Free Vintage Whispers (A Cozy Retirement Mystery Book 1) by Riley Blake Page B

man in his early to late fifties entered. Wearing a navy suit with a bright red tie, he raked his fingers through his salt and pepper hair before scowling at Nurse Waterbury.
    “Doctor,” she said curtly before turning to Pearl. “Once again, I’m glad to be of assistance.”
    “You were,” Pearl said enthusiastically, a bit overkill given the wee hours of the morning. “And we hope to see more of you. You’re such an asset to Cozy Retirement. They’re lucky to have you.”
    “Thank you,” Nurse Waterbury said, smiling at the doctor as if she were proud to receive praise in his presence.
    The next bell announced their fourth floor arrival. Mary Louise and Opal walked off the elevator. Pearl, always at her finest, exclaimed, “Have a goodnight. See you in the morning!”
    Mary Louise steeled against the possibility of a reprimand. Opal came to an abrupt halt and shot the doctor a semi-sweet grin. “We’ve been outside on the porch most of the evening.” She brushed off her shoulders, avoiding eye contact. “We’re just so excited to be here.”
    “They are,” Nurse Waterbury agreed. “You should’ve been here when they arrived yesterday, Dr. Smalls.”
    “Dr. Smalls?” Pearl stared up at the rather large man. “Apparently God gave you to the wrong family. Why you’re at least seven feet tall.”
    “Not quite.” He smiled as if it were a chore and then pushed his arm against the jerking door. “Isn’t this your floor?”
    “Oh yes,” she said, prancing down the hall as if the doctor’s attention added an extra spring to her step.
    Mary Louise watched and waited, willing the doors to close. They were almost in the clear when the doctor’s phone rang and he stepped off the lift to take a call.
    “Come on.” Opal kept her voice low. “We have too much to do and we haven’t slept.”
    “I know,” Pearl whispered back. “Hope we’re free to do whatever we want here. I’d like to sleep the day away.”
    “Missing breakfast and lunch might be a problem,” Mary Louise pointed out.
    “Let me call you right back,” Dr. Smalls said, his voice carrying through the corridor.
    “Four doors down,” Mary Louise reminded them. “We’re in 424.”
    As they passed 420, a tremendous screech filled the hallways. It was the most eerie sound Mary Louise had ever heard and she easily guessed who lived in that particular pod. “I take it Miss Layla is still among us.”
    “Don’t be mean,” Pearl said, glancing over her shoulder and waving at Dr. Smalls.
    “Ladies? May I have a word?”
    “Now look what you’ve done,” Opal snapped.
    “Keep walking,” Pearl said, speeding up as Mary Louise and Opal slowed down.
    They couldn’t exactly ignore the house doctor. Could they?
    “It won’t take a minute.”
    “We’re busy,” Pearl said, looking straight ahead. “It isn’t appropriate for a gentleman to see a woman in the middle of the night.”
    “But it’s morning,” Dr. Smalls pointed out. “And there’s something I should tell you about Nurse Waterbury.”
    “Now what?” Pearl said, turning on her heel. “Don’t tell me she’s a murderer, too.”
    “Excuse me?” Fear or perhaps true confusion stamped its place in his expression. “Did you say murderer?”
    “We just learned that one of our friends may have been killed,” Pearl said, blabbing everything.
    “Pearl,” Mary Louise warned, turning to the doctor. “Please overlook her. We just found out the awful news and really don’t want to talk about it with an outsider. You understand.”
    “Yes, uh, certainly.” He reached in his pocket and took out a business card. He passed it to Mary Louise. “If you need anything at all, please let me know.”
    “Thank you,” Opal and Mary Louise chimed together.
    “You mentioned Nurse Waterbury?” Mary Louise hoped this wasn’t one of those places where the employees talked about the other staff members to their guests.
    He seemingly searched for the right words before he