again and shook her head gently.
“I do believe Miz has one other thing to add, though,” Verna said as she rolled her hand through the air. She wasprobably trying to signal Gram to ixnay on the emeterycay talk.
“Go on,” Jim said.
“Well, I’m not sure, but I think I have something that might help.”
“Good,” Jim said.
Gram looked at me, pursed her lips, and then said, “There was a mess in the hallway outside the supply room. It was about half an hour after lunch. I spilled what was left of the red food coloring. It’s why I asked you to run to the store, Betts. I spilled it and then got distracted by one of the student’s questions about the cook-off. I forgot all about it. It wasn’t there when we found Everett’s body. I thought that either Betts must have cleaned it up or…or the killer did.”
“Betts?” Jim said.
“I don’t know anything about the spill,” I said. “But why in the world would a killer clean up a food coloring spill?”
“Maybe he stepped in it. Maybe he made footprints, maybe he got his shoes stained,” Gram said. “Maybe it was easier to clean it up than risk leaving a clue in a track or something.”
“If that’s the case, the killer probably threw the shoes away.” I was thinking out loud.
“Betts, Miz, are you both one hundred percent sure you didn’t clean up the food coloring?” Jim asked.
“Positive,” I said.
“One hundred percent,” Gram said. “I don’t think any of the daytimers did and I’m positive none of the nighters did. I don’t think anyone went back there after the spill. Anyone but Everett and the killer, I suppose.”
“We’ll ask them.” Jim looked at Cliff who nodded. “I suppose this is something, Miz. Thank you.”
“I hope it helps.”
“Well, that’s it for tonight, fellas, thanks for coming and I’ll be here all week.” Verna hefted herself out of the chair and smiled. “We were going to come home tomorrow anyway. The big day is almost here. If any of you need me, you’ll find me easily. Cliff, I’ll be calling you for the pancake outing.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Cliff said.
I stood and said, “Yep, come on, let me get you home, Gram.” I grabbed her arm gently. I wanted to get her away from Jim and Cliff before she started waxing nostalgic again about misunderstood criminals.
It might not have been overly important to have Verna here for the questioning, but I was still glad I’d called her. If nothing else, going to law school had made me wary of talking to anyone in law enforcement without an attorney present. We all trusted Verna and knew she would do her best for Gram.
Jim rubbed his chin as he eyed me impatiently. He had more questions, but even he probably thought enough was enough for the night.
“All right. Well, I suppose I don’t have to tell the three of you that Miz, and Betts for that matter, shouldn’t leave town for a while.” Jim stood. Cliff followed suit.
“Where in tarnation are we going to go, Jim? I’ve got a school to run and a cook-off to conduct. I won’t be leaving Broken Rope. You know where to find me.” Gram huffed and turned to leave. She was behaving more like the gram I knew and a sense of relief washed over me. She’d be okay.
“Miz, hang on, I’d like to chat with you in private. Betts’s car will do. Betts, give us a few minutes, okay?” Verna grabbed one more cup of coffee and another pastry and followed Gram out the door.
“Betts, have you ever seen Miz out in the cemetery?” Jim asked the second Verna closed the door. He and Cliff were putting the chairs and the box back where they belonged.
“I’m not sure,” I lied. I wasn’t under oath, after all. “I don’t recall anything like that, but I’ll think about it. Why? Do you think that has something to do with Mr. Morningside’s murder?”
Jim shook his head slightly. “I’m not sure, but it seems odd.”
“Gram’s old, Jim. She looks at the obituaries gleefully. She’s glad to be
“I do believe Miz has one other thing to add, though,” Verna said as she rolled her hand through the air. She wasprobably trying to signal Gram to ixnay on the emeterycay talk.
“Go on,” Jim said.
“Well, I’m not sure, but I think I have something that might help.”
“Good,” Jim said.
Gram looked at me, pursed her lips, and then said, “There was a mess in the hallway outside the supply room. It was about half an hour after lunch. I spilled what was left of the red food coloring. It’s why I asked you to run to the store, Betts. I spilled it and then got distracted by one of the student’s questions about the cook-off. I forgot all about it. It wasn’t there when we found Everett’s body. I thought that either Betts must have cleaned it up or…or the killer did.”
“Betts?” Jim said.
“I don’t know anything about the spill,” I said. “But why in the world would a killer clean up a food coloring spill?”
“Maybe he stepped in it. Maybe he made footprints, maybe he got his shoes stained,” Gram said. “Maybe it was easier to clean it up than risk leaving a clue in a track or something.”
“If that’s the case, the killer probably threw the shoes away.” I was thinking out loud.
“Betts, Miz, are you both one hundred percent sure you didn’t clean up the food coloring?” Jim asked.
“Positive,” I said.
“One hundred percent,” Gram said. “I don’t think any of the daytimers did and I’m positive none of the nighters did. I don’t think anyone went back there after the spill. Anyone but Everett and the killer, I suppose.”
“We’ll ask them.” Jim looked at Cliff who nodded. “I suppose this is something, Miz. Thank you.”
“I hope it helps.”
“Well, that’s it for tonight, fellas, thanks for coming and I’ll be here all week.” Verna hefted herself out of the chair and smiled. “We were going to come home tomorrow anyway. The big day is almost here. If any of you need me, you’ll find me easily. Cliff, I’ll be calling you for the pancake outing.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Cliff said.
I stood and said, “Yep, come on, let me get you home, Gram.” I grabbed her arm gently. I wanted to get her away from Jim and Cliff before she started waxing nostalgic again about misunderstood criminals.
It might not have been overly important to have Verna here for the questioning, but I was still glad I’d called her. If nothing else, going to law school had made me wary of talking to anyone in law enforcement without an attorney present. We all trusted Verna and knew she would do her best for Gram.
Jim rubbed his chin as he eyed me impatiently. He had more questions, but even he probably thought enough was enough for the night.
“All right. Well, I suppose I don’t have to tell the three of you that Miz, and Betts for that matter, shouldn’t leave town for a while.” Jim stood. Cliff followed suit.
“Where in tarnation are we going to go, Jim? I’ve got a school to run and a cook-off to conduct. I won’t be leaving Broken Rope. You know where to find me.” Gram huffed and turned to leave. She was behaving more like the gram I knew and a sense of relief washed over me. She’d be okay.
“Miz, hang on, I’d like to chat with you in private. Betts’s car will do. Betts, give us a few minutes, okay?” Verna grabbed one more cup of coffee and another pastry and followed Gram out the door.
“Betts, have you ever seen Miz out in the cemetery?” Jim asked the second Verna closed the door. He and Cliff were putting the chairs and the box back where they belonged.
“I’m not sure,” I lied. I wasn’t under oath, after all. “I don’t recall anything like that, but I’ll think about it. Why? Do you think that has something to do with Mr. Morningside’s murder?”
Jim shook his head slightly. “I’m not sure, but it seems odd.”
“Gram’s old, Jim. She looks at the obituaries gleefully. She’s glad to be
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