“I see.”
“Connor,” he started then paused.
“Yes, Dad?”
“I don’t know why you did it, but I think you made the right decision hiring the Lynch woman. I think she’s going to be just what this office needs.”
Connor smiled a crooked, almost cynical smile. “I sure hope so.”
* * * *
Lita wasn’t home when Nicole arrived. The garage door was open and Lita’s Cadillac was gone. Nicole figured she’d either gone shopping or on an outing with friends. She went to her room and changed into jeans and a T-shirt, then headed to the kitchen. She made herself a cheese sandwich and drank a glass of milk. It was good though she did dribble some milk down the front of her shirt. She grabbed a paper towel and cleaned herself up.
She was crossing the hall when she heard footsteps on the porch. She stopped and waited for the bell to ring. It didn’t, so she went to the front door and peeped out. There was no one there. This puzzled her. She was tempted to open the door, but didn’t. In a minute, she heard the steps again. This time they seemed to be coming from the side porch.
She eased into the living room and gently pulled back the side of the green velvet drape. Sure enough, she saw the profile of a young man. He was doing something to the side of the house.
As quietly as she could, she went to the front door and opened it. She eased out and almost tiptoed to the corner of the side porch. She peeped around the edge and saw the young man busy with a paintbrush. For a moment she wasn’t sure what to do, but she felt she had to confront him.
“May I ask what you’re doing?” She tried to keep her voice steady as she asked the question.
Startled, he dropped the brush and stared at her.
She repeated her question.
“Just painting the flowers,” he stammered.
“What flowers?”
He pointed to the edge of the house near the porch. “She told me to paint sunflowers.”
Nicole walked to where he pointed and looked. Sure enough, there was the beginning of a neat row of sunflowers painted on the edge of the siding. “Who told you to paint these?”
“My art teacher. She said someone had contracted the art department to have sunflowers painted on the house. She gave me fifty bucks and said she’d give me another fifty when the job was done.”
Somehow she knew Lita had no idea someone was painting flowers of any kind on her home. “I don’t want any more painting on this house,” she said. “In fact, I want what you’ve already done cleaned off. Do you have the materials to do it?”
“Yes but...”
“Then start cleaning.”
“What about my other fifty dollars?”
“You give me your teacher’s name and I’ll see what’s going on. In the meantime, get this off the house before it dries.”
While he removed his artwork, she went back into the house and made a call to his teacher. The art teacher told her a woman had called and asked her to send her best art student to paint sunflowers on the house.
“She told me to give the student fifty dollars to start with and another fifty when the job was done. She sent me the money in the mail. There was no name, no return address, just two fifty dollar bills wrapped in a piece of white paper and mailed in a business size envelope.”
“You can give him the extra fifty if you like, but we don’t want sunflowers or anything else painted on our house.”
“I’m really sorry if we made a mistake.”
“It wasn’t your mistake. It was just a joke which got out of hand.” Nicole hoped this was a true statement.
Chapter 6
On Thursday evening, Lita and Nicole finished dinner and settled down in the living room for their usual game of gin when the doorbell rang.
“I’ll get it,” Nicole said. “You go ahead and deal the cards.”
She opened the door to Dora Hildebrand. “Good evening, Nicole.”
“Hello, Mrs. Hildebrand. Please come in.”
“Thank you.” She stepped inside. “At our bridge game last night Lita told me to drop by anytime. I decided to walk up here tonight and see if you ladies would invite me in for coffee.”
“Of course we will.” Nicole ushered her to the living room. “Lita, look who’s here.”
“Come in Dora. Please have a seat.”
“Thanks,” she said and sat on the sofa. “I was feeling a bit lonely and thought I’d come have coffee with you.”
“I’ll go put on a fresh pot.”
“Let me do it, Nicole.” Lita stood. “I know how Dora likes it. You have to add a little extra water for her.”
“Thanks, Lita. That will give me a chance to get to know Nicole a little better.”
Nicole sat down beside Dora. “Let’s begin our conversation with me giving you a message from Martin Cottingham. He told me to give you his regard whenever I saw you again.”
“That was sweet of him.” She adjusted her sitting position so she could look more directly at the younger woman. “The Cottinghams are wonderful people. How do you like working with them?”
“I like it very much. Everyone is very nice to me.”
“And how do you like living here with Lita?”
“Oh, she’s wonderful. She makes me feel so welcome. It’s almost as if I’ve come home.”
“Lita told me you were mugged when you arrived in Macon. I bet that shook you up.” Dora brushed imaginary lint off her black slacks.
“Yes, it really did.” She wondered if that was all Lita had told her.
“I understand since you came to live with her, she’s had some unusual things happen.”
“I don’t understand what you mean.” Nicole wondered if she was referring to the calls and the unwanted snake.
“She said at bridge someone was bothering her. It seems to have all started when you moved in.”
“Dora, are you accusing Nicole of something?” Lita came back into the room.
The two woman on the sofa looked around at her.
“No. I’m just stating a fact. Your problems did start when you took Nicole in as a boarder, didn’t they?”
“I wouldn’t say they started when Nicole came. I would say they escalated.”
“What do you mean by that?” Dora demanded.
“I’d been getting some threatening and obscene calls before she came. The caller said I was going to be surprised with something I wouldn’t like. I assume it was the snake.” Lita took a seat. “Besides, if Nicole hadn’t been here, I don’t know what would have happened.”
Nicole stood. “Maybe you’d like to talk to Lita when I’m not in the room.” She looked directly at Dora Hildebrand.
“Sit down, Nicole,” Lita said quietly. “Anything Dora has to say can be said with you here.”
“Please, I don’t want to cause trouble,” Dora said. “I’m just concerned about you, Lita. We’ve been friends too many years for me not to want to protect you.”
“I know. And I feel the same way about you, Dora. I just want you to know I have full confidence in Nicole. She has been honest with me from the start.”
Dora bit her lip and turned back to Nicole. “I’m sorry. Please forgive me and please understand why I was concerned for my friend.”
“Now let me get the coffee.” Lita left the room.
“Don’t worry Mrs. Hildebrand. I understand why you want to protect Lita.” She took a breath. “As a matter of fact, something happened yesterday afternoon and I didn’t tell Lita about it because I knew it would upset her.”
Dora looked sharply at her. “What?”
Nicole told her about the art student painting sunflowers.
“And you made him clean them off?”
“Yes. Something told me Lita wouldn’t want them on her house.”
“You’re certainly right about that. She hates sunflowers almost as much as she hates snakes.”
“That’s strange.”
“Yes, but we all have our hang ups you kno
w. It seems Lita was lost in a sunflower field when she was a child and she considers them monsters.”
“Oh, that’s terrible. So somebody had to know about her fear to request they be painted on the house.”
“You’re right about that.” Dora shook her head and changed the subject. “I understand you’re from Atlanta.”
Nicole wanted to ask how in the world she heard that, but she didn’t dare. Maybe she was from Atlanta. She didn’t want to confirm it in any way. “How did you hear?”
Before Dora could answer, Lita came back with the coffee and a plate of meringue cookies.
They were settled with their treats when Lita asked, “Did I tell you Nicole called the company the snake woman worked for and they told her Stella Defaiso had hired the snake charmer?”
“But how could that be?”
“I know I got the name right because I had her spell it for me.” Nicole bit into a cookie.
“Lita, I think you should call the police,” Dora said. “This could get out of hand.”
“Don’t be silly, Dora.” Lita shook her head. “I’d feel ridiculous calling the police in.”
“Maybe Mrs. Hildebrand’s right, Lita. Frightening someone the way the snake charmer did must be against the law.” Nicole also wanted Lita protected, but she knew if the police were called she’d make herself scarce. She didn’t want anyone prying into her unremembered past until she could figure out who she was and where she came from. Though she didn’t think so, she could be an escaped felon who they would recognize on sight.
“Let’s call them now,” Dora said.
“No,” Lita said sharply. “I said I don’t want to get them involved. Besides the woman was only doing what she was hired to do. Maybe we can figure this out ourselves. After all, we’re three intelligent women. We should be able to come up with some answers without involving the police.”
“Okay. We’ll give it a try.” Dora reached for another cookie. “These things do melt in your mouth, don’t they?”
Nicole smiled and nodded. “I know it may be hard, Lita, but can you think of anyone in the past or present you’ve made mad or hurt, or someone who thinks they need to get even with you for something?”
“I’ve thought and thought about that. There’s only one or two things I can think of, but neither of them are bad enough for someone to want to get revenge on me.” She took a deep breath and went on. “Carole, my daughter, was involved with a young man several years ago, and we didn’t think he was the right person for her. Her father and I intervened and sent her off to Europe for a while. As we thought it would, the romance ended, though he did try to resume it when she came back. She wasn’t interested and they went their separate ways. That was many years ago and from what I’ve heard, he’s a happily married man today.”
“That doesn’t sound like much of a reason to go after someone.” Again Dora reached for a cookie. “What else?”
“Well, before Sal died there was a patient of his who thought she had fallen in love with him. Worse still, she thought he was interested in her. She began to send him notes and cards, and would show up at the office at different times with all kinds of pretend illnesses. When he asked her not to bother him anymore she called me and threatened to kill herself if I didn’t let him go. She blamed me with the whole thing.”
“Now that sounds like something we could explore.” Dora nodded her head.
“I think so, too.” Nicole put her cup on the coffee table. “Do you have any idea where she is today?”
“Not a clue. Do you happen to remember, Dora?”
When Dora shook her head, Lita laughed at Nicole’s puzzled expression. “I guess we didn’t tell you Dora was Sal’s nurse when she first moved here.”
“No, I didn’t know.”
“She was the best he ever had. Too bad Don Hildebrand came in one day to pick Sal up for a golf game. After that, it wasn’t long until Sal lost his nurse.” Lita laughed. “Though we were already friends, it was when they moved down the street that I gained a wonderful neighbor.”
Dora nodded. “Lita and I have been more like sisters than friends. Don and Sal were buddies too.”
Lita looked wishful. “I remember all those wonderful vacations we took together and the many things we shared.”
“I bet your children were close too.”
“Not really,” Dora said. “Lita and Sal already had their family when I met them. Her children are older than mine so they never had much in common.” She smiled at Lita. “We’re getting off the subject.”
“You’re right. Back to the problem of who could be harassing me. I guess I could go through some of Sal’s old files. I might find something there.”
“I’ll help you,” Nicole said.
“The files are all stored in the attic. Maybe we’ll drag them out in a couple of weeks. I’m busy with the church bazaar this weekend.”
“I’ll help too. Maybe I could shed some light on some of the older ones.” Dora sat her cup down. “Well, I feel the three of us have accomplished something tonight. We’ll keep working on it and get to the bottom of this together.”
Lita smiled. “Thanks, Dora. I’m glad you care.”
“Of course, I care. Like I said before, we’ve been friends too long not to care.”
“Well, now that’s settled. Nicole and I were about to play a game of gin. How about joining us, Dora? If I recall correctly, you’re a great gin player.”
“Why not? I’m in the mood to beat both of you.”
She did beat them both and when they called the game over at nine-thirty, Nicole owed her two dollars and twenty-eight cents. Lita owed her a dollar and eighty-seven cents. She refused to take the money, but suggested they play again the following week. They all agreed.
“It has been lovely,” Dora said at the front door. “And, Nicole, I’m sorry if I was rude to you earlier. I can see now you and Lita are meant to be in the same house. I just wish I could have a boarder like you.”
“Thank you Mrs. Hildebrand. I’m sure you’d be a great landlord too.” Nicole added, “Please wait a minute. I’ll be right back.” She ran up the stairs.
In only seconds Nicole came back down the steps, putting on her green jacket.
“Now, where are you going?” Lita looked at her.
“I’m going to walk Mrs. Hildebrand home. I don’t want her alone on the street this late at night.”
“That’s sweet of you, Nicole, but I’ll be fine.”
“You probably will, but I’ll feel better if I can walk you to your door.”
“You’re right, Lita. She’s a special girl.” She smiled at Nicole. “I bet you somehow knew I get skittish when I’m out alone at night.”
It took only a few minutes to get to Dora’s house. Nicole waited on the porch until Dora was inside and had the light on. She then went down the steps and across the yard. Moving toward the side of the house she heard a rustling noise in the shrubbery. She paused. Her heart beat a little faster. The rustling moved from the side of the house to the camellia bushes on the corner. She was about to call out when a fat yellow cat came ambling from under the low branches.
“You rascal,” she said aloud. “You scared the bejeebers out of me.” She reached down and scratched his head. He purred, rubbed under her hand then went running toward the house next door. Nicole pulled her jacket tighter across her chest and hurried up the street.
Chapter 7
Clouds darkened the sky as Nicole walked to work the next morning. She was a little surprised Dora wasn’t working in her flowers. She decided the woman must be waiting for the sun to break through. Nicole was also waiting for the sun because as of yet she didn’t own an umbrella. She hoped it didn’t decide to rain today.
The office was busy from the moment she opened the door. Since it was nearing the end of the month, several people came in to pay their insurance. Noon was approaching when she finally met the third Cottingham. Paul was just as friendly and as open as his brother, but th
ey looked nothing alike. Paul was a little shorter, had lighter hair, and a receding hairline. As she sat at her desk and thought about him, she realized he was what her grandmother would call pleasingly plump.
Her mind jerked to a stop. She had thought of a grandmother. Why? Is my mind finally letting a bit of my past inside? What was my grandmother like and why did I think of her? Did I really think of a real person or did I just conjure her up to use the cliché?
Nothing else focused in her mind and she was pulled back to reality by the phone. She answered it and was greeted with, “Hello, Nicole. It’s Dora Hildebrand. I’m sorry I missed you this morning. I had to run an errand first thing and didn’t get back in time to speak to you.”
“I’m glad you called. I wondered why you weren’t out.”
“It is unusual for me not to be. I water my flowers everyday it doesn’t rain.”
“That’s why your yard is so lovely.”
“Thank you, dear.” She changed the subject. “I need to change something on my insurance policy. Could I please speak to Martin?”
“He isn’t here right now. Could I give him a message, or could Paul help you?”
“Just have Martin call me. It’s not urgent.”
“Then I’ll give him the message.”
“Thank you, Nicole. Unless it rains I’ll see you in the morning.”
“I’ll look forward to it.”
At lunch, she walked home. Lita wasn’t there but she had left a note saying there was a bowl of chicken salad and some fresh leaf lettuce in the refrigerator. Nicole made a sandwich and poured herself a glass of tea. She noted that as soon as she got her first check she was going grocery shopping to restock some of the food she’d consumed in the short time she’d been here.
When she finished eating, she opened the refrigerator to replace the chicken salad and accidentally hit the carton of orange juice. It tumbled toward her and she caught it with her free hand. She prevented it falling to the floor, but she didn’t prevent a good portion from spilling down the front of her red and green sweater and her red skirt. Some also hit the floor.
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