I realized that stopping for a burger would delay my call to Cass, so after we arrived at the restaurant, I found a booth, and after we ordered, I gave Paisley some quarters to play the video games while I stepped outside to make my call. Since I’d last seen him, Cass had received a call from the administrator at the shelter who informed him that the woman who’d been referred by Doctor Conover was happy to speak to him as long as he promised to keep her name out of it and her location secure. Of course, Cass agreed to both to the extent he could and had arranged a meeting with the woman, whose name was Helen Prosect, later today. The town where the shelter was located was a good two hours away, so he told me he’d call me in the morning to let me know how things went. I really hoped that we had actually found the clue that would lead us to the killer in only one day, but of course, I realized that it rarely worked out that way.
After I hung up with Cass, I returned to the restaurant. Paisley had burned through all her quarters and was sitting in the booth waiting for me. “So, your grandma hasn’t been feeling well?” I asked.
“She seems to have been okay lately, but this morning when I went into her room to let her know it was time to get up, she said she was having one of her spells. I’m not sure what that means, but this isn’t the first time she’s stayed in bed because of it.”
“Maybe I’ll ask Gracie to go and check on her.”
Paisley shrugged. It seemed she was trying to appear nonchalant about the whole thing, but I could tell she was worried. The poor kid had had it tough. First, her mother died, and now her grandmother was sick. Gracie and I helped out where we could, but perhaps it was time to look at permanent options should Paisley’s grandmother continue to suffer from ill-health.
“Gracie told me that the two of you are planning a sewing room.” I decided that any conversation concerning long-term custody could wait. Poor Paisley didn’t need to have that burden added to the long list she was already dealing with.
“Gracie is going to help me sew a purse. One of my friends from school has one that her mom helped her make. It’s made from an old pair of blue jeans.”
“I’ve seen those purses. They really are pretty fantastic.”
“I think so.” Paisley took a long sip of her soda.
I was about to ask about other projects she might be interested in when the kid at the counter announced that our burgers were ready. Once we’d settled with the food, Paisley launched into a conversation about the long lines at the monkey bars, which allowed me to focus on the ideas stomping around in my mind about mental health patients and the likelihood one of them might actually have become deadly. The more I thought about it, the less certain I was that the killer, should Cass be able to prove there was one, had been a patient. Perhaps a past lover, a poker buddy who owed a debt, or a business rival Doctor Conover might have poached from.
Chapter 4
Tuesday
As I frequently did, I woke while it was still dark and headed toward the attic. During the summer when the sun rose early, I would watch as it climbed its way over the distant mountain, but more often than not during the short days of winter, the sky would still be dark when I climbed into the window seat with a hand knitted blanket and Aunt Gracie’s cat, Alastair. There was something so peaceful about the moon shining down on the frozen white landscape, or the stars, too numerous to count, twinkling brightly overhead. I loved these quiet mornings with just my thoughts and the cat. I knew daybreak would arrive soon enough, and with my busy schedule, I’d really have to scramble to keep up with what would come with the arrival of the sun.
Alastair curled up in my lap as I went over my plan for the day in my mind. I usually liked to spend a few minutes catching up with Tom and Aunt Gracie, whether I stopped to eat breakfast or not. Most days, I’d head into the newspaper first thing, but today I planned to head directly to Cass’s office. I knew he’d spoken to Dale’s abuse patient, and I was more than just a little interested in what he’d found out. I supposed that if I had time, I could stop by the newspaper after I chatted with Cass. I still needed to pop in on Lettie Harper to discuss the plans for the Sweetheart Dance, and there was the town council meeting at noon. After the council meeting was concluded, I had two Ms. Cupid interviews set up, followed by my volunteer shifts at the animal shelter. Yep, I thought to myself as I snuggled up with the cat, today was going to be a busy one.
“Callie you in there?” Aunt Gracie knocked twice on the attic door and then came inside.
“You’re up early,” I greeted as she turned on the desk lamp to provide something other than moonlight in the otherwise dark room.
“Ned just called. Nora has taken a turn for the worse, and he is going to take her to the specialist in Denver. He asked if I would go in and open the store.” Ned and Nora Nottaway owned the general store.
“Oh, no. I hope Nora will be okay. She’s been doing so well.”
“Ned thinks that the cold she got a few weeks ago turned into something more. She’s been responding well to the cancer treatments, but after everything she’s been through, her immune system has been compromised. I’m going to jump in the shower and then head over there. Tom will be by around eight for breakfast. Do you mind letting him know what’s going on?”
“I’m happy to pass on the message, but doesn’t he have text?”
“Tom doesn’t have a phone of any kind. He tried a cell but didn’t like it, so when it broke, he never replaced it. And his little cottage never has had a landline. I could just tape a note to his door, but if you’ll be here…”
“I’ll be here until around nine, and I’m happy to pass the message along. Please let me know if I can do anything. Anything at all.”
“Ned assured me that he has staff coming in, so I should only have to stay a few hours. He asked if I could stop by to lock up if they admitted Nora, and they have to stay over. He’s going to call me later. I guess we’ll just have to see how it all plays out.”
My heart ached for this very sweet couple. I hated that their lives seemed to revolve almost entirely around doctor visits. I hoped with my whole being that Nora would fully recover, and both Ned and Nora could return to their normal lives.
After Gracie headed toward the shower, I headed downstairs with Alastair. I made coffee and then gave the cat food and water. His cat box was in good shape, so Gracie must have cleaned it late in the day yesterday. Once the coffee finished brewing, I poured a mug and then headed upstairs to take a shower and get dressed. By the time I came back down, Gracie was gone. I figured that Tom could make his own breakfast since Gracie was away, but I was hungry, so I made a breakfast casserole and stuck it in the oven.
After pouring a second cup of coffee, I looked out the window at the frozen landscape. It had been a hard winter this year. Living in the Rocky Mountains, residents expected a good amount of snow, but this year, the snow gods had really outdone themselves. Generally, I liked the snow, and I could remember the feeling of excitement that would fill the air when the first flakes of the season fell, but I wasn’t a fan of the bitter cold. I was ready for the warmer and longer days of summer to arrive. I’d enjoyed ice skating with Paisley, but it would be just as fun to swim in the lake or to take Gracie’s old rowboat out.
The timer dinged on the oven just as Tom came through the kitchen door.
“Something smells good,” he said.
“Egg and spinach casserole. I’m afraid Gracie had to go into town early, so I made it, but it looks edible.”
Tom hung up his jacket. “I’m sure it will taste as good as it smells. So, why did Gracie head out so early?”