Family Matters (A Gracie Andersen Mystery Book 1)

by Laurinda Wallace

  She was 85 years old, she was tired, and she shouldn’t have to put up with their rudeness. She would tell Joe tonight that his friends had to go. She couldn’t do this anymore. They should be cooking her meals and picking up after her. She knew Joe needed friends, but she didn’t think he needed these two. Joe kept trying to clean up and smooth things over between her and this Brad and Carter. She desperately hoped Joe wasn’t doing anything criminal with them. She didn’t think they had real jobs, but they had money for cigarettes and beer. Joe wasn’t supposed to drink while he was still on probation. Bea hoped and prayed that he was doing the right thing. Maybe she would make a special supper of chicken and biscuits, and then have Joe tell them they needed to leave by next week.

  Her crooked, blue-veined fingers slid the dishrag over the last plate, and it went into the overfull dish drainer. At last the dishes were done. Maybe she could watch The Young and Restless before anybody got home. She wiped her hands on the worn hand towel and then went to turn on the TV. She was fast asleep with her favorite soap opera blaring when Carter and Brad slunk through the living room and disappeared into their bedroom. The backpacks they carried were quickly deposited under the beds.

  Chapter 12

  Midge’s was hopping. Gracie took a quick look around for a seat. The steady clank of plates and the sizzle of grease in the fryers indicated lunch was in full swing. The stools at the counter were full, and Midge was flipping burgers, stirring gravy, and yelling at everyone to keep moving. Midge was vertically challenged and skinny as a rail. She had short brown hair liberally streaked with gray and a tongue as sharp as her chef’s knife. In the days when you could smoke inside, she kept the kitchen blue with cigarette smoke. Now, she had to step out the back door and smoke when she had a chance, which wasn’t nearly as often as she thought necessary, as she was quick to say. She was perpetually grumpy and her voice husky.

  She and her husband Ernie had raised six boys, all of whom had fled Deer Creek as soon as they graduated from high school. After Ernie and Midge divorced a few years ago, Ernie took off to Alaska to make his fortune and shack up with some woman he dated on the Internet. Her chat room name was Huggy Bear. Midge had said good riddance, since he’d never helped much around the house or the restaurant.

  For all practical purposes, she lived at the restaurant; a folded-up cot resided in the huge walk-in pantry. She was a terror to her wait staff and cooks, but she made the best sweet rolls in the county and had more business than she could handle most days. Her Friday fish fry was legendary, and it wasn’t uncommon to see a line winding around the block, waiting for a table or an empty stool at the counter.

  The men at the counter were exchanging their daily gossip with animation. Gracie caught sight of Harry, the Hillside Feeds delivery driver, who by the laughter was regaling the boys with his stories, which were probably spicy. Midge planted herself squarely in front of him.

  “Harry, so help me, if you don’t keep your mouth shut and mind your own business, I swear I will knock you off that stool. You’re just full of you know what.”

  Harry frowned and muttered something unintelligible. The rest of the men at the counter shifted uneasily on the stools. A couple of them stood up to pay their bills and shuffled to the cash register. Midge happily took their money, stabbing each check on the long spike next to the register, and told them to come back tomorrow. There would be fried green tomatoes and meatloaf. Their faces brightened at that news.

  Gracie shook her head, watching Midge clear the counter area. The way the woman treated customers, it was a wonder she stayed in business. Midge punched the buttons on the cash register and tucked a wad of cash in the drawer. She looked up and smiled.

  “Hey, Gracie, there’s a stool down here by the kitchen. I bet you want a chicken finger salad with poppy seed dressing.”

  “You’re right as usual, Midge.” Gracie walked past the row of men who eyed her surreptitiously.

  “Hey, Kelly! Finger salad with poppy seed on the side,” Midge called out to her kitchen help. She poured a tall glass of fresh lemonade and slid it over to Gracie.

  Gracie leaned across the counter and softly asked, “What’s up with the guys today?”

  “They’re just being stupid. They’re worse than old women. That Harry gets gossip going like a grass fire. I just have to put him in his place every so often.” Midge quickly changed the subject. “How’s everybody holding up after your Aunt Shirley died?”

  “Well, pretty good. It wasn’t unexpected. In a lot of ways, it’s probably a relief for Uncle Stan and Isabelle.”

  “Heard you and Isabelle had a few words.” Midge popped a piece of gum in her mouth and chomped down hard.

  “Well, yeah. You know how everybody gets on edge at a funeral.” Gracie squirmed inwardly. She’d known that little scene would get around town in no time.

  “You’ve had quite a week then, with the funeral and robbery, and all.” Midge was now seriously pumping her for juicy details.

  She’d have to give Midge something that would satisfy her insatiable appetite for information.

  “It sure has. Fortunately, they didn’t get any cash, just caused some damage in the reception area. I guess the alarm system scared them off. The sheriff’s department is working on it though.”

  “Yeah, right. Since when have they ever caught anybody?”

  “You sound like Marian. I’m talking with a deputy this afternoon. Maybe they’ll have a lead or something.”

  Gracie poured a thin stream of dressing onto the huge salad and started munching on the pile of greens. Just as she was washing it down with the lemonade, her cell phone sang, “Who Let the Dogs Out” in her bag. Midge took a couple of steps back to create personal space, but still close enough to get the details. It was Jim.

  “You’re kidding. How did it…?” Gracie felt her face drain of color. “I’ll be right there.”

  She flipped the phone shut. Gracie fumbled into her cavernous tote bag and found her wallet.

  “Midge, I’ve gotta go. Kennel emergency. This should cover it.” She handed Midge a $10 bill.

  “What’s the matter? Another robbery?” Midge snapped her gum, eyes shining with interest.

  Although she knew better, Gracie blurted out, “Beth was bitten. They called the squad.”

  “Is she OK? Where did she..?” Midge was cut off in mid-sentence. Gracie was already pushing the door open to the street. The remaining group at the counter began a low hum of conversation. Midge, disappointment showing in the slump of her shoulders, headed back to the kitchen. The fire hall siren began wailing for an ambulance call, and several men followed behind Gracie to answer the call.

  The SUV churned up loose gravel as she turned into the kennel’s long driveway. The wail of the ambulance siren grew louder behind her. Joe was standing outside the kennel entrance, nervously scanning the road above the kennel.

  “How is she? Is it bad?” Gracie’s words tumbled out.

  “Uh, I’m not sure. Jim and Marian are with her.” Joe’s face was pale, and he had to force his words out.

  Gracie dashed through the door and found all three in the kennel corridor near the end of the building. Beth was sobbing, and Marian was pressing a towel on the girl’s bloody thigh. Blood was slick on the floor beside them. She sat on a storage chest and bent over to examine the injury.

  “It’s going to be fine; the squad is here,” Marian crooned to Beth. It was the soothing voice she used with skittish dogs.

  “It hurts so bad. I can’t stand it.” Beth continued sobbing. Her face was ashen. Dogs were anxiously whining and yipping in the background.

  Two EMTs strode down the corridor, with Joe tagging along behind them. Gracie didn’t recognize either one; they must be new to the crew. They also looked pretty young, one with dark brown hair and the other with curly blond hair. They quickly put on gloves, and one retrieved a stethoscope and blood pressure cuff out of the kit. The blonde relieved Marian and continued to put pressure on B
eth’s leg.

  “What happened here?” the dark haired EMT asked.

  “I was just, justoh, it hurts. I’m going to bleed to death,” Beth howled.

  “She was taking two dogs to the play area, and I guess they decided to mix it up for some reason. Beth got nailed trying to get them apart.” Jim answered the EMT matter-of-factly over the din.

  Both of the EMTs nodded. The blonde carefully began to ease the pressure on her wound, and the blood gushed again. He quickly reapplied the pressure and pulled a large pressure bandage from the kit. Even though Gracie had been a vet tech and dairy farmer’s wife, she started to feel sick to her stomach and turned away. She gave Marian a lot of credit. She knelt at Beth’s side, holding her hand, and patting her shoulder.

  “Did anyone call her parents?” Gracie managed to get out.

  “Yes, and they’re on the way. They’re both at work, so they’ll probably get here in about 10 minutes or so.” Jim’s face was furrowed with worry.

  “Tell them to meet us at the hospital; we’re loading her up right now. We’ll need the shot records on those two dogs.”

  “Sure, no problem. I’ll get them now.” Gracie headed for the reception area, glad to have an excuse to get some breathing room.

  “What dogs”? She yelled to Jim.

  “Barney, the Bingels’ Boxer, and Smokey, the Smith’s Collie-mix.”

  Gracie quickly printed off the vaccination records and handed them to the dark-haired EMT.

  “There you go.”

  “Thanks.” He folded the papers and stuffed them in his shirt pocket.

  Beth’s leg was now wrapped securely, and the men packed up their equipment. Her sobbing had stopped, and she had become quiet, wiping her face and snuffling on her T-shirt.

  Emery Harwood was wheeling the gurney through the hallway. It was always a little unnerving to Gracie that the funeral home director was on the ambulance crew. It seemed like a conflict of interest.

  Beth’s parents were both pulling into the driveway as she was being loaded into the ambulance. They anxiously talked to the EMTs. Both were trying to be calm, but Gracie could see that Frank and Evie were far from it. The dark-haired EMT was shaking his head “no” to Evie. Gracie guessed that she wanted to ride along in the ambulance. Jim was already outside talking to them as the ambulance made a wide turn in the driveway.

  “Gracie, I’ll clean up this mess. Why don’t you see if Jim needs help with Beth’s family?” Marian spoke gently.

  “Uh, right. Yes, I’d better go see if we can do anything for them.” Gracie broke out of her self-induced fogginess. The blood on the floor and the ambulance had brought back memories she hoped to bury. She stopped by her office and found the bottle of Xanex in the top desk drawer. She quickly gulped down two pills with some cold coffee left in her mug and hurried outside.

  Chapter 13

  The four of them gathered in Gracie’s office to assess the day’s damage. Everybody had grabbed a can of Coke or a bottle of water and were all looking expectantly at Jim. He cleared his throat and adjusted his baseball cap.

  “OK, folks, let’s see where we stand.” Jim said wearily. “Marian, did you see how Beth got bitten?”

  “No. I found her when she started screaming. Barney and Smokey were running loose in corridor C, but they weren’t fighting. Barney cowered down when I called him.” Marian’s expression showed the day had taken a toll on her as well.

  “Joe, where were you when this all got started?”

  “I was hosing out runs in the other hallway, is it B?”

  “Yeah, it’s B, Joe. Did you see anything?”

  “No, I called 9-1-1 when Marian yelled to me. It all happened kinda fast.” Joe systematically cracked the knuckles on his left hand, flexing it when he reached the ring finger.

  “Sure is a heck of a way to start a new job, huh, Joe?” Jim’s attempt at humor fell flat.

  Gracie was scribbling notes on a yellow legal pad. “I’m going to need a boatload of detail for the insurance company. Beth has a nasty wound on her thigh.” She concentrated on pad of paper. “The insurance company is sure going to love us. This will probably put our rates through the roof.”

  Jim lifted his baseball cap and ran his fingers over his sweat-soaked hair.

  “I’ll go check on those two dogs, while you finish up getting the details from Marian and Joe.” He adjusted his hat and left the office without his customary whistling.

  Gracie finished getting the information necessary for the insurance claim from the two subdued employees and let them return to work. With just an hour to go before closing, Marian and Joe had a lot to do. She could hear Jim and Joe feeding dogs and Marian finishing up the last grooming. Gracie painfully made the call to Milky Way’s insurance agent.

  “I figured I’d be hearing from you,” Howard Stroud, the insurance agent, said brusquely.

  “Sorry it’s so soon again. How’d you know I’d be calling?”

  “I heard the call on my scanner, so I’ve been waiting for you to let me know what happened. You got all the information?”

  In her mind’s eye, Gracie could see Howard leaning back in his ancient squeaky swivel chair, one pudgy hand on a well-developed paunch, the other hand smoothing his careful comb-over. He’d be looking down through his reading glasses and chewing on a disheveled cigar. Howard had given up smoking, but not cigars. Gracie heard a crackle as he adjusted his headset. He wore a headset to answer the phone, since he’d decided that his secretary had become too expensive. His wife, Polly, who was his secretary, said Howard was just too cheap and had gone to work for the competition in Warsaw.

  “I’ve got a report from Marian Majewski and Joe Youngers, but not from Beth Simmons yet,” Gracie said. “I’m going to check with her parents a little later tonight to see when I can talk to her and get that form filled out.”

  “Is she OK?”

  “Not sure how’s she’s doing, but she seemed to be calming down and doing OK by the time the squad left. It’s not life-threatening, but the leg was bleeding pretty good. I’m hoping there’s no real damage.”

  “Well, get that stuff to me as soon as you can tomorrow. I’m headed out on vacation next week, so I’d like to get it moving before I go.”

  “I’ll be over as soon as I can in the morning. Thanks, Howard.”

  “See you in the a.m., kid.”

  Gracie sat with her head in her hands, wondering why she had ever thought a kennel business was a good idea. Apparently, the string of misery that had started with Michael’s death almost two years ago was continuing. She slammed her fist on the desk and mentally screamed at God to give her a break. This whole suffering thing was out of hand. Jim must think he’d gotten himself into the partnership from hell. The first three months had gone so well and now, everything was going wrong and headed down the toilet. They might as well forget trying to build the training barn and agility course next year. They’d be out of business by then. Gracie tried to stop her thoughts from careening down this angry road of depressing scenarios. She heard the bell jingle in the reception area and Marian’s voice calling for her to help with a dog pickup. Gracie took a deep breath and pasted a smile on her face before she reached the reception area.

  Gracie and Jim were in their usual places in the office, but there was no relaxing tonight. Jim sat on the edge of the recliner’s worn seat, and Gracie was tapping her foot on the base of the desk chair. Haley chewed methodically on a large rawhide in front of the desk. They had finished talking with Beth’s parents and the dogs’ owners about an hour ago. Everyone was trying to appear understanding and cooperative, but Gracie and Jim knew that could disappear as fast as kibble. Dog owners and parents were going to cover their backsides and wallets on this. Milky Way Kennels would take the fall before any of them would.

  “I still don’t understand why Beth took two dogs at the same time. She’s been told to take dogs one at a time to the play area.”

  “Well, from what Frank said
, Beth was trying to cover the phones, and keep playtimes on schedule. Marian was in the middle of clipping the Harwood’s poodle, so Beth thought she’d take as many as she could handle at once to the play area. She was actually trying to get one more out of a run at the time of the accident.”

  “Neither of those dogs is aggressive with people or other dogs, so I still don’t get it.” Gracie’s voice was edgy. “Beth must have done something to get it started.”

  “I don’t know what. She’s been pretty good about handling dogs the way we’ve trained her to. She made a greenhorn mistake. At least she’s doing all right and should go home tomorrow. She’ll have some pain for a while, but there’s no permanent damage.”

  “And the dogs are all right too. I guess we can thank the Lord for small favors on that one,” Gracie grudgingly gave in.

  “We’re going to have to do some damage control on the PR side of this, Chief.”

  “No kidding. Plus we need to find a good kennel helper since Beth won’t be coming back.”

  “I guess I don’t blame her on that one. She is just a kid, and she was a little afraid of the dogs anyways.” Jim eased back into the junky recliner, his jaw relaxing slightly.

  “We need to get someone with animal experience of some sort. I made a mistake on getting teenage help this summer.” Gracie was angry with herself. She prided herself on good hires, and both teenagers hadn’t lasted a month.