Dared to Return: A Kate Anderson Mystery by J. J. Clarke

Author:J. J. Clarke [Clarke, J. J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-02-12T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

THE ART OF THE DEAL

Pops sat up in the bed with his oversized hospital gown askew. His bare shoulder showed a once muscled man, now a skeleton with skin. A few freckles popped out, but he was as white as the sheet. Oxygen ran to his nose. His blue veined hands were opaque and freckled. An IV ran up his arm to a saline solution hanging in a bag above his head. In contrast, his brown eyes twinkled as he watched the pretty young woman set up his tray.

“It looks like we have soft food for you, Theodore. It’s chicken noodle soup, cherry Jell-O and pudding. Kate ordered every flavor of pudding. She’s changing her clothes, then she’ll be in. She was embarrassed in her yoga gear,” Susie said.

“Wow, you’re a real-looker, you know.”

“Oh, you are a sweet talker, Theodore Anderson.” Susie spoke in her best British accent.

“Best looking nurse I’ve ever seen.”

“You do know it’s me—Susie?”

“Kate got you doing her dirty work for her?” The sly old man’s eyes slanted as he studied the attractive woman.

“Not dirty work, Theodore. You know I enjoy your company and care about you. But, yes, she thought you would talk to me. We’re still confused how this trust turned out the way it did.” Susie took the lid off the chicken soup. “Yum—smells exactly like hospital food.”

Theodore picked up his spoon and tapped the top of the banana pudding cup. She opened it and gave it to him. He took a bite, smiled, and then tapped the chocolate pudding with his spoon. She opened it for him.

“Fun little game we’re playing. You still don’t have a poker face, Susie.”

“Poker is it? You want to play cards? I have them in my purse. I win, you talk to me. You win, well Theodore, I go home—but what would you win?”

He took another bite of his pudding, set it down, and started talking.

“I know you’ve been going through our files and you know about all the trips to the attorney’s office. Helen liked Howard, and it was something we did after we paid our taxes. Our financial guy advised us to review our wills once a year as we got older. I thought of the attorney as a friend. When Helen broke her hip, and she came home, I thought it was nice having the attorney come to the house. His wife made the best peach pie, Helen’s favorite. He brought me expensive booze. I don’t like expensive booze but figured someone would drink it.”

Susie shrugged her shoulders and then nodded in agreement. Theodore went on. “Well, then she broke her back and something else, uh, her pelvis. Before long, she broke her back again. It was awful. She hit her head and blood went everywhere.” Theodore shook his head and took another bite of pudding.

“Our friends stopped coming to see us. Some moved away, closer to their kids. Some got sick themselves. The attorney started talking about how nice it would be for Helen to leave some money to the city.

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