Mercy & Mayhem: A Mercy Mares Cozy Mystery by Ava Mallory Page B

could count on him to have something to say.
     
    He didn't seem at all interested in me or any of what had happened. His attention was entirely focused on the wheelchair gears.
     
    “Okay. Looks like my ally is preoccupied.” I muttered, keeping my eyes peeled open for any sign of a discarded watch. As I thought about it, I had no idea what the watch looked like.
     
    Marie was hot on my heels, catching the office door with her foot. “Are you going to start that incident report?”
     
    “Well, yes, that's why I was coming in here. Kathy has some incident reports under the desk.” I didn't want to sound irritated, but the fact is, I was exceptionally irritated by everything going on around here, most notably the fact that everyone treated me like I was a suspect.
     
    Wait a minute. Am I a suspect? I mean, I know that I was technically a witness, but I never considered myself a true suspect. I don't know how many times I have to say this, but I just got here.
     
    “Pull out Betty's chart and let's see what that watch looks like. If I remember correctly, it...” Marie started, but was interrupted by a loud tapping on the door.
     
    Nubbin banged on the glass with his cane. “Hey! Is anyone going to arrest that guy or are you going to wait until he kills us all?”

Chapter Seven
                  “See that wasn't so bad, was it?” Marie patted my shoulder. “Ready to chart and do report?”
     
    I nodded, surprised that the day had gone surprisingly well, considering the way it began.
     
    “Yes, let me help Milton here back to his room.” I placed my hand on Mr. Smelt's shoulder. He and I had just spent the dinner hour discussing life on his ranch. His property sat on the opposite side of the road from Rowdy and Betty Knott.
     
    “Thanks for dinner, Milton. Let's get you to your room, so you won't miss that show you were telling me about.”
     
    “Ah, yes. Haven't missed it one single night since it first came on television. All except that one night when Rowdy tried to sabotage my sugar beets.”
     
    Another one who had a problem with Rowdy?
     
    I couldn't let that comment go. “I didn't know the world of sugar beets could be so cut throat. What did he do to your sugar beets?”
     
    Milton sat straighter in his seat, anxious to fill me in on the sorted details of what happened to his crops.
     
    I wheeled him into his room and turned his television on while he readied himself to tell his story, but he surprised me by talking about something else altogether.
     
    “What line of work is your husband in?” Milton asked me.
     
    I inhaled quickly, surprised by the question. “Um... Well, um... I'm not married. I was married.”
     
    “He died, huh? That's a tough battle. I've been there myself. My wife died and left me with three boys and a girl to raise. I was just glad my sister lived so close. She helped keep the family fed and handled the laundry for my brood, plus her own. I'm sure that was no easy task with her own family to cook for and those giant overalls Rowdy wore day in and day out. Ugliest things I ever saw.” Milton reflected back.
     
    Since he'd completely forgotten what we were going to discuss, I figured I'd better hurry this conversation along and report back to the office to get my charting done before the end of the shift. We still hadn't heard anything about having to stay over for the night shift, so I'd already made plans to grab a bite to eat at the diner on my way back to the motel and to call Ruby to fill her in on my latest news. I'm sure she was waiting anxiously by the phone for me to give her an update.
     
    “Well, I'm glad you had someone there for you...” I started before realizing what he'd actually said to me. “Wait, you said your sister did Rowdy's laundry? Why would she have done that?”
     
    Milton shook his head at the television screen. “Don't buy vowels!” He shouted at the screen.
     
    I sighed, figuring I'd missed another chance to learn