Read Online One Dead Under the Cuckoo's Nest by Lori Avocato - Free Book Online Page B

look of what I’d call suspicion and said, “Yes, Doctor. She’ll be ready for her mother.”
    â€œPauline! My Pauline!”
    After I got decked out in my civilian clothes, the stupid scrubs, that is, Sister Liz led me to the waiting area, where I froze on the spot upon seeing my “mother.”
    â€œSuga? Don’t look so frightened. Momma is gonna take you home for a bit.”
    I don’t know who looked more shocked, Sister Liz or me. Okay, she had it over me, but seeing Goldie dressed in a Chanel winter white suit, fire engine red spike heels and matching purse, smelling of Chanel No. 5, I couldn’t move.
    This was my mother?
    Truthfully I felt a bit relieved that it really wasn’t Stella Sokol standing there. I had to hand it to Jagger. He had protected my mother from, I’m sure, a fainting spell like the one she’d had when Mary had said she was engaged, the day she’d moved out of the convent. I wouldn’t even think about Mary’s soon-to-follow pregnancy news— very soon after the marriage.
    Damn it. I felt as if I somehow owed Jagger now.
    Wasn’t that just beautiful?
    He got me locked up, and I owed him for being considerate to my mother. Oh, well, at least I was getting to go see her and everyone else.
    Goldie wrapped me in a bear hug that crushed my chest to his. Felt wonderful. I kissed his cheek and whispered, “Get me the hell out of here, Mother .”
    He signed the appropriate papers and assured Sister Liz that he’d have me back on Sunday at three.
    Not if I had a breath in my body.
    On the way out, Dr. Dick gave me a nod. Oh, boy. He wasn’t going to let me off that easily. I smiled and told myself to play along. But, come hell or high water, I was not coming back.
    Sister unlocked the door to the tunnel that ran throughout the buildings. Imagine being so sick that you couldn’t be trusted to walk outside. I said a silent prayer for all the inhabitants of this place and tightened my hold on Goldie’s arm.
    He patted me gently but remained silent as we made it to what had to be the last door. I could see the outside through the bars on the windows, and as we stopped in the foyer, my heart skipped like a kid’s on the last day of school.
    Then, Goldie shrieked.
    My heart stopped.
    And Sister looked as if she’d seen a ghost.
    Vito Doran, most likely a real ghost now, lay sprawled out in the alcove near the window—a brown metal broom handle protruding from his chest.
    My first instinct was to run over and do CPR or at least check for a pulse, but I’d seen enough corpses to know Vito was not among the living. It was way too late for nursing care, and this couldn’t have been any accident.
    Our suspect had been killed.

Six
    â€œPauline,” my real mother called through the bathroom door. “Are you using up my Renuzit again ?”
    As I sat on the edge of the tub, I inhaled once more. The pine scent wrapped its familiar comfort around me.
    Dorothy was right. There was no place like home.
    I sprayed again, thinking of Vito’s body, and didn’t even remember the trip here.
    â€œPauline Sokol, stop wasting that air freshener, unless you have a whopper of a case of the runs,” Mother ordered.
    â€œI’ll buy more.”
    â€œYou know I have a supply in the closet . . . ”
    A supply? Last time I had looked, Mother had fifteen cans. All pine scented. All with red discount labels on them. She really cleaned out the local pharmacy when they had a special. I only prayed that the good folks at the Betty Mills Company, makers of Renuzit, wouldn’t ever discontinue this scent.
    After a quick inhale, like some whacked-out drug addict, I stood and went to the door with the can still in my hand. When I opened the door, Mother grabbed the can.
    â€œWhere did you go these last few days that has you acting so crazy?”
    I paused, my eyes widened. “You have no idea how