are nurses, not detectives.”
I heard her, but it was too late. I'd already convinced myself that there was a conspiracy brewing. It didn't help that I'd made such a big scene in front of at least a dozen people, one of them being Charlene, the loudest mouth in town. I wondered why she hadn't been pulled in for questioning yet? Why had she gone back to the haunted house that night?
Chapter Six
“Let me get this straight – you're scared of Halloween? You? Feisty and...”
I spun around to face Charlie and stopped him before he made me do something I'd regret, like knock him flat out on his behind for saying something smart.
“Whoa, Nelly. Slow down. I'm just ribbing you. Hank here tells me that you got yourself into some trouble. Again! What did you do this time?” Charlie asked, confident that he'd endure my wrath, which was his intention.
“Why are you asking me like that? You know I would never kill anyone.” I said.
Charlie looked over at Hank. I'd never realized how similar in build the two of them were. They were looking at each other eye to eye. Both equally handsome, but only one of them used to behaving like a civil human being.
“I don't know anything. I haven't been in town more than fifteen minutes and I already want to get back in my car and go back to Nebraska, but I can't.” Charlie said, shaking his head.
“Why can't you? Who is stopping you? Aren't you a single man on a mission?” I asked, using words he'd used with me on several occasions.
“What is all the hollering about, Honda?”
I flung completely around, shocked to hear Nubbin's voice.
“Nubbin Schmeckpepper, what in the world are you doing in California? Does everyone at the nursing home know where you're at? You didn't run away again did you?” I asked, wrapping my arms around his thick middle to give him a bear hug. He was one of my absolute favorite people on Earth.
“Aw, now cut that out before people start thinking you're sweet on me, Corolla.” Nubbin teased, but I knew it was just in good fun because his embrace was just as tight around me as mine was around him.
I kissed him on his cheek, not minding the roughness of his face. He wasn't exactly the smoothest shaver and I'm sure he gave the guys and gals at the nursing home a run for their money if they got anywhere near him with a razor.
“Already with the nicknames, I see.” I joked. In all actuality, I loved the nicknames he had for me. All six million of them. It was kind of his thing.
“Well, what do you expect? When your parents give you a name like that, you're bound to get a nickname!” Nubbin never shied away from saying exactly what he thought. It was one of the many reasons why I loved him so much.
I laughed. “Just so you know, you're the only person I allow to call me anything other than Mercy or Mercedes.” I planted a kiss on his cheek.
Nubbin nudged me away from him, winking, “That's enough, Fiat. We don't need any rumors spread across the whole state of California. I mean, I just got here. Let's leave some room for the ladies.”
Charlie, Hank and I laughed. I'd never heard Nubbin say anything like that in all the time I'd known him.
“I don't know why you're laughing. Someone thinks I'd be quite the catch.” Nubbin nodded to the doorway leading to the kitchen.
Hank started to laugh, then realized who Nubbin was referring to. “Are you talking about my wife?” Hank pretended to be offended.
Ruby walked out of her kitchen, saying, “I heard my name. What did I do?”
Charlie said, “Rumor has it that you have a thing for our old pal here.”
Nubbin stood a little straighter. I couldn't help but smile. He looked good. He looked healthy.
When I'd first met him almost ten months ago, Nubbin was an angry old man, living in a nursing home, full of inept employees and one very lazy dog, my dog, Barney. Now, after