Nursing a Grudge: An Earl Walker Mystery

Chapter 21

Jenny threw her arms into the air. “Why did you tell the sheriff that? What do you think you’re doing?” Hands on her hips, shaking her head, she paced the living room carpet. “Were you pulling some kind of prank?”

Earl, his hands locked together on his chest, was practically curled up as much as the wheelchair would let him. He shook his head slowly. “No.”

Finally, she returned to the couch and flopped down. “I just don’t understand. Why would you say that? They take those kinds of calls seriously.”

He cleared his throat. “Would you just let me handle it?”

“How can you ask that? I think you’ve lost your mind!” She stood again, turning this way and that, as if considering whether and in which direction to pace again. She stopped and held out her hands. “Have you taken your medication today?”

Earl was taken aback. “What? Of course I have.”

“Because if you need your pills or something—”

“I don’t need my pills.” He checked the clock on the TV stand. “Well, okay, it’s almost time for my next pills.”

Jenny went to the kitchen, came back with his medicine bottles, and set them on the dining room table. While she went to get him something to drink, Earl wheeled up to the table and fumbled with the caps. She came back and set a glass on the table.

Earl looked at the juice then at the pills in his hand. “I can’t drink that.”

“It’s grapefruit juice. What’s wrong with it?”

“It mixes badly with my medication. You can’t take pills and grapefruit juice at the same time.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.” She took the glass back into the kitchen. There was the sound of a cabinet opening and then water running. She returned with a small glass of water. “Is tap water all right?”

“It’s fine.” he grunted. He took his pills, took the water, and swallowed the whole lot of them.

Jenny sat across the table from him. “So what happens now?” Her face was so sad.

“Maybe you should go. Before the sheriff gets here. It would be better if I faced him alone.”

She didn’t answer. Earl locked his fingers together. From where he was sitting, he couldn’t see the clock. So he had no idea how long it was before there was a knock at his door. He swallowed hard, bracing himself to wheel over to answer it, but Jenny got up and beat him to it. The man in the doorway was tall, handsome, and wearing a slightly wrinkled tan suit.

The man identified himself to Jenny as Deputy Landon Fisher, of the Fletcher County Sheriff Department. “What seems to be the problem, ma’am? We got a call from this apartment.”

He leaned in and murmured something to her. She glanced back at Earl then replied in a low voice. Earl leaned forward, straining to hear them. “Hey! What are you saying?” He quickly wheeled himself up to the door. “What are you talking about?”

The two seemed to be ignoring him. The deputy said, “Well, we still have to check this out. Just in case, you know.”

“Whatever you say,” she said in a resigned voice. She held the door open. “Please come in. Have a seat.”

“Yes,” Earl grumbled. “I’m Earl Walker. I need to turn myself in.”

The deputy took a chair and pulled out a notebook and a pen. “All right, Mr. Walker, what seems to be—”

“I’m a murderer.”

Jenny pleaded, “Don’t listen to him!”

Earl nodded in her direction. “Does she have to be here for this?”