Chapter Twelve
Franklin came racing up, his sandy brown hair sticking up in all directions and his too-big t-shirt flapping. Sam smiled at her young neighbor, who occasionally helped her walk Arlo. He skidded to a stop and immediately dropped to his knees, letting both dogs enthusiastically greet him.
“Franklin,” said Nora with evident pleasure. “I didn’t know you were here today.”
“Mom’s doing health checks for the residents,” he said, scratching Arlo behind the ears while Precious attempted to climb into his lap, despite her relative size to his lap’s size.
“She’s a nurse, you know. And there’s no school because of a teacher workday.
Mom told me I could come if I stayed out of the way and brought my homework. ”
Pamela smiled warmly. “Your mom’s a big help over here. How’s school going?”
“Good, Ms. Cross. I got an A on my science project.”
“That’s wonderful,” Pamela said. “Your mother must be very proud.”
Franklin’s mom, Lisa, appeared a moment later, looking harried but smiling. She wore scrubs and carried a blood pressure cuff. “Sorry, everyone. He promised he’d stay in the activity room.” She gave her son a pointed look.
“But I heard the dogs,” Franklin protested reasonably. “How was I supposed to concentrate on fractions when Arlo and Precious were right here?”
“A valid argument,” said Nora in complete seriousness.
Sam hid a smile. “Hi, Lisa. How are the health checks going?”
“Good. We’re almost done for the day.” Lisa checked her watch. “Another thirty minutes and we can head home.”
Franklin was now lying flat on the floor. Arlo stood on his chest and licked his face while he giggled. Precious sat beside them like a dignified guardian, his tail thumping against the linoleum.
“Franklin, sweetheart, you need to let them go,” Lisa said.
“Can’t I just walk them around the building once? Please? I’ve been doing homework for hours.”
“It’s been forty-five minutes,” Lisa said dryly.
“Which is basically hours when it’s fractions.”
Pamela glanced at her watch. “I should get going anyway. You all enjoy your evening. Keep up the good work in school, Franklin.”
“I will, Ms. Cross.”
Nora glanced at Sam, who nodded. “Five minutes won’t hurt,” said Sam. “We’re not in a rush.”
Franklin scrambled to his feet with the speed only a nine-year-old could manage. He took both leashes with practiced ease. He’d walked Arlo enough times to know the routine. I’ll be super careful. And I’ll stay on this floor.”
“Five minutes,” Lisa warned. “Then back to the activity room after you bring the dogs back here.”
Pamela said her goodbyes and headed toward the parking lot. They watched Franklin head down the hallway, both dogs trotting happily beside him. Precious’s nails clicked importantly on the floor.
“That boy,” Lisa said with affection. “He’s been asking for a dog since he was four. But it’s just too hard with my nursing schedule and the divorce.” She shook her head. “Borrowing Arlo sometimes is the compromise.”
“He’s good with him,” Sam said. “Very responsible.”
“He is. He takes after you with the organization thing.” Lisa smiled. “He color-codes his homework folders. I don’t know where he got that from. Certainly not from me or his father.”
“Some of us are just born that way,” said Sam, returning her smile.
Lisa’s radio crackled. “I should get back. Thanks for letting him have a few minutes with the dogs. It’ll make the rest of the homework session actually bearable.” She headed back down the hallway.
Nora watched her go, then said thoughtfully, “Lisa comes here twice a month. She does wellness checks, medication reviews, that sort of thing. The residents adore her. And Franklin.” She paused.
“He’s a good boy. Franklin reminds me of my grandson at that age.
Before he grew up and moved to Seattle and only calls on my birthday. ”
It was the most personal thing Nora had shared with Sam. She looked at Nora with a new understanding. “You miss him.”
“Of course I do. But that’s what grandchildren do. They grow up and have their own lives.” Nora adjusted her purse with brisk efficiency. “Which is why I adopted Precious. A dog will never move to Seattle and forget to call.”
Franklin reappeared, slightly out of breath, the dogs looking pleased at their unexpected walk. “That was the best five minutes ever,” he announced, handing the leashes back to Sam and Nora.
“Back to fractions,” Nora told him solemnly. “Your future depends on it.”
“That’s what Mom says.” Franklin didn’t sound convinced. But he waved goodbye and headed back to the activity room, calling over his shoulder, “Bye, Arlo and Precious.”
Sam, Nora, and the dogs walked to Nora’s car.
“Well?” Nora asked when they were out of earshot. “Did you learn anything useful from Pamela Cross?”
Sam thought about the tension that had gripped Pamela when Margaret’s name came up. “Maybe,” Sam said slowly. “She definitely doesn’t like talking about Margaret.”
“Most people didn’t care for Margaret,” Nora pointed out, opening the car door. “That doesn’t make them murderers.”
“No,” Sam agreed, helping Arlo into the back seat. “But it’s interesting that she claimed not to know Margaret well. Charlotte said Pamela usually helped clean up after meetings. You’d think that would give her more than a passing familiarity with the other members.”
Precious jumped into his front seat spot with practiced ease, turning to gaze out the window as if ready to supervise their drive home.
Nora started the engine. “So now we head to the Italian place. You look like you could use a good meal.”
“What about the dogs?”
“Hmm?” Nora had a bewildered expression as if she weren’t exactly sure whom Sam was referring to.
“Oh, you mean Precious and Arlo? It’s a nice enough day to sit outside, don’t you think?
There’s plenty of patio seating out there, particularly at this time of the day.
Come on. It’s not as much fun eating by myself. ”
The Italian restaurant’s patio was nearly empty at this hour, just past the lunch rush and well before the dinner crowd. A server brought water bowls for the dogs, who settled companionably under the table while Sam and Nora studied their menus.
“The chicken piccata is excellent,” Nora said. “Though I’m partial to their carbonara.”
Sam ordered the piccata, and they fell into an easy conversation about nothing in particular: the upcoming holidays, their neighborhood, and Precious’s ongoing weight management program despite his allegedly perfect portions.
“Mr. Holloway at the retirement home suggested more walks,” Nora said with a sniff. “As if we don’t walk enough already. Precious has a naturally stocky build.”
Precious, hearing his name, lifted his noble head from beneath the table. His argyle sweater vest had ridden up slightly on one side. He looked hopefully up, perhaps wondering if he might be given a sample of the menu items once they arrived.
A few minutes later, they were eating their delicious meals.
Sam found herself genuinely enjoying the food and the company.
Nora had a way of making her laugh with her acerbic observations about Sunset Ridge residents, delivered with just enough affection to keep them from being truly mean-spirited.
“You should come by the house sometime,” Nora said as they finished. “I’ve been meaning to have you over properly. None of this standing on doorsteps business.”
“I’d like that,” Sam said, surprised to realize she meant it.
As they drove back to the neighborhood, Nora said casually, “I ran into Olivia this morning, on her way out to volunteer at the food pantry. She looked a bit worn out, poor thing. Have you talked to her much since this all started?”
Sam realized with a guilty start that she hadn’t spoken with her friend at all. “I should check on her.”
“Might be good timing. She mentioned she’d be home all afternoon.”