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THIRTY
Jack made his way down the emergency room hallway until he found Aunt Nadine’s room. He pushed through a curtain, realizing too late that he could very well have the wrong room.
Aunt Nadine’s sweet face looked up at him, and her eyes brightened. Swift relief whooshed through him.
“Oh, Jack. I’m so sorry,” she said, her expression shifting to one of sorrow and regret. “You didn’t have to come up here to see me. Francine is here. She’s out there somewhere searching for coffee.”
No, she wasn’t. Francine Carmichael had left Jack a voice mail that his aunt was in the hospital, and he rushed over once they landed at the airport in Big Rapids. Jack sent Francine on her way when he got to the hospital, but he wouldn’t tell Aunt Nadine that news yet. He took in her broken wrist, stifling anything that would convey his frustration. He was glad she had nothing more than a fractured wrist.
He took Aunt Nadine’s uninjured hand in his and squeezed. “She was right to think that I would want to know you had been hurt. I came as soon as I could.” He released her hand and lifted his brows. “So, what really happened?”
Nadine’s face scrunched up in a way that told him she didn’t want to tell him. He suspected that she was taking her time responding so she could conjure up a more positive slant to the tale.
“Well, let’s see. I took Freckles out for a walk and decided to take Tux and Dusty too. You know, they don’t get to leave the backyard much, and they must think I’ve been playing favorites. I haven’t meant to. It’s just that Freckles is still missing his boy. So I took all the dogs. There’s that wonderful neighborhood park a few blocks over.”
“You took all three dogs? I hope they were on leashes.”
She frowned at him. “Of course they were. At first.” That scrunch again.
“Go on.” He was starting to get an image in his head—and it might have been comical, except her condition took the humor out of it.
“I unleashed them at the park, and we played fetch. All four of us.”
“Let me guess. One of them took off.”
“Not one of them. All three of them. Freckles was the first to go squirrel hunting—or, rather, chasing. Then I found myself chasing three dogs on the loose. I’m sorry, Jack, I got a ticket. I didn’t even know that was a law. Is it a new law? Anyway, a woman complained. She was playing with her three-year-old, and Freckles knocked the child over.”
Jack tensed. This could be worse than he thought. “The kid is okay, though, right?”
“Yes. I’m the one who was injured. I was chasing Freckles and tripped at the edge of the playground area. It was the most ridiculous thing. I fell forward and stopped the fall with my hands. Like anyone would do. My wrist started throbbing.”
“Can I ask what happened to the dogs?”
“I was in so much pain. Several people in the park helped me up. I panicked. I couldn’t see the dogs, and I didn’t have my phone with me.”
Aunt Nadine covered her eyes with her good hand as though she might cry.
Jack wrapped his arms around her and patted her back. “It’s okay. It’s going to be fine. Just relax.”
When he sensed she was okay, he released her.
She looked up at him. “A young man releashed all three dogs. Someone called Francine for me, and she came right away. The young man was kind enough to walk the dogs home and put them in the yard for me.”
Interesting. “Did you get his name so I can thank him?” And make sure he wasn’t just taking advantage of Aunt Nadine and perhaps helping himself to goodies in the house.
“Andy Reamer, I think. Francine wrote it down for me somewhere.”
“I’ll check with her then. Aunt Nadine”—he grabbed her good hand again—“I’m so sorry this happened. I’m glad Mrs. Carmichael called me. She’s a great friend.”
Aunt Nadine sat up. “I called Francine so you wouldn’t be called away from your work. I wouldn’t want to do anything to mess up your job.”
“You’re more important, Aunt Nadine. You’re a priority.” But I was in Colorado this afternoon and wouldn’t have been able to rush home. Again, he had that nagging sense that he was going about this all wrong. That Aunt Nadine was only getting worse, and he would fail her again in ways he couldn’t yet imagine.
Doubt flitted across her expression. He knew where that came from, and regret squeezed his chest. “I’m sorry I haven’t been around lately and I wasn’t there to help you put up all those posters for Freckles.”
“Because you’re busy with your job. You don’t need to apologize for that.”
He pinched his nose. How did he explain? “Yes, I do have a job, and I’m in the middle of a murder investigation.” Two murders now. “Putting up posters for a lost dog is one thing. But your health and your life are another.”
