For Nell, the idea of going back to bed was not an option. She’d never be able to get to sleep. She knew Jud was right but didn’t want to think about going to the police. Instead, she turned on the television. Thank goodness for cable with offerings of the news, movies, and old sitcoms twenty-four hours a day. She went to the pantry and pulled out a bag of microwave popcorn. While it was busy popping, Nell cut off a slab of butter and put it in a little glass dish. When the popcorn was done, the butter went in the microwave until it was melted. Then she poured it over the bowl of popcorn, added some salt, and was, in her mind, transported to a movie theater.
Nell kept the sound on the TV low as the boys were still sleeping on the bed. They had picked their heads up when she got out of bed, but realized it was still dark, and cozied back onto the warmth of the comforter. Nell scanned the listing guide on the TV as she needed to find the right entertainment for this particular early morning. A murder mystery on Lifetime or national news would be too much to take.
There was a Golden Girls marathon on Hallmark. Her friend, Stacy could watch that classic day or night even though she was much younger and actually was one of her former students. Nell hadn’t seen it since before it went into syndication, so decided to give it a try.
The little munchkins must have smelled the popcorn because soon they were at Nell’s feet with hopeful eyes. George was really good at catching the kernels that she threw. He had a good eye. Newman on the other hand, couldn’t catch anything in the air, but he sure could run for it on the ground.
Soon the popcorn was gone and the half hours started to slip away one by one. Even though she was stressed, Nell tried to follow the plot of the show and found she enjoyed it more now than when it originally ran. It could have something to do with her being almost in the same age bracket now as those golden girls.
Although it was still early, Nell took a shower. The shower gel was scented with lemon verbena. The thick lather was rich and luxurious and the delicate aroma made her feel pampered. She needed every little boost she could get to help her relax. Nell dressed and put on make-up to ready herself for the police station. It was still early, but Nell was determined to head downtown. She wouldn’t disappoint Jud.
* * *
“So, Mrs. Bailey, you think you have a stalker?” Officer Paul Carson’s eyes almost appeared to twinkle with amusement.
“Good grief, Paul. You can call me LaNell. You’re over forty years old.” She hoped it didn’t sound like she was chastising her former student.
“Old habits die hard. Believe me I’m not going to let you look at my notes here as I’m sure you’d find a lot of mistakes,” Officer Carson joked and then became serious. “Have you actually seen this man?”
“I haven’t to my knowledge. I’m not even sure it is a man.” Nell steepled her forefingers under her nose in thought. “The more I’ve thought about it, it seemed like the voice was from a tape recording, like from a DVR and then played at that particular point into the phone. If that’s the case, it could be a woman harassing me.” Nell went through some of the main points again, as she remembered some of the deficiencies Paul exhibited in middle school. If she recalled correctly, he was not very detail-oriented. Old habits die hard indeed.
“Do you have anyone in mind?” Officer Carson asked as he made notes.
“Not really. I thought you would come up with the ideas.” Nell’s thoughts turned to Polly, the cook at Sam’s, and Benita’s two friends in Marinette. She didn’t mention them as she didn’t want to accuse them of anything yet. They may be completely innocent.
“I’ll talk to the chief about this and let the rest of the guys know as well,” he reassured Nell. “How about if we take a few extra spins around your place during the next few days? You know that’s not on our regular circuit because it’s a dead end. Your neighborhood has stayed the same for years. We never have any trouble from any of you, but it wouldn’t hurt.”
“That’s because most of us are retired. I appreciate you looking into this, Paul,” thanked Nell. “Also, have there been any reports on a bear or other wild animals in any of the woods around town?”
“There haven’t been any reports, but you know something could be in the woods at any time,” responded Paul.
“I know. One other thing—please keep the fact that I am Nell of Nell’s Noshes Up North under your hat. No one is supposed to know my identity.”
“Sure thing,” the officer agreed. “I’ll just let the chief know about that part and I won’t say anything to the rest of the deputies. But if the chief thinks the other officers need to be informed, you can rest assured we’ll be discreet.”
“Thanks again.”
By the time Nell returned home it was only 9:00 A.M. The whole day was before her. She needed to make good use of it. She called Kris to let her know everything that had been going on.
“Nell, this is just awful!” Kris exclaimed. “The telephone call especially is disturbing. I don’t know if you should stay in your house. I’m sure you could go to Leigh’s or come here to Traverse City. You know you’re welcome to bring the boys.”
“Thank you, I appreciate it. Leigh had mentioned that, too. I haven’t even told her the latest. I also need to fill Elena in and I haven’t mentioned anything at all about it to Stacy. Her mother has been sick so I didn’t want to give her any additional stress. About your offer—I’m not sure it would do any good to leave the house. This is not a problem I can run away from, in my opinion.” Nell’s voice cracked as she continued. “I could leave and when I come home, it could all start up again. I guess I just want to face it and be done with it.”
“Oh, Nell.”
“I called Jud last night,” Nell shared. “He insisted I go to the police and volunteered to come home.”
“He said he’d come home? That’s great,” exclaimed Kris.
“Yes, but I don’t know that his heart was in it,” Nell replied. “He was saying what would be expected of him and that’s all.”
“He’s young. He’ll come around. And he did offer to come. That alone is an improvement. Baby steps, Nell, baby steps.”
Similar conversations ensued with Leigh and Elena. They were both greatly concerned and offered their homes to Nell. In her opinion, this stalker could easily find out if she was staying somewhere else in town and harass her at one of their homes. She didn’t want to put her friends in that situation.
She would love to talk to Sam about the phone call. She also wondered if Benita was able to uncover anything suspicious from her friends last night. She had an uncomfortable feeling gnawing at her that made her want to inquire how many people they had told about her story. She didn’t know how else this killer could have found out her telephone number. She rubbed her ear, sore from being on the phone so much, and picked up the phone again.
Just as Nell started to punch in the first number, the phone rang. She immediately looked to make sure there was a caller ID. It was Sam. “Hello.”
“Nell, I’ve been wondering how you’re holding up? How are you doing?”
“I was just about to call you, Sam,” Nell shared breathlessly. “I had a disturbing phone call last night. The words “Die, bitch” were shouted into the phone and then a hang up.”
“Damn!” Sam growled. “What’s going on? Now this nut knows your telephone number!”
“Yes, so he must know my name, too. Up until this whole thing, the only people who knew that I wrote the blog were my sister and four of my closest friends. Now you, Benita, and a couple of members of the Bayshore police department know.”
“You went to the police?”
“I did. Just this morning. I probably should’ve gone before. I talked to a former student, for crying out loud, who is now on the force.” Nell couldn’t keep a small snicker out of her voice. “He was a good kid as a seventh grader, but telling him I’m afraid of a possible killer made me sound weak, foolish, and old. Did you or Benita happen to tell anyone my name?”
A pause. “I’m so sorry, Nell. I’m sure I did just in passing at the bar. Not sure if I ever said your whole name, but just that the Nell who wrote the offending review was from Bayshore . . . and you were a good person being harassed by a follower . . . and your general age and that you were a widow . . . and that you had a nice smile, and the cutest dimples.”
Nell almost pictured Sam smiling at her and felt as though she was rolling her eyeballs out of her head like a seventh grade girl. Nell was an intensely private person and to her this was akin to someone sharing secrets from her diary to anyone who would listen.
She took a deep breath. “Who? Who have you mentioned this to?”
“I don’t know,” admitted Sam. “I just talk to customers about whatever comes up.”
“Sam, don’t you remember that I think that it’s a customer who is Northwoodsman? You could’ve given direct information to the killer! Haven’t you ever heard the saying ‘Loose lips sinks ships’ and considered what it meant? This puts me in a hell of a bind.” Nell tried hard to control her temper, but felt her hands shake and knew her voice held a sharp edge.
“I don’t know what to say, Nell. I wasn’t thinking. I’m sorry,” said Sam.
“I’m sure you are, but that doesn’t change anything. Do you think Benita would have mentioned my name to anyone?” Nell challenged.
“Probably. I imagine the kitchen workers and waitresses all know about you. Again, I don’t know if your full name has been mentioned.”
“So the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. What about Polly?” Nell started to pace back and forth in her living room as she spoke.
“Polly Schmidt?” Sam croaked. “I’m sure she has heard about you. Why are you asking about Polly?”
“I need to talk to you about her. Are you and Benita both going to be around today? I could come up,” Nell suggested.
“You want to talk to both of us?” Sam asked in surprise. “Sure. We’ll be here.”
Nell could barely refrain herself from slamming the phone down. She never understood how some people tell everything they know. Did they feel like they needed to be the first person to share some bit of gossip? She just hated that kind of thinking! She didn’t even like to talk to people who were that way. Maybe this little romance she had built up in her mind with Sam would go no further. She was so irritated!
Driving up to Marinette, Nell realized she was not just irritated, she was also scared! That phone call had really done a number on her head. How could any rational person become so hostile over a simple internet review? The key word was rational. This guy was nowhere close to being rational. Unfortunately, that meant he could do anything at any time. Nell tried to think about what else she should do. A smart person would pack up and get out of town for a vacation. She could go to Traverse City or board the dogs and hop on a jet and go even farther away. But if she did, Northwoodsman would realize she was gone and may stop doing any sort of inappropriate activity.
Then when she returned, he might start up again. Nell just didn’t think leaving would be any help at all. She had considered this all before and decided to stay. So stay she would.
Nell pulled her car into the parking lot and noticed her hands were shaking. She took a deep breath to steady herself and got out of the car. Opening the door to the bar side of Sam’s, Nell saw him at his usual spot. She sat down across from him at the bar.
“Nell, I don’t know what to say.” He leaned over immediately and reached for her hand. Ordinarily, Nell would appreciate that gesture, but not now. She moved her hands to her lap.
“You’ve said that already.”
They just looked at each other for a moment. “Sam, I’m not some flighty little thing whose feelings have been hurt. I am in actual danger and I’m not ashamed to tell you that I’m frightened. Obviously that hasn’t gotten through to you.”
“It’s gotten through now. How can I help you? I’ll do anything,” Sam’s pleading eyes looked damp.
“I want to talk to you about Polly.”
“Let me get the Bean. She’ll watch over the bar and we can go in the other room.”
In a couple minutes Benita walked over to the bar. “Hi, Nell. Dad said you wanted to talk to me, too.”
“Yes, but I’ll talk to your dad first. I don’t want to leave you short-handed.”
Sam and Nell walked in to the dining area. There were some customers, but a private table in a corner was open and that was where he led her.
“What’s all this about Polly? I’ve known her for years.” Sam looked blankly at Nell.
“That may be part of the problem, Sam,” Nell explained. “Benita mentioned to me that you’ve helped Polly out financially when she needed it. She may feel protective of you and this place. My review may have bothered her to the point that she became irrational.”
“That’s nonsense. I don’t believe that for a minute,” Sam said. A waitress brought a basket of popcorn to their table as she went around the room and Nell started to nibble mindlessly.
“Benita also mentioned that she has always thought Polly had a crush on you. Has there ever been anything between the two of you?”
“Absolutely not,” denied Sam. “Polly made hints a few times years ago, but I ignored them and she stopped. We’ve been good friends ever since.”
“Have you talked to her lately?”
“Now that you mention it, no. The Bean usually handles kitchen staff meetings. I don’t have much spare time, and I’ve been trying to help you as much as . . . oh, I see where you’re headed.” Unbelievably the light came on for Sam without Nell drawing him a picture. Good grief!
“Not only am I some awful blogger who could have hurt your reputation, but now you are giving me attention. The kind of attention she would like from you. I think Polly is someone we need to look into, Sam.” Nell absently rubbed her left eyebrow.
“I guess I have to agree with you on that. I’ll make a point to talk to her when I can, and get a feel for what she’s thinking.”
“Thanks, Sam. That will help a lot. Now I will let you get back to work. Can I still speak to Benita?”
“Stay right here and I’ll send her back.” Sam walked out of the dining room. As Nell waited for Benita, more popcorn found its way into her mouth. Would there ever be a situation in her life that didn’t make her want to eat?
“Benita, I won’t take up much of your time,” Nell began as Benita took a seat next to her. “I know you’re busy. I just wanted to ask you if you ever mentioned my name to anyone in your group of friends.”
“Well, they know your name is Nell for sure. And I’ve mentioned several days ago that I think you and Dad may have something going on. I’m excited about that possibility and wanted to share it with my friends. I think I also told them that you lived in Bayshore.” Benita shared all of this without a second thought about how revealing so much could have affected Nell.
Nell felt the heat rising up her neck into her face. Not sure whether it was a blush or just irritation. “Did you get any strange vibes from anyone?”
“I don’t know if I would call them vibes, but I noticed particularly that Ben and Steve were talking about you.” Benita appeared to be picking at something on her apron. “No one else mentioned you at all. No one brought up what I had shared last time about you and Dad. They aren’t that interested. Other than Ben and Steve, the rest of us are way past that review. Really that was only a matter for discussion briefly because I felt bad and then when the second post came out everything was better and forgotten. At least I thought it was forgotten.”
“What were they saying?”
“They’re just a couple of dorks, Nell. They were still making fun of that first review. One of them, I don’t remember which, called you names and they both laughed. They acted so immature it’s hard to believe they were ever accepted to UW-Madison, much less graduated from there.” Benita shook her head in disbelief.
“Was ‘bitch’ one of the names?” Nell lightly touched her gold necklace.
“Probably,” Benita answered with surprise. “Why do you ask?”
After Nell explained about the phone call she received earlier that morning, Benita was shocked. “In a way, the word ‘bitch’ seems to point to Ben and Steve, but unfortunately that word is used way too often to refer to women. Especially by a man who feels threatened or put down by a woman,” said Benita.
“I certainly agree with that point. That word alone does not mean I think it is either of your friends. But the coincidence is interesting.”
“Are you going to give their names to the police?” Benita’s face was filled with apprehension.
“I don’t know. Definitely not yet. I mentioned to your dad that Polly could have a grudge against me, too. For two reasons. First, I wrote the review that hurt people she cares about and her place of employment. Second, if she has romantic feelings for your dad, she may not appreciate that he’s been spending time with me. Have you thought any more about her as my cyber bully?” Nell tried to gauge Benita’s thoughts about this from the look on her face. She didn’t think Benita was buying it.
“Truthfully, I dislike the Polly theory even more than I dislike the Ben and Steve theory. I’ve known and loved Polly since I was a little girl. After my mom left us, Polly was practically a surrogate mother to me,” Benita huffed as she got out of her chair.
“Benita, that reason alone could mean she might have an over-the-top reaction to a poor review to your cooking and decorating.”
“I know you think the theory is sound, but you don’t know her. She is a sweet, gentle person. You need to meet her, and then, see what you think.” Benita began to walk away.
“Meeting her would be interesting,” Nell called after her. “Does she only work on your days off?”
Benita stepped back a few steps. “No, she comes in three days a week to help me in the kitchen.”
“Is Polly here today?” Nell asked.
“No. Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays because they are the busiest here. Are you interested in meeting her?”
“I think so. Look, I’m going to go home now and think things through. I’ll keep in touch and maybe we can set something up.” Nell dug in her purse for her keys and stood up.
As she walked back out through the bar to leave, Sam called her over. “Nell, I just want to tell you again how sorry I am that I talked about your situation in the bar. I hope you can see past this and still consider me a friend.”
“Well, as long as I live to see past it, I will. I know you didn’t do it on purpose to hurt me.” Still unsure of how she felt, Nell headed for the door.
“Thanks. Could we get together again after I speak to Polly?” Sam asked.
“I’ll think about the getting together part, Sam, but definitely keep in touch.” Nell left his place and breathed deeply. She was upset, irritated, and scared. Would this Polly harm her because Sam was interested in her?
As she settled herself in the car, Nell realized she was hungry. After the popcorn, she knew she couldn’t be truly hungry. It was just that emotional need to eat. But she also needed to do more research on eating establishments to find a new place to review. That also meant she could put off going home for a little longer.
The BBQ Smokehouse was a good spot in Marinette where she had eaten once. Since she hadn’t written a review for it that time, Nell chose to visit the spot again.
The drive took about ten minutes before she pulled up outside the establishment. The sign outside was attractive and the banner touted home cooked southern food, which was a rarity in Wisconsin. Upon entering, a sign suggested guests seat themselves.
She found a pleasant table next to a window, and a waitress brought over a menu. Nell asked for a glass of water. Then, she settled in for a good read. There were many interesting entrees she’d like to try. However, today she chose to order an appetizer instead. Her choice was BBQ Nachos, which Nell was sure would have enough fat and calories to be considered an entrée. She also ordered a glass of lemonade. She kept the menu and browsed while she waited.
After enjoying reading the selections on the menu, Nell took a good look at the restaurant itself. Wood, which was usually attractive, was the main material used in the décor. This time, however, it made the interior look too dark. The restaurant consisted of various small rooms that now looked even smaller because of how dark the walls were. Some tasteful pictures were displayed, but unfortunately the frames were wooden. With a little different decorating, the place could be elegant. Perhaps, though, elegance wasn’t the look the owners were striving for.
In Nell’s opinion, it wouldn’t take too much money to make changes that would really liven up the décor. She would still keep an open mind about the food.
Her nachos arrived on a gigantic platter heaped with both brisket and pulled pork covering the first layer of tortilla chips. Blanketed on top of the meat were juicy tomatoes, lettuce, black olives, jalapenos, crispy onion straws, and melted cheddar cheese. More tortilla chips decorated the top. Served alongside the nachos were containers of sour cream and BBQ sauce. The size of the portion was huge and let her know it was probably ordered by a group of people and shared. She’d definitely take at least half, if not more, of this dish home.
Nell hardly knew where to start. She pulled a chip from the top of the plate and dipped it in to the toppings. Scrumptious! It was such a joy to her taste buds she dug right in.
Nell didn’t think she was all that hungry, but she didn’t seem to have any problem eating. She stopped when she realized she’d eaten more than half of it. Nell called for a take home container and felt satisfied she would have another meal. Again she wondered what it would be like to have an emotion that would make her not want to eat, instead of eat more.