Exceptional A homicide? Murder At The Berkshire : Senior Sleuth Society by Douglas Goff

Previously: With Hattie being alone and her children living out of state, the older daughter placed her in a home for the elderly. Unfortunately, she finds herself even more lonely surrounded by people. When Hattie learns of the mysterious death of Mr. Howell up on the fourth floor, she decides to look into it.  New Chapter: Hattie held her finger to her lips as she waved her visitor into her room. It caught her by surprise when Jubilee Joy was followed by Narcoleptic Nelly. “Okay, Detective Steele. I appreciate your assistance on the matter,” Hattie said into the receiver. Joy and Nelly looked at each other then stared at Hattie with excitement. “Of course, Detective Steele. Understood. We never spoke.” Hattie set the phone in its cradle. All of the private rooms had hard line phones. Another pleasant surprise for Hattie as the residents were not allowed to have cellphones. The Berkshire Center had too much trouble in the past with lost cell phones and billing issues and such. Now the facility provided the residents with room phones. “Detective Steele?” Jubilee Joy giggled. “He sounds dreamy.” “He was a friend of my deceased husband Paul. They were cops together back in the day.” Hattie smiled. “And oh yes, he is dreamy. If I was ever going to step out, and trust me I wasn’t the type, then it would’ve been with Detective Steele. Broad shoulders. Black hair and deep ocean-like blue eyes.” “Stop, Hattie, or I’m going to have to visit Howard.” Nelly giggled like a school girl. “You haven’t? Had a go with Jerk Beefy, I mean?” Hattie laughed, thinking that just about everyone had. “Jerk Beefy? Oh my, that is perfect, isn’t it!” Joy laughed. “I absolutely love it.” “And no, I’m one of a handful of ladies on the third floor who had avoided How . . . er . . . ah, Jerk Beefy’s overactive libido.” “Speaking of that, the man must be pushing eighty. How does he keep up his amorous appetite?” Hattie was curious. “You haven’t met Phillip? Squat bald fella who looks a little bit like Danny DaVito? He wears the poindexter glasses?” Joy raised her eyebrows. “Yes. I’ve seen him.” Hattie remembered the man with the blue pills from the dining room.  “He scores more Viagra than the boys on the second floor can handle. Gets it from his son, who visits every Sunday.” Joy revealed. “I would stay off that second floor, Hattie. It’s boner city down there.” Nelly snorted back her laughter. “Okay ladies, enough of Pharmacuetical Phil. Let’s get serious. First off, I thought we were keeping this investigation a secret between us, Joy?” “Oh, I’m sorry, Hattie. I didn’t think you meant Nel as you and her had already discussed the case.” “Yeah, Hattie. Don’t cut me out. I won’t tell anyone.” Nelly seemed offended. “I’m the one who told you about Mr. Howell, afterall.” “Okay, fair enough. But just the three of us. Nobody else needs to know about our efforts. We certainly don’t want things to get out of hand.” “Scouts honor.” Joy held up one finger in an attempt to make the Boy Scout symbol.  Nelly leaned over and tried to push up a couple more of Joy’s fingers. The woman resisted and an argument ensued about what the proper amount of fingers one needed to make the Boy Scout’s symbol. “Ladies, can we try to focus here?” Hattie had to stifle a chuckle. Joy stuck her tongue out at Nelly, then turned back to Hattie. “Yes, sorry she’s being so childish. So what did Detective Dreamy tell you?” Hattie left her bed and went over to a picture of a vase hanging on her wall. With a wink at the other two ladies, she removed the picture, revealing a white marker board hidden behind it. Written across the top was Senior Sleuth Society.  “Oh wow!” The two excited onlookers gasped and quickly sat in the two room chairs, their faces riddled with anticipation. “My daughter, Sarah, came to check on me yesterday and brought the board here for us. She’ll be assisting us in our investigation from the outside.” Hattie wrote three words on the white surface with an erasable black marker. ‘Clues, suspects, and theories.’ “Oh what fun!” Joy bounced up and down, clapping her hands. “So, Detective Steele told me a few interesting things. First off, they found Mr. Howell dead on the floor between his bed and the Davenport. They suspect homicide.” Hattie emphasized the last word for affect.  “Murder!” Joy gasped, placing her hands over her mouth.  “What’s a davenport?” Nelly asked, seemingly unfazed with the revelation that they actually had a mystery on their hands. “It’s what they used to call couches,” Joy whispered to her while Hattie continued. Hattie wrote ‘body on floor’ under clues and then added 2:00 am under that. “The coroner put Mr. Howell’s death at around 2:00 am. That means we can cross all the day shift staff off as suspects.” “So, we need to find out what staff was working that night?” Nel correctly guessed. “Yes. We need suspects. Can you two work on that?” Joy raised her hand excitedly. “Like I said, I was in the lobby when they brought the body down. I remember Mrs. Cooley was working the front desk that night.” Mrs. Janice Cooley was a middle-aged, hefty, black woman. She had a warm and kind personality and was well liked by the residents. Still, Hattie wrote her name under ‘suspects’. That leaves an aid for each of the other three floors, as well as the night nurse.” “Also a maintenance guy,” Nelly interjected. “They keep one on duty for night emergencies.” “Okay. We need those names. Do you ladies remember who was working this floor the evening of the crime?” Hattie hoped they could. Joy and Nel looked at each other and shrugged. The floor aides were rarely seen, especially at night, unless a resident had an issue. It made sense that the pair would not remember who had been working. “Well, no matter. We’ll figure it out.” Hattie reassured them. “Detective Steele will call me back when they get the toxicology reports. That’ll tell us more. The coroner listed this as a suspicious death of undetermined cause. He also said that Mr. Howell had no visible wounds on his body. So, any ideas how he might have been murdered?” “Poison?” Joy clapped her hands excitedly. “Or maybe an overdose?” Nel raised her eyebrows inquisitively.  “Very good!” Hattie wrote poison and overdose under theories. With that, she ended the meeting by replacing the picture over their case chart. It was time to wrap up the first meeting of the Senior Sleuth Society because she needed to call the floor aid. Nelly was lightly snoring as she had fallen asleep in her chair. Oh boy!     CHARACTERS: Key Residents Hattie May Hatfield-New resident who used to be an author Katherinne Beck-Chatty Kathy, a resident who talks constantly Jubilee Joy-Bubbly lady Narcoleptic Nelly-Plump, purple-fashioned lady, who falls asleep Art Antica-A cold, but cute resident Jerk Beefy-An amorous sleazy resident  Moaning Lisa-Jerk Beefy's girlfriend  Narcissistic Nancy-Pretty lady who loves the mirror   Lesser Residents Grumpy Gus-A cranky, very old residents Barfett-a slovenly resident who eats sloppy Windy Wendy-A resident who constantly passes gas Pharmacuetical Phil-Supplies pills to the male residents Employees Harold Chapman-Pencil pushing Berkshire Director Debra-The Berkshire Nurse Mrs. Janice Cooley-Attendant Deceased Edward Howell-Sent to the 4th floor, then suspiciously died  Paul Hatfield-Hattie's deceased police detective husband Extras Sarah Hatfield-Hattie's oldest daughter Detective Steele-Hattie's deceased husband's old partner

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