didn't like that and, boss or not, I wanted to ask him about it. This poor little boy was ill and spent his days alone in a bedroom. The least his grandfather cold do was acknowledge his existence.
I stepped outside the room after touching the back of my hand to Cash's forehead. His temperature felt normal. I hoped he'd gotten through the worst.
Nathaniel was making his way down the stairs, and looked back over his shoulder. “I'm going to need you to speak to reporters. Have the boy cleaned up and camera ready.”
“Excuse me? What do you mean, we are going to speak to reporters? The boy's name is Cash or did you forget?”
Was that out of line?
He raised his voice. “Listen here, Miss, I know my grandchild's name. He's the only one I have. Now, get him and yourself prepared. The reporters are here.”
Detective Ortiz stood in the doorway with Lucilla watching our exchange with a stunned expression on her face.
“No reporters. I don't think it's wise to involve reporters or do interviews. And, nothing good can come from using your grandson as a pawn in whatever it is you are trying to do.” Detective Ortiz tried to warn him gently.
An impeccably dressed woman, wearing a face full of makeup, emerged from the study. “We're ready, Mr. Rich.” She called out to him.
Detective Ortiz' eyebrows quirked up as she fixed her gaze on Nathaniel. He didn't back down though. He turned to the reporter and said, “We'll be right with you.”
Lucilla put her hands up in the air. “No, that's it. Mercy, I'm afraid we're going to have to let you go.”
*
“Are you following me?” I stopped walking and turned to face the detective.
“Yes,” she said. “Do you have a few minutes?”
I nodded, annoyed that I'd been dragged into this nonsense and then spit out like I was nothing.
“What happened in there?” She pointed to the Rich house, a half a block behind us.
I explained the crazy conversations I'd had with Lucilla, Nathaniel, and the driver, Scooter. She listened, again, not taking any notes, just listening to my every word.
When I was done, she smiled, thanked me and walked away.
These people make me so mad!
“Tina, can you come pick me up, hon?” I took a few minutes to calm down before I called to ask for a ride home. I didn't believe in taking my work home and I wasn't going to start doing that now. This was my mess and I'd deal with it, except when Ruby found out, then she'd feel the need to deal with it too.
“Sure, but I thought you were working all day today?” She asked.
“I thought so too,” I said. “I just really need to take a few days to regroup and spend some time with you and Noah. This place isn't a good fit for me. I don't fit in here. The little guy is sweet as all get out, but everyone else just makes my blood pressure hit unheard of levels.
Tina didn't ask any further questions. “I'll be there in a few minutes and, I should warn you, your neighbor has organized some kind of get-together and – you're going to love this – she said you're going to be in charge of security of the neighborhood. I didn't know you were pimping out your amateur detective skills. This could be a thing, if you ever wanted to retire from nursing.” She teased.
“No chance of that happening.” I said. “She really volunteered me?”
I loved Margie, but I didn't want to be roped into yet another commitment. I didn't know the first thing about security, other than to try to remember to keep my doors and windows locked and to not lose my keys in the process. This sounded like a horrible idea. I had to figure a way out of it before things got too far out of control.
Chapter Five
I'd never seen so many of my neighbors gathered together in one place at the same time. I guess the lawn ornament thief had gotten to everyone in the neighborhood. Margie made a beeline for me as soon as she heard the door close behind
I stepped outside the room after touching the back of my hand to Cash's forehead. His temperature felt normal. I hoped he'd gotten through the worst.
Nathaniel was making his way down the stairs, and looked back over his shoulder. “I'm going to need you to speak to reporters. Have the boy cleaned up and camera ready.”
“Excuse me? What do you mean, we are going to speak to reporters? The boy's name is Cash or did you forget?”
Was that out of line?
He raised his voice. “Listen here, Miss, I know my grandchild's name. He's the only one I have. Now, get him and yourself prepared. The reporters are here.”
Detective Ortiz stood in the doorway with Lucilla watching our exchange with a stunned expression on her face.
“No reporters. I don't think it's wise to involve reporters or do interviews. And, nothing good can come from using your grandson as a pawn in whatever it is you are trying to do.” Detective Ortiz tried to warn him gently.
An impeccably dressed woman, wearing a face full of makeup, emerged from the study. “We're ready, Mr. Rich.” She called out to him.
Detective Ortiz' eyebrows quirked up as she fixed her gaze on Nathaniel. He didn't back down though. He turned to the reporter and said, “We'll be right with you.”
Lucilla put her hands up in the air. “No, that's it. Mercy, I'm afraid we're going to have to let you go.”
*
“Are you following me?” I stopped walking and turned to face the detective.
“Yes,” she said. “Do you have a few minutes?”
I nodded, annoyed that I'd been dragged into this nonsense and then spit out like I was nothing.
“What happened in there?” She pointed to the Rich house, a half a block behind us.
I explained the crazy conversations I'd had with Lucilla, Nathaniel, and the driver, Scooter. She listened, again, not taking any notes, just listening to my every word.
When I was done, she smiled, thanked me and walked away.
These people make me so mad!
“Tina, can you come pick me up, hon?” I took a few minutes to calm down before I called to ask for a ride home. I didn't believe in taking my work home and I wasn't going to start doing that now. This was my mess and I'd deal with it, except when Ruby found out, then she'd feel the need to deal with it too.
“Sure, but I thought you were working all day today?” She asked.
“I thought so too,” I said. “I just really need to take a few days to regroup and spend some time with you and Noah. This place isn't a good fit for me. I don't fit in here. The little guy is sweet as all get out, but everyone else just makes my blood pressure hit unheard of levels.
Tina didn't ask any further questions. “I'll be there in a few minutes and, I should warn you, your neighbor has organized some kind of get-together and – you're going to love this – she said you're going to be in charge of security of the neighborhood. I didn't know you were pimping out your amateur detective skills. This could be a thing, if you ever wanted to retire from nursing.” She teased.
“No chance of that happening.” I said. “She really volunteered me?”
I loved Margie, but I didn't want to be roped into yet another commitment. I didn't know the first thing about security, other than to try to remember to keep my doors and windows locked and to not lose my keys in the process. This sounded like a horrible idea. I had to figure a way out of it before things got too far out of control.
Chapter Five
I'd never seen so many of my neighbors gathered together in one place at the same time. I guess the lawn ornament thief had gotten to everyone in the neighborhood. Margie made a beeline for me as soon as she heard the door close behind
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