Blog #4 - A Day at the Movies

Herman left John Beal's office feeling sore but relieved. His daughter was right; seeing the doctor helped, and he was armed with stretches to improve his strength. Now, he had to contact Oliver Moore. He meant to find Oliver earlier, but he was preoccupied with helping Lamar solve Mr. Evans' murder, attending the funeral and enjoying the snow. He was analyzing his last dinner with Mr. Evans as he walked across The Maitland and knocked on 0708W. A boy with shaggy brown hair and startlingly green eyes opened the door.

"Hello. My name is Herman Marshall. Are you Oliver? Herman asked.

"Yeah, that's me. So you're the one with the dog, Johnny? Lamar told me you'd come around soon," Oliver explained.

"Indeed. Are you still interested? Johnny needs a lot of walks."

"Definitely. I'd love to help out," Oliver assured Herman.

"Can you come by tomorrow evening to meet Johnny? My room's 0601E."

"Yes."

"Excellent! Thanks so much."

Herman walked back pleased with his first encounter with Oliver. He decided to go to Cinema 17 and watch a popular movie so that he and Oliver could have something to talk about tomorrow evening.

He bought popcorn while considering his movie options. As he was looking at the posters, he accidentally spilled his popcorn. An employee whose name tag read "Owen" quickly dashed over to clean up the mess.

"Thanks," Herman said, and taking advantage of the opportunity, asked, "Which movie is popular with the kids?"

"Definitely the Savannah Silva one," Owen replied with a slight trace of annoyance.

Herman was turning to buy a ticket when Owen cleared his throat, paused a second, and asked Herman if he had noticed anything strange about Sayori Fuji.

"I know you're Herman. Everyone says you and Mr. Evans were good friends. This sounds crazy, but I keep seeing Sayori in random places, and then all of a sudden, she disappears. Could it be related to the murder?"

"Actually, now that you mention it, I saw her lurking around the hall by Mr. Evans's room before our last dinner together, but I never thought anything of it. I'll tell Lamar as soon as the movie's over."

"I'll talk to Lamar after my shift," Owen decided.

Thanks to Owen, Herman found the clue that was right in front of him all along. After the movie, Herman rushed back to The Maitland to find Lamar.

Blog #3 - A Dinner Out

After another week of painful walks with Johnny, Herman decided to consider
the note Susan left urging him to go to the doctor and find a dog walker. He
realized that he had no idea which doctor to call, so he went to ask some of the
other Maitland residents. He was out in the hall when he was bombarded by Lamar.

“Herman,” Lamar called out, blocking the path to the elevator. “What can you tell me
about Mr. Evans?” he demanded.

“He was a true friend,” Herman replied as he attempted to squeeze past Lamar.

“I mean about his murder,” Lamar sighed impatiently.

“I probably know less than you do,” Herman said pointedly. “We had dinner
together just a few nights before his death, and nothing seemed different to me.
We’ve enjoyed meals for years, so I would know if something was off. Trust me,
everything seemed fine.”

“Maybe that’s all you remember right now, but I know there’s something
you’re not sharing. Join me and the other old folks for dinner tonight. We’ll meet
at Alice’s at seven and solve this mystery.”

“See you then,” Herman muttered as he walked past Lamar towards the
elevator. He would at least enjoy talking to his neighbors. He suddenly turned
back. “Hey, Lamar!” Herman yelled down the hallway.

“Changing your mind already, Herman?” Lamar asked as he eagerly strode
down the hall.

“No, it’s not about Mr. Evans.” Herman watched as Lamar’s eyes quickly
lost their glow. “I hate to say it, but I think my daughter’s right. I’m in need of a good
dog walker for Johnny, and I was wondering if you might have anyone in mind to
help me out.”

“If you come to dinner tonight, I’ll give you a name.”

“Thanks, Lamar.”

Herman decided to wait until dinner to ask about a doctor, and he spent the
afternoon reflecting on his friendship with Mr. Evans. Herman would help Lamar
solve the crime, but only to honor his friend. Sunset came and Herman joined
the others at Alice’s.

“Anyone know a good doctor for a tired back?” Herman asked as he settled
into the chair Lamar left for him and sipped the coffee from Alice.

The others agreed that John Beal was a great option. Before the conversation turned to
Mr. Evans, Lamar slid Herman a note that read:

Oliver Moore

Age 16

0708W

Blog #2 - A Concert

Herman awoke to the pitter-patter of raindrops tapping against his windowpane. He
stretched his arms above his head and wiggled his toes, hearing the distinct creak of
his joints. He gradually sat up, grabbing his bedside table for support, careful not to
tweak his already sore back. He glanced at the clock, and saw that it was 5:37 am.
He turned the 6:15 alarm off and got out of bed, then shuffled to the kitchen to begin
breakfast. He ate a bowl of Cheerios while the kettle boiled, and flipped through
yesterday’s mail, seeing a flyer advertising Conrad’s concert. He immediately smiled.

After his coffee, Herman went into the bedroom to wake Johnny for his walk. Herman
did not see anyone out on the streets, partially due to the early hour and also because
everyone was terrified to leave their apartments. He was tired of everyone waiting inside,
as if the sadness and fear about Mr. Evans’ death would somehow disappear if they
stayed pent up long enough. He missed the conversations he was used to having with
the other Maitland residents.

The walk around the block took Herman longer each day. Now, he had to stop and rest
against the trash cans along the route and be careful to hold onto Johnny’s leash as he
lurched ahead after the exciting smells. His knees felt swollen and heavy, but Herman
was distracted by his excitement about the concert and the opportunity to catch up with
his neighbors as they left the isolation of their apartments. He decided to invite his
daughter, Susan, who lived less than an hour away.

Susan arrived the afternoon before the concert. She played some of Herman’s favorite
piano pieces while he prepared a light dinner. Then, they went to take Johnny out before
they left. Susan was immediately struck by her father’s short, painful strides, and she
offered to walk Johnny while he stayed at The Maitland and rested.

“Dad, please don’t hurt yourself,” Susan plead.

“I’m fine. Just because something has been happening as of late does not mean that it
is permanent. I’m sure it’ll set itself straight in a few days.”

Susan did not see the point of fighting her father, but she left a note on the kitchen table
begging Herman to see his doctor and hire a dog walker. Then, they went and
thoroughly enjoyed Conrad’s performance.

Blog #1 - A Rainy Day

The day started with Herman’s alarm clock beeping at 6:15 am. He fumbled around his
bedside table, reaching to turn the alarm off and find his glasses. He accidentally knocked
over the picture of his deceased wife, Ruth. Herman slowly rolled out of bed, massaging
the cramp in his lower back. He clutched the bedside table for support and then slowly
made his way toward the foot of the bed, where his beagle, Johnny, lay sleeping.

“C’mon, good boy,” Herman called as he tenderly rubbed Johnny’s stomach. “It’s time to
wake up.” Once awake, Johnny jumped out of bed and dashed toward the kitchen.
Chuckling, Herman followed his dog. Before starting breakfast, Herman tuned the radio to
the classical music station and hummed along to the symphony. He fed Johnny and then
started his coffee. Even though Herman could see out the window that the day would be
wet and grey, he was already surrounded by enough color. The walls of the kitchen were
lined with his landscape paintings and pictures of his children and grandchildren.

After breakfast, Johnny was eager to get outside. Herman grabbed an umbrella before
heading toward the elevator to get downstairs. It was when he was walking in the hall
that Herman remembered about Mr. Evans. He would miss his fellow old-timer and the
conversations they shared over red wine and jazz. He hoped that the police would quickly
solve the crime.

Once outside, Herman struggled to keep up with Johnny. His achy knees resisted as
Johnny pulled ahead on the leash, eager to follow new smells. Luckily, the street was
almost empty at this hour, so Herman did not have to worry about accidentally hitting
other pedestrians. After a loop around the block, Johnny was satisfied. The twosome
headed back towards their apartment, shaking off the rain when they got to the lobby.

After the walk, Johnny fell asleep while Herman sat down to read a book from his large
library. He had to strain to see the words, and eventually, he gave up on reading and went
to the piano. He played a few chords, but his fingers were too stiff to do much more.

In the afternoon, Herman called each of his five children and talked for a couple hours,
then took Johnny for another walk. After dinner, he settled into bed and fell asleep to
Johnny’s soft snores.