Free Fran Rizer - Callie Parrish 05 - Mother Hubbard Has a Corpse in the Cupboard by Fran Rizer Page A

medicine is making her sleep a lot,” I answered, not having the heart to tell him that I’d seen her weep that morning. Tyrone’s lip quivered, but he managed to hold back the tears. I knew the kid was having a rough time and asked, “Are you hungry?”
    “Yes, I could really go for a cheeseburger right now,” he answered.
    My brothers had always had room for cheeseburgers, too.
    McDonald’s drive-through. Three of those quarter-pounders with cheese. Doesn’t matter what new burger they put on the menu, my favorite will always be quarter-pounders. I’d opened mine and taken the first bite as I sat at the end of the drive waiting for traffic to slow down and let me pull back onto the road. Four boys walked across, right in front of the Mustang. I wasn’t paying much attention to them until one of them stopped, turned to face the car, and made humping movements at me.
    Tyrone went ballistic. “What the (really bad word) do you think you’re doing?” he screamed and threw open his door. I grabbed the back of his shirt and literally held him in the car. The humper ran while his friends laughed.
    “Come on!” I yelled. “Maum and Rizzie need you. That jerk’s not worth your time.”
    He slammed his door shut, shoved his burger back into the bag, and sat sulking all the way to the hospital. When I stopped at the entrance, he jumped out, banged the door closed, and left the bag on the seat.
    I hit the horn and held it. He couldn’t ignore the loud blaring behind him. When he opened the door to see what I wanted, I handed him the McDonald’s bag.
    “I don’t want it now!” he snapped.
    “I don’t care,” I snapped back. “That other burger is for your sister. You take it to her.”
    “She’s not my sister; she’s my cousin.” Defiant and angry.
    “Well, take it to your cousin before I ram it up your …” Oops, I was forgetting my kindergarten cussing and somehow I didn’t think “tush” or “booty” would have the desired effect, so I didn’t say anything more. He stalked off, and I thanked my lucky stars that when I taught school, my students had been five-year-olds, not teenagers.
    Surprisingly, I hadn’t spoken to Jane all day even though she’s my BFF and we usually talk several times a day. I hit her number on my cell phone as I headed back to Middleton’s.
    “This is Roxanne,” came that husky, slow drawl she uses on her business line. “I’m soooo glad you called. I …”
    “Jane,” I laughed, “you’re not working. You’re on your own telephone, and this is Callie.”
    “I know. I thought Frankie was on the phone, and I was trying to get a rise out of him.” She paused. “I haven’t seen you all day. How’s Rizzie’s grandmamma?”
    When I first met Jane, I tried to avoid sight references, but she refers to seeing people and uses sight words all the time. With no comment about the fact that Roxanne wouldn’t get Jane’s usual rise out of Frankie since he hated her fantasy actress personality, I answered, “They’re going to operate on her when her heart is beating more regularly. How are you today? Still puking?”
    “You don’t have to say it like that. It sounds so crude.”
    “Well, are you?”
    “Yes, but not as bad as yesterday.”
    “How much have you eaten today?”
    “Oh, I had breakfast and lunch. Haven’t had dinner yet.”
    I laughed. “It’s too early for dinner. Did you eat everything in sight this morning?”
    Jane laughed louder than I had. “Now, what is ever in sight for me?” She paused, but not long enough for me to think of a come-back, and then added, “But don’t ever think I have to see it, to eat it.”
    “Seriously,” I answered, “I think some of the throwing up is because you’re overeating.”
    “I’m hungry. I may be eating for two.”
    “Then it’s time for you to see a doctor and get those vitamins and all that other stuff pregnant women need.”
    “I will. I’m just not ready.”
    “There’s no ready to it.