“Donnie’s insurance money – a half a million dollars’ worth.”
“What?” Her eyes widened with shock.
“Yup. I never touched a dime of it since he died because we had pretty good savings. Before I started renting the rooms, I was living off a small portion of our savings and my disability checks. I know I never told you because finances was something we rarely ever discussed and you never asked. But we’ve been friends for a long time and I trust you to keep this confidential. I’ve told no one else about the insurance money,” I said.
“My lips are sealed. I just can’t believe you’d do this for us.”
“Not for us,” I emphasized. “For David. I don’t see you behind bars.” I got her to laugh again. By this time, she was drying her tears with an old towel she kept in the car. She’d wash it whenever it got soiled, then return it to its rightful place.
Gratitude oozed from her pores and it was rather uncomfortable for me, though I appreciated it. Yet, anymore of it was about to get me aggravated. I was never the mushy type and Merlene knew that better than anybody. She wasn’t either, except with David—her pride and joy.
“Take me home. Nilla’s probably wondering if I skipped town,” I told her. “Go on to Mickey’s office and don’t leave ‘til you see him. Let him know I’m taking care of the bill. He and Donnie were good friends, so I assume he knows I won’t double-cross him.”
She dropped me off approximately twenty minutes later and I walked into a quiet house. The boys were still at work and I found Nilla fast asleep in front of the sliding door which leads out back. I thought it strange since she’d always headed under the sofa for naps, but she must’ve been really exhausted from pulling out all of my shoes from the downstairs closet. I’d made the mistake, while rushing out to catch Merlene, of not ensuring the closet door was completely shut before leaving. Nilla obviously had a field day in there as my shoes were dragged all over the living room.
In the solitude of the moment was when I realized that for the entire day I didn’t experience any fading of inner vision and could see everything clearly. I couldn’t help but wonder if Sir Clement’s visit the night before might’ve had anything to do with it since it was certainly unlike any of his former appearances. At first, the thought seemed absurd, but I quickly recalled his first ever visit was during Donnie’s heart attack and it was then that my inner vision was ignited. Could he possibly have anything to do, by some celestial appointment, with the gift of my inner sight? If the profound possibility even existed, the question would be why. What was so special about me and how come he keeps showing up? Why did any of them show up when Donnie was in trouble?
I could only hope that my good fortune of seeing would last, as it truly was my most precious and treasured commodity, apart from Nilla and Donnie’s half a million, of course… and my disability checks.
Nilla’s eyes popped open as I quietly approached her. I had a feeling she knew the instant I’d walked in and was just too tired to move at the time. It did happen once or twice before.
She ran toward me with what I called a “gallop”, and as expected by her, I gave her my warmest embrace. Cuddling her was the best thing in the world.
“Let’s go, Nilla.” I set her down and got her leash. After attaching it, we headed outside.
She absolutely loved when we ventured outdoors together. In an instant, she’d muster up super dog vitality that was mainly reserved for our walks. However, I’d only intended our stroll that afternoon to be right next door to the Andersons.
We entered through the unlocked gate and followed the multi-colored pebbled walkway which led to their front door. Debbie and Gary had done a marvelous job with that house after they’d moved in. For years, it had been owned by a wealthy widow named Sophia Cassidy who lived well below her means in hopes of hoarding as much money as she possibly could to take with her in the plain, pine casket she ultimately went off in. Apparently, her brother Clive and sole heir to her estate, since she was childless, saw the need to bury her in the most economical way, so there’d be plenty of millions left for him and his family’s bad spending habits. I was determined not to go down like Sophia, though my finances were chump change compared to what she’d inherited from her late husband, Jack’s oil company, before she sold it to some tycoon for double its worth.
The Andersons’ two-storey house was a light brown shade with two sets of tall, white, fluted columns in front. The tiled roof shingles further accentuated the beauty of the house, giving it an imperial look.
We stepped onto the porch and Nilla browsed and sniffed around the eastern corners and about. I pressed the doorbell.
Shortly thereafter, the front door swung open.
“Lucille! Please come in,” Debbie said.
She looked lovely in that pink and white cotton pants outfit she wore with dangling, white pearl earrings to match. I never saw her hair in a ponytail; always looked like she’d just stepped out of a salon. How she managed that, I have no clue. Maybe she had something against ponytails. They surely worked for me when I kept my hair long enough to pull into one.
Nilla and I stepped onto the shiny floor of the spacious living room. The place, as usual, was immaculate. For Debbie, it could be no other way. Gary once told me he thought she might be battling OCD, but to me, Debbie was just plain neat and tidy—in her appearance and her surroundings. I never understood why people think we need a special name for not being a slob.
Debbie was a frequenter of cruise ships and collected antiques from all over the world which now sat on the center and side tables of the room. There were at least fifteen in all, but I was sure more were in other parts of the house as well. Water globes, ceramic dolls—some which looked rather spooky, the likes of which I’d never let into my house—religious relics, etc.
“Nilla!” She stooped down and patted my girl’s silky fur. Yes, I say that with pride. Nilla’s tail wagged wildly. She liked Debbie a lot.
After offering me a seat and giving Nilla permission to roam about the floor, she asked, “How did it go today?”
“Not so good,” I said. “They haven’t released David and Merlene is beside herself.” I filled her in on everything.
“In your heart of hearts, do you really think he’s innocent?” she asked.
“Yes.” I nodded. “David’s a good boy.”
“I don’t have an opinion about his guilt or innocence, Lucille, but I just hope when it’s all said and done—when the truth comes out—David would’ve lived up to your expectations.”
That was my hope as well, particularly since my faith in him could cost me a pretty penny with Mickey on the case. But I didn’t tell her that.
A short time later, the lady I’d seen in the Andersons’ front yard the other day entered the room with a black shoulder bag. Nilla, who’d been busy chewing the edge of Debbie’s Oriental living room rug, immediately turned and started barking at the woman, as if she were a fierce enemy.
“Good afternoon,” she said, glancing my way, as she kept a good eye on Nilla, who was advancing toward her, then backing away, then advancing again. She was often suspicious whenever strangers came to my house, but she was going overboard a bit here. Perhaps, in that moment she’d forgotten she was in Debbie’s house and not ours. Nope! Nilla could just get biggity at times and appoint herself the boss of other people’s domains.
I hailed back.
“Nilla! Settle down!” I cried.
By then, Debbie had reached down and put her on her lap, but that did nothing to stop the barking.
“Mrs. Anderson, I’m going to leave now, if you don’t mind,” she said. “I’ve finished the kitchen cupboards, as you requested.”
“Thank you, Angela,” Debbie replied. “Before you go, I’d like to introduce to you my next door neighbor, Lucille, and her puppy, Vanilla.”
“It’s very nice to meet you again, Miss Lucille.”
“Again?” Debbie glanced at us both. “You two already met?”
“Yes, at the end of the yard when I was emptying the trash the other day,” Angela said.
“Yes indeed,” I affirmed. “I figured you were the newest addition to the Anderson family.”
Angela appeared slightly confused by the remark.
“I figured you were the new housekeeper,” I clarified. Didn’t want her to think I was insulting her.
“Yes! Yes!” she smiled.
“Angela’s working out quite well,” Debbie remarked, much to the woman’s obvious satisfaction.
“Nilla! Have some manners!” I yelled. She would not stop her barking.
“Well, I’d better be on my way.” Angela grinned nervously. “It was nice meeting you, Miss Lucille.”
“It was wonderful meeting you too, Angela.”
Nilla and I returned home shortly after Angela had left. I couldn’t understand Nilla’s harsh reaction both times to Angela, but I guess she had her reasons. Maybe she just didn’t like her.
I spent the remainder of the afternoon analyzing what I’d learned and trying to figure out how I would possibly get David out of this mess. Mickey Carey called around 6:00 p.m. for me to verify Merlene’s claim that I’d take care of the bill. He knew I was good for it, but he also knew I was no fool when it came to my money. He’d have to work his butt off for whatever was coming his way financially. The plan was for him to see David the next day and work on compiling enough information to plant doubt into any potential juror’s mind should the case go to court. Sounded good, but I wasn’t about to put David’s life—hook, line and sinker—in the hands of any lawyer; the stakes were just too high for that. At least with Mickey on the case, Merlene could have peace of mind, to some extent. My peace would only come when I’d dug into every ditch that held clear evidence of David’s innocence.
Sir Clement showed up in my room later that evening looking as stunning as ever. This time, he came bearing a gift. Of all things—a phone book.
With arms extended with the thick directory in hand, I said, “What’s this?”
I reached for it, but it fell through my hands, then disappeared.
“Why don’t you ever speak?” I frowned. “In the movies, some ghosts actually speak to people. What’s wrong with you?”
His eyes caught something on the bed, and I saw the phone book again, spread wide open in front of me. Lines and lines of names and their corresponding numbers didn’t bring me any closer to what he wanted to convey to me. “What?” I hoped Sir Clement would simply explain. Then, in a flash, the book was gone and he just stared. I really couldn’t be bothered.
Standing quietly at the foot of my bed, Sir Clement kept me company for a few more minutes before I pushed everything, except Nilla aside, and decided to go to sleep.
15
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Theodore’s car was a Mustang—fast and furious—and he kept it in spotless condition, especially with that fresh new coat of shiny, blue paint it got two weeks earlier. Theodore drove with an air of confidence and style as we headed to Pichton Pet Society’s second meeting of the month.
Nilla was in the backseat and quiet during the entire drive. Vehicular movement used to make her very nervous when she was younger, but the fear subsided over time.
“Thanks for coming with me,” I told Theodore. It was his day off and to think he chose to spend part of it with me, along with a group of Merlene’s favorite people was commendable. At any other time, I could have joked about that with Merlene, but understandably, she wasn’t in the very best mood as of late.
Theodore pulled into the parking lot of the Recreation Center on the Pichton property. Regular meetings were supposedly held there as opposed to where I’d attended the week before.
It was a large oval shaped facility with glass panels encircling the exterior. The moment we stepped inside, I understood why they called it the Recreation Center. The interior was sectioned off with dogs in one area—smaller and larger ones were further separated. Cats were in another area, caged birds and even snakes. Yes, snakes! There were toys for all the animals, fun mazes for them to play in and lots of other forms of entertainment. It was Animal Disneyland and I must admit, I was extremely impressed. To build and then run such a place was no cheap venture and I realized why so many high-society folks were involved. If I hadn’t already thought well of myself, I’d have probably felt like I wouldn’t have belonged there, even though nothing was ever too good for my Nilla.
She barked excitedly as she checked out a few of the other Shih Tzu that showed up with their owners and three Poodles that obviously found her quite interesting. Everyone seemed to be sniffing each other; I wondered what they all smelled. Nilla got to explore one of the mazes and Theodore laughed heartily as she seemed to be confused about midway as to which direction to take. He tried to coach her, but I don’t think she trusted Theodore to lead her in the right direction, especially after she knew she was responsible for biting those toes of his countless times. Theodore must’ve thought for a moment before volunteering his help that revenge is sweet!
“Lucille, I’m so glad you came!” Claire Fairweather approached our booth.
“It’s great to be here, Claire,” I said. It’s good that we were now on a first name basis.
She took my hand and led me aside. “How have you been keeping since the awful tragedy that night? We all thought what took place was horrible and it’s a shame it happened on your anniversary.”
“Yes, quite a shame.”
“Everything was going so well before that; we were all enjoying ourselves so much and then that happened. I wondered why that young lady ever came in the first place. She brought bad energy into the room the moment she showed up—not that she deserved such a fate, of course.”
Nodding, I replied, “Bad energy, for sure.”
I noticed her husband, Freddie, in the kitty section with some other people, looking my way a couple of times, but everytime I caught his stare, he turned away. Odd. I wouldn’t have thought he was at my party eating his belly full several nights ago if I hadn’t seen it with my own mind. I wondered where his manners ran off to. Montey Williams joined us in the middle of the discussion and he expressed his dismay regarding the incident.
They’d both heard of David’s arrest and clearly reserved their feelings pertaining to his guilt or innocence.
Eventually, within the hour and a half we spent there, everyone who was at the party that night came over to say hello. Everyone except, Jim Haygood, who was attending a Pet Welfare conference outside of the city and Freddie Fairweather, who’d kept his distance from me the entire time.
16
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As we drove back home, I pondered Sabrina’s death and all the possibilities there were surrounding it. Then Sir Clement and that darn phone book he mentally accosted me with the night before popped into my head. “Take me to the phone company!” I said to Theodore, along Route 61. He had to make a swift U-turn a few yards up. The car skidded, then glided like it was on thin air. It was obvious Theodore hadn’t gotten his license through the back door; he really knew how to drive!
Nilla had played herself into a comatose-like sleep after we’d left the Recreation Center. It was the first time she’d been around other dogs for quite some time. I always felt I had to protect her because she was so small.
I loved the concept of the Recreation Center and felt proud that day to be a part of something so dynamic, centered strictly around the welfare of animals. The years I’d spent with Nilla had given me a deep appreciation for all animals—even for the snakes some of the weirdos had brought along that day. The texture and hue of some of their skin, especially, the long, thick innocuous ones, was stunning. Of course, no one there knew that I could see anything other than darkness. They probably felt sorry for the blind, old lady who apparently couldn’t appreciate any of the cool stuff that was going on. I giggled at their ignorance, yet was grateful that I hadn’t been deprived. When I cared enough about being discreet, the
protection of my disability checks were kept at the forefront of my mind.
“You’re going to pay a bill or something?’ Theodore asked after making the turn.
“I’m going to see someone,” I replied. “A good friend.”
He was quiet for a moment.
“Don’t worry. I won’t be dreadfully long.” The need to assure him was evident, especially since he knew I was a talker. He probably shuddered at the thought that I’d rob him of an additional couple of hours he’d never get back.
“No problem at all, Miss Pfiffer.”
Theodore was a good guy—very masculine, but gentle at the same time. One day, he’d make a lucky woman a wonderful husband.
He dropped me off at the front door while he parked further off in an available spot on the left side of the main entrance.
I assured him I knew my way around and as always, took my cane for guidance, which thankfully, I didn’t really need at that point. Images were rolling across my mind like scenes on a TV screen. I saw the front door, people leaving and entering; and the security who greeted me warmly and asked if I needed assistance. He quickly went and got Glenda Risdal for me—the one person I’d come there to see.
“Lucille! How are you?” Glenda emerged shortly thereafter.
“I’m doing just fine, dear. And how are you? Lovely colors you’ve got on today.”
Oops! Again.
“I swear, Lucille, if I didn’t know you, I wouldn’t think for a second that you didn’t have twenty-twenty vision.” She grinned.
“Is that your way of avoiding the word blind, my wonderful, considerate Glenda? I’m quite comfortable with it, you know. No need to waste words and syllables like twenty-twenty.”
“You’re too much, Lucille,” she patted my shoulder. “What can I do for you today? Need to pay a bill?”
Lucille Pfiffer Mystery Series Box Set Page 9
