“Well, that doesn’t sound like the same situation as the others,” Jessica put in.
“But then why is Chief Sutherland treating this like a crime scene,” Anna asked, absently stroking Sammy’s silky coat.
“He didn’t say,” Michael replied honestly, “and I’m sure he’s holding some things back from the press until he has a better idea of what’s going on.”
“In the meantime, we can’t get inside,” Ashley sighed. “Disappointing, but it’s more important for the police to find out everything they can about the poor woman and what happened to her.”
“This whole thing is so strange,” Jessica all but exploded. “Who would do such a thing to helpless seniors. Memory loss is no picnic. I remember mom and dad caring for my elderly grandfather. The poor man got up every morning at dawn and went out to the barn in his pajamas to milk the cows.”
“And did he?” Ashley asked.
“What? Oh, milk them, you mean? No,” Jessica sighed, tossing her blonde ponytail. “We’d closed down the dairy ages ago and sold most of the land. There was no one to carry on since my brothers had all gone their separate ways and had no interest. Cows were never their thing.”
“But he didn’t wander very far, did he?” Michael asked, eager to know more. This was good information for his story.
“No, we were lucky. We had to learn a lot about dementia so we could take care of Grandad. Some of these poor people take off all their clothes, or try to cross a highway, and are even violent, especially at the end of the day.”
“Why at the end of the day?” Michael asked.
“It’s called sundowning when the symptoms get worse. There’s nothing that can be done about it and if they are prone to violence, it’s hard to find a place that will take them.”
“Sounds like you really were lucky with your grandfather. Or maybe he was lucky to have a loving family to take care of him.”
“It was still hard on my parents, which was another reason they closed the dairy. But sometimes he could laugh and joke with us just like he used to do before the dementia took over.”
“Did he know you or where he was or even who he was?” Michael asked.
“No,” Jessica replied. “He’d just call for his mother when he was upset or sometimes he would talk to us and call us by his old friends’ names.”
“Is he still living with your parents?” Anna asked softly, nearly in tears at the story.
“No. He died last year. But, you know, as difficult as things were, we all still miss him. He just loved life so much, and he loved all of us, too.”
“No wonder you miss him,” Ashley said, rubbing her friend’s shoulder.
After a moment’s awkward silence, Sammy stirred in Anna’s arms, anxious to get down. Leave it to the little guy to break the ice, Michael thought. Impulsive as my decision may have been, it was a good one.
“Look, we’d better get out of the way,” Michael suggested. “The cops don’t need us hanging around and the businesses need the parking spaces.”
“What are you going to do, Michael?” Mia asked suspiciously.
“My job,” he replied shortly. As even-tempered as he was, Mia was starting to get under his skin. He just wished he knew where she’d gotten that chip on her shoulder, and more importantly, when she was going to knock it off.
“What about Sammy?” Mia shot back.
“You brought him here. You can bring him home.”
“Then you’re going to need this,” Mia hissed, handing Michael his tablet. “And don’t bother to thank me.”
“How about we all go back to your place, Mia?” Jessica suggested. “Ash and I brought paint chips and wallpaper samples. We might as well start thinking about those things.”
“Good idea,” Ashley agreed. “We can finish off the pastries with some fresh coffee.”
It took a minute for everyone to get sorted. Anna handed Sammy to Mia, Ashley grabbed the bag of goodies, and Jessica dumped the now cold coffee in the trash can on the sidewalk just behind them.
“How about you, Anna?” Mia asked, reluctant to let the realtor stay behind with her brother.
“I think I’ll speak to the officer. Maybe he has an idea how long we’ll be kept out,” Anna replied.
But to Mia’s wary eye, Anna seemed awfully reluctant to cross the street.
“I’ll go with you,” Michael blurted out. “Maybe he has some information I can use.”
With a sigh, Mia turned away. As much as she’d been thinking Michael should be married, Mia was surprised to find that she really wasn’t ready to give up the close relationship she had with her brother. Maybe Anna had won this round, but Mia wasn’t about to give up so easily. There was still the phone call to Mom, but even that she’d have to put off until she could shovel her friends out of the house.
And that wouldn’t be so easy, either. Once Jessica got the bit between her teeth, she wouldn’t stop until they’d decided on the colors for every room on the ground floor, not to mention what areas would get wallpaper and what design they would use. As for Ashley, even after they’d decided, she’d probably settle in for a long visit. Ashley lived in her grandparents’ house, but they were the only family she had and she was starved for conversation with her peers. And food. The whole session would probably run to lunchtime and Ashley would find her way to the fridge to dig out something for lunch.
Mia knew when she had lost but at least she wouldn’t be sitting at home alone brooding about what her older brother was up to. Might as well make the best of it and go over their plans for designing their own spaces for both retail and studios.
* * *
Both Michael and Anna had gone to school with the officer guarding the crime scene. Charlie Gordon had been a year behind them, but he’d played varsity football as soon as he was eligible. He and Michael had been on the team together for two years. Charlie had been no slouch on the football field, but he had never been a star player like Michael. Despite that, they’d worked together as a team and Charlie had looked up to him.
“Hi, Charlie,” Anna greeted him. “Remember us? Banks High?”
“Sure. How could I forget the winner of the MVP award three years running,” Charlie grinned, holding out his hand to Michael. “And you, Anna Tomaselli, valedictorian, class president, and prettiest girl in school.”
“I’ll acknowledge the first two, but we all know I was a total mess back then. Prettiest girl. Hah!”
“Maybe, but a cute mess, anyway,” Charlie laughed. “Now, what can I do for the newshound?”
“Both Annie and I have an interest in what went on here,” Michael told him, getting right down to business. “She’s the agent trying to close a deal on this place, which includes my sister, by the way.”
“Which one is your sister?” Charlie asked. “It helps to know who might be coming around and whether or not they have legitimate business here.”
“Auburn hair, gray eyes, just like me, driving the green and white Mini,” Michael told him.
“The one who brought the dog?”
“That’s her.”
“And the other two?” Charlie asked, getting out his notebook.
“Jessica Banks and Ashley Caron,” Anna replied.
“One of the Banks County Banks?” Charlie asked, raising his eyebrows.
“Yes. The three women are thinking of renting the place. A lease-option, actually. It will be mixed business and residential.”
“And your sister’s name and address?” Charlie asked Michael, flipping to a new page in his notebook.
“Mia Broderick. Drury Lane. Number 4. It’s the colonial on the corner.”
“Yes, I know it,” Charlie nodded.
“Any idea how long it will be before we can get in here?” Anna asked “We’d planned on doing some measuring today.”
“So, the lease has been signed? The ladies are taking possession now?”
“Well, no, not exactly. We’re negotiating with the owner for repairs to be done f
irst.”
“And who is the owner?”
“Carla Findlayson. She grew up in the place, but she’s been in assisted living for a few years now, and she’d like to see the house taken care of. I’m sure she’ll approve the repairs. No one has been interested in the property since she moved out.”
“Assisted living? That big complex in the next county?”
“Yes, that’s it. Wynwood Estates.”
“Might be a connection. I mean, old folks’ home … old folks being abandoned … and one of them right on the owner’s doorstep. Literally. I’d better call this into the chief right away.”
Charlie turned away, grabbing his cell phone from the holster on his belt. Thinking this was a signal that they’d better move along, Michael took Anna’s arm and guided her across the street to her pearl white SUV.
“I think I’d better head over to the station. See what Chief is going to do about this.”
“You think there’s a connection?” Anna asked.
“Might be a break, might not,” Michael nodded, his face set and grim. “Hey, why don’t you come with me? Chief might be able to answer your questions.”
“Great idea. I’ll meet you there,” Anna said with a smile. Yes, she might find out about the property, but she also, she was surprised to realize, would be happy to spend more time with Michael Broderick.
Great idea is right, Michael thought, his mood lifting. Okay, they’d just been high school friends and not very close friends at that. He’d hung with the jocks and the cheerleaders and she’d been president of the Mathletes and the French Club. But Charlie had been right. Anna might have been a mess back then, but she certainly had been a cute mess. And now, she was just plain beautiful.
Humming to himself, Michael walked around the block to his car. It wasn’t until he’d started to pull out that he remembered it had been Charlie who recognized that Anna was attractive underneath all that messy hair and frowning face. She was always frowning, he remembered. Always deep in thought. But now she had a smile that warmed up her face … not to mention warmed up his heart. And if Charlie Gordon thought he was going to beat Michael’s time with Anna, he was sadly mistaken.
Chapter Five
Anna was impressed at the speed with which they were taken back to see the chief. Then she remembered he was Michael’s stepfather. Maybe she should still be impressed. Michael was also a reporter and the chief was willing to talk to him about the case. That must mean he held Michael in some regard.
“Chief, this is Anna Tomaselli,” Michael said after shaking hands.
“Yes, the realtor. You work down on Third Avenue, right?”
“Right, Chief. I guess you know just about everyone in this town.”
“I wouldn’t say everyone, Ms. Tomaselli,” Chief replied modestly.
“Close enough, I’m sure,” Anna laughed. “Probably went to school with half of them and the other half are their parents and kids.”
“Better watch out for this one, Mikey. She’s pretty sharp,” Andy Sutherland warned with a smile.
“And I’m glad of it,” Michael replied, wincing at the use of his childhood nickname in front of Anna. She’d known him as Mikey in high school, but now he wanted Anna to see him as a grown man, someone she’d like to be seen with.
Deftly, he swung the conversation to the reason for their visit. “She’s handling the lease option on that old Victorian next to the gas station downtown for my sister and her friends.”
“I see,” said Andy. Turning to Anna, he asked, “You know, of course, that I’ve known the Broderick kids all their lives. Best friends with their dad and they grew up friends with my kids.”
“Michael explained that to me, and that you’d married his mother several months ago. Congratulations!”
“Thanks. Helps when you’ve been friends for over twenty years,” Andy smiled. “Now what is it I can do for you, Ms. Tomaselli?”
“Anna, please. And I just need to know when we can have access to the property. Before I can allow Mia and her friends to sign the lease, repairs have to be agreed to and, in fact, contracted for.”
“Cautious of you,” Andy nodded. “Well, to be honest, I can’t give you a definite time. The crime scene people from county pulled up a few minutes ago. Charlie Gordon called me just before you arrived.”
“They could be there for hours,” Anna murmured, biting her lip.
“Or days, or they might finish quickly but not release the scene for a while. Depends on what they find today,” Andy told her. “I’m sorry, Anna, but it won’t be more than a day or two, I’m sure.”
“Whatever it takes,” Anna sighed. “Finding out what happened to those elderly people is much more important than measuring a room and picking out wallpaper.”
“We’re doing our best,” Andy assured her.
“Speaking of that,” Michael interrupted, “when Annie told Charlie the owner of that house was in assisted living, he called you thinking there might be a connection. Is there?”
“We’ll be looking into it, Michael, but I don’t hold out much hope.”
“Can I include that in my story?”
“Yes. It’s not critical information like finding a button at the scene with the initials JD or something. The more the public knows, the more they might make connections to other information and give us a call.”
“Right, Chief,” Michael nodded, keying the info into his tablet.
“I already texted this latest Jane Doe’s photo to you. Doc will have all the particulars like height and weight and whatever else he finds.”
“Thanks again, Chief. I’ll be talking to Doc next.”
Anna added her thanks to Michael’s and shaking hands with the chief, left his office. It didn’t escape Andy Sutherland’s notice that Michael took Anna’s arm protectively or that she allowed it. So much for the independent businesswoman, Andy chuckled to himself. When it comes to love, that flies out the window. Wait until I tell Cindy.
* * *
“Mind if I come with you to the clinic, Michael?” Anna asked. “Whether she knows it or not, the poor woman might appreciate a friendly visit after being poked and prodded by the doctor.”
“That’s really sweet, Annie,” Michael smiled. “Would you like to drive with me?”
“No, I think it’s best we take two cars. You probably have to get back to work and so do I.”
Michael had to agree. He was disappointed, but he really needed to put in some serious time on this story. And he needed to interview Carla Findlayson. If she was in assisted living, she was still able, with some help, to take care of herself. And that meant she had all her faculties. His own great-great-aunt Rose only had to go into the nursing home because her legs failed her, not her mind.
* * *
Doc hadn’t been able to tell Michael much more than he already knew, but it wasn’t a total loss. He did confirm something he had felt from the beginning. Anna Tomaselli had a generous heart. She’d sat with Jane Doe while Michael talked to the doc, coincidentally the father of one of his high school teammates.
Anna drew the woman out by complimenting her imaginary knitting, praising the colors and stitching.
“Thank you, young lady,” the woman smiled.
“That’s a beautiful pattern, too,” Anna smiled back. “Whoever gets this is going to love it.”
“Oh, dear me, no,” the woman smiled even more broadly. “This is for Merton and he hates sweaters. But he doesn’t have much fur and I need to make sure he stays warm.”
It had to be a dog, Anna thought, and maybe a clue to the woman’s identity. Both Michael and Doc were looking at her out of the corners of their eyes, careful that the patient didn’t see them watching her. They didn’t want her to clam up all of a sudden.
“I just love dogs,” Anna sighed, “but I work such long hours some days, I wouldn’t want to leave the little guy home alone all that time.”
“And rightly so, dear. Merton and me have been keeping each other
company for ever so long. He quite depends on me for much more than food. Why, he barely lets me out of his sight.”
“What kind of a dog is he?”
“A Cocker Spaniel. We’ve always had Cocker’s since Henry and I were first married.”
“Oh, they are such beautiful little dogs. Such silky coats and those shining big eyes.” Anna sighed, leaning forward to encourage the woman. “I wish I could meet Merton.”
“Well, I don’t know,” Jane Doe faltered, her hands pausing in their knitting motions.
“Maybe I could join you on one of your walks, just if I see the two of you around town.” Anna could see she was losing the woman and backed off.
“I suppose that would be alright,” Jane Doe agreed reluctantly. “But Merton is shy and you’d best keep your distance. I don’t want him upset.”
“Of course,” Anna agreed with a broad smile.
“I’m tired now,” the woman said, leaning her head back and closing her eyes.
Doc signaled silently that they should all leave the sunroom. He led them quietly to his office, not speaking until he’d closed the door behind them and they’d all sat down.
“Well done, Ms. Tomaselli,” Doc complimented her. “You obtained what may turn out to be some useful information, although usually in these cases, the dead are more alive to them than the living.”
Anna blushed at the compliment but was quick to add her own thoughts.
“It’s possible when Merton was alive she lived in an apartment. She’d have to walk him, not having a yard.”
“There are only two vets in town,” Michael mused, pulling out his tablet. “Surely, they would have a record of Merton.”
“If she lived in the area,” Doc cautioned. “Still, it’s a clue and it wouldn’t take that long to check with all the vets in the county.”
“Couldn’t be more than a dozen or so,” Michael agreed, tapping on the tablet. “And I’m thinking that Merton could be a family name.”
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