Free The Rampant Reaper by Marlys Millhiser Page A

sudden you were back in control.”
    â€œBecause, Charlie, I rose from the sea of despond with a wonderful idea.”
    â€œAbout what to do with Great Witch Abigail? Edwina, as your only daughter and the mother of your only granddaughter, I forbid you to give up the only life you have and come back here to take care of Abigail Staudt. She can go live at Gentle Oaks like everybody else.”
    â€œThat’s just it, Charlie, she can’t. She’s old, but she’s not ill mentally or physically. Boulder, however, has independent-living facilities for the elderly that watch out for the frail and encourage their independence for as long as possible. She’s not dying. She’s not senile. She’s just old.”
    â€œDon’t they have places like that in Mason City?”
    â€œProbably, but there’s a passel of Staudts needing seeing to there, too, and the number of young people who’ve skipped off to other places makes it hard.”
    â€œThey’re expecting you to come back and take care of her. Live here. Give up your work and everything.”
    â€œYou and I both know that won’t happen. If Howard were alive, they wouldn’t even think to ask it.”
    â€œWould you be able to even stand having her in Boulder?”
    â€œJust down the hill from the university there’s a place called the Good Samaritan, with an eight- or nine-story apartment building for seniors and one floor of assisted-living for those who need more, plus a nursing home attached for those who need the most. For the apartment dwellers, there are scheduled activities, a dining room, in-room cooking facilities, bus trips. Everything she’ll need. Once a week I could walk down from the labs to have lunch with her and that would be it. And she could hurl accusations, opinions, and self-righteousness every which way and nobody would care because they’re not from Myrtle and she’s nobody to them. Kind of sweet, huh?”
    Somehow, Charlie had the feeling that this would backfire, but was so glad Edwina had a positive thought she didn’t relay that feeling. She’d much prefer to get her mother out of here without Great-aunt Abigail Staudt.

CHAPTER 10

    T HEY ORDERED ANOTHER beer when their sandwiches arrived and discovered the salad was the lettuce, onion, and tomato garnish on the buns with the pike and the pork. And probably the ketchup that came with the fries.
    â€œYou’ve got to try a bite of this—used to be served at hamburger joints and drive-ins everywhere. Haven’t seen them since I left Iowa.” Edwina cut a hunk off one end of her sandwich and Charlie did the same with hers to exchange.
    â€œKenny Cowper’s body does not look like he maintains it on deep-fried stuff like this.” Although Charlie had to admit it was the best deep-fat-fried “stuff” she’d ever eaten—crispy, crunchy, salty, and hot through. The fish tasted like freshwater, the pork like pig, and the fries like a thicker version of McDonald’s.
    â€œKnow what another delicious irony is? Ladies don’t drink beer in pool halls in Myrtle. And I’m going to suggest shipping Great-aunt Abigail off to the outside world, where tonight will prove that foreign ladies do drink beer in pool halls. That ought to get some of the guilt turned in the other direction, cause some consternation in the other camp. We should have dinner here tomorrow night, too.”
    â€œWe have to catch the eight a.m. vomit comet to Minneapolis the next day. Can’t we spend tomorrow night in Mason City?” And get a decent shower? How do people who don’t have showers wash their hair?
    Marshal Delwood swept in on a cold wind, waved at a few
of the “boys” who called out to him, and shoved in beside Charlie. “So where the hell is Marlys?”
    â€œI don’t know, Marshal Sweety. Lost her in the cemetery, like I told you.”
    â€œWell, I