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Carrie finished with her third patient of the afternoon, a child that had contracted scarlet fever. Her nurse entered and told her she had a call from the Petoskey lab. She’d been waiting for the call and immediately grabbed the phone. “Dr. Cunningham, this is Myra Ellsworth from the lab at McLaren in Petoskey. I hope I didn’t catch you at a bad time.”
“Not at all, Myra. I’ve been expecting a call.”
“Just to confirm, Dr. Cunningham, you’re the doctor that sent in the flask yesterday for testing. Correct?”
“That’s right. My patient came in with a possible severe case of food poisoning, and I need to know what may have caused it so that I can treat it properly.”
“Dr. Cunningham, we may have found something you need to know about. I don’t want to say much more until I complete two additional tests. I think it might be best to talk in person tomorrow morning. By then, we will have the final results of our tests and can fill you in. Would it be possible for you to meet me here at the lab around 10:00 am tomorrow? Oh, and by the way, would it be possible for you to contact your patient to see if he can attend the meeting? We may have a few related questions to ask him once the final test results are in.”
“9:30 would work better for me, so I’d have ample time to return to the office for afternoon patients. I can be out of the office in the morning but have patients scheduled from 1 pm on. As far as bringing my patient, I’m sorry, but no. I spoke to him this morning, and while he is recovering nicely, a long car ride to Petoskey would be out of the question. I could ask his brother, who was with him the whole time.”
“Please do ask him. He might be able to shed some light on the circumstances, which could be a great help. 9:30 works fine, too. I look forward to meeting you in person, Dr. Cunningham. I think you may find these results very interesting.”
Chapter twenty
When Jeff awoke, he felt fortunate he’d left camp the previous day. He felt rested and clear-headed after getting some much-needed sleep. Grant’s death left a hole in Jeff’s heart, that same empty ache he’d felt after Charlotte’s death. He‘d been unable to perform even the simplest tasks or make decisions after Charlotte died. That same weight of grief hit him now.
Jeff decided to head out to an area north of town called the High Path Trail. It featured a boardwalk above the cliffs that spanned the shoreline along a stretch of Lake Huron. This path became a place he frequently visited with his Dad growing up. It was still one of his favorite places to relax. In the summer, this boardwalk overflowed with people, but on this November day, it was nearly deserted. Jeff spent most of the day hiking nearly eight miles along the trail. His phone had been ringing almost continuously since Grant’s death, with friends and well-wishers offering condolences. Everyone meant well, but he just needed a break after taking so many calls and answering the same questions. The sympathy calls and wishes could wait for another day.
He did make one call to Francine Walker. Jeff called Francine to tell her he would be home late in the afternoon. She indicated she would return Jeff’s dog, a Lab named Steele, that evening. Like seemingly everyone in town, Francine knew about Grant’s death and offered her condolences. Once Jeff completed the call, he shut off his phone and spent the rest of the day hiking along the trail.
Following the call from the Petoskey lab, Carrie tried to call Jeff twice, but his phone went right to voicemail each time. She left a message and asked him to call her back as soon as possible. She also left her personal phone number on the second call in case he called after she left the office. I wonder why he’s not answering? she thought. Things might be pretty hectic for him right now. If the lab hadn’t sounded so insistent he attend the meeting, she would just let it go. However, she knew Jeff would want to participate, in person, to hear whatever the lab had found. Before leaving the office, she checked the files and jotted down Jeff’s home address. Carrie decided if she hadn’t heard from him after running to the grocery store and the drugstore, she would drop by his house and give him the news.
Jeff was hot and sweaty when he returned home around 5:00 pm. Francine waited there with Steele. Steele raced over to greet Jeff as soon as he cleared the doorway. “Good boy, good boy, Steele,” he uttered. “I hope you’ve been good for Francine.”
Chapter twenty-one
Francine “Francie” Walker was a slender 45-year-old woman who had learned at an early age how to accentuate her best features. She softened the sharp angles of her face by wearing her auburn hair in a layered fringe that curved softly toward her chin. Her lips glistened in her signature soft peach gloss. She always wore mascara to highlight her large sea-green eyes. She kept her figure trim with pilates workouts, walking dogs at the local shelter, and painful avoidance of her favorite desserts. Despite her efforts, Francie’s love life had remained pitifully barren since her divorce. Running the local frame shop/souvenir store did not put her in frequent contact with suitable men until Jeff Koehler returned to Granite City. Her assistance in helping frame his photos and selling his prints and posters at local art fairs brought the two into frequent contact. Frustratingly, no romantic connection had yet developed. When Jeff’s career began taking him out of town, Francie quickly offered to keep his dog, Steele, while he traveled. Jeff initially hesitated but gave in when Francine pointed out she lived a mere two blocks from his house and knew Steele well from her volunteer work at the shelter where Jeff adopted him. Steele loved Francine, and she secretly wished that his owner soon would too.
Francine frequently brought food over for Jeff when she watched Steele. She would even tidy up the place over his objections. Jeff could smell something in the oven right now and knew Francine must have prepared dinner of her own volition.
“He was terrific, Jeff. Steele and I got quite a walk in today along the lake, and I think he’s probably famished by now.” Francine stared at Jeff and hugged him, saying, “You must be devastated since your brother’s heart attack and Eddie’s illness too. I’m so sorry for you. Are you ok?”
“I’m doing as well as could be expected, Francine. Thanks for asking.”
“Well, I’m sure you’re exhausted, and I won’t bombard you with questions right now. I have a casserole warming in the oven and took the liberty of opening a bottle of Cabernet to help you relax. I know you and am pretty sure you’ve barely eaten since Grant’s death. You need to take it easy and unwind tonight. I’ll feed Steele while you relax, and then I’ll leave you two for the evening.”
“Thanks, Francine, you’re very kind, but this is totally unnecessary. You’re right. My appetite has been missing the last couple of days.” As he said that, Jeff glanced toward the kitchen and saw the trouble she had gone to with the table set for one and a bottle of wine being chilled.
“Francine, I probably won’t be great company tonight, but you’re welcome to set another plate and join me for dinner if you wish.”
“Oh, that’s a kind offer, Jeff. I wouldn’t mind that as long as I wouldn’t intrude.”
“Not at all. Just give me a little time to clean up, and I’ll be down shortly. There is way more food here than I can eat. That’s for sure.”
As Jeff disappeared upstairs to clean up, Francine wondered if she might have a chance with him someday. This was the first time he ever offered to share a meal at home with her. Well, you never know what the future may hold, she thought as she happily began laying out another place setting.
Francine poured herself a glass of wine as she set the table and sat down in the living room when the doorbell rang. She could hear the shower running upstairs and went to the door with her wine glass still in hand. She opened the door and saw a tall attractive woman in the doorway. Both women registered surprise at seeing the other. Carrie recovered quickly, introduced herself, and asked to speak with Jeff.
“Oh, hello, doctor. I’m Francine Walker. Jeff's actually in the shower right now, cleaning up before dinner. Would you like to come in? Is there something I can help you with?” Francine liked the feeling of playing the role of Jeff’s girlfriend.
By now, Carrie had become totally unnerved and wanted to escape as quickly as she could. “No, I just have an important message for Jeff.” She pulled a piece of paper and a pen out of her purse and jotted down a note about the morning meeting in Petoskey. She gave the note to Francine and asked if she would make sure he got it asap.
“I’ll make sure he gets it.”
With that, Carrie said goodbye and left abruptly. She felt totally embarrassed as she headed for her car. I guess Jeff Koehler does date and has a girlfriend, she thought to herself as she headed home.
***
