Ring-A-Ding Dead! by Claire Logan

Author:Claire Logan [Logan, Claire]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-05-28T22:00:00+00:00

13

After the couple ate, Mr. Jackson flagged down a taxi to take them to the hospital. There they found the young waiter abed, his parents beside him.

When George saw them, he smiled, reaching his hand out. “Here they are! My benefactors.”

His parents stood, turning to the couple. Going past them, Mr. Jackson took the young man’s hand and shook it. “I hope you’re improved.”

Their eyes met, and to Mr. Jackson’s surprise, George’s cheeks reddened. “Much.”

“We’re much obliged to you, sir,” George’s father said. “The hotel doctor told us your quick thinking saved him.”

“It was entirely my wife,” Mr. Jackson said, looking into George's eyes. “I must admit the suddenness of his malady took me so aback, I hardly knew what to do.”

The older man turned to Mrs. Jackson then, taking her hand in both of his. “Then I am forever in your debt. He’s my only son.” He stopped for a moment, head turned away.

Mrs. Jackson smiled at him. “You’re most welcome.”

There were other chairs in the room, on the other side of the bed, so Mr. Jackson said, “May we join you?”

“We insist.”

The couple sat then, Mr. Jackson towards the head of the bed. “What happened? It was all so sudden.”

“It was,” George said. “I broke a lace, so I’d gone in to take a break. There was a long row of room service trays to go up, and the kitchen girls were busy putting lemon-cakes on them. I sat down off to the side to thread a new lace in. I couldn’t see the trays from where I sat, but all the girls went past me to get back to their work. I got done threading my lace, and I got up to go. The trays to go out were still there. Right then, Miss Goldie Jean went down the row and said one of the cakes had a bubble — did I want it? She was a-swapping it out and other than the bubble, it looked fine. Well, of course I said yes!”

At that, he faltered. “Is it true? Did she poison me? I’ve never done her a wrong, ever.”

“I don’t believe so,” Mrs. Jackson said.

The older man’s face darkened. “Young lady, why don’t we let the courts determine such things?

She gave him the cake, and now he lies here.”

Before she might speak, Mr. Jackson put his hand upon hers. “My wife means no disrespect, sir.” He clasped her hand and rose. “We’ll let your son rest now.”

Once they were outside, Mrs. Jackson said, “I hope I’m wrong.”

“I do too,” Mr. Jackson said. “But I don’t think you are.”

Mr. Jackson took his wife to the pharmacy there at the hospital to fill her prescription. The pharmacist puzzled over the paper Mrs. Jackson presented him. “Too much of a dose to fit into a pill.”

“Oh, I just take it with water,” his wife said.

The pharmacist, an attractive older man with brown hair, grimaced. “This must be so bitter!”

“It is,” Mrs. Jackson said. “But it’s always been. Is that unusual?”

The man blinked in confusion.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.