by Lilly York
Her stylist interrupted her. “Do you need to get that?”
“Um, no. No, that’s okay. It can wait.”
The stylist waited for her to sit up straight. “Good, cause there is nothin’ I hate more than somebody ignoring me when I’m workin’ on their hair.” She blew a bubble with the wad of gum she was chewing. “I’m glad you get that, girl.”
All of a sudden, the girl started coughing. Willow felt a thump up against the back of her head. No, please tell me she didn’t. Please, no. Willow reached around and felt the gum mixed with the dry portion of hair that had no solution.
“I almost choked. Ain’t nobody come to my rescue. Did you see that? I had to give myself the Heimlich.” She walked away for a minute then returned, with more gum in her mouth. “Now, I may have to cut your hair a little shorter. You’ll look real nice with short hair.”
Willow stood up and turned around. “I don’t want you to touch my hair. Ever again. Do you hear me?”
The owner of the salon came running over. “Is there a problem here?”
Willow pointed to the wad of pink bubble gum in her hair. “What do you think? Do you think I have a problem?”
“Lola, you are finished here. Go back to the kitchen and get some ice. And spit that gum out while you’re back there.”
The young girl sulked and mumbled the entire way back to the stylist’s lounge.
“I’m so sorry. I really thought she’d work out.”
Willow wasn’t going to be pacified. “What are we going to do here? Half my head is going to be dark auburn the other half is going to be short and streaked with grey. We need a plan before my hair starts falling out from the chemicals.”
“Your hair isn’t going to fall out, I promise. We’re not going to let that happen.” She took the ice cube from Lola and worked on freezing the gum. She slowly picked it from the tangles. “I’m going to have to rinse the hair that has already been dyed. Then I’ll dye the other half. Again, I’m so sorry for all of this. It won’t happen again.”
At that very moment she remembered where she heard the name, Red Robin. Martha, whose hair was always longer on one side than the other. You’re darn right it won’t happen again. “What time is it?”
“12:30”
So much for my other errands. “I’ve got to go. Hurry up and rinse my hair.” Janie had her second dentist appointment and Willow had to be there to relieve her. She had no choice in the matter. Gloria had called and said now that her heart throb was dead she was moving back out east. She wouldn’t be back in. And her part timers weren’t coming in until dinner time. She was all there was. Hair finished or not.
Willow drove as fast as she would allow herself. Embry and Steve would be proud. She pulled into the parking lot behind her shop at 12:55. Just in time!
She hurried into the building and Janie met her in the kitchen.
Janie stared and remained silent for at least thirty seconds. When she finally found her voice, she asked, “What happened to you?”
As Willow started explaining, Janie doubled over in laughter. “Willow, you’re going to make me pee my pants. Oh my gosh. I would have rescheduled. Seriously, it would have been better than you coming to work like this.”
“I was so mad I could have spit nails. I swear it. You should have seen her. And then she had the audacity to put more gum in her mouth. No, I’ll get some dye and we’ll do it ourselves. For now…” She tucked her hair up in a kerchief. “…this will work.”
Janie’s mouth dropped. She had no more words. Nothing.
“Well, will you help me later tonight?”
“Yes, I will. In fact, I’ll stop by the beauty supply store and pick up what we need. Dark auburn, you say?”
“Yes, dark auburn.”
“What time are you leaving here?”
“As soon as the girls get here. They can handle it for tonight.”
“I’ll be at your place at 6. Dinner and dye in hand.”
The corner of Willow’s lips turned downward.
Janie hugged her friend. “It’s going to be okay. No one will probably even notice.” Not that Janie believed a word of it. But, she had to encourage her friend somehow. “I’ll see you in a little while.”
After Janie left, Willow remembered the phone call she received at the salon. She dug her phone out of her purse. Steve. He must have news.
The dining area was quiet so she called him back and got his voicemail. “Hey, it’s me. I’m at work, so give me a call when you get this.”
She busied herself taking inventory. She was in the middle of counting her ice cream stock when the bell on the door jingled. “I’ll be right there.” She yelled from the back room.
She wrote down her final count then went to the counter to help the customer. Steve was standing in the dining area. He turned when he heard her approach.
“I got your…” He changed direction mid-sentence. “Your hair is two different colors.”
She put her hand up. “Don’t ask. Did you speak with the attorney?”
Steve was having a hard time not staring. He knew the smart thing would be to pretend everything was normal. He wasn’t doing a good job of it. “Um, yes.” His eyes kept drifting to her hair. She had put on a kerchief but it didn’t do a very good job of covering her long tresses.
Willow was getting frustrated. “Well, what did he say?”
“What?”
“Did you hear a word I said? I asked what the lawyer said.”
“Oh, yes, um, you’re not going to believe who the trustee is.”
She rolled her eyes. “Just tell me.”
“It’s her mother, Martha.”
Chapter 18
Willow was sitting in her folding chair in her kitchen while Janie re-dyed her hair. “It can’t be Martha. That just doesn’t make sense. She would never overdose on Potassium. She just wouldn’t do it. There has to be something I’m missing. She couldn’t have guessed I would be along to save her. Nor would she try and kill herself. She has Clarissa to think about.
Janie began cooking dinner while Willow sat with the dye on her hair. “We are having comfort food tonight. If ever there was a day that called for it, it would be today.”
“Mmm…sounds good. What are you making?”
“Tacos. Greasy, cheesy, spicy tacos. By the time you get out of the shower, they will be ready. Oh, with Guacamole on the side.” She put the burger on to brown and started chopping vegetables.
Willow jumped in the shower when the timer went off and came out 20 minutes later to a buffet of taco fixings. Fresh guacamole included. She loaded up her plate and sat down in front of the television. “Are we watching Downton Abbey?”
Janie had already taken a bite so she made a sound expressing her approval.
They either watched the show together or around the same time apart. It was their thing. That way they were always on the same episode and could rehash the whole show.
Willow brought out the ice cream after the first full episode. Two pints, butter pecan for Janie and double fudge brownie for herself. They both ate directly out of the carton. It was comfort food night. It was permissible.
Janie took a bite of ice cream then asked, “Who becomes the trustee if Martha dies?”
Willow stared at Janie. “You are right. You are 100% correct. Who does become trustee?” She had a pretty good idea.
Willow called Steve’s cell phone. He sounded sleepy when he answered.
“Hey, it’s me. Who becomes trustee if Martha dies?”
“I don’t know. The lawyer is sending me a complete copy of the will. I should have it tomorrow. I guess we’ll find out then.”
Willow hung up. She didn’t want to wait until tomorrow to find out. She looked at Janie. “Are you up for a little road trip?”
It was only 8 pm, not that late. Janie rubbed her eyes but agreed.
Willow pulled into the visitor parking at the hospital. Before leaving the shop, she had heard Martha was awake. They were a
ble to steady her heart rate. Steve would probably go over in the morning to ask her what happened. Willow had a funny feeling they didn’t have until morning.
She hurried into the hospital. Visiting hours were coming to a close so she said, “Just pretend you know exactly what you’re doing. They won’t bother you if they think you’re supposed to be here.”
Janie gave her friend a questioning look. “You’ve gotten sneaky.”
“When you have had two people murdered under your nose and a third attempt, you have to be sneaky. It’s the only way to survive.”
She walked through the entrance with her shoulders squared and full of confidence. Janie followed her, looking a bit guiltier.
When they were safely in the elevator, Willow said, “You have to do better than that once we get to her floor or we’ll never make it in. Perhaps you should act as a decoy.”
“A decoy? What kind of decoy?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Just ask where someone’s room is.”
“Whose?”
“Who cares? Just make up a name and be convincing. I’ll need to slip by once you start asking questions at the nurses’ station.”
“Oh, how do I get myself into these things?”
Willow nodded. “You’ll do fine. Just make something up.”
Janie approached the nurses’ station and asked where Mary Crawley’s room was. Even Willow did a double take. Really? You couldn’t do better than that?
The nurse questioned Janie. “Are you sure that is your friend’s name?”
Willow snuck past the two of them without drawing any attention to herself. She rounded the corner and saw someone enter Martha’s room. Someone who did not look like a nurse or doctor. She took off running. When she got to the room, a masked person had a pillow over Martha’s face. Willow started yelling and the masked murdered pushed past her, into the hallway, and through the emergency exit doors. By the time Willow explained what she had seen the masked intruder had gotten away, or at least blended in with his surroundings.
Willow was still answering questions when Steve appeared.
“I should have known. What are you doing here?”
She feigned being offended. “And if I hadn’t have come when I did, Martha would be dead. That is no way to thank me, now is it?”
“Once again, Willow to the rescue. Now, tell me what you’re doing here.”
“I had a funny feeling I needed to get up here, and fast. Something isn’t right.” She told him about her expeditions to check out Vick and Jasper and her conclusions regarding both of them.
“You know I’ll have to question Vick, right?”
“Yeah, I told him as much. He is expecting you.”
She followed Steve into Martha’s room. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “There was something about that man that was familiar. I couldn’t see his face, but I recognized something about him.” She looked to Willow and reached for her hand. “I hear I have you to thank for saving me.”
Willow shook her head. “I just did what anyone would do. I wanted to talk to you. I thought perhaps you might have shared something with me you might have felt uncomfortable sharing with Police Chief Grice. I also wanted to let you know how sorry I was for the burden you’ve been carrying all this time by yourself.”
“I’ve had help. I know I’ve kept Clarissa’s accident quiet, but Rune ended up being a really good guy. He came to me a few weeks after the accident and accepted full responsibility. He apologized and even said he totally understood that I would probably never forgive him. He wouldn’t forgive himself if he was in my shoes. I told him I was a good Christian woman and I have to forgive. I may not like it, but I would forgive him. Even if it took me a while to feel like forgiving him.”
Steve asked the next question. “Do you remember anything about the day you collapsed? Was there anything out of the ordinary? Did you visit with anyone?”
“No, I did the same thing I do just about every day. I went to visit Clarissa then I came home to work in my garden. That was it. I didn’t even have to go to the grocery store. Elizabeth was nice enough to send me home with a special cranberry cocktail to help with my, well, you know, female problems.”
“I see. Did she do that often?”
“Oh, you know, now that I think about it, at least once a week. And it was helping. They are just the nicest people. They take such good care of my Clarissa. I’m not sure I could do it all by myself. They are such a blessing.”
“Okay, you get some rest. We’ve stationed a police officer outside your door. You won’t have any more problems like earlier, okay?”
She squeezed Steve’s hand. “You two are both so wonderful. You make such a nice couple. Are you getting married soon?”
Steve’s face turned a bright shade of crimson.
Willow responded. “Mrs. Claremont, we are just friends. Truly. But thank you for the compliment.”
They left her alone to rest.
Steve took Willow’s hand. “It really is a good thing you showed up here. Someone wants Martha out of the way.”
“Yes, what we need to find out is, who benefits if Martha is no longer among the living? Call me as soon as you get the paperwork. I have a feeling I know exactly who benefits if Martha is gone.”
He nodded. “Yeah, me too.”
Chapter 19
Janie vowed to never again, as long as she lived, to go on another fact finding mission with Willow. “I lied to a nurse. A nurse.”
“Well, technically you were asking a question.”
“It was a lie, Willow.”
“Speaking of which, did you really ask her if a character from Downton Abbey was a patient in the hospital? Couldn’t you think of anyone else?”
“It was the first name that popped into my head. Okay? I’m not as good as you are at all this.”
“Hmmm, well, it worked. So thank you. That is the important thing. And together, we saved Martha.”
That made Janie smile. “It does feel good, doesn’t it?”
“It sure does.” Janie yawned and said goodbye, leaving Willow alone with her thoughts.
Willow crept beneath the light bedspread knowing Clover’s body heat would provide an extra covering. She lay awake for a long time, thinking about Martha and Clarissa, as well as Huxley Rune. He had some bad characteristics that was for sure. Stealing Vick’s manuscript wasn’t the nicest thing to do. But he also had a softer side. Taking care of Clarissa was probably his motive for the theft, especially seeing as how his agent had said he’d been having a dry spell in his writing.
She couldn’t sleep so she opened her laptop and did a search of the Reed Rehabilitation Center taking care of Clarissa, as well as the couple running it. She spent hours searching until she fell into a fitful state of sleep. She dreamed of masked murderers and girls in wheelchairs. She kept hearing the beeping of the machine hooked up to Martha. It wouldn’t quit. No matter what she did. Finally, she woke and realized it was her phone. The bird was chirping over and over. She must have fallen asleep without turning the sound off.
She dialed Steve’s number. He answered on the first ring.
“Are you sitting down?”
“Nope, I’m laying down.”
“Oh, well, that works. Guess who is second in line as trustee?”
“Hmm, well, that would be Mark or Elizabeth Reed from the rehabilitation center.”
“How did you know?”
“I spent hours looking up financial records, personal records, really anything I could get my hands on. Google is awesome. Well, I also paid for one of those extensive back ground searches. That helped too.”
“I think we need to pay our neighbors to the south a little visit. You ready to go?” He paused. “How in the world did you get to be my sidekick anyway?”
“Perhaps it’s because I’m pretty good at this.” She was pulling on her jeans as she talked. “How far out are you?”
“A country block away.”
“Gotta
hang up now.”
She threw her phone on the bed, let Clover out and ran a toothbrush over her teeth. “Sheesh, I gotta stop staying up all night. I miss too much.”
She brought Clover in and had her hairbrush in hand when he pulled in the driveway. She met him halfway. “Can we stop in for a cup of coffee? Please?”
“You read my mind.”
She brushed her hair as they drove.
“You really were still in bed, weren’t you?”
“You didn’t believe me?”
No, I guess I did believe you.” He glanced at his watch. “You do know it’s after 11, right?”
“I know. I told you I was up late looking these people up. You did hear that part, right?” She emphasized the word right, just like he did.
He pulled into a gas station and got them both a large cup of coffee and a couple of muffins. “I know this isn’t as good as yours, but it’ll have to do.”
“Thank you. It works.” She took a sip of her coffee and closed her eyes. “It really is terrible.” She started laughing. “But, I’ll drink it anyway.”
Two hours later they were knocking on the door of the rehabilitation center. The woman who had brought the tray on their first visit opened the door, her eyes wide with apparent fear.
“Can I help you?”
She was trying to send a message with her eyes but Willow was having a hard time understanding it.
Steve responded. “We’re here to see Mark and Elizabeth. Are they home?”
Elizabeth chose that moment to further open the door. “Police Chief Grice and Willow, right? Please, do come in. What brings you back our way? I would think you’d have your hands full with murder and the attempted murder on Martha. I’m surprised you took such a long trip with so much going on.”
