More Poison in Your Coffee?

Chapter 7

​        Frank Gregson had built his home right on the boarder of a part of town nicknamed University Square, that surrounded Orson University.

       He'd brought his wife back from the Philippines after he'd injured himself in the army more years ago than I can remember. They'd fixed their eight bedroom home up to accommodate college kids who might have wanted to rent a cheap room, but because of their strict rules the university students tended to shy away.

        Most people who rented a room there were immigrants and people trying to get back on their feet after life had crushed them down to their lowest. And apparently it was a place for grumpy men who dressed kinda of ratty.

        I rung the doorbell and waited patiently until Mrs. Gregson opened the door.

        "Oh, Evie. You've come to pay me a visit?" She was a short woman in her fifties. She had large brown eyes and had known me from around town ever since I was a little girl.

        "I'm actually here to see one of the boarders, Mrs. G."

        "I don't think we have anyone here right now that you'd know." Boarders came through the Gregson house frequently. Some would stay in town and make friends with us locals, while others would pick up and leave as soon as the wind blew like nomads.

        "I'm looking for a dude. Bout so tall," I held my arm over my head. "medium black hair, around my age. Dresses like he bargain shops at the Goodwill's Goodwill."

        "Oh I know who you mean. Come on in, Sweetie." She stood aside and let me enter the dimly lit parlor.

        "He's such a good boy." She was saying as she led me through the kitchen. "He always pays his rent on time. And helps fix things around the house."

        They had one teen aged daughter named Maganda, but who everyone just called Maggie. She was a sweet fifteen year old who spent most of her time at home studying and helping her parents around the house. I waved as I passed her sitting at the dinning room table, nose deep in a textbook. She smiled and waved back.

         Mrs. Gregson led me into the living room where she had me sit on a dusty old sofa.

         "Would you like something to drink, my dear?"

          "No ma'am." She moved toward the stairs and disappeared into the darkness above.

          A couple of boarders were huddled around an ancient t.v. set trying to watch a football game through fuzzy reception. One of the men fumbled and curses flew throughout the room.

          The Gregson's were careful of who they let in the house so I wasn't too worried, even when one of the sleazier older looking ones started eyeballing me. A few years ago they'd had an incident where one of the boarders had tried to pick up Maggie and since then they did extensive background checks on all single men they let move into their home.

           Mrs. Gregson came back down the stairs with Raggedy Man on her heels. As soon as he saw me his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he let out a deep sigh. Guess someone wasn't glad to see me. Once Mrs. Gregson left the room he turned to me and with undisguised annoyance asked:

          "What'd you want?" Well somebody's not winning the friend of the year award.

         "I heard you witnessed the scene that went down at Taste Teas the other day."

         "Yeah, so."

         "Can we talk somewhere private?" A couple of the boarders had turned to listen intently to the conversation. Nosy bastards.