The Stiff and the Dead Read Online Free PDF

should use that kind of stuff, Pauline. Let nature work or not. Then again, Henry smiled more than any of us, even when he was losing at poker. Even started to walk faster and not shuffle like so many of us do. Made us all wonder and feel a little pea green with envy.”
    I had to once again laugh to myself—then delete those thoughts.
    â€œDo you think he took too much or there was something wrong with the medication—”
    â€œNo, it had to do with the way he got the medication. I realized he couldn’t afford a prescription ’cause he told me his insurance wouldn’t cover it—not many of us on fixed incomes, with the stinking insurance we can manage to pay for, could afford the stuff. Especially prescription coverage. The government should be ashamed of themselves for the way they treat us old folks. Oh, but Medicaid covers it. Covers Viagra for those folks. Imagine. Geez. The pills run into the hundreds. Thirty pills for about three hundred bucks. Criminal.”
    Criminal?
    Was Uncle Walt insinuating that Henry got his Viagra illegally?
    Suddenly I felt chilled even though I’d cranked up the heater. Although I had several questions to ask, he said my Uncle Stash had just arrived with his usual fanfare so he had to hang up. Illegal Viagra? Murder? Sex and the seniors? I allowed myself another chill and watched a shadow darken my window. Gulp. I grabbed my purse to use as a weapon if need be and then turned to the right.
    Damn!
    Outside stood Joey the Wooer.
    Thinking of sex was not a good thing right now, because I could swear the old geezer was ogling me.
    After I’d given a nice, polite smile to Mr. Tino and said I had to hurry inside to see how my friend was doing, I sat there in the waiting room, waiting. I thought about Joey the Wooer. The clichéd Italian Stallion. There was something about him. He’d actually looked as if he was going to talk to me when I had scurried off. I kinda liked the old man, but felt loyal to my uncle. And if they were both after Helen, well, I had to root for Uncle Walt.
    The nurse opened the door. “Ms. Sokol?” She looked around the room. “Ms.—”
    I looked up. “Here. Right here.” Then I jumped up. “How is he?”
    She rolled her eyes.
    â€œGood.” I knew Goldie was being Goldie and as evidenced by her reaction, he had to be all right. After all, if he were near death, she wouldn’t be wearing that frown of annoyance. I followed her to the examining room and stopped at the door. “Oh, my.”
    Goldie lay sprawled along the examining table, his long limbs hanging off three sides. His eyes were shut and the mascara had formed darkened circles beneath. What a sight. I stepped closer. “Gold. Gold, Hon, you all right?”
    One eye fluttered open. He groaned.
    â€œLet me take you home now.” I noticed a prescription slip in his hand. “Here, I’ll take that and get it filled. You can sit in the waiting room until I get it. Antibiotic?” I eased the paper free of his grip and looked at it. “Yep. This will fix you up in no time, Gold.”
    He opened both eyes and sighed.
    I got him up and walked him to the waiting room. On the way, he stopped at the desk to take care of his copayment. Through the window in the reception desk, I saw Mr. Tino signing in. He’d come back in after scaring the stuffing out of me in the parking lot. Geez. The guy must have bunches of health problems to be here so much. Not so unusual, I thought, when I reminded myself how Uncle Walt went off to the doctor at the drop of a hat. I nodded to Mr. Tino on the way out, but I was too busy getting Goldie comfortable to be able to stop and chat.
    But Mr. Tino had given me the warmest smile.
    â€œComfortable, Gold?” I tucked the zebra comforter around his neck once I’d settled him back at his apartment.
    He gave a weak smile and nodded. Poor darling.
    â€œI’ll make you some