Authors: Shirlee Lewis
“How does five hundred a month sound,” Tony said.
“Sounds good to me,” Frank said, shaking Tony’s hand. “We’ll be moving in, in about a month then. Several trips should do.”
As soon as we got back to our house, Mildred went straight to the car. I saw her lock the door with her eyes on Tony. As Tony and Frank talked, I went to the porch and sat down. Mildred glanced at me then back to Tony. She was the only one acting strange and seemed really nervous. I hoped once they moved in and she got to know us then she would relax and the strangeness would cease. All I could do, I thought, would be to offer a helping hand with the unpacking, and then hopefully that would help her relax a little.
Frank and Tony shook hands again. I saw him hand Tony money for the rent. Frank got into the driver’s side of the car, started the car and backed out of the driveway. Mildred’s eyes stayed on Tony the entire time.
Tony grinned from ear to ear as he stepped up on the porch. “He paid first and last month’s rent with a deposit,” he said, going into the house.
I watched them drive slowly by the house, look at it, turn onto the highway and disappear. I got up and went inside.
Tony went to the bedroom. I went to the kitchen getting another cup of cof
fee. Sitting down at the table, I couldn’t keep from wondering why Mildred acted the way she did. Maybe, she acted this way around people she didn’t know or she did think Tony was too handsome and couldn’t take her eyes off of him. Thought after thought roamed in my mind until I decided I’d give her the benefit of doubt. After all, she was new to Mayville. Sighing and taking a drink, I decided, I’ll just be the best neighbor and drop my suspiciousness.
“Jess,” Tony called from the bedroom.
I got up from the table and went toward the bedroom. Rounding the corner, I saw Tony on his hands and knees looking under the bed. “What is it?” I asked.
“Have you seen the safe?”
“I put it in the spare bedroom closet. Be right back.”
I went back to the bedroom with the safe and sat it on the bed. Tony opened the safe. An envelope fell out. I picked it up and on the front written in bold letters, ‘Matthew and Margie (Holcomb) Mureaux’. Looking at the envelope, then at Tony, I wondered if Frank could be a distant relative of his. He was busy putting the money in an envelope and writing on the front.
“What is this?” I asked, handing the envelope to him.
“It’s a copy of the last will and testament of my grandparents, why?”
“Look at Margie’s maiden name,” I said, pointing to the name. “You don’t think Frank is related to you, do you?”
“I don’t know. Next time I see him, I’ll be sure to ask.”
Tony took the envelopes and put them in the safe. Locking the safe, he slid it under the bed. Tony went back to the living room, sat in his recliner and turned the volume up on the television. I went to the kitchen, getting my cup from the table, and then went over to Tony’s chair. He looked up at me. “I believe we have a dinner and bowling date,” I said.
He sat me in his lap. “I’ll go with you to dinner, but bowling I’m not sure about. I don’t think I would like to do that again. One time was enough for me,” he said.
“You didn’t have fun?”
“Not really, but being with you was the best.”
“How about we go see a movie?”
“I would, but tonight I’d rather stay home.” Tony intertwined our fingers and continued, “Maybe tomorrow night we’ll go have dinner. I have to be in Portland anyway. Some equipment is arriving and I have to be there. I have to show the delivery guys whe
re father instructed me to put it.”
Tony turned back to the television to finish watching his program. I started thinking of our wedding. I needed a bridesmaid. Malinda came to mind. Looking at the clock on the DVD player I decided there was no time like the present to ask her. “Do you mind if I go visit Malinda at the diner?”
“I don’t mind at all.”
I kissed Tony, and then left for the diner. Malinda hadn’t come on duty when I arrived. Gillian, an elderly lady, was a new waitress on duty. The diner was known for hiring young waitress
’ but they never lasted long. I was guessing they wanted a waitress who could work longer than a month.
“What can I get you to drink, honey?” she asked.
“Coffee, black thanks,” I said, and turned my head to look out the window. I was thinking of the first time I saw Tony sitting in the booth in front of mine. So handsome and never taking his eyes off me. I couldn’t keep from smiling. Now we were going to be married.
Finishing two cups of coffee, Malinda’s car pulled into her usual parking place in front of the diner. She came in, looked around the diner, sat her purse on the counter and turned towards me. “Jess, what brings you here this late?”
“I need to talk to you, if you have a minute.”
“Sure, let me get things ready for my shift and I’ll be right there.”
Gillian flipped a switch and the lights over the bar dimmed. The bell rang, over the door, to say a patron had entered. Naturally, I thought of Tony. The patron, a heavy set man, unshaven, with his hair hung below his shoulders took a seat at the bar. Tuning back to the window, I noticed a semi running in the parking lot with dim lights. “Any hotels here?” he asked Malinda.
“At the edge of town we have a small one. It’s on the highway heading to Portland,” Malinda said, setting a cup down in front of him.
The man nodded and then took a sip of the drink. Gillian headed out the door, and Malinda joined me at the booth. “What’s going on?” she asked.
“Tony rented his house today,” I said, softly. “The people he rented to, have the same last name as his grandmother.”
“Are they related to him?”
“We don’t know yet. Tony will talk to Mr. Holcomb when he gets a chance.”
“If they are, Tony would have some relatives close by.”
“True, but Mildred, Frank’s wife, acts strange around Tony. I don’t know why,” I said, glancing down at my cup.
“How strange does she act?”
“For starters, she acts like she’s scared to death of him. Afraid he might attack her or something.”
“Tony is, after all, a very handsome man. Maybe, she’s just admiring his beauty,” Malinda said with a huge grin.
“I don’t think so. She stares at him with a worried expression.”
“Just come out and ask her. There has to be some kind of explanation.”
“I can’t just come out and ask. I thought, I would watch her and hope she eases up around him. You don’t find Tony frightening, do you?”
“Heavens no, Jess. He is always the perfect gentlemen when I’m around.”
“He is that, isn’t he,” I said, with a huge grin.
“I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about,” Malinda said, getting up. “I need to start my shift.”
“Oh, I almost forgot why I came. I need to ask you a question.”
Malinda came back to the table. “What Jess?”
“As you know, Tony and I are getting married. I wanted to know...”
“Of course, I will,” Malinda squealed, interrupting me.
“You don’t know what I’m going to ask.”
“Of course, I do. You want to know if I’ll be your bridesmaid,” she said, beaming.
“Well, yes I was.”
“You didn’t have to ask. You know I will.”
“It’s settled then. You are my bridesmaid.”
Malinda hugged me and danced back behind the counter. Stopping at the counter to pay for my coffee, Malinda said, “Jess, it’s on the house.”
“Thanks,” I said putting on my jacket. “I’ll let you know the details later.”
Malinda grinned from ear to ear. I went to my car.
Heading back to the house, I wondered what Mildred really thought. If anyone acted strange it was her. Tony was the most considerate and understanding person I had ever met or knew. Surely, Mildred would have to see that. Shrugging the thought of Mildred from my mind, I smiled when the street light hit my ring. I had a wedding to think about, instead of worrying how someone acted around Tony. I had to find a best man for Tony.
The semi I saw at the diner turned onto the highway toward Portland. The police car sat at the Gas-n-Go in front of the gas pumps. Turning onto the highway I noticed the police lights come on and started out into the highway in the opposite direction from me. A horn sounded. I
looked in my rearview mirror. The semi applied its brakes, black smoke came from the tires, and the smell of burnt rubber filled the air. In my rearview mirror, I saw the semi broadside the police car. My mouth fell open and I whipped the car around to get to the accident.
The semi driver exited the cab of his truck heading to the front. Sitting in the front seat, Detective Cooke moaned trying to unfasten his seat belt. Lacerations covered his face. His forehead oozing blood with glass embedded in the gash. Running back to my car, I grabbed my cell phone and called the police station. “We need an ambulance at the corner of Highway and Second Street. Detective Cooke is involved in an accident,” I told the dispatcher going back to the police car.
“I didn’t know he was going to pull out in front of me,” the semi driver said. “It happened so fast, I didn’t have time to stop before I hit him.”
“Help me with this door?”
We pried on the driver’s door which wasn’t going to budge. In the distance I heard two sets of sirens. Detective Sean and the ambulance pulled up at the same time.
Detective Sean hurried to the passenger side of the police car. “Did you see what happened, Jess?” he asked.
“The semi hit the car as it was coming out of the Gas-n-Go,” I said, going to the passenger side of the car. Detective Sean, helped me get Detective Cooke out of the car, and gently laid him on the concrete. Detective Cooke stopped breathing. Detective Sean looked at me. The EMT’s had the defibrillator ready. I started chest compressions hoping I’d do some good. Detective Cooke didn’t start breathing. The defibrillator didn’t help. Detective Cooke passed away.
The EMT’s placed him on the stretcher, covered him with a sheet, strapped him to the gurney and loaded him in the back of the ambulance. My eyes started tearing up as I watched the ambulance slowly head to the hospital. I hadn’t encounter
ed death since I quit working at the hospital. Tonight, seeing Detective Cooke chocked me up.
“Jess, thank you for all your help,” Detective Sean said, leading me to my car.
I looked at him with such sadness. He knew there were no words. Detective Sean opened my car door, and I got in. I headed home with tears streaming down my cheeks. Detective Cooke had been on the police force before I was born. All the town people thought the world of him and it wasn’t going to be the same without him.
Pulling into the driveway, I didn’t want Tony seeing me upset so I wiped my tears and took several deep breaths before getting out of the car. Slowly, I opened the front door to see Tony’s recliner empty. All the lights were on and the television was turned down. I turned off the television and the lights. As I turned to go down the hall, I saw Tony standing in the doorway of the kitchen.
“Did you have a nice time?” he asked, taking a drink from his flask.
Hoping the tears were dried up, I looked up at Tony.
“I saw a semi hit Detective Cooke’s patrol car.”
“What?” Tony asked. “Is he okay?”
I couldn’t say anything. I stood looking at Tony with tears starting again. He pulled me to him, hugged me tight because he knew the answer when I didn’t say anything.
“Let’s go to bed,” I softly whispered.
Tony released his hug. He took his flask to the refrigerator. Heading down the hall, I stopped in the doorway of the spare bedroom. Wiping the tears from my eyes, I remembered Charlotte. She was never going to be standing in the window with red eyes again.
Tony walked up behind me putting his hand on my shoulder. “Jess, I’m sorry about Detective Cooke. He was a fine Detective.”
I nodded and went to the bedroom. I undressed and slid under the covers. Tony slipped in next to me hugging me tight. In the comfort of Tony’s arms, he kissed my neck. “I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you too,” I whispered back.
It wasn’t long before I forget about everything and fell asleep.
In the morning, I woke up to the phone ringing. Thinking Tony would get it, I closed my eyes. Soon the ringing stopped, but then the ringing started again. Sluggishly, I crawled out of bed and answered the phone.
“Hello,” I said, into the receiver.
“Jess, its Mr. King. I have some questions regarding some paperwork from when you worked here. Could you come to the hospital this afternoon and help me sort this out?” he asked.