Secret Sisters - an LDS cozy mystery

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine 

This week has been duller than dishwater," Arlette proclaimed, jabbing her knitting needle into her ball of magenta yarn. Honestly, why the woman couldn't choose better colors, Ida Mae simply didn't know. She pulled her brain back before heading too far down that track and concentrated on the meeting at hand. "Nothing has been happening out at the Dunns'. Not one thing. Unless you count the fact that the baby took his first steps." 

Everyone in the room oooh'd and ahhh'd at that until Ida Mae brought the meeting back to order. 

"On other fronts, the bishop's blood pressure is down another two points, and his wife is feeling somewhat better, although the doctor doesn't want her up and around. He wants her flat down until the birth." 

"Remind me when she's due?" Tansy asked. 

"In two months," Hannah said, checking her notes. "But they think she may come early, what with it being triplets and all." 

"Her sister is still there and is planning to stay until after the birth, but they do need someone to sit with the children while the sister gets the grocery shopping done and whatnot." 

"Someone should go over and let the sister have a break," Tansy said. "I saw her at church on Sunday, and the poor thing looked tired to death." 

"What's her name?" Arlette asked. "We can't just keep calling her 'the sister.'" 

"Her name is Janet," Ida Mae said. "She's single and lives in Idaho. Her coming at this time is a blessing." 

"Do we have a volunteer list?" Arlette asked, and Hannah pulled one out of her folder. 

"Looks like we're covered for help and dinner until Thursday," Ida Mae said. "I'll go over Thursday night and take dinner and send Janet out for the evening. The bishop has interviews at the church that night, so they'll need a sitter." 

"That's good of you, Ida Mae," Tansy said. "Let's see-I'll go sit with them on Saturday afternoon." 

They worked out a schedule for the Sylvesters, then turned the conversation back to the Dunns. "Ren's at work, but he told me to put him down for evenings this week," Ida Mae said. "He's mostly working mornings and afternoons these days." 

"Thankfully," Arlette added. "I hate sitting out there in the dark." 

"Do you really think we'll find out anything?" Tansy said. "We've been waiting for such a long time now." 

"It hasn't been that long," Ida Mae reminded her. "It only seems that way because we're anxious." 

The phone rang, and Ida Mae rose to get it. 

"Sister Babbitt? This is Hannah's husband. Is she still there?" Ned's usual calm voice was contorted. "I need to talk to her." 

"I'll get her for you." 

Ida Mae took the phone into the living room and handed it to her secretary, who listened for a moment and turned a shade of green. 

"I have to go," she said, hanging up. "Joey was just hit by a car." 

Tansy sat on one side of Hannah with Ida Mae on the other. Arlette had gone down to the cafeteria to scare up some juice, and Ned paced the waiting room while he talked.  

"I was going to the store," he said, running a hand through his hair. "I put the children in their car seats and got them all buckled in. We went into the store-we were fine. Everything was just fine." His voice broke, and he stopped pacing to stand by the window. "When we got back out to the car, the cart hit a slippery patch and started to roll. I grabbed it, but Joey must have thought we were still walking, and he went on ahead. I called out to him, but just then a car started to back out and didn't see him."