Free The Buried Treasure on Route 66: A Nancy Keene Mystery by Louise Hathaway Page B

crying. “You poor little thing,” Nancy tells her. “They
almost hit you. Are you alright?”
    The lady looks at Nancy and
does a double-take. “Why are you dressed like a French
maid?”
    Nancy says, “Let’s talk
about you first. Are you hurt? Do you have any cuts? I am a
certified Red Cross volunteer and I know first aid. Can you get
up?”
    “I think so,” the lady
says.
    Nancy helps her rise and
steadies her as they take a few steps. “Let’s get you to my car and
then I’ll drive you home.”
    “Okay, honey. You’re an
angel.”
    Nancy says, “Why were you
waving at that car?”
    “Long story.”
    Nancy says, “I like long
stories.”
    “Let’s get me to your car
first, and then I’ll tell you.”
     
     
    ****
     
     
    Nancy drives to the lady’s
house and helps her get out of the car. She tells her, “My name is
Nancy. What’s yours?”
    “I’m Mrs. Wood.”
    They enter her house and
Nancy helps her to the sofa. “I like your house. Very cozy. Would
you like something to drink?”
    “You’ve been so helpful
already. Let me catch my breath and I’ll go in and make us some tea
to calm my nerves.”
    “I can make it, if you’d
like. That way, you can rest.”
    “You’re a dear. The teapot
and loose tea are on the kitchen countertop. The kettle is on the
stove. Let me know if you can’t find anything.”
    “It’ll be up in a jiffy,”
Nancy says.
    After about 15 minutes,
Nancy comes out of the kitchen carrying a large tray that holds a
teapot, two china cups, a creamer, a sugar bowl, and two spoons.
She’s also managed to find some shortbread cookies. On the upper
corner of the tray, she’s put a small doily underneath a silver
vase with a fresh red rose in it.
    “Mercy me,” Mrs. Wood says.
“How did you ever manage to find room on the tray for all of those
items?”
    Nancy just laughs as she
sets the tray down on the coffee table. “I hope you don’t mind that
I did some digging around in your cupboards to find all
these?”
    “Of course not. This is
great! I feel like the Queen of Sheba. Especially with you waiting
on me in your French maid’s costume.”
    Nancy tells her that she’s
had a French-themed birthday party and is keeping her outfit on all
day.
    “What fun!” Mrs. Wood
answers. “That sounds like my kind of party.”
    “Would you like to tell me
about why you were waving at that Mercedes?”
    “Those two young men are my
ex-husband’s stepsons. My former husband passed away about a month
ago, and his stepsons have been coming over and taking things from
my house that they think belong to them. They are being
insufferable. Today, they came and told me that they wanted my car
because my ex-husband’s name is on the pink slip. I helped my
husband pay for the car with money I’d made as a receptionist. It’s
so unfair! Today, they had a friend drop them off at my house and
stole my car. Those kids have a lot of money. There’s no reason for
them to take away my car. They’re just being mean.”
    Nancy says, “I’ve heard that
things can get ugly when wills are contested and families feel
entitled to get what they think is their ‘fair share’.”
    “My ex-husband married a
very wealthy woman. Rumor had it that her father was part of a
Mafia gang in Chicago during Prohibition. Her father left her a lot
of money. Those sons of hers have managed to squander their
inheritance from their grandfather by spending it all on drugs and
gambling. That’s why they’re coming here and picking on
me.”
    “I’m so sorry to hear this.
That’s terrible of them. Makes you wonder how those kind of people
sleep at night.”
    “The worst part of it is
that my ex-husband had always told me that he’d be leaving me
something in his will to make sure that I’m well taken care of when
he passed away.”
    “Have you seen the
will?”
    “Those stepsons showed it to
me. I just don’t believe them. I think there’s another will. I just
feel it in my bones.”
    “Is