Читать книгу Evil At Shore Haven - Alice Zogg - Страница 10

CHAPTER 7

Dinner on that Wednesday consisted of vegetable soup, chicken parmesan, green beans, garlic bread, and a choice of cookies, pastry, or fruit from the dessert cart. To R. A.’s pleasant surprise, everything tasted delicious. Management had obviously not held back when hiring the chef. On the previous evening, she had shared a table with Elaine, who had not talked much, using caution by feeling the newcomer out. Elaine, one of the younger residents at 67, was petite, a bit on the chubby side, and in good health. The sole personal thing she had mentioned on Tuesday was that she could only afford the luxury of Shore Haven due to the generosity of her nephew. Now, R. A. found herself at dinner in the company of Elaine once more, and the two were joined by another woman named Cheryl. R. A. made a mental note that she must be the Cheryl the late Mrs. Ralph had befriended.

Cheryl, a onetime beauty with dark hair and hazel eyes, had not aged well. Her classic features had sharpened over the years, and the dark-dyed hair made her look harsh. She immediately took charge of the conversation. After introductions, she tried to pry as much personal information out of R. A. as possible. The latter gave little away and turned it around. So she learned that Cheryl called herself a “people person,” had been staying at the facility for three years and loving it, was part of the theater enthusiasts who went to see plays and musicals as a group, read mystery novels, and above all enjoyed a good game of bridge.

R. A. said, “You remind me of my friend Marlene Talbert. Any relation, by chance?”

“No, sorry to disappoint. My last name is Riddle.”

Huber told herself, two down and many more to go. Aloud she said, “You have a Doppelgänger, then.”

Cheryl turned to Elaine and said, “Is Todd better?”

“Much better, he’s planning to entertain us on Saturday afternoon.”

Facing R.A. again, Cheryl explained, “Todd is Elaine’s nephew. He does magic tricks and was supposed to perform for us last month, but his show had to be postponed when he came down with a nasty cold. You’ll love him. He’s not only an accomplished magician, but a real nice young man.”

“You know him?”

“Oh yes. He comes to visit his aunt often and is practically a fixture around here. Isn’t he, Elaine?”

Elaine, who had been steadily eating as the other talked, nodded while swallowing a piece of chicken.

R. A. remarked, “How exciting to have a professional magician in the family.”

Elaine corrected, “Oh, magic is his hobby. Todd’s career is in investments.”

Jim and Jane passed by their table, acknowledging R. A. with a beam. As soon as they were out of earshot, Cheryl rolled her eyes and moved closer to Elaine, hissing, “Did you notice?”

“What?”

“Looks like Jane had another facelift!”

Huber mused, Cheryl may think of herself as a people person, but in truth is nothing short of a gossip.

Over dessert, Elaine posed her very first question, “Are you both coming to Bingo tonight?”

Cheryl said, “No. I’m bored with Bingo; I never win. Besides, I’m in the middle of reading a mystery, a real page turner.”

“I’m passing too,” said R. A. “I haven’t finished unpacking.”

That was a white lie. Yesterday, she had finished putting her studio in order an hour after arriving at Shore Haven. She had another reason for skipping Bingo. Years ago, she played it with her friend Peggy at some church. She still remembered having annoyed people with her and Peggy’s chatter. Bingo players kept silent, paying keen attention to the letters and numbers called out, in order not to miss marking any on their cards. In other words, there was no way she would have an opportunity to grill anyone while playing the game.