Chapter 84

word count 1323

Elliot watched the cop in front of Adam's room like a hawk. He had to get in there somehow. He had to explain to his friend what had happened, how the oleander had hurt his mother and the housekeeper, in addition to his dad who was the only intended target, apparently.

"Elliot, why don't we go to the cafeteria and get something to eat," John said. He and Lisa stood nearby, ready to go. "Adam is not allowed to have visitors, so we may as well go there rather than have wasted a trip entirely."

With a sullen expression, Elliot followed them to the elevator. When they arrived on the lower level, he got an idea.

"I gotta go to the bathroom."

"Okay, son. You go ahead, and we'll wait for you here. I think I saw one down the hall." John smiled.

Elliot took off like a bullet. Once out of sight, he ran back to the elevators. Skittish, he waited for it, looking behind him to make sure the coast was still clear. When he finally got on board the conveyance, he sighed in relief.

When the doors opened on Elliot's floor, he dashed down the hallway, peeking into rooms as he went along. He didn't see what he was looking for. Arriving at the nurse's station, he got lucky. Just what he wanted! Creeping over, he reached up on his toes and grabbed a vase of flowers that sat waiting to be delivered, sunny yellow daisies with a card attached, tied with a gold ribbon. It was nice, but sacrifices had to be made. The little boy glanced over to spy the guard resolutely on duty. Next, Elliot raced with the vase a good distance down the hall and around a corner. Once he arrived out of sight of the guard, he lifted the vase up high and smashed it to the ground with all his strength. Then he took off, rounded the corner to go back, slowing when he got into view of the nurses and guard to act like he was as startled by the racket as anyone. The guard was already on route to the disturbance at full gallop. Elliot took off toward Adam's room and slipped in the now-unguarded doorway.

Adam was awake and surprised to see his friend. He was about to cry out when Elliot motioned to be quiet. He crept up to be out of view from the doorway.

"Dude, I snuck in. You're not allowed visitors. I had to talk to you!" Elliot whispered the words.

Adam nodded.

Elliot continued, knowing full well he didn't have time to waste. "Your dad got sick from the oleander, but dude! Your mom and the housekeeper did, too. I got a feeling nobody's told you that, and you need to know! I know it was an accident, dude! I'll help explain that to them if you want me to. I know they're gonna be asking you questions."

The alarm on Adam's face worried Elliot. He was right to assume Adam didn't know about his mom or Mrs. Dunn getting sick from the poison. But now, Elliot needed to get out of there, and he knew he was leaving his friend in a bad state of mind.

"Look, dude! No one's gonna blame you! You're just a little kid."

"I didn't know anyone else was gonna use the mayo," Adam whispered. His voice was weak and hoarse. Tears spilled from his eyes. "Did I kill my mother? Dude, did I kill my mom?"

Elliot saw the panic. He didn't know what to do. "No, dude! She had cancer. She mighta got a little sick, that's all. It didn't kill her. The same with the housekeeper. She just got a little sick. Don't worry. Please, don't worry. Now I gotta get out of here before the cop comes back."

Adam nodded. He seemed better after listening to Elliot.

Elliot nodded back. "I'll see you later, dude!" He took a deep breath and ran for the door. Still clear, he dashed to the hallway until he came to the elevator. He dashed in and pushed the button to go to the cafeteria.

If he was lucky, no one would be the wiser about his visit with Adam.

***

At Buzz's house, things were unraveling. Trudy emerged from Buzz's room clean, dressed, and polished only to run into a furious Mrs. Dunn.

"Miss, how dare you wear Mrs. Miller's clothes? God rest her soul."

"It's okay. Buzz told me I could. Watcha' got to eat in this dump? I'm starved." Trudy paused in front of the hallway mirror to check her hair.

"Really, miss. How can I know that Detective Miller said you could wear his dear wife's clothes."

"Because I call him, 'Buzz'-- and you call him, 'Detective Miller'-- ya get the difference. Buzz and me are friends...whoa, way more than friends. You, on the other hand, are his employee, his little tinker toy unimportant employee! Now get outta my way so I can go to the kitchen."

"There is no way I'm letting you in MY kitchen. It is my domain, and you certainly are not welcome in it." Mrs. Dunn stood her ground, hands on hips, blocking Trudy's path.

"IS THAT RIGHT?"

"It most certainly is." The housekeeper stood tall, feeling and looking superior.

Trudy pulled out her paisley flask and took a long drink, capping it and placing it back in her pocket. "Oookay," she said. "If that's how ya want to play it."

Pausing to gather her thoughts, such as they were, she looked up, growled and launched. "I'm hungry, and I'm going to Buzz's kitchen, which incidentally, isn't YOUR kitchen. And in that kitchen, BUZZ's kitchen, I'm gonna get a snack whether you like it or not. Any questions!"

"No questions, but also no admittance!"

"You're starting to make me mad, ya know! Ya don't want to do that!" Trudy's face flushed, and her foot tapped in a nervous rhythm.

"No admittance!"

"Okay, lady, you asked for it!" Trudy pulled back her right arm to launch a fist toward Mrs. Dunn's face.

"TRUDY!" Buzz arrived to save the day."What the hell are you doing? Stop right there!"

"Buzz, hon! I was just tryin' to go to the kitchen and get a snack, and this bitch wouldn't let me. You tell her, hon! Okay, you tell her! I've got as much right to a snack as anybody!"

Buzz looked from Trudy, red-faced and disheveled, to Mrs. Dunn, whose glaring stare could stop a regiment of Russian soldiers. He cleared his throat in a nervous, little cough.

"Trudy, around here Mrs. Dunn does rule the kitchen. We all stay out of it. Things are just the way she likes it in there. When we want to snack, we ask her to get us one. And she is happy to do it."

Mrs. Dunn's expression danced with triumph. Trudy stood in utter shock. "Ya mean she's right?"

"Yes." Buzz exhaled in relief, crisis averted...hopefully.

"Now, miss, since Detective Miller has approved you, if you would tell me what you'd like, I'd gladly get it for you."

"A ham sandwich." Trudy lifted both hands up in defeat as she said it. "With lots of mayo...er, make that mustard!"

"It's okay, miss! I've been shopping. All the food is fresh and replaced now." Not that the thought didn't cross Mrs. Dunn's mind about giving Trudy some of that laced mayo. But that would be undignified.

"Trudy, what's that you're wearing?" Buzz asked, his eyes traveling from her head to her toes.

"I got these from Jeannie's closet, like you said I could." She said the words in a defensive way. Trudy didn't need any more static today. "They're a little conservative, but hey, they're nice clothes!"

"Yeah," Buzz mused, stroking his chin in a thoughtful manner. "You look pretty, Trudy. You look nice."