Jolly Dead St. Nicholas (36 page)

* * * *

It was Vernon who shook Adelaide awake around seven o’clock that evening. A doctor in green scrubs stood next to him. She straightened up from the half-lying, half-sitting position on one of the stiff vinyl couches, her tightly knotted muscles protesting painfully.

“I’m Doctor Yamata. Your son is out of surgery and in recovery. It was dicey going for a while but he’s stable now. He should recover fully,” the man said.

She croaked out a thank-you through a dry, scratchy throat. “When can I see him?”

“They should be taking him up to his room in about two hours. Why don’t you go get something to eat and then come back? I understand he’s to continue having a police guard.”

Adelaide struggled to her feet. Vernon put a supportive arm around her waist. She was beginning to like the feel of that. “That’s right. He may be in danger.”

“I see. Well, I will be checking on him later.” He nodded curtly before walking away.

Adelaide looked at Vernon. His face was a little drawn and his eyes lacked their usual sparkle.

Well, I doubt if I’m a sight for sore eyes right now, either.

“I think we should take the doctor’s advice. Let’s go get something to eat. Coffee sounds good to me,” Vernon said.

Anxiety fluttered in her mid-section. “Who is guarding Daniel?”

“Ken Lafferty. They decided on four-hour shifts.”

“Where is James?”

Vernon steered her toward the elevators. “I sent him home.”

Adelaide looked over at him. “You
sent
him home?” She couldn’t help but smile.

Vernon’s expression was inscrutable. “Called him a cab.”

* * * *

Daniel woke up around midnight. Adelaide was at his bedside. Outside his room, Officer Dennis Ackerman was now standing guard.

When Daniel opened his eyes, Adelaide got up from the surprisingly comfortable lounge chair next to his bed. As she leaned over him, she could see he was having a hard time focusing his eyes. His forehead was bandaged, hiding the dozen stitches underneath. He moaned, his hand going to his midsection. IV lines ran into both arms from liquid-filled bags hanging on either side of the bed. A robotic looking machine dispensed pain medication at regular intervals.

“You’re in the hospital, Daniel,” she told him softly. Around him monitors whirred and beeped. “Do you remember what happened?”

“My truck…I couldn’t stop….”

Adelaide decided to withhold the news that his truck had been tampered with until he was more fully awake. “I’ve tried to reach Brenda, but it keeps going straight to voice mail,” she told him.

Daniel smiled weakly. “Don’t bother, Mother. I…broke it off…last night.” He closed his eyes, drifting back to sleep.

Adelaide wasn’t particularly shocked by this news. In fact, deep down, she was a little glad.

She left Daniel resting comfortably an hour later. In the waiting room, Vernon was asleep on one of the couches. Once he was fully awake, she asked him to drive her home. She wanted to get at least a few hours of sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a very busy day.

Adelaide dragged herself out of bed at seven o’clock Monday morning feeling mentally and physically exhausted. She made strong coffee, fed Oscar, ate a piece of toast, and then got ready to go to the hospital.

The latest snowfall had deposited four more inches, but as usual her driveway was cleared thanks to Tim Hunter. She was equally glad to see that the streets had been plowed and salted, as had the medical center parking lot.

Officer Judy Hess was standing guard outside Daniel’s hospital room. She looked crisply efficient in her uniform, yet Adelaide could see the lines of fatigue around her eyes and mouth.

“He’s restless, keeps waking up and trying to get out of bed,” Judy said. “I’ll be leaving soon to work the day shift.”

Adelaide felt tears of gratitude forming in her eyes. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate so many of you officers giving up your off duty hours to do this, Judy.”

“I’d do a lot more for Daniel, you know that.”

“He’d be lucky to have you, Judy.”

Judy cleared her throat self-consciously, but said nothing.

Adelaide eyed her son from the doorway. “Does he know about the brake line on his truck being cut?”

“I didn’t tell him.”

“Don’t talk about me like I’m not here,” Daniel called. His voice had a dry, brittle sound.

Adelaide advanced into the room. “Someone tried to kill you, Daniel.” She saw no reason to sugar coat it.

Daniel pushed a button on the bed’s guardrail. With a smooth mechanical sound the head of the bed rose up until he was almost in a sitting position. “I know. Luke came by very early this morning to share that news with me.” He winced. Pushing the button again, he lowered the head of the bed a little. “They’re processing the truck as a crime scene.”

“What do you remember?”

He sighed. “Not much. I left my place about three or so. I was headed to the IGA. I remember crossing Main Street. The next thing I knew I was here.”

Adelaide didn’t like what she was thinking. “Last night you told me you broke things off with Brenda—”

She got no further. His face blanched. “Don’t even go there, Mother.”

Adelaide had to admit the idea of Brenda Collier crawling around under a pickup truck to slit its brake line was a little far-fetched. “I wasn’t able to reach her last night, Daniel.”

“I doubt if she wants to talk to any of us, Mother.” His tone was laced with sarcasm.

The nurse came into the room. “Time for me to change the dressing on your incision.”

Adelaide kissed her son on the cheek. “I’ll be back later. I have some things to take care of.”

Outside in the hallway she drew Judy aside. “How is the investigation into Daniel’s…accident going?”

“It’s still early. We’re trying to get the security footage from the Creekside Village parking lot for the entire day.”

“Good.”

Leaving the hospital, Adelaide hurried to her car. Her next stop would be the church, where she intended to confront Brenda Collier.

She drove east on Beech Street, turning left onto Acorn Avenue. Realizing that it would be impossible to park in front of the church due to the mounds of snow deposited there by the plows, she made a right turn into the alley, pulling into the newly cleared off parking lot behind the building. Immediately she saw that Brenda’s Jetta was not there.

Letting herself in with her own key, she entered through the basement door. The hallway separating the Sunday school classrooms from the kitchen and social hall was dark. A musty smell filled the air. She made her way to the stairs, walking carefully since her boots were wet. She’d worn a pair of gray wool slacks with a blue sweater today in anticipation of being outside more than usual. Her down jacket kept the chill out quite nicely, but was beginning to feel too warm inside the building even though the temperature probably wasn’t above sixty-eight degrees. She shrugged off the coat as she ascended the staircase to the main floor.

The office door was locked. She again used her key to gain access. The lights were off. She checked her watch. It was after eight-thirty. Where was Brenda? Going out into the hallway, she glanced toward the small corridor leading to the pastor’s study where a cone of light reflected off the floor and opposite wall.

James sat behind the well-worn desk, his head bent, deep in concentration. She’d wanted to see him anyway, to thank him for all he’d done for them yesterday. His forceful prayer had obviously been heard on high because her son was well on the road to recovery this morning.

Adelaide knocked lightly on the open door. James started, looking up with something she could only describe as apprehension. At the sight of her, his face relaxed in a warm smile. “Come in, Adelaide. I just called the medical center. They say Daniel is doing much better. I’ll get over there to visit him later today.”

Entering the study, she put her coat over the arm of the loveseat. “He’ll be fine. Just another testament to the power of prayer and medical expertise.”

James got up then came around the desk, stopping within inches of her. “I’m glad to see you’ve put the Big Man’s grace ahead of mortal man’s medical knowledge.”

He was dressed in a pair of navy blue slacks with a white V-neck sweater over a light blue shirt. She caught a whiff of his aftershave, something tangy yet subtle. “You left yesterday before I could thank you properly.”

James’s smile widened. “Well, Vernon seemed to have things under control. Or so he said.”

Adelaide knew she wasn’t hearing the whole story from either man about James’s abrupt departure, but she didn’t have time to go into that now. “Where is Brenda? I have some things I need to discuss with her.”

James cocked an eyebrow, the expression on his ruddy face sobering. “She left me a voice mail message saying she was ill today. She already put in for tomorrow off, so I’m pretty much on my own for the next two days, unless—” He stopped, eyeing her suggestively.

Adelaide shook her head emphatically. “Oh, James, I don’t see how I can. Daniel is still in the hospital and I have so many things to—” She stopped suddenly. “You know what, I’ll sit in for Brenda for a couple of hours this morning, but that’s the best I can do.”

James’s face lit up with relief. “Oh, you are a lifesaver, Adelaide. The newsletter is ready to go. It just needs one final read through before we send it online. Don’t worry. I’ll do that from my laptop in here. You can just run off hard copies for the people who don’t get them via email. I’ll take them to the post office later. For all your help, I insist you let me buy you that lunch. We can go early if you like, as soon as you’re finished with the newsletter.”

Adelaide was suddenly very anxious to get to work. She knew there would be phone calls to answer. Also the Henshaws would be in to count the money soon. “I’ll stay until eleven. We’ll have an early lunch then, if that’s convenient for you. In fact, we can drop off the newsletters at the post office then.”

“I’m not making hospital calls until this afternoon. My morning is devoted to some long overdue paperwork the district has been clamoring for. So, it’s a date.” He reached out, giving her arm a gentle squeeze.

“How is Douglas doing?” She recalled that today was the day the DA planned to seek a murder indictment against him with the Grand Jury.

James shook his head sadly. “He’s a shadow of his former self. I’m really afraid for him.”

“Maybe I should go see him.”

“That would lift his spirits, I’m sure,” James told her. “By the way, how is your investigation coming along?”

Adelaide hated hearing it referred to as her
investigation
but didn’t argue. There was no time for that now. “I think I might have some new leads. I’m just not sure they will pan out.”

“Why don’t you bounce them off of me? Maybe I can help.”

Adelaide didn’t really want to divulge all of her suspicions just yet, but she did want his opinion about one thing. In detail she told him about seeing Brenda in the Dovetail Inn parking lot Friday night.”

James took a deep breath. “Are you sure it was her?”

Adelaide nodded. “I’m just not sure what it means.”

“Does Daniel know?”

“I told him.”

“How did he take it?”

“He broke up with her.”

“And then his brake line was cut,” James said very softly.

Once Adelaide returned to the church office she hung her coat on the rack, then closed the door. Hastily she went through all the desk drawers, looking for what, she didn’t know. Maybe Brenda carelessly left behind a clue that might explain her relationship with the shady man she’d argued with Friday night. The same man she’s seen at the Dovetail Inn yesterday. Again, her disturbing conversation with Elaine Rausch came to mind. In fact, it was one of the reasons she was so willing to sit in for Brenda today.

Next, Adelaide unlocked the file cabinet opposite the desk. With only a little trepidation, she removed Brenda’s personnel file. Sitting down at the desk, she went through it thoroughly, making a note of the young woman’s address and phone number as well as her parents’ information, since they were listed as next of kin.

After removing a certain item she replaced the file, then turned on the computer. Going from screen to screen, she tried unsuccessfully to gather the information she needed.

Giving up for the time being, she found the newsletter in a Word file and began the task of printing off the appropriate number of hard copies, including enough extras to put on the tables inside the church entrances for visitors to take on Sunday morning.

A knock on the office door was followed by Harold Purcell’s entrance. “Oh, you’re not Brenda.”

Adelaide smiled at the funeral director. “She’s out sick. I’m helping James get the newsletter sent.”

“How is Daniel?”

“Better. In pain, but out of danger.” Again that sinking feeling settled in the pit of her stomach as she thought about how close she’d come to losing her son.

“I’m waiting for Carl,” Harold told her.

Adelaide happened to think of something. “Harold, do you recall having a conversation with me the other day about a comment Jerry made to you?

Harold looked a little lost. “I’m not sure—”

“It was something you and he discussed after a Rotary Club meeting.”

Harold’s expression cleared. “Oh, yes, Jerry and I were discussing a recent trial. He said there were other ways to resolve such a situation, perhaps by allowing the person to make things right.”

“What sort of case was it, Harold?” Adelaide held her breath. She thought she knew the answer, but needed confirmation.

“A young man had embezzled money from his employer, I believe.”

Carl stepped into the office behind Harold. “We’re here to count the money. I’ve given Harold the combination to the safe, since he’ll be helping me from now on. How is Daniel, and why isn’t Brenda here?”

“You’re looking well, Carl,” Adelaide told him. It was true. His dark blue eyes had some of their old twinkle again. “To answer your questions, Daniel is improving. Brenda is out sick.”