The Truth About Charlie: A Sally Nimitz Mystery (Book 4)

By MaryJo Dawson

Sally goes on an all expenses paid trip to Florida, and it isn’t for investigative purposes, or to take a vacation. Her son and his wife have asked her to be their advocate when they are offered the opportunity to adopt a baby.

Helping Everett and Judy decide if they should agree to the adoption turns out to be the easy part. And who could argue with spending a few days as a guest of a wealthy family in a tropical paradise?

But when the biological father meets his death shortly after a meeting with Sally, life gets more complicated. A woman with a curious nature, some time on her hands, and believing killers should be caught, has to do what she can.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Elderberry Press
• Release date: May 26, 2014
• ISBN: 9781930859098

MaryJo Dawson

MaryJo Dawson had a long and satisfying career as a nurse, most of it specialized in Obstetrics. She's lived in several states and one country abroad, but has settled happily in a small town in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains with her husband, Bill.Always a lover of mysteries, biographies, and history, but especially fond of the British mystery authors of the mid-twentieth century, she set out to write a mystery series of her own using these as her role models. There are currently five Sally Nimitz mysteries in print, the latest released in June of 2015. The books reflect the author's own enjoyment of a good story based in solid values, yet realistic, and fun.When not pondering a new adventure for Sally, there is time for family, friends, flowers, hikes, and the used bookstore.

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The Truth About Charlie:

A Sally Nimitz Mystery (Book 4)

By

MaryJo Dawson

The Truth About Charlie: A Sally Nimitz Mystery (Book 4)

Copyright  2014 MaryJo Dawson

Smashwords Edition

Dedication

Dedicated to David St. John.

We never met, but you were a publisher, mentor, and friend.

Acknowledgment

Cover art by John Terrell, Ruidoso, New Mexico.

The Sally Nimitz Mysteries

The Death of Amelia Marsh

The Disappearance of Douglas White

The Strange Situation at Emlee

The Truth About Charlie

Chapter One

For the first time since the birth of my grandson, his parents came to my home for a visit without him. When my son called me on Thursday to ask if I was free for the weekend, I naturally assumed he was inviting me to come for a visit, or asking if it was a good time for me to have them here. When I don’t have a prior commitment I love spending time with my son and his family. Usually I make the drive north, but now and then my daughter-in-law, Judy, likes to let me spoil them all at my house. If Everett cannot get away she and Joel will come without him.

I was stunned when Everett said casually, It will only be the two of us, Mom. Joel is staying with Liz this time. We need to talk to you privately, okay?

Okay. Is everything all right? It was only a month since the last time we saw each other. Everything seemed fine then, but many things can happen in thirty days.

He assured me there was nothing to worry about. They would explain everything when they arrived late Saturday morning.

During my twelve-hour night shift on the maternity unit at the local hospital, I managed to push my curiosity to the back of my mind – for the most part. Sleep came to me the next morning because by then I had mentally gone over the phone conversation with Everett about fifteen times. He isn’t hard to read if you know him well, and there had not been any noticeable stress in his voice. Never the less, it was impossible not to wonder what made it necessary to make the long drive to have a strictly adult conversation.

After four hours of good rest, I got up to take part in the rest of Friday. While I put clean sheets on the guestroom bed, made a chocolate cream pie, and picked up a few extra groceries, countless possibilities crossed my mind. The real answer occurred to me, too, but in a scenario completely different from what was happening. None of my guesses seemed to warrant leaving Joel behind.

Although neither Judy nor Everett is known for their punctuality, their vehicle pulled up in front of my condo unit before lunchtime. I stepped outside to greet them. It was strange when a tow-headed little boy didn’t dash ahead of his parents to run up for his first hug.

As if she knew my thoughts, Judy’s first words as she embraced me herself were, Sorry, Sally. I know you would like to see Joel, too.

I won’t deny it, I returned with a smile. But it hasn’t been that long. The two of you will have to do. Are you ready for something to eat?

Is Christmas December 25th? responded Everett with a grin as he gripped me tightly in his strong arms. I love it when he does that.

They looked happy, even a little excited. Whatever was going on, it was not life threatening.

It was a fine mid-September day. We took our sandwiches and iced tea out to the little table on the patio adjoining my dining area and enjoyed them in the warm sunshine and light breeze.

Your flowers are still beautiful, Judy remarked appreciatively, looking around. The scent from your rosebush is nice.

My one rosebush sat in a far corner where it caught a lot of the sun. It was blooming for the third time that summer, the roses a bright yellow.

It was a pleasure to have others enjoy the flowers like I did. Daisies, pansies, and petunias were thriving in a long narrow bed against the fence, not seeming to mind they didn’t get as much sun as the rosebush did. My grouping of gladiolus was past its prime but were still producing a few splashes of color, and a large bed of white and soft pink impatiens bordered the patio door where the almost constant shade agreed with them. The spaces between the beds were filled in with small rock for ground cover. Two small shrubs provided symmetry. I couldn’t remember what they were called, but they were hearty enough to survive every winter and produced healthy small red leaves from spring until late fall. The patio itself was tiled, courtesy of Everett himself, who did the work for me the summer after I moved in.

He was looking at it with a professional eye while his wife and I briefly discussed flowers.

The tile’s held up pretty well, he remarked modestly.

It looks fantastic and you know it, I said with asperity. This is the fourth summer and it shows no wear at all.

Everett loved to make things and he always produced a great finished product. From pouring cement to carpentry, he had a gift for it. He was still a young man, not yet thirty, but he had a good reputation and usually enough projects to keep him busy.

Judy turned to look at him. Can I tell her now? she asked.

He took another generous bite of his roast beef and cheese sandwich and nodded at the same time.

Good. I commented before she could begin. I wondered how long you two were going to keep me in suspense. Out with it.

Well, Judy paused to flip her mane of red hair behind her shoulders. We have two pieces of news. This one isn’t why we came without Joel, she shared another glance with her spouse, but since we were coming anyway we decided to wait and tell you in person. She stopped again. This is really your news, Babe. Maybe you should tell her.

I groaned. Somebody tell me, please!

My son took pity on me. He finished chewing, swallowed, and said, I’ve been hired by one of the biggest construction companies in the state. I start a week from Monday.

You have? Really? This is wonderful! I shrieked my delight. Judy smiled widely and Everett tried to look nonchalant but failed completely. He was very happy about it.

Being his own boss and free-lancing was all very well but it also had some drawbacks, including irregular paychecks.

I’m just a peon for starters, my son played down the good news. They’ll probably start me out on a cement crew.

Judy refused to let him get away with it. But there’s a lot of opportunity for advancement and good raises if you’re reliable and willing to learn. The company has two big projects in progress right now that aren’t far from home. At the beginning he’ll be home every night.

But not always? I asked for clarification.

No, Everett admitted. They cover the whole state and there have been contracts in Iowa and Illinois. I could be out of town during the week from time to time. The personnel manager and the supervisor who interviewed me said they try to keep the married men as close to home as possible; it makes for happier employees. Besides, he reminded me, sometimes I’m gone overnight for jobs now.

Judy chimed in again. His journeyman classes will be over by Christmas. They support him finishing that and getting his license, so we know he’ll be assigned locally to start.

Reacting to all of our enthusiasm, Ev provided some more details about this big change in his life. We happily finished our lunch in anticipation of this new adventure and the possibilities it opened up for him.

My oldest child had always been a good student and he was enjoying his night class. Everett resisted parental encouragement to go on to college after high school, insisting he didn’t know what he wanted. For a couple of years his father and I urged him to reconsider but he hedged, and we had to admit he was self-sufficient, self-supporting, and content. By twenty-three he was totally in love with Judy, married her, and fourteen months later became a father. Their devotion endured and strengthened through the pain of the sudden death of my husband, Michael, and later the medical emergency that saved Judy’s life but ended their hopes for another baby. I admired their contentment with a simple lifestyle and their lack of desire for a lot of material possessions.

Judy stood up, stretched, and filled her hands with utensils and condiments, not asking for permission to begin cleaning up. She felt completely at home here, which was just how I wanted it. Following her example, between the two of us Everett and I managed to grab everything else. Within minutes lunch was only a memory supported by our full stomachs.

I seemed to be the only one who noticed we still hadn’t talked about what brought them to see me. Would I have to point that out?

Everett suggested going for a hike; it would feel good after sitting most of the morning. He knows I go whenever I can and could suggest a good place for it. So for two and a half more hours I held my tongue. We drove to one of my favorite trailheads and got a good workout. It was fun to have company for a change and no one complained about the pace I set.

It’s hard to exercise regularly, Judy noted, Gram’s old treadmill helps, and Joel’s pretty good about going a couple of miles on the bikes sometimes. This is nice.

I eyed her trim figure. She was doing something right.

Everett had seen the pie sitting in the refrigerator and went for it as soon as we got back.

We finally got down to business at my kitchen table over dessert and beverages. About the time I was getting ready to beg, my son pushed his empty plate back and gave me a little grin.

Great pie, Mom. He kept his eyes on my face. Aren’t you wondering why we’re here?

Absolutely, but I decided to die before asking.

Judy smothered a little giggle and Ev looked a little sheepish. Sorry. I’ve been going over it all again in my mind.

Over the next hour and a half our only interruptions were one phone call and all of us at various times getting up to refresh our drinks. I soon understood why my son and his wife decided their story needed to be told without frequent interruptions by a five-year old. And as Judy soon pointed out, they did not want Joel to know anything about the situation unless it worked out.

We have a chance to adopt a baby. Judy came forth at last. She saw my eyes light up and added quickly, But it isn’t quite that simple.

Is adoption ever simple? I queried.

Probably not, Everett conceded. That’s why we’re here. We need your advice, and we might need your help.

Go on.

They both told their story, Judy taking the lead but her spouse inserting relevant facts at various times in her explanation. It all began four weeks earlier with a telephone call from Florida, from Judy’s mother.

A little background on this woman is necessary. Judy’s mother, Lenore, retained that title in name only. She abdicated the actual role to her own mother when Judy and her two sisters were small girls, turning a vacation to Florida into a permanent move. When her husband realized she wasn’t coming back, he gave her a divorce and allowed their maternal grandmother to keep the girls with her. When he re-married he wisely left his daughters in Liz’s care. She was happy, the girls were content, and no one seemed to suffer any long-term ill effects from Lenore’s desertion. I found the dynamics fascinating when she made an occasional appearance at a major event. We met when she breezed in for two days to attend Everett and Judy’s wedding. Her role seemed a bizarre combination of daughter to Liz and much older sister to her own children. Over the six plus years of my own acquaintance with Judy’s side of the family, our paths crossed only twice. Judy’s near death experience sixteen months earlier warranted one long phone call and a huge bouquet of flowers.

Mother called to ask if we wanted another child; just like that.

Judy always called Lenore, ‘Mother’. Liz was ‘Mum’ or ‘Gram’. The rueful expression on Judy’s face told me she wasn’t surprised at the presentation. It was no secret her mother enjoyed a little drama.

She said she has a very close friend who is pregnant but does not want to keep the baby; would we consider adopting? Of course I was totally shocked. I told her Ev and I would have to know all the details and we would need to consider everything before making such a huge decision.

Once upon a time, Everett confided to me he thought role reversal had taken place early in the relationship between Lenore and his wife. Judy was the more mature of the two. Everything I heard about Judy’s birth mother added credence to his conclusion. Lenore saw this issue in very simplistic terms; her friend’s family was wealthy and they were taking care of all the expenses. Their lawyers would handle all of the legal paperwork. All Judy and Everett had to do was decide if they wanted the baby and come to Florida to claim parental rights.

’It’s simple, darling, really, Judy mimicked her mother, not unkindly. Anita has been getting excellent care so we know the baby is healthy. It’s another boy, would you mind that?’

If this is a good friend of your mother’s, how old is she?

She’s forty, so a few years younger than Lenore. Everett supplied the answer. It’s taken three weeks, a few more phone calls, and paperwork from the lawyer’s office, but we know the situation pretty well now.

Anita Morelli was the only daughter of a wealthy Florida businessman. She had been divorced for years, no children, and no previous pregnancies. Because of my obstetrical nurse background, my guess was the lady assumed by this time she couldn’t conceive; wrong. The father’s name was Charles Tremayne, age thirty-three. According to the copies of the medical records provided for the prospective adoptive parents by the law firm, both parents were in good health, and ultrasound studies indicated Anita was carrying a healthy baby.

That was the physical data. The social situation, as it was related by Lenore and by the paperwork, was that the baby’s mother did not want to marry the father and she did not want to start motherhood at this stage in her life.

You know how I feel about abortion, I said to my children, but I’m surprised she didn’t consider it.

"According to Mother she comes from a very Catholic family, plus she was over four months along when it occurred to her she might be pregnant. Apparently she has something in common with my mother; she tends to ignore things that bother her, hoping they’ll go away. The first visit to the obstetrician’s office was in late June and they’ve put the due date at October 15th.

We read everything they sent us, and put together a list of questions. Ev got in touch with one of the Florida attorneys last Friday. She answered them all and told us everything is in order according to Florida law. We were invited to find a lawyer of our own to go over all of the details and make sure we were in complete compliance with Indiana adoption laws. She told us to submit the fees to their office and the Morelli family will pay for it.

The family lawyer had an answer for everything. The newborn would be physically and legally completely theirs after twenty-four hours of age, when the natural mother was allowed to give up her rights. She would physically, in the presence of witnesses, hand over the child to the new parents and sign all the required paperwork. The baby would have a thorough examination before that time to make sure he was healthy and it was safe for him to fly.

It’s hard for me to imagine this woman doesn’t seem to have any maternal instincts, Judy commented. But the lawyer seemed very positive she won’t change her mind and said there’s no need to worry about that.

Did your mother happen to mention why no one in the immediate families is interested in raising this baby?

Judy nodded. She says there’s no one who ‘would be appropriate.’ She also admitted her friend and her friend’s family would prefer to make this pregnancy past history. They want to place this baby in a good home, but sever all ties.

Ms. Morelli’s connection to your mother would still be a tie. Does that mean they want to hear how the baby is doing from time to time? I knew that provision was made for the birth mother in some adoptions."

Apparently not. You don’t know my mother that well. She is perfectly capable of transferring parenthood of this baby to Ev and me the minute we agree to it. From then on she will conveniently forget I wasn’t the birth mother.

All three of us knew what Judy left unsaid; Lenore had personally done just that twenty years earlier with her own three daughters, mentally shifting the role from herself to her own mother.

It all sounds so perfect, I commented. A healthy baby, all expenses paid, guarantees the birth mother won’t change her mind, and assurance you won’t have to deal with interference later. It’s almost too good to be true.

Exactly. Everett declared. He leaned back in his chair and gazed at me in complete accord. That’s what we think and that’s what’s bothering us. I’m not pessimistic by nature, but I get an uncomfortable feeling like somebody stopped me on the street and handed me a winning lottery ticket. Why would they do that? Everything falling into place, no string attached…it’s too neat.

They haven’t wanted to know very much about us, Judy offered this fact as another reason for their concern. We had to fill out a two-page form and have it notarized, that was all they wanted. Otherwise they’re offering us this opportunity on my mother’s recommendation alone.

She put a hand lightly on her husband’s knee. We know someone who adopted a baby. They went through a state agency so I realize that accounts for some of the difference, but there was so much more to it and they had to wait almost two years.

Have you discussed this with anyone else?

Not with my family, Judy said firmly. I asked Mother not to tell Gram or my sisters about this. I told her if she did the chances were greater we would refuse because we don’t want any outside pressure. We need to make this decision ourselves.

Very wise.

They had taken another couple into their confidence, the close friends whose daughter was adopted. Their suggestion was to go to Florida, meet the birth mother, and get a personal perspective.

That sounds like good advice, I commended.

Yes, and we wouldn’t even have to pay the airfare, Judy replied. But it would have to be just me; Everett can’t get away. He has night class, a job he’s finishing up, and his new job starts the Monday after that.

It was obvious my daughter-in-law didn’t relish an all expense paid trip to Florida, which made her a rare specimen. I told her so.

When and if I go to Florida, she said emphatically, I want it to be with Ev, and for pleasure. The idea of making a decision like this without him there scares me to death.

What? You don’t want to spend a few days with Lenore and trust her to help you? Everett feigned astonishment and earned a slap on the side of the head.

If you agree to adopt this baby you’ll have to fly out there next month to claim him, I reminded them both.

They glanced at each other before looking uncertainly at me.

It was dawning on me. Okay, what else is on your minds?

Judy leaned forward and made her pitch. Sally, I don’t want to go to Florida at all, and having to go by myself isn’t the only reason. I don’t care what the lawyer says, there’s always a chance Miss Morelli will change her mind at the last minute. I don’t want to see this baby until I’m sure he will be our son for keeps. She took a breath and plunged on. What’s more, I don’t want to meet these people or know anything about them, not anymore than we have to. Maybe it’s silly but that’s how I feel about it.

Go on, I said quietly.

As Judy made her passionate statements she leaned back over the table and clenched her hands. Everett leaned forward and gently placed one of his own over them. Would you consider going for us, Mom? You’re a good judge of character. Maybe you could fill in the blanks here, and make sure this whole adoption thing is on the up and up.

Judy was looking at me hopefully with her large green eyes. We’ve been thinking about this all week, she explained. You would be so perfect.

But you’re asking me to do what Judy is afraid to do, I pointed out. You want me to give you my impressions and provide the feedback on which you make your decision. I’m flattered, but that’s a tall order. Besides, maybe the Morellis wouldn’t like this third party thing.

They had the grace to look a little guilty. We checked on that already. Mrs. Goldman, she’s the attorney we’ve been talking to, said they had no problem with it.

Well, I hope you didn’t go so far as to say I was coming, I said wryly.

Oh, no, they both assured me. But it soon became clear everything was in place waiting only for a commitment on my part.

Once we told them about you, Mrs. Goldman spoke with the Morelli family and Anita Morelli told my mother, admitted Judy. We didn’t mean for it to go that far, but they know you haven’t agreed yet so it isn’t definite.

I suggested they fill me in on the finer points. Right, no pressure at all, I thought, as these two came clean with all of the planning going on without my knowledge. The Morellis totally understood the perspective of the young couple who was considering the adoption of Anita’s baby. They not only thought it was a wonderful idea for me to come as their representative, they were rolling out the red carpet. They would arrange for someone to meet me at the airport upon my arrival, and insisted I be their guest at Anita’s parents’ home during my stay. Someone on the Florida end of things made a suggestion of their own: since the baby was due in only a few more weeks; perhaps Mrs. Nimitz would want to wait until October? Not only could she make her impressions and recommendation to her son and his wife, but she could also bring the baby back with her if they gave their final consent.

All I had to do was say yes and the attorneys, whose legal prowess seemed capable of overcoming any obstacle, would make the adjustments to allow me to be the advocate and go-between for Anita Morelli and Mr. and Mrs. Everett Nimitz.

If Everett and Judy declined? They had the answer for that, too. In that unlikely event an alternative plan was in progress for foster care for the infant until another adoption could be arranged.

We hoped four weeks would be enough time for you to arrange a leave from your job, my son ended their presentation.

Judy bit her lip. Now that we’re telling you all about this, it sounds like we’re really putting you on the spot. I’m sorry, it wasn’t meant to be that way.

The look on Everett’s face brought back a clear memory of the time he was seventeen and committed his father and I to chaperoning the senior prom without asking for our permission first. The little smile the recollection brought to my face seemed to reassure them; they both relaxed a little.

I’m not upset, don’t think that. The tables were turned and they were waiting on me.

Let’s take a break, I suggested. Coffee is a diuretic, you know.

I retreated to my bedroom with its private adjoining bathroom. After easing my bladder, I sat on my bed for several minutes, deep in thought. A new job was a big life change in itself, and now these kids were looking at the possibility of an