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“So you see, Madam Mayor,” said Mr. Blatch as he indicated the tablet on her desk. “Construction on the mall will provide plenty of jobs, and once the mall is operational, that will increase even more. Of course we’d prefer to recruit our workforce locally.”

“You did your homework, Mr. Blatch,” she said, leaning back. “But what you haven’t taken into consideration is the economic impact on the heart of our town. With so many new stores opening, don’t you think the town center will lose its appeal?”

“I can assure you that this whole ‘death of Main Street’ is simply a myth, Madam Mayor,” said the extremely tanned businessman with an indulgent smile. “The truth is that more shops means more shoppers, and those shoppers will also want to visit Main Street, and spend their hard-earned money on the local stores. Your town will thrive!”

“I’m not so sure about that,” said Charlene. “Do you have hard evidence that this is the case? Projections, studies, things like that?”

“Oh, absolutely. And I’ll be more than happy to share them with you.”

The guy was a smooth talker, but then that was probably a given, as he was trying to sell her on an entire mall. She glanced up when the phone on her desk started ringing. She pressed a button.“I thought I said I didn’t want to be disturbed, Imelda,” she began.

“It’s Chief Alec, Ma’am,” said her secretary, her voice betraying her distress. “He says it’s urgent.”

Her heart skipped a beat as she picked up the phone and threw her guests a reassuring glance and held up her finger.“Chief?” she said, listening intently.

“Charlene—it’s your uncle. He’s been in an accident.”

“My uncle? How…”

“Charlene, honey.” The Chief’s voice turned sorrowful. “I’m afraid he didn’t make it.”

Chapter 9

Tex wasn’t in a particularly good mood. When a man’s house is being burgled, and his cats are being attacked in his very own home, it’s enough to put any person off his game, and it was with this recent tragedy in mind that he now invited his next patient into his office. Usually this was Vesta’s job, but as usual his mother-in-law had decided to renege on her duties and instead gallivant all over town and play amateur cop instead.

It was one more thing to set the seal on his gloom, and as he tried to spirit a welcoming smile on his face so as not to scare off this new patient of his, he mentally wished for this long day to end already so he could go home and ascertain whether the security company his daughter’s future husband had promised he’d get in touch with, had secured his home to such an extent that it was now burglar-proof.

“Take a seat, please, Mr…” he said. It rarely happened that he saw a new patient these days, most of his patients were regulars who’d found their way to his office years ago.

The young man didn’t speak, and accepted his invitation to take a seat in silence. He was a clean-cut young man, and wouldn’t have looked out of place in a recruitment video for Mormon elders. His white shirt was crisp, his slacks perfectly creased, and he was wearing a nice paisley tie. Even his hair looked cutfrom the same mold Barbie’s Ken was cut from. The only thing that detracted from the picture of what could have been absolute male perfection were his ears, which stood out from his head a little.

“So what can I do for you?” asked Tex as he took a seat behind his desk and rested his elbows on his blotter, his fingers interlaced, projecting the image of the capable doctor.

“This may surprise you, Dr. Poole,” said the young man, “but I’m actually not here as a patient.”

“Oh?” said Tex. But then he got it. He pointed at the man. “I know who you are.”

“You do?”

“Sure. Sales rep for a pharmaceutical company. Am I right or am I right?” And he smiled the kind of smile that said, ‘Give me your best shot, salesman person, and please make sure to add the words Ten-day Cruise and Five-star Hotel to your sales pitch.’

But much to his surprise the young man shook his head.“I’m actually here for personal reasons,” he said, causing Tex to frown.

“Personal reasons?”

“Yes. You are Doctor Tex Poole, right?”

“That’s me.”

The young man smiled an engaging smile, and it was as if the sun suddenly broke through the cloud deck. He thrust out a hand.“My name is Dudley Checkers, Dr. Poole. But you probably know me as Jaqlyn’s son.”

“I do?”

“My mom told me all about you.”

“Jaqlyn… Checkers you say?” Tex threw his mind back… and a vague recollection stirred of a mousy brown-haired girl with freckles, braces and a lisp.

“She told me how you met, and how you were the love of her life.”

Tex gulped a little at this.“Love of her life, eh?”

“Sure. Don’t you remember? The only reason she broke up with you is because her parents made her. They were Western Baptists, and didn’t take kindly to their daughter dating a person who wasn’t a member of their church. It broke her heart, Dr. Poole.”

“Is that so?” he said, still trying to remember who this Jaqlyn person was exactly.

“And then when she discovered she was pregnant, of course there was hell to pay.”