by Carol A. Guy
When her fork collided with Vernon’s as they swooped in for the final piece, she almost giggled like a schoolgirl. He deferred to her, of course, allowing her to have the last morsel.
Adelaide hated to see the meal end. She’d so enjoyed the evening and the conversation that went along with it. They briefly discussed the community food pantry’s Christmas basket deliveries tomorrow. Vernon always volunteered to help, as did she. This year, of course, there would be more need than ever with L&C closing.
Once he paid the bill, they got their coats then walked out onto the porch. “It’s snowing again. We’re parked in the back lot. You wait here, I’ll go get the car,” he told her, hurrying off into the night.
Grumbling that she’d never believe a weather report again—they’d said no snow today or tomorrow—Adelaide went to the porch railing, taking in the picturesque scene before her. The stately pine trees surrounding the smaller front lot were covered with a glistening blanket of white, giving them an almost translucent look in the glow of the nearby vapor lights.
Suddenly the sound of raised voices caught her attention. Off to the side, where there was space for just a few cars, stood a man and a woman arguing. The man was burly, the woman small and slender. She had golden blonde hair. A nearby light showcased the pair as the man grabbed the woman’s arm, shaking her almost violently. Adelaide stepped forward, ready to step in if things got any rougher. Suddenly the woman turned, her face becoming clearly visible. The man grabbed her into his arms from the back, appearing to nuzzle the nape of her neck.
“Brenda?” Adelaide gasped. It couldn’t be. Yet, it was.
Adelaide watched as Brenda Collier shoved the man back. He steadied himself against a black sedan. She turned to face him again as they continued to argue. Finally the man cupped Brenda’s face in his hands, kissing her quickly on the lips. She flailed at his chest. He laughed harshly then got into the car.
Brenda turned. Afraid of being seen, Adelaide stepped back into the deep shadows of the porch. She watched as her son’s girlfriend stomped angrily toward a familiar looking silver Jetta parked a few slots away from the black sedan, which was now pulling out of its parking place. As the man roared away, he waved Brenda’s way. She ignored him completely.
Just then Vernon drove up beside the porch steps. Still shaken by the scene she’d witnessed, Adelaide just stood there watching as Brenda got into her car and sped out of the lot via another exit.
Chapter Thirty-four
At a little after seven-thirty on Saturday morning, Adelaide arrived at Sustenance, the local food pantry. Today, volunteers would assemble then deliver over seventy Christmas food baskets to those less fortunate in Crescent Falls. Many of the recipients this year were former L&C employees who had lost their jobs when the company closed.
Located at the corner of Main Street and Dogwood Avenue on the west end of town, the gray stucco building housed not only the food pantry but a thrift store as well. Although the two community outreach programs shared the building, they were managed as separate entities, each with its own entrance and work area.
Adelaide took off her coat and hung it on the long rack to the right of the door. The room was large, with pale green walls. The gray linoleum on the floor was worn but freshly polished. Three rows of heavy metal shelves took up the right side of the room. Two similar shelves lined part of the back wall. Today those shelves were loaded with canned goods along with other staple food items, all arranged by category. Two chest freezers stood side by side next to three refrigerators, all of which had been donated over the years. In the back left corner was a glassed-in office area. Tables for sorting and packing food items were situated in the center of the room. Restrooms were immediately to the left of the front door.
Adelaide was quite pleased with the way Rudy Engler managed both Sustenance and the thrift store. Inventory control was computerized, which made things much easier. Of course all records for Sustenance were confidential since recipients were investigated by a team of volunteers, in coordination with the county family services department, to ensure that only those with a real need received assistance.
Adelaide hadn’t slept well last night. The scene she’d witnessed between Brenda and that powerfully built man in the parking lot of the Dovetail Inn had preyed on her mind into the wee hours.
Maybe I should have told Vernon about it. He noticed how quiet I was all of a sudden during the drive home. I know he thought he’d done something wrong. But I just couldn’t tell him. If I tell anyone it will be Daniel. I just hate to say anything to him until I know more about what was really going on—although it looked like a lover’s quarrel, that’s for sure. He kissed her on the lips. How do I explain that away? I can’t. Should I confront her? After all, Daniel is my son, so my first loyalty must be to him.
“You look a million miles away, Adelaide. Are you all right?”
Adelaide jumped as though a sonic boom had gone off next to her. “Oh, Tina, I’m sorry. I guess I was woolgathering.” She forced a smile.
“Well, you’re one of the first to arrive. Come on, I’ll get you started filling the orders. No sense waiting for the others,” Tina Engler told her.
Adelaide obediently followed the petite woman to the office, where Rudy sat behind a battered metal desk. As always he had a smile on his face. His dark brown eyes twinkled with good humor.
“The boxes need to be assembled. They’re stacked in the back corner as usual. We got over a hundred from the moving company in Rosewood this year. We’ll have some left over for everyday use.” He stood up stretching his solidly built body.
“People always give above and beyond the call of duty,” Tina said.
Adelaide took the cards Rudy handed her, glancing at them quickly. A family of four, a family of three and a family of six. She recognized the names. All of them were former L&C employees. Again, her resentment against the heartless company surfaced. Quickly, she tamped it down, knowing it would do no good to hold onto that particular grudge.
“How is Susan Hatfield doing?” Tina asked, as they walked out into the work area again. More volunteers were arriving, their chatter filling the air.
“I really don’t know,” Adelaide almost snapped. Softening her tone she explained. “Her son had her transferred to OSU Medical Center yesterday.”
“Oh, I see. Well, maybe that’s best. I mean, our medical center is fine, but it isn’t a specialty facility. I’m sure she’ll get excellent care in Columbus, plus she’ll be close to Eric, who I’m sure wants to continue his studies.”
Adelaide gathered up three boxes and took them to a table, where packing tape and scissors awaited. Tina scurried off to greet other volunteers.
“Mind if I share your table?”
Adelaide looked up from her chore of struggling with a cardboard box to find Dora Carmody standing there. “By all means. I think next year some of us should come in early to assemble these boxes beforehand so we don’t have to waste time.” Adelaide realized immediately how disgruntled she sounded.
“A good suggestion. Now, tell me, who pissed in your oatmeal this morning?”
Adelaide looked over at Dora. Today she was wearing a pair of jeans with a black sweatshirt. Her hair was spiked up a little, giving her an almost pixie appearance. The yellow flecks in her brown eyes danced brightly.
“Oh, Dora, I’m sorry. I guess the stress is getting to me,” Adelaide explained.
If I snap like this at everyone, Rudy will probably send me home for bad behavior.
“I heard Susan is gone. Off to Columbus. I can’t say I’m surprised.”
“Eric wanted her away from Douglas.”
Dora grabbed several boxes and began assembling them. “So I gathered. A friend of mine works in the ICU at our medical center. I guess there was quite a scene there yesterday.”
“Yes, I was unfortunate enough to be there when it happened. It was awful.” Adelaide thought back to the night of the fire. “Your son Paul was one of the paramed
ics who responded to the fire at Susan’s. If I recall, he rode in the back of the ambulance with her to the hospital.”
“I know where you’re headed. He told me she never regained consciousness. She didn’t say a word. She was doing good to keep breathing.” Dora shook her head sadly. “Paul was quite upset by the whole thing. He said he felt so helpless, just kept praying that she’d hang on until they got her to the ER.”
“Has he ever thought of pursuing medicine as a career? I’ve heard he’s the best volunteer paramedic Crescent Falls has ever had.”
“I’ve broached the subject with him. I mean, come on Adelaide, what kind of future is there in being a bartender at Marty’s Pub? I’m afraid my words fell on deaf ears. He likes his job and likes being a volunteer paramedic, in that order.”
“When does he find time to sleep?” Adelaide asked.
“Believe it or not, there aren’t that many calls that require a paramedic. Besides, there are five other volunteers to share the duties. He never has to go out on calls when he’s doing his shifts at Marty’s. In fact, the night of the fire, he’d just closed the bar and was on his way home when he got the call.”
Dora excused herself to go get some cards from Rudy. Picking up one of her own cards from the table, Adelaide walked over to the shelves. She was soon joined by Hal Buckner, owner of the local market, followed by Gayle Nelson, proprietor of the town’s only gift shop.
Hal “Buck” Buckner was a large, good natured man with snow white hair and clear blue eyes. He’d been a widower for several years. Adelaide suspected he would remain so until he died. His wife, Alice, had been the love of his life.
“Well, Adelaide, it’s good to see you here today. It’s been a while since you’ve come in the store.”
“A lot has been happening, Buck,” Adelaide replied. She was always careful about what she said around this man lest it end up in one of Julie’s newspaper articles. His other two children, Jimmy and Harry, helped him run the family business. Harry was also a volunteer fireman as well as a part-time bartender at Marty’s Pub. “I saw Harry at the fire the other night. Does he know they’ve called in an arson investigator?”
Buck shot her a glance that was hard to read. “Arson? He didn’t say anything about that to me.”
Adelaide wasn’t sure whether she believed him or not. Buck moved away with an armload of canned goods.
Gayle Nelson muttered something. She was standing within listening distance so Adelaide was sure she’d heard their conversation.
“Did you say something?” Adelaide looked sideways at the petite woman. Her hair was tied back at the nape of her neck with a white ribbon.
Gayle focused her emerald green eyes on Adelaide. “I said if we have a casino here this time next year we won’t have nearly as many boxes to fill. Many of our people will have jobs again.”
An avid proponent of the casino idea, Gayle had been lobbying for months in favor of the proposal.
Adelaide carried several items to her table, placing them in one of the boxes. Gayle was close on her heels with an armload of her own.
“Tell me, Gayle, why are you really so in favor of the casino?” Adelaide asked, although she thought she already knew the answer.
Gayle placed her items in a box then turned to face Adelaide. “Look, aside from the obvious reason that people here need jobs, all of those casinos have a mall area with little shops. I intend to apply for a permit to open a second gift shop in their mall. Can you imagine the exposure? All those people with money to spend coming into my shop at the casino? The ones who don’t gamble will come into my store on Main Street. It could double my sales.”
“So your backing of the casino idea is purely a business decision,” Adelaide said with disdain.
Gayle bristled a little. “You make it sound so cold.”
“I suppose I do.” Cold wasn’t exactly the word Adelaide had in mind but it would suffice.
At that moment Dora hurried by their table, stopping for just a moment. “Oh, Gayle, I can’t wait until Tuesday. It’s going to be such fun. How many do we have so far?”
Gayle held Adelaide’s gaze for a second longer before replying to Dora. “Twenty. The bus leaves for Columbus at nine sharp.”
Adelaide was at a loss. “You’re going to Columbus by bus?”
Dora chuckled. “A casino run. The Royal Aces. Tuesday is ladies’ day. They’re giving away four new cars plus four ten-thousand-dollar prizes.” She moved on.
Adelaide sighed, ruing the day that the citizens of Ohio had finally voted in favor of casinos.
Brie and Tim Hunter arrived next. As Tim headed for the office, Brie joined Adelaide.
“I’ve already sold two necklaces and one bracelet from the jewelry you dropped off at the shop. They’re so beautiful, I doubt if they stay on the shelf long,” Brie said.
Tendrils of Brie’s strawberry blonde hair stuck out from beneath a bright orange stocking cap. When she whipped off the cap, static electricity made her hair stand up on end. She ran a hand quickly through the curls. The smattering of freckles across her narrow nose seemed quite pronounced, confirming that she wore little makeup.
“I’m glad to hear that. I kind of had my eye on one of the bracelets. In fact, put it back for me. It’s the coral and black one,” Adelaide told her. She’d intended to purchase it the day of the bazaar, but Jerry’s murder wiped all such thoughts from her mind.
“Will do. There’s a lot of help today, but a lot to do. I guess I should get moving.”
“Don’t you and Tim have an anniversary coming up?” Adelaide asked before Brie could walk away.
“You remember everything, I swear. Yep. It’s Monday. Three years.” She grinned. Moving closer, she said in a low tone, “I still feel like I’m on my honeymoon. That man is amazing!” She let out a little giggle.
“Well, here you are!”
James Preston joined Adelaide as Brie walked away.
Adelaide turned to look at him. He was dressed casually in a pair of black slacks and a tan sweater. She caught a whiff of aftershave, something resembling sandalwood. Before she could respond to James’s greeting, Vernon strode toward them, a smile on his face.
“Looks like there’s plenty of help today. Glad to see you here, Reverend,” Vernon said. He shook hands with James.
For some reason, Adelaide felt a little awkward as the men exchanged pleasantries. In fact, the moment took her back a few decades to when she, Albert and Vernon were together as teens, standing in the hallway at school. It was that same feeling she’d had then, like she was a prize they were both vying for.
Get over yourself, Adelaide. James and Vernon are not teenage boys and you’re hardly the class ingénue.
Yet there was something in the air, a subtle tension between the two men as they stood there talking.
Adelaide turned back to the task at hand, packing the three boxes in front of her. The next thing she knew, James was gone and Vernon was rounding up the drivers so he could hand out their assignments.
As she worked, she noticed Julie Buckner Simpson flitting around taking pictures as she talked to people, no doubt trying to get enough quotes for a front page article. It was the same every year. The young woman came, got her information, then left without lifting a finger to help.
Moments later, Adelaide saw three of Crescent Falls’ finest walk in the door—Ron Elam, Larry Schwartz and Ken Lafferty, all from the night shift. Ron Elam came over to her right away.
“I’m really glad Reverend Preston is staying until the district can find a permanent replacement,” he commented. “I hear Carl is going to be released from the hospital today.”
Adelaide was pleasantly surprised about Carl. “I didn’t know Carl was going home. Of course I haven’t talked to Ethel today. Yes, it is good news about James staying on for a while.”
Ron’s thatch of brown hair looked windblown as always. His blue-green eyes studied her with curiosity. “Something wrong, Adelaide? You seem…distracted.�
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Like Jerry was…distracted. I’ve heard that word a lot lately.
“Just a little tired. Tell me, Ron, who will be replacing Jerry Hatfield on the church finance committee, Carl?”
“That’s right. I got a call from Harold Purcell also, saying he was taking Carl’s place so he could step up as chairman.”
Adelaide was glad to hear Harold would be joining that committee. “I think he’ll make a perfect addition.”
“Well, I don’t!” The harsh voice was immediately recognizable.
Zelda Jackson approached them. Obviously she’d been eavesdropping again. Adelaide felt a rush of irritation. Ron quickly excused himself, heading toward the other drivers who were gathered in a cluster by the office doorway.
Adelaide faced Zelda who stood there with a scowl on her ruddy face, her eyes gleaming with malice. She was wearing a pair of maroon slacks with a navy blue sweater. “You don’t what, Zelda?” Adelaide said mildly.
“Think Harold Purcell should be on the finance committee at our church. Carl made a poor choice. Just one of many.”
“I don’t agree. I think Harold is the perfect choice. He’s honest and smart. He’s been on the committee before, also.”
Zelda scoffed. “He’s got everyone fooled, including you. I called Carl to say I’d step up but he put me off, saying he wasn’t officially in charge so he couldn’t make that decision.”
Adelaide was dumbfounded. “You volunteered to be on the finance committee? When?”
“On Sunday, the day after Jerry…passed on. I knew they needed to fill the spot quickly so I wanted to make sure it went to someone who could be trusted.”
Adelaide bit back her initial response. Carl hadn’t said a thing about Zelda’s call. “It’s probably just as well Carl didn’t accept your offer. You have so many irons in the fire already. We wouldn’t want you to spread yourself too thin.” Her boxes packed, she signaled for one of the drivers, Ron Elam, to come gather them up. Then she brushed past Zelda and headed for the office to collect three more cards.