Stacy Matthews - Dear Mary 01 - Think Twice Before You Order by Stacy Matthews Page A

hand over my head and found a pretty good size goose egg. That was the
opening he was looking for. He asked Marple and Fletcher if they would take me
to the hospital to have it checked out. The only thing they love more than
figuring out a mystery is helping someone in need. They thought the best part
was getting to make up a story about me cleaning the house and falling
backwards. Those two worked up a story that no doctor was going to question.
The bump was nothing serious. The doctor told me to be more careful and sent me
home. I knew my house hunting was over for today and maybe tomorrow. I also
knew I was going to get the third degree from Marple and Fletcher. They decided
I should stay at their house for the night. I tried as hard as I could to get
them to take me to Grandpa’s, but they had it stuck in their minds that I could
possibly have a concussion and should be woken up every two hours. When I
reminded them the doctor said I was fine, the answer I got back was, “He’s only
a doctor. He doesn’t know everything.”
    How Charlie escaped the trip to the hospital I’ll never know.
I called him from the bathroom at the ER and told him I was being kidnapped and
taken home with Mrs. Houtz and Edmonds. He thought that was the funniest thing
he had heard in a long time. I told him their plan to wake me up every two
hours and he laughed harder. He owes me big.
    He thought going to Mark’s and re-looking into the doctor and
all of the people on the list would be a good idea. I knew he wasn’t going to
say anything but I could tell his head hurt just as much as mine. We had
noticed the two homes that really stuck out were Grandpa’s and Mr. Clark’s.
They were nice enough houses but it was obvious that neither of those two men
had the kind of money the others had. Charlie knows there is some sort of
connection between all of the patients, but he and Mark need to figure out what
that is. He was also going to see if he could get some more information on the
spouses of the patients.
    Seeing as how we had been knocked out, I asked him if he
thought we should call the police. He said he didn’t want to say too much at
this point, but he and Mark have a theory and want to check on some things
before he tells me what it is. He asked me to give him at least a couple of
more days before we call the police. He told me to try to keep as much from
Marple and Fletcher as I could. Charlie did have a point, no matter when I call
the police the only thing they will be able to do is put out an “attempt to
locate” for Grandpa and Tatiana. There isn’t any evidence to indicate foul play
or that any kind of crime occurred to warrant an investigation. They don’t have
the manpower to spend time figuring out where two adults may have gone. Charlie
said he would call tonight as soon as he gets the information he needs from
Mark.
    I did talk Mrs. Houtz into going over to Grandpa’s and
getting my pajamas and my journal. They put me in one of the guest rooms, and
made a small late lunch for me. When I was finished, they came and got the
dishes. I was to try to take a nap, and one of them would be in every two hours
to ask me my name and if I knew where I was. I kind of played up how much the
bump on my head hurt. When I rubbed it they would ask if I was seeing double or
felt like I needed to throw up. I know that wasn’t nice on my part, but it did
keep them from asking me questions about what Charlie and I were doing.          
    Talk
to you later

Later
June 12 th
    Dear Mary,
   I know news flies fast around small
towns, but this is ridiculous. I had gotten up to use the restroom and get a
drink of water. I heard women’s voices and thought it was just Mrs. Houtz and
Edmonds talking about today’s excitement. As I got to the doorway of the
kitchen, I saw Mrs. Fisher sitting in the living room talking with both of
them. Mrs. Fisher lives a few houses down from Mom and Dad’s old house. The
older kids in the