Remote Consequences (4 page)

"Okay. I'll see you in the morning, then."

I nodded and then paused at the door. "Thanks, Dr. C."

He gave a nod of acknowledgement. "You betcha."

I walked out and back down the hall to Paget. She'd fallen asleep, and I decided not to wake her.

Today was quickly becoming more than just a bad hair day. At this rate, I'd need a total makeover before sundown.

*  *  *

I'd reported my frigid find to the authorities and I'd been all but laughed at by Ty and Officer Chubby. He'd said he would check it out, but I hadn't gotten the immediate sense of urgency that I'd expected. It was just like being right back in high school all over again. He'd always considered me his little sister's friend and he'd never taken me seriously, even when it really counted.

There was a small, curious part of me that wanted to revisit the mayor's house. If for no other reason than to dig a little deeper into my discovery. But there was also the matter of reporting to my boss that I hadn't been able to complete the job. Maybe he'd send another crew. Maybe he'd fire me on the spot.

Sitting in the cable van once again, I pondered my next move. The security guard continued to eye me from behind his kiosk. He'd probably already put in a call for a tow, but I hadn't been inside long enough for the truck to get there.

Before I did anything else, I had to get something to eat. There was only so long a girl could live on a cup of coffee, half a banana, and a box of orange Tic Tacs. Speaking of which, I needed to make a stop at Thrifty Mart before I headed to the office. A girl without Tic Tacs was not a happy girl.

 
Of course, I hadn't been exactly what you'd call giddy in a while now. Thoughts of the letter that had come in the mail zinged through my brain. I arched my back and dug deep into my pants pocket. I'd shoved it there yesterday.

I hadn't wanted to dwell on it too long. I knew it was a drop letter from school, but somehow opening it made it too real, so I'd opted to remain in denial about the contents. Pulling out the wrinkled paper now, the window-style envelope crinkled in my hand. I shoved it back inside my pocket. Now wasn't the time for pondering my future. Now was the time for eating, getting rejuvenated with caffeine and carbs, and then facing my boss. Ugh. Well, at least the caffeine and carbs sounded good.

With the decision made, I rolled through the faux ambulance bay and was on my way to my favorite eatery in town, The Back Porch Café.

Never give cherries to pigs or advice to fools. –Irish Proverb

Entering the café was always like coming home. Kind of like it felt at Aunt Patty's house, but with a lot more clatter. I'd grown up in this café, and for a brief moment, my father had owned it. I paused to inhale the scent of fresh-brewed coffee. To listen to the grinding blades of the blender whipping up yet another peach pie shake. Add to that the tinny sound of forks and spoons scooping heaping helpings of goodness from over-filled plates, and you had a normal day at The Back Porch.

I walked toward the bar and then decided it might be a good idea to detour to the restroom and wash up. I'd been crawling around a dusty attic all morning, and there was that freezer situation as well.

I moved to the left side of the main dining room and down the paneled hallway. The ladies' room had a sign on the door that read
Belles
, and the men's room door sported the
Beaus
sign. I was definitely back in Millbrook. Pushing through the door, I studied myself in the mirror.

My appearance made me want to gag. My dark auburn hair was a disaster of epic proportions. Matted with dust and cobwebs alike, it hung from my head like a curtain of filth. My face held several smudges of unidentifiable markings as well.

Dr. C. hadn't bothered to mention my appearance. Of course, guys rarely took the risk of telling a woman they looked like crud on a stick. But still… Help a girl out.

Ty's face danced in my mind's eye. No wonder he and the other cop had looked at me as if I'd just escaped the local loony bin. Take my baggy coveralls and state of disarray—then add in my surprise tale of finding a frozen corpse in the attic of Mayor Mills. It was no wonder they'd looked at me as if I were a wrench short of a toolbox.

I made quick work of scrubbing my hands like a well-trained surgeon, followed by a quick splash of cold water on my face and a make-do finger-combing of my hair. That was the best I could do for now. It would have to be enough. My stomach rumbled like a monster truck show.

Okay. Okay. I'm going.

I exited the bathroom looking down at my dusty boots. Great, now I was talking to my stomach. I was truly losing it.

I didn't see the woman in the doorway until I had ungracefully crashed into her. We did an awkward dance while trying to keep our balance. It ultimately spun me around into the hallway and left my dance partner standing just inside the open doorway, glaring at me with no shortage of annoyance.

"Oh, excuse me."

I had always been a royal klutz, and today it seemed more pronounced than ever. My knee gave a sharp sting as I recalled the splinter incident from earlier that was still lacking in first-aid attention.

"Mandy Murrin." The voice both comforted me and made me feel ill at ease.

I took a closer look at my dance partner. Short stature, dark, curly hair, and thick but stylish glasses topped off her look.

"Henny Penny? Oh, my gosh. You look amazing!"

The woman's half-smile faded into a full-on smirk. "Wish I could say the same of you, and no one calls me that anymore."

I beamed at her despite the obvious putdown. "Sorry, Penny. It's just…I haven't seen you in ages. How have you been?"

"I've been fine." The woman across from me had once been my best friend. We'd grown up together, played precocious pranks on the boys, and taken many a swim in the Alabama River. We'd shared first days of school together, first crushes, and even first periods. Then it had all gone away. One night, one decision had destroyed our friendship. It had been my fault, and I'd apologized more times that I could count. Surely all that was behind us now. It was all ages ago and long since forgotten.

I reached out to touch my former friend's arm. But Penny pulled it back and out of reach. Her lips pressed together.

Perhaps it wasn't so long ago or so far behind us after all. Seemed like Penny and her brother Ty could sure hold on to old grudges despite a decade-long respite.

"Are you still working for the paper?" I tried a different approach. It would be so nice if I could patch things up with Penny now. I could really use a friend right about…this minute.

"Not really," Penny said, standing as tall as her five feet of stature would allow.

"I know how much you've always loved to write. What are you doing now, then?"

"Oh, I still like to write from time to time. You know, I wrote a piece about Patty's funeral."

My face flushed. I hadn't even bought a copy of my aunt's obituary, much less checked the paper for any articles about her death or services. I'd been so wrapped up in finding a job and trying to find care for Paget.

"I must have missed it. Been real busy, you know?"

Penny gave me the once-over…or maybe it was a twice-over, and she took in the grungy coveralls and flyaway hair. "Yes. It does seem you're quite busy doing…things."

The condescension in her voice sent a burst of discomfort through me.

She knew I had left town to become a doctor, and now she'd seen me in the Flicks Vision uniform. There was no way to hide my fall to menial labor. I was a working stiff, and news of Mandy Murrin's mediocre Millbrook existence would be all over town by morning.

A little of that schoolgirl envy began to boil beneath the surface. I wanted so badly to throw it back in Penny's face. An idea whisked through my mind, and before I could stop myself the words were churning out.

"I found a dead body in the mayor's attic."

Penny's mouth opened and then closed. This happened several times in a row, making me recall one particular summer when we'd learned how to bait our own hooks and fished off the pier. Penny never had wanted to touch the wriggling worms, but she'd been aces at casting that line.

"Let me buy you lunch," Penny offered, and stepped back into the hallway to join me.

I smiled vaguely, but I knew I'd just made a terrible mistake.

*  *  *

I finished my late and awkward lunch with Penny and headed back to the cable office. I parked in the company lot but delayed the confrontation with Barry by taking a detour next door to the Thrifty Mart. Browsing the aisles in the well-air-conditioned building, I loaded my arms with chips, cookies, coffee filters, a two-liter Coke, and my beloved Tic Tacs.

"Why you don't get a basket?"

I spun around, nearly dropping my loot. There, standing too close behind me for comfort, stood Amika—the mayor's housekeeper. What was she doing here?

"Uh…oh, I was just grabbing a few things." My voice stuttered out the words. I took a step back to try to put a little space between us. My back bumped into a rack of beef jerky, and it began to topple over. Amika stopped its fall with one pale hand and quick reflexes.

"Hmm…you have time to eat and shop but no time to fix cable television?"

My nerves twinged a little beneath my skin at her words. How did she know where I'd been since I left the mayor's house? Was she following me?

Oh, don't be ridiculous, Mandy.

I shook my head and forced a smile on my face. "Well, I'm headed in to work now, and I'm sure they'll get it taken care of as soon as possible."

She lifted the corners of her mouth, but it still looked menacing. "You should eat better. That stuff will
kill
you." Her eyes indicated the junk food I was holding in my arms. Then she turned and marched out of the store.

I let out a breath I hadn't known I was holding on to. Kicking myself into gear, I unloaded my stash onto the counter. As I waited for the cashier to ring it up, I wondered—had her warning about the food really been about something else? Did I actually hear her stress the word "kill," or was my imagination getting the best of me?

What if Amika knew what I'd found in the attic? What if she was watching me to see what I'd do about it? What if she knew that I'd already told both the cops and Penny?

I gathered up my bags and left the store. My eyes darted around the parking lot, but I saw no sign of the mayor's hired help.

Mandy, stop creeping yourself out.

I chastised myself and tried to get myself together. I still had to face Barry the boss, and technically my shift wasn't over yet. My day was just beginning.

Hip hip hurr—blah.

*  *  *

After a full recounting to my boss about what happened in the attic, including the Siberian-solid stiff and a quick rundown of how the rest of my morning and afternoon had been spent, he was not impressed. He was a man who lived for money and television. People had to have their television—apparently the world revolved around it. At least Barry's world, anyway.

"Look, just as soon as we get the all-clear from the Millbrook police, I want you to go straight back there and finish the job. This is the mayor we're talking about here. It's our top priority. Are we understood?" Barry said, staring down at me and scratching his head simultaneously. Little flakes of dandruff coated the collar of his matching, company-issued blue coveralls.

"But—" I started.

"I can't spare anyone else," he cut in. "As it is, the mayor is going to be royally teed off that he can't watch his game tonight. What were you thinking leaving the assignment before completing your work order?"

Was this guy serious? Who could finish a job with a dead body hanging around? It seemed like the mayor would have bigger worries if and when Ty and company showed up to check out my report. I was trying to focus on his rant but found myself scratching at the neckline of my own uniform, wondering who else had worn this before me and what cooties I was catching at the current moment.

But he didn't wait for a response before saying, "Just go on home, Mandy. Take the rest of the evening off. You said your sister is in the hospital? Go check on her or something. I'll call the station and make sure it was all just a false alarm." Barry's face had reddened. His head scratching had grown more vigorous.

Barry hadn't been exactly nice to me since I'd been on his payroll. Then again, being on his payroll was all the kindness I really needed to have from this bundle of joy at the moment. I had to take care of Paget while I figured out what to do about med school, and up until today, this job had been tolerable.

"I'm sure it will turn out to be nothing. There's no way Mayor Mills would be involved in something like that." Barry mumbled the words as he turned to look at his computer screen, thereby dismissing me.

Hearing Barry's confidence in the mayor and his good reputation made me want to believe maybe he was right. Only… I knew what I'd seen, and that couldn't be erased. But I let it drop for now and headed for my locker in the break room to drop off my gear and change clothes. I had a lot to think about tonight. I needed to do a bit of brainstorming. And nothing went better with brainstorming than food.

The well-filled belly has little understanding of the empty. –Irish Proverb

Ten minutes later, I exited the back door of the building and headed toward my car. My red 1963 Buick Skylark convertible, the only thing I had left to remember my parents by. More important, it was affectionately named…Stella.

I'd left the car here last night since I'd gotten off duty so late. I'd wanted to get home and crash after my last work order. Now, at the end of another very long day, I was finally sliding inside once again.

I blew out a breath of relief and then inhaled the scent of old leather.