He then looked at Mira and me, and walked back over. “What is it?” I asked.
“It’s a sketched-out map with directions...to Merlene’s house,” he said. “And behind it is the name and number of a contact. I’ll have to check this out.”
He walked into the hallway and got an assistant at the police station on the phone. “Check out the name Willie Clint Johnson and let me know if he owns a white sedan,” I heard him say. A couple of officers were over there speaking to David and his father who were having a shouting match.
“Thanks, Melba,” Cooke said about a minute later.
He approached one of his officers. “Arrest him.” He pointed to David’s father.
The officer promptly went and cuffed the guy.
“What are you arresting me for?” Roy asked, almost innocently. “You can’t believe any of this nonsense you heard! I would never cause any harm to my son’s mother.”
Cooke walked up to him. “Roy Bostwick, you’re accused of the attempted murder of your ex-wife Merlene Bostwick and conspiracy to commit murder. You better hope Merlene pulls through or you’ll be up on a murder charge.”
Roy protested all the way out the door, but I knew he was just spewing hot air. My hope was for the day Merlene would face him in court and give him a good piece of her mind, before they lock him up and throw away the key. At least, I wished they would.
We were able to calm David down as much as possible. He was in disbelief for a good while that his father had actually done such a horrible thing to his mother. Yet, he was thankful that despite his dad’s greatest efforts, Merlene survived.
We drove back to the hospital and I hoped I’d get to see Merlene. She was not awake, but we were allowed to go in and see her for a few minutes. As she lie there battered and bruised, I held her hand and told her how happy I was that she was back and I promised not to annoy her, at least for a while. I’d hoped for a smile to emerge through that unconscious state, but it wasn’t the case.
“As soon as you’re better, you, me and Nilla are going to make that trip to England like we talked about, okay? Instead of one week, we’ll stay for two. It’ll be a belated present for your birthday.”
David tried to restrain the tears and found himself pacing within the small confines of the room. I could only imagine how terribly difficult all of this was for him, and I was glad to have him there with me instead of locked in a jail cell. I was sure Roy was going to get what he deserved and I wanted David to be just as confident about it as I was. A short while later, a nurse came in and we were told it was time to leave. David gave his mom one last kiss before we left, then we all walked slowly out of the hospital. It had been a long, stressful day and we were all exhausted.
The drive back to my house was a quiet one. Mira had leaned her head against the window and closed her eyes for part of the drive. I was proud of each one of them as they all did their part to help bring Merlene home. I was especially grateful to Mira Cullen for the incredible insight she had which proved to be the answer to our prayers. Without her and her collaboration with Sir Clement, Merlene would’ve surely died and we may never have found her body.
“Let me ask you something,” I said to Mira. “If Roy wanted Merlene dead in order to collect the insurance money, why in the world would he let those guys leave her so far into the forest? Her body wouldn’t have been easily found—if it ever was—which means Roy might’ve had to wait at least seven years before he collected a single penny.”
Without moving her head away from the window, Mira calmly said, “That’s what you get when you hire amateurs.”
David shook his head.
Before hopping into his car that was parked in my yard, David went over to Mira and thanked her profusely for what she’d done. He hugged her tightly and kissed her on the cheek.
“You brought my mom back for her birthday,” he said. “I’ll forever be grateful to you.”
“I’m honored to have helped.” She smiled. “I’m sure your mom is an amazing woman.”
“She surely is.” I chimed in.
“So, how long will you be in town?” David asked her. “I’d love to take you to a nice restaurant before you go. Everyone can come.” He glanced my way.
“I’d like that, David. Now that everything’s settled, I’ll try to leave tomorrow evening on the five o’clock flight, so I think we’d have time for lunch.”
“Perfect! I’ll come by at one o’clock.”
Later that night after dinner, I knocked on the door of the guest room and Mira invited me in. She was folding some clothes and putting them away in her carry-on.
“I wish you were staying a bit longer so that we could take you on a tour of the city and show you some fun attractions,” I said, taking a seat at the edge of her bed.
“I would’ve loved that, Lucille. It’s so kind of you, but I really must get back home. My departure was sort of abrupt and…”
“I’m sure your family misses you already,” I said.
She smiled, then sat down next to me. “I just hung up the phone from my daughter Rosie. She’s a teenager now and has sooo much going on. It’s amazing how busy these young people are.”
“You speak as if you’re my age,” I said.
She laughed.
“You know what, Lucille…” she patted my hand, “I hope I live to be your age. It would surely be a blessing and I also hope I’m at least half of the woman you are by then.”
I was truly touched. “What a kind thing to say, even though I’m not sure why you hold me in such high regard.”
“When I look at you I see strength; passion for the welfare of your loved ones and loyalty. I can’t say that I’ve ever met anyone like you before.”
“And neither have I met anyone quite like you.” I gently squeezed her hand.
“So, what have you decided to do about your other guests?” she asked.
I sighed. “Now that Merlene’s safe, I have to take care of the matter. The more I think about it, the more I agree that what they’re proposing should be done. If I was in their shoe, I would be angry as hell too. In fact, I might’ve retaliated first and negotiated later.”
Mira chuckled.
“No, I’m serious! Those Indians have been terribly mistreated. They’d been robbed of everything—their land, their loved ones and their very own lives. It’s wrong and people in charge of this city must make things right.”
“Well, you know, with every good deed, there’s going to be opposition, so be ready for it,” she noted.
“You’re right—and I’m ready for it.”
I was never the type of person to back down from a challenge even if I was afraid. I was thinking a good place to start would be to pay the new governor a visit. Gerrard Macombe was recently appointed as the new Chadsworth governor after his predecessor Baltram Fuller had been incarcerated for his role in the conspiracy involving Sir Clement Tucker’s land. But on second thought, maybe Mayor Terrance Bradley, a straight-shooter at the mouth, might be willing to at least hear me out. He had a reputation for being sort of a tough, abrasive-type character and many people seemed to regret casting their vote in his direction. But I personally hadn’t met him before and felt an inner nudge to pay him a visit and keep the governor on standby.
“I’m sure you’ll do whatever must be done,” Mira said. “Would you give me a call and let me know how it went?”
“Sure thing.” I smiled. “Well, I won’t keep you. You’ll do well with a good night’s rest after all that’s happened. There’s a good chance I’ll be in dreamland as soon as my head hits the pillow.”
I got up and headed for the door.
“Good night, Lucille.”
“Good night, angel,” I replied.
Well…to me, she was an angel—one I was blessed to have met and will never forget.
11
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I didn’t tell David anything, but I’d ordered a birthday cake to be delivered to Rissio’s Bistro wh
ere we all would be going for lunch. Although Theodore and Anthony had to work that day, they agreed to meet there at one-fifteen. We figured we’d make it both a treat for Mira before she left and also a celebration of Merlene’s birthday. It was a pity Merlene couldn’t have been there to eat her own cake, but I was intent on enjoying it, nonetheless.
I made a change of plans with David for him to come and pick up Mira and me that morning so that we could accompany him to the hospital to see Merlene. Then we were going to squeeze in some time to show Mira around Chadsworth a bit before heading to the restaurant. David thought it was a splendid idea.
When we walked into Merlene’s hospital room with a large bouquet of flowers attached to strings of multicolored balloons, we were all pleased to find her wide awake. She smiled slightly when she saw us; I figured her face still hurt after the assault.
“Happy Birthday!” we all exclaimed simultaneously, then we quietly sang the Birthday song to her.
Her eyes welled up with tears and David went over and gently hugged and kissed his mom. Mira and I stood next to her bed.
“You look beautiful,” I said to Merlene as I held her hand. I almost choked saying it, but I was trying to be nice, considering the circumstances.
“You’re such a bad liar,” Merlene retorted in her weakened state. “I look like hell. Don’t you think I know that?”
David looked at Mira and smiled. “They’re at it already,” he said. “This is the nature of their relationship.”
Mira giggled.
Looking at her strangely, Merlene asked, “Who are you?”
“This is Doctor Mira Cullen, Mom,” David said. “We couldn’t have found you without her.”
“A doctor that works here helped you find me?” Merlene was obviously confused.
“Allow me to clarify,” I told David. “Merlene, Doctor Cullen doesn’t work here although she’s an actual medical practitioner. She’s also a psychic and she flew down here from Mizpah to help us find you.”
“Really?” Merlene asked.
“Yes, really,” I replied.
“Thank you, Doctor Cullen,” she told Mira. “I’m indebted to you.”
“I’m happy we found you, Merlene, and that you’re safe and sound now,” Mira said. “I’m sorry you have to spend your birthday in hospital though.”
“I guess it’s better than spending it dead,” Merlene replied. She then looked at me. “So, what happened to the police? Wasn’t it their job to find me?”
“It’s a long story,” I said. “We’ll talk about it later, okay?”
She barely managed to suck her teeth.
Merlene shared that she was feeling some pain, but it was manageable and the meds were helping. From the extent of our conversation, it was obvious that she had no idea why she was attacked and left for dead, neither that her ex-husband Roy was the mastermind behind it. And with clear, private gestures between us, David and I thought it best not to mention it to her until she was all better. I figured I’d let her know the part Sir Clement played in her survival when the time was right. Maybe that would soften the blow of learning what Roy had done, if only a tad.
We stayed with Merlene as long as we were permitted to do so and David told her he’d be back later that evening during regular visiting hours. What a relief it was for us knowing she was going to be all right and a full recovery was expected!
Mira enjoyed the little city tour we gave her and David pointed out a few monuments that had been erected for certain key players in Chadsworth’s colorful history. I couldn’t help but feel another monument that might not be so popular among Chadsworthian residents should stand amidst the others.
I was surprised to see the boys had arrived at Rissio’s Bistro before the rest of us did and we got there at least ten minutes early. Theodore and Anthony had ordered two beers and were sitting at the long, rectangular table shooting the breeze and eyeing the waitresses in those light pink miniskirts. At least I knew Theodore was eyeing them, for sure. The boys asked about Merlene the minute we sat down and were glad to know she was conscious and recovering.
Since it was Merlene’s birthday, we all agreed beforehand that we wouldn’t bring up anything that had to do with her abduction and assault as we wanted the occasion to be a light-hearted one, especially for David and Mira. I cracked a few jokes about Merlene and knew she’d kill me if she ever dreamed I’d shared them with everyone. I sort of felt like I had to make up for lost time and this was the perfect opportunity for it—until Merlene was discharged from the hospital and had gathered her strength.
Mira laughed so much that she literally cried when she heard me reveal some of Merlene’s embarrassing moments. It was wonderful to see David so cheerful too, although I knew he struggled with the anger he had in his heart for his father. All-in-all, Mira got to see what a mixed-up bunch we were, but also the love we had for each other—a familial bond that had nothing to do with blood relation.
Around three-o’clock, David and I took Mira to the airport so that she would be there early enough to check-in for her five o’clock flight. Theodore and Anthony got to give her a nice, big hug before we left the restaurant and I know that Theodore, especially, was in his glory.
After parking in front of the airport, David exited the vehicle and grabbed Mira’s luggage from the trunk. I stepped out and Mira and I hugged for the last time.
“Thanks again for all you’ve done and take care of yourself,” I said.
“Thank you, Lucille.” She smiled. “I hope we meet again sometime—under better circumstances, of course.”
“I wish the same. Have a pleasant flight, my dear.”
David carried Mira’s luggage into the airport and she waved goodbye as he was returning to the car.
I blew her a kiss and forever wished her well in my heart.
12
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After the boys went to bed that night, Nilla joined me downstairs in the sitting room. I wasn’t sleepy and decided I’d had enough of the sleeping pills. Guess I wanted to just sit back and think for a while. Goodness knows, there was so much still to think about.
We had been curled up on the couch for approximately fifteen minutes when Sir Clement appeared in the center of the room. He was a sight that I could never get tired of seeing.
I got up and walked over to him. “I’m so happy you came,” I said. “Before seeing you in the forest, I thought you’d moved on for good.”
As was the norm in days gone by, he stood quietly with that impenetrable gaze in his gorgeous eyes.
“Thank you, Sir Clement, for saving Merlene. Without you, she wouldn’t have survived.”
“Without you, she wouldn’t have survived,” he calmly replied. “It was your love for her that sent me to her and Mira to me.”
I was amazed by his response and could never get enough of that hypnotic voice of his that I’d rarely heard since making his acquaintance.
“I want you to know that time is of the essence…” he went on, “…as the patience of our fellow brothers and sisters who inhabit this land even in death is running out. I will mollify them for as long as I can.”
I nodded with what I believed was a clear understanding of what he meant.
“How much time do I have?”
It seemed like a long time before he responded. “Eight days.”
“Eight days? They’re giving me eight days to have a monument erected? That’s ludicrous!” I was in utter disbelief.
“Eight days for the authorities to agree to their demands,” he clarified.
“Why eight, though? Is it some kind of a magic number?”
“Eight days from now will mark the anniversary of their enslavement. A negative response will incite their rage and there will be no stopping them.”
I was puzzled. “Why now? Haven’t years and years of that particular anniversary already passed? What makes this year so special?”
“This is the first year that my murder is no longer unsolved.
I had precedence with you only because they graciously allowed it since it was just one of me and so many of them. We all suffered and we all felt each other’s misery.”
Well, that surely explained it. I suddenly realized how important my mission was to both Sir Clement and the Indians. I had no idea how this would turn out, but I was going to give it my all with the hopes that my house and this neighborhood didn’t go up in flames because of bullheaded politicians.
* * *
I was able to get an appointment to see Mayor Bradley within two days. I put the best version of my sweet, innocent self forward and was able to convince his secretary, Edna, that my request to see the mayor was extremely urgent.
I’d caught a cab down there that Wednesday morning since the boys were working and David had returned to work as well. Old Pedro, the cab driver, parked and waited until I was finished with what business I had in the busy city building.
“Wastes of space like these structures are where all my tax money goes,” I murmured before arriving at the reception desk. There was no need, in my opinion, to use an excessive amount of square footage, which meant an excessive amount of money would have to be spent on these government buildings. Not that they were ever properly maintained anyway after millions went down the drain.
“May I help you, ma’am?” the well-dressed lady asked at the desk.
“Good morning, dear. I have a ten-thirty appointment with the mayor,” I replied, smiling. “The name’s Lucille Velma Abigail Pfiffer.
She checked her thick, red register as I glanced over at the three uniformed police officers standing in the foyer. I hadn’t really noticed them when I first walked in with my nice, little cane probably because my mind was on the fact that I had no idea what I would say to the mayor when I actually got to see him. Mind you, I knew what I wanted to say, but I couldn’t possibly tell him the reason for my request was due to the fact that I was threatened by a bunch of angry ghosts in my home.
Lucille Pfiffer Mystery Series (Books 4 - 6) Page 7
