“What did you get?” said Cynthia.

“Groundhog Day. It’s one of my favorite movies.”

Greg closed and locked Cynthia’s front door. Then he walked over and sat down on the couch next to Cynthia.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen it.”

“You’re gonna love it.”

“Who’s in it? What’s it about?”

“It’s about this egotistical weatherman, played by Bill Mur­ray. He gets stuck in a time warp. Then he finally realizes he’s gonna keep reliving the same day over and over again until he gets it right. And it’s got Andie MacDowell. I love her. I can’t believe you’ve never seen it. It’s a classic.”

“Well, it sounds good.”

Greg loaded the DVD and started up the movie.

Cynthia had the popcorn ready to go.

They laughed as Phil did everything he could think of to win Rita’s heart. By the end of the film, they both had watery eyes.

“That’s a wonderful movie,” said Cynthia.

“I told you.”

“Hey, I’ll be your Rita and you can be my Phil.” She was ready for a kiss.

Greg started to kiss her, and then stopped. “But what if I’d rather be Ned Ryerson?”

“Shut up and kiss me, Stupid.”

“But first, Ned wants to sell you some insurance.”

“Ned can go step in a mud puddle. This is for Phil,” said Cynthia.

She grabbed him by the shoulders and kissed him hard on the lips. “Still want to be Ned?” she said with a grin. Continue reading Hideaway Hospital Murders 4

“Should I leave the top down or put it up?”

It was Saturday morning and Greg and Cynthia were getting into his red 1965 Pontiac Bonneville convertible.

“Leave it down. I want to show it off to Mom. I told her about it and she thought it sounded cool.”

“Really? She used the word cool?”

“Hey, she’s 67—not 97.”

“Sorry.”

“She was born in 1939. People said cool back then.”

“Yeah, meaning not warm.”

“No, really, they did.”

“Well, I know jazz musicians used it that way in the 40s. Not sure about nine year olds.”

Cynthia slapped Greg lightly on the shoulder. “Shut up and drive.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

It would take less than twenty minutes to drive to Beverly Sonora’s house in Marshall.

“Do you really think your Mom will want to sell her house and move in with you?”

“I hope so. She’s still pretty shaken up by the murders.”

“How long has she lived there?”

“I grew up in that house. She’s been there since the early 70s. But she doesn’t need a big house anymore.”

“So, you want her to move in with you permanently?”

“Actually, I hope she’ll consider Coreyville Community House at some point. That would be great, I think. They have plenty of fun activities for the residents. And she could make new friends. But I don’t want to mention it right now. She’s definitely not ready for that. Maybe in a year or two.”

Marshall is one of those towns that reminds you of its his­tory everywhere you look. It was founded in 1841—four years before Texas became a state. By 1860, it had become the fourth largest city in Texas. That was in the day when the riverboat was the king of transportation. Before the U.S. Corps of Engi­neers dropped the water level in Big Cypress Bayou. Before the railroad came.

The current population of Marshall is about 25,000. The city has two outstanding small colleges: Wiley College, primarily a black school, affiliated with the United Methodist Church, and East Texas Baptist University. One of Greg’s church choir mem­bers had attended ETBU.

“You think your mom will like me?”

“Sure. I’ve told her so many good things about you, she already does.”

“Like what?”

“Sorry. Mom-daughter confidentiality.”

“Well, I just hope she’s not disappointed.”

“Quit worrying. Believe me—she’ll fall in love with you.”

Just like you did? Greg wondered. Continue reading Hideaway Hospital Murders 2

GENRE: Mystery/Suspense. LENGTH: 40 chapters (63,800 words). SYNOPSIS: The small East Texas town of Coreyville is shaken by brutal murders and kidnappings, striking too close to home for Greg Tenorly. And the only witness is a mentally ill neighbor whose remarks are rejected by the police as gibberish. But Greg listens carefully to the [...]