by Sharon Sala
“Is there someplace private where we could talk for a bit?” Mike asked.
She pointed to the small office behind the desk. “You can use my office. Just close the door and you’ll have all the privacy you need.”
“Thanks,” Mike said as he nodded at the two nurses. “We won’t be long.”
The women led the way into the office. As soon as they were all inside, Mike shut the door.
“I’m Detective Amblin. This is my partner, Detective Duroy. Did Nurse Glenn tell you why we’re here?”
“You wanted to talk to nurses who were on duty for Mrs. Sadler’s last night. We were both here.”
“Our questions are regarding Mrs. Sadler’s husband. Did either of you see him come to visit her that night?”
They both nodded as Loretta spoke. “He always came about the same time every night. Probably after he got off work and ate. He worked at one of the Caulfield mines.”
“I need you to think back carefully. Did you hear or see anything unusual happen between them that night?”
“What do you mean?” Erin asked.
Mike didn’t want to lead them into an answer, but it was obvious his questioning wasn’t specific enough.
“Anything that was out of the ordinary for them, like, did you happen to overhear an argument, or did one or both of them act upset?”
Loretta shook her head. “No sir.”
Erin hesitated before she answered. “No, I didn’t either.”
Mike caught the look on her face. “Please. This is important. You’re not telling anything out of turn. You’re not breaking any code of secrecy. We’re trying to find out who murdered her husband. If you know anything, no matter how unimportant you think it might be, please tell us.”
Erin glanced at her friend and then back at Mike. “I didn’t hear it personally, but I overheard Susan talking about it on break that night.”
“Who’s Susan and talking about what?” he asked.
“Susan Ellison. She’s an LPN who pulled a double that night. This is her day off.”
Mike checked the list. The name and contact info was on it. “Okay, exactly what was Susan talking about?”
“When she went into the room with Mrs. Sadler’s meds she walked in on an argument. She said Mr. Sadler was crying and asking her the same question over and over. What’s his name? What’s his name? She said Helen was crying, too. Susan excused herself, gave Helen the meds and left.”
“I’ll be damned,” Kenny muttered.
“Did either of you happen to see Mr. Sadler leave?”
“I did, but he didn’t say anything. He just left her room as usual then about halfway down the hall he started to run, like he wanted to catch the elevator before the doors shut, but he didn’t make it. He had to wait for the next one.”
Mike glanced at Kenny and guessed they were both remembering the same thing – watching Jessup Sadler take off out of the parking lot like his tail was on fire.
He took a card out of his pocket. “Thank you, ladies. If either of you remember anything else, give me a call.”
They left the office.
Victoria Glenn eyed them curiously, as if expecting them to share what they’d learned.
“Thank you for your help,” Mike said, and then they were gone, leaving Glenn with her curiosity still intact.
****
Justin’s heartbeat was finally settling as he got Callie back into her room. It had been unnerving to walk in and find the room empty, and he could tell she was irked that he’d gone looking for her as if she was a runaway toddler. He’d seen that same expression a thousand times on her face when she was little and hadn’t gotten her way.
“It’s great to see you up and walking around. I just don’t want you to overdo it,” he said.
“I only made one loop around the floor before you showed up. That’s not overdoing it,” she said, as she crawled up into bed.
He ignored the comment by throwing out a suggestion he knew she would like.
“Want to play some cards?”
Her eyes brightened. “Uno! I love Uno.” She got the deck of cards out of the table beside her bed. “You shuffle, Daddy. My hands are too shaky.”
He tweaked the end of her nose. “Oh yeah, I’ll shuffle. I’ll put the Caulfield shuffle on this deck.”
Callie giggled.
Justin smiled at the delight on her face. It had been too long since either one of them had anything to rejoice about. As he began to shuffle, Callie plumped her pillows and settled cross-legged on the bed with the tray-table between them.
“How’s Nana feeling?” Callie asked, as Justin continued to shuffle.
“I don’t know. I haven’t talked to her today.”
Callie frowned. “You should call and check on her. It will hurt her feelings if you don’t.”
“I was afraid I might wake her up if I called. I’ll be home later and check on her then.”
“What if she needs to see a doctor?” Callie asked.
Justin began to deal. “Mr. Newton is there. He’ll look after her just fine. If she thinks she needs a doctor, he’ll get her there.”
“Oh right, I forgot about him.” Callie began smiling as she sorted through her cards.
“What are you grinning about?” Justin teased. “Don’t tell me I gave you good cards already?”
She giggled again and wiggled her eyebrows at him.
Justin laughed out loud.
Callie played her first card and then gleefully whooped when Justin had to draw from the deck right off the bat.
“You are such a card shark,” Justin said, as he had to draw twice more before he could play.
She pursed her lips. “I play like a Caulfield, don’t I, Daddy?”
Justin paused. “How does a Caulfield play?”
“Nana says Caulfields’ always play to win, no matter what it takes to make it happen.”
Justin felt like he’d just been slapped. It took all his control not to get angry.
“Well, Nana’s not one hundred percent right. We play to win, but not at any cost. We play fairly and obey the rules, right?”
Suddenly Callie was serious. “Yes, we do. Always. I don’t want to make God mad. He might not find me a new kidney.”
Justin blinked. What the fuck had his mother been teaching his child while she’d been ‘helping out’?
“Honey. God isn’t punishing you. And your kidney transplant does not hinge on how good God thinks you are. I don’t know where you got that, but that’s a crock of shit.”
Callie giggled. “Daddy. You said a bad word.”
Justin sighed. “Yes, I did, and I may say a few more before the night is over if you wind up beating me again at this blasted game.”
The moment passed as the game continued, but Justin had a whole other set of issues to discuss with his mother besides her health when he got home.
****
Poppy didn’t have much to say on the way to the funeral home and John wasn’t in the mood to strike up a conversation. He was sick to his stomach just thinking about the task ahead. By the time they pulled into the parking lot he was shaking.
“Johnny?”
He killed the engine. “Yeah?”
“She wasn’t mad at you. Ever.”
“Well, she should have been,” he said, then glanced at her expression and realized a new level of despair had been added to Poppy’s situation. “Are you okay? I mean, after what you found out, are you mad at her?”
“I’m numb, Johnny. I don’t know how I feel. Are you ready?”
“Yeah.”
They walked hand in hand up the walk and into the funeral home.
Truman Epperson greeted them as they came inside.
“Good afternoon, Poppy. Hello John, I’m very sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you,” John said. “We’d like some alone time with Mom. Is anybody in there?”
“No. There’s no one in the viewing room with your mother at this time and I’ll
close the door and make sure you’re undisturbed until you’re ready to leave.”
“Thank you,” John said.
He felt a rush of anxiety as Poppy’s grip tightened. This whole thing was a nightmare, but they would get through it together. As soon as they entered the viewing room, Truman promptly closed the door behind them.
Poppy gasped. The room was still cold, but Helen’s casket was no longer the only thing in the room. It was awash in flowers. John’s gaze went straight to the casket at the end of the room, but she couldn’t quit looking at the array of floral tributes. Yesterday the shelves had been empty. Now there wasn’t a space to be had and some were sitting on the floors and against the walls.
“Go on,” she said, urging John forward.
He moved toward the casket. Poppy followed a few steps behind. She waited, expecting him to speak, but his eyes were closed and his face was streaked with tears.
“Johnny, just say what’s in your heart.”
He reached into the casket, touching her cheek with the back of his finger then stifled a shudder, unprepared for the absence of life.
“God Mom, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I didn’t come back when you were still here. You were the best mother a kid could have and when you needed me most, I wasn’t there for you. If I could, I would do everything different, but I can’t. I know you and Dad are together. It’s the only thing that makes this disaster bearable. I’ll take care of Poppy and I’ll make sure the police don’t quit until we find out who killed Dad. I promise.”
Poppy laid her cheek against his shoulder. “She looks pretty, doesn’t she, Johnny?”
Tears were streaming down his face, but his heart was lighter, the way it used to feel when he was a boy and he’d finally confessed to some misdeed.
“Yes, she does. The dress is her favorite color. Did you do that?”
Poppy nodded.
“You’re the best,” he said softly.
Poppy pulled a handful of tissues from the box on the table and put them in his hand. He wiped his eyes and blew his nose and then turned around and hugged her in what felt like desperation. It took a few moments for them to gather themselves, and when they did, she began pointing out the flowers.
“When I was here yesterday, there weren’t any flowers. Now look. Mama would be so touched to know how many people cared about her like this.”
“Can you tell who they’re from?” he asked.
“Usually the cards are pinned on the bows somewhere, or somewhere within the leaves.” She began to search, and to her surprise, only a few had cards. The rest of the arrangements and potted plants had none. “I’ll ask Truman. He’ll know.”
John turned to the casket for a final look then turned away. “I’m ready when you are.”
They left the viewing room, pausing briefly to scan the guest book.
“Look at who’s already been here,” John said, running a finger down the list of names. “Guys from Dad’s shift at the mine, women from Mama’s Sunday school class, people she worked with at the paper mill, even some of your friends from The Depot. Here’s Vic Payton’s name. Didn’t you tell me he’s the manager now?”
“Yes. Engaged to the boss’s daughter, too,” Poppy whispered.
“Hey. Here’s a name I didn’t expect to see,” John said.
“Who?” Poppy asked.
“Justin Caulfield. Can you believe it?”
Poppy frowned. “Probably still riding that guilt trip from firing Daddy. Oh... wait, here comes Truman. I’m going to ask him about those flowers.”
“Is there anything I can do for you?” Truman asked.
“There are a lot of flowers in the room without cards. Were they already removed?”
“Oh, no, they came that way. But the deliveryman said that they were all purchased at once by the same person.”
John frowned. “Really? Did they say who?”
“I believe Caulfield Industries. There were no flowers to speak of the night Mr. Caulfield came by the viewing room. I suppose he was concerned there would be none. It was quite considerate of him.”
Poppy stifled a gasp. This was going too far. First the pension, picking up outstanding bills for Mama’s care and the funerals, and now this?
“Yes, considerate,” Poppy echoed.
John frowned at her, but said nothing.
“Well, thank you for your kindness, Truman,” John said.
“Yes, of course. I’ll see you both tomorrow at the church.”
They left the funeral home in silence and got into John’s truck before they let feelings fly.
“What is going on with Caulfield?” John asked.
“I don’t know, but I’m beginning to feel like he views us as his personal charity case, and I’m trying not to be insulted.”
John grinned. “Easy, sister. Let the big man throw his money around if it makes him feel better. It’s just one more bill we won’t have to worry about.”
“Whatever,” she muttered.
John glanced at his watch. “I missed lunch and now it’s after 4:00 p.m. How about we go by The Depot and have an early dinner?”
“We have all that food at the house.”
“So, we’ll take it to the church tomorrow.”
Poppy almost smiled. “I’ve never eaten at The Depot as a customer before.”
John frowned. “Then it’s about damn time you did.”
Her smile went viral. “Yes, about damn time.”
John winked, started the truck and headed uptown.
****
Vic Payton was trying to smoothing the ruffled feathers of a cantankerous diner when he saw Poppy and John walk in. Anxious to seat them himself, he ended the conversation quickly by comping the customer’s food.
“I’m sorry you were disappointed by the meal, Mr. Wyman. Please consider this our treat.”
The diner frowned, but Vic could tell that was what he’d been waiting for. He smiled, patted the man on the back and then made a u-turn and headed for the front.
“Hello, Poppy. John, it’s good to see you again. I hope you’re here for some food. It would be my honor to treat you both to a meal.”
“That’s not necessary,” John said.
“I know. That’s why I want to do it,” Vic said. He grabbed a couple of menus and then flashed a brief smile at Poppy before he led them to one of the tables with a good location.
He seated Poppy, then smiled as he handed her the menu.
Poppy felt a little obligated to converse, even though she didn’t want to. Without thinking, she picked what she thought would be a safe bet.
“Have you and Michelle set a date yet?”
“We’re no longer engaged,” Vic said. “I’m lucky I didn’t get fired in the process.”
“Oh, my gosh. I’m sorry. I didn’t know,” Poppy said.
Vic shrugged. “I’m not sorry. It was a mistake from day one, and you have nothing to apologize for. Now, I’ll send a waitress right to your table. The fish tonight is salmon and the rib-eye steak is the Chef’s special. Poppy can attest to the quality of both. Enjoy.”
He walked away, leaving John in no doubt as to why they were getting a free meal.
“He’s still got a thing for you,” John whispered.
Poppy frowned. “Sssh! For Pete’s sake, Johnny!”
John shrugged. “So, what’s good here?”
Glad he’d dropped the subject, she began pointing out things that she knew he would like. By the time their waitress appeared, they were ready to order.
As luck would have it, Jewel was their waitress. Instead of her usual rancor, she appeared anxious to please.
“Good evening, you two.” Then she paused. “Poppy, John, I’m very sorry for your losses. I just wanted to say that before we started.”
“Thank you. We appreciate it.”
Jewel smiled and took their orders. “I’ll be right back with your drinks,” and left.
“She’s nice,” John said.
“No,
she’s not,” Poppy said, and then laid her napkin in her lap.
John grinned. “Wow, sister. Don’t be shy. Tell me what you really think.”
Poppy shrugged. “I work with her, remember?”
“Yeah, I get it. Different story if I wasn’t here, right?”
“She was an eternal bitch to me the day Mama and Daddy died and then found out afterward what happened and felt guilty. The guilt has yet to wear off, but it will.”
He frowned. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you didn’t like where you worked.”
“I like the place. Workers come and go. Some are nice. Some aren’t. Maybe she’ll leave.”
“I’ll write Santa about her,” John said.
Poppy’s eyes widened. “You remember that?”
“I always wrote to Santa about the kids who were mean to you at school. I think the process should still work.”
Poppy reached across the table and laid her hand on her brother’s arm.
“I love you, Johnny.”
The trust in her eyes was difficult to see. When he thought about what a burden she’d carried all alone, it was a miracle she was still talking to him.
“Love you, too, honey.”
Vic watched from across the room, wishing it was him she was reaching for, and then looked away. Some things were too painful to bear and being in love without having the feelings returned was nothing short of hell.
****
Mike and Kenny returned to the precinct. They needed the list Harmon was gathering on Sunny Robert’s classmates but he was still scrambling with some of the addresses. While they waited, they filled Lieutenant Green in on where they were in the investigation including Mike’s sighting of Prophet Jones.
“You know we’ve been looking for Prophet Jones? So, I think I finally saw him today,” Mike said.
Green’s interest shifted. “Where?”
“Under the Little Man bridge.”
“Under it?”
“I think so. He was on the bridge and then I saw him bolt off and head down toward the river. It’s been years since I’ve prowled along the riverbank, but I’m thinking there are places up under it where someone could hide.”