Suture Self : A Bed-and-breakfast Mystery

Renie didn’t know. “It’s probably down this hall,”

she said, pointing to their right. “It’s the only place I

haven’t been yet.”

Judith was about to suggest that they try it when Sister Jacqueline appeared from the stairwell. “You

wanted to see me?” she inquired.

“Yes,” Judith said, then added, “when will this elevator be fixed?”

“Curly’s working on it now,” Sister Jacqueline

replied. “Our elevators are not only too few, but too

old. I imagine Restoration Heartware will install new

ones. Among other things,” she concluded on a baleful

note.

The three women returned to the cousins’ room,

where Sister Jacqueline tentatively seated herself in

Judith’s visitor’s chair. The nun looked as if she either

expected to be ejected from the chair by force, or else

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didn’t want to be there in the first place. A real hot

seat, Judith thought as she got back into bed.

“You’re probably going to think I’m nuts,” Judith

said with a self-deprecating smile, “but would it be

possible for you to find these dates for me?” She

handed the nun a slip of paper on which she’d already

written her request.

Sister Jacqueline looked startled. “That would be a

breach of patient confidentiality,” she said. “Why on

earth do you want this answered in the first place?”

“Sister,” Judith said earnestly, “would you believe

me if I told you it was a matter of life and death?”

It hadn’t been easy, but Judith had finally convinced

Sister Jacqueline that it was imperative to provide the

information. Mike returned shortly after the nun left.

“Did you know the elevator’s broken?” he said upon

entering the room.

“Yes,” Judith retorted, “we know. We tried to get up

to the fourth floor to see Joe. How is he?”

“Good,” Mike replied, taking the chair that Sister

Jacqueline had just vacated. “He seemed better than

when I saw him earlier. Woody Price is with him.

Gosh, it was great to see Woody after all this time.”

“Did Joe see who stabbed him?” Judith asked anxiously.

“That’s what Woody was asking,” Mike replied.

“Joe told him that he thinks he saw the attacker before

it happened. At least he saw some guy who was acting

suspicious. Joe has an instinct for that sort of thing,

being a cop for so many years.”

Judith could barely contain her excitement. “Who

was it?”

Mike gave his mother and his aunt an ironic smile.