“You’re kidding. Who is it?”
A few years back, I knew every person in town but now those people have grown children and grandchildren. Then when one of the daughters marries someone from the city and a new name emerges, I forget who belongs to whom.
Besides, the younger generation has no interest in my store. I doubt they even get their groceries at Macy’s Groceries down the street anymore. They would rather travel to the city to Costco or Sam’s Club. Not that I blame people for not going into Macy’s grocery store. Old lady Macy sits by the door and yells at everyone. She yells because she’s stone deaf but not everyone realizes that.
Nathan suddenly looked flushed and instead of looking at me when he spoke, he concentrated on the rain hitting the windowpane.
“It’s that Patterson woman.” He turned to me. “You know which one I mean.”
I stared at him. All of a sudden in a day or two, the name Patterson was becoming a household name? This was very strange.
“You mean Carly?”
He nodded and turned a bit more flushed.
“Nathan, why would anyone hire a woman who doesn’t know anything about working in a hospital? I don't get it.”
He shook his head. “Neither does anyone else.”
“Well, has no one even questioned it?”
“Of course they have but it seems to be some kind of big secret. There was a board meeting at the hospital about a week ago and suddenly Carly Patterson was in charge of the records department.”
“Does she know anything about keeping records or hospital procedure?”
He shook his head. “She doesn’t even know how to type. The only thing Shayla says she’s good at is being on the Internet all day and telling people to bring her coffee.”
There was something very strange about this whole thing. Why would they hire someone who was obviously unqualified and the town prostitute? Or, I should say, allegedly, the town prostitute. You can’t really accuse someone of something unless you have solid proof. I had none on what Carly Patterson did in her spare time.
“Are there any new members on the hospital committee? As far as I know they’re all solid citizens and would never do anything that might jeopardize the health of anyone in Parson’s Cove.”
“I don't know, Mabel. I never really paid much attention before.” His eyes suddenly lit up. “You don’t think there might be a mystery here, do you?”
I laughed. “You mean a mystery of stupidity? Maybe. When a dead body shows up, then you and I will have a mystery to solve.”
His eyes twinkled. “Ha! I thought you were finished with solving murders, Mabel.”
I grinned back. “You’re right. For a moment there, I forgot. I’m retired from sleuthing and am now concentrating on putting my inventory on my computer. Let’s get to work, Nathan Horne.”
It was twelve-thirty by the time we finished, and I had a vague idea of how to look after the spreadsheet that Nathan had created for me. It looked almost too easy.
The rain had let up but it was still a gloomy day. Nathan opened the door to leave and when he turned to say good-bye, I said, “See if you can get more information from Shayla about the hospital situation. The whole thing doesn’t seem to smell right to me.”
Whenever I ask Nathan to do anything mildly resembling detective work, he perks up.
Nathan's father died several years ago and instead of going off to university or going to the city to find employment, he stayed to work at the post office and look after his mother. He’s actually a very handsome lad and I was sure if this romance with Shayla panned out, she’d soon see to it that he replaced his glasses with ones a bit more suitable. Of course, I’m sure she was looking past the glasses and seeing only his dark brown eyes and that little bit of unruly black hair that always dropped over his forehead. And his pearly white teeth, which he was showing right now.
“Sure, I will, Mabel. Anything in particular? Like do some background checks?”
“You do whatever you think is wise. I don’t really think we need any background checks but let me know who’s on the committee at the hospital now and if you have nothing better to do…” I shrugged… “maybe see what you can find on Carly and Robert Joseph Campbell.”
He looked puzzled. “Robert Joseph Campbell?”
“The new doctor.”
“Oh, that Campbell. Well, Mother says his family came from around here. They lived not far from the Pattersons.”
“That I know, Nathan. I mean, see what Dr. Campbell’s been up to for the past few years.” I winked. “You know what I mean?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He clapped his feet together, saluted, and was gone.
I know I should mind my own business. Maybe Flori was right - when I stopped sleuthing, there were no murders. Old habits die hard. Some folks do too.
Chapter Four
Monday seemed more like a Sunday to me because everything in Parson’s Cove closes on Monday too, except for a shopping mall along the highway on the way to the city. It was obviously the younger generation who wanted that open. I’ve been there a few times but it’s much easier for me to pick up a few things at Macy’s than risk my life driving on the freeway. I really don’t mind ending up with a sore throat from trying to converse with Mrs. Macy. The problem is that her son can’t find a home for her and he can’t leave her alone. She absolutely refuses to go into the Parson’s Cove Restful Retreat Nursing Home only four blocks away from her house.
The sun was out but there was a brisk wind. All four cats stood at the door crying to go outside. Of course, they do that when it’s thirty below too. They’re about as cognizant of the weather as the woman on the weather channel is. I quickly opened the door; they shot out and I shut it so they wouldn’t blow back inside again. It didn’t take them long to scuttle off into the bushes for protection. I stood at my kitchen window, watching them and chuckling. Funny how you can become attached to cats. It has to be that way because I still don’t believe cats ever attach themselves to you. Well, they might momentarily until something better comes along.
Monday was my cleaning and baking day. I noticed my freezer was getting low on muffins so I took all my baking ingredients, pans, and bowls out. I always make a huge pot of coffee before I start. This is because I like sipping as I work but if I get too engrossed in it, the coffee gets cold and then I have to pour it out and refill my cup. I pretty much go through the whole pot but probably drink about a cup. Flori phoned at eleven. I was on my third batch by then.
“Mabel, did you hear the latest?”
“Probably not,” I said, as I took a drink of tepid coffee. “I don’t seem to hear too much about what’s going on in Parson’s Cove. My best friend doesn’t tell me anything anymore.”
“Oh, Mabel, you have to get over that. I know you’re really not upset.” There was a brief silence. “You aren’t, are you?”
“You know I’m not. I’m just pulling your chain. What’s the latest?”
“Remember I told you that Merlin’s nephew is now a doctor? Well, guess what? Carly Patterson is working at the hospital. Can you believe it? Don't you think that’s disgraceful?”
“I did hear that, Flori, but ‘disgraceful’ is a pretty harsh word. Maybe we should use the word ‘questionable’ instead? Wouldn’t that be more appropriate?”
“What do you mean, you already heard? You said you hadn’t heard anything.”
“Well, I didn’t really know what you were going to tell me, Flori. I did happen to hear about Carly yesterday though.”
“Who told you?”
“Nathan Horne told me. Shayla works in the same department in filing.”
I heard a gasp. Flori’s mind was working overtime.
“Flori,” I said. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure when or if they find she isn’t suitable someone will fire her or move her to a different area.”
“Humph... I doubt there’s any job in the hospital that calls for her line of work.”
“Are you sure she is what you
say she is, Flori? It would be terrible if we were wrong about it. People’s lives have been ruined by rumors like that.”
There was a brief pause and then a soft sigh. “I don’t think the whole town could get this wrong. It’s not like we’re a big city, Mabel.”
“The whole town? That can’t be because I didn’t know it. I know you said it’s because I don’t have kids but, Flori, I know mostly everything that goes on, and I’ve never heard a word about Carly being what you say she is.”
“We’ll just wait and see. Janet isn’t usually wrong when it comes to gossip.”
“Well, we won’t go into the meaning of the word, ‘gossip.’ However, on another note, Flori, when does Dr. Campbell start practicing and when do they move into Krueger’s old house?”
I turned and walked over to the window. The old house behind mine looked very empty. I did notice that someone from the real estate office had attempted to mow the grass a week or so before. Now the grass was low and the weeds were high. It would be good if someone lived there on a long-term basis because it didn’t take long to look rundown.
It usually stands empty most of the winter unless some of the city anglers want to stay for a few days at a time to do some ice fishing. In the summer, Shirley (who runs the real-estate office) books it for every week. Sometimes families will rent it for a week or more at a time. It’s the only rental property in town within walking distance of the beach. (We like to call it a beach but it’s actually a patch of rough sand behind the carwash.)
Personally, I prefer the noisy kids to a bunch of old fishermen sitting around the fire pit guzzling beer and loudly cussing into the wee hours of the morning.
This was the Krueger’s old house and we still refer to it as that. They were our neighbors for many years. My father and Mr. Krueger were friends. Or, at least, they were when they weren’t jealous over each other’s tomato plants.
On the other hand, my mother and Mrs. Krueger were never friends. But then, my mother never had any friends. She always gave the impression that she was too good for everyone. That’s not the way to make friends in a small town. Now all of them were gone and Krueger’s daughter, who moved to England, rents it out. Maybe she thinks she’ll return someday; otherwise, I’m sure she would sell it. The longer she waits, the less money she’ll get for it because it will be falling apart.
“I think he’s staying at the hotel when he’s in town but moving in at the end of the month and his mother is coming after they sell the farm. By the way, did you know that Robert is the only one of them who has any education at all?”
“No, I can’t say I knew that, Flori. So, they’ll be moving into Krueger’s house soon then.”
“Jake says it’ll be a while before his mother moves because the farm isn’t worth much. All the land around the lake is thick scrub brush. Not too good for anything. Hardly even good for cattle.”
“No wonder Mr. Patterson makes moonshine.”
“Well, you don’t have to do illegal things, Mabel. The Campbells were very poor too but they didn’t break the law. Jake said Mr. Campbell farmed and fixed neighbors’ vehicles to keep food on the table. That is until he had the accident. Remember that, Mabel?”
I shook my head. “Maybe if you describe it to me I might.”
“He got his leg caught in some farm machinery. Remember?” Without waiting for an answer, she continued, “That was the year they almost lost the farm because they couldn’t pay the taxes. The hospital bills were so high.”
She stopped talking.
“And?” I said.
“And, the neighbors got together, took off what crops the Campbells had, and had a big fundraiser. So, they were able to pay their taxes.”
“Flori,” I said. “That’s a lovely story but how come you suddenly know so much about that family? By the way, why is Robert the only one who has any education?”
Her voice went quiet as if in deep thought. “I believe we might be on the same wavelength here. Are you wondering about what I’m thinking, Mabel?”
“I doubt it very much. I’m not really thinking about anything. I was wondering why only one son got an education, that’s all.”
“Really? I thought you were the detective here.”
I started laughing. “Flori, I can’t believe you. You always hated it when I was trying to solve a crime and now you’re trying to invent one. Well, if you invent it, you have to solve it, girl.”
That seemed to cheer Flori up and she had a good laugh, which ended in a bit of weeping and telling me what a wonderful friend I was.
As you have probably surmised, Flori is an emotional soul. She’s one of the kindest persons I know and usually never thinks ill of anyone. It actually surprised me that she had this thing about Carly Patterson. Carly was about the same age as some of her kids. Flori has five––I believe two daughters and three sons. I keep track of her offspring as she keeps track of my cats. If anyone asks her how many I have, she usually says a dozen.
Monday afternoon turned out to be a perfect fall day. The wind died down and the sun stayed shining. The only cat that stayed at home was Phyl and she was quite content to curl up in front of the living room window and sleep in the sun.
I decided to go for a walk. I find it very hard to go for a walk with no purposeful goal in mind so I decided to walk to the shop. It’s true that it’s only about three blocks but there and back is six, and to me, that’s a good workout. I walked down Main Street because I thought that if Charlie Thompson were sitting in his usual spot in front of the library, I’d go over to say hello.
If you’ve read my other stories, you know Charlie is a special friend. He’s a little, what folks call ‘slow.’ Or, mentally challenged. Personally, I find him quite a bit brighter than I find some of the so-called ‘smart’ people around Parson’s Cove.
He’s had a hard life but now he lives in a little house at the end of Main Street and is perfectly content. The town looks after him. Every day he sits on a bench and watches what goes on. I think it kind of creeps folks out that he walks around town in the night. The thing is that he wouldn’t hurt anyone. In fact, he’s been instrumental in helping solve crimes. And, since he saved my life, I’m especially grateful for him.
“Hi, Charlie,” I said, as I walked up to the bench. You have to be careful when you approach him. If you come up too quickly, he gets very nervous and shuts down. If you try to stay too long with him, he starts rocking. When he does that, you know it is time to take your leave.
Charlie kept looking straight ahead. I didn’t say anything for a few minutes.
“It’s a beautiful day, Charlie.”
No reaction.
“Did you know that we’re getting a new doctor in town?”
After a few seconds, his head moved up and down.
“You already knew that? How do you find these things out? I thought I’d be the first one to tell you.”
There was a hint of a smile. Charlie is aware when I’m teasing. A smile from Charlie can be compared to a belly laugh from most other people.
“Not too good.”
“What do you mean, Charlie, ‘it’s not too good.’?”
He was silent for what seemed forever. While he waited to say something, I went over and sat beside him.
“Too many doctors.” He shook his head. “Not good.”
“Why? Won’t that be better?”
“Everyone will be sick now.”
I laughed. “Charlie, you said a great joke.” I patted his shoulder, which means I have to reach up because Charlie is not a small man. I’m a little over five feet tall and Charlie is probably well over six so when we sit beside each other, it’s a long reach for me. Charlie is a few years younger than I am. In many ways, he seems older and, in others, much younger.
He started rocking so I knew it was time to leave. I stood up and said, “You told a very good joke, Charlie. I’ll have to tell it to Flori.”
“I’ll watch out for you.”
“
Thanks, Charlie. I know you will.”
When I left, he was still rocking but he wore a tiny smile that meant he was pleased with himself.
On the way back, I popped into the shop for a few minutes. I thought I’d make sure everything was ready for the next day. The rug by the back entrance was full of dust and a few dried up leaves from my shoes so I thought I would bang it up against the outside wall a few times. Not that anyone ever sees it, but I do.
I opened the back door. It seemed like almost overnight the days were shorter and darkness started to set in earlier. Shorter cooler evenings were replacing the hot humid ones. It was a grim reminder that cold weather would be upon us soon. No one relishes the idea of winter here in Parson’s Cove. If you enjoy outdoor sports, you’re happy but since I prefer warmth to cold, I don’t adapt well. Flori, of course, doesn’t do any winter sports at all but for some reason, she loves winter. I think it might be because her family comes over more often to eat.
Jake loves winter because he goes ice fishing with his buddies and they sit in their little shacks and drink Jack Daniels all day.
Something caught my eye just before I closed the door.
Across the lane, I look out at people’s backyards. Mostly all I see are broken down fences, banged-up garbage cans without lids, dilapidated garages, and overgrown weeds. There are a few well cared-for yards, but unfortunately, they are not the ones closest to my shop. In fact, the one right behind Mutt Michel’s hardware store is an eyesore. His store is right next door to mine. Calvin Koots used to rent the little house but it’s been empty ever since he went to prison.
Apparently someone was cutting the grass in the front yard, or so Flori tells me, but the back was left au naturel and naturel was growing wilder and higher every day. However, even with the four foot high grass and thistle, I could plainly see two people. A man and woman were either wrestling beside a shed or they were very happy to see each other.
They sank down into the weeds. I shut the back door, walked out the front door, and went home. They were obviously not wrestling in the 'sports like' way. Sometimes it’s better not to know what your teenage neighbors are up to.
Cold Case Conundrum Page 3