Cold Case Conundrum Read online

  “What were their names, Mabel?”

  “Whose names?”

  She turned to me and almost spilled her wine. “The names of those hillbillies.”

  Sometimes it takes me awhile to catch up with Flori’s thoughts.

  “You mean that family who used to live way up at the north end of the lake? I don’t think we use the term ‘hillbilly’ anymore, do we? Anyway, you’re probably thinking of the family who used to come into town in that old falling apart vehicle with everyone huddled in the truck box.”

  She nodded and did spill some wine.

  “Flori,” I said. “Please watch your glass.” I picked up a napkin and handed it to her. I always keep some nearby when Flori drinks her wine. “Why are you so interested in those people all of a sudden?”

  “I don't know; just different things happening brought them to mind.” She took a big slug of wine. Flori is the only person I know who slugs down wine. “Isn’t that old man still alive?” she asked.

  I had to stop and think.

  “He could be. Wasn’t their name Peterson or Patterson or something like that?”

  She nodded and I watched the wine bounce in her glass. “Patterson. They lived on the side of the lake and the Campbells lived across the road.”

  “Sure, I remember them, Flori. Campbells were a big family too. I really didn’t know them either. I think they probably shopped most of the time at Elderberry Creek. There used to be a grocery store there. It’s probably just as close for them to go to the city to shop than to come to Parson’s Cove. I know if I had my druthers, I’d go to the big stores in the city. Much better buys there too. I don’t think the Pattersons came into town much after Mrs. Patterson took off.”

  Tears welled up in Flori’s eyes.

  “That was so sad. Imagine a mother leaving her own daughter.” She shook her head. There wasn’t enough wine left in her glass to splash over the sides now. “And her daughter… well, that was another story.”

  “What do you mean? I haven’t heard any stories about her. Doesn’t she still live around here?”

  “Of course, she does, Mabel.” Flori’s cheeks turned a bit pinker. The wine had worked some of its magic but the rest was a blush. She whispered, “She’s a prostitute, you know.”

  I stared at her. “How do you know this? No one ever told me.”

  Flori made a tsk-tsk sound. “Mabel, no one would say anything to you. If you have children, you learn about these things.”

  “Your children are grownups now. What was that girl’s name anyway? She must be way in her thirties for sure. I thought she did house cleaning or something. She rents that little house down close to where Junior used to live, doesn’t she?”

  Flori nodded and raised her auburn eyebrows. “Carly, that’s her name.”

  “Oh right. Obviously not a reader or a buyer of knickknacks though.” I gave Flori a grin and savored another mouthful of chokecherry wine.

  “She rents that little house but I bet the rent isn’t paid for with cleaning money, if you know what I mean.” Her eyebrows did a little dance.

  I couldn’t help but giggle. “You know you look hilarious when you do that.”

  “Do what?”

  “Never mind, Flori. Why are we talking about her anyway?”

  “It’s just that Robert Campbell is home.”

  I must have looked blank.

  “You know––the nephew.”

  “Nephew?”

  Flori sighed. “Mabel, you don’t listen. Remember I told you about Merlin Cowel’s nephew.”

  “Yes, I do recall you telling me about the important doctor. And that has what to do with Miss Patterson?”

  Flori put on her smug look. “It’s just that Robert Campbell and Carly Patterson used to have a 'thing.'”

  “A thing?”

  She nodded. “Janet told me.”

  “Really?” Janet is Flori’s youngest daughter and if anyone knew anyone who had a ‘thing’ for anyone, it would be Janet.

  “Mabel, don’t you see? Here he’s coming home a doctor and the girl he loves is now a hooker.”

  “How do you know he still loves her? If he loved her, he wouldn’t have left her, would he?”

  Flori turned a bit pinker and wiggled in her seat. “Well, maybe he doesn’t love her anymore but if there were feelings once, there could be again.”

  “Yes, I see. We’re just surmising this. However, I don’t understand why it’s any of our concern no matter which way you look at it.”

  She gave me a look of triumph. “Well, he’s going to live in Parson’s Cove and be our new doctor.”

  I almost dropped my glass.

  “He’s going to have his practice here in Parson’s Cove? You just said he was coming to town. In my books, that means for a visit. What about Fritzy? Is he leaving?”

  She shook her head. “No, but he is getting older, Mabel, and he has more patients than he can look after.”

  I stared at her. “Well, Mrs. Flanders, when were you going to tell me this?”

  “I just did, Mabel. I was waiting for the perfect moment.” She beamed. “Now, it’s more exciting, isn’t it? I wonder how he’ll react to seeing his old girlfriend.”

  It was my turn to shake my head. “Flori, they’re both grownups now. Maybe this Dr. Campbell is married. You don’t know.”

  “Oh, but I do. Myrtle Crackers told me this afternoon.”

  “How would Myrtle know?”

  “She knows because she had an appointment with Doc Fritz and he told her that Dr. Robert Joseph Campbell was going to start up his practice right here in Parson’s Cove. He’s going to rent Krueger’s old house and his mother is going to live with him.”

  I was dumbfounded. A new doctor was moving into the house right behind mine and I didn’t even know? How could the town keep such a secret from me?

  “Why didn’t anyone tell me, Flori? Surely, people would realize that I’d like to know who my new neighbors are.”

  Her free hand fluttered in the air. “No one knew, Mabel. Doc Fritz kept it a big secret until now. As soon as Myrtle found out, she told me and told me to tell you.”

  “Well, I think that’s great. Fritzy was starting to get on my nerves. I don't know if I want some young guy though, do you? Well, we take what we can get, I guess. However, Flori,” and I gave her a stern look. “I don’t think any of this is our business. We will not worry about Carly and Robert meeting on the street. Will we?”

  “No, I guess not.” She took on a faraway look. “I often wonder about Carly’s mother though. They say she never even tried to contact Carly. What mother would do that? She always seemed so nice, but remember how her husband treated her? He was very abusive. Do you remember that, Mabel?”

  I leaned over and filled our glasses.

  “Actually, I do. In fact, I remember when she snuck in to buy a book from the shop one time and he came in and got her. I thought he was going to drag her out by the hair. She was so embarrassed. I do recall that, Flori. I really don’t blame her for leaving him.”

  “But, Mabel, a woman that nice would never leave her daughter there with all those men. Why didn’t she take Carly with her? They say Carly was never the same after her mother left.”

  “All those men? You mean her brothers?”

  “Well, her father and her brothers. I think most of those boys have been in jail.”

  “Did you ever think that maybe her dad wouldn’t let Carly leave? Or, maybe the mother had to sneak away for her own safety?”

  “Mabel, stop and think. Why would Mr. Patterson want Carly to stay with him?”

  “I don't know. Do the housework? Maybe her mother ran off with another man and he didn’t want Carly.”

  She made a ‘humph.’

  “That’s what people started saying but I don’t believe it. By the way, you know they make moonshine in the bush, don’t you?”

  “I did not know that. Who told you, Flori?”

  “Jake did and trust me, w
hen I say Jake knows where all the moonshine places are, he knows where all the moonshine places are.”

  I didn’t argue with that because I was sure he did.

  “Flori, you seemed almost obsessed with this. Why?”

  Her eyes took on a strange gleam. “Because, Mabel, I think Mrs. Patterson left under some strange circumstances. Like I said, they say that his wife ran off with another man, but Jake said there was no way another man could get close to her, let alone run off with her.”

  I shrugged and had another sip of wine. “Maybe it was an old love from years ago, Flori. It seems to me, it was you who said sometimes there are still feelings.” I gave her a wink. “Besides, didn’t the police look into it?”

  She shook her head. “I think old man Patterson said she was gone and it was good riddance. She was gone for a while before anyone knew. In fact, it was Carly who finally told someone.”

  “Wouldn’t the police have searched the property and maybe the lake? I mean, she could have drowned.”

  Flori shrugged. “They could have. It was a long time ago and that was before we got into this solving mysteries thing so I didn’t pay much attention.”

  The wine was definitely loosening her tongue. Flori never includes herself in anything connected to solving murders or mysteries. She always accompanies me but that’s simply to protect me. Things haven’t changed much since grade school.

  Flori stayed until almost nine. Jake was out doing something with one of their sons so she could stay longer than usual. We finished the bottle of wine. Now I had only two bottles left. With a chuckle, I thought maybe I could go and visit old man Patterson. Perhaps in his old age, he’d changed to making wine instead of moonshine.

  It took awhile for me to fall asleep. Flori had put a thought in my brain. I couldn’t stop thinking about Carly Patterson’s mother. I did recall when she’d left, but it was about the time my father was very sick so I was preoccupied with that. Surely, there had been an investigation. I would ask Reg the next time I saw him.

  Chapter Three

  When I woke up it was so dark in my room, I thought it was still the middle of the night. The clash of thunder that shook my bed and caused two cats to scurry under it told me why I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face. Just before rain sprayed through my open window, I jumped up and closed it. A sudden flash of lightning showed me trees bent over by the wind almost parallel with the earth and rain descending from heaven as if a mighty hand had dumped a heavenly pail of water over us. It pounded on the roof and within seconds, I could hear water gushing through the rainspouts.

  I switched on my table lamp and looked at the clock. It was almost seven. The cats thought it was safe now since I was up and crawled out from under the bed. Both of them had a wild look in their eyes as they waited for me to explain what was happening.

  I pulled on my housecoat and said, “It’s raining. Come on, you scaredy cats, let’s go down to the kitchen and have a cup of coffee.”

  As if they understood what I said, they started for the stairs, talking to each other all the way. By the time I got to the kitchen and turned on the light, all four cats were sitting in a row staring at me with expectant looks on their faces.

  “What?” I said. “Food?” They all raced for the pantry.

  I wasn't feeling much like eggs or pancakes so after filling the cat bowls and giving their litter boxes a glance to see if they could last for another day, I took out a bag of frozen muffins from my little freezer and heated two of them in the microwave.

  Flori doesn’t have her microwave anymore. She feels that microwaves are dangerous. An enemy of the government probably invented them and he or she slowly wants to exterminate all Americans. Or, at least, fill us with radiation.

  After finishing my warm blueberry muffins with melted butter on top, I poured my second cup of coffee. I stood at the window watching the rain come down and listening to the pounding on my roof. Even in my two-story house, it was loud.

  I wished I didn’t have to go outdoors. It was Sunday. Who goes out in the rain on a Sunday if they don’t have to? All I wanted to do was sit by the fireplace, drink coffee, and read a good book. Since I don’t have a fireplace and all my books were at the shop, the only alternative was to head for the shop to do my inventory, which I’d been putting off for a long time. I wished now I hadn’t made plans with Nathan to meet him there. He was going to show me how I could keep track of everything on my laptop.

  I don’t drive my car often. In fact, I’ve stopped putting a license on it during the winter months. I do like to take it out for a drive once in awhile though and this seemed to be the perfect day for it. I drive a 1969 Buick Skylark. I bought it secondhand in 1973 and like my parent’s furniture, it’s in perfect shape and it’s comfortable. The only negative part is that men stand on the sidewalk and stare at me as I drive by. It doesn’t fail - every year I get dozens of offers from men over sixty-five wanting to buy my car. Reg is the most adamant. He drools over that car. If I ever thought of selling it to someone else, there would definitely be a murder in Parson’s Cove and I wouldn’t be around to solve it.

  The rain had changed into a fine mist so when I ran from the car to the store, I wasn’t completely soaked. However, by the time I struggled with the key, I was. I’d have to get Bob Crackers to put a new lock in for me. The back door to the shop was unlocked but there was no place to park my car in the back lane. I know I should really start locking the back door, and sometimes I do, especially if there is a murderer on the loose.

  Even after all these years, I still enjoy standing just inside the door and inhaling deeply. There’s such a variety of odors - the very slight smell of old books, a faint tinge of yesterday's coffee still in the air, but mostly it’s the vanilla, strawberry, and pumpkin pie smell from a row of candles right by the door.

  I glanced up at the clock. It was ten to nine. Nathan said he’d come about nine but now that he has a girlfriend, I don’t trust him to be on time. For a nerd (or is it ‘geek’?), Nathan has found himself a lovely girl and his mother couldn’t be happier. She walks around with a permanent smile on her face. So does Nathan for that matter. I’m sure Shayla Godwin, his little redhead, must be quite happy too.

  Actually, they have me to thank for their meeting. Last winter, I ended up in the hospital and that’s where the two met. I wasn’t sick but I did have a nasty bruise on my head. Fortunately, I’d passed out and hit the cement before our ex-mayor’s bullet penetrated my brain.

  Fortunately too, the ex-mayor was now in prison and Reg Smee had taken his place as mayor. At least, I was quite confident Reg wouldn't be aiming his gun at my head. Yes, Parson’s Cove has definitely had its share of colorful residents over the years.

  While I waited for Nathan, I put on a pot of coffee. He never drank coffee but when he started helping me solve a couple of murder cases, I told him that if he wanted to work with me he had to join me in a cup of coffee. He’ll do almost anything to help with a case so thus began his drinking career. He still makes a face after the first swallow. I make my coffee strong so by the third mouthful, he has a glassy look in his eyes. I brought the rest of the muffins too as I knew he’d really enjoy them. Probably all of them.

  At nine-fifteen, the boy showed up, blushing and apologizing.

  “Nathan, there’s no need to apologize.” I handed him a cup of coffee. He took a drink and made a face.

  I shook my head. “When are you ever going to get over that, Nathan? You look like you took a drink of poison or something.”

  He grinned. “I told you, Mabel, it’s an acquired taste. Not everyone has a cast iron stomach like you, you know.”

  “You’re a chicken. Take two more swallows,” I said, “and then we’ll get to work. By the way, what time did you get in last night anyway? You look terrible.”

  He did look terrible. There were dark circles around his eyes and he hadn’t shaved.

  “Why didn’t you give me a call? We could have done this work
this afternoon you know.”

  He shrugged. “Might as well get it done, Mabel. Don’t put off ‘til tomorrow what you can do today. Right?”

  “In other words, you have plans for the rest of the day so let’s get on with it.” I patted his arm. “You’re a good kid, Nathan.”

  Nathan grinned. “I’m not a kid, Mabel. You seem to always forget that.”

  “Well, you’re a kid to me. What have you got planned this afternoon anyway?”

  He looked uncomfortable. “Aw, well, I have to spend it with Shayla. She’s been having a rough time of it at the hospital lately.”

  “A rough time? Why?”

  He sighed. “Oh, they’re making all these changes.” He drank the last half of his coffee in one gulp and made a face as if he'd just swallowed gasoline. He looked up over his glasses.

  “You knew they were making a bunch of changes, right?”

  “I did not know they were making changes. I only heard yesterday that we were getting a new doctor. Now you’re telling me that there are a bunch of changes? What changes? I’d like to know why no one is telling me anything about anything anymore.”

  “You’re out of the loop, Mabel. Don’t feel bad though. Shayla just told me about the new doctor yesterday.”

  “Oh, well, maybe things are happening so fast, none of us can catch up. Okay, tell me about all these changes at the hospital.”

  He set his empty cup on the counter as far away from the coffee pots as he could.

  “Well, you know Shayla’s been working in the records department at the hospital for almost a year and now they brought in someone who knows nothing about running an office and she’s Shayla’s new boss. It makes no sense at all. Besides, she isn’t an easy person to work for.”