porch chair. She pulled a handkerchief out of her
sleeve and wiped at her face.
Maggie sat down on the top step. "I was
talking to someone last night who works there. She said Lori's
wasn't the first death at the Highview, that another girl died of
an overdose of pills which the sheriff called a suicide."
"Yes, yes, I remember," Rose said, shaking
her head. "A terrible thing. I didn't know the girl. But it's
always a terrible thing when someone so....” Rose's gaze moved to
the oak tree standing tall and silent at the edge of the yard. She
was quiet for a few moments, then sighed. "Death shouldn't come
violently, especially not to the young. It should come quietly,
like a friend, when one has finished all one has to do and is
tired, and ready to go. Don't you think?"
Rose turned her round eyes to Maggie and
smiled sadly, and Maggie could only nod. She had never thought much
about death before, and now it seemed to be all-pervasive.
"You didn't know anything in particular about
the other girl's death, then?" Maggie asked, bringing the
conversation back from the abstract to the here-and-now.
"No, but I knew about poor Randy
Chamber's."
"Randy Chamber? Who was he?"
Rose waved a large arm pointing vaguely to
the right. "Our neighbor's boy. Worked up there, too. In
maintenance. He was driving home late one night, on that awful,
twisty road, went off it and was killed dead. Police said he was
driving recklessly, but....” Rose shook her head with disbelief.
"He was a good boy, not one of those wild ones."
Maggie stared. A second suspicious death.
Or was it?
"Did the sheriff investigate it?" she
asked.
Rose nodded. "But you know how it is. Just
another teenager wrecking his car, getting himself killed. They
said there was nothing else to it. Who can tell? All I know is it
was awful hard on his folks."
Rose pushed herself heavily out of the
chair. "Well, I'd better get back in, see what needs doing."
"Oh, by the way," Maggie said, stopping Rose
in mid-turn, "what was Lori studying in college? Was it
biology?"
"Biology? No, Lori wanted to be a social
worker. She wanted to help people. She wanted to get a degree,
starting first at the community college, then finishing the last
two years at the university."
"Was she taking any summer classes, do you
know, perhaps a science class?"
"No, she had to work full time in the summer
to pay for tuition. The Highview was the best job, the best
pay.”
Rose's face had a question mark on it, and
Maggie explained why she’d asked. "There was a book found near her.
A college level biology book. Not exactly light summer reading, so
I wondered if she needed it for a class.” Maggie supposed it meant
nothing. More important, probably, were the people Lori saw. "What
about friends?" she asked. "Did she go out much? Have a
boyfriend?"
"Oh, she had friends," Rose said, "but she
wasn't what you'd call the party type. I think she had a boyfriend
back in high school, but that broke up some time ago. I never heard
anything about a boyfriend lately, but that doesn't mean there
wasn't one.
"She was a good girl," the older woman went
on. "Cared about her friends, and about people in general,
something you don't see a lot in the young ones. Just last month
she helped out at the local blood drive. They had it at the
community center and quite a few people from the hotel came to
donate, which I'll bet she had a lot to do with. And she used to
babysit for free, off and on, for the Parkinsons over on Gibson
Road who were having a hard time of things. No, you don't see a lot
of that.”
Rose heaved a mighty sigh. "Well, they say
the good die young. Must be why I'm still around.” She gave a sharp
laugh. "I guess I'd better go back in.”
She heaved herself up, then looked at Maggie
silently for a few moments. "You take care, now, up there.” Rose's
face was solemn. She opened the door and disappeared into the
house. Maggie stood on the porch for a while, then turned and
walked slowly down the
sleeve and wiped at her face.
Maggie sat down on the top step. "I was
talking to someone last night who works there. She said Lori's
wasn't the first death at the Highview, that another girl died of
an overdose of pills which the sheriff called a suicide."
"Yes, yes, I remember," Rose said, shaking
her head. "A terrible thing. I didn't know the girl. But it's
always a terrible thing when someone so....” Rose's gaze moved to
the oak tree standing tall and silent at the edge of the yard. She
was quiet for a few moments, then sighed. "Death shouldn't come
violently, especially not to the young. It should come quietly,
like a friend, when one has finished all one has to do and is
tired, and ready to go. Don't you think?"
Rose turned her round eyes to Maggie and
smiled sadly, and Maggie could only nod. She had never thought much
about death before, and now it seemed to be all-pervasive.
"You didn't know anything in particular about
the other girl's death, then?" Maggie asked, bringing the
conversation back from the abstract to the here-and-now.
"No, but I knew about poor Randy
Chamber's."
"Randy Chamber? Who was he?"
Rose waved a large arm pointing vaguely to
the right. "Our neighbor's boy. Worked up there, too. In
maintenance. He was driving home late one night, on that awful,
twisty road, went off it and was killed dead. Police said he was
driving recklessly, but....” Rose shook her head with disbelief.
"He was a good boy, not one of those wild ones."
Maggie stared. A second suspicious death.
Or was it?
"Did the sheriff investigate it?" she
asked.
Rose nodded. "But you know how it is. Just
another teenager wrecking his car, getting himself killed. They
said there was nothing else to it. Who can tell? All I know is it
was awful hard on his folks."
Rose pushed herself heavily out of the
chair. "Well, I'd better get back in, see what needs doing."
"Oh, by the way," Maggie said, stopping Rose
in mid-turn, "what was Lori studying in college? Was it
biology?"
"Biology? No, Lori wanted to be a social
worker. She wanted to help people. She wanted to get a degree,
starting first at the community college, then finishing the last
two years at the university."
"Was she taking any summer classes, do you
know, perhaps a science class?"
"No, she had to work full time in the summer
to pay for tuition. The Highview was the best job, the best
pay.”
Rose's face had a question mark on it, and
Maggie explained why she’d asked. "There was a book found near her.
A college level biology book. Not exactly light summer reading, so
I wondered if she needed it for a class.” Maggie supposed it meant
nothing. More important, probably, were the people Lori saw. "What
about friends?" she asked. "Did she go out much? Have a
boyfriend?"
"Oh, she had friends," Rose said, "but she
wasn't what you'd call the party type. I think she had a boyfriend
back in high school, but that broke up some time ago. I never heard
anything about a boyfriend lately, but that doesn't mean there
wasn't one.
"She was a good girl," the older woman went
on. "Cared about her friends, and about people in general,
something you don't see a lot in the young ones. Just last month
she helped out at the local blood drive. They had it at the
community center and quite a few people from the hotel came to
donate, which I'll bet she had a lot to do with. And she used to
babysit for free, off and on, for the Parkinsons over on Gibson
Road who were having a hard time of things. No, you don't see a lot
of that.”
Rose heaved a mighty sigh. "Well, they say
the good die young. Must be why I'm still around.” She gave a sharp
laugh. "I guess I'd better go back in.”
She heaved herself up, then looked at Maggie
silently for a few moments. "You take care, now, up there.” Rose's
face was solemn. She opened the door and disappeared into the
house. Maggie stood on the porch for a while, then turned and
walked slowly down the
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