Read Online Shadows in the Night [Hawkman--Book 12] by Betty Sullivan La Pierre - Free Book Online Page A

approached the phone. “Hello."
    "Is this Lillian Nichols?"
    "Yes, who are you?"
    Hawkman again went through the dialog of explaining his purpose.
    "I've talked with the Hamptons several times when Dad and I would take a walk around the building. So tell me again why they've hired a private investigator."
    "They're concerned about the recent untimely deaths of three of their friends. I'm going back a little farther in time to see if the families of others who have passed away were anxious over their losses."
    "Dad suffered from heart problems, so it didn't shock us too badly. We were thankful he passed away peacefully in his sleep. Of course, we never imagine our parents leaving us. When Mom went, it devastated the whole family. Dad was never the same after she died. He just seemed to lose all hope and became quite depressed. We couldn't seem to bring him out of it. Neither Nancy, my sister, nor I, could talk him into coming to live with us. We thought it might help to be around his grandkids. He wouldn't have any part of it and decided he wanted to live at Morning Glory Haven. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to lift him out of the slump."
    "I understand. It must have been hard, and I hate to freshen the ache, but could I ask you a few questions?"
    "Sure."
    "Did your dad have a private physician who attended him?"
    "No, he'd just make an appointment with any of the heart specialist at the hospital and go see them."
    "Did those doctors confirm his problem?"
    "Yes. So when we got him situated at Morning Glory Haven, I talked with one of the physicians he'd seen. He assured me he'd keep an eye on dad. Now whether he did or not, I have no idea. Dad was very private about his health."
    "Did you request an autopsy?"
    "No, we didn't think it necessary."
    "I want to thank you, Ms. Nichols, for your time. If I have any more questions, may I call you?"
    "Certainly. I'd like to hear back from you also. It's disturbing to think there might be a problem at Morning Glory Haven."
    "We have no evidence of any wrong doing. I will definitely let you know if we find anything."
    "I'd appreciate it. Have a great day."
    "You, too."
    Hawkman checked his watch and had enough time to call one more person. He again pushed the speaker button and dialed the wife of Ronald White.
    "Hello."
    "Is this Mrs. Edna White?"
    "Yes, and if you're a salesman I don't want any."
    He chuckled. “No, I'm a private investigator hired by George and Maggie Hampton."
    "Oh, my goodness, why do they need you? Has something happened?"
    "They're concerned about some of the untimely deaths of their friends and have brought me in to see if anything is awry."
    "You mean at the home?"
    "Yes, but we haven't found any problems so far."
    "Well, that's a relief."
    "Tell me about your husband, Ronald."
    "He made me put him in Morning Glory Haven, because he knew I couldn't take care of him. I didn't want him to go, but he insisted. He said we were getting old, didn't have the energy or stamina we used to have, and he didn't want me to go downhill because of him.” She sniffed. “I miss him so much."
    "I'm sure you do. What ailment did he have?"
    "He had lymphoma. The cancer didn't seem to affect him, but the chemotherapy knocked him for a loop, because of the diabetes. He'd be sick for days."
    "Wouldn't he have gotten over it?"
    "The doctor thought he would. However, months passed after the treatments and he didn't get much better. He felt he was strong enough to handle his own problems, but he knew it would worry me constantly. At Morning Glory, he didn't have to drive to get where he wanted to go.” She laughed. “To tell you the truth after we visited there, he figured he'd get a lot better food too."
    "So did his doctor think putting him in the home was the best thing?"
    "Yes, he thought it a good idea for both our sakes. It's a very pleasant place and Ron loved it. I figured it wouldn't be long before I'd join him. He and George Hampton had so much fun. When I'd go spend the