Chapter 2: A Mysterious Summons

Joey offered me a ride in the squad car, which I politely declined. Just what I need, have the locals see their beloved librarian being driven through town in the back seat of a black-and-white. People here aren't especially vicious in their gossiping habits, but no sense taking any chances either. Jobs in local government can be precarious--all it takes is a very few, very loud voices to make the mayor and town council shake in their boots and exhibit a total vacancy where a spinal column is supposed to exist.

I followed Joey's patrol car to the hospital, and went into the E.R. entrance. At the desk, I asked the nurse in charge where I might find Linda Hunter. It might have just been my imagination working overtime, but I thought she gave me an odd look.

"She's in examination room 2. The doctor's with her now--you'll have to wait until he's through with his examination before you can see her. Unless you're a member of her immediate family of course. Are you her father?"

Great. A thinly veiled reference to my advancing years, mixed, I thought, with a bit of sarcasm.

"No, I'm not her father" I replied. "I'll wait here for her. Any idea how long she'll be?"

"No, sir, no idea. We're very busy just now, and you'll just have to wait."

I just love the user-friendly attitude of the healers and their minions in the health care bureaucracy. You don't like it, take your business elsewhere. When I become king, snotty, officious nurses will be among the first to be sent into exile.

As I settled into one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs in the waiting room and looked for something interesting to read, my police pals walked into the E.R. Spotting me in the waiting area, Angie headed over to me while Joey engaged the admitting nurse in conversation. I noticed that she seemed to be much more solicitous towards Joey than she had been to me. I guess people tend to treat you a bit nicer when they know you're carrying a gun.

Angie sat down next to me and glanced around the room, apparently to see if anyone could overhear our conversation. The only other people in the waiting room were a young couple who seemed enthralled with the complexities of "Wheel of Fortune" on the TV.

"Mind if I ask you a few questions, Mr. Mollito?" Angie said.

"My friends call me Cheese. My dad was Mr. Mollito."

"Okay, Cheese. Can you tell me what you've been doing this evening?"

"I don't mind at all--I just want to know what's going on. Am I in trouble here?"

"Why do you ask? You worried about something?"

"Not especially. On second thought, maybe I'd better talk to Joey."

"Fine. When the Sarge is done at the desk, I'm sure he'll be more than happy to talk to you."

It's the first time I ever saw a cop go into a pout. She turned her back on me abruptly and pretended to get engrossed in the TV. I figured, Screw her--I wasn't gaining any knowledge from our conversation, and I'd rather talk to Joey anyway. He finished talking to the nurse at the desk and walked over to where we were sitting.

"So how are you two getting along?" he asked jovially.

"Not so hot, Joe. Your protege here seems to be suggesting that I'm in hot water, and won't tell me what the hell all of this is about."

Joey threw Angie a puzzled look.

"Cheese, let's go outside a minute. Angie, stick around here until Linda can talk to us."

We walked out into the warm June night.

"So level with me, Cheese", Joey said. "What's the deal with you and Linda, anyway? I've been around this town for quite a while, know most of the folks, and think I've got a pretty good idea of what's going on. Then tonight, sweet young Linda Hunter gets smacked by a hit-and-run driver, which in itself is an unusual occurrence in this little burg. Then, instead of asking for her father when she gets here, she's asking for you, a guy who's never had more than a passing acquaintance with her, to the best of my knowledge. When we ask her why she wants to talk to you, and then she makes a big deal out of not telling her dad she's in the E.R., I, being a naturally suspicious kind of guy, wonder why. So tell me, Cheese old man, why you?"

Damn! I was kind of curious about this turn of events myself, but didn't know why Linda wanted to talk to me, why she didn't want to talk to her dad, or how it concerned me.

"Joey, it all beats the hell out of me. How about I talk to Linda when she's able, then we'll both know what the deal is?"

"Okay, Cheese. Just don't try and B.S. me, okay?"

Me?, I thought. B.S. an officer of the law? Perish the thought!

Return to The Chronicles Page for another chapter?
Visit Cheese at Old Town University's Library for searchers, science, literature, images, and more.
Or send Cheese's writer, Tom Reale, your story ideas.

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