We plopped down to wait on a sofa that had seen better days and many bottoms. The cushion was so worn out I sunk lower than a worm in a wagon rut. Getting up would be next to impossible without help. I was glad Dee Dee sat beside me for more than one reason. She’s been a rock in my life. Feeling maudlin, I reached over and patted her hand. She smiled and returned the gesture.

A bevy of visitors filled the waiting room. An older couple sat huddled together in the corner. Their features were drawn, and they held hands. I wondered who they worried about - their daughter, their son, or maybe a grandchild.

An extended family, from grandma to grandkids, sat across from us. The group were obviously celebrating a loved one’s positive prognosis. According to the noise level, they were having a party – fixin’s and all. I’d watched this scene played out before in hospital emergency rooms. This throng of family are often referred to in the south as “Mama and ‘em”.

A Good Samaritan told us visiting hours started, and everyone jumped up and headed to the double doors.

“Nana, do you want me to go in with you?” I put my arm around her shoulder and squeezed.

“That would be nice, dear. You can come too, Dee Dee.”

“The sign says two visitors at a time, you and Trixie go ahead. I’ll stay here and wait on you,” Dee Dee instructed as she picked up a battered magazine.

Pleasantly surprised, we found Dora propped up, awake and talking. After we visited for a few minutes, I understood why Nana adored her. They were carbon copies. Reassured she was doing well, I excused myself to let them visit. To take our minds off more serious matters, Dee Dee and I spent the next several minutes expounding the virtues of “Mama and ‘em”.

Nana returned after the allotted time. Her eyes danced and she wore a huge grin, relieved her friend would be okay.

“She looks good doesn’t she, Nana?” She nodded in agreement. “Come on. We’ll take you back to Dora’s and we’ll go find a hotel.”

Nana’s eyes sparkled and her grin widened. “I mentioned to Dora y’all didn’t have a place to stay, and she said, ‘Nonsense! You let them stay at the house with you.’”

Tears sprang to my eyes. The thought of a quiet, relaxing place to stay thrilled my heart. Bowerman’s warning on top of Harv’s deadline mingled in my head, and I predicted we would need the extra rest for what awaited us.

Sunlight flooded my room. No! Wait a minute. This unfamiliar bedroom wasn’t mine. As the cobwebs cleared from my mind, I remembered we’d spent the night at Dora’s.

I emitted an audible groan, as I glanced at the clock and discovered it was only six in the morning. I pulled the covers over my head, not ready to face the day. Strange dreams had invaded my sleep, robbing me of a peaceful rest. During the nightmare the murder victim arose to haunt me, but when I saw his face it was that of my ex-husband, Wade. I wondered how an expert would explain that dream.

“Yooo-Hooo!”

I willed myself to sneak a peek from under the covers. Nana peered around the doorway. Her smile was way too bright this early in the morning. “Good! You’re up.”

“Do you know what time it is?” I pulled the covers back over my exposed head.

“Yep, it’s after six. I overslept; I must’ve needed that extra shut-eye. I’m making home-made biscuits for breakfast.” She sang off-key as she made her way down the hall.

I hauled my caboose out of bed, not bothering to change clothes. My jammies would do just fine for an audience with Nana and Dee Dee. Dragging into the kitchen, I noticed Dee Dee fared no better. Droopy eyed, bed-headed, pajama-clad Dee Dee sat at the table.

Dee Dee made a half-hearted effort to glance in my direction. “What are you grinning at? You don’t look any better than I do.” We took in each other’s bedraggled appearance and burst into laughter.

Nana, dressed in a summer running suit, was cute as a button. Adorned in hot pink pants with a pink tee shirt, she looked like a spring flower. I knew a matching pink jacket existed. Nana never went anywhere without a cover up, ‘just in case’. Occasionally, she even wore a matching ball cap.

She hummed a catchy tune, as she stood at the stove and cooked a full-blown southern breakfast. The mingled smells came straight from heaven. My stomach growled in agreement. Nana heaped a plate with eggs, bacon, and homemade biscuits. She sashayed over and placed the feast before me.

“Here you go, ‘shugah,’ eat up! Y’all are going to need a heap of energy if you plan to investigate the murder at the museum.”

“Nana! I told you I have no intention of getting involved. You heard Detective Bowerman warn me to butt out.”

“Well, that’s never stopped you before. Why should it now? And you have me and Dee Dee to help you.”

Dee Dee sputtered coffee at Nana’s declaration. “Uh, I don’t know. Maybe Trixie’s right. Detective Bowerman doesn’t seem like somebody you’d want to cross. Actually, he looks kind of mean to me. Those thick hairy eyebrows give me the creeps.” She wiped up the spewed coffee.

“I know I’m right. I don’t want to hear any more nonsense about us investigating the murder.” When she didn’t answer, I repeated. “Did you hear me, Nana?”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Nana turned around and looked me directly in the eyes. I was familiar with the look. I’ve known it since childhood, and it means I’ve definitely overstepped my boundary. She slowly, purposely laid down the spatula and placed her hands on her hips.

“Don’t take that tone with me, Missy! Yes, I heard you. I might be old, but I’m not deaf. I won’t mention the “M” word again. I thought it would be a boost for your article if you solved this murder like you did before.” So much for not mentioning the “M” word. “Heaven forbid I try to help again.” She turned around and continued cooking, her back straight. Even at her age, Nana kept herself in great shape.

“I’m sorry, Nana. I guess we’re all on edge. Let’s do something fun today. I don’t have the heart to work on my story, and the museum is probably off limits anyway. Let’s ride down to the square and hit some of the shops. Retail therapy always makes a girl feel better. What do you say?”

“Thanks for including me, but I think I’ll sit with Dora.”

“We could check on her first, the hospital’s not out of the way.” I took a big bite of biscuit loaded with strawberry preserves. The gooey goodness oozed out the side and fell onto my plate.

“No. I want to stay at the hospital. I feel responsible since she doesn’t have any family close by.” Nana removed empty dishes from the table.

“If that’s what you want to do. How about you, Dee Dee? Are you up for shopping?”

“Does the Pope wear sneakers?” Dee Dee giggled at her own wit.

“I think the saying goes, ‘Does the Pope pray?’ Anyway, I’ll take that for a yes. They have a lot of antique shops on the square. Maybe you can find something for Antiques Galore.”

“I’d better call Sarah and tell her I’m not sure when I’ll be back. I can’t imagine what excuse I’m going to give her. What about my babies? Heaven only knows what they’ll do without their mother. When I’m gone for more than a couple of days, they go off their feed.” She wore the worried expression of a mother extremely concerned for her children. The fact of the matter was – her concern was for her cats – not her children.

“I’m sure Stephanie will be glad to take care of them. They’ll be fine. Children are pretty resilient.” I attempted to sound as serious as possible while I stifled a grin.

“I hope you’re not being facetious, Trixie. You know how I feel about my babies. It’s not a joking matter.”

“Why don’t we video chat with them, and you can see for yourself how they’re doing.” While Dee Dee considered that, I felt a tinge of guilt myself. “Speaking of babies, I need to call Mama and tell her we’ll be staying a little longer than planned. She’s taking care of Bouncer while I’m away. And Beau. I need to call him. Not only will he be worried, but I’m afraid he’s going to be suspicious of how we wound up in another murder investigation. And if that isn’t enough, I have to keep Harv updated.” I heaved a big sigh.