to have me around.”

  “Oh, no,” said Cynthia.

  “I was deeply hurt. And then two days later he died in a car crash,” said Mary.

  “I heard about that,” said Greg.

  “Well, what happened to the AIDS patients?” said Cynthia.

  “I don’t know. I assume they died, but I never heard a thing about them after I left,” said Mary. “Maybe their families finally came to get them, although I doubt it. They had basically been disowned by their parents for being gay. Then, once they came down with AIDS, nobody wanted anything to do with them.”

  “Except you and Morford,” said Cynthia. “What y’all did was amazing.”

  “Thank you. But that’s all I know about the Mobleys,” said Mary. “But I doubt these kidnappings and murders have anything to do with Elmo. I can’t imagine him doing anything unethical or illegal.”

  But Mary could see the determination on their faces. There was no doubt where they were headed next: the Mobley estate.

  30 - CAUGHT IN THE ACT

  Macy was in a hurry to get downstairs to Elmo. And fortunately, getting Mallie Mae ready for bed had taken less time than usual. Mallie Mae always wanted her to hang around and talk for a while once she was in bed. But not on this night.

  Elmo’s mother had heard enough of the conversation in the car to know what was going on between her caretaker and her son. And for the first time ever, she saw a match she could be happy with. She and Macy had spent untold hours together over the past 15 years—more than enough time for Mallie Mae to understand the true character of the 37 year-old.

  Macy had not dated at all during those years. She had spent much of her free time with Elmo. And Mallie Mae knew the two had a wonderful platonic relationship. But she had wondered how that had been enough to sustain the lovelorn beauty.

  Macy had been out of college just one year when Elmo had hired her away from the hospital to be his mother’s nurse. The lovely young lady had taken the job with the understanding that once his mother had completely recovered from her broken leg, Macy would go back to her job at the hospital.

  But by that time, Mallie Mae had taken such a liking to her that she begged her to stay on and be her personal aide. And Macy had agreed, primarily because she had fallen in love with Elmo and didn’t want to give up their time together.

  Elmo had always looked forward to his evenings with Macy. He had been crazy about her from day one, but quickly taught himself to hide his romantic feelings and limit their relationship to the joy of being best friends. Back then, as a 41 year-old, he couldn’t imagine dating such a young woman.

  But the age gap didn’t seem to matter as much, now that she was 37. Macy was not a kid anymore—she was a grown woman. And she was old enough to know what she wanted. And what she wanted with all her heart was love—to love and be loved by Elmo Mobley for the rest of her life.

  Elmo had never dated a woman as attractive as Macy—until Carsie. Carsie was every bit as sexy and beautiful as Macy. And once she had come into Elmo’s life, Macy feared that her own dreams of happiness would never come true.

  But now Carsie was irrelevant.

  Macy walked to Elmo’s study and stood in the doorway. Elmo was sitting at his desk.

  “Come in,” he said. “And please close the door.”

  She closed i
t and met Elmo behind his desk as he stood up. They wrapped their arms around each other.

  “All these years…” he said. “I’ve been in love with you since you first came here.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “You were just too young,” he said.

  Macy was trembling with anticipation, and Elmo could hear it in her voice. “We were so stupid—both of us afraid to act on our feelings.”

  “But it’s okay. We’ve had great times together as friends. Just think of it as 15 years of foreplay,” he said.

  “Oh, Elmo…”

  He leaned in and began kissing her.

  She let herself slowly sink deep into the passion, as though her body was easing its way down into a steamy bubble bath.

  He opened his mouth slightly and rubbed the tip of his tongue softly and slowly along her lips until they parted, welcoming him inside. As he gently explored her smooth teeth and quivering tongue, they breathed each others’ breath until they became dizzy.

  Elmo had never experienced such a combination of physical stimulation and emotional oneness. And he knew he truly belonged with this incredible woman. He wanted her now and forever.

  He slid his hands down her back, past her waist and spread his long fingers across her warm, tight cheeks and gently pulled her firmly against his body. Macy could feel how much he wanted her.

  Then he worked his left hand up to her back as he placed his right hand on her hip. He massaged the side of her ribcage and then moved upward, just to the right of her breast.

  Macy ran her left hand up the back of his neck and into his scalp, which encouraged him to slide his hand onto the side of her breast and begin rubbing her erect nipple with his thumb. She jerked slightly, and he thought he had hurt her. But that fear ended quickly when she pulled him closer and started kissing him harder.

  Elmo’s fingers found a button on her blouse and unfastened it. Macy could not recall ever being this hot—even in her most sizzling fantasies. She wanted him to go faster—to just rip off her blouse. With each button her burning anticipation soared even higher.

  Would he have trouble with her bra strap? she wondered.