Book 3- Annie Adams-College Years

Annie Adams-College Years

                                                                                        Chapter 41

                                                                                    Mystery Solved

     Len's green eyes widened and he invited the man into the living room.  "May I asked your name?"  Len said.  "My name is Amos Hardy," the man said, as Len helped him off with his coat and hat and hung them up on a hall tree by the door.  "Won't you have a seat?"  Len said, leading him to his overstuffed Lazy Boy.  Then he introduced Amos to everyone else in the room.

     The man got right down to business by saying, while holding up the flyer, "This is my brother Carl Hardy."  Everybody was on the edge of their seats waiting for what the man would say next.  " Carl was a boxer in the boxing club with Derby and often sparred with him."  Then the man paused and said, "As for the rest of the story, I think my brother should be the one to tell you."

     "I can go with you now if it's convenient," Len said.  "We can go now.  But I must tell you my brother is in the hospital....he's dying....of cancer."  There were quiet gasps and whispers of "I'm sorry" throughout the room.  "Thank you," Mr. Hardy said, meaning it.  "As his brother, and given you are the sheriff, Mr. Summers we will be able to see him."

     "I'll get my coat," Len said, walking over to the hall tree.  Amos Hardy rose from the chair and said to the room at large, "Thanks for your friendly welcome.  Then he cleared his throat uncomfortably, and ended by saying, "When our sheriff here relays to you all the news he hears today, I pray that all of you will not judge my brother too harshly."  No one in the room knew what to say to that statement, so said nothing, but they each gave Mr. Hardy a sympathetic look.  Then Len and Amos took off for Waterbury General Hospital.

     Carl Hardy was in the ICU unit on the second level of the hospital.  Len and Mr. Hardy took the elevator up to Carl's floor in silence.  When they got out of the lift, they walked down to the end of the hallway, just on the other side of the nurses' station.  Amos peeked in to see if his brother was awake.  "Come on in," he told Len.  Len nodded and then the two men walked up to Carl Hardy's bed side,  one on either side of the patient.

     Carl Hardy was thin in the extreme, no doubt from the ravages of the cancer.  He had tubes coming out of various places in his body.  He was bald from the chemo and his eyes were sunken.  Len didn't think he'd ever felt as sorry for anyone in his life as he did for this man.  "Carl,"  his brother Amos said, bending down to his ear, "This is Sheriff Len Summers.  I brought him here as you requested."

     "Thank you Amos,"  Carl whispered.  "Glad to know you sheriff," Carl said with a small cough.  "I'm happy to meet you too, and the name's Len."  Carl gave him a small smile.  "I hope you feel the same way after I tell you what I have to," Mr. Hardy said, as a single tear rolled from his eye.  "I promise to deal with you fairly," Len said, as he drew his notebook from his shirt pocket along with a pen.  "I can't asked for anymore than that," Carl said.

     Then he took, as deep a breath as he could, Len thought by his short grimace, it was painful for him to do so, and whispered, "A long time ago, and I'm sure you have the information as to the correct time of events, I knew Derby Sellers.  We were friends.  I boxed with him in the ring and my girl friend Alice and his girl Lilah were best friends."

     "His parents were like my adopted Mom and Dad, as were my parents to him.  One night after the boxing barn was closed up for the day, and Derby and I had just got home after sparring for a while; my phone rang and it was Derby.  I knew he was going to Lilah's parents that night for dinner."