Bingoed by Patricia Rockwell

Author:Patricia Rockwell
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Patricia Rockwell
Published: 2011-08-04T06:31:53+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

“I don’t know how you feel about old age . . . but in my case I didn’t even see it coming. It hit me from the rear.”

—Phyllis Diller

Essie pushed her walker slowly into the family room. She was lost in thought as she contemplated the few pieces of juicy gossip—or she hoped, genuine information—that Bev had supplied her. Violet got the Director position at Happy Haven after an apparent disagreement among several Board members. She wondered which Board members were involved and if they were still on the Board today. Violet obviously had a champion on the Board. Who was it and why?

Then there was the totally unexpected news that Bob Weiderley and Evelyn Cudahy were an item. Of course, Bev could be wrong. Evelyn could have been seen getting in the elevator with Bob for some totally innocent reason. After all, the woman was seriously ill. It hardly seemed likely that she’d be having some torrid affair (or as torrid as anyone could have at age 86) with sweet Bob Weiderley. Stranger things, Essie reminded herself.

As she glanced up towards the front desk, she noticed a man standing there talking to Phyllis. He was wearing a well-tailored brown suit. At first, she thought he was probably just one of numerous salesmen that made the rounds, trying to sell some new geriatric service or product to Violet (who was the person who dealt with these individuals, and usually, so she heard, rather curtly). However, as she looked at the man and moved her walker a bit closer so she could get a better look at his face, she realized that he was not a salesperson, but Ben Jericho. She thought she recognized him from the photograph he’d included in the envelope. Quickly, Essie plopped down on the nearest armchair and reached into the compartment under her walker’s seat and brought out the envelope she’d stolen—or rather borrowed—from Bob Weiderley’s apartment. She opened it and surreptitiously removed the photograph of Ben Jericho.

Bringing the picture close to her eyes and then peeking over the top at the man at the counter—then back again at the photograph—then back again to the man at the counter, Essie realized that it was the man that she and Marjorie and Opal had been discussing ever since finding the infamous letter. Ben Jericho, scam artist! There he was trying to bamboozle poor Phyllis. Oh, leaping Lucifer! She hoped that Phyllis remembered to divert his attention and not let him know where Bob was—or even that Bob was a resident at Happy Haven.

As Essie watched from the safety of her chair in the family room, the discussion between Phyllis and Ben Jericho appeared to be getting more heated. The man was waving a paper in front of Phyllis and pointing to something on it. Phyllis was smiling politely but shrugging. Go, Phyllis! said Essie silently to the front desk clerk. Finally, the man heaved his shoulders, turned, and headed out the front entrance.

Quickly, Essie rose and guided her walker over to the front desk.

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