Sinking Suspicions

Chapter 29

169 Chapter 29 Sadie parked her vehicle beside Jan’s Chevy truck and entered through the rear door of the travel office. One large room housed Jan’s desk, a display full of travel brochures, a small kitchenette, and a bathroom. The office was empty except for Jan, who turned in her chair and winked at Sadie before returning her attention to a computer screen while expertly balancing the phone receiver between her shoulder and ear. After a few moments, she cut her conversation short and hung up. “That was Bob Johnson over at the IGA,” Jan said. “He’s thinking about taking his wife to Maui for their fortieth wedding anniversary. I told him when he made up his mind you’d be here to take care of everything.” Sadie smiled. “That’s great, Jan.” “I can’t wait until you take over next week,” she said. “I think I’ve got a bad case of short-timer’s attitude, and it’s getting stronger every day. Think you’ll be ready?” Sadie plopped down in the empty chair in front of Jan’s desk. “Are you kidding me? With everything you showed me before I went to Maui and all the things I learned from Pua, I could start today. I think it’s going to be exciting.” “Good.” Jan shoved back from her desk. “Everything is still the same. You’ve got three trips here in the pending file, not counting the prescheduled 170 trips for the bank, and that’s it. Pua will be very helpful; she has walked me through more than one mess.” Jan laughed and took a drink from a lipstickstained coffee mug and then held it in her hand for a moment before replacing it on her desk. “You’ve got to remember the time difference, though, when you’re trying to call her.” Sadie nodded. Jan spent the next hour reminding Sadie of things she already knew, but Sadie let her talk. She knew before long the conversation would divert to Jan’s son and grandkids just like it always did. Sadie was relieved when it was time to lock up. The two ladies parted company, and Sadie headed back to the hospital to check on Buck. She pulled into the hospital parking lot and chose a parking space in the row nearest the street. As she walked toward the building, she stopped and watched Buck’s redheaded niece, standing next to a car and speaking with great animation. Sadie had disliked Buck’s niece from the first time she’d ever laid eyes on her, and so far the woman had done nothing to regain any favor with Sadie. The woman suddenly threw up her hands and wheeled around, climbed into another vehicle, and drove off. Sadie got out and made her way into the hospital. Walking past an empty information desk, she rode the elevator to Buck’s floor and, once there, walked into a room full of commotion. Two nurses and a nurse’s aide talked excitedly at each other while one of them, the youngest of the three, stretched her upper body out the open window as if looking for something. One nurse held onto the young girl as if serving as an anchor so she wouldn’t fall out. The other began to wring her hands. Sadie glanced into the restroom and saw that it was empty and then realized Buck was nowhere to be seen. “Excuse me.” Sadie’s words startled the nurses. “Where is Mr. Skinner?” The nurse who had been wringing her hands looked at Sadie with wide eyes. “He flew out the window,” she said. “What?” Sadie rushed to the window, her heart racing, and pushed the nurses aside. Please don’t tell me you jumped out the window, old man. She pulled the young nurse’s aide inside, leaned out, and looked down, expecting to see Buck’s twisted body sprawled like a rag doll on the grass below. Instead, the only thing she saw appeared to be life as usual—people 171 walking back and forth on the sidewalk to the parking lot and cars moving about on the nearby street. No Buck. Sadie leaned back inside. “What in the world are you talking about? Where’s Buck?” The nurse’s aide spoke first. “The window isn’t supposed to be open,” she said. “But every time I...