CRABAPPLE COURT - an excerpt

 CRABAPPLE COURT - an excerpt

Page 118 - 121

"I could not help but overhear, doctor. You were speaking with Gerald Gagnon?"

"Yes."

"May I ask what it was he wanted?"

"He wants me to come over to stay with Patricia. He is going back to Elliot Lake to pick up his things."

"Oh, yes," the inspector says. "That comes as no surprise to me. Now, doctor, if I may, I understand you live here with your husband?"

"Yes, but he's not home. He's out with the search party and so are my boys."

"I see. Your boys? How many boys do you have?

"I have three sons."

"Their names and ages?"

"My oldest is William at seventeen; Harold is fifteen, and Gordon is thirteen."

"I see, and they are with your husband on the search party?"

"I didn't want them to go but, yes, that's where they are."

"And you had a reason for not wanting them to go, ma'am?"

"I was trying to protect them but they are okay. As long as they stay with my husband I'm okay with them being on the search party."

"Your husband, what is his profession, doctor?"

"Ernie is a lawyer."

"Since your boys are much older than the missing child I don't expect they would have much contact with her?"'

"No, that's where you're wrong. Susie was often coming over here wanting Gordie, my youngest, to play with her. It drove Gordie nuts. He didn't want her around. He just didn't want to be bothered with her and he would tell her to go home."

"And your other children?"

"No, they had no time for Susie but my oldest boy William did say he sometimes felt sorry for her being an only child with no father. It was Harold who said that she still had her grandfather though so he didn't feel so sorry for her."

"I see."

"I was surprised though when Gordon told me that Susan didn't like her grandfather. Gordie said Susie told him that her grandfather was weird."

"Did you find out why she said her grandfather was weird?"

"No, that's about it."

"You are a good friend of Doctor Donnelly?"

"Yes, we work together at the hospital. We're neighbours and, sure, we are friends."

At this point Inspector Fletcher stands up from the couch. "Thank you for your time, Doctor Martin. If I have any further questions I will be in touch with you."

Heather shows the Inspector to the door. Just before he leaves he asks, "You will be going next door now to Doctor Martin's house?"

"I will,  yes."

"I see," is all the Inspector has to say about that.

Heather closes the door. She goes into her kitchen. After rummaging in a drawer she withdraws a small pad of paper and a pen. She writes a note, tears the small sheet from the pad and sticks it up on the fridge door with a magnet. I'm over at Patricia's is all the note says.

Heather is surprised when she knocks on Patricia's door to have it opened by a woman she has never seen before in her life. "Who are you?" she asks.

"I am Officer Owen of the RCMP. And who are you?"

"I''m Heather Martin. Patricia's father phoned me earlier and asked me to come stay with Patricia because he wants to return to Elliot Lake."

"Come in, Heather," Patricia shouts from the living-room. "It's okay, Officer Owens."

"Where is Gerald?" Heather asks upon her entry into the living-room.

"He wanted to go home to pick up some fresh clothes and stuff. He will be back here tomorrow."

Heather is annoyed. "I told him to stay with you until I got here. What was his big rush to go anyway?"

CRABAPPLE COURT is available on my Amazon Author's page at https://amazon.com/author/audreyaustin

Or you can find it directly at https://www.amazon.ca/Crabapple-Court-Audrey-Austin/dp/0978023870/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2HN50466BMXDI&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.9KyJHI59gjPEMyXNYCK6IA.QAfEREG9CsM0TXMGFow3rt6Hh1IFBHXkXTlZllI1OYI&dib_tag=se&keywords=Audrey+Austin+crabapple+court&qid=1769529540&s=books&sprefix=audrey+austin+crabapple+court%2Cstripbooks%2C106&sr=1-1