Uncovering Secrets: The Third Novel in the Rosemont Series (6 page)

Chapter 15

Frank Haynes turned the collar of his cashmere coat up
against the biting wind and stamped his feet. Maybe David had decided the afternoon
was too cold to bring Dodger to the agility course. Haynes checked his watch.
They should be here by now. He turned and was heading to his car when he heard
David call his name and an enthusiastic dog of medium build and indiscriminate
origin flashed in front of him, then circled back and stood, tail wagging
expectantly.

Haynes
stooped to greet the exuberant canine. “He’s the picture of health,” Haynes
said to David as he approached. “I would never have recognized him as that poor
creature from the shelter. You’ve done wonders for him.”

David
shrugged, but Haynes knew that he was pleased by the compliment.

“Let
me show you what he can do,” David said. “Come on, Dodger!” He led the dog to
the start of the agility course, commanded him to sit, and then released him to
start. Haynes had seen dogs running agility courses on television, but he’d
never seen anything like the scene playing out before him. Dodger flew around
the course—turning, jumping, and leaping—with flawless grace and complete
abandon. When he was done, he raced into the open arms of his master, who fell
onto his back and wrestled with the squirming, licking dynamo that was Dodger.

Frank
Haynes opened his mouth to congratulate David but stopped himself, sure that
his voice would crack. David Wheeler was so like Frank had been at that age.
Haynes couldn’t help but wonder if things wouldn’t have gone very differently
in his own life if he had known about agility courses when he was David’s age.

“Most
impressive!” he called as he walked over to the pair. “Did you train him to do
that?”

“A
little. He’s a natural. Everybody says so. It’s so cold; I don’t think any of
the other regulars will be out today. But one guy has a dog that’s won national
awards, and Dodger beats his dog every time. He thinks I should enter Dodger in
competitions.”

“Why
don’t you? I bet it’d be a lot of fun. Are there any around here?’

“There’s
one in Westbury next month. The rest are out of town.”

“So
will you compete in the one here?”

“It
costs to enter,” David said. “We don’t have the money.” David glanced at
Haynes. “I know everyone thinks my dad stole all that money from the town, but
he didn’t. We’re broke. I’m saving my pay from Forever Friends for college.”

Haynes
paused and fixed David with his gaze. He chose his words carefully. “I’ll spot
you the entrance fees. If you win a monetary price, you’ll need to repay me,
but if Dodger doesn’t win, we’ll wipe the slate clean. Does that sound fair?”

David
nodded vigorously. “Thanks, Mr. Haynes. And don’t worry—Dodger will win!
You’ll get your money back.”

Haynes
smiled and put his arm around the boy and squeezed his shoulder. “Good. And if
he wins here in Westbury, we’ll enter him in other competitions. Same deal.”

“Come
on, Dodger. We need to practice,” David cried as he raced back to the course
with Dodger in hot pursuit. David pointed to the first obstacle, and Dodger returned
to the course for round two.

Frank
Haynes made his way to his car, turning down the collar of his coat and
unfastening the top button. The afternoon suddenly seemed warmer.

Chapter 16

Maggie groped for her cell phone to turn off the alarm
she set for the kittens’ midnight feedings. She shoved her feet into the
slippers waiting at the side of her bed, poked her arms through the sleeves of
her bathrobe, and trudged down the stairs alone. Eve had long since abandoned
her on these late-night treks to the laundry room.

Maggie
prepared the kitten formula and carefully squeezed into the room. She didn’t
fancy a late-night romp through Rosemont, chasing after them—especially
the one with four white paws. He was definitely the ringleader of any mischief.

His
was the first head to pop out of the blanket-lined box where they slept. She
picked him up and began feeding him as he nestled close to her chest. When he
was done, she lowered him to the box, but he squirmed free and attempted to
jump to the top of the stack of neatly folded towels on the chair by the door.
He fell short of his mark, but his claws caught on a towel and he brought the
entire stack tumbling to the floor. Maggie sighed. She simply didn’t have the energy
to do anything about it tonight. The fatigue of these round-the-clock feedings
was catching up to her, and she still had the rest to feed.

Maggie
couldn’t get away from Town Hall in the middle of the afternoon. During the
day, she had help. Sam Torres succumbed to the prodding from his wife and
reluctantly agreed to take the midafternoon feedings. He stopped in on his way
to one of the handyman jobs that occupied his afternoons after he finished his
shift in the school’s maintenance department. David Wheeler came every morning
before school to feed them, too.
What was the saying about raising children?
It takes a whole village? Well … the same holds true for raising motherless
kittens,
Maggie thought.

***

The next morning with coffee in hand, Maggie returned to
the laundry room to help David. “John says you’re quite good with animals,” she
observed as she picked up the towels the kitten had pulled off the chair the
night before.

David
shrugged, but she could tell he was pleased. “He told me you’re working at
Forever Friends, too. How’s your dog?”

“He’s
amazing,” David enthused. “You should see him. I’ve been training him on the
agility course at the dog park. Everybody says he’s the best they’ve ever
seen.”

“Is
that right?” said Maggie, settling against the dryer. “I’ve only seen it on
television, but it looks like the dogs are having tremendous fun.”

“They
are,” David continued. “I’m going to enter Dodger in the agility contest at the
old armory in a couple of weeks.”

“That’s
an excellent idea.”

“Mr.
Haynes is giving me the money to enter Dodger in the competition. If I win,
I’ll pay him back, but if not, he says that’s okay by him.”

Maggie
paused, digesting this news. Just when she had Frank Haynes firmly painted with
a black brush, he went and did something genuinely nice.

“You’d
better be on your way to school, and I need to head to work. John told me that
you’d like to take one of the kittens when they’re old enough to be separated.
Have you decided which one?”

“This
one here, with the four white feet.”

Maggie
nodded. She had a feeling that the most adventurous one would be a good fit for
David.

***

Frank Haynes wove his way along the sidelines, searching
the sea of dogs and their handlers walking the courses and taking trial runs.
Two courses had been set up in the old armory. He picked his way around crates,
blankets, folding chairs, and beverage coolers to the course where Dodger would
be competing. The noise level was deafening and his fine leather shoes were
covered in an inch of mud (and probably worse), but instead of being annoyed,
he found all of the chaos invigorating.

He
searched in vain for David and Dodger and almost tripped over them when he
stepped back to avoid being sideswiped by a large Newfoundland running off
course.

“Sorry,”
David said. “I was just coming to let you know we’re here.”

Frank
pulled David to a spot out of the main line of travel between the ring and the
entrance.

“How
are you both doing today?”

“I
don’t know, Mr. Haynes. I read up on this on the Internet, but it’s a lot
different in person. I think Dodger is freaked out by the other dogs and all of
the noise.”

Frank
Haynes bent over to pat their athlete. He didn’t want to say a discouraging
word, but he had to agree. He glanced up at the boy, who was searching his face
with a mournful expression.
Good grief,
Haynes thought.
He’s looking
to me for words of wisdom and comfort.

Haynes
quickly stood and clapped his hand on David’s shoulder. “You’ll both be fine.
You can’t expect to start anything at the top. Hard work makes your success
worthwhile. In the meantime, just go out there and have fun.”
Where in the
world had that come from?
Haynes wondered. Sometimes he surprised himself.
He’d been doing that a lot lately.

The
cloud lifted from David’s face. “You mean it? Because I think we’re going to
lose your entrance fee.”

Haynes
dismissed the worry with a wave of his hand. “Don’t give it a second thought.
Now get ready.”

***

Haynes watched the trials with increasing interest. The
dogs were having fun and the communication between handler and
dog—limited to voice commands, hand signals, and body movements—was
impressive. The first few contestants all had clear runs, but based upon what
Haynes had seen at the dog park, Dodger would beat their time by a country
mile. He maneuvered himself to the front of the crowd as David and Dodger
approached the starting line.

Dodger
sailed over the first two jumps and fairly flew off the A-frame. He hesitated
on the teeter-totter and lost time, but picked it up going through the tunnel.
Haynes clapped his encouragement from the sidelines. Maybe the unlikely duo
would pull this off. The weave poles, however, proved very difficult. Haynes
couldn’t tell if Dodger got through every pole, but he didn’t think so. And his
failure to pause in the pause box sealed his fate. Dodger was undaunted by his
poor showing, but David’s shoulders sagged.

Frank
Haynes approached them. “Well done, you two.”

“You’re
kidding, right? He did well in the beginning because he’s familiar with those
obstacles. But he didn’t listen to a single command from me when he needed to.
I’m not much of a handler,” he concluded morosely.

“Nonsense.
This is your first contest. And you’ve had no coaching. You can’t expect to do
this without a lot of practice and some training for both of you.”

“Are
there classes we could take?” David asked, hope creeping into his voice.

“Of
course there are. Let me check into it, and I’ll let you know. And don’t worry
about the cost. I think Forever Friends should sponsor you, since you’re both
affiliated with us. You’ll be our sports team, so to speak. This’ll be good
publicity,” Haynes said, warming to the idea.

“That’d
be cool.”

“Leave
it to me,” Haynes replied. “Now, let’s gather up our future champion and get
out of here. I’m buying you lunch.”

***

Frank Haynes thought he was well acquainted with the
size of a teenage boy’s appetite, but if all of his paying customers ate as
much as David, his profits would triple. After feeding David an astounding
number of hamburgers, he placed a call to John Allen.

“John.
Wondering if I could get some advice.”

“Hello,
Frank,” John answered. He didn’t trust the man—especially now that he
suspected Haynes of conspiring to manipulate Maggie into resigning the mayoral
seat—but his dedication to animals couldn’t be denied.

“How
would you go about training a dog to compete in agility contests?”

John
had to hand it to him—Frank Haynes never ceased to amaze him. “Are you
thinking of entering your dog, Sally? Border collies are naturals at the sport.
It would help with her weight issues.”

“I’m
asking for a friend. But now that you mention it, I might take it up myself.
How would I start?”

“The
best place is a group class. They’ve got them going on regularly over in
Springerville.”

“None
here in Westbury?” Haynes asked. David probably wouldn’t be able to take part
in a class out of town.

“Not
that I know of. But I’m in touch with the instructor, and if there’s enough
interest here, I’m sure she’d offer a class. Let me post a notice in my
reception area and make some calls.”

“That’d
be great, John.”

“Give
me a week.”

“Put
me on the list. And David Wheeler and Dodger.”

“I
didn’t know they were into agility.”

“You
should see them at the dog park, John. Dodger is incredible. And David is great
with animals. That’s why I’m asking about training.”

“I’ve
seen that side of him recently. It’s nice of you to help him, Frank.”

“It’s
the least I can do, considering what happened to his father.”

Both
men were silent. “William appreciates it, Frank; I’m sure he does,” John said
quietly.

Frank
Haynes swallowed the lump in his throat and wished John a pleasant day.

Chapter 17

Loretta approached the closed door of Frank Haynes’
office with trepidation. He’d been acting strangely lately—harsh and
morose one minute and cheerful to the point of giddiness the next—and it
had gotten worse since he returned from his vacation to Florida. She’d asked
him about his trip, and he’d shut her down, fast, saying it had nothing to do
with Haynes Enterprises.

She
sighed and summoned her courage as she raised her hand to knock. This would be
the fourth time in the last three weeks that she’d left early to pick Nicole up
from school. Her daughter just couldn’t shake this bug that had gotten hold of
her.

Loretta
knocked lightly and recoiled at the gruff “what” that greeted her when she
poked her head around the door.

“Sorry
to disturb you, Mr. Haynes. My daughter’s school just called. Nicole is sick,
and I need to leave early to pick her up and take her to the babysitter.”

“Again?!”
Haynes exploded. “You’re gone more than you’re here! Haven’t you taken this kid
to the doctor?”

A
wave of anger traveled from her toes to the top of her head. She was sure she
must be beet red. “Of course I’ve taken her to the doctor. And I’ve followed
all of the doctor’s instructions to the letter. But she’s getting worse every
day. I’m not sure what to do now.” To Loretta’s horror, a sob escaped her lips.
“I know I’ve been gone a lot. I’ll drop her at the babysitter and come right
back.”

Haynes
waved her away. “See that you do. I can’t keep paying you for time that you’re
not working.”

Loretta
paused, searching for a response that wouldn’t get her fired.

Haynes
looked up from his desk. “Get going. The sooner you leave, the sooner you’ll be
back.”

Loretta
pulled his door shut firmly, stopping just short of slamming it. She grabbed
her purse and her coat and headed to her car.

***

Nicole, indeed, was not feeling well when Loretta
arrived in the nurse’s office. “Her hands and feet are swollen,” the nurse
said, “and her eyes are puffy. This isn’t a normal cold. I’d take her back to
the doctor, if I were you.” She stared at Loretta.

Loretta
examined Nicole closely and nodded. “I’ve got to go back to work now.”

“Some
things are more important than work,” the nurse admonished.

Loretta
spun on the woman. “Do you think I don’t know that? Do you think I’m not concerned?”
The nurse took a step back. “Well, I am. But I also need to keep my job. I’m a
single parent, you know.”

“Surely
your boss will understand about a sick child,” the nurse began.

“You
don’t know Frank Haynes,” Nicole retorted. “Come on, sweetie. Let’s get you
home and into bed.” Loretta grabbed Nicole’s backpack and took her hand. She
turned back to the nurse. “I’ll take her to Urgent Care as soon as I get off
work.”

***

Loretta arrived back at Haynes Enterprises shortly
before five o’clock. She’d been gone for almost two hours, so she would need to
work until seven to make up the time. With any luck, she’d have Nicole checked
in to Urgent Care by eight. Thank goodness her babysitter needed the extra
money and was available to keep her kids extra hours, but the unbudgeted
expense was wreaking havoc on her finances. She’d maxed out the cash advance on
her credit card.

Loretta
threw her coat onto the coat rack and slid into her chair. Everything on her
desk was as she’d left it. Frank Haynes’ door remained shut. She wondered if
he’d even left his office while she was gone.

Loretta
had just finished preparing the bank deposit when his office door opened and
Frank Haynes appeared, briefcase in hand. He shrugged into his overcoat and
switched off his office light.

“How’s
your daughter? What’s her name again?”

“Nicole.
And she’s worse. We don’t know what’s wrong with her. I’m going to take her to
Urgent Care tonight. But don’t worry,” Loretta added hastily, “I won’t miss any
more work.”

Haynes
cleared his throat and studied his shoes. “All right, then. Let’s call it a
day. You need to get your kid to the doctor. You can finish that up tomorrow.”

Loretta
regarded him closely. It wasn’t like Frank Haynes to consider anyone else’s
feelings. “Thank you, Mr. Haynes,” she said as she rose. “I really appreciate
this.”

***

Loretta and Nicole entered the Urgent Care clinic
shortly before seven o’clock. The waiting room was packed with others who, like
Loretta, needed to wait until after work to attend to their ailments. She
signed Nicole in and looked for two chairs together. A middle-aged man in work
boots and a rugged jacket caught her eye and motioned for her to take his seat
and the empty chair next to him.

“Thank
you so much,” she said as she and Nicole settled in for what appeared to be a
long wait. The man nodded and took a single seat on the other side of the
waiting room.

Loretta
reached into her purse and took out the
Angelina Ballerina
book that was
Nicole’s favorite. Nicole nestled against her mother and was soon lulled to
sleep by the rhythm of the familiar story. Exhausted herself, Loretta closed
the book and enjoyed the short break of doing nothing.

The
waiting room eventually began to clear and mother and daughter were called into
an exam room at eight fifteen. The young nurse apologized for the wait, took
notes on a tablet as Loretta cataloged Nicole’s recent complaints, and took her
vital signs.

Nicole
lay back on the examining table and was soon asleep. Loretta foraged in the
stack of well-worn magazines in the rack on the wall and was thumbing
listlessly through a six-month-old copy of
Highlights
when the doctor
knocked and entered the room.

He
read the nurse’s notes on his tablet. “Do you mind if I wake her?” he asked,
turning to Loretta.

“Go
ahead.”

“Hi,
Nicole,” he said, gently touching her shoulder. “I’m here to examine you. Can
you sit up for me, please?”

Loretta
rose and helped the drowsy child remain upright.

“This
may be a bit cold,” he said as he put the stethoscope under her blouse and
listened to her breathing. “Can you open wide?” he asked as he looked at her
throat. “What a good patient you are,” he praised. “Best one all night.” Nicole
smiled. “I’m going to look into your eyes, now. The light is real bright, but
it won’t take me long.” He finished his examination.

“Okay,
good job,” he said to Nicole. “You can lay back down while your mother and I
talk.” He turned to Loretta.

“She’s
a bit congested, which is consistent with the cold you mentioned. Her throat
looks fine. Ordinarily, I’d say there’s nothing else wrong with this child. But
she’s unusually lethargic and the swelling is a concern.”

“So
what do we do?” Loretta asked.

“I’d
recommend a urine test and a blood test,” he said. “They’ll give us more
information to go on.”

“What
could it be?” Loretta asked, unable to conceal her alarm.

“I
honestly think she has nothing more than a lingering cold. Anything else would
be very rare. Let’s not worry about that until we get the results of the
tests.”

“Okay,”
Loretta replied. “Do you do that here?”

“We
can,” he said. “But the tests will be much cheaper if you have your primary
care doctor do them.”

Loretta
nodded.

“We’ve
got your doctor’s information here,” he said, pointing to his tablet. “I’ll
send my report to him before I leave tonight.

“Thank
you, Doctor,” Loretta said as she reached over to rouse Nicole.

“Get
her in to see your primary as soon as possible, and go home and get some rest,”
he said kindly. “Moms need to take care of themselves, too.”