Serenity

by Dixie Land

  When the excitement was over, Maggie went back to Mildred’s desk to pick up her purse and leave to meet Ross for lunch.

  “Oh yes,” Mildred said. “I was supposed to tell you. Ross called from the sandwich shop to see where you were. I filled him in on our emergency but said it shouldn’t be much longer. He said he’d wait there for you.”

  “Thanks, Mildred. Now, if you’ll get me my purse, I’ll be on my way. I’ll try to be back within thirty minutes.” Mildred looked around her. “I don’t have your purse, Maggie.”

  “But I asked you to put it in your file cabinet for me. I left it on your desk when I went out to Matt.” She could feel her blood pressure rising. She forced herself to take a deep breath.

  “I’m sorry, Maggie, I didn’t hear you. I was so intent on Sarah.” Mildred looked around her desk area then checked her file drawer. “Nothing here. Oh Maggie, I’m so sorry,” she repeated. They both looked about Mildred’s office and the waiting room. The purse was nowhere to be found!

  Maggie felt faint. She sank into Mildred’s desk chair. “I can’t believe this,” she murmured. “Who was in the waiting room?”

  The picture of the stranger from the church flashed into Maggie’s mind, and her heart sank even lower. Had there been a stranger in the office today? She couldn’t even recall who was there when she went with Sarah. She had been so concerned for Matt. Was she being paranoid now? She hoped so. But so much had happened lately. No, she couldn’t give in to this suspicion. Surely the purse would turn up. She couldn’t believe that any of their patients would stoop so low, as to knowingly take it. Ross, she had to see Ross. He’d help her sort this out.

  Mildred looked alarmed. “Maggie,” she said, shaking her shoulder gently. “Maggie, you’re as white as fresh snow. Do I need to call Doc for you?”

  “No, Mildred. I’ll be all right. I need to see Ross.” She rose and walked to the clinic door before stopping. “I don’t have keys for my car.”

  “I’ll call down to the sandwich shop and ask Ross to pick you up, honey,” Mildred offered, lifting the receiver.

  “He’s going to think I’m a fool,” her whisper audible only to herself. To Mildred, she managed a faint, “Thanks.”

  A few minutes later, Ross pulled up in front of the clinic. Maggie ran out and got into his car. “Oh, Ross, you aren’t going to believe what I’ve done.”

  “What have you done, Maggie?” he asked with exaggerated drama.

  “I’ve lost my purse! And, with it, the check, my keys, everything!”

  “That’s not a funny joke, Maggie.” One look at her, and his expression became as grave as hers. “You aren’t kidding, are you?”

  “I wish I were.”

  How?”

  Maggie quickly relayed the details of the last thirty-five minutes. “Mildred’s calling the few people who were still in the waiting room when Sarah came in to see if they can shed any light on what happened.”

  “Well, in the meantime, I think it might be wise to notify Calvin Whitton. The best course of action would probably be to ask him to stop payment on that check immediately and issue you another.”

  “You’re right, of course. But I feel so totally stupid having to call and tell him that I barely kept track of it for an hour.”

  “Do you want me to call for you?” he offered.

  “No. I’m the one who lost it. I’ll do it myself. And, I need to do it now. Let’s go back to my apartment, and I’ll get my other set of car keys. Uh-oh. If Charlie or Caroline aren’t home I can’t even get into my apartment.”

  “Let’s go by and see, Maggie.”

  Maggie hadn’t noticed that Ross had pulled away from the curb and was already halfway there. When he reached the Kellers’ house, he pulled into the driveway. Charlie’s car was gone.

  “I’ll ring the bell. Caroline may be at home,” Maggie said, opening her car door. She stepped to the door and rang several times. No one answered. Maggie got back into the car looking dejected.

  Ross said, “Let’s go to the drugstore and get the number from information. You can talk to Mr. Whitton from there. I’ll keep Lil occupied, so you have privacy.”

  “Okay,” she said, glancing at her watch. “I hope he’s in the office today and not at lunch or tied up in court. That would be just my luck, the way this day is going.”

  When they reached the drugstore, Ross asked Lil to help him in the stock room and closed Maggie in the pharmacy. She got the number from information but decided to check with Mildred before dialing Mr. Whitton.

  “I wish I had some good news for you, Maggie, but I don’t,” Mildred told her as soon as she heard Maggie’s voice. “The only folks who were still here were Bea Anderson and Cletus Baker, and neither of them saw anything. Bea said she was so busy watching the goings on and the paramedics carting Matt out of here that she didn’t pay any attention to anything else. And then Cletus, being a man and all, just said, ‘Nope, didn’t see nothin’.”

  It was a relief to know that those two were the only ones in the office at the time, at least as far as Mildred knew. “Thanks. I’ll be back as soon as I make one more call, Mildred. Bye.”

  She broke the connection then dialed Calvin Whitton’s number. Her heart raced as she waited. When the receptionist answered, she told Maggie that Calvin Whitton wasn’t in but was expected to be back by mid-afternoon.

  Maggie’s spirits took another nose-dive. “It’s crucial that I speak with him. Would you please ask him to contact me as soon as he comes in?”

  “I will. Please give me a number where you can be reached.”

  Maggie gave her the number for the clinic, as well as the number at her apartment, should it be late when he returned the call.

  …

  When Maggie entered the clinic, Mildred was all smiles. “I tried to reach you at the sandwich shop and the pharmacy. Lil said you were on your way back here. Good news! I’ve had a call from the paramedic services, and they have your purse. They picked it up with some of their stuff, it bein’ black and all.”

  “Hallelujah!” Maggie sank down into a waiting room chair.

  “They’re gonna drop it by on their way back through town. They said they thought it would be sometime before five,” she said glancing at her watch.

  …

  By 4:45 P.M.Maggie had her purse back, and, other than her billfold being unsnapped, nothing else seemed to have been disturbed. The check was still in the envelope it had been mailed in. She breathed a deep sigh of relief.

  She called Ross to let him know that another disaster had been averted. Then, since she hadn’t heard from Mr. Whitton, she called his office and told his secretary she no longer needed to speak with him.

  …

  Their evening was devoted to wedding plans. Even a small, simple event often turns out to be more complicated as one actually gets into making the arrangements. Theirs was no exception. Caroline would hear of no one other than herself baking the wedding cake. Carl and his wife had offered to cater the small reception that was growing by the day as the word spread of the pending marriage. As patients were seen and conversation turned to the marriage, Maggie found herself inviting one after another.

  Ross and Maggie stayed after the church service the previous Sunday to go over the chapel arrangements with Reverend Townlee. At that time, Maggie asked Marion Townlee to play the organ.

  “That sounds lovely,” Marion had said, when they gave her their selections. “I’ve always thought ‘The Gift of Love’ one of the most appropriate, and you could never make a better choice than ‘The Lord’s Prayer’.”

  They stopped by Reverend Townlee’s home briefly this Sunday evening. As they rose to leave, he said, “So you think there’ll be about forty guests, give or take a few, is that right?”

  “Oh, no. I don’t think that is right,” Maggie said. Let’s see; there are my two aunts, of course, and Charlie, Caroline and Lil. Then, there’s Bobby Hensley, our ring bearer and his parents. Matt wants to come if
he’s up to it, but Sarah says she’ll be there either way. Add Doc, Kathryn and Mildred, plus the patients. I’ve invited at least thirty, so far, along with their families.”

  Ross interrupted, “You’ve been inviting patients? I’ve invited a few folks when they came in down at the drugstore, too.”

  By the time they had finished the tally, to date there were over one hundred and twenty guests. “And that’s with almost a week to go.” Ross couldn’t suppress a grin.

  “I guess there’s no such thing as a small, intimate wedding in a small, intimate community like Serenity,” Maggie chimed in.

  “It looks that way,” Ross said. “We’re all something of a family, so it’s hard to leave anyone out when you start making guest lists, isn’t it?”

  “You’re right about that. And from the way things are going, I think this affair is going to keep growing,” Reverend Townlee added. “But, where are we going to put everyone for the reception? This isn’t summer weather where we can spill over into the churchyard.”

  “Now don’t you bother yourself about that,” Marion chided. “You just leave that part to the women. We’ll manage. There’s always room for one more when there’s a happy occasion bein’ blessed by the Lord.”

  “You’re right as usual, my dear,” her husband said, winking at Ross. Then to Ross he added, “You’d better memorize that line, son. And do it soon, because it will serve you well and often in the years to come.”

  When Ross and Maggie left the Townlee’s, they drove to Maggie’s. “Before we go upstairs, I think I should stop in and let Caroline know how this event is growing.”

  Charlie let them in. They sat around the kitchen table as they chatted.

  “My idea is to bake a four-tier wedding cake and a couple of large pan cakes, too. I’ll decorate them all the same, and that should be plenty,” Caroline said as if she were thinking out loud. “I already have the tiers in the freezer, but I still have the flat cakes to bake. I’ll do all the decorating early Friday.”

  “That sounds wonderful. What would I do without you two and Lil?” Maggie asked.

  “It’s our pleasure, Maggie. Lil and I have been talking every day at least twice. You don’t need to worry. Everything’s under control.”

  “I know, Caroline. But we do need to give Carl and Irene an accurate count.”

  “I’ll take care of that too, honey. You don’t need to worry yourself about it.”

  …

  Ross and Maggie left and started across the lawn to Maggie’s apartment. “Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. My aunts are planning to fly now instead of drive, and I’m relieved. Aunt Clara says she can’t do all the driving on such a long trip. And, Aunt Em is getting cataracts, so she doesn’t trust her behind the wheel. They’ll fly into the Raleigh-Durham airport on Friday, around noon. That means we have to find someone to pick them up.”

  “Why don’t I go up? It would be a good chance to try to convince them that a pharmacist is every bit as honorable as that doctor they were so enamoured with.”

  Maggie burst out laughing. “You just landed yourself the job as chauffeur.”

  …

  On Tuesday evening as Ross started out his front door to spend the evening with Maggie, his phone rang. He was tempted not to answer then thought better of it. When he heard the voice on the other end of the line, he wished he’d followed his first instinct.

  ChapterTwentySix

  his is a warning. Don’t try to go through with your wedding plans. It will never take place. Never!” The caller hung up.

  The male voice had been very muffled as if the speaker portion of the phone was covered with something thick. It made identifying the caller’s voice impossible. Ross lifted the receiver again and pressed *69 to see where the call had originated even though he expected it would be an exercise in futility. It was!

  Ross took his wallet out of his pocket. He removed Kevin Williams’ business card, picked up the phone and dialed his home number. The phone rang several times. Just as he was about to give up on Kevin, he heard his voice.

  “Kevin. This is Ross Harrington.”

  “Yes, Ross. What can I do for you?” Kevin’s tone was pleasant.

  “I don’t suppose you called me just a few minutes ago,”

  “No, Ross. I didn’t, but I had planned to call this evening. I just walked in the door as the phone was ringing. What can I do for you?”

  “Oh? Why were you going to call me?” Ross was curious, and what a change in Kevin’s attitude since their meeting in Raleigh.

  “I talked with Michael, as I promised. I think I got through to him that he needs to forget about Maggie and get on with his life, that she isn’t the answer to his problems. I’m still working with him and the IRS. I’ve told him he has to stay on the straight and narrow if he wants me to continue representing him. I don’t think you’ll hear anything more out of him. Would you pass that on to Maggie for me, please?”

  “Thanks, Kevin. I will.” They hung up.

  Ross lifted the receiver for the third time and dialed information in Alexandria, Virginia. He asked for Michael Kerns’s number. He waited. Perhaps when Michael answered the phone there would be something in his voice that Ross might recognize from the call he’d had minutes before. He knew the chance was slim. Still, it was worth the try.

  The operator came on the line. “I’m sorry, sir. That is an unpublished number.”

  Dead-end! Ross hung the receiver up, picked up his car keys and left his house. Though he’d promised no more secrets, he decided not to worry Maggie with the threatening call. She’d had enough concerns lately without adding this one. He couldn’t help but wish he had the call on tape. Ah well, what he must do now is be very alert and watchful of any strangers who arrive on the scene, and he’d definitely stay close to Maggie. Perhaps he should talk to Charlie so he could keep his eyes open too. And, he’d take no chances. He was going to bring Sheriff Barton in on this.

  …

  By Wednesday, when Ross still had no word from Duke, he toyed with the idea of calling the lab directly. By noon, he still hadn’t made the call. He planned to have lunch with Maggie at her apartment. She had taken two weeks vacation starting today. Ryan Johnson had moved to Serenity and started full time with him this past Monday freeing Ross up to be out of the pharmacy as much as needed.

  “I won’t be back unless you call me,” Ross told Ryan as he took his lab jacket off. “You can reach me at Maggie’s. Her number’s on my Rolodex.”

  Ryan looked up from his work. “Enjoy yourself. We’ll be just fine here. Hey, isn’t that why you hired me?”

  Ross had his hand on the doorknob when the phone rang. Ross hesitated for a moment until Ryan picked up. As Ross opened the door to leave, Ryan held up his index finger and motioned Ross to wait.

  “Ross, can you take this call before you leave?” He asked, holding the receiver against his chest. “It’s a woman. She says her name is Melanie, and that it’s important.”

  Ross stepped back through the door and reached for the receiver. “Hello, Mel. What’s up? Have you heard anything, yet?”

  “As a matter of fact, that’s what I was calling about. I just heard from Duke in my morning mail. Do you have yours yet?”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t had a chance to check the mail at the house today. What does it show?”

  “Can you meet me?”

  Ross was silent

  “Even half-way? I’ll come halfway, Ross. We could meet in Pittsboro.”

  “Why, Mel? Why can’t we talk about it on the phone?”

  “Because, there’s something I have to explain, Ross. And, something I have to warn you about.”

  ChapterTwentySeven

  oss and Maggie ate a quick lunch together before Ross headed to Pittsboro to meet Melanie. He had allowed himself an hour and ten minutes for the fifty-minute drive. Before leaving town, he wanted to stop by his place to check his mail. He preferred not to have any surprises when he met Melanie, h
owever he wasn’t sure what to expect in the form of the warning she spoke of on the phone.

  There was no letter from Duke. Disappointed, he got back into the car and headed out toward Pittsboro. He couldn’t help but wonder why he hadn’t received word when Melanie had. Lately, it seemed the only mail he ever received was junk mail.

  Fifteen minutes into the trip, traffic stopped. He sat patiently for a few moments, but, when traffic made no forward progress, several drivers in the cars ahead of him got out of their vehicles. After a short wait, Ross followed suit.

  At first he saw nothing; there was no traffic coming from the opposite direction either. Then suddenly a horrific boom shook the ground beneath him and black smoke and flames billowed into the air. Within seconds, Ross heard sirens. A fire truck and ambulance made their way from behind him though traffic and toward the site of the accident. Ross could hear sirens coming from the opposite direction, too. He went back to his car and got in, his mind’s eye forming images of what might lie ahead. The thought crossed his mind that someone who had kissed their loved one, or ones, good-bye this morning was probably going to have their life turned upside down this evening. He suddenly felt an overwhelming desire to hear Maggie’s voice. He flipped open his cell phone and dialed her number, but the line was busy.

  He sat for what seemed an interminable amount of time, glancing frequently between his watch and the clock on the dash. Thirty minutes passed, then Ross saw two wreckers weaving their way to the accident scene. That took another twenty minutes. Ross flipped his cell phone open and tried Maggie again. The line was still busy.

  He decided he should try Melanie’s home number. He didn’t expect her to answer; she didn’t. He left her a message in case he missed her this afternoon. At least she’d know what held him up. She didn’t have a cell phone, so there was nothing more to do but wait until traffic began to move again and drive on to Pittsboro. For a fleeting instant, he wondered if Melanie could possibly have been involved in the collision.