Suture Self : A Bed-and-breakfast Mystery

struggle followed next, then what sounded like something breaking. Renie let go of Heather and hurried as

fast as she could to the door. She was nearly there

when Blanche Van Boeck stumbled backwards into the

cousins’ room, almost colliding with Renie.

“You’ll regret this, Peter,” she shouted as she caught

herself on Judith’s visitor’s chair and her turban fell off

onto the commode. Blanche whirled on Renie. “You

clumsy idiot, you almost killed me!”

“Gee,” Renie said, eyes wide, “I must be a real failure by Good Cheer standards. Usually, you come to

this place, you end up dead.”

“How dare you!” Blanche slammed the door behind

her, narrowly missing Dr. Garnett, who was standing

on the threshold. “See here, you little twerp, you have

no right to cast aspersions on this fine institution.

Nurse, put this creature back to bed.”

Heather placed a tentative hand on Renie’s left arm.

“Mrs. Jones, would you . . . ?”

“No, I wouldn’t,” Renie snapped, shaking off

Heather’s hand. “Listen, Mrs. Big Shot, are you trying

to tell me that I can’t criticize a hospital where perfectly healthy people die within twenty-four hours

after surgery? Or some poor guy gets run down before

my very eyes?”

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Mary Daheim

“You saw that?” Blanche was taken aback. “Well,

he’s still alive, isn’t he?” She snatched the turban from

the commode and jammed it back on her platinum hair.

“Addison Kirby may still be alive,” Renie shot back,

“but his wife, Joan, isn’t.”

“That was tragic,” Blanche allowed, regaining her

composure. “Drugs are a terrible curse.” She spun

around toward the door. “As for Mr. Kirby, it’s too bad

his wife died instead of him. Nobody likes snoopy reporters. Or snoopy patients, either.” With a hand on the

doorknob, she threw one last warning glance at Renie

and Judith. “I suggest you two keep your so-called suspicions to yourselves.”

Blanche stormed out of the room as Renie glanced

at Judith. “Was that a threat?” Renie asked.

Judith winced. “Yes. All things considered, maybe

we should take Blanche seriously.”

“I would,” Heather said quietly.

The statement carried more weight than a loaded

gun.

SEVEN

TEN MINUTES LATER, Dr. Garnett surprised the

cousins with a professional visit. “Dr. Ming and Dr.

Alfonso are in surgery this afternoon. They asked

me to look in on you two.”

Peter Garnett wasn’t a true double for Ronald

Colman, but he did have the film actor’s distinguished air, along with silver hair, a neat mustache,