I'Ll Never Tell by Helen Lavinia Underwood

Author:Helen Lavinia Underwood [Underwood, Helen Lavinia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781984552198
Publisher: Xlibris US
Published: 2018-09-12T04:00:00+00:00

Looking For A Ghost

On April 12, 1945, President Roosevelt died in Warm Springs, Georgia. As the news spread, most Oak Ridgers mourned far into the night. For many of them, Callie thought, Roosevelt was the only president they’d ever known. Crying and wailing could be heard all over Oak Ridge.

Callie was waiting for Irene to get off work when she heard a terrible scream coming from the floor below. She raced down the stairs and found Mrs. Woodruff bending over a middle-aged woman, who was rolling and screaming on the parlor floor.

“What happened?” Callie asked.

“I think she’s having an epileptic fit, probably brought on by Roosevelt’s death. We’ll need to keep her covered until the ambulance gets here.”

Callie had never seen anything like that before. The woman was actually frothing at the mouth. Had she gone mad?

“Don’t worry,” Mrs. Woodruff said. “That happens sometimes with epilepsy.”

Callie had intended to speak with Mrs. Woodruff about Jeff that very afternoon, but now wouldn’t be the best time.

That night after work, she and Irene discussed ways to look for Jeff.

“Do you realize we’re talking about looking for one person in a town of seventy-five thousand?” Irene said. “I can’t help much because I never saw him. If you could draw me a picture or maybe you have a hidden camera.”

“You’re simply hilarious, Irene! I can’t draw anything, and you and I both know we’re not allowed to have a camera anywhere in Oak Ridge! I guess I need to think back to times Jeff and I were together with other people.”

“Good idea. When were the two of you ever together with other people?”

The more they talked about it, Callie realized the only people who had ever seen her with Jeff were Jim, Viola, and Saree. Jeff had dropped her and Saree off at the admin building when they first came to Oak Ridge, so nobody there saw her with Jeff. And she was sure the two girls at the trailer camp had not seen him since they weren’t home when she first arrived, and they were always gone by the time Jeff picked her up at the trailer camp.

Wait a minute! Mrs. Woodruff must have seen him because he had bargained with her about the dorm room. Jeff had dropped her off in front of the dorm and told her to knock on the door and ask for Mrs. Woodruff. But then she realized Jeff was gone by the time Mrs. Woodruff answered. So Mrs. Woodruff hadn’t seen Jeff’s strange salute when he left. Callie was sure of that.

“Seems to me,” Irene said, “this Jeff Avery character is forever being careful not to be seen.”

“Or,” Callie suggested, “maybe he’s just a ghost!”

“What I want to know,” Irene said, “is how Jeff bargained with Mrs. Woodruff to let you have a room in the dorm since you weren’t qualified.”

“Good question,” Callie said. “See, it takes two detectives to decipher what few clues we have. Thanks. I’ll figure out a way to ask Mrs. Woodruff that question.

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