Within seconds of their being seated, a young waitress dressed in a black-and-white uniform appeared. “I’m Sally,” she said with an unmistakable Mississippi drawl and a smile as she handed each of them a menu. “And I’ll be your waitress.” Sally suddenly frowned at Benny. “Say, don’t I know you?” she asked. Without waiting for his answer, she said, “Aren’t you that guy who was in here with Marti Pate a few weeks ago?”
When Benny nodded, she grinned, and in an aside to Charlotte, she said, “Marti and I went to high school together. In fact, speaking of high school”—she turned to Benny—“I hope you can help me persuade Marti to come to our ten-year reunion this October. I mentioned it to her when y’all were here before, but she never gave me a definite answer. I think it would be a real hoot if she showed up.”
Though Charlotte simply nodded and smiled, her mind raced. Persuade was a good word. Maybe, just maybe, with the right kind of persuasion, Sally might prove to be a wealth of information about Angel’s background, especially if she thought she would be helping out the town celebrity.
Sally winked at Benny. “So, how is she?” she asked. “Working on some big movie, probably, huh?” She suddenly froze. “Hey, I’ve got an idea!” she exclaimed. “I need a date, so why don’t you come with her?”
After a moment of stunned hesitation, Benny said, “Thanks for asking, but a lot will depend on her schedule.”
“Well, next time you see her, be sure and say hello for me and try to talk her into coming. Everyone here in Oakdale is proud as punch of her success. Oh, and be sure and tell her that her secret is safe with us. Everyone here thinks it’s a hoot that all of those paparazzi types are chasing their tails trying to find out who she really is and where she’s from. It’s like a conspiracy-type thing, but a nice one. And best of all, the whole town’s in on it.”
Again Benny nodded. “I’ll tell her.”
Charlotte stared at Sally for several moments. Was it possible that no one in this little burg even knew about Angel’s arrest yet? She glanced over at Benny, but his expression confirmed her thoughts. He seemed as shocked as she was. A smile tugged at her lips. Or maybe he was just shocked that the waitress had asked him to be her date for the reunion.
Sally didn’t seem to notice, though. “Even if Marti can’t come, maybe you could.” She winked at Benny, then whipped out two smaller drink menus and handed one to each of them. “Now, what can I get you folks to drink? We have a nice selection of house wines.”
Charlotte shook her head and handed the smaller menu back. “Just unsweetened iced tea for me, please.”
Benny handed his back as well. “I’ll have the same.”
After Sally left to get their drinks, Benny leaned toward Charlotte and, careful to keep his voice low, said, “Can you believe that?”
“What? That the waitress would hit on you? Of course I can believe it.”
Benny grimaced. “No, not that. I meant, you know, about them not knowing. How is that even possible?”
Though Charlotte grinned, enjoying teasing him, she scanned the tables surrounding them and noticed that the couple at the next table seemed to be interested in what they were saying. She gave a slight nod of her head in their direction. “Maybe we should discuss that later,” she whispered. “When so many eyes aren’t watching and so many ears aren’t listening.”
Benny cut his eyes to the table next to them. “Yeah, I suppose so. I sure don’t want to be the one to tell them.”
But we will have to at some point, Charlotte thought, as she looked over the menu. If, as Sally had indicated, the whole town were helping keep Angel’s secret of her origin, surely they would want to help her out in her time of trouble?
When Charlotte spied the Panne’ Chicken on the menu, she closed it and placed it beside her plate. Panne’ Chicken, if it was cooked right, was one of her favorite entrées.
Evidently, having also chosen what he wanted to eat, Benny closed his menu and placed it on the table. “According to my friend, this place has been here for ages,” he said.
Friend? Oh, for pity’s sake, she thought, with a quick glance at the nosy couple. Now they were reduced to using code words.
Don’t be so testy.
Yeah, well, people should mind their own business.
You’re one to talk about minding your own business.
“In fact,” Benny continued, interrupting her silent argument, “she was a waitress here for about a year before she took off for California.”
Though Benny had already told her that Angel had worked as a hostess in a restaurant in California before she made it big, it still stunned her a bit trying to imagine the spoiled brat that she’d met a few days earlier waiting on tables here in her hometown. From preacher’s kid to waiting on tables, to hostess, to having a full-time chauffeur and personal chef was quite a step up in the world.
While soft classical music, punctuated with the occasional laughter and the clink of dishes, drifted in the air, Charlotte glanced around, trying to picture Angel in the midst of the local patrons. Most of the restaurant’s customers were dressed in what Charlotte liked to call their Sunday go-to-a-meeting clothes. And since it was Sunday, she figured that the majority of them had probably come straight from church services.
Nope, she couldn’t do it. Though the restaurant was nice enough by most people’s standards, Charlotte simply couldn’t imagine Angel even eating there, and found it impossible to imagine her waiting tables.
Once Sally brought their lunch, Charlotte and Benny, by mutual silent agreement because of the nosy couple nearby, stopped talking and concentrated on eating.
“That was delicious,” Charlotte said as she folded her napkin and placed it on the table.
“Yeah, my steak wasn’t half bad.”
Both declined a dessert and coffee. After Benny paid the check and left a generous tip for Sally, they headed back toward the motel.
Outside, the sky had grown overcast, and as they walked slowly back to the motel, Benny said, “Looks like it might rain.”
“Maybe not,” Charlotte offered. “So, where to now?”
“I think a good place to start asking questions might be Angel’s mother.”
Charlotte nodded. “I agree.”
“There’s something you need to know, though,” he said. “Laura, Angel’s mother, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s about a year ago. Sometimes she’s almost normal, but other times, she’s—” He shrugged.
“I understand,” Charlotte told him. “That’s a terrible disease.”
“Yeah, Angel was all broken up about it when she first found out, and it was even worse when she had to put her mom in the nursing home.”
“If this happens to be one of her bad days, don’t forget that our waitress Sally could be helpful.”
“I don’t know,” he said. “After what she said about the entire town keeping Angel’s secret—”
“I think she could be persuaded, especially if she knew the circumstances.”
“Maybe, but why don’t we use her as a last resort? I still can’t believe that no one here knows what’s going on. It’s almost like stepping into a whole different world, one where no one knows what’s happening in the real world.”
Charlotte laughed. “I’ve got news for you. This is the real world.” Like her, Benny had always lived in a big city and had no idea how insular or protective a small town could be, especially toward one of its own. Though it was hard to believe in this modern age, not everyone had access to cable television, and those that tuned into the news on the local channels mostly watched the weather segment. “Small towns, you gotta love ’em.”
“Still hard to believe,” Benny said as they approached the motel. “The limo is over there.” He motioned toward the spot where he’d parked the car.
“I’m wondering,” Charlotte said. “Do you think we’ll have any problems getting in to see Angel’s mother? Some places have an approved visitors’ list. Unless you’re on that list, you don�
��t get in.”
Benny shook his head. “I don’t think that will be a problem. Besides, I don’t remember anyone checking when I was here before with Angel. We just walked right in. Also, being that it’s Sunday and most people visit on the weekends anyway, it should be easier today.”
By the time they drove to Oakdale Nursing and Care Center, the sky had grown even darker, and a breeze had kicked up.
“It sure is a lovely place,” Charlotte offered as Benny parked the limo.
The center was located just on the edge of town and surrounded by huge draping oak trees. The outside of the facility looked to be well maintained and had a beautiful garden off to one side overflowing with flowers in full bloom. Nestled between the beds of flowers were wooden benches where the patients could sit and enjoy the view.
Inside the facility, Charlotte noted that the floors were spotless as she walked alongside Benny. Another thing that she noticed was the lack of the heavy cleaner odor that she’d found in other facilities she had visited; instead, the air had a fresh, clean scent.
Since Benny had been there before and seemed to know his way around, Charlotte let him take the lead through the maze of hallways.
Another plus for the center, as far as she was concerned, were the nurses and the patients. All of the nurses that they passed in the hallway had welcoming smiles on their faces, and the patients they encountered looked neat and well groomed. Some even looked happy.
Of course, as Benny had pointed out earlier, today was one of the prime visiting days, so it stood to reason that the patients would be happy about that. As for the staff, it just made sense that they would want to present a good face for all of the visitors.
For Pete’s sake, stop being such a cynic. Maybe for once things are exactly as they seem. Maybe the staff and the patients are contented.
Charlotte winced and felt duly chastised by her conscience. While she didn’t always agree with the little voice of reason in her head, this time she did. She was becoming a cynic, and she needed to stop it. “Do right and you’ll feel right,” she’d once heard her pastor say during his sermon. It was a lesson on positive thinking and action that she certainly needed to work on.
“Her room is that one.” Benny interrupted her thoughts, pointing to a door that was standing wide open. After a brief knock he stepped into the doorway. “Mrs. Pate, may we come in?”
Laura Pate didn’t answer right away, but Benny stepped just inside the room anyway, and Charlotte followed. Once again, Charlotte was impressed with the cleanliness and neatness of the place. No dust on any of the surfaces that she could see, and the floors appeared to be dust and dirt free as well. But it was the middle-aged woman resting in the bed who drew her attention.
Even if she hadn’t known that Laura Pate was Angel’s mother, she would have recognized her immediately. Except for the obvious age difference, her hairstyle, and the blank look in her eyes, Mrs. Pate was simply an older version of her daughter.
Laura Pate suddenly frowned. “Do I know you, young man?”
“I’m Benny, ma’am.” He stepped closer to the bed. “Benny Jackson—Marti’s chauffeur.”
Without acknowledging Benny, Angel’s mother turned her gaze to Charlotte and frowned. “You’re not Marti.”
Charlotte shook her head. “No, ma’am, I’m not, but I’m a friend of your daughter. My name is Charlotte LaRue.”
Laura Pate turned her gaze back to Benny. “Where’s Marti?”
Benny smiled and gently patted Laura Pate’s hand. “Marti couldn’t come this time, so she asked me and Miss Charlotte to come instead. But she will come again next time.”
Charlotte thought for a moment that Laura was going to say more, but she closed her eyes instead. “She does that,” Benny explained to Charlotte. “But she usually opens them within a few moments.”
Sure enough, only a minute or so later, Laura opened her eyes again. “Who are you people? Why are you in my room?” She suddenly frowned. “Where am I? Do you know where I am?” she asked, turning her gaze to Charlotte.
“Yes, ma’am,” Charlotte answered softly. “You have some medical problems and you’re in the Oakdale Nursing and Care Center.”
Laura’s frown deepened. “Am I ill? I don’t remember being ill.” Tears welled in her eyes. “Where’s Marti? I want to go home.” Then, louder, “I want to go home.”
At that moment, a young nurse entered the room. Noting Laura’s distress, she hurried over to the bed. “Now, now, Mrs. Pate. You’re okay, sweetheart.” She smoothed Laura’s hair back, then blotted the tears from her cheeks with a tissue. “It’s Dawn, sweetie.”
“Dawn?” Laura asked, her face an effigy of confusion.
“Yes, ma’am, Dawn Sanders, your nurse. Remember? Marti hired me personally to take care of you while you’re here. Just relax now. That’s right, just close your eyes and relax.”
After a moment, Laura’s breathing evened out, and only then did Dawn turn to Benny and Charlotte. “I don’t recall seeing you here before. Are you family?”
Benny and Charlotte both shook their heads. “Friends of the family,” Benny explained. “Friends of her daughter, Angel—I mean Marti,” he added.
Dawn nodded that she understood. “She’s resting now, so you should probably leave.”
Benny glanced down at Laura, then back to the nurse. “Would it be okay if we come back later this evening?”
“Tomorrow would be better,” Dawn told him. “But even then there’s no guarantee that she’ll be any better, or even remember that you visited today.”
“We understand,” Charlotte said. “And thank you for taking such good care of her.”
The nurse shrugged. “It’s my job, and it’s a privilege. Mrs. Pate is a really nice lady.” The nurse managed a tremulous smile, but her eyes held a wealth of sadness. “Up until I got to the fifth grade, she was my Sunday school teacher. It was because of her influence on my life that I became a Christian and later became a nurse.”
Though it was still overcast outside, the rain had held off when they emerged from the nursing home. Benny was suspiciously stoic and silent during the short drive back to the motel, and Charlotte’s throat was too tight with emotion to speak. Even if she could say something, she feared that she might burst into tears at any moment. She’d been around seriously ill patients before and had felt deep sympathy for them, but for some reason that she couldn’t explain, Laura Pate’s predicament seemed somehow different, seemed much, much worse.
Complete loss of control, she decided. At times the poor woman didn’t even know where she was. Charlotte couldn’t begin to imagine what that would be like, how frightening that would be. One rare minute Laura could remember who she was and where she was, and the next, nothing, an entire lifetime wiped out. Even sadder, there was no hope that she would ever get better, only a lot worse.
Then another thought hit her and she swallowed hard and blinked back tears. If Angel was railroaded into a murder conviction, then who would there be to look after Laura? Benny hadn’t mentioned Angel having any siblings or other relatives.
Charlotte glanced at Benny. “What will happen to Laura if Angel is convicted of murder? Does Laura have other relatives?”
Benny’s lips tightened into a thin line and he shook his head no. For a moment Charlotte didn’t think he was going to say anything; then he cleared his throat and said, “After Angel’s father died, him being a preacher and all, there was no retirement money or savings to speak of. The only income they had was a hundred-thousand-dollar life insurance policy and a small monthly check from Social Security.
“One of the first things Angel did after she made her first big-hit movie was set aside enough funds to make sure that her mother was taken care of for the rest of her life. One of the deacons who served under her father in their church is also an attorney, and Angel gave him power of attorney if something should happen to her.”
Once Benny parked the limo, they headed, by silent, mutual consent, for
their rooms. When they reached Charlotte’s room, she turned to face him. “So, what do you think? Should we try again tomorrow?”
Benny cleared his throat and sighed deeply. “I think we should try at least once more. If not for Angel’s sake, for her mother’s sake.”
Charlotte nodded. “I agree. Now, if you don’t mind I think I’ll rest a bit before supper. And speaking of supper, since we had such a big lunch, I’d be perfectly satisfied with just a hamburger or a salad.”
Benny nodded. “Sounds good to me.” He glanced at his wristwatch. “What say we meet in the parking lot about six?”
“Great. See you then,” she told him over her shoulder as she unlocked the door to her room and went inside. After she made sure the door locked again, she kicked off her shoes, then stretched out on the bed. Just as she closed her eyes, she heard the ring tone of her cell phone.”
“Oh, for pity’s sake,” she groaned as she rolled into a sitting position and scooted off the bed. “Live and learn,” she muttered, hurrying to where she’d left her purse across the room. Next time she’d make sure she put the silly phone next to the bed instead.
She dug the phone out of her purse and flipped it open. “Hello?”
“Hey, Charlotte.”
Louis. Just hearing his voice did funny things to her insides, and for a second she was too stunned to respond. Why on earth was Louis calling her?
Chapter 10
There was only one way to find out. Clearing her throat and taking a deep breath, Charlotte said, “Hey, yourself. Is anything wrong?”
“Humph! I was about to ask you the same question. I’ve been calling your house off and on most of the afternoon. I know you usually go to church Sunday mornings, and I figured you probably ate lunch at your sister’s.”
“Why didn’t you just call my cell phone when you didn’t get an answer at home?”
She heard his deep sigh. “If I remember right, you normally don’t even turn it on, not on Sundays.”
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