window.
The sheriff turned to me, rubbing his hands together. “Wellsir, I reckon it’s time to question our little star player. I understand you saw her first, sonny.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well, what can you tell me?”
“She was in the fountain. The fishes were eating her blood.” I felt the sweet roll I’d eaten for breakfast coming back up. I swallowed hard and continued. “That’s all I know.”
“Hear anything during the night?”
I told him I thought I’d heard something in the next room.
The sheriff nodded and turned to Rosebud. “How ’bout you?”
Rosebud told the sheriff about how I’d woke him up and how we’d come downstairs and borrowed a flashlight to look around.
“They wasn’t nothing to see,” Rosebud said. “Courtyard was empty. We looked around a little bit then came on back up and went to bed.”
“And that was what time?”
Rosebud looked at me. “Twelve-thirty,” I said.
“Go on,” the sheriff said.
“That’s about it,” Rosebud said. “Around six, I heard my boy screamin’ like the hounds of hell were after him.”
The sheriff nodded and motioned the deputy to turn off his recorder. “Okay, that about does it. I’m taping off the courtyard as a crime scene and, until we finish with the investigation, I’ll have to ask you all to stay out of there—and not to leave town.”
“For how long?” Lew Masters asked. “I’ve got my calls to make.”
“No more than a few days, I expect. I don’t reckon your clients are going anywhere.” The sheriff chuckled at his own joke and started for the door, then turned and faced the room. “You folks just go on about your business. Try and forget about this murder.” He looked at Biggie, who smiled sweetly back at him. “All right, then. I’ll be in touch if I have any further questions.”
“Sheriff,” Biggie said. “Aren’t you going to question
each of us separately? It’s my understanding that that is the proper procedure.”
“Later,” the sheriff said. “Right now, I don’t feel so hot. Must have been something I ate.” He turned and walked out the door, leaning to the right and holding on to his side.
6
A fter the sheriff left, Miss Mary Ann and Brian got up and went back toward the kitchen. The rest of us stayed in the lobby talking until Miss Mary Ann came and announced lunch was ready. We all trooped into the big dining room. Brian was setting water glasses on one long table in the middle of the room. An antique sideboard stood against the wall and was covered with platters of deli sandwiches, big bowls of chips, and a tray loaded with several kinds of pickles, black and green olives, and jalapeño peppers stuffed with cream cheese. Another tray held soft drinks of every kind you could think of. On a small table nearby, slices of peach, cherry, and apple pie rested on little plates.
Miss Mary Ann, wearing a pink dress with a white ruffled collar, stood in front of the table and held her hands up. “I apologize for the makeshift meal, but I’m lost without Annabeth.” She sighed and pushed a silver curl
behind her ear. “Never mind, I’ll think of something. In the meantime, the people at the Copper Pot deli were kind enough to provide this meal for us.”
I saw Biggie whisper something in Rosebud’s ear. He nodded.
I helped myself to a tuna salad sandwich on sun-flower-seed bread with chips, black olives, which I can’t get enough of, and a large orange soda. Normally, I would have had a Big Red, but I believe seeing all that blood has about killed my appetite for my favorite soda. Maybe I’ll get over it. I hope so, because I used to love Big Reds just about better than anything.
Mr. Fitzgerald patted me on the back and hung his cane over the back of his chair before he took a seat at the table. “How are you holding up, youngun?”
“Okay, I guess.” I didn’t much want to talk about last night, but was pretty sure I was going to have to.
“Bet you were pretty scared.
The sheriff turned to me, rubbing his hands together. “Wellsir, I reckon it’s time to question our little star player. I understand you saw her first, sonny.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well, what can you tell me?”
“She was in the fountain. The fishes were eating her blood.” I felt the sweet roll I’d eaten for breakfast coming back up. I swallowed hard and continued. “That’s all I know.”
“Hear anything during the night?”
I told him I thought I’d heard something in the next room.
The sheriff nodded and turned to Rosebud. “How ’bout you?”
Rosebud told the sheriff about how I’d woke him up and how we’d come downstairs and borrowed a flashlight to look around.
“They wasn’t nothing to see,” Rosebud said. “Courtyard was empty. We looked around a little bit then came on back up and went to bed.”
“And that was what time?”
Rosebud looked at me. “Twelve-thirty,” I said.
“Go on,” the sheriff said.
“That’s about it,” Rosebud said. “Around six, I heard my boy screamin’ like the hounds of hell were after him.”
The sheriff nodded and motioned the deputy to turn off his recorder. “Okay, that about does it. I’m taping off the courtyard as a crime scene and, until we finish with the investigation, I’ll have to ask you all to stay out of there—and not to leave town.”
“For how long?” Lew Masters asked. “I’ve got my calls to make.”
“No more than a few days, I expect. I don’t reckon your clients are going anywhere.” The sheriff chuckled at his own joke and started for the door, then turned and faced the room. “You folks just go on about your business. Try and forget about this murder.” He looked at Biggie, who smiled sweetly back at him. “All right, then. I’ll be in touch if I have any further questions.”
“Sheriff,” Biggie said. “Aren’t you going to question
each of us separately? It’s my understanding that that is the proper procedure.”
“Later,” the sheriff said. “Right now, I don’t feel so hot. Must have been something I ate.” He turned and walked out the door, leaning to the right and holding on to his side.
6
A fter the sheriff left, Miss Mary Ann and Brian got up and went back toward the kitchen. The rest of us stayed in the lobby talking until Miss Mary Ann came and announced lunch was ready. We all trooped into the big dining room. Brian was setting water glasses on one long table in the middle of the room. An antique sideboard stood against the wall and was covered with platters of deli sandwiches, big bowls of chips, and a tray loaded with several kinds of pickles, black and green olives, and jalapeño peppers stuffed with cream cheese. Another tray held soft drinks of every kind you could think of. On a small table nearby, slices of peach, cherry, and apple pie rested on little plates.
Miss Mary Ann, wearing a pink dress with a white ruffled collar, stood in front of the table and held her hands up. “I apologize for the makeshift meal, but I’m lost without Annabeth.” She sighed and pushed a silver curl
behind her ear. “Never mind, I’ll think of something. In the meantime, the people at the Copper Pot deli were kind enough to provide this meal for us.”
I saw Biggie whisper something in Rosebud’s ear. He nodded.
I helped myself to a tuna salad sandwich on sun-flower-seed bread with chips, black olives, which I can’t get enough of, and a large orange soda. Normally, I would have had a Big Red, but I believe seeing all that blood has about killed my appetite for my favorite soda. Maybe I’ll get over it. I hope so, because I used to love Big Reds just about better than anything.
Mr. Fitzgerald patted me on the back and hung his cane over the back of his chair before he took a seat at the table. “How are you holding up, youngun?”
“Okay, I guess.” I didn’t much want to talk about last night, but was pretty sure I was going to have to.
“Bet you were pretty scared.
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