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  John hugged Gracie again as soon as Irene released her. The mob of seniors moved in closer, almost pinning her to the door.

  “Everybody back.” John used his most commanding voice and stood between her and the curious group. “Why don’t we all go into the dining room. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes, then Gracie can tell you all about her ordeal.” He had such a strong voice and presence. The mob chatted as they moved to their tables in the next room.

  “John, I don’t know if I can stand up and talk about it.” Public speaking scared the pee out of her. She’d even flunked oral book reports in school. The only time she’d talked to a group of people since then was when she moved in with him two months ago.

  “Are you too upset? We can go upstairs. Do you need to lie down? I’ll help you. Can you walk?” His brow furrowed as his worried eyes inspected her, taking in the bruises now bright on her arms. He moved her to a chair.

  “I just get nervous in front of people, but they deserve to know.” Gracie tried to soothe him and convince herself.

  “Honey, I’ll hold your hand if that’ll help.” His blue eyes shone with concern.

  She blushed. “I’ll take you up on that offer, and I’ll try. Like I said, sometimes you don’t know how much you can do until you must.” She had learned a lot about that this month. Losing her apartment, moving in with John, and solving a murder. Each event was life-altering, each was extraordinary motivation for her to reach beyond her boundaries. And now, public speaking. It should be a breeze, especially with John holding her hand. And it was.

  After dinner they watched Channel 8 News tucked into their apartment. They sat side by side on the couch with Tictac ensconced on Gracie’s lap. John scratched behind the cat’s ear and she purred. Even Tictac had become attached to this crazy old man. She had quite a lot to tell her daughter now.

  “There you are in handcuffs,” John announced proudly.

  The local news showed footage the helicopter had taken of them coming out of the house. She winced when she saw how they snatched her from the door and how roughly they threw Buck to the ground. They showed Buck’s miserable face as he rode away in the cruiser. And then there she was again in handcuffs talking to Tom and the detective.

  “That’ll never happen again.” She rubbed her wrists. “I’m really glad you’re here. You make me feel safe.”

  “Gracie, since you came, all I want to do is make you happy and keep you safe. I don’t even miss the whiskey in my coffee.” He slipped an arm around her and squeezed her close to him. Then kissed her on the cheek. “I’ve had my eye on you for a long time, but I never thought we’d end up like this.”

  Gracie smiled and gave him a real kiss. Then they shared the best snuggle she’d had in years. It may never be anything more than that, but who knew?

  The End?

  Skeeterville Gazette Edition #1

  Accident or Murder?

  Russell “Jigsaw” Pouzel was pulled from the Little Wingapoo River last Wednesday afternoon near the Skeeterville Dock. A puncture wound to the head was the cause of death. Former resident, Donald “Buck” Scheafer, has been arrested. In a statement from his sister, Patty Pouzel claims that her ex-husband’s death was an accident. Mr. Pouzel had been arrested on multiple domestic violence charges in the past. Gracie Moore of the Friendly Arms Senior Apartments played a pivotal role in the apprehension of Mr. Schafer. Ms. Moore said she has “known Buck and Patty since they were children in church.” She was visiting when “all heck broke loose.” She said that she “stepped outside when there was a thunk on the porch. It was the police phone. When we came outside, the police were all yelling at us and they threw Buck on the ground. Patty passed out. She’s sensitive. So, the police handcuffed us all until they knew what was going on.” Ms. Moore pulled the siblings out of the house just before SWAT entered. She says, “They had a little grenade that they were going to throw through a window. It makes a noise and flashes like a camera. They call it a flash/bang. But we were already coming out.”

  Gracie Moore claims that the siblings would have come forward without her, but she’s glad that it’s over.

  Rare Coffee Pot found in Skeeterville

  A coffee pot once purchased at a garage sale has been appraised at $750, 000. The silver Lamerie pot had languished in the back of a cabinet until its owner passed away. Gracie Moore purchased it for $20 in 1995. She had no idea of its value when she purchased the coffee pot decorated with intricate silver reliefs of shells and foliage. She thought it was beautiful but never used it because she prefers tea. A friend suggested that she have it appraised. It is one of Lamerie’s early pieces and collectors are clamoring to be at the auction. When asked if she would be making changes to her lifestyle, Ms. Moore said she was perfectly comfortable in her present circumstances.

  The Silver Corner by Hildy Woolfe Amazing Gracie

  The Friendly Arms has a new hero, Gracie Moore! She not only solved a murder mystery, she single-handedly managed to talk the accused killer into surrendering to the police. She claims that isn’t true, but a certain retired policeman assures me that it is. We have read the story on the front page, but I wanted to know more about the woman, Gracie Moore. I interviewed her in the apartment that she shares with John Flynn.

  Hildy: “Gracie, have you always been interested in law enforcement?”

  Gracie: “Oh my, no. I was only trying to help a nice couple of young people who made a mistake.”

  Hildy: “What are your main interests?”

  Gracie: “I like to knit, and I volunteer at our church. I belong to the Friendly Arms Birdwatchers Club. And I collect teacups. I think that’s about it.”

  Mr. John Flynn says she’s being modest and reports that she is “amazing.” Considering that one of her coffee pots was just put up for auction at the prestigious Weschler’s Auction House, I tend to believe him. She blushes at the suggestion.

  Women’s Group Sponsors Safety Talk

  Walnut Street Church Ladies will sponsor a talk on the importance of having a senior safety plan. Our own Deputy Tom Radon will speak. Although the focus is on seniors, all are welcome to attend. Homemade refreshments will be served afterward. We look forward to seeing you at the Walnut Street Church at 4 p.m. on Thursday. For more information call: Irene Weatherspoon 555-234-7890

  Nursing Home Investigated

  Sunnydale Nursing Home has been investigated for violating medication administration standards. An anonymous call inferred that medication errors could have caused the death of two residents. To err on the side of caution, the state proceeded with a thorough investigation, but found the nursing home in compliance.

  A Snippit from Hiding Miss Daisy

  The two oldest residents of the Friendly Arms Apartments are Mildred and Irene’s cousin, Daisy. Daisy’s daughter wants her to go to Sunnydale Nursing Home, but there is unexplained death at the Sunnydale.

  I hope you look forward to their story. Here’s a snippet.

  “I am glad to be home.” Daisy plopped the grocery bags on the table in their apartment. “I’m so embarrassed.”

  “It was a mix up. It could happen to anyone.” True, but Mildred worried that Daisy was getting more mixed up and that mix-ups happened more often.

  “Paula is getting to be a real pain.” Daisy stuck a lip out.

  “She tries. You know she only wants the best for you. She just doesn’t see how well you’re doing when you’re home.” Mildred propped her leg on the coffee table. Every day it was harder to convince the old body to keep going.

  “I don’t think I want to spend the night there anymore.” Daisy looked down and stopped unpacking the groceries.

  “Did something happen last night?” Mildred asked.

  Again? Two weeks ago when Daisy spent the night at her daughter’s she came back without her bottom teeth. She couldn’t find them. Paula said they looked everywhere. The denture was found in Paula’s laundry basket.

  “I got. . .confused.” Daisy kept her hea
d bowed but looked up at her. “I wandered into Paula’s room last night. I got mixed up on the way back from the bathroom.”

  “That doesn’t sound so bad.” Mildred knew Daisy got confused sometimes. Watching after Daisy was not so hard. Mildred did the bills for both of them, and kept them organized. Daisy did the housework.

  “But it was dark. And I tried to feel my way along the bottom of the bed. But I squeezed her husband’s toes!”

  Poor Daisy was horrified, but Mildred’s eyes almost watered at the effort not to grin. “What did the Doctor Jack do?” She could just picture Paula and the doctor waking up to that.

  “He jerked up and kinda yelled til he knew it was me.” She kept talking while she put the groceries away. “I don’t get turned around when I’m here. Maybe we can just go for visits and you can come with me. I think. . .” There was a tear on her cheek when she turned around. “I think she wants to put me in Sunnydale. If I go to her house alone, she might not bring me back.”

  That was a possibility. One trip to doctor son-in-law’s office and he could refer her to his doctor friends in Frederick to declare her incompetent, especially after the toe incident.

  The Sunnydale Complex was Skeeterville’s answer to all of the town’s medical needs with a building in back that had urgent care and doctor offices. The building in back reminded Mildred of a strip mall. The big building was called Sunnydale Nursing Home but it housed inpatient rehab, assisted living, nursing care and hospice. Eventually, everyone went to Sunnydale Nursing Home.

  Some seniors at Friendly Arms called Sunnydale the last stop before the dirt. The medical strip mall was a regular stop for everyone. The Friendly Arms Apartments were independent living. No one wanted to give that up until they were forced to. The residents here might have dinner together, but they had regular lives and activities. A lot of them still had their cars.

  “I don’t want to end up like Zelda.” Daisy shook her head. “I know I’m forgetful, but I’m not crazy like her.” She dropped into a kitchen chair, chin down on her chest.

  “No one is like Zelda, dear. Don’t worry about that.” Mildred could understand her fear. Zelda resided at Sunnydale. Once she was a nurse who worked there, now she lived in the assisted living wing. Zelda stories were enough to make anyone afraid to go to Sunnydale. “Okay, we’ll just go to Paula’s for the Wednesday visits together.”

  “But not overnight.”

  “No, not overnight.”

  A Note from the Author

  Thank you for reading Amazing Gracie. Hiding Miss Daisy is the next in this series. If you enjoyed my seniors and their antics as much as I enjoy sharing them with you, you might want to:

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  Kudos and my humble thanks.

  Rob Carusone –If I had to hide a body, he’d be the man I’d call, but being a good policeman he’d probably have to turn me in. He did educate me on protocol and jurisdiction.

  Becky and Paul DeLameter –Over many lunches, some extended, they let me blather on about The Friendly Arms Apartments. Their knowledge about the police and fire departments in small towns added a new dimension.

  Becky DeLameter –I know Skeeterville, but Becky knows how to set up a webpage. And work with a picky woman on book covers. Please see her good work. www.TeresaQuill.com

  Laura Weatherspoon and Trina Cole–We spent long hours on the phone discussing the adventures of Irene and her gang between giggles.

  Heidi Lucas and Renee Rieke –My two girls allowed their mother to regale them with all aspects of Skeeterville. They gave me some good ideas, too. Sometimes they think like their mother, poor things.

  To the marvelous, wonderful, inspiring CritDivas, Magda Alexander, Lula Diamond, Loni Lynne and Andy Palmer –Where would I be without your input? They smoothed the rough edges of my prose, and took me seriously. At times I didn’t know whether to hug them or smack them, but that is what a good critique group does. There was much laughter involved in the quest for this story.

  Judy Roth- editor extraordinaire who makes me look better than I am and didn’t beat me up in the process.

  Romance Writers of America and Maryland Romance Writers –I attempt to absorb all I can from the stars of genre writing through meetings, conferences and workshops. Without the many years of education and writer support from these groups, I would not understand the rules of writing or all that business stuff that has to happen. Having a network to turn to makes the writing world a less scary place.

  To all the friends and family I bombarded with tales of seniors, I don’t know whether to thank you or apologize for being insufferable. I hope you continue to tolerate me as I weave tales in the lovely town of Skeeterville, home to The Friendly Arms Senior Apartments and its residents.

  Mick Williams, Artist- A special mention goes to the artist who did the watercolor on the cover. He captures small town Maryland in his paintings. I had to put my vision of the big buildings in downtown Skeeterville on the cover, even though it’s really Frederick Maryland. See his work at: www.1-mick-williams.artistwebsites.com and www.MickWilliams.theartistangle.com

  Mostly, thank you my dear reader. It was for you that I crafted this tale, for you that I spent sleepless nights worrying after details, and for you that I tried to bring a smile and a brief escape from your everyday world. Without you, Skeeterville would never have come to life.

  Author’s Bio

  Teresa Quill lives in Frederick Maryland with her personal human hero, a long-haired needy dachshund, and two noisy birds. She has been writing all her life but only now has Skeeterville come to life and demanded attention.

  As a longtime member of Romance Writers of America and Maryland Romance Writers she learned the rules of story through many of their conferences and classes. That, plus bookshelves of reference books that burden the beams of her house have put her on track for getting a story on the page.

  When Skeeterville appeared, she was writing a perfectly lovely little romance. However, the secondary characters took over. She had to tone back those seniors or let them speak. Amazing Gracie is the beginning of the journey into cozy mystery, a genre she has always loved.