our old house after the fire. If you had, you’d only be a stone’s throw from me.”
Her dad pushed up from the recliner with a grunt. “Honey, when the house burned, you were gallivanting around the country, working for one person and then another. We weren’t sure you’d ever come home. Not only that but cutting ten acres, even on a riding lawnmower, wasn’t getting any easier at my age.”
“You’re right, and I do love your condo. It’s great you don’t have to bother with upkeep any more. Just enjoy life,” Susan said.
Her mother got up and walked beside her husband. She pushed back the gray hair from her temples and ran her hands over her cheeks, as if to smooth her makeup. “That’s exactly what we do, dearie.” She slipped her hand around her husband’s arm.
The top of his balding head glistened beneath the overhead light. Looking up at his wife with love in his eyes, he blew her a kiss. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, my bride and I are going to bed.”
Marmalade jumped down from the sofa and raced ahead of them to Susan’s room. “That’s right, kitty, I won’t be long either,” Susan shouted to the cat.
“Do you plan on telling your parents about your experience at the funeral home?”
“No way. I’m not that crazy.”
A. K. cocked her head to one side. “You look tired. Lying in a hospital bed even for a day or two will sap your strength. A good night’s sleep in your own bed will work wonders. First, let’s synchronize our plans for the next day or two.”
“What plans? I’m going to be right here tomorrow, visiting with my parents. The next day I’m going to see Wesley then back to my apartment again. The following morning, I have an appointment with Doctor Evans. After that, I plan to come to work. Until then, hold down the fort and say ‘hi’ to the girls for me.”
“Will do, and don’t worry about anything. Debbie, Sheila and I will make out just fine. But in case you don’t get anywhere with Jack, and Wesley doesn’t offer to help, you’d better be thinking of something.”
“Wesley won’t let me down. I know he won’t. Oh, I forgot to tell you. After you left the hospital the other day, I struck up a conversation with the cleaning lady. I learned that Doctor Evans often stops by Tilly’s Diner for breakfast on his day off. Thought I’d stop by there on my way to Wesley’s. Maybe I’ll meet up with him. That’ll give me another chance to try and get through to him. If I miss him, I’ll have one last shot when I go for my office visit.”
“Good luck, but I think you’re whistling Dixie. He didn’t hit his head, didn’t experience a trip into the afterlife. He said he’s heard every crazy story in the book from patients. I doubt that you can come up with anything to make him believe yours.”
“Maybe not, but having connected with him the way I did—and believe me, it was real—I feel compelled to try.”
“If I were you, I’d give it some time.”
“Time is one thing we don’t have. Be sure and let me know when Ramona and Clarissa are coming to the shop. I’m curious to hear what they’ll have to say.”
“More than likely, you’ll be back by then.” On her way out the door, A. K. dug in her purse for the car keys. “Have you considered that Jack’s murderer might be someone totally obscure? Maybe it’s someone who blames the doctor for surgery that resulted in the death of a loved one. Or maybe it’ll be the results of a random burglary in which Jack surprises the intruder. He’s killed because the perp didn’t want to leave a witness.”
“Listen to you…perp. You’ve been watching too many crime shows. Let’s just hope nothing happens.”
“Hey, don’t knock CSI. I’ve learned a lot from that show.” She glanced at her watch. “Oh, boy, time for me to hit the road.”
After A. K. left, Susan made her way down the hall. The door to the guest bedroom was closed, and she could hear her dad snoring. It was really
Her dad pushed up from the recliner with a grunt. “Honey, when the house burned, you were gallivanting around the country, working for one person and then another. We weren’t sure you’d ever come home. Not only that but cutting ten acres, even on a riding lawnmower, wasn’t getting any easier at my age.”
“You’re right, and I do love your condo. It’s great you don’t have to bother with upkeep any more. Just enjoy life,” Susan said.
Her mother got up and walked beside her husband. She pushed back the gray hair from her temples and ran her hands over her cheeks, as if to smooth her makeup. “That’s exactly what we do, dearie.” She slipped her hand around her husband’s arm.
The top of his balding head glistened beneath the overhead light. Looking up at his wife with love in his eyes, he blew her a kiss. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, my bride and I are going to bed.”
Marmalade jumped down from the sofa and raced ahead of them to Susan’s room. “That’s right, kitty, I won’t be long either,” Susan shouted to the cat.
“Do you plan on telling your parents about your experience at the funeral home?”
“No way. I’m not that crazy.”
A. K. cocked her head to one side. “You look tired. Lying in a hospital bed even for a day or two will sap your strength. A good night’s sleep in your own bed will work wonders. First, let’s synchronize our plans for the next day or two.”
“What plans? I’m going to be right here tomorrow, visiting with my parents. The next day I’m going to see Wesley then back to my apartment again. The following morning, I have an appointment with Doctor Evans. After that, I plan to come to work. Until then, hold down the fort and say ‘hi’ to the girls for me.”
“Will do, and don’t worry about anything. Debbie, Sheila and I will make out just fine. But in case you don’t get anywhere with Jack, and Wesley doesn’t offer to help, you’d better be thinking of something.”
“Wesley won’t let me down. I know he won’t. Oh, I forgot to tell you. After you left the hospital the other day, I struck up a conversation with the cleaning lady. I learned that Doctor Evans often stops by Tilly’s Diner for breakfast on his day off. Thought I’d stop by there on my way to Wesley’s. Maybe I’ll meet up with him. That’ll give me another chance to try and get through to him. If I miss him, I’ll have one last shot when I go for my office visit.”
“Good luck, but I think you’re whistling Dixie. He didn’t hit his head, didn’t experience a trip into the afterlife. He said he’s heard every crazy story in the book from patients. I doubt that you can come up with anything to make him believe yours.”
“Maybe not, but having connected with him the way I did—and believe me, it was real—I feel compelled to try.”
“If I were you, I’d give it some time.”
“Time is one thing we don’t have. Be sure and let me know when Ramona and Clarissa are coming to the shop. I’m curious to hear what they’ll have to say.”
“More than likely, you’ll be back by then.” On her way out the door, A. K. dug in her purse for the car keys. “Have you considered that Jack’s murderer might be someone totally obscure? Maybe it’s someone who blames the doctor for surgery that resulted in the death of a loved one. Or maybe it’ll be the results of a random burglary in which Jack surprises the intruder. He’s killed because the perp didn’t want to leave a witness.”
“Listen to you…perp. You’ve been watching too many crime shows. Let’s just hope nothing happens.”
“Hey, don’t knock CSI. I’ve learned a lot from that show.” She glanced at her watch. “Oh, boy, time for me to hit the road.”
After A. K. left, Susan made her way down the hall. The door to the guest bedroom was closed, and she could hear her dad snoring. It was really
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