Hear What I Can't Say

By James H. Barrett Jr.

Hear What I Can’t Say is a mystery that revolves around a fictitious nursing home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where the nursing home seems too perfect to be true. Is Logan Kane’s imagination running away with him, or is there something more to this feeling that he just can’t shake? As Logan digs further into his suspicions of Absolute Care, he doesn’t know whom he can trust and finds it hard to confide in anyone. Even Logan’s family is unsure of his suspicions. The story has been compared to Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Abbott Press
• Release date: Sep 19, 2018
• ISBN: 9781458222091

James H. Barrett Jr.

James H. Barrett Jr. is also the author of A Summer to be Treasured and A Corporation of Angels. He and his wife, Belva, are originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and now live in northern Nevada.

Book preview

HEAR WHAT I CAN’T SAY

James H. Barrett Jr.

40681.png

Copyright © 2018 James H. Barrett Jr.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Abbott Press

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.abbottpress.com

Phone: [phone]

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-4582-2211-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4582-2210-7 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4582-2209-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018910527

Abbott Press rev. date: 9/11/2018

CONTENTS

Acknowledgements

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Dedicated to my dear friend, Wild Bill Brancati who inspired this story.

I would like to thank Paul Mulach for the incredible artwork.

Kudos as always to my editor, Tony Robenalt.

Thank you to my wife, Belva. My constant cheerleader.

coverimg.jpg

CHAPTER 1

L ogan Kane didn’t realize that one phone call from his wife was about to turn his life upside down. In fact, he was on his way home from an uneventful day at work when his cell phone rang. Babe, Logan said. I’m almost there. What’ s up?

Logan. There was a slight pause before his wife, Brittany, continued. Honey, your father called. Grandpa slipped and fell.

He—he what? Logan was immediately on edge.

Don’t worry, he’s okay. Just a small cut on his arm, and his wrist was bruised. I just wanted you to—you know—to hear it from me.

Shit. Okay. Thanks, Hon. Please call Dad for me and let him know I’m heading over there, so he doesn’t have to make the drive in. And…thanks, hon.

I’m on it. Will you be home for dinner? Brittany asked.

As long as everything is okay, Logan said, sounding anxious.

Love you, sweethear—

But Logan had already switched off his Bluetooth and turned the car around.

Mitchell Kane, Logan’s grandfather, had been in the Absolute Care Nursing Home in Aspinwall, PA for the past two months. He was seventy-eight years old and had suffered a stroke which had partially paralyzed his left side. He had been making some progress, but needed more care than Logan’s family could provide for him. Prior to his stroke and Absolute Care, Mitchell had been living with Logan’s parents, Connor and Cheryl, for three years—right after his wife, Logan’s grandmother Betty, had passed away.

For as long as he could remember, Logan had always been close with his grandfather. He was Mitchell’s first grandson and also his favorite. Although, Mitchell would never admit that fact to his other grandchildren. Logan made a point to visit Mitchell at least once a week, even when the other kids were busy living their own lives. In his prime, Mitchell had been a tall, husky man. Even now he was six feet tall, which was above average height for his age. He had a commanding presence when he entered a room and that made some family members nervous, but not Logan. He saw Mitchell as a big teddy bear, so it made Logan sad to see his grandfather so frail and hunched over.

Logan screeched into a visitor’s space and hurried into the facility. He exchanged very brief and distracted pleasantries with a teenage volunteer who slid the glass window open from behind a partition, then he signed in, pulled a visitor’s badge from a bowl and attached it to his collar. Logan breezed around a wet floor sign and nodded to a maintenance man who slid a mop back and forth in the hallway.

Always a good day on the right side of the dirt, right, Mr. Kane?

Right, Harold, Logan said as he rushed by, waving his hand in greeting.

The inside was well-kept, which always eased Logan’s mind. Absolute Care Nursing Home didn’t radiate the typical Molotov cocktail of urine, fecal matter and Lysol, like most of its counterparts. He wasn’t sure how they pulled it off, but not knowing was probably advantageous for Logan. He wondered if anyone ever really got used to the smell in those facilities, or if they just grew to tolerate it. As he made his way to Mitchell’s room, there was a faint scent of alcohol mixed with a hint of strawberry potpourri. Yes, that combination was significantly more appealing than the alternative.

Mitchell’s face lit up when Logan entered the room, which eased Logan’s mind a bit. When he greeted his grandfather with a hug, Logan noticed something…funny. Logan curled up one side of his mouth and asked, Where’s your teeth, Grandpop?

In my… pocket… where they belong! Mitchell responded proudly with a wide smile full of nothing but gums. Logan snickered as Mitchell tugged on his shirt pocket to reveal a perfectly good set of teeth. Don’t worry, I’ll put them in… for church on Sunday. Logan shook his head as he looked around the room.

There were four beds, and Mitchell had two roommates. Next to Mitchell was Nate, who didn’t say too much to other people, but was amicable enough…when he wasn’t watching sports and hollering at the TV, that is. Tom’s bed was across from Nate. Tom spent the majority of his time glaring out the window at a broken down old manufacturing plant which butted up practically on top of the nursing home’s backside. The decrepit old building was a far worse view than the residents on the front side of the nursing home enjoyed. To Logan’s recollection, Tom had never carried on a conversation with his roommates. The only time Logan heard him speak was when he asked the aides for assistance.

The bed across from Mitchell was empty for the moment, but it wouldn’t be long before another poor, unsuspecting soul wondered how he ended up there. There was a wide range of age groups in the nursing home and they didn’t try to place them by age. Wherever there was an empty bed, that’s where they went. Mitchell was the oldest at seventy-eight. Nate was in his late sixties. Tom hadn’t revealed his age, but looked to be in his early fifties. He was, by far, the youngest of the group, and easily the most morbid. After all, being in a nursing home at that age would depress anyone. He never had any visitors either, at least none that Logan knew of.

Logan turned his attention back to Mitchell. He tilted his head to see the bandage on the back of Mitchell’s arm, then gently touched Mitchell’s swollen, discolored wrist. How are you—

Mitchell jerked his arm back at Logan’s touch and then composed himself and replied with half a smile, I’m… okay buddy. Mitchell’s speech was slow and slurred, but seemed to improve a little more each day. He never was one to complain much. Logan shot him a concerned look. Mitchell smiled and patted Logan on the back to ease his grandson’s mind.

Looks like you ate most of your lunch, huh? Logan asked.

Yep, beef… tips… today, Mitchell retorted. Had applesauce and mashed… potatoes too.

What, no dessert?

Oh yeah…chocolate pudding. Ate that…first! Mitchell proudly proclaimed.

Logan took Mitchell’s hungriness as a good sign, although he usually had a pretty healthy appetite. How he ate meat without teeth was a mystery, but he would eventually grind it down with his gums until he could swallow it. Mitchell said his teeth hurt his mouth, but eating potato chips, pretzels and other hard snacks never seemed to bother his gums. Go figure. As Mitchell got older he never wanted to do too much, but mention going out to eat and he was Johnny-on-the-spot.

You want to take a walk outside? It’s a nice sunny day, Logan asked.

Nah…maybe next time, Logey. I…think I’ll just…hang…with the boys here today.

Logan looked at Tom, who was still gaping out the window, then at Nate as he mumbled incoherently at the announcer on TV. Are you sure, Grandpop?

Yes. Tell the…family…that I’m fine, Mitchell said with a grin.

Alright then. Call me if you need anything, okay? Logan put his hand on Mitchell’s shoulder.

I will kiddo. Love…you.

Love you too. See you in a few days.

You…bet!

Logan said goodbye to Mitchell’s roommates, but received no response; not that he’d expected one. He waved to Mitchell, then glanced at the empty bed for a second before exiting the room. There was no sign of Harold, the maintenance man with his mop and bucket, but the floor sparkled with some help from the bright fluorescent lights in the ceiling. It was almost…too bright.

Logan returned to his car and sat quietly looking at the grounds for a few minutes. He spotted Walter, the groundskeeper, who wore an absurdly large straw hat, not unlike a sombrero, to shade the sun from his face. Walter wore denim overalls and a long sleeve shirt no matter what the temperature was. You would never know that he spent all day outside given his light complexion. Logan watched Walter as he methodically pruned a hedge in front of the building. He trimmed off a few inches then stepped back to eyeball the slope of the bush and rubbed his chin. He strode back in and made a few more snips on the other side of the shrub until he was satisfied, then moved to the next unruly plant. The man took pride in his work, and it showed. As Logan scanned the grounds he couldn’t find one bush or plant that didn’t look immaculate. There was a trellis intertwined with a groundcover rosebush hovering over a bench in the garden which was perfectly centered on the lawn. Logan and Mitchell had spent many hours on that bench, sitting and talking.

coverimg.jpg

CHAPTER 2

L ogan didn’t want to fight the freeway so he took Freeport Road along the river to the Hulton Bridge. He wanted to stop in Oakmont to see his parents to give them an update on Mitchell. Other than the bottleneck at the bridge, he usually enjoyed the ride. Oakmont was a cool little community with lots of Mom & Pop businesses along Allegheny Avenue and Allegheny River Boulevard, which ran parallel to each other. Logan’s parents lived in a split level on Maryland Avenue. It was one block up from Allegheny River Blvd. before a big slope on their street. Most of the side streets in Oakmont were steep, which could be a pain with Pittsburgh win ters.

When Logan pulled into the driveway his father was puttering around in the garage, working on his dirt bike. Logan’s father, Connor, still rode that crazy bike with his buddy Jeffrey at Mines and Meadows in Beaver County. They never missed an opportunity to let everyone know they were the oldest people on the trails at fifty-five and fifty-six years.

How’s Grandpop? Connor asked as he threw a wrench into his toolbox and pulled out a rag to wipe the grease from his hands.

You know Grandpop, he doesn’t complain, but he’s okay. His teeth were in his pocket as usual. Logan chuckled.

Connor shook his head and responded, Did he take a walk with you today?

But before Logan could respond, Connor was able to read the answer from the look on his face. I’ll get him out next time, Logan promised.

Okay. Thanks for checking on him.

No problem, Pop. Mom inside? Logan pointed at the door.

Sure is. Connor grabbed another wrench from the box.

Cheryl, Logan’s mom, was fixing dinner when Logan sneaked up and kissed her on the cheek.

Honey! Are you staying for supper? Cheryl asked hopefully.

No, Brittany is expecting me. I just wanted to stop by to give you guys an update. Logan told his mother the situation, and about Mitchell and his teeth, which made her blush and shake her head. Before leaving, she made him promise to give the kids a kiss from their Grammie. Logan took Plum Street up the three mile hill home, to Valemont Heights in Penn Hills. If it weren’t for the trees, he would be able to see his parents’ house in the valley below.

When Logan pulled into the driveway and before he had time to put his car in park, the screen door flew open and two half-pints ran to greet their father.

Daddy’s home! they exclaimed in unison.

Logan scooped them up in each arm. How’s my munchkins today?

Good, Dustin replied.

Good! Katie mimicked her big brother.

Let’s see what Mommy is up to. Logan maneuvered through the foyer to the kitchen. Brittany was setting the table for dinner.

Smells good! Logan announced as he gave Brittany a peck on the cheek.

It’s sketties, Dad! Katie declared.

I see, and meatballs too, Logan replied while putting Katie in her booster seat at the table.

Logan gave Brittany the low-down on Mitchell while they ate dinner. After that they discussed the events of each other’s otherwise uneventful day.

Can I be excused? Dustin asked.

Brittany looked at his empty plate and smiled. Don’t see any reason why not.

Scuzee too! Katie followed after her brother before waiting for a response.

After Logan helped Brittany clear the dishes from the table, he assisted with loading the dishwasher. Dustin came running in and slid across the tile floor in his socks holding two baseball gloves. Katie followed behind carrying one of her dolls.

Can we practice today, Dad? Dustin pleaded.

Logan smiled at Brittany, looking for approval to get out of cleanup duty. She grinned and tilted her head to the front door without a word. Logan picked up a baseball in the foyer then followed the children outside. Brittany watched her family play in the backyard from the kitchen window as she finished up, relishing her idyllic little family.

Later that evening, after the kids had been bedded down for the night, Brittany was in bed reading on her Kindle. Logan lay beside her and put his arms behind his head. Brittany glanced at him, then diverted her attention back to her romance novel. He seemed like he had something on his mind, but didn’t say anything. After a minute or so of silence, Brittany set her Kindle down on her lap.

Something wrong?

Not sure… Logan paused. I was just thinking about the Absolute Care Nursing Home. I sat outside for a minute today, just watching Walter as he worked in the garden. I have never seen a nursing home that seems so—I don’t know…perfect! It’s clean, smells like potpourri, friendly people. Something just seems weird to me.

Brittany rolled her eyes at Logan, "Really? Are you really looking for something to be wrong with the place, or am I just imagining things? We couldn’t have found a better place for Mitchell. Be happy about it!"

I guess you’re right, Logan replied as he curled up under the blanket, immediately sorry that he had mentioned it out loud.

Jeez… Brittany retrieved her novel from her lap and picked up where she’d left off. Logan kissed Brittany goodnight then turned over and continued to think about the nursing home, but decided to keep his thoughts to himself, at least for the time being. He began to wonder what had happened to the man from the now empty bed. He felt bad that he didn’t even remember the guy’s name. Logan hoped that he had gone home and not to the hospital, or even worse. He decided from then on that he would make it a point to at least know the names of Mitchell’s roommates. He continued to think about some of the other residents there that hadn’t received any visitors. What a lonely existence it had to be for them. Disturbed at the direction his mind was going, Logan turned his attention to brighter thoughts, like playing ball with his kids earlier in the day with his wife admiring them from the window. He reminisced about the times he had done the same thing with his father and Mitchell at their age. Within minutes, he drifted off to sleep. Brittany