by Abby Deuel
It took a while but everyone had finally showered, dressed, and had breakfast. Mandy headed off first, leaving Gillian to get Hamish to school. Mandy would get the clinic chores done which wouldn't take that long since the bobcat had moved outside. Emma and Jimbo were happy to see a human. The weekends were so lonely for the cats who had grown accustomed to the hubbub of the clinic. With the cats fed and plants watered, Mandy fed the puppy just as Gillian was arriving.
"With the puppy doing so well, I think it's time that you give her a name," said Gillian.
"I suppose you are right. I chose Lyle's name after my favorite country singer. That man can sure write and sing a song. This little puppy needs a special name since she has a lot of legacy to live up to," said Mandy.
"Let's look at the meaning of names online. Do you have any on your short list?"
"Not really. Nothing seems to fit her. I don't like names that are too cutesy like Fluffy or Snowball. I want her to have a real name. A strong name," said Mandy.
"Let's try this backwards. What do you want it to mean and maybe we can find a name that seems right," said Gillian.
Mandy was holding the puppy who was starting to open her eyes. With the addition of a new sense, the puppy was displaying a whole new side of herself. She was mature beyond her years, an old soul perhaps. She didn't do all of the unnecessary squirming a normal puppy would do at this age. It was as if she knew her role in the world was to carry on Derek's dreams.
"To me, she seems to have a grace to her. I don't want to name her grace, though. I like two syllable words."
"Let's see. Names that mean grace are Hannah, Leanne, Tabitha, Anna," Gillian stopped talking and stared up at Mandy.
"That's perfect. She can be called Anna to let Derek and Anna live on. I love it. I think she needs a middle name," said Mandy.
"What goes with Anna for grace? Let's see. She was a blessing. What about names that mean blessing?"
"Ok, shoot," said Mandy.
"Elise, Gwen, Winnifred, Beatrice..."
"Beatrice. That's it. Anna Beatrice," said Mandy, holding up the newly named puppy so she could kiss her forehead. "That will be the perfect name to help start her new life with Lyle and I."
"I like it, too. Good work," said Gillian. The phone rang and Gillian ran up the front to get it.
Mandy decided to sit down at the computer and play with the name meaning tool that Gillian had been using. First, she looked up Mandy which meant 'worthy of love, loveable.' She decided not to become too psycho-analytical about that. Instead she typed in the name that had been driving her crazy, Cruadhlaoich. It meant 'hunch back.' She changed the functions of the name tool to look up other names that had the same meaning. Her jaw dropped. She called up to the front to tell Gillian she had to run an errand and would be back soon. She had her cell phone if Gillian needed to reach her.
Mandy got in the Jeep with Lyle and raced out to the sale yards. She was searching the premises for human life when someone tapped her on the shoulder.
"Looking for someone?" asked Nelson Crowley.
"I was just checking on the cows," said Mandy.
"We both know you are lying," said Mr. Crowley.
"Pardon?" asked Mandy.
"I have been watching you. You have figured it out. I have tried to destroy the evidence, so-to-speak. You are one stubborn thing, though. You take no hints nor will you go up in flames in your RV like you were supposed to," said Mr. Crowley.
"I have absolutely no idea what you are referring to," said Mandy.
"There's no use playing stupid. You are miles ahead of the law enforcement here. I knew that you had pieced it together when you asked Gerry not to let me leave town," said Mr. Crowley.
"I didn't ask him. I just mentioned that you were and he said that he would talk to you. I don't know anything," Mandy said, fumbling for her cell phone in her pocket.
"Not only do I not believe you but I can see your hand doing something in your pocket. You are up to no good. Put your hands out where I can see them. Better yet, I will duct tape them to this here post," said Mr. Crowley sternly. He proceeded to do exactly as he said, leaving Mandy completely helpless. "Now, let's see you do a better impression of a damsel in distress."
"I think this is all a misunderstanding," said Mandy.
"I don't. And now your time has come," said Mr. Crowley. He pulled a flask out of his inner coat pocket, producing a funnel out of his back pants pocket. "Don't worry. It won't hurt a bit. You'll never know what happened. And then I will put you under a cow and it will just look like a regular accident. It'll only take a few minutes. This brew is much stronger than what I used on Derek."
Mandy realized that playing stupid was getting her nowhere. She had had a hunch that it was Mr. Crowley behind Derek's death. Unfortunately, figuring out a murder did not grant a person immunity from being killed, particularly when the murderer had her duct taped to a post. It did not appear that there was anyway to get out of this. Her best shot was to try not to swallow. As Mr. Crowley put the funnel to her mouth, she bit down and wiggled as much as possible, trying to hurt him with the funnel. Her mouth was no match for his strength. He simply duct taped her torso to the post as well, rendering her at his mercy.
He pulled the funnel back to her mouth and proceeded to fill it with the contents of the flask. He blew in her nose to force her to swallow. It was morbidly ironic that a favorite trick of hers to make a cat swallow a pill might be what guaranteed her demise. She wished she had told Gillian where she was going and why. She had only meant to nose around to see if her suspicion was correct. She had no idea that Mr. Crowley had been following her, waiting for her to be on her own. Thank goodness she had taken Hamish to Anna's last night like Gillian had suggested.
She resisted ingesting as much of the horrible elixir as she could. It was impossible to avoid it all. As it hit her lips, she was expecting numbing of the lips or a foul aftertaste. There was nothing; it was completely tasteless. No wonder it was the perfect poison, she thought. It had been Derek that was in cahoots with Crowley in college. It was him in the picture in the chemistry club that she kept thinking looked familiar. He had stopped Crowley by ratting him out. The question was, how did Cruadhlaoich fake his own death and come back as Crowley? And how was it possible that Crowley had been in Crestview with a bunch of fallen cows. Did he orchestrate that or had it been a coincidence? She had to know. She had one final chance to find out before the chemical started to work against her. She knew she only had a few hours of life left. Crowley pulled the funnel away from her mouth, satisfied that enough of it had gone down her gullet.
"I have to know. Did you hurt your cows on purpose or is this all a coincidence?" asked Mandy.
"So now you are not playing innocent. I suppose you would like to know that and how I managed to come back as Crowley after Cruadhlaoich 'died'." Crowley said, grinning with self-importance.
Before Mandy could say anything more, her eyes rolled back into her head and the world went blank.
Chapter 40
Mandy gained consciousness to find a sharp pain coming from both of her arms. She felt cold and nauseous. Her abdomen felt like it had been repeatedly pummeled by something. Her mouth was dry and lips cracked. Her eyes focused to find Gillian offering her a cup of water with a straw.
"What on earth?" asked Mandy, after sucking down a few gulps of water.
"You are hooked up to everything we could think of. We made you vomit just like a dog that has eaten a toxin. You have two IV lines in each arm. Since we don't know what the chemical is, we don't know the antidote. We are just trying to flush you out. So far, I think we are winning," said Gillian.
"The last thing I remember was Crowley trying to kill me," said Mandy.
"He almost succeeded. To be honest, you are not out of the woods, yet. Doc Tom said you have to stay here for a week to be safe," said Gillian.
"That is ridiculous," said Mandy, trying to undo her IV lines.
"I knew you would be s
tubborn. We are all going to take shifts with you, making sure that you do not move from this bed, except if you need to pee," said Gillian. "You are one sick pup. The only thing that saved you is that you passed out cold. Otherwise, the poison would have worked through your body quicker, or at least that's Doc Tom's theory."
"And Crowley?" asked Mandy.
"He is in custody. He will not be seeing the light of day for a while, thanks to you," said Gillian.
"How did I get here?" asked Mandy.
"Well, sit back and let me tell you. I saw you dart out of the clinic, claiming to run an errand. I knew it was trouble since you are not to go anywhere alone right now. I figured it was something to do with the investigation since you ran out like that knowing that I would stop you. I immediately called Gerry who came to the clinic. We didn't know where you were headed so we checked your computer where you were last. First, we saw the picture of the chemistry club on your desktop. Gerry had a hunch that a very young Derek was in it which would have linked Cruadhlaoich to Derek. Then, we found the name meaning app you were looking at. We saw the last entry you put in was Cruadhlaoich which meant Crowley. We figured you were headed to the sale yards to test out your theory. We had no idea you were in so much danger and that we would get to you just in the knick of time. It was amazing and horrible all at once. Gerry thought quickly on his feet; he saw that you had already fainted so he was able to talk to Crowley without him protecting his prize. Crowley wouldn't budge so Gerry shot him in the ankle to keep him from running or hurting anyone else. As soon as Crowley fell to the ground, the backup that Gerry called arrived. They booked him and we loaded you up in the ambulance to bring you here," said Gillian, hardly taking a breath.
"I am still confused. How long have I been here?" asked Mandy.
"It's been twenty-four hours. You were in an induced coma to reduce the speed of uptake of any remaining chemical in your body. It was Doc Tom's idea. It might have saved your life. You certainly have no evidence of organ damage on your labs for today," said Gillian.
"My head is spinning," said Mandy.
"You should rest. We can answer all of your questions when you are better," said Gillian. "And, don't worry, I am feeding the puppy and watching Lyle for you. They wouldn't let her sit by your side until you were more alert. They didn't want Lyle to panic, though trying to keep her calm without you at my house is challenging, let me tell you."
"I bet," said Mandy, dozing off.
Chapter 41
"Hello," said Gerry, "How are you feeling?"
Mandy was in the no man's land between wake and sleep. Her brain was still foggy from her deep slumber. She could hear Gerry talking to her and was trying to form a sentence to answer him.
"Hmmm. Sleepy," said Mandy.
"I imagine. You've been out for a good few hours," said Gerry. "Doc Tom says you are improving and might get out of here soon."
"That's good news. Can you tell me more about what happened?" asked Mandy, thinking more coherently.
"Sure. What don't you know?" asked Gerry.
"How did Cruadhlaoich manage to come back as Crowley? And was it just a coincidence that Crowley was in town and saw Derek or had he planned this whole thing?" asked Mandy.
"You are thinking much more clearly. Good questions. Let's see. Cruadhlaoich had faked his own death. He created the explosion as any good chemist could achieve with minimal effort. He staged it so that he was believed to be in the rubble. Authorities were unable to find a body nor did they find anything as the explosion was rather large and destructive. He never resurfaced as Cruadhlaoich so it was concluded that he had passed in the explosion. Wait, it gets better," said Gerry.
"I'm listening," said Mandy.
"He then re-invented his life all those years ago. It's surprisingly not that difficult to do. He generated all of his own paperwork and became Nelson Crowley. He put his past behind him, marrying and having children. The cows that you saw had genetics that had been in his wife's family for generations. He told his wife that he was an orphan and she never suspected a nasty chemical engineering past. It was all a shock to her and Barth when we booked him for the murder of Derek. As far as the stock truck accident, that was purely a coincidence," said Gerry.
"What a terrible coincidence. He may never have killed Derek," Mandy said.
"Yep. Instead, Crowley happened to see Derek at the general store in town," said Gerry. "Derek recognized him and invited him out to his farm. Crowley couldn't risk that Derek tell anyone the truth about his past so he got rid of him. As he says, it would have been the perfect murder since Larry and I were suspecting suicide and no one knew anything about the chemical or his past life as Cruadhlaoich. You were the only thing standing in the way. Crowley tried to send you off the path but you wouldn't budge. He gave you that warning when he almost hit you with his car."
"That was him?" asked Mandy.
"Indeed. When that didn't work, he tried to kill you in an accidental RV fire. You just wouldn't disappear, his words, not mine," said Gerry.
"Wow. That is almost unbelievable. I knew there was more to Derek and Maggie's death. I just knew it," said Mandy. "It makes me feel better that Derek didn't take his own life. It doesn't bring him back, though."
"True. It is a gentle reminder to be sure to be a friend to people you don't even think need one," said Gerry.
"At least there are two survivors, me and the puppy, I mean Anna Beatrice. Speaking of her, how is she? Who has her?" asked Mandy.
"Gillian has it all covered for you. Rhonda helps out with the puppy, too. Both her and Lyle are doing just fine. You are to concentrate on getting well," said Gerry.
"Oh, thank them for me. And thank you for staying to watch me," said Mandy.
"My shift is during the day. Mrs. Bouvier has the next shift. She is all abuzz with how this has unfolded. She has the word all over town that Mandy cracked the case again, much to Larry's dismay," said Gerry.
"I bet. I have to get better and quick. This week is the closing...." Mandy paused.
"Closing? On what?" asked Gerry.
"Um, it was supposed to be a secret. Fat chance of one of those in Crestview. OK, you are going to find out soon. I have bought Derek's house and land. It turns out that I am going to stay in Crestview a while," said Mandy.
"That is the best news I've heard in a while. What will you do with Anna's house?" asked Gerry.
"I am giving it to Gillian and Hamish. They could use some more room. I think Anna meant to give it to them but she had to lure me here first. It's all worked out for the best," said Mandy.
"I'll say. Who knows about this?" asked Gerry.
"Only Gillian and Hamish. I have been keeping it a secret. I planned to announce it at the pavilion opening," said Mandy.
"I can respect that. I will keep my lips sealed. I am thrilled, to say the least," said Gerry.
"Thanks. I appreciate it. How is the pavilion coming along? Are they still going ahead with it now that the gesture is from a tainted donor?" asked Mandy.
"It was all paid for and done. So it is going ahead. Adam and Alex have done a tremendous job. It will be ready for the celebration tomorrow, if you are up to it. We can wheel you out to be there," said Gerry. "We couldn't wait any longer than that because Barth has to head home with his cows but he wanted to be here."
"So the cows are better?" asked Mandy.
"They are all good to go. We had a vet from another town come to give them the transport certificates without you having to be bothered. Poor Barth. He is slightly embarrassed by all of this. He wanted to honor the town for everything it did, even if that involved arresting his father. That poor family has some mending to do," said Gerry.
"Very true. They have had the shock of the century," said Mandy. "I think I would like to try going to the pavilion opening. I can't be that much of an invalid. I will go completely crazy being tied to this bed."
"We figured as much. We will get it figured out so you can be there. For now, see if you c
an get some more rest," said Gerry.
"Thanks for everything," said Mandy. "I know I have made a good choice to stay here."
"Shhh. Mrs. Bouvier is coming around the corner. She has better hearing than a hunting dog when it comes to gossip," said Gerry.
Mrs. Bouvier appeared at the doorway. "Good afternoon. I see that you are awake. How are you feeling?" asked Mrs. Bouvier.
"I'm pretty exhausted still, but feeling more coherent," said Mandy.
"I will leave you girls to it. Don't talk her ear off, Mrs. Bouvier. She needs to rest to join the celebration tomorrow," said Gerry as he was heading out the door.
Chapter 42
Mandy spent the rest of the day and night resting, waking only to eat and drink. Her body was recovering but she could sense that rest was the main treatment needed. It was so unlike her to do as she was told, especially if the doctor's orders were to rest. However, in this case, she had seen the alternative journey that Derek and Maggie had taken; she had no plans of joining them. Her life was finally showing a promising pathway and she had every intention of following it.
Mrs. Bouvier was surprisingly quiet during her shift through the night. She must have been tired, too. The next shift was taken by Gillian. Since the clinic was closed, Gillian had no reason to sit in an empty building. To lift Mandy's spirits, Gillian sought approval to bring Lyle and the puppy into the hospital to visit their recovering mother. Doc Tom allowed it since he knew he would fight a losing battle to not grant the recently confirmed hero of the town her visitation rights. There were no other patients in the rural health hospital to object to the breech in protocol. Crestview was too small of a town to have a big, fancy hospital. Instead, it was a small clinic-type building with exam rooms on one side and a few beds for patients on the other. More serious cases were transferred to the major hospital in the area. Doc Tom ran more of a triage clinic than a full-scale hospital.
