between them.
Noah parked his motorcycle in the parking lot, and Petunia was more than happy to hop off that bike since her legs felt numb from the vibration.
When she took the helmet off, she shook out her hair, working her fingers in it, until it seemed more straightened.
Petunia looked up at Noah and he had a smile on his face. “Sorry,” she said nervously. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen my grandfather and I want to make a good impression.”
“Why is that?”
“Well, it’s a little too far to go by bicycle.”
“Ahhh, I see.”
“Does my hair look okay?”
“It looks good on you.” When she frowned at him, he added, “I meant I’ve never dated a woman with red hair before.”
Before he was able to say anything further, Petunia said, “We probably should get going and try to catch him before he goes off to one of their activities.”
Petunia strutted ahead of him without another word. She strode in the door, and greeted the receptionist. “I’m here to see Alfred Patterson. I’m his granddaughter, Petunia.”
She nodded and made a call, frowning as she looked up at Petunia, hanging up. “He doesn’t want to see you. Sorry.”
Petunia’s hands went to her hips. “I don’t give a flying fig what he says. I’m here to see him and that’s just what I’m doing.”
“You might want to open the door,” Noah said. “There’s no reasoning with her. Do you have any idea what it took me to get her here?”
“I’m just doing my job and he says that he doesn’t want to see her.”
“He has Alzheimer’s. He probably doesn’t even remember that he has a granddaughter. Please, let me see him,” Petunia implored the woman.
“Sorry,” was all she said.
Petunia put her fingers to her forehead.
“Look what you did. Do you know this one is a witch? She’s probably conjuring up a spell now.”
Petunia gave Noah the eye, and said, “Let me through that door before I turn you into a toad,” she told the receptionist, as a plant crashed to the floor, breaking on impact.
The woman reached a shaking hand out and pushed the buzzer. “I heard all about you Pattersons, but I didn’t believe it until now.”
Petunia didn’t dignify that with a response, strutting through the door. She stopped at a nurses’ station, asking one of them where Alfred Patterson’s room was. The woman pointed a boney finger over to a table with four men playing cards.
Petunia made way for the table, smiling at her grandfather. His eyes lit up for a moment before he recovered and asked, “Who are you?”
“You fool some people some of the time, but you’ll never fool me,” Petunia said as she tapped her foot on the floor.
“Lucky enough, I have a few free minutes. Follow me to my room,” he said.
Petunia and Noah followed her grandfather to his room and he ordered the other man, “Out. I need privacy, man.”
“Fine, but only because I love redheads.” He winked at Petunia.
“Lucky me,” she said as the man left.
Her grandfather didn’t look quite like she remembered him. He was completely bald, but his blue eyes shone brightly with recognition.
“This is Noah. He’s running for sheriff soon in Lake Forest.”
“Can he be trusted?”
“Yes, he’s been helping me out with my recent legal troubles and that’s why I’m here.”
“What do I have to do with your legal troubles?”
“You don’t, but I’m under investigation by Sheriff Pinkerton. For the disappearance of a man, and murder, I think. There’s a Knitting Needle Killer on the loose.”
Her grandfather belly-laughed and fell back on his bed. “Knitting Needle Killer. That’s the best they could come up with? Pinkerton is losing his edge.”
“Well, he seems to see me as the killing type.”
“Well, you did date the missing man and your neighbor Helen who, as it happens, bears the same last name as you,” Noah said.
Her grandfather’s face paled, but he didn’t say a thing. The wrinkles in his brow
Noah parked his motorcycle in the parking lot, and Petunia was more than happy to hop off that bike since her legs felt numb from the vibration.
When she took the helmet off, she shook out her hair, working her fingers in it, until it seemed more straightened.
Petunia looked up at Noah and he had a smile on his face. “Sorry,” she said nervously. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen my grandfather and I want to make a good impression.”
“Why is that?”
“Well, it’s a little too far to go by bicycle.”
“Ahhh, I see.”
“Does my hair look okay?”
“It looks good on you.” When she frowned at him, he added, “I meant I’ve never dated a woman with red hair before.”
Before he was able to say anything further, Petunia said, “We probably should get going and try to catch him before he goes off to one of their activities.”
Petunia strutted ahead of him without another word. She strode in the door, and greeted the receptionist. “I’m here to see Alfred Patterson. I’m his granddaughter, Petunia.”
She nodded and made a call, frowning as she looked up at Petunia, hanging up. “He doesn’t want to see you. Sorry.”
Petunia’s hands went to her hips. “I don’t give a flying fig what he says. I’m here to see him and that’s just what I’m doing.”
“You might want to open the door,” Noah said. “There’s no reasoning with her. Do you have any idea what it took me to get her here?”
“I’m just doing my job and he says that he doesn’t want to see her.”
“He has Alzheimer’s. He probably doesn’t even remember that he has a granddaughter. Please, let me see him,” Petunia implored the woman.
“Sorry,” was all she said.
Petunia put her fingers to her forehead.
“Look what you did. Do you know this one is a witch? She’s probably conjuring up a spell now.”
Petunia gave Noah the eye, and said, “Let me through that door before I turn you into a toad,” she told the receptionist, as a plant crashed to the floor, breaking on impact.
The woman reached a shaking hand out and pushed the buzzer. “I heard all about you Pattersons, but I didn’t believe it until now.”
Petunia didn’t dignify that with a response, strutting through the door. She stopped at a nurses’ station, asking one of them where Alfred Patterson’s room was. The woman pointed a boney finger over to a table with four men playing cards.
Petunia made way for the table, smiling at her grandfather. His eyes lit up for a moment before he recovered and asked, “Who are you?”
“You fool some people some of the time, but you’ll never fool me,” Petunia said as she tapped her foot on the floor.
“Lucky enough, I have a few free minutes. Follow me to my room,” he said.
Petunia and Noah followed her grandfather to his room and he ordered the other man, “Out. I need privacy, man.”
“Fine, but only because I love redheads.” He winked at Petunia.
“Lucky me,” she said as the man left.
Her grandfather didn’t look quite like she remembered him. He was completely bald, but his blue eyes shone brightly with recognition.
“This is Noah. He’s running for sheriff soon in Lake Forest.”
“Can he be trusted?”
“Yes, he’s been helping me out with my recent legal troubles and that’s why I’m here.”
“What do I have to do with your legal troubles?”
“You don’t, but I’m under investigation by Sheriff Pinkerton. For the disappearance of a man, and murder, I think. There’s a Knitting Needle Killer on the loose.”
Her grandfather belly-laughed and fell back on his bed. “Knitting Needle Killer. That’s the best they could come up with? Pinkerton is losing his edge.”
“Well, he seems to see me as the killing type.”
“Well, you did date the missing man and your neighbor Helen who, as it happens, bears the same last name as you,” Noah said.
Her grandfather’s face paled, but he didn’t say a thing. The wrinkles in his brow
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