Oven Baked Secrets (Eugeena Patterson Mysteries Book 2) (13 page)

Amos was a real trooper. He paid the bill and drove us to the Browns. While I have had some difficulties getting along with Willie Mae and Annie Mae, I wouldn’t have wished this kind of news on my worst enemy. I knew they were both devastated.  We all had prayed together for many years and tried to intervene for Pat when she was going through heroin addiction. She fought so hard to get her life back on track.

I can’t believe she is gone. I hope I misunderstood Annie Mae.

I was beside myself the whole way and was so thankful Amos was driving. I knew Pat had been trying to tell me something. Pat showed concern from the beginning about Louise’s welfare and fussed at William hours before he was killed.  For the past week and a half, what happened to poor William haunted me. Now Pat too.

That was two people who I’d watched grow up. We needed answers.

Annie Mae answered the door when we arrived. I don’t think in all the years I had known her I’d ever hugged her. I felt slightly guilty that such a tragedy brought us to this moment, but a hug was more than appropriate.  Annie Mae seemed too distraught to protest. I caught her looking at Amos behind me, but there were no judgmental remarks.

Grief overwhelmed me as I walked into the room and saw Willie Mae sitting with her arms crossed as if she was freezing cold. Pat was her only child. She glanced at me, but turned her attention to the person sitting across from her. I have to say I was a bit surprised to see Detective Wilkes there.

“Willie Mae, I’m so sorry to hear about Pat.” I looked at the detective who eyed me and then Amos.

“You two again?” Detective Wilkes remarked.

I sighed, “Charleston is a good size city, Detective, but some of us have been here all our lives and know each other. We all go to the same church.”

Detective Wilkes nodded.  “I see.”

Amos stepped up and asked the detective, “If you’re here it sounds like something happened to Pat that could be considered foul play.”

The petite detective peered at Willie Mae. “Unfortunately, we can’t say that at this time, but Ms. Brown’s death needs further investigation. We have requested an autopsy.”

Willie Mae shook her head. “They’re trying to say she overdosed.”

“No,” I said. “That can’t be.”

Detective Wilkes responded, “It’s my understanding that in the past Ms. Brown had been addicted to heroin.”

Willie Mae threw her hands up in the air. “She beat her addiction. That was years ago. She wouldn’t go back to that stuff again.”

Detective Wilkes looked down at her notebook as if this pained her to ask. “Was Ms. Brown under any stress or were there any changes that may have motivated her to consider using drugs again?”

Willie Mae’s voice cracked with frustration. “She wouldn’t go touch that stuff again.”  She began to sob softly into her hands.

Annie Mae came up beside her sister on the couch and put her arm around her twin. “Please leave. We need time to grieve.”

Detective Wilkes stood. “I will be in touch when we have any other information. Ladies, I’m truly sorry for your loss.”

I grabbed Amos’ arm and pulled him after the detective. Once we were outside, I asked the detective. “Can we talk?”

Detective Wilkes turned around. “If you have something that can help.”

I took a deep breath. “Something has been different about the nursing home where Pat worked.”

Detective Wilkes looked at me. “So, you agree that Ms. Brown was stressed… that she could have regressed.”

“It’s a possibility, but I don’t think so. Pat had developed a solid faith in the past few years. She cared about her patients, loved her Sunday School class and belted out the most beautiful solos on Sunday morning; I can’t believe she would want to go back to that place of misery. She was trapped there for so many years.”

I felt Amos’ hand on my shoulder. I hadn’t realized tears were streaming down my face. I wiped them away with the end of my sleeve.

This was my theory. “I think Pat was harmed. She has been trying to get in touch with me all last week, but we kept missing each other. Whatever she wanted to tell me, she certainly didn’t feel comfortable just telling me over the phone. She kept insisting on meeting in person.”

Detective Wilkes looked thoughtful for a minute.

Amos nudged the detective. “Detective Wilkes, was there more to Pat’s condition other than she appeared to have overdosed?”

“I can’t really say, Mr. Jones. I will say that there’s always the possibility that someone could have helped her along. The medical examiner noticed something, but I’m not at liberty to say.” The detective looked at us. “Looks like you two were out having a good time. Sorry this messed up your evening.”

I looked down at the dress I was wearing. A sudden gust of wind reminded me how cold the world could be. I’d forgotten that Amos and I had been enjoying a dinner out. I guess one would have called it a date. All that excitement I had earlier had dissipated.

It was almost ten o’clock when we arrived back home. When Amos pulled into my driveway, I said, “Thank you for the evening you had planned for us.”

“Sorry about Pat. This is mind boggling. I’ve looked over many cases in my life, but this has me wondering what’s going on.”

I turned to Amos. “Do you agree we should find out?”

“Eugeena, I would have to agree with you, but I don’t know what we can do.”

“How about trying to see Louise?”

“It’s a start. We can’t be rash. They do have some type of security.”

I understood what Amos was saying, but I knew I could no longer stay in the dark about what was going on with my friend. I was feeling too insecure about her being in
that
place.

I didn’t sleep, but I talked to God. I asked why several times in between getting caught up in my own tears. By the time I awakened, I was determined to get my answers. It occurred to me I was more distraught over Pat’s death than William’s death. Both deaths were sudden and tragic. There were too many questions left hanging. I wasn’t sure if one was connected to the other, but I couldn’t get bogged down in details. The goal was to see how Louise was doing.

After I parked in the Hillcrest Manor Nursing Home parking lot, I marched inside and to my surprise no one was at the desk. I just knew Lexi would be there with her condescending little face telling me I was not allowed to visit Louise.

I thought why not just sneak down the hallway. A big and hulky male was pushing a man in a wheelchair past me. Maybe I will just go back to my original plan, which was to confront the director. She was the one making the rules and she argued with Pat about something last week that upset Pat. So I switched direction down another hallway towards the administration offices.

I moved through a sitting area that I hadn’t been in before towards a few doors.  All the doors were closed, but the lights were on from what I could tell from the window panes next to the doors. As I approached the door in the far corner of the administration area, I read the gold nameplate. Jacqueline Saunders, Director. That’s who I needed to see first.

I started to knock on the door, but I could hear voices. It sounded like a man and a woman were arguing. I looked at the table in the middle of the sitting area; I went over and grabbed a brochure off of the table. I scoped the nearby doors to see if there was anyone who could see me and eased as close as I could to Ms. Saunders’s door. If the door opened, I could always say I was waiting to see her.

I leaned towards the door close enough hoping that I didn’t look like I was eavesdropping. It was so hard to hear.

I heard the man’s voice yell, “What were you doing with my car?”

Ms. Saunders raised her voice, “I told you I just needed to borrow your car because mine was in the shop.”

“So you just came in my house and took the keys. That’s technically stealing.  I don’t care if you are family, especially with some detective showing up asking me questions. Do you know how embarrassing that is to have customers see policemen walking through the showroom?”

Showroom
?  Like a car showroom. Wait a minute, I know that voice.

That was James Nelson. Amos said the nursing home was owned by the Nelsons. It made sense for James to come visit his father, Chuck Nelson. How would Jacqueline Saunders be able to borrow his car? What kind of car was it?

Jacqueline asked, “What were they asking you?”

I strained to hear.

“The detective was asking me about William. Seems like my car could have been at his house the night he was shot.”

Jaqueline responded matter-of-factly. “I’m sure there are a lot of other cars like your Mustang here in Charleston. Now what did you tell them about the car?”

“Can I help you?”

I shrank back and noticed a red-haired woman was looking at me strangely. I smiled and held out the brochure. “I was waiting to talk to Ms. Saunders.”

The woman pointed to the sitting area. “Looks like she is with someone now, why don’t you have a seat?”

After what I just heard, I had a change of plan. “You know what? I will be back.”

I hurried out of the area and fast as I could. I looked over at the front desk again. Lexi was still not there. I stopped and pulled out my phone. I told Amos I was coming to the nursing home and would call him if I found anything strange.

Amos answered on the first ring. “Everything okay, Eugeena? Have you seen Louise yet?”

I looked around to make sure no one was listening to my conversation. “That’s next, but I need you to know that I overheard a conversation. You know that car that was at the house the night William was killed?”

“Yes.”

“It could belong to James Nelson. But get this; Jacqueline Saunders could have been driving it. How?”

Amos was quiet for a moment like he was thinking. “According to the information I found, the former director was Jacqueline’s mother. She retired and passed the nursing home to her daughter. It’s possible James Nelson and Jacqueline Saunders are related, maybe even siblings.”

That’s the connection!
I turned and saw someone coming down the hallway. I walked over to the other side of the hallway and held my head down.  It appeared to be James Nelson. I recognized the salesman’s determined strides as he pushed open the door. “Amos, I’m going to see if I can get down the hallway to Louise while I still have a chance. I made need a little backup.”

“What are you planning to do?”

“Let’s just say I’d like to get a conversation going with Ms. Saunders, but I know I need some help.”

“Eugeena?”

“You told me to call you when I’m about to get into something? I’m letting you know now.” I clicked off the conversation before Amos tried to talk me out of whatever sketchy plan I had in my head.

Then I scooted down the hallway. I had visions of me being dressed as a nurse, but that was taking it a bit too far.
No need for a disguise
. I passed the sitting area for residents and noticed some of the same people sitting around watching the television. No one seemed to notice me walking past. The closer I got to Louise’s room I was feeling hopeful that this would all work out fine.

Right outside Louise’s room, I heard someone talking to Louise in a harsh voice. “Pat is off today. Now you need to take your medicine.”

Louise whined. “Where’s Pat? I want Pat. She knows I don’t need to take this stuff. I don’t want it. It doesn’t make me feel good.”

I hoped Amos was coming with the cavalry because I was putting a stop to this foolishness, right then.

I stepped in the room to see Lexi with a syringe in her hand. “So you’re the receptionist and the nurse. Honey, you got some explaining to do because I don’t think you’re qualified to be giving anybody what’s in that needle.”

“Eugeena, thank goodness you’re here. I really want to go home, but no one will take me.”

Lexi frowned. “What are you doing here? You’re not supposed to be in here.”

“Well, why don’t you get Ms. Saunders? Louise and I have to have a talk with her.”

Lexi looked unsure and I was not happy with her holding up that syringe. I took my phone out. “I will call social services if you don’t put that syringe down. I see something that looks suspiciously like elder abuse to me.”

Louise rose up in the bed. “That’s exactly what it is, Eugeena. You get her.”

Lexi looked at Louise like she was going to stick her with the syringe anyway, but she moved past me. She threatened, “I will be back.”

I turned towards Louise and watched as she blinked back tears, “I don’t like her. She’s not very nice. Something has happened to Pat. I haven’t seen her in days.”

This wasn’t the time to upset Louise. “I know your favorite nurse is Pat. Now, how are you doing?”

Louise pointed to a notebook by her side. “I have William’s funeral planned out. It’s been hard to do because I seem to sleep all the time.”

I smiled and reached for the notebook. “I’m sorry I haven’t been here for you. You should have had someone here to help you.”

“Have they found out anything about my William?”

“Not that I know of. Did you two get a chance to talk on Sunday?”

“A little. I kind of wasn’t listening to him. I had other things on my mind.”

“You know he had someone buying the house.”

Louise tilted her head. “Yes, I remember him saying there was a buyer. I hope they would change their mind and not want the house. That’s my house, Eugeena.”

“Mrs. Patterson, you need to leave the premises.”

I looked up to see Ms. Saunders at the door. The large male nurse I had seen earlier was behind her.

I started to protest, but Louise changed my mind.

“Jacqueline, why would you ask Eugeena to leave? She’s my friend.”

Jacqueline stepped in the room as if she was coming to remove me herself.

Louise kept talking. “Eugeena, did you know William has been in love with this woman since they were teenagers?”

“No, I didn’t. I would love to hear more about this.”

Jacqueline froze looking from Louise to me.

“Oh yes, during high school William was so in love with her. They went to the senior prom together. I still have that photo somewhere, not sure where it is now.”

I decided to help Louise speed up these revelations. “So do you think William still had a thing for Ms. Saunders?”

“Oh yes, that’s why he was all cleaned up last week. I think they have been going out together.”

“No!” Ms. Saunders shouted. “You’re wrong. There was nothing going on between William and me.”

I thought back to Sunday.

It’s just the way I remember it
. That strange comment from the female buyer of the house made sense now. Jacqueline knew that house. “So, Jacqueline, you must have spent a lot of time at the Hopkins house. Louise, did you know that Jacqueline loved your house so much she wanted to buy it?”

Louise looked at Jacqueline. “You? Why would you buy my house?”

“A better question is why did she shoot William?”

Jacqueline turned a shade of red that I wanted to say looked dangerously close to purple. “I did no such thing.”

“But your brother, James Nelson, just said you borrowed his car. That would be a Mustang, right? The police were just asking him about the car. He must be real upset with you that you took his car and used it as a getaway car.”

Jacqueline roared, “I knew I should have taken care of you. You just don’t quit. All of your questions.”

“Like Pat. Who probably didn’t really quit either?”

With that Jacquelyn turned around and fled the room. She pushed past the big male nurse who was standing behind her.

I yelled at him. “What kind of nurse are you? Protect your patients. That woman is a murderer. Go get her.”

The man looked at me like he was crazy but took off down the hallway.

Louise looked bewildered, “What just happened?”

“We just called out a killer?” My phone rang and I saw it was Amos. I answered the phone and yelled, “She’s getting away. What should we do?”

Amos responded, “No, she’s not. We got her.”

I smacked myself on the head. “You did! That was fast.”

“Detective Wilkes was already on it. Apparently, she’d asked James Nelson to wear a wire when he was talking with his sister earlier.” When he left, that was the cue for the police to enter the nursing home.

I inhaled deeply and then blew out a breath, feeling tension leaving my body. “That worked out pretty good. I managed not to get into too much trouble.”

“I told you to let God handle it.”

I laughed, but I still wanted answers. What exactly was Jacqueline Saunders trying to hide that cost William and Pat their lives?