A Tourist in Mayberry

8/5) Randall Michael Wall Finds His Nurse

Randall Michael Wall was careful not to be seen by a witness he would have to kill later. He already had too many people to take care of today, and the list kept growing. He was not good at improvising. He entered the side door of the nursing facility. He knew this was where the nurse worked because he heard the girls talk about it before. He asked a busy clerk at the front desk and found Candi in a patient's room. He had a plan he was certain would get the nurse out the door quickly and into his car.

He entered the room with the placard - Mr. Reuben Cropps - on the door. He paused at the door and watched Candi with the patient. This man would not be a witness. It looked like he was a vegetable.

Randall Michael Wall said the words he rehearsed, all calm but urgent at the same time. "Hello ma'am, I'm Magdalena's dad. Remember me?"

"Well hello, Mr. Wall. What brings you here?"

"I've come to get you. There's been an accident, and your girl's hurt."

Candi dropped the pillow she was getting ready to tuck under Mr. Cropps.

"Accident?" she asked. Every mama's nightmare.

"Oh ma'am, "Randall Michael Wall said, "I'm sorry. She's ok, just banged up a bit. It was a bike wreck. She's pretty shook up. I told her I'd come get her mama. I'm here to take you to her."

It was only later, as she was riding down the road with basically a stranger that Candi thought - wonder why he didn't just call? I wonder if my Daisy is hurt worse than he's saying, or I wonder if I just got in the car with a serial killer. That's funny, she thought, serial killer in Mayberry? Now, that's a headline, but still. 

Candi was closer to the serial killer guess than she thought. She fumbled around in her purse on the pretext of finding some gum and put her hands on the mace she had been carrying since the Mayor, just in case. Just in case she needed it, she was ready.