Free Calamity @ the Carwash (Parson's Cove Mysteries) by Sharon Rose Page B

I’m the one who will be hauled up
on the carpet, Flori.”
    “I hope all the men don’t think you were
serious about the castrating. Why, on earth, did you say you’d castrated four
men? I couldn’t believe you’d say such a terrible thing.”
    “I didn’t say four men , I just
said, ‘four’ and that I did - four of my cats.”
    “Oh, Mabel, that’s hysterical.” Flori
giggled and the table shook. The man and woman in the next table looked over
and started smiling too. In between her giggles, Flori told them, “Mabel
castrated four.” Tears started rolling down her cheeks. I handed her a handful
of napkins. The man and woman got up and left.
    I glanced at my watch. “Better dry up
your tears and blow your nose, Flori, because it’s almost time to meet Calvin.”
I stood up and grabbed the check. “This is my treat. You already spent your
pension money for this month.”
    Flori grabbed up her five or six bags
from under the table, I paid the bill, and off we went to find all the folks
from the Retirement Home.
    “I think,” I said, “before we do
anything else, we should check the food court. I’m sure that’s where they would
all eat.”
    The court was packed and it was noisy.
There was one spot at the far end, however, that was far noisier than any other
area. That’s because almost everyone sitting there was deaf.
    “There they are, Flori. I knew we’d find
them here. Before we get too close and they spot us, let’s count to see if we
have them all.”
    I left that job up to Flori because I
had no idea how many we started out with. As we walked up to them the women’s
faces lit up but for some reason the men didn’t appear all that thrilled to see
us. Well, most of them greeted Flori and of course, she ran around and gave
everyone a big hug.
    MJ got up and with the help of her cane,
walked over to me. She leaned over and said into my ear, “Watch how Mr. Koots
walks.”
    I nodded. I would’ve said more but the
whole gang decided to rise up at the same time and suddenly we were propelling
towards the front entrance of the mall. One good thing about leading a group of
elderly, blind, deaf and drooling people is that everyone moves right out of
your way. It didn’t take long and we were all waiting at the entrance for our
bus.
    It was almost two before it pulled up in
front of us. By this time everyone had to go to the washroom again so now Koots
had to wait. I didn’t feel sorry for him one bit. When MJ returned, she came up
close to me and said, “Make him get out and walk.”
    The rain had stopped but the sky was
still heavy with dark clouds and any minute I knew there would be a cloudburst.
I ran up to the door and waited for Calvin to open it.
    “Calvin, would you please come out and
help these folks carry their parcels into the bus.”
    “Why should I? I’m the driver here, not
the butler.”
    “Listen,” I said and put my hands on my
hips. “Your job here is just hanging by a thread as it is. All I have to do is
tell Jake that you were uncooperative and you won’t be driving into the city
anymore.”
    If looks could kill…
    He pulled himself off the seat as if I
was forcing him to change a Depends and slowly, like an old man himself,
descended to the ground. I looked over at MJ and she was staring at him with a
tiny smile on her lips.
    We both watched carefully as Calvin
begrudgingly carried one bag after another and put them in the bus. My old
English teacher was right. Calvin wasn’t walking normally. What did he have -
pebbles in his shoes?
     
     
    Chapter 
Fourteen
     
    Flori burst into my shop the next
morning. The rain had run its course and the sun was shining. The temperature
was moderate and the high was going to be about seventy-three so everyone was smiling.
Except for Flori.
    “Have you heard the latest, Mabel?” She
was dressed in a lovely yellow, orange, green pantsuit with a matching green
headband. The top was all flowery and the pants were solid green. Her