Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 97032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
“I’m going outside to speak with Charlie,” I informed her, though I don’t think she minded. She was too busy watching as Mayor Barrett approached the podium with a man and a woman who took positions on either side of the covered easel.
“Fine, Pepper. Mo and I will be right here,” she said, her eyes glued to the mayor.
I turned to leave when the microphone screeched as Mayor Barrett announced, “No dogs allowed, Pepper.”
I went to take Mo, who avoided looking my way thinking it would make a difference, when the room exploded with boos, and some people stood to leave.
Mayor Barrett capitulated quickly, seeing he was losing what little of an audience he had. “All right. All right. Mo can stay.”
Mo let out a bark and looked at me, sticking his chest out in victory, as the room broke out in a loud cheer.
I left my mom and Mo to it and joined Charlie to step outside. We went and sat at one of the many benches around the complex.
“That old saying, I wouldn’t trust him as far as I could throw him, fits Barrett perfectly. I don’t know why people vote for him.”
“He hasn’t had a worthy opponent.”
“Until your mom. She is going to make a great mayor.”
“I was thinking we need to set a date to visit Willow Mansion.”
“The town grapevine says you got those shiners going after a squatter on the property.”
“I did, but it was a rake that got me—twice,” I said with a laugh, glad my shiners weren’t shiny anymore.
“Heard that too and glad you’re okay,” he said. “But the grounds must be in bad shape if you didn’t see the rake. Has it been neglected that much?”
“I’m afraid it has been, though there are some flowers and herbs that refuse to be smothered and have pushed through the weeds.”
Charlie smiled. “My family took good care of the gardens there. I’m not surprised some of the plants have survived.”
“I’d love to see it restored but money is the issue.”
“My granddad told me that Ignatius Willow was a tenacious Irishman who always got what he wanted, and he wanted Willow Lake to grow and survive so that his family could always rest in peace there.”
“His wife Claire must have been just as tenacious being Irish herself,” I said.
Charlie shook his head. “How that misinformation survived for so long I’ll never know. Claire Willow wasn’t Irish. She was from England.”
Shouts from the senior center grabbed Charlie’s and my attention.
“Go, I’ll wait here,” Charlie said. “I’m too old to be involved with any ruckus.”
I hurried inside the center to pure pandemonium. The seniors had circled Mayor Barrett like a band of Indians brandishing their canes like weapons and screeching like they were on the warpath.
The mayor was attempting to defend himself. With arms raised, he tried to ward off menacing canes and shouted to be heard over the yelling to sling back words like sharp arrows. My mom and Mo were right in the middle of it all and I knew what would happen if anyone should lunge in any way toward my mom. Mo would spring into action.
I ran to join the melee and put myself between Mo and Mayor Barrett before things turned worse. I was too late. I watched as in slow motion Mayor Barrett raised his hand to shake his finger at my mom as he lunged toward her, his face glowing red with anger. Mo jumped up, snarling ready to protect his grandma. Mayor Barrett froze in fear. At least I thought it was fear as I yelled for Mo to halt.
Mo dropped to his butt in front of my mom and Mayor Barrett clutched his chest and dropped to the ground. All yelling stopped as everyone stared in shocked silence at Mayor Barrett lay prone on the floor not moving.
I rushed forward, my mom fumbling with her phone before placing it by her ear and as I dropped down beside the mayor, I heard her say, “Good, Lord, Warren, I think I just killed Mayor Barrett.”
CHAPTER 21
“You don’t have to be here, Mom,” I said for the umpteenth time since dropping off Mo at home and arriving at the hospital twenty minutes ago. “Dad can let you know what’s happening with Mayor Barrett.”
“It’s my fault he’s here. I need to be here,” she insisted, her stiff posture announcing she had no intention of going anywhere just yet.
“From what you told Dad, and what I heard others tell the police officers taking statements, Mayor Barrett got angry, telling everyone they were ingrates, unappreciative of what he was doing for them.”
“He was taking away their homes, tearing down the senior living complex and having a new, smaller senior complex built in the middle of nowhere. He then intended to build a luxury apartment building that he insisted would bring much-needed tax revenue to the town, which it needs because of what I am beginning to believe is his mismanagement. The seniors voiced their objection with his ridiculous plan, and he brushed off their concerns as if they didn’t matter and then called them ingrates. So, I demanded to know why seniors should suffer for his mishandling of the town’s finances. That’s when things turned heated. I should have handled it better.”