Not My Solution Read online

  “Ms. Chadwick?”

  Her eyes clouded over. “Do I know you?”

  He gave her his best predator smile. “No, but you may be seeing a lot of me in the near future.”

  Before she could react, he went on. “I’m an attorney and I’m representing Miss Nicole Fuller against any allegations or charges that may be brought against her.”

  Her face turned red. “So? What could that possibly have to do with me?”

  He’d had it all planned out exactly what he would say next but changed it slightly.

  “I just wanted you to know that you and your little minion on the council will regret that I ever became involved in this case.”

  She was sputtering, apparently not able to form a reply.

  “So, if the money doesn’t miraculously appear between now and nine o’clock Monday morning, you’ll see lots of me.”

  With that, he turned and walked as casually as he could out of the restaurant with a smile on his face that none of the women could see.

  Just as he was passing the hostess station, he saw a wheelchair out of the corner of his eye. He turned in time to see Miss Nicole Fuller at a table with a man about her age. And she was giving Roger a curious look. Good. But who was the guy with her?

  * * *

  Nicole was enjoying herself even though they both knew why Nick was there but neither one had said anything about it yet. She always enjoyed being with her twin as long as he didn’t get overprotective of her. Their personalities were so similar that they each knew when the other was hurting or in danger just like she’d always read about identical twins.

  So, it had been no surprise to her when Nick had dropped everything and driven three hours to be with her. She would have done the same for him.

  They were both finishing their meals when Nick gave her that look, she knew so well. Here it comes.

  “Okay, Nicole are you going to tell me what’s going on down here or do I have to drag it out of you. I know there’s something just like you would if it was me.”

  She took a drink of her water to stall a little longer. Then she took a deep breath and let it out before she told him the whole story.

  She had just finished her description of her meeting with the lawyer when she looked toward the entrance and saw him come in and look around the room. She wondered if he was looking for her.

  She was just about to raise her hand and call out to him when he apparently saw someone and headed that way. She looked in the direction he was going and groaned when she saw Darla Chadwick and three of her subjects sitting at a table back there.

  What? Roger McCracken was headed directly for Darla’s table.

  She watched as he stopped by their table and seemed to say something to Darla then turned around and walked away.

  As he was walking back toward the exit, Nicole still wasn’t sure if she should make herself known to him or not. She didn’t have to decide though.

  Just before Roger McCracken left the room, he looked right at her. He seemed surprised at first. She saw his eyes go to Nick then back to her. Then he nodded slightly and smiled but he continued on out of the restaurant.

  Interesting.

  Nick must have observed that little scene for he touched her arm. “Who was that man? He seemed to know you. Is he another teacher?”

  She turned toward her brother. “I was just telling you about him.”

  “That was your lawyer?”

  “Yes, and he was just talking to the woman who is accusing me of misappropriating money from the Student Council funds.”

  Always the one to suspect other people, Nick frowned. “You don’t think he’s in it with her, do you?”

  “Oh no, Nick, I don’t. He wasn’t there long enough to say more than a couple of short sentences and she didn’t answer him before he left them.”

  “What do you think he told her?”

  “I don’t know, his back was to me, but I don’t think I want to wait until Monday to find out.”

  She reached for her bag and pulled out the lawyer’s card. Good. His cell phone number was on it.

  “As soon as we get home, I’m going to call him and find out.”

  “Cell phone on there?”

  She nodded her head and took her napkin from her lap and placed it next to her plate.

  “I’m ready to go. Are you?”

  Nick stood and walked around behind her to grab the handholds of her wheelchair. He was one of the few people Nicole would allow to push her wheelchair. They were so in tune with each other that she knew he only did it, so they could be close.

  Neither talked much on the way home. Nicole didn’t like to talk while she was driving because she didn’t want to take her eyes off the road. She drove, or she didn’t go. She didn’t like for anybody, even Nick, to help her in and out of any other vehicle.

  As soon as they entered her house, Nicole headed straight for her recliner and pulled herself into it.

  Once she was settled, she reached into her bag again and pulled out the lawyer’s card. Then she turned to the Captioned Phone next to her chair. She had three of them, one in the kitchen, one by her chair and one by her bed.

  After she punched in the number, she glanced over at Nick who had made himself comfortable in her other recliner which was his chair when he was at her house. He was grinning at her and she made a mental note to ask him why later.

  When Roger McCracken answered, she spoke into her mic. “Mr. McCracken, would you mind telling me what you were doing at the restaurant earlier? I saw you talking to Darla Chadwick.”

  She wondered if her phone was acting up when it said he was laughing. Then when he spoke, she knew it wasn’t her phone.

  “Aw, the way you described her, I thought I’d really like her, so I was asking her out.”

  Laughter again. Then the machine picked up a dog barking in the background. That figured. Dog owners were not as sensitive as cat owners were.

  “Mr. McCracken I neither joke around nor do I tolerate others who do. I repeat. What did you say to Darla Chadwick?”

  The machine picked up no more laughter or barking.

  “Okay. I guess you’re the always serious type.”

  “Yes, I am.”

  “Well, after I talked to Rob and Floyd, they suggested that I talk to this Darla person and just tell her I was representing you now. They both think your problems will be over bright and early Monday morning.”

  “Do you always employ a simplistic approach Mr. McCracken?”

  He laughed again. “Only when I think it will work. So, I would advise you to do nothing until I contact you or someone tells you the money has mysteriously reappeared.”

  “Thank you, Mr. McCracken … I think.”

  She disconnected before he had a chance to say anything more.

  She turned to Nick who was laughing aloud now.

  “What is it you think is so funny?”

  He continued to laugh until tears ran down his cheeks. She took that time to survey her twin brother. His hair wasn’t as golden blond as hers. It was more of a dark blond. But his eyebrows were of the same shade of blond, giving him an interesting effect that the girls always seemed to go for.

  There was one difference between them. He was much more of a joker than she was. Ha. She never joked and thankfully he didn’t do it much around her.

  “Oh Laine, that man sure has your number. I thought so in the restaurant when he gave you that silly little smile. But now, on the phone, he really had you going.”

  She was getting angry and had to fight for control. After all, this was her brother. She could never stay angry with him.

  “I don’t think you know what you’re talking about Nick.”

  Nicole sat there petting Snowball until she realized Nick had called her Laine. He only did that when they were alone. Her middle name was Elaine.

  * * *

  When Roger was growing up on the farm, he’d loved Sunday afternoons. That was always when his mom and older si
ster would cook a big meal and afterward, they’d all sit around either on the front porch or the living room, depending on the weather, and just enjoy each other’s company.

  That was one time when Roger had felt like he really fitted in. Most of the rest of the time, he was bossed around by his sister, Shelly, who was three years older than him and of course Floyd who was six years older than him. But Roger had never really gotten into farming.

  He had always thought the only thing that had kept Floyd from their father’s wrath for not staying on the farm was the fact that he had gone into law enforcement and also that he’d stayed in the county. Well, Roger had done neither. He had decided early on that not only was farming not for him, but neither was law enforcement.

  It was rather ironic that he’d come close since he’d chosen a career in law. But he really enjoyed the law, and he just knew he’d love it more now that he had his own practice even if it was in Crowleyville. Or maybe in spite of the fact that it was in his hometown.

  Since he’d been back home, he hadn’t been to any of the Sunday family dinners because he’d spent his weekends tying up loose ends in KC and hauling things to his new house in Crowleyville. He’d had to rent until he could get settled enough to save up a down payment on a house and also because of Oscar, his Beagle dog who needed a fenced backyard.

  He laughed. When Floyd had heard that Roger had a Beagle, his first comment was, “You can take the boy off the farm, but you can’t take the farm out of the boy.”

  When Roger thought about it later, he almost had to admit that Floyd was right. He’d grown up around Beagles and when he’d gone to the shelter to get a dog, Oscar was the only dog he could see.

  He spent the morning doing laundry which had piled up for two weeks and doing his feeble attempt at housecleaning. He knew he needed to hire someone to come in and clean but that would have to wait like a few other things he couldn’t afford yet.

  As he was getting ready to go out to the farm at twelve o’clock, he thought about all the things that had changed recently. In fact, some very big things had changed just in the past year. Roger’s dad had begun going to church with his mom and was even baptized. Wow! His dad wouldn’t let any of them go to church when they were growing up, even his mom.

  The next big thing was actually several things rolled up into one. Floyd had found out he had a daughter and was given custody of her when her mother died in a car accident. Then Floyd had not only been baptized but at the same time as their dad. And, to top it all off, Floyd had married Sue Ann Curtis. The same Sue Ann that Floyd had always teased and fought with when they were young.

  So, now Floyd had quite a family when you added Sue Ann’s eight-year-old son Andy and their four-month-old daughter Mary Ann.

  Now, as Roger drove his car down the bumpy drive up to his family’s farmhouse, a sudden wash of nostalgia washed over him. No matter where in the world he’d been in the past twelve years, this old farmhouse was still home to him.

  The road also reminded him that he needed to get a more suitable vehicle before too long. The back roads around there would do a number on it. But that would just have to be added to the long list of things he couldn’t afford just yet.

  He’d brought Oscar along. The dog loved to come along to play with the numerous farm dogs, most of which were also beagles.

  There was only one other vehicle in the front yard, Floyd’s Cherokee. His sister, Shelly and his other brother, Myron, both had their own houses nearby on the farm.

  After letting Oscar out and watching him tear out with two other dogs, Roger climbed the familiar porch steps. As usual, his mom met him at the door and pulled him into a tight hug.

  Dixie McCracken looked much younger than her fifty-eight years. Roger had always thought she was a beautiful person, both on the outside and on the inside. She had put up with the shenanigans of three sons and a tomboy daughter. That should age anyone, especially with some of the pranks they’d pulled.

  His mom meeting him on the porch was normal but what was not normal was that his dad was right behind her. Before Roger knew what was happening, his dad pulled him into an almost rib crushing hug of his own.

  What? His dad hugging him? What was going on here? Before he could say anything, his mom gave him one of her looks that meant she’d explain things to him later.

  Soon, there were thirteen of them around the long table in the dining room. It turned out to be about the noisiest dinner he’d been to in years. Well, it had usually been like that when he’d lived there.

  After dinner, his mom grabbed Myron to help her and Shelly with the cleanup leaving Roger on the front porch with his dad, Floyd and his brother-in-law David. Even though it was a bit cool, it was a relaxing time for Roger. Man, had he missed this.

  He looked over at his dad who had changed so much recently. It was almost like he was a different man. He was so much more mellow and soft spoken than what Roger remembered growing up.

  Then the peace and quiet came to a sudden end. Floyd cleared his throat, twice. Roger knew that was a sign that his big brother was about to lay it on someone, and he had a sinking feeling it would be him. The looks the other two were giving him was an added clue.

  “Roger.”

  He looked over at Floyd but said nothing, waiting. That was the only thing you could do when Floyd was revving up to say something.

  “You haven’t been around town much in the almost six months since you moved back here and opened your law practice.”

  It was quiet on the porch for a long minute or two, but Roger was patient.

  “I guess you haven’t been in touch with the politicking going on around that old town.”

  Roger patiently waited for the rest of the story.

  “There’s this fellow who came to town about a year ago and bought Riley’s Feed Store and renamed it Crowley County Feed and Grain.”

  This time, the pause was much shorter.

  “Fellow’s name is Robertson. Vance Robertson. Well, it seems that he’s decided to run for mayor in the special election next month because our last mayor had a stroke and can’t be mayor anymore.”

  Roger wanted to shout, ‘So what?’ But he kept quiet.

  “He seems like a decent sort, at least as a businessman. But he moved here from Springfield and he couldn’t believe a town the size of Crowleyville didn’t have its own police force.”

  Now, Roger was getting it. In fact, he was smelling a rat, a big redheaded one.

  “Now it seems that the sole reason he’s running for mayor is to get a police force for Crowleyville.”

  Floyd waved a big hand in the air between them. “Now, I’ve explained to him several times that our Sheriff’s Department does exactly the same thing a police force would do, at less cost to the city. He just won’t listen to reason. He says it’s a disgrace we don’t have our own police force.”

  Roger had a feeling he was playing right into Floyd’s hand, but he asked it anyway. “Who’s running against him?”

  “Nobody. Yet.”

  Well, there it was. He knew where all this was heading now. He also knew what was coming next. He was just surprised at where it came from.

  “It would be great for the whole county if you’d run against him Son.”

  His dad?

  “But Dad, you don’t even live inside the city limits and couldn’t vote in the election.”

  He smiled over at Roger. “True. But it would be a great help to your brother and the whole town too.”

  Roger sat back then and listened to the three of them trying to convince him to run for mayor. The final result was that he was able to stall them by telling them he needed to think about it for a few days.

  The last thing Floyd said to him when he was leaving put a sinking feeling in his stomach.

  “You’re the only one we can count on Roger. So, don’t take too long. The last day for filing is Friday.”

  * * *

  Nicole had an enjoyable weekend with Nick and was f
inally able to convince him to go home Sunday evening. She assured him she’d let him know immediately if things happened the way the lawyer said they would.

  So, Monday morning, as she wheeled her chair down the long hallway to her classroom, she wondered if the lawyer would be right or not. She sure wished he would be, but she had a load of doubts especially when she thought about the fact that they were dealing with Darla Chadwick, not the most reasonable person in the world.

  She was almost to her door when a girl on the Student Council came running up to her.

  “Oh, Miss Fuller, you won’t believe what happened.”

  She waited for the girl to catch her breath enough to continue.

  “They found the missing money in the bottom of a file drawer under some files. Isn’t that just great?”

  Nicole thought it was too, but she was sure she knew who found them and how. She also knew why.

  “Yes, that’s great. Thank you.”

  With that, the girl went on down the hallway and Nicole unlocked her door. As she went inside, she felt someone tap her gently on the shoulder. She looked up to see Shelly Walker, who worked in the office, standing behind her.

  Shelly waited to speak while Nicole continued wheeling her chair inside all the way up to her desk. She sat her bag on the desk and turned toward Shelly.

  Shelly was a couple of years older than Nicole and was quite tall with red hair and freckles. She wondered where she’d seen those before. Ha! There sure were a lot of redheads in this town.

  “Oh Nicole, I’m glad I caught you before your class started coming in.”

  She stopped as if to catch her breath and Nicole waited with a smile on her face.

  “Roger asked me to tell you that since he didn’t really do anything, you won’t be getting a bill from him.”

  She was puzzled at first. “Roger?”

  “Yes, my brother Roger, the lawyer.”

  “Oh.” She had to stop and gather her thoughts now that she knew to whom Shelly was referring. “He’s your brother?”

  She giggled. “Yes.” She motioned to her hair and face. “Can’t you tell?”