At the hospital...
The four adults walked past the nurses' station on to room 532 in Galilee General Hospital. They reached the door, knocked, and went inside. They found Remington lying in bed with his right arm in a sling and a bandage on his forehead; he looked pretty good for someone who had just survived a nearly fatal car crash.
A slightly overweight nurse with graying blond hair was pouring him a cup of water to take with his medication. "There you go," she said with a smile. "I'll see you later!" She briskly walked out of the room.
"How are you feeling?" Laura asked him, walking to his side.
"I've felt better," he responded weakly.
"Listen, I'm sorry..." Amanda started as Remington interrupted.
"There's no need to be. Oh, and my apologies about the flour."
"What happened?" Lee inquired, sitting down on the worn sofa beside the window.
"Everything was fine until I reached the traffic light. When I pressed the brake pedal, nothing happened," he answered, recalling the past event. "I guess your brakes were just worn out."
This made Laura think of something. The car door that she had heard the night before! "Late last night, I was having trouble sleeping, and I heard a car door slam outside my window. I went outside to check it out, and I didn't find anything. I noticed that the Jeep was locked, as well as the garage. So I figured that it was just my imagination."
"Are you suggesting that someone clipped the brake line?" Mildred questioned her, becoming interested in the conversation.
"Exactly. But who would have had access to the garage? What I'm asking is, who all has a key to the garage?" she asked. "Of course, whoever it was could have used a lock pick, if there was anyone at all."
"Lee, Mother, and I are the only ones with a key to the garage. Unless Mother has had a copy made without telling me, although I doubt she'd do that," Amanda told her.
"We'll discuss this later," Laura said.
"Thank you. I have other things on my mind at the time," Remington said, trying to situate himself in the uncomfortable hospital bed. "The doctor said I can leave tomorrow."
"That's good news," Amanda commented, sitting down on the sofa beside Lee. "Who brought you in here, anyway?"
"I'm not quite sure at the moment," he replied. "Oh, and Mr. Stetson, I'm terribly sorry about the car. Some blonde haired lady, Francis I think was her name, said that they had sent the car to be examined by a mechanic."
"Francine?" Lee corrected him. "Did she mention who the mechanic was?"
"That she did. Someone by the name of...Swann, I think it was."
"Augie?!?" Lee asked, hardly believing his ears. "Why Augie?!? Excuse me, I need to make a phone call." He got up and walked to a pay phone. He dialed the agency and got Francine on the line. "Who's idea was it to send the 'vette to Augie Swann?"
"I was afraid you might disagree with that idea," she sighed in an annoyed tone. "Why don't you go over there and see what he's come up with? Oh, and listen, I'm really sorry about the 'vette. But then again, I'm surprised you loaned it to someone anyway."
"It wasn't my idea. I was asleep when that happened," he said into the receiver.
"That explains it. Nice chatting with you, but I need to go," she said. "I'll talk to you later, and keep me posted, okay?"
"As you wish," he said, placing the phone back onto the hook. Of all mechanics, why Augie Swann? He muttered to himself. He walked back to the room where the others were waiting. "I'm going to go see what Augie says about the 'vette."
"Okay," Laura said. "Ask about the brake line."
"Will do," he said. "I'll be back in a little while." He took the keys to the Wagoner and left the room.
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"Well, with the car being all smashed up and everything, it was hard to get a good look at her," Augie Swann said, wiping his hands with a dirty cloth. "But the brake line was definitely clipped. I could at least tell that much."
"I don't guess there's any way to repair it, is there?" Lee wanted to know. The sight of his scrunched up Corvette made him sick at his stomach.
"Maybe for a reasonable amount of money."
"And what's that?"
"Oh, in the ten thousand range."
"Ten thousand?!? What are you..." Lee began angrily. "Never mind, just forget it. See you later."
"Aw, Lee, don't do this to me!" Augie whined as Lee walked back to the Wagoner. "I might could come down a couple of hundred dollars!" He yelled as Lee climbed in, cranked it up, and drove away.
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Back at the hospital, the three people were again discussing the car door that Laura had heard last night. "I seriously think that the brake line was clipped," Laura said, as Lee walked in the doorway.
"What did you come up with?" Amanda asked him, rising from her seat
"Augie says that someone definitely clipped the brake line," he told them, sitting down on the sofa. "And if I want the 'vette repaired, it's gonna cost me 'somewhere in the ten thousand dollar range'."
"So it wasn't my imagination last night," Laura said, getting into her thinking mode. "Someone deliberately clipped the brake line to the 'vette last night."
"Ten thousand dollars?!?" Amanda still couldn't believe her ears. She sat down on the sofa once more.
"Don't worry, Amanda. I'm not even thinking about it," he said, placing his hand on hers. Suddenly, the phone rang.
"Steele here," Remington answered with his good arm holding the phone. "No. I happen to be unavailable at the moment. Maybe my associate, Miss Holt, could help. Very well then. Goodbye."
"Who was that?" Laura inquired.
"Todd from the hotel. He said that he needed me at the exhibition hall. I requested that you come instead," he said, placing the phone on the hook.
"Did he say if anything was wrong?" Mildred asked, standing up from the small sofa.
"No," he replied. He looked at Laura. "But I would suggest that you go over there immediately."
"I'll give you a ride," Amanda volunteered, also standing up from her seat.
"I'll go with you," Mildred said, following them out the door. They said goodbye, and the three women headed to the hotel.
"Oh, Mr. Steele," Lee said, walking to Mr. Steele's side. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bag from Blockbuster Video Rental. "I picked these up for you on the way back. I thought they might help pass the time."
"Ah, thank you," he said with a smile. He opened the bag and took out Gone With the Wind and Casablanca. "Thank you very much indeed. This one will especially help pass the time." He held up Gone With the Wind. "How can I ever repay you?" he asked dramatically.
Replace the 'vette, Lee thought to himself. "The pleasure is all mine," he told him with a smile.
"Thanks again. Mind if we pop one in?"
"No, no, of course not. Which one?"
"Let's see...I haven't seen Gone With The Wind in a long time," he informed him.
"Then Gone With The Wind it is," answered Lee, removing the first video cassette from its case. He pushed it into the VCR, and started the movie. He walked back to the sofa, and 'enjoyed the show'.
The four adults walked past the nurses' station on to room 532 in Galilee General Hospital. They reached the door, knocked, and went inside. They found Remington lying in bed with his right arm in a sling and a bandage on his forehead; he looked pretty good for someone who had just survived a nearly fatal car crash.
A slightly overweight nurse with graying blond hair was pouring him a cup of water to take with his medication. "There you go," she said with a smile. "I'll see you later!" She briskly walked out of the room.
"How are you feeling?" Laura asked him, walking to his side.
"I've felt better," he responded weakly.
"Listen, I'm sorry..." Amanda started as Remington interrupted.
"There's no need to be. Oh, and my apologies about the flour."
"What happened?" Lee inquired, sitting down on the worn sofa beside the window.
"Everything was fine until I reached the traffic light. When I pressed the brake pedal, nothing happened," he answered, recalling the past event. "I guess your brakes were just worn out."
This made Laura think of something. The car door that she had heard the night before! "Late last night, I was having trouble sleeping, and I heard a car door slam outside my window. I went outside to check it out, and I didn't find anything. I noticed that the Jeep was locked, as well as the garage. So I figured that it was just my imagination."
"Are you suggesting that someone clipped the brake line?" Mildred questioned her, becoming interested in the conversation.
"Exactly. But who would have had access to the garage? What I'm asking is, who all has a key to the garage?" she asked. "Of course, whoever it was could have used a lock pick, if there was anyone at all."
"Lee, Mother, and I are the only ones with a key to the garage. Unless Mother has had a copy made without telling me, although I doubt she'd do that," Amanda told her.
"We'll discuss this later," Laura said.
"Thank you. I have other things on my mind at the time," Remington said, trying to situate himself in the uncomfortable hospital bed. "The doctor said I can leave tomorrow."
"That's good news," Amanda commented, sitting down on the sofa beside Lee. "Who brought you in here, anyway?"
"I'm not quite sure at the moment," he replied. "Oh, and Mr. Stetson, I'm terribly sorry about the car. Some blonde haired lady, Francis I think was her name, said that they had sent the car to be examined by a mechanic."
"Francine?" Lee corrected him. "Did she mention who the mechanic was?"
"That she did. Someone by the name of...Swann, I think it was."
"Augie?!?" Lee asked, hardly believing his ears. "Why Augie?!? Excuse me, I need to make a phone call." He got up and walked to a pay phone. He dialed the agency and got Francine on the line. "Who's idea was it to send the 'vette to Augie Swann?"
"I was afraid you might disagree with that idea," she sighed in an annoyed tone. "Why don't you go over there and see what he's come up with? Oh, and listen, I'm really sorry about the 'vette. But then again, I'm surprised you loaned it to someone anyway."
"It wasn't my idea. I was asleep when that happened," he said into the receiver.
"That explains it. Nice chatting with you, but I need to go," she said. "I'll talk to you later, and keep me posted, okay?"
"As you wish," he said, placing the phone back onto the hook. Of all mechanics, why Augie Swann? He muttered to himself. He walked back to the room where the others were waiting. "I'm going to go see what Augie says about the 'vette."
"Okay," Laura said. "Ask about the brake line."
"Will do," he said. "I'll be back in a little while." He took the keys to the Wagoner and left the room.
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"Well, with the car being all smashed up and everything, it was hard to get a good look at her," Augie Swann said, wiping his hands with a dirty cloth. "But the brake line was definitely clipped. I could at least tell that much."
"I don't guess there's any way to repair it, is there?" Lee wanted to know. The sight of his scrunched up Corvette made him sick at his stomach.
"Maybe for a reasonable amount of money."
"And what's that?"
"Oh, in the ten thousand range."
"Ten thousand?!? What are you..." Lee began angrily. "Never mind, just forget it. See you later."
"Aw, Lee, don't do this to me!" Augie whined as Lee walked back to the Wagoner. "I might could come down a couple of hundred dollars!" He yelled as Lee climbed in, cranked it up, and drove away.
********SMK********RS*********SMK*********RS**********SMK**************
Back at the hospital, the three people were again discussing the car door that Laura had heard last night. "I seriously think that the brake line was clipped," Laura said, as Lee walked in the doorway.
"What did you come up with?" Amanda asked him, rising from her seat
"Augie says that someone definitely clipped the brake line," he told them, sitting down on the sofa. "And if I want the 'vette repaired, it's gonna cost me 'somewhere in the ten thousand dollar range'."
"So it wasn't my imagination last night," Laura said, getting into her thinking mode. "Someone deliberately clipped the brake line to the 'vette last night."
"Ten thousand dollars?!?" Amanda still couldn't believe her ears. She sat down on the sofa once more.
"Don't worry, Amanda. I'm not even thinking about it," he said, placing his hand on hers. Suddenly, the phone rang.
"Steele here," Remington answered with his good arm holding the phone. "No. I happen to be unavailable at the moment. Maybe my associate, Miss Holt, could help. Very well then. Goodbye."
"Who was that?" Laura inquired.
"Todd from the hotel. He said that he needed me at the exhibition hall. I requested that you come instead," he said, placing the phone on the hook.
"Did he say if anything was wrong?" Mildred asked, standing up from the small sofa.
"No," he replied. He looked at Laura. "But I would suggest that you go over there immediately."
"I'll give you a ride," Amanda volunteered, also standing up from her seat.
"I'll go with you," Mildred said, following them out the door. They said goodbye, and the three women headed to the hotel.
"Oh, Mr. Steele," Lee said, walking to Mr. Steele's side. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bag from Blockbuster Video Rental. "I picked these up for you on the way back. I thought they might help pass the time."
"Ah, thank you," he said with a smile. He opened the bag and took out Gone With the Wind and Casablanca. "Thank you very much indeed. This one will especially help pass the time." He held up Gone With the Wind. "How can I ever repay you?" he asked dramatically.
Replace the 'vette, Lee thought to himself. "The pleasure is all mine," he told him with a smile.
"Thanks again. Mind if we pop one in?"
"No, no, of course not. Which one?"
"Let's see...I haven't seen Gone With The Wind in a long time," he informed him.
"Then Gone With The Wind it is," answered Lee, removing the first video cassette from its case. He pushed it into the VCR, and started the movie. He walked back to the sofa, and 'enjoyed the show'.
