by Harper Lin
“Maybe she was in shock,” Bea offered, looking to her mother and me for validation. “No one, especially a mother, wants to get that phone call. That their son has been shot and is in the hospital. I know if I ever got that phone call, I’d be a basket case.”
“That’s true.” I nodded.
“Let me make you some tea. I think some chamomile with extra honey is what you need. Plain and simple.” Bea turned and started to work on her magic elixir. It wasn’t really magic. It was just tea. But it sounded good.
“What do you think, Aunt Astrid? You’ve been kind of quiet,” I said as I took a seat at my aunt’s favorite table.
“Oh, I’m…thinking maybe Bea is right. Patience might be in shock. She might have said those same exact things to the doctor, had he shown up instead of you.”
“I get the feeling you’re trying to make me feel better.” I folded my arms over my chest and leaned back in my chair.
“Well, I certainly don’t want you to worry about what that woman said.” She waved her hand lazily in front of her as if to shoo the insinuation of Patience’s name. “Do you want to go home? Bea and I can handle the café.”
“What would I do there?”
“I suspect you’ve got laundry and dishes.” My aunt smirked.
“You know me too well,” I replied with a tired smile. “What a morning.” I rested my head in my hands.
“Here you go.” Bea set a large paper cup next to me. It smelled flowery and sweet. The first sip was instantly calming.
“I’ll work, Aunt Astrid. Blake said he’d find out what was happening with Tom.” I took another sip. “He said since Tom was the victim of a crime, Patience wouldn’t be able to keep him…”
I don’t know what happened. The tears just started, and they wouldn’t stop. My aunt took me in her arms and rocked me like I was a little girl. Bea dabbed her own eyes with a napkin, careful not to smear her makeup, and offered all kinds of encouragement.
“Don’t upset yourself, Cath. Come on. Tom is exactly where he should be to get the help he needs. The doctors will fix him right up.”
But that wasn’t why I was crying. Sure, I was worried about Tom, and I was desperate to know that he was going to be all right. But I felt bad that I didn’t feel as bad as I should have. Something was missing. When I looked up at my aunt, I could tell she knew. She could see right through me, literally and figuratively.
“What’s wrong with me?” I whispered.
“Nothing, honey.” She squeezed me tight. “Nothing at all.”
Over the course of the day, I kept as busy as possible. When there weren’t a lot of customers, I was in the back with Kevin Baker, our baker, wiping down the shelves and drawers and trying to stay out of his way while I organized the supplies and wrote down what inventory we were running out of. I even cleaned the bathroom, a chore I absolutely hated. Not because our bathroom was gross. On the contrary, I could sip coffee and eat a scone in our bathroom. That was how spotless it was. It just reminded me of the truck stop that was my bathroom at home.
Every time the phone rang, I’d stretch my neck to see if it was Blake or Jake calling to give us an update. Bea would turn and shake her head every time, so I’d just go back to what I was doing and try to forget why I was keeping to myself.
When it got to be five o’clock in the evening and we still had no word, I thought that Patience had really made good on her promise to ice us out.
“How can we not hear anything?” I grumbled. “Part of me wants to march down to that hospital and plant myself there until someone tells me something.”
“I know it’s frustrating,” Aunt Astrid soothed. “But you know that woman is hoping you’ll do just that. Don’t give her the satisfaction.”
“But don’t you think Tom is going to be wondering where I am? If it were me, I’d expect to wake up and see him there.” I wasn’t lying. But I think my aunt knew that Blake popped into my mind first.
“Go home, Cath,” Aunt Astrid ordered. “Take a hot shower. Put on your pajamas. Watch a couple old movies, and we’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Yes. That’s a good idea. In fact, here.” Bea grabbed a plastic container and scooped up a heaping helping of her spinach and pine nut salad along with some slices of bread and the last raspberry chocolate fig bar.
“Well, if I don’t get any news, I’ll at least have the healthiest colon in Wonder Falls,” I scoffed.
“That’s my Cath.” Bea smiled as she handed me the takeout bag.
By the time I got out of the shower and into my jammies, Treacle was meowing at the kitchen window. He didn’t say much after I told him about Tom. He’d taken such a shine to him that I was sorry I’d even said anything.
We curled up in bed, and I snapped on the television, with the food Bea had sent me home with. I had a few bites, but my appetite wasn’t there. By the time I’d gotten halfway through the movie, Treacle was sound asleep at the foot of the bed. I was wide-awake and had no interest in finding out who done it or if the couple lived happily ever after. I didn’t even know what the movie was about.
So, with renewed energy, I started to do what I should have done days ago. I cleaned my house. Like the café, I did a deep cleaning. Shelves and junk drawers were not spared. Drawers and closets were tidied up. I even ventured into the fridge to throw away anything that had gone bad. By the time I was finished, there were four bags full of either junk I was going to donate or junk I was going to throw away.
When I finally got the coffee started and sat down at my kitchen table, I thought at least I got something accomplished. Still, there was no word on Tom. But at least my home felt cozy again.
The clock read three fifteen. I could get a cat nap in before it was time to get up for work. I snuggled into bed and quickly fell asleep next to Treacle, who had maneuvered himself to the center of the mattress.
I kept dreaming that I was waking up to Tom at the door. He was fine and kept saying he didn’t get shot or that it wasn’t serious. Over and over, I kept dreaming the same thing only to wake up in real life for a few short seconds and realize it was just a dream. That had to be my subconscious wishfully thinking for me.
But the last time I slipped into a dream and heard knocking on my door, I didn’t want to answer it. There was something strange about it. I walked in a haze around my little house and hoped whoever it was would go away. Didn’t they know if someone didn’t answer, it meant they weren’t home or didn’t want to be bothered?
Finally, my eyes popped open, and I heard the very real knocking on my door.
Forgetting about Treacle next to me, I flung the covers aside and dashed to the front door. When I yanked it open, I hoped to see Tom, but instead it was Mrs. Kitt, my neighbor.
“I know. We have to quit meeting like this.” She chuckled as if her morning visits were somehow cute. “I’m so sorry to bother you, honey. Yesterday it was cat food. Today, I’m hoping I can borrow a few spurts of window cleaner.”
I didn’t bother to hide my annoyance. After all, I’d only gotten a couple hours of fitful sleep.
“Window cleaner?” I had just used half a bottle cleaning the mirror in my bathroom. Somehow toothpaste spit had gotten to the very top of the slab over my sink.
“Thanks a million, hon. And if you could hurry. I’ve still got to get to work. You probably do too.” She shifted from one foot to the other. Today she wasn’t in her fuzzy pajamas but was instead wearing a rather tight skirt with a flowery blouse. To tell the truth, I liked her better in her floppy pj’s.
“Yeah. I guess I do.” I gave her a look before I muttered I’d be right back. When I came back, I caught her looking at her reflection in my windows, primping her hair and making those duck faces people on social media were always making. Was she on dope?
“Oh, thanks,” she said as she took the window cleaner from me. When she turned to leave, I was sure she was going to say something like she’d have it back to me in a day or two or she’d buy me a new one o
r something.
“You might want to try taking a longer route to work, if you are going to walk. It might help with those love handles. Bye!”
I looked behind me to see Treacle had gotten out of bed to see what the commotion was all about.
“Did you hear what she said?” I asked, watching her sashay past her house to the babe couple’s house.
“I did. Did you smell alcohol on her breath?”
I shook my head no. “I ought to go give her a piece of my mind. Crazy old bed-headed biddy.”
Instead I remembered I hadn’t gotten a very good night’s sleep and decided to let it go. I hopped in the shower and woke up a little more. The idea of walking with Bea didn’t appeal to me today. I’d see her at the café, so I left a little early and walked there alone. As usual, Aunt Astrid was already inside.
“Did I miss anything after I left yesterday?” I asked.
“No, honey.” Aunt Astrid tucked my hair behind my ears. “Did you get any sleep last night?”
“Not really. But my house is nice and clean, and all my laundry got done. Plus, if you need to use my bathroom, you can.”
“I couldn’t before?” Aunt Astrid tilted her head to the right.
“It was just a mess.” I chuckled at her expression.
I was pleasantly surprised to see Jake had come with Bea this morning.
“You left without me,” she pouted.
“I’m sorry. I just had a rough night and was feeling crabby. It isn’t you. It’s me.” I patted Bea’s hand.
“Well, we’ve got news. Tell her, Jake.” Bea folded her hands and put them up to her chin. I looked up at him to see his expression wasn’t joyful, but it wasn’t forlorn either.
“Tom’s surgery went well. He was under the knife for six hours. There is no way you would have been able to stay and wait for him all that time. So, it’s a good thing you came home.” He patted me on the shoulder. “Bea told me what Patience Warner said. I want you to put that out of your mind.”
I nodded and waited for him to continue.
“He can’t have visitors until they know he’s out of the woods. He’s really doped up, so he wouldn’t know if you were there or not. Don’t worry,” he said.
“But he’ll survive? He’ll be okay?”
“That’s what the doctor told me. So, just sit tight, and when the coast is clear, I’ll make sure you can get in to see him.”
“Thanks, Jake.” I hugged him tightly. “That makes me feel better.”
“But that isn’t all,” he said as he rubbed my back. “Patience has been there all night.”
“That’s to be expected,” Bea soothed. “It’s her son, after all.”
“Yeah. Normally, I’d agree with you. But she was acting a little strange, even for a grieving mother.”
I looked up and took a step back from Jake. This didn’t sit well with me. When I looked at Aunt Astrid, I could tell that she was feeling edgy, too, about what Jake was saying.
“She was doing a lot of muttering to herself. Not just a comment about forgetting to pick up milk but more like an angry conversation with herself. Or someone we can’t see.” He chuckled but then regained his composure. “The doctor told me that when he told her Tom’s status was improving, she didn’t seem happy. He thought for a minute she was on drugs, the way her eyes kept flitting back and forth. But she took her seat in the waiting room and demanded that the doctor send for her when Tom was in his private room.”
“Someone should suggest that woman have a psych evaluation,” I muttered. “When do you think I’ll be able to see him?”
Jake said that Tom was going to be kept under surveillance in the intensive care unit for about five days. Then he’d be moved to a regular room.
“At that time, I’m going to question him about what happened. His mother probably won’t want to stay for that. I’ll call you as soon as she’s gone.”
“That sounds risky. Will it get you in trouble, Jake? If there is a chance you could get busted, it isn’t worth it. I’ll just wait until he can walk into the café on his own,” I said.
“No. And if it turns out that we can’t get her away for a half an hour or so, I’ll make sure I tell him what’s happening so he knows why you aren’t there. No one talks to my cousin-in-law like that and gets away with it.” He winked at me. “Besides, she’s got to eat and change clothes at some time.”
It was a weight off my shoulders that Tom made it through surgery. I was glad and thought that maybe his mother would feel that same relief. Maybe she’d even say she was sorry to me for behaving the way she did. It was possible.
For the next couple of days, I waited for Jake to give me a call or tell me that today was the day I’d be able to stop by.
Finally, I got an update from Jake one morning at the café. He told me that Patience has been at her son’s bedside morning, noon, and night and had yet to change her clothes. Jake hadn’t questioned Tom yet because he was still on heavy medication.
I took a deep breath and kissed my cat’s head before setting him on the windowsill. A couple of regulars stroked his fur as he arched his back up high, purring happily at the extra attention.
“I can’t worry about it,” I said. “He’s made it through surgery, and it sounds like he is out of the woods. They’d have said something if he were in any kind of trouble.”
“That’s right,” Jake assured me. “I’d like to stick around, but I’ve got to get back to work. I left Blake with all the paperwork.”
My heart jumped at the sound of his name. I wondered why he hadn’t come by since that day at the hospital. But if I put myself in his shoes, I’d probably stay away too. No one wants to be the third wheel.
Bea gave Jake some food to take back to the police station, and of course, they kissed and giggled and held hands like the ship was going down before he finally left.
“What do you think about all this, Aunt Astrid?” I asked.
“Yeah, Mom. You’ve been kind of quiet whenever Patience Warner’s name comes up. What do you think is wrong with her?”
Aunt Astrid was remaining rather tight-lipped. It was something that happened to her whenever Patience was the topic of discussion. It was like she was stacking crystal goblets, one on top of the other, and any sudden move could send the whole thing crashing down.
“I’ve felt a crowded sensation whenever her name is mentioned,” my aunt said. “Like someone or something is trying to push me in a corner, but it’s not strong enough to do it…yet.”
“Do you think that she…?” I suddenly lost my train of thought. Treacle looked up from my arms toward the door. His fur went straight up, and he growled way deep down inside.
“What is it, Treacle?”
“That’s bad. Very bad.” He pulled his head and neck closer to me. His claws came out instinctively and poked my arms.
“Hello, Astrid,” Mrs. Kitt sneered at my aunt. She didn’t look anything like the nice older lady who had been my quiet, homebody neighbor for so many years. I couldn’t understand why she looked like a completely different person.
5
St. Joseph Hospital
“Hello, Dorothy?” My aunt looked as if some dude wearing nothing but a raincoat had opened it wide.
“Mrs. Kitt?” I let Treacle hop out of my arms and scurry under one of the tables. I was as shocked as Aunt Astrid was. “Wow. You look so different.”
Bea just stood and tried not to stare as she took my neighbor’s order.
“Just give me one of those mint teas, and I’ll take an orange-and-poppy scone to go,” Mrs. Kitt said, leaning over the counter as if she were trying to read the fine print of a contract. It was a rather provocative pose, but I didn’t say anything. Mainly because what could I say? Hey, Mrs. Kitt, your cans are almost showing?
It had only been about a week since Mrs. Kitt had come bumbling to my door, asking for cat food. Now, she was wearing a skirt that, if it reached her knees, was long and a stretchy top that plunged daringl
y low, revealing some kind of lacy thing underneath that barely concealed her cleavage.
Her hair was still lopsided, and some of the gray roots were coming in. Her makeup was a little heavy for this early in the daytime, but she seemed to be comfortable. In fact, she acted downright conceited.
Bea handed Mrs. Kitt her tea and scone along with her change and wished her a pleasant day. In return, she got a once-over from the woman and an eye roll.
“Dorothy, you look so different,” my aunt said gently. “Are you doing okay?”
Mrs. Kitt looked at my aunt like she was noticing something gross floating on top of the water of a pool.
“Of course I am. I’ve never been better.” She didn’t even attempt to straighten her skirt to maybe get a millimeter more covering her legs. “I’ve been doing a little bit of dieting and working out. You know, you and your daughter could do with some improvements yourselves.”
“What?” Bea finally spoke.
“Don’t get upset, dearie,” Mrs. Kitt snapped without even looking at Bea. “I’m just being honest.”
“Well, we’ll take your suggestion to heart.” Aunt Astrid waved to Bea, who looked like she was ready to climb over the counter and tackle Mrs. Kitt. “Good day, Dorothy.”
Mrs. Kitt admired her reflection in just about every surface then turned and left without saying another word.
“That is not my neighbor.” I pointed, with my mouth hanging open. “Mrs. Kitt is a nice older lady with baggy clothes and a nice yard with flowers, who never bothers anyone. Not Mrs. Bouncy Galore and her two-ton ego.”
“You know, I’ve heard of people losing weight and starting to get healthy who transform into nasty, snobby know-it-alls because they are suddenly getting the attention they were craving,” Bea said with a frown. “That doesn’t give her the right to be so rude.”
“I don’t know about you guys, but I don’t think she’s lost any weight since I saw her last week,” I interrupted. “She doesn’t look like she’s working out either. She looks like she just slapped on some hooker-wear and called it a day.”