Janet McNulty - Mellow Summers 03 - An Apple a Day Keeps Murder Away by Janet McNulty Page A
Authors: Janet McNulty
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today.”
Boy, was she disappointed. It came through in the tone of her voice. I feigned regret. Inside I jumped for joy. All I wanted to do was snoop around and get some answers, not be hooked up to a hose that drains my life force.
The nurse gave me some pamphlets on how to boost my iron levels a nd on how good iron levels lead to good health. I thanked her and apologized for not being able to donate that day.
When I entered the waiting area I spotted Jackie in a chair. She looked a bit too happy. “What’s up?” I asked.
“I can’t donate today,” she replied, “I told the lady that there was a possibility I could be pregnant, but I hadn’t taken a test. Then I told her that I had a cousin who was anemic and that I had had surgery within the last month. She couldn’t wait to get rid of me. In fact, I think she thought I was nuts.”
“Jackie,” I hissed.
“What? You said we were here to investigate what happened to you. How are we to do that hooked up to a bunch of needles?”
I couldn’t believe her. She told a whopper of a lie. On the other hand, it had never occurred to me to lie to the nurse.
“What did you tell your nurse?” she asked.
“Nothing,” I replied, “My iron levels were too low.”
“How’s your Aunt Ethel doing?”
As though in answer to her question, Aunt Ethel’s voice echoed through the building. “I answered all of your questions on that piece of paper. Why must you keep asking me the same thing?”
“It is our policy,” said the poor nurse.
“Fine. Ouch! Are you sure you’re certified to stick people with that? Really. How many times am I going to be poked today?”
Sounds like they just gave her the iron test. Leave it to Aunt Ethel to overreact.
“Ma’am, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t ma’am me,” said Aunt Ethel, “Do I look like a ninety year old lady who can barely stand? I am in my fifties I’ll have you know.”
A little delayed, but at least Aunt Ethel held up to her promise of causing trouble.
“How old is she?” whispered Jackie.
“Sixty-five.”
I motioned for Jackie to follow me while everyone was distracted. We tiptoed down the hall away from the commotion. I checked the first door we came across. Locked. I checked another. Same thing.
“Do you know what you’re looking for?” asked Jackie.
“Not exactly,” I said. “I’m looking for anything that seems familiar.”
Jackie tried a door and it opened. She waved me over. We darted inside and silently shut the door behind us. I’m not sure what I expected to find. I guess I just hoped for that sense of déjà vu again.
The room had only one light on. At least it was enough to see what we were doing. Jackie headed for the switch. “No,” I said to her, “We don’t need to announce our presence.”
“How are we supposed to— ”
I pulled a flashlight from my purse. It was smaller than the one in my car, but I felt certain it would serve our purpose.”
“Do you carry that thing wherever you go?”
“Since our trip to that haunted house, I don’t go anywhere without a flashlight,” I said.
“Can’t argue with you there.”
“You check over there and I’ll look over here.”
Jackie went to where I pointed. I headed for some filing cabinets. The first drawer I picked was locked. I snatched some scissors from a nearby table and jiggled the door a bit. It popped open.
I flipped through the files not sure what I was looking for. But the feeling that I had been here before kept pushing me onward. There had to have been a reason why I felt as though I had been here previously.
Despite my going through all of the drawers in the filing cabinet, nothing stood out. I shut the last one in disappointment.
“Mel.”
Jackie called me over from the far corner. She stood by a giant refrigerator that had bags of red stuff hanging in it. Instantly, I recognized them as the bags of blood that people fill when they donate their own. This must where they stored them.
I peered
Boy, was she disappointed. It came through in the tone of her voice. I feigned regret. Inside I jumped for joy. All I wanted to do was snoop around and get some answers, not be hooked up to a hose that drains my life force.
The nurse gave me some pamphlets on how to boost my iron levels a nd on how good iron levels lead to good health. I thanked her and apologized for not being able to donate that day.
When I entered the waiting area I spotted Jackie in a chair. She looked a bit too happy. “What’s up?” I asked.
“I can’t donate today,” she replied, “I told the lady that there was a possibility I could be pregnant, but I hadn’t taken a test. Then I told her that I had a cousin who was anemic and that I had had surgery within the last month. She couldn’t wait to get rid of me. In fact, I think she thought I was nuts.”
“Jackie,” I hissed.
“What? You said we were here to investigate what happened to you. How are we to do that hooked up to a bunch of needles?”
I couldn’t believe her. She told a whopper of a lie. On the other hand, it had never occurred to me to lie to the nurse.
“What did you tell your nurse?” she asked.
“Nothing,” I replied, “My iron levels were too low.”
“How’s your Aunt Ethel doing?”
As though in answer to her question, Aunt Ethel’s voice echoed through the building. “I answered all of your questions on that piece of paper. Why must you keep asking me the same thing?”
“It is our policy,” said the poor nurse.
“Fine. Ouch! Are you sure you’re certified to stick people with that? Really. How many times am I going to be poked today?”
Sounds like they just gave her the iron test. Leave it to Aunt Ethel to overreact.
“Ma’am, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t ma’am me,” said Aunt Ethel, “Do I look like a ninety year old lady who can barely stand? I am in my fifties I’ll have you know.”
A little delayed, but at least Aunt Ethel held up to her promise of causing trouble.
“How old is she?” whispered Jackie.
“Sixty-five.”
I motioned for Jackie to follow me while everyone was distracted. We tiptoed down the hall away from the commotion. I checked the first door we came across. Locked. I checked another. Same thing.
“Do you know what you’re looking for?” asked Jackie.
“Not exactly,” I said. “I’m looking for anything that seems familiar.”
Jackie tried a door and it opened. She waved me over. We darted inside and silently shut the door behind us. I’m not sure what I expected to find. I guess I just hoped for that sense of déjà vu again.
The room had only one light on. At least it was enough to see what we were doing. Jackie headed for the switch. “No,” I said to her, “We don’t need to announce our presence.”
“How are we supposed to— ”
I pulled a flashlight from my purse. It was smaller than the one in my car, but I felt certain it would serve our purpose.”
“Do you carry that thing wherever you go?”
“Since our trip to that haunted house, I don’t go anywhere without a flashlight,” I said.
“Can’t argue with you there.”
“You check over there and I’ll look over here.”
Jackie went to where I pointed. I headed for some filing cabinets. The first drawer I picked was locked. I snatched some scissors from a nearby table and jiggled the door a bit. It popped open.
I flipped through the files not sure what I was looking for. But the feeling that I had been here before kept pushing me onward. There had to have been a reason why I felt as though I had been here previously.
Despite my going through all of the drawers in the filing cabinet, nothing stood out. I shut the last one in disappointment.
“Mel.”
Jackie called me over from the far corner. She stood by a giant refrigerator that had bags of red stuff hanging in it. Instantly, I recognized them as the bags of blood that people fill when they donate their own. This must where they stored them.
I peered
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