With the cleanup done, she went to her laptop. Chances were there wouldn’t be any news on this latest death of another elderly lady. Doreen sat here, and her phone rang again. Expecting it to be Mack, she was surprised to see Nan calling. “Hey, Nan,” she said, trying for a cheerful voice.
“Have you heard?” Nan asked, her voice broken.
“Heard what?” Doreen asked gently.
“It’s,” she said on a wail, “Rosie McDougal.”
“What happened to Rosie?” Doreen asked. But in her heart she knew. “Has she passed away?”
“She died of a heart attack.”
Doreen frowned. “Where?”
“Out on the path heading toward the manor,” she said. “She lives here at Rosemoor, but, for some reason, she left the home and headed up the creek.”
“And then she dropped dead from a heart attack?” Doreen asked, making sure she understood what was going on.
“Yes,” Nan wailed. “She was the sweetest thing. She was always handing out kiwis to everyone. She wasn’t part of that clique thing, and I think she did it kind of tongue-in-cheek because she was after the coveted award this year.”
Kiwis? Award? Uh-oh. “Did she have a heart condition?”
“Only because of that grandson of hers,” Nan said in a foreboding voice. “He was always so mean to her and was trying to get money off her, leaving her in tears.”
“But that doesn’t mean she had a heart condition,” Doreen said. “Would anybody expect her to die from a heart attack?”
“Oh, no, no, no,” Nan said. “Her blood pressure was fine. She was really good after her last cancer checkup, and she was free and clear. Nobody would have thought a heart attack would take her.”
“And do you know for sure it was her heart?” Doreen asked.
“Well, she dropped dead like all the others. You have to help,” Nan cried out. “Doreen, this will take your special touch.”
At that, Doreen’s eyebrows shot up. “Nan, this is a current case. You know how the police will feel if I interfere.”
“I don’t care,” Nan said mutinously. “This is Rosie. She wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
“That doesn’t mean that she didn’t fall or wasn’t lying there for a long time in shock, and maybe fear sent her heart into overdrive, and she naturally collapsed and died,” Doreen said gently. “I know it looks like the other cases, but, until the police have a chance to investigate, we won’t know.”
“No, you mean, they won’t tell us,” Nan said. Her tone was definitely upset.
“I get what you’re saying,” she said. “I know Mack is there now. I’m walking outside and down to the creek, heading toward you. So tell me what you know as I walk there.” After taping a note for Tony on her kitchen door, in case he came while she was gone, she set up the alarms then left through the back yard. With her animals beside her, they walked all the way around and headed down to the path.
“Weren’t they all supposed to be at your house today?” Nan asked.
“They were,” Doreen said. “At least they were working on the house yesterday. But this death has called in a bunch of them.”
“Of course it has,” Nan said. “So whoever did this should pay twice.”
Doreen shook her head. “My deck is hardly a priority now,” she said.
“Well, it should be,” Nan said. “Just think about it. I mean, if they weren’t on this case, they would be helping get your deck finished.”
“Sure, but it’s more important that this lady is looked after.”
“And that’s why you’re a very special woman,” Nan said, her voice warming up nicely. “You’ll get to the bottom of this, won’t you?”
“Well, I can try, Nan. But you also know that it’s not a cold case,” she said.
“But what if it is made into a cold case?” Nan said excitedly. “Then Mack couldn’t keep you out of it.”
“Oh, of course he could,” Doreen said. “Just think how much Mack tries to keep me out of things.”
“Yes, but it doesn’t always work that way,” Nan said, thrilled. “Let me see if there’s any mystery in Rosie’s life, and I’ll get back to you.” And, with that, her phone went snick.
Doreen stared down at her phone and groaned. “I knew it was bound to happen sooner or later, but I didn’t really want it to be today.”
Just then the foursome reached the corner and neared Rosemoor. As she turned to look toward Nan’s direction, sure enough, Doreen saw a group of policemen. She wandered toward her grandmother’s apartment, knowing that Mack would see her soon enough. And he did. He stood and glared at her. She shrugged. “I really don’t have any choice. Nan called me.”
“What’s Nan got to do with this?” he asked.
“Rosie McDougal is a friend of hers.”
“And how did she know what happened?” he asked suspiciously.
Doreen rolled her eyes at him. “Come on, Mack. Remember the grapevine here. She already knew. She called me, and she sent me down here to make sure you guys understood that Rosie doesn’t have a heart condition and that she wouldn’t have dropped dead from a heart attack.”
At that, one of the other guys looked up, and he stared at her.
She smiled. “Hey, Arnold.”
“She doesn’t have a heart condition?” he asked, scratching his head. “Because she sure looks like the others.”
Doreen shook her head, her gaze on the sheet-covered body and its surroundings. Not a kiwi in sight. Interesting. “Apparently not. And she was diagnosed as cancer-free a year or so ago. Any sign of kiwis with her?”
“That’s a darn shame,” Arnold said, looking down at the body. “And there’s one in her pocket. It’s the darndest thing.”
“Arnold …” Mack warned, sending her a glare.
“However,” she said, with a beaming smile in his direction, “there is a suspicious grandson in the mix.”
“And why is that?” Mack asked.
“He’s always bugging Rosie for money and leaves her in tears every time.”
“Well, it’s possible somebody might have wanted
