The Perplexed Pumpkin (A Nick Williams Mystery Book 5) by Butterfield Frank W

Author:Butterfield, Frank W. [Butterfield, Frank W.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2016-10-30T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6

137 Hartford Street

Saturday, October 31, 1953

A quarter past 5 in the afternoon

The doorbell rang. As I was walking to the door to answer it, Joe shot past me and said, "It's the food!" over his shoulder.

I took a deep breath and sighed. I stood back and watched a small parade of various costumed persons walk in with platters of all sorts: cold cuts, olives, smoked salmon, oysters, wieners, frosted cookies, and more.

I walked towards the door to close it and saw a tall man dressed as a court jester walking up the steps. He had a big jack-o-lantern in his arms and asked me, "Where do you want it?"

The obvious spot was just to the left of the steps on the porch, so I pointed there. He carefully set it down and then walked back down to the steps and out to a paneled van that was parked up on the sidewalk and just behind the Buick. I walked down the steps to take it all in.

Someone had hung several strings of orange pumpkin lights across the front of the house. A fake witch looked down on the incoming guests from the front bedroom. She was holding a broom in one hand and was pointing a bony finger towards onlookers with the other. I had to admit all this decorating was top notch. I'd never really seen anything like it.

As I walked back up the steps, I looked at the jack-o-lantern. At first, I was just going to walk by until I realized that whoever carved it had given it a very unusual face. It looked perplexed. It wasn't funny or comical. It wasn't scary. It was perplexed. It was a perplexed pumpkin. I couldn't help but laugh. I felt an odd sort of affection for the poor thing.

Carter appeared in the doorway at that moment and said, "You won't believe it, Nick."

"What?"

"Marnie just called. Her mother fell down the steps of their house and they've been at the hospital all afternoon. Neither of them will be coming."

"Everything OK with them? Do they need anything?"

"No. She said it was just a small strain and her mother will be fine after a few days of bed rest."

I shook my head. "Poor Marnie. How do you keep a force of nature like Mrs. Wilson in bed?"

Carter laughed. "Oh," he said. "Evelyn called right after I got off the phone with Marnie. She said that Roberta is missing."

I shook my head. This wasn't what I was expecting.

. . .

I walked over to check on Evelyn, who was all dressed and ready to go. I asked her to come on over. Now I understood her haircut. She was dressed as Peter Pan. And she looked just the part, too.

Evelyn was impressed by the decorations and said so. We were looking at a brewing witch's cauldron in the dining room when I heard someone call from the front door, "Yoo hoo!"

We turned around and saw Roberta. Evelyn asked, "Where have you been?" She sounded guarded even though I knew she was upset.

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