With that, he stood up and left me alone to contemplate the past twenty-four hours. I felt like I’d stepped right into an episode of The Twilight Zone.

Dazed, I walked back to the quilt room to retrieve my cell phone and check for messages. I had one from Nana, my mother’s aunt. She’d accompanied us to Marietta and was staying with a friend for a few days. I’d also received a call from Beau, my next-door neighbor. Beau and I have dated a little over these past six months. Last but not least, Harv, the editor of “Georgia by the Way,” had left several messages. I bit the bullet, and called him first.

CHAPTER FIVE

Harv! Stop yelling. I couldn’t call you back sooner. I’ve been kind of busy.”

My editor is a wonderful guy at heart, and he’d do anything to help me out. He’s just a big ole’ teddy bear underneath that rough exterior of his, but he sticks to me like a cocklebur.

When it comes to his baby, as he calls “Georgia by the Way,” he can get a little uptight and doesn’t let up until my first draft of any assignment is on his desk for inspection. Having said as much, his boisterous ways played havoc on my last nerve sometimes.

“Have you accomplished your goals?” I heard him crunch an everpresent Tootsie Pop. The sweet treat became his vice after doctor’s orders required him to give up smoking.

“Yes and no, Harv.” Tirade expected, I held the phone away from my ear.

“What in the world do you mean?” That booming voice sounded like Harv stood next to me in the room.

“Calm down so I can tell you what happened.” A ‘hmph’ shot through the phone.

“Yes, I’ve picked up a good story. No, I’m not sure when the article will be ready. We’ve experienced a bit of excitement, and the trip might take a little longer than we expected.”

Over the next several minutes I explained what had transpired. I detected muttering as I hung up – something about being glad he didn’t have to travel on assignment with me.

I flipped my cell phone closed. The world as I knew it yesterday, now felt surreal. I willed myself to call Nana. I wanted to make sure she was all right. Mama usually acted as my great-aunt’s gate-keeper, but she wasn’t here, so she trusted me to take care of her. Several times, this sweet little lady had wandered off on what she prefers to call “adventures.” We’ve more aptly termed them “disasters.”

Recently, Nana decided she wanted to enter the world of technology. So, she is the proud owner of a flip-phone designed especially for seniors. I caught her pressing several buttons before she hit the jackpot, so I set the menu to answer automatically when she flips the top open.

“Hello,” a quivering voice answered.

“Nana, its Trixie. I noticed you called me earlier. Are you okay?”

“Oh, Trixie. Something terrible happened. I’m at the hospital.”

“What’s the matter? What hospital?” I could barely form the words. Please Lord; remove this elephant from my chest. I can’t breathe. I wished I could blink my eyes and reach Nana as soon as possible.

“I’m all right, sweetie. Dora’s taken a fall. After we went out to eat supper, we decided we’d go over to the bowling alley. They had a special - two games for the price of one. It was disco night, and they had all these brightly colored lights flashing and disco balls spinning. Those twirling things sure must have given her the dizzies!

“We were having a wonderful time, and everything was fine until Dora fell down and started flailing her arms and legs. The doctor said the flashing lights caused a seizure.”

“How terrible.” Immediate relief Nana wasn’t lying in the hospital was followed by shameful guilt.

“Yes, it is! And that isn’t the worst of it. Dora hit the floor like a ton of sand, and she broke her left hip.” That’s a ton of bricks, Nana. “You know that’s been her bad hip for a long time.” No, I didn’t know about the bad hip, but the discrepancy seemed insignificant. “She’s in surgery. They’re not sure if she’ll need a replacement. I’m waiting for the doctor. By the way, did I mention how cute he is? I think he’s Italian.”

“You didn’t tell me about the cute doctor,” I said, rolling my eyes. The mistake was too late. Nana possessed an uncanny ability to detect when I’m eye rolling, and she never lets it slide.

“Don’t roll your peepers at me, Missy.”

No point in arguing with her. “Sorry. I wish I could come to the hospital, but something’s happened at the museum. I won’t be able to visit right away. Will you be okay until I arrive?”

My insides churned like an old-timey washing machine. I wanted to be with Nana as she waited for news about Dora. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t envision Detective Columbo letting me go anywhere until he finished his interviews. I did the next best thing – I offered a prayer. Please be with Nana and her friend and keep them safe. Dee Dee and I sure could use some comfort, too.

“I’ll be fine. The nurses and doctors have been so good to us. A nurse set me up in a little waiting room and gave me some snacks. Tommy, Dora’s only son, lives in some foreign country. The name starts with a B, maybe Brazil or Britain. She told me he’s a big wheel in a company over there. The doctor put a call in to him. You take care of your business at the museum and come on over when you can.”

“Thanks, Nana. I’m so glad you’re okay, and I’m sorry Dora fell.”

“Thank you, Sweetie. I’m going to go and find out if I can finagle an update. When that nice young doctor comes out to talk to me, I’ll put in a good word for you. A little competition wouldn’t hurt Beau. I’ll see you when you get here, dear.”

“’Bye, Nana.” I heard dead air and realized I didn’t get the name of the hospital.

I flipped my phone closed and walked over to where Doc discovered the body. The activity resembled a bustling beehive. Officer Debra and Officer Rick were huddled, talking with each other. A redheaded woman dressed in jeans and a bright blue sweatshirt took pictures as fast as the shutter clicked.

As the EMT’s carried the body out on the gurney, a lifeless arm flopped out from under the sheet, swung down, and dangled toward the floor. One of the techs reached down and nonchalantly tucked it back under. The hair on my own arms stood at attention.

CHAPTER SIX

Mr. Nice Suit, whom I assumed was the medical examiner, followed closely behind the techs. He turned around and addressed the police officers. “Tell Bowerman I’ll call him later.”

I was aware of my surroundings, but felt like I was in the midst of a horrible dream. Doc, standing next to a man I didn’t recognize, surveyed the scene around him and appeared as displaced as I felt. We made eye contact, and I walked over.

“Trixie, this is Samuel Brooks. He’s the chair of the museum board. Sammy’s always been supportive of our cause, so I knew he needed to know what happened.”

He flashed a toothpaste ad smile. “Sammy, this is Trixie Montgomery. She writes for “Georgia by the Way,” and planned on writing a feature article on our ghosts. I hoped the publicity would be a shot in the arm for us; a good ghost story could renew interest in the museum.”

Sammy and I shook hands. The man appeared to have stepped from a page of GQ magazine. He stood well over six feet tall. Up among the clouds, I imagined he experienced an air of supremacy over us mere mortals. A double-breasted suit with a pink dress shirt might be considered arrogant on some men. Not on Sammy. Olive skin, blue eyes, and salt and pepper hair completed the package. A thousand watt smile lit up his face.

I remember a time, after my divorce, I thought I’d never be interested in men again. Guess I was wrong.