Elizabeth C. Main - Jane Serrano 02 - No Rest for the Wicked by Elizabeth C. Main Page B
Authors: Elizabeth C. Main
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remembered Dr. McCutcheon’s warning that a senior’s sudden preoccupation with sweepstakes entries sometimes masked a larger problem. “ S ure you’re not letting your imagination run away with you after hearing that talk? You know, blowing things out of proportion. ”
“ I didn’t imagine a phone call he got at home this morning. He closed the door and talked real low, but I could hear part of it, something about a meeting at ten. I didn’t want him to think I’d noticed anything, so I left real early to open the store. Soon’s I got here, I called him about Mrs. Phillips’s special order. The Illustrated History of Wood Ducks is out-of-print, but we can get it from the publisher for forty-nine-ninety-five. He told me to order it and not to bother him at home with any more fool questions. ”
“ W hat’s the problem? ”
“ Don’t you see? By calling from the store, I let him know the coast was clear for his secret meeting. While we were talking, I set out the chairs for the SOS group. Then I locked up again, sneaked home, and followed him downtown. That’s when you saw me. ”
“ Ah, yes, for your mirror trick. Forget the career as a diplomat and go straight to the CIA. So he met someone downtown. I still don’t see— ”
“ After you left, that man seemed to be threatening Grandpa, poking him in the chest even. That’s when I got scared and came out of the alley. ” Tyler clenched his fists as he recounted his movements, but then his shoulders slumped. “ The guy saw me coming and all of a sudden he made tracks down the sidewalk the other way. Grandpa turned toward me before I could jump back into the alley. H e wanted to know what I was doing downtown when I was supposed to be opening the bookstore. Told me he wasn’t paying me to be irresponsible, stuff like that. ” Tyler chucked the empty Coke can with unnecessary force into the recycle box. “ I couldn’t tell him what I was really doing, so I just let him think I was goofing off. ”
“ That must have hurt, not to be able to set him straight. ”
“ It didn’t feel great, but that wasn’t what was so bad. When I asked him why he was downtown, know what he said? That he needed cough drops. Then he patted his pocket, but I knew he hadn’t gone anywhere near a store. He looked—I don’t know how to describe it … ”
“ Guilty ? ”
“ Yeah, that’s it. Reminded me of the way he acted when he was hiding cigarettes from us last year. ”
“ And it took a heart attack to get him to quit them. ” Uneasy, I remembered that strokes were also linked with long-term smoking. Could that be what had happened to Laurence?
Tyler nodded and went on. “ Anyway, since he’d already lied to me once, I went ahead and asked who he’d been talking to on the street, just to see what he’d say. ” The look on Tyler’s face telegraphed his message before he got the words out. “ He told me I must be seeing things, said that he hadn’t talked to anyone. Now do you see why I’m worried? ”
“ Oh, Tyler, I’m so sorry. ” If Tyler was imagining that meeting, then so was I.
Chapter 11
Following our talk, Tyler seemed to relax a bit. In fact, he was so much more comfortable that I risked a joke about his harem returning to Thornton’s tomorrow for more filming. His half- smothered chuckle told me that his spirits were well on their way to recovery. He’d watch his grandfather carefully, looking for more clues that might help us figure out what the old man was up to, while I’d go home and surf the ’ Net for articles on Alzheimer’s and senility. We’d talk again tomorrow at Thornton’s. Though voicing his fears had calmed Tyler, I now had a knot in the pit of my stomach. I couldn’t imagine what Laurence was doing. Cantankerous, yes, but he’d never shown a hint of mental trouble.
First Alix , and now Laurence. I needed help, and not the fanciful kind the Murder of the Month group offered. I needed Nick, solid ,
“ I didn’t imagine a phone call he got at home this morning. He closed the door and talked real low, but I could hear part of it, something about a meeting at ten. I didn’t want him to think I’d noticed anything, so I left real early to open the store. Soon’s I got here, I called him about Mrs. Phillips’s special order. The Illustrated History of Wood Ducks is out-of-print, but we can get it from the publisher for forty-nine-ninety-five. He told me to order it and not to bother him at home with any more fool questions. ”
“ W hat’s the problem? ”
“ Don’t you see? By calling from the store, I let him know the coast was clear for his secret meeting. While we were talking, I set out the chairs for the SOS group. Then I locked up again, sneaked home, and followed him downtown. That’s when you saw me. ”
“ Ah, yes, for your mirror trick. Forget the career as a diplomat and go straight to the CIA. So he met someone downtown. I still don’t see— ”
“ After you left, that man seemed to be threatening Grandpa, poking him in the chest even. That’s when I got scared and came out of the alley. ” Tyler clenched his fists as he recounted his movements, but then his shoulders slumped. “ The guy saw me coming and all of a sudden he made tracks down the sidewalk the other way. Grandpa turned toward me before I could jump back into the alley. H e wanted to know what I was doing downtown when I was supposed to be opening the bookstore. Told me he wasn’t paying me to be irresponsible, stuff like that. ” Tyler chucked the empty Coke can with unnecessary force into the recycle box. “ I couldn’t tell him what I was really doing, so I just let him think I was goofing off. ”
“ That must have hurt, not to be able to set him straight. ”
“ It didn’t feel great, but that wasn’t what was so bad. When I asked him why he was downtown, know what he said? That he needed cough drops. Then he patted his pocket, but I knew he hadn’t gone anywhere near a store. He looked—I don’t know how to describe it … ”
“ Guilty ? ”
“ Yeah, that’s it. Reminded me of the way he acted when he was hiding cigarettes from us last year. ”
“ And it took a heart attack to get him to quit them. ” Uneasy, I remembered that strokes were also linked with long-term smoking. Could that be what had happened to Laurence?
Tyler nodded and went on. “ Anyway, since he’d already lied to me once, I went ahead and asked who he’d been talking to on the street, just to see what he’d say. ” The look on Tyler’s face telegraphed his message before he got the words out. “ He told me I must be seeing things, said that he hadn’t talked to anyone. Now do you see why I’m worried? ”
“ Oh, Tyler, I’m so sorry. ” If Tyler was imagining that meeting, then so was I.
Chapter 11
Following our talk, Tyler seemed to relax a bit. In fact, he was so much more comfortable that I risked a joke about his harem returning to Thornton’s tomorrow for more filming. His half- smothered chuckle told me that his spirits were well on their way to recovery. He’d watch his grandfather carefully, looking for more clues that might help us figure out what the old man was up to, while I’d go home and surf the ’ Net for articles on Alzheimer’s and senility. We’d talk again tomorrow at Thornton’s. Though voicing his fears had calmed Tyler, I now had a knot in the pit of my stomach. I couldn’t imagine what Laurence was doing. Cantankerous, yes, but he’d never shown a hint of mental trouble.
First Alix , and now Laurence. I needed help, and not the fanciful kind the Murder of the Month group offered. I needed Nick, solid ,
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