by B R Snow
“Is Jackson there?” I said, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed.
“He’s on his way,” she said. “I’m sorry to call you this late, but I thought you’d want to know. Not that there’s anything you can do for him at the moment.”
I smiled when I caught her emphasis on him.
“Would you feel better if I came down, Mom?”
“Well, that’s your decision, darling,” my mother said. “But since you’re up…”
“I’ll get there as soon as I can, Mom,” I said, climbing out of bed.
“I’ll be waiting outside Howard’s room, darling,” she said. “Dreadful situation. Simply dreadful.”
“See you soon, Mom.”
I swapped out my pajamas for a pair of sweats and a tee shirt. I took a quick look in the mirror and decided that a baseball cap was preferable to a lengthy hair brushing session. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail and inserted it through the opening in the back of the hat, then washed and dried my face.
“Close enough,” I said to the mirror.
Chloe, anticipating an adventure, hopped off the bed and sat waiting by the door. I headed down the hall and knocked on Josie’s door. Captain woofed once, then I heard Josie stir.
“Yeah?” Josie said. “Is everything okay?”
“Sorry to wake you up, but Howard just got admitted to the hospital, and I thought you’d want to know,” I said through the door. “I’m going to head over to keep my Mom company. You want to come?”
“Sure,” Josie said, “Give me five minutes.”
“I’ll make coffee,” I said. “I’m sure the cafeteria is closed, and that vending machine stuff is horrid.
“Good call,” Josie said, then I heard her start laughing. “No, Captain. Give me my sneaker.”
I headed for the kitchen and started the coffee. I sat down and stared at the coffeemaker as it gurgled and slowly began to brew. A few minutes later, Josie entered and sat down next to me at the kitchen island.
“Don’t you know a watched coffeemaker never brews?” Josie said.
“I don’t think that’s how that saying goes,” I said, yawning.
“What happened to Howard?” she said, leaning back in her chair as Captain placed his two front paws on her lap.
“My Mom said it was too soon to tell,” I said.
I got up, filled two travel mugs with coffee, then poured the rest of the pot into a thermos.
“You’re such a good daughter,” Josie said, nodding at the thermos.
“I have my moments,” I said, securing the top of the thermos.
We said goodbye to the dogs, then headed down the steps to my SUV. The drive to the hospital took less than ten minutes, and I parked in front, and we headed inside. As promised, my mother was sitting outside Howard’s room staring forlornly at the cup of vending machine coffee in her hand. Jackson was sitting next to her, and he stood when he saw us approaching.
“Hey, guys,” Jackson said, dragging two chairs closer.
“Hi, Jackson,” I said, handing the thermos to my mother, then hugging him.
“You’re a lifesaver, darling,” my mother said, opening the thermos.
“So, what happened?” I said to Jackson.
“It’s pretty strange, and we’re short on details since we haven’t had a chance to talk to Howard yet,” Jackson said. “Somebody on Wellesley Island noticed his body on the side of the road and called 911. The paramedics found Howard semi-conscious and babbling about being abducted. It looks like he was beaten up, and he’s got a ton of cuts and scratches. If he was trying to escape from where you found his boat that could be where he got scratched up. Some of the areas around that shoreline are pretty thick.”
I nodded. Jackson wasn’t going to get any argument from me about that.
I saw a look of sadness on Jackson’s face, and I caught Josie’s eye and nodded my head at our chief of police. Josie glanced at him over the top of her coffee cup and frowned, then shrugged back at me.
“Are you okay, Jackson?” I said.
“What? Oh, yeah, I’m fine,” he said softly.
I decided he wasn’t in the mood to chitchat, so I changed topics.
“What did you decide to do with Morrie?” I said.
“Him?” Jackson said, almost spitting the word out. “We let him go tonight.”
“You didn’t have enough to arrest him?” I said.
“No,” Jackson said. “Not at the moment. But don’t worry, I’m going to keep looking.”
His eyes had turned dark, and he sat rigid in his chair. My mother looked around and shifted nervously in her seat.
“Okay, guys,” I said, glancing back and forth at them. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing, darling.”
“Just let it go, Suzy,” Jackson said.
Josie snorted.
“Yeah, good luck with that, Jackson,” she said, laughing.
“Josie, please,” my mother said.
“What on earth is the matter with you two?” I said, my voice rising a notch.
Jackson stared at me, then exhaled loudly and nodded.
“Okay, I’m sure you’re going to hear all about it soon enough,” Jackson said. “I finally got an answer to the question of why Morrie is still making deliveries up here.”
“He has a girlfriend in town, right?” I said.
“How on earth did you know that?” Jackson said.
“I kind of just put two and two together,” I said, glancing at my mother who was unable to make eye contact.
Then a thought flashed through my head.
“Mom?” I said, staring at her wide-eyed.
“What?” my mother said, then scrunched up her face at me. “Me and Morrie? No, of course not.”
“No, it’s not your mom, Suzy,” Jackson whispered. “It’s mine.”
“What? No way,” I said, stunned by the news. “Morrie the Meat Guy and your mother?”
“Yeah,” Jackson whispered.
“But your mom and dad have always been the role model of a happy marriage,” Josie said.
“I guess times change,” Jackson whispered.
Jackson wiped his eyes with the back of his sleeve, then stood up.
“I’ll be back in a minute,” he said, slowly walking down the hall.
I focused on my mother.
“That’s what you were referring to when you said you knew that Morrie would eventually get into trouble if he kept hanging around town,” I said.
“Yes, darling.”
“How long have you known about Morrie and Mrs. Frank?” I said.
“Long enough,” my mother said, shrugging.
“Why didn’t you say something?” I said.
“To whom, darling?” she said. “Who should I have told?”
I paused to think about it. It was a very good question.
“Well, I guess Mr. Frank for starters,” I said. “He’s been a friend of yours even before I was born.”
“So has Shirley, darling.”
“But… what about? Geez, Mom. What… never mind,” I said, shaking my head.
“It’s not so easy, huh?” my mother said. “Shirley came to me because she didn’t have anyone else she could talk about it with.”
“Is it serious?” I said, still having a very hard time processing the information.
“Yes, darling,” she said, sipping her coffee. “The Franks are talking divorce, and if they do get one, they’ll probably be selling the grocery store. That is unless Jackson decides to resign as police chief and take it over.”
“Jackson doesn’t want to do that,” I said.
“No, he doesn’t,” my mother said. “But the thought of the store being sold to someone outside the family bothers them a lot.”
“And Morrie was the one who told Jackson?” Josie said.
“No, as soon as Shirley heard that Morrie was being questioned at the police station, she stopped by and told Jackson herself,” my mother said. “The last thing s
he wanted was for Jackson to hear it from Morrie. And she was just worn out from keeping it a secret.”
“Poor, Mr. Frank,” I said.
“Yes, it’s a very sad situation all around,” my mother said.
She poured refills from the thermos, then leaned back in her seat and draped a leg over her knee.
“Is Howard going to be okay?” I said, desperate for a change of subjects.
“Yes, they think so,” my mother said. “He appears to be in shock, and they’re still worried about a concussion, but, overall, the doctor expects him to make a full recovery.”
“He was lucky,” I said.
“Certainly a lot luckier than Fatal Franny,” Josie said.
“I wonder if Howard can identify the shooter,” I said.
“The shooter? Really, darling,” my mother said, shaking her head. “Why do you insist on watching so many police shows?”
“It relaxes me,” I said, forcing a smile.
We stopped talking when we heard footsteps against the linoleum floor of the long hallway. I glanced up, expecting to see Jackson returning, but was surprised to see the widow Calducci and her bodyguard, Pee Wee, heading our way. Pee Wee held her by the elbow, but the widow seemed reasonably sober. Or she was simply well versed in walking while loaded.
“Good evening,” the widow Calducci said, coming to a stop right next to us.
“Hello, Dot,” my mother said.
“Have you heard how Howard is doing?” she said.
“Not really,” my mother said, studying her closely. “But the doctor did say that he thinks he’s going to be okay.”
“That’s wonderful,” Dot said, sitting down in the vacant chair. “What a relief.”
“Hi, Mrs. Calducci,” I said. “Pee Wee.”
They both managed a nod in my direction, and Pee Wee stood directly behind the widow and leaned against the wall.
“What a way to spend an evening,” the widow Calducci said.
“Yes,” I said. “If you don’t mind my asking, how did you hear that Howard was in the hospital?”
Dot stared at me, then glanced over her shoulder at Pee Wee, who shrugged.
“I guess word just travels fast up here,” Pee Wee said.
“Yes,” Dot said. “Word travels fast.”
Chapter 18
After receiving what the doctors told us would be the last update on Howard’s condition until morning, we left the hospital just after three and went home. But after we made our morning rounds at the Inn, Josie and I headed back to the hospital to rejoin my mother outside Howard’s room. A forlorn Jackson was already there waiting for his chance to speak with the mayor after he woke up and was cleared by the doctor.
When we arrived, Jackson managed a nod in our direction, but not much else. Josie and I hugged Jackson then sat down on either side of him. Even the coffee and breakfast sandwich Chef Claire had made for everyone barely cheered him up. And he stared off into space chewing and sipping coffee as a pile of biscuit crumbs began to form next to his chair.
“This is wonderful, darling,” my mother said, slowly working her way through her sandwich.
For the record, it was a freshly-baked rosemary biscuit slathered with apple butter and wrapped around a poached egg and a slice of ham. Josie and I had polished off our first one before we got out of the kitchen.
“Chef Claire said she was sorry that she didn’t have time to do a bit more with them,” I said, still shaking my head at the fact that Chef Claire had insisted on making them.
“We told her she didn’t have to do anything,” Josie said, making short work of her second sandwich. “But we couldn’t stop her.”
“Never let her go,” my mother said, chuckling softly.
“Good luck with that,” Jackson said, still staring off into the distance.
I studied Jackson and couldn’t decide if he was referring to his parents’ problems or his own ongoing troubles with Chef Claire. Since it was probably a lot of both, I remained silent. A doctor came out of Howard’s room and smiled at us.
“Hi, Doctor Wilbur,” I said. “How he’s doing?”
“Good morning, everyone,” he said, smiling at us. “He’s a lot better. He’s still a bit unsure about some of the details, but certainly good enough to handle a few questions. But please keep it short, Jackson.”
“What’s that?” Jackson said, momentarily snapping out of his funk. “Oh, sure, Doc. Will do.”
The doctor headed off down the hall, and Jackson got to his feet. I also stood and nodded at Josie and my mother. Jackson noticed.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Jackson said.
“To see our good friend,” I said, ignoring the real meaning behind his question. “Where else would we be going?”
“To snoop,” Jackson said. “I think I should handle this by myself.”
“Okay, Jackson,” I said. “But I would have thought you’d want to keep a close eye on us while we’re talking to Howard.”
Jackson paused at the door. Then he nodded.
“Yeah, you’re right,” he said. “You’re going to find your way into his room anyway. I might as well be around when you do.”
“Thanks, Jackson,” I said, beaming at him.
“Besides, given the mood I’m in,” Jackson said. “I’m probably going to need all the help I can get.”
All four of us entered the room and found Howard propped up in bed. He looked up from the magazine he was reading and gave us a small wave.
“Hey, guys,” Howard said. “Thanks for stopping by.”
“We were worried,” my mother said. “How are you feeling?”
“Well, between the beating and the drugs they’re giving me for the pain, I’m a little fuzzy.”
“That’s completely understandable, Howard,” my mother said, patting his hand.
“Look, Howard, Doc Wilbur wants me to keep this short,” Jackson said. “But if you’re up for it, would you mind answering a few questions?”
“Of course not, Jackson,” Howard said, setting the magazine aside and pressing a button that inclined the bed even more. “Whenever you’re ready.”
“What time did you and Franny leave to go out in your boat?” Jackson said.
“It was around two,” Howard said.
“And where did you go?” Jackson said.
“It was your basic local tour,” Howard said. “She’d never spent much time on the River, so I hit some of the high points. Then we headed for Lover’s Cove around three, maybe half past.”
“Why Lover’s Cove?” Jackson said.
“Really, Jackson?” Howard said, laughing despite his obvious pain. “Certainly by now, you know that most of the boat rides I give women tend to include a stop at Lover’s Cove. At least if I have anything to say about it.”
“I just needed to ask, Howard,” Jackson said. “So, your plans included a romantic component?”
“Romantic component?” I said, unable to contain myself.
“Don’t start,” Jackson said, glaring at me. “You’ll get your chance.”
“Yes, Jackson,” Howard said. “I certainly had hopes that the afternoon would include a romantic component.”
“So, you’re at Lover’s Cove with Franny and then what happened?” Jackson said.
“We were sitting on the boat next to each other looking at the shore with our backs to the water,” Howard said. “And we were laughing and just starting to get friendly when two guys in masks climbed aboard my boat.”
“You never saw their boat coming?” Jackson said.
“No, they must have paddled in the last hundred feet or so,” Howard said. “And I was focused on other things at that moment and wasn’t paying attention.”
“And they were carrying guns?” Jackson said.
“Yes,” Howard said, nodding. “And they caught us completely by surprise and quickly disarmed Franny. Then they tied her hands, tossed her into their boat which was right alongside mine, and then one of them sta
rted beating me.”
I winced at the thought and studied the bruises on Howard’s face.
“You poor man,” my mother said.
“Thanks. I appreciate that,” Howard said, smiling at my mother.
“Then what happened?” Jackson said.
“Well, when one of the guys was trying to wrestle Franny into their boat, she started kicking and fighting back the best she could. And the guy who was punching me landed a big one and knocked me backward. The boat was really rocking, and I ended up going over the side and landing in the water. That was when I decided I needed to get to shore. As you know, the water’s pretty shallow over there so I started running the best I could through the water. The guy who’d been hitting me started shooting. But it took him a while to grab his gun, and the boat must have still been rocking back and forth because the shots were all over the place.”
“How many shots did you hear?” Jackson said, jotting notes in his notebook.
“Let’s see,” Howard said, concentrating on the memory. “At least five, maybe more.” Then he choked up and cleared his throat. “And then I heard the other shot a few minutes later after I managed to reach shore.”
“The shot that killed Franny?” Jackson whispered.
“Yes,” Howard said. “By then, I was hiding in the pines. But I did see one of the men shoot her at close range.”
“And she was on the other boat when they shot her?” Jackson said.
“Yes.”
“And then what happened?” Jackson said.
“I figured I was next on their list and did my best to hightail it out of there,” Howard said. “I managed to work my way through the trees into the thick scrub, and then I hid out until it got dark. I was scared to death and pretty much out of it. At one point, I think I even passed out.”
“Yes, I can see why,” Jackson said, nodding. “Did they follow you?”
“They tried,” Howard said. “But they gave up pretty quickly after they hit that scrub. It’s a hard slog getting through that stuff, and I imagine they decided they needed to deal with Franny’s body before another boat showed up. I was lucky I made it to shore where I did.”