IN FOR A PENNY (The Granny Series) (15 page)

“You’re sure there’s no problem?”

Sera nodded, and Maggie did too. “You’d be the first to know.”

“I sure hope so.” Teague tipped his hat back. “I’ll stop in and check on him. Make sure everything is okay. I doubt you have anything to worry about though.”

“We’re not worried.” Sera chimed in. “Everything is going great. Perfect.”

“Are you going to stick around for a while?” he asked Sera.

“I haven’t decided yet.”

Teague’s eyes narrowed, but he slipped on his sunglasses. “Let me know if I can do anything else for you ladies.”

“Not a thing,” Maggie said, pouring on a cheerful lilt.

He nodded once and headed toward the sheriff’s office.

When Teague turned the corner, Sera squeezed Maggie in a one-armed hug. “That was close. Good girl.”

Chapter Sixteen

Maggie pushed the buzzer at Dogwood Ridge Assisted Living while Sera stood next to her scanning the parking lot.

“What are you doing?” Maggie asked. “You’re making us look suspicious.”

“These places make me nervous.”

First the jail and now the old folks’ home. What normal place didn’t make Sera nervous?

The lock clicked and hiccupped before the mechanism finally released.

Maggie hurried inside with Sera tailgating her. When the door latched behind them, Sera spun around and pushed on it. “They locked us in. Why would they do that? I don’t like to be locked in.”

Sera’s pot was a little cracked, but Maggie couldn’t look into the Nash Talley business all alone. “Settle down. I’m sure they do that for the residents’ safety.”

“It’s creepy.” Sera tucked in tighter to Maggie.

“Don’t be silly.” Maggie looked around. Clean white linoleum floors, pale peach walls and florescent lights.
A little sterile, yes. But creepy, no.

Sera pulled her sweater around her.
“Gives me the heebie-jeebies. All the negative air. Don’t you feel it?”

“No.”
All I feel is you up in my space.
Maggie approached the main desk.

The blonde, ponytailed girl sitting behind it looked barely old enough to be out of college. “Hi, I’m Tina. How can I help y’all today? If you’re here for a tour of our facility, I have to tell you we only have one vacancy.”

Maggie gasped, and nothing else came out.
A tour? I’m not that doggone old. I sure as heck need no assistance to live!
Maggie was learning to do that all on her own. She grabbed the clipboard and signed in to visit Warner Talley.

Sera gave her a nudge.
“Told you it sucked.”

Maggie tried to smile. “We’re here to visit our old friend, Warner Talley.”

The young woman’s eyes brightened. “I’m so glad. You know he doesn’t remember much on most days, and his son is so wonderful to come and spend time with him, but he’s out of town and Warner could really use a visitor. This is perfect timing. He’s still in his room.”

Maggie feigned disappointment. “I was so hoping to bump into Nash too. When will he be back?”

“I’m not sure. Every once in a while he has to travel, but soon, I’m sure. He never lets too much time pass between visits.”

Tina cocked her head, studied her.
“I don’t suppose you’d know how long he’ll be gone or where he is?”

Oh, no. She was suspicious.
“Never mind. I’ll talk with Nash when he gets back. Can we visit with Warner now?”

“I’ll show you the way. Follow me.”

Maggie and Sera fell in step behind the woman. Tina gave a quick double rap on the door and peeked her head in. “Mr. Talley? You decent? You have some company.”

Warner Talley must have snorted out of a deep sleep because they heard that raspy snore all the way in the hall.
“Yeah, yah, yah. What? Melba? Is that you?”

“It’s me, Mr. Talley. Tina. You’ve got some beautiful ladies here to visit you today.”

“I like my girls pretty. You know that’s true. But there’s no way they’ll be prettier than you.”

Tina turned to Maggie and Sera. “Were you friends with his wife, Melba, before she passed?”

Sera grabbed Tina’s arm. “Oh goodness, yes. She was the nicest woman on earth.” She leaned in. “She was a lousy bridge player, but that suited me just fine. I do so love to win.”

If Maggie hadn’t
known for a fact that neither of them knew Warner Talley or his wife, she’d have believed every word Sera said.

“He’s been asking for Melba again today. He might not recognize you.”

Oh, I can guarantee that man won’t recognize us.
“We’ll try not to take it personal.”

“I’ll let y’all visit. Let me know if there’s anything I can do.”

Sera watched from the doorway until Tina turned the corner. “She’s gone.”

Maggie was already sitting on the love seat across from Warner’s recliner. Sera rushed over, her flip-flops snapping under her feet the whole way,
then plopped down alongside Maggie.

“How are you doing today, Warner?” Maggie wasn’t even sure what she was going to say to the man, but hopefully he’d shed some light on where his son might be.

Warner’s eyes glassed over. “Melba, honey, you’ve come back.” He lunged toward her and took her hands into his.

“No,” Maggie said, pulling away.

Sera put her hands on top of their heaping pile of fingers, holding Maggie hostage in Warner’s cold hands. “I’m sorry I kept her away so long, Warner. She was helping me this morning.”

“Do I know you?” Warner looked at Sera for a long moment. “I don’t think I do.”

It broke Maggie’s heart to see him so confused. And here she was, pretending to be his loving wife just to get information about Nash, who might be as innocent as his father. But then again, her instinct was telling her otherwise. “Warner, dear, you remember Sera. Quit teasing her. Have you seen Nash? I can’t seem to get a hold of him.”

“Nash? He always follows the cash.”

“What?”

“Sometimes he comes, sometimes he goes,” Warner crooned. “When he returns, he always shows.”

“Where does he go?” Maggie asked.

“I wonder where my boy could be. I can’t leave, but I can give you his key.”

“Do you think he realizes he’s talking in rhyme?” Sera whispered to Maggie.

She hadn’t even noticed.
“The key to what, Warner?”

Warner lifted himself from the chair and shuffled across the room. He returned with a single key on a paper clip and a grungy handkerchief tied corner to corner like a hobo sack. With a knobby arthritic finger, he motioned for Sera to move.

Sera darted over to his recliner, and Warner eased into the love seat next to Maggie.

Not good. Maggie made
save me
eyes at Sera, but she just mouthed, “Sorry, but he’s so sweet.”

“Melba, my beautiful wife, you’ve given me a handsome son and a wonderful life.” He pressed the key into her hand, gazed into her eyes. “Dear, please take this key. Go check on Nash for me.”

Darned if he wasn’t rhyming like a geriatric Dr. Seuss. “I’m sure he’s fine. I don’t want you to worry one bit.”

“He’s a good boy. We’re lucky, you and me.” Warner reached out with shaking fingers and touched Maggie’s cheek. He drew back and dropped the little handkerchief sack into her lap. “This is something special for you on our anniversary.”

“Oh, Warner, I can’t.”

Sera cleared her throat to get Maggie’s attention and nodded toward the package like a deranged woodpecker.

“I’m sorry I didn’t bring you a gift.” She untied the knotted ends of the hanky yellow from age and folded back the thin fabric. Her heart squeezed and she rubbed it to ease the ache. It didn’t work. A single tear streamed down her cheek.

“You like it?”

“I love it, Warner.” She lifted the bright red-and-gold macaroni necklace from her lap and slipped it over her head. “It’s the best gift I’ve ever received.”

He folded her in his arms and rocked her.

The dried pasta dug into her collar bone. The tiny pain was the least she deserved. Maggie patted him on the back.

“
Whoops, look at the time,” Sera said. “Walk me out, won’t you, Melba?”

Warner drew back and his smile was so sad that Maggie hesitated. Sera yanked her off the love seat and hustled her toward the door.

“When will you be back?”

“Soon,” Maggie choked out.

Sera half dragged her down the hall and out into the sunshine, leaving behind the smell of arthritis cream and lost dreams.

“We’re going straight to hell for lying to that man,” Maggie said.

Sera stopped in the middle of the parking lot. “Honey, you made his day.”

Maggie twisted the gold sparkly macaroni necklace between her fingers. No matter what they discovered about Nash’s disappearance, she’d make sure his daddy didn’t suffer the consequences.

Nash stood against his balcony rail, sipping a martini—gin and vermouth only—and watching a yacht ease into the Intracoastal Waterway from the marina across the street. The view from this condo was only one of the reasons he’d bought it three years ago.

Hmm…how much would a small yacht run me? Surely my stash would cover it and then some.

But before he could consider a yacht seriously, he needed to get his daddy settled out here on the island. Tomorrow, he’d research every assisted living facility within reasonable driving distance. Although this was ahead of his original timeline, he’d felt an increasing drive to cross off this final task of his plan since running into Lillian at Gabriel’s Acres a few weeks ago.

His phone sounded from where he’d left it on the glass coffee table, and his heart hitched. He’d programmed Lionel Richie’s “Hello” ring tone for only one caller.

He dashed inside and scooped up his phone, gasping hello. Not manly at all. He cleared his throat and deepened his voice this time. “Hello, Nash Talley speaking.”

“Nash,
it’s Tina.”

“Tina, what a surprise.”
Not.

“I hope you aren’t upset I called.” She had such a sweet voice, like dark molasses. Too bad molasses was so sticky.
Just so messy.

“It’s just that—”

“Something’s happened to Dad?” Because why else would she have called?

“No, no. Your daddy is fine,” she rushed to say. “Well, not fine, but the same. Sorry to scare you like that. I shouldn’t have called.”

“You obviously had a reason.” Maybe she missed him. He wandered back to the balcony, stopping every few steps to sweep his foot through the footprints in the plush white carpet. He pulled the sliding door closed behind him and settled into a teak lounge chair to sip his drink.

“I just wondered…if you…”

He slipped a daisy from the arrangement he’d purchased and stroked the petals as Tina’s voice stroked his heart.
She loves me. She loves me…more.
“If I what?”

“If you’re okay?” she blurted.

She loves me.

“Never better, why?” Nash smiled and his hopes floated up, up, up. If only Tina could see him here.
In this life. If she liked boring Nash Talley, funeral guy of Summer Shoals, what would she think of him here? She couldn’t be anything but impressed. He stretched out his legs and admired his leather boat shoes. Casual but pristine. He’d grown to like the no-socks look, and these Quoddy shoes had been a splurge. His white slacks were starched to a high sheen with creases so sharp, they just might slice a man’s fingers.

“Well, you haven’t come to the center lately and I didn’t think anything of it since you travel sometimes. But then your daddy’s friends came to visit him today and wondered when you’d be back in town. I realized I didn’t know.”

“Which friends?” He sat up straight, the air around him suddenly heavy. It wouldn’t do to have folks gossiping about him. Not when he was this close to breaking away. Yes, he’d altered his original plan to spend more time here. He needed this place. Adjusting the plan had made him uneasy, and now the thought of people noticing his comings and goings made his neck itch.

“Maggie Rawls and a blonde woman.
I couldn’t really make out her writing. Sarah? I think Mrs. Rawls may have called her Sarah.”

Those were Lillian’s friends. The scene from the Fourth of July parade slowly flickered through his brain. The blue Tucker Torpedo idling down the parade route with Lillian sitting up on the back of the convertible.
Lillian shading herself with an umbrella. The sheriff asking Nash if he’d seen something. Those peanuts all over the ground instead of candy.

The gin burned a hole clean through Nash’s stomach.

Whoever had been riding in that car, it hadn’t been Lillian Fairview.

They were hiding something out there at Summer Haven, and now they were slopping around in his business. He unbuttoned the top button of his shirt.

Did Lillian know what he’d done?

Trying to sound nonchalant, Nash lowered his voice and forced his back to relax against the chair. “How nice of them to visit Dad, especially since I’ll be on this business trip for even longer than I anticipated. I hate being away from him so long. Could I ask you a favor?”

“Anything.”

“Could you call me once a day? Let me know how Dad’s doing and if he’s had visitors?”

“At this number?”

Crap.
It wouldn’t do to leave this trail. “Actually, I’m getting a new phone tomorrow. Give me your cell number and I’ll text you my number.” He could get one of those prepaid phones. “And I don’t want the calls to be long distance from the center, so why don’t you call from your cell?”