CHAPTER 2
Laura Hardy and her sister-in-law, Gertrude, went next door to welcome their new neighbor. Laura carried a small casserole; Gertrude had an apple pie in her hand. Ringing the doorbell, the two ladies waited patiently for the door to be answered. They smiled at the disheveled looking man who opened the door. Standing a few inches taller than Mrs. Hardy, he looked to be in his late fifties, balding. What little hair he did have was in disarray. He wore wire-rimmed glasses, and was wearing a blue shirt that was haphazardly tucked into brown pants.
"Hello, I hope we didn't disturb you. My name is Laura Hardy and this is my sister-in-law Gertrude Hardy. We just wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood. I hope this casserole and dessert will come in handy for you," Laura said with a smile.
"Oh…Um…thank you. Thank you very much, Mrs. Hardy. My name is Tyler…Tyler Jones. Do come in, please. I just made myself some coffee."
Mr. Jones led them into the house, towards the kitchen. The home was a "messy neat" or as Aunt Gertrude liked to say: Joe Neat. There were several unopened boxes neatly stacked against one wall. Laura made a mental note to herself to have Joe and Frank come by to help with the clean up. Imagine the two Hardy women's surprise, when they found the kitchen neat and clean.
Mr. Jones took down two more coffee mugs. "I apologize for the mess, but as you can see, this is the only room we've managed to get unpacked and cleaned."
"We? Do you mean you and your wife?" Laura asked.
"I'm not married. I meant my…niece. I'm her guardian. My…my brother and his wife passed away."
"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that." Laura and Gertrude both expressed their sympathy.
"Thank you, don't fret yourselves. They've been gone for a long time now. Ever since Carolyn was five."
"Still, that must have been hard for you," Laura said.
Tyler gave the ladies a sad smile. He hoped that Carolyn was doing fine at school.
*brainchild*brainchild*brainchild*
Carolyn stood in the lunch line, slowly moving her tray along. After paying for her lunch, Carolyn looked for a place to sit. Suddenly a group of boys crowded around her.
"Well hello, who do we have here?" said the first boy, who had bright red hair and a freckled face.
"Fresh meat, I love fresh meat!" The second boy, a dark-haired Neanderthal.
The third boy, who almost appeared to be bald – his hair cut into a very short buzz cut – laughed menacingly.
The red-head picked up the fork on the tray and began to eat off the plate. His friends laughed some more.
Carolyn wanted to cry. She also wanted to hurt these boys, but she had promised never to use her gift. The boys moved in closer, crowding Carolyn. Suddenly the blonde was pulled away.
"If you want to pick on someone, why don't you pick on someone your own size?" Chet growled.
Authors Note:Please read the author's profile for this story. The author, copagirl, passed away in 2013. I am posting these stories up with the permission of her family, who want her to be remembered as well. Lola was a long-time member of the Hardy Detective Agency and we miss her soooooo much! Love you Lola!