She's Not There by Mary-Ann Tirone Smith Page B

they’d made and went to Florida. I said, “What if someone needs a taxi after that?”
    â€œNo one does. No tourists off-season. The restaurants don’t have heat.”
    â€œWhat do the taxi brothers do in Florida?”
    Joe thought about that. “I have no idea.”
    â€œAren’t you curious?”
    â€œNot really.”
    Because of our timing this morning, we were missing the taxi brothers.
    The other customer was Esther, who sold the framed maps and articles I’d been on my way to look at when I found the body. As always, she sat alone in the far corner reading, today an old book with a broken spine. I had the feeling she listened to everyone’s conversation even if she didn’t join in. FBI agents recognize that ability in others since they have to train at it so hard themselves. Esther was a fixture, along the lines of an unlit, unfussy lamp.
    Fitzy turned toward her. “Hey, Esther, come join us.”
    Esther looked at him as if he were a gnat and then went back to her book.
    Fitzy laughed. “She won’t take me up on my offers of dinner and dancing either.”
    Joe said, “Fitzy, for Christ’s sake.”
    Fitzy didn’t know about respecting privacy.
    Willa was reading the paper at the end of the counter when we’d come in, ready to help Ernie if he needed it before she opened the grocery store. But as soon as she saw us, she jumped off her stool. Willa was always in a jumping-up-and-down state, at the ready, waiting for some signal to set her into action.
    Except for Jake, they continued to stare, even Esther over the top of her book. Ernie hurried over with a pot of coffee and three cups, filled them, and stood in front of the table. “Get you anything else?”
    Joe said, “We haven’t decided. Just the coffee for now.”
    Ernie didn’t move. He was waiting. They all were.
    Joe said, “I suppose you guys want the gory details.”
    Immediately, Willa in the lead, they all pulled chairs up around us, again with the exception of Jake, who remained engrossed in his wires, and Esther, pretending to be equally engrossed in her book. Ernie leaned over, one elbow on our table. He pushed his Sox cap back. He said, “So was the gal really stark naked?”
    I said, “Not quite. Almost. Her clothes were ripped off except for a few shreds.”
    They edged closer.
    Mick said, “I bet that Aggie musta peed her pants.”
    Billy elbowed him. “We got ladies here, Mick.”
    â€œSorry.”
    They waited. Fitzy said, “None of it is any of your goddamned business, Billy, old man. You know that, right?”
    Joe stopped stirring his black coffee. “Fitzy, this island is their home. Something unpleasant has happened in their neighborhood. They deserve to hear it.”
    Unpleasant, I thought. Who was protecting who?
    Willa said, “Poppy, drink your coffee, honey. Then tell us everything, right from the beginning. And Fitzy, I don’t have to serve you if I don’t want to.”
    â€œOkay, I’ll shut up. Only because I’m real hungry.”
    I drank the coffee and then described my bike ride and the gulls and seeing the girl’s body. And that she was almost naked. And overweight, so I’d assumed she’d come from the camp.
    Mick said, “Confirmed. From the fat farm.”
    Billy elbowed him again, this time for interrupting.
    I said, “I went into the B and B for help.”
    â€œWhat B and B?” Fred Prentiss asked me.
    Willa rolled her eyes. “Aggie’s old farmhouse up on Coonymus.”
    â€œOh, that one.”
    Willa said, “What happened then?”
    â€œI had Aggie call the constable. When he got there, he declared her dead.”
    Fred said, “Smart piece of work, our Tommy.”
    They all peeked over at Jake. He was concentrating so hard on his wires his eyes were crossed.
    Ernie turned on Fred and hissed, “What else could