Calamity @ the Carwash (Parson's Cove Mysteries) (17 page)

I laughed. “Well, there’s no way you can
turn the clock back. So, if you don’t plan on chasing any crooks, what are you
going to do today? We have a mystery to solve still and it seems the people of
Parson's Cove are counting on us.”

“Actually, Mabel, I was thinking that I
could sneak back into my office and discreetly question the Captain to see how
the case is going.” He sighed. “If I find anything out, I’ll get back to you.”

He was standing with his hand on the
doorknob when I realized how our sheriff must look to those city cops. To us,
he was just Reg. He’d been our sheriff now for umpteen years and although he
wasn’t a super hero, he got things done in his own slow and easy way. His
sweaty cap was pulled down over his forehead, his light blue uniform shirt was
open at the neck and his sleeves were rolled up. I guess his gun with all the
paraphernalia that goes with it made him too hot because he wasn’t wearing it.
There were some slight perspiration marks under his arms and between his
shoulder blades. His dark navy pants were probably a size too small now and
there was a bit too much ankle showing above his sandals.

His sandals. Shoes. Boots. Feet.

Something suddenly clicked in my brain.

“Reg,” I said. “Let me know if you hear
something. I’ve got an important phone call to make now.” I hurried over,
removed his hand from the knob and opened the door. “I’m sorry to rush you out
but I don’t want any of the heat coming in either.”

He looked a little stunned but since
he’s used to my sudden personality changes, he didn’t protest. I glanced out
the window and saw that he could run quite fast in his sandals to get into his
air-conditioned patrol car.

I picked up the phone and called Flori.

“Flori, remember when we went to the
city with the seniors?”

“You mean, yesterday? I’m not quite that
forgetful yet.”

“I’m not really asking if you remember
if we went, I’m just starting my conversation that way.”

“All right. What about our trip to the
city? Please, don’t tell me that you really want to come again, Mabel. I know I
hurt your feelings but I think it’s for the best if I get someone else. And,
since I’ve already asked someone and she’s said yes, I can’t make any changes
now. I’m so sorry. I know I should never have said all those terrible things to
you. Can you ever forgive me, Mabel?”

With that, she began to cry. I waited
for a minute or so because there was no way she could hear anything I was
saying. When there was a lull after she blew her nose, I said, “There is
nothing to forgive, Flori. You didn’t say any horrible things to me and I think
it’s wonderful that you’ve found someone to take my place.”

More sniffles. “Do you mean that? You
don’t really mind that I’ve asked someone else? You realize that this person
does not ‘take your place,’ right? There is no one who could ever take your
place, Mabel.”

“I know. What I’m wondering about is if
Calvin Koots wore the same shoes all day yesterday.”

“Pardon me?”

“I know this sounds weird but can you
remember, Flori? Did Calvin have the same shoes on for the whole trip or was he
wearing different shoes on the way home?”

“My goodness, Mabel, I don’t know what
kind of shoes Calvin was wearing. The only reason I know he was wearing those
heavy Army boots is because your cat was trying to tear them off his feet. Did
you ever find out why? You have to admit that Sammy was acting very strange.”

“He was and Sammy is not a strange cat.
He’s one of my sanest ones. There was something on the outside or else on the
inside of those shoes that drove Sammy crazy. Remember Miss MJ saying how
Calvin walked differently when it was time to go home?”

“I don’t know; maybe he stepped in
something. What difference does it make anyway, Mabel?”

“I’m not sure but I’d like to find out.
Isn’t it just driving you crazy not knowing?”

Flori sighed, dramatically. “Why would
something that I don’t know anything about and that I have no interest in
finding out, drive me crazy?”

“I guess I see your point. I think I’ll
give Miss MJ a call and see if she remembers. By the way, who is taking my
place for the next trip to the city?”

Another sigh. “Not taking your place,
Mabel. I thought I’d ask Erma because it will give her a break from Murray.
Jake said he hasn’t started coming back to the restaurant yet. Remember how he
would always walk over with Biscuit and he’d have coffee with the guys? Murray,
that is, not Biscuit.” She sniffed. “It’s so sad, isn’t it? I always wonder how
you’ll make out when your cats start to leave you.”

“Flori, my cats won’t be leaving me soon
and when they do, I’ll manage just fine. Besides, since they have nine lives
and I have only one, I’m sure I’ll be leaving them first. You’d better start
planning what to do with them because in my Will, I’ve left them all to you.”

She must’ve thought I was joking because
she was laughing hysterically when I hung up.

It took several minutes for someone to
track down my old English teacher but as I waited, the different sounds from
the retirement home entertained me. I realize that old age and senility are
nothing to joke about but I certainly hope that someone will gently place a
pillow over my face when I don’t know who I am anymore. And, I’m not joking.

“Mabel?” MJ said, with a slightly out of
breath wheeze. “Is that you?”

“Yes, MJ, it’s me.”

“Or, do you mean, ‘it is I?’”

“Yes, it is I, Mabel Wickles.”

“Oh Mabel, you’re a hoot. I almost wish
I was back teaching school again. You have no idea how much joy it was to teach
you.”

“Were.”

“Were what?”

“Almost wish you
were
back
teaching school. Remember, if you are expressing some form of wish, desire, or
uncertainty, use the specific verb form that reflects the mood of uncertainty.”

When MJ had finished laughing, she said,
“Now you know why you brought such joy to my heart.”

“Really? I think you’re the first person
who’s ever said that I brought them joy. I think I shower most people with
things like headaches.”

“See? You have a wonderful sense of
humor. You kept the class in an uproar. Well, until you were expelled, that
is.”

“Yes, we have some wonderful memories.
Now, speaking of memories – can you remember if Calvin was wearing the same
shoes all day yesterday?”

“Oh no, he never wears the same shoes.
He has sneakers on for the drive there and then coming home, he has those awful
big brown boots. I guess that’s why he walks so funny. It never made much sense
to me but I did get a kick out of watching him in those boots. Are you
wondering why he changed shoes, Mabel?”

“Yes, I am. Aren’t you?”

“Well, I wasn’t before but I guess I am
now. How will you find out? Are you going to ask him?”

“Are you kidding? He thinks that I took
away his job so he won’t answer any questions from me, that’s for sure.”

“What will you do?”

“I’ll just ask around. I’ll let you know
when I find something out. How does that sound?”

“That sounds wonderful. By the way, I
heard you won’t be coming with us on our day trip anymore. I’ll miss you,
Mabel.”

“I know you’ll miss me, MJ, but probably
not as much as Sam Dudley will.”

MJ was still chuckling when I hung up.

Chapter
Twenty Five

It was so hot by noon that the inside
knob of the door was perspiring. I wanted to check on Charlie Thompson but I
dreaded going outside almost as much as I did in the winter when it was thirty
below zero. This time instead of piling on sweaters and coats, I grabbed
sunglasses. The cotton shirt I was wearing already had long sleeves so it
protected me somewhat from the sun’s deadly rays. Since I look outlandish in a
hat, I decided I would walk as fast as I could and hope I didn’t get sunstroke.

I turned the ‘open’ sign around to
‘closed’ and didn’t fill in the ‘Be back in … minutes’ part (which I never do
because the only person who would know when you’re coming back would be the one
who saw you put the sign up). There wasn’t one person on the street. I headed
over to the north side so I could be in the shade. Charlie sat in his usual
spot – the bench in front of the library. He was wearing his red and black
plaid flannel shirt with his denim overalls. At least, he’d put on an old straw
hat that protected his face from the sun.

“Hi Charlie,” I said. “It’s a really hot
day, isn’t it?”

He shrugged. “I like it. Why don’t you,
Mabel?”

“Oh well, I like it; it’s just that it’s
a bit too warm for me.”

“You complain when it’s cold too.”

I laughed. “Charlie, you told a good
joke. Did you know that?”

It was hard to tell but I think a faint
smile passed his lips.

“Did you want to know something, Mabel?”

I hate to think that Charlie feels the
only reason that I talk to him is to get information so I said, “No, I thought
I’d just sit and visit for awhile.”

“Now you’re telling the joke, right?”

I looked over at him. I swear there was
a twinkle in his eye.

“Well,” I said. “I suppose we could do
both. Isn’t that what visiting is? I’ll tell you some of the interesting things
that I know and you can tell me what you know.”

He was beginning to rock slowly back and
forth. I had to move fast.

“Have you seen any strange sights in the
night, Charlie?”

He stopped. “There are always strange
sights,” he said. “You aren’t going to the city with Flori anymore?”

“Boy, word sure gets around, doesn’t it?
No, Erma is going in my place. I really can’t afford to take a day away from my
store anyway.” We sat in silence for several minutes. “By the way, do you know
anything about the shoes that Calvin Koots wears?”

Now, anyone else would have some sort of
reaction to a strange question like that. Not Charlie.

“I don’t know about his shoes but I know
where he goes all the time.”

“You mean to Scooter’s? Or, does he go
other places in the night too?”

“He goes other places. Sometimes I see
him running around in the night.”

“Running around? Where, Charlie?”

“To a house. To the car wash.”

“He goes to the car wash? You mean he
washes his car in the night?”

Charlie, however, had shut down. This
was probably the most he’d said to me in the past year so I knew I should count
it as a privilege and be thankful.

I sat beside him for several more
minutes so he’d know that I appreciated his company and didn’t come only for
information. The information he’d given me made me curious though. Where was
Calvin going in the night? Which house? Why was he washing his car at night?
Too bad that Bernie was killed in the daytime. On the other hand, where was
Calvin the afternoon that Bernie was murdered? Is that what Charlie meant?
Calvin was behind the carwash when Bernie was murdered?

Chapter
Twenty Six

There must’ve been some sort of cold
front that went through during the night because about three in the morning,
thunder boomed and lightning flashed. In fact, the thunder was so loud, I’m
sure my bed vibrated an inch or so off the floor. The noise, however, wasn’t
what woke me up. I woke up in a panic because seven cats were jumping on my
bed, meowing and pawing at my face. In many ways, this is reassuring to me
because if my house were on fire, those cats would make certain I got out
alive.

By the time I settled them down, I was
completely awake so I decided to go downstairs and have a drink of water. I’d
taken to sleeping in my bed again even though my air conditioner didn’t work.
Sleeping downstairs with the cats creeping around all night was worse than
sleeping in a sweaty nightgown.

I didn’t turn any lights on because
there was enough light from the outside sky to help me find my way. Three cats
followed me. The rest were curled up on my bed. The three who came downstairs
chatted all the way down.

“No,” I said to them. “I am not getting
food for you. I’m getting a drink of water. If you think I’m going to start
feeding you in the middle of the night, you’re sadly mistaken.”

I stood at the kitchen sink and drank my
water. People from the city were renting the house behind mine. The old house
was empty most of the year and the owner lived in the city. I’d talked to the
young man who was renting. I believe he said his name was Jeff and he was
staying until September. He seemed pleasant enough. His wife, apparently, would
be joining him but she didn’t start her vacation until next week. I was
surprised to see lights on in the kitchen but then again if I were a normal
person, I would have lights on in my kitchen too. Most people don’t walk around
in the dark. I’m sure the thunder must’ve jolted him to life too.