Bless Her Dead Little Heart

CHAPTER 24

Dickce’s heart sank. “A dog and a cat, you say?”

“Yes’m. Little bitty cat, kinda red-looking. Dog’s about twenty-five pounds, blond-colored, I guess you’d call it.” He stared hopefully at her.

“Why don’t you step inside, where it’s cooler.” Dickce moved back and motioned for him to come inside.

“Naw, that’s all right, ma’am.” He glanced down at his feet. “I got mud all over my boots, and I sure don’t want to mess up your floor. The heat ain’t bothering me none.”

“Very well, then.” Dickce stepped outside and closed the door behind her. Outside was better anyway, she decided. She didn’t want An’gel coming along and overhearing this conversation.

Upon closer inspection, she thought the man looked familiar. She had probably seen him in town somewhere or else driving a tractor on the highway. He looked like a farmer.

“I’m Dickce Ducote,” she said. “I’m sorry, I don’t remember if we’ve met.”

“Oh, everyone around here knows you, ma’am.” The man smiled shyly. “I’m Claud Thayer. My farm’s not far from here, back the other way from Athena.”

Dickce nodded. “You were saying, Mr. Thayer, you’re looking for a dog and a cat? Are they yours?”

“Kinda,” he said. “They was my mama’s, and she passed away about a week ago. She didn’t have them long, and I ain’t got time to look after no animals in the house.”

“I’m sorry about your mother,” Dickce said. She vaguely recalled seeing an obituary for a Mrs. Thayer in the local paper recently. “Did the animals run away from the house?”

Thayer shook his head. “Naw, they was in the back of the truck. I was taking ’em to town to that animal shelter. I know they take animals and try to find ’em a good home.” He looked troubled. “I hated not to keep ’em, seeing they was my mama’s, and she sure did love ’em. But they’re young, and they need attention, and I can’t give it to them, the way I work.”

Dickce felt better now. Mr. Thayer seemed like a good man who only wanted what was best for the animals. If he had been unpleasant, she was prepared to lie through her teeth to keep him away from the two pets.

“We did find your missing animals,” she said. “A friend and I were driving to town this morning. We picked them up and took them to the veterinarian to be checked out.”

“I’m glad you found ’em before they got hit by a car. I still don’t know when they got out of the truck. I guess I wasn’t paying enough attention, and they just jumped out. I looked up and down the road but I couldn’t find ’em nowhere.”

“Were they loose in the back of your pickup?” Dickce tried to keep the censure out of her tone. She didn’t approve of animals riding in the beds of pickups like that, but it was standard practice with farmers and hunters around here.

“Yes’m,” Claud Thayer said. “I reckon that wasn’t the smartest thing I could’a done, but I was in a hurry to get to town and back. Got a lot of plowing to do, you see.”

“They probably did jump out then,” Dickce said. “They weren’t hurt, as far as I could tell. As I said, the veterinarian in town is checking them over.”

Thayer started to speak, but Dickce forestalled him, certain of what he was about to say. “Don’t worry about the vet’s bill. I took them, and I will pay whatever the charges are.” She looked the farmer straight in the eye. “I would like to keep them here, if you have no objection, Mr. Thayer. They will have a good home with me and my sister.” She tensed slightly, waiting for him to protest.

Thayer smiled. “That sounds mighty fine to me, Miss Ducote, ma’am. Mama would rise from the grave and haunt me the rest of my life if I didn’t find a good home for her babies. You have relieved my burden, and I thank you.”

Dickce was deeply touched by the man’s heartfelt words, and she could feel the tears starting to form. “Your mama can rest easy. They’ll have a good home.” She sniffed. “What are their names? If they’re already used to them, it might be better not to change them.”

“Mama called the dog Peanut ’cause she said he was the color of a peanut hull right out of the ground.” He smiled. “That’s a good name for a dog, I reckon. She called the cat after somebody on her favorite TV show. Reckon it was because the cat’s red. Ain’t never seen a cat that color before.”

“It is unusual,” Dickce said. “What is the name?”

“Endora,” Thayer replied. “Mama loved the Bewitched program because she thought that Agnes Moorehead on there was such a pistol.”

Dickce laughed. “She sure was. It sounds like a good name to me. Thank you, Mr. Thayer.”

The farmer nodded. “And I thank you, ma’am. I can rest easy now knowing Mama’s babies are going to be happy here.” He ducked his head and headed for his truck.

Dickce watched for a moment. She uttered a brief prayer of thanks before she went back inside.

An’gel was coming down the hall toward her. “Who was that? It wasn’t Kanesha, was it?”

Dickce shook her head. “No, only some farmer looking for missing animals.” She hoped An’gel would leave it at that and not ask for details.

An’gel grimaced. “Farmers need to keep their fences up better. We don’t need cows out on the highway. Someone could get killed.”

“You’re right,” Dickce said, relieved. “We surely don’t need cows loose out there.” Before An’gel could pursue the subject any further, Dickce asked, “Were you serious about giving Antonio my room? Why don’t we let him stay at the Farrington House if Rosabelle doesn’t want him in her room?”

An’gel looked exasperated. “It’s fine with me if he wants to go to a hotel. I felt I had to make the offer, though, because he is Rosabelle’s husband. It will depend on what Rosabelle has to say. I wish she would come downstairs.”

Dickce glanced up. “Here she comes now,” she said in an undertone. “At least I think it’s Rosabelle.”

The vision of glamour moving slowly down the marble stars didn’t look much like the Rosabelle who had arrived yesterday. Gone was the dowdy dress, replaced by a form-fitting silk sheath in a brilliant red. Rosabelle was indeed thinner than Dickce remembered from the last time she had visited, but certain parts of her anatomy were still shapely. Ropes of pearls lay across her bosom, framing a diamond pendant. More diamonds winked from her ears, and her hair was pulled back into a sleek bun at the nape of her neck. A diamond and pearl hair clip adorned the left side of her head, and Dickce saw more jewels on her hands. Red leather stilettos on her feet, Rosabelle moved with catlike grace. She reached the bottom of the stairs and walked toward Dickce and An’gel.

“Juanita tells me that my wandering husband has returned,” she said, her voice throatier and more languid than they had heard before. “Where is he?”

“In the dining room,” An’gel said.

Dickce couldn’t take her eyes off Rosabelle. She had never seen a transformation to match this one. Now she felt she could understand her old sorority sister’s fascination for men like Antonio Mingione.

“Would you be a dear and tell him I would like to see him in the parlor?” Without waiting for a response, Rosabelle oozed forward into the parlor.

“I certainly will not,” An’gel said, but too late for Rosabelle to hear. She turned to Dickce. “Have you ever seen anything like that in your life?”

“Sure beats television.” Dickce grinned. “I’ll be happy to inform the Conti di San Lorenzo that the Contessa is ready to receive him.”

“You do that,” An’gel said. “I’m going to the kitchen to talk to Clementine about dinner.” She walked off in a huff.

Dickce headed for the dining room. She was trying to think of a way to include herself in Rosabelle’s conversation with her husband. She was dying to hear what Rosabelle would say to him.

As she neared the dining room, she could hear Antonio talking. In Italian, she realized when she reached the doorway. He had a cell phone to his ear.

“Sì, sì, carissimo. È necessario essere pazienti. Vorrei per il divorzio.” He paused. “Sì, prometto, mio caro. Non appena è saggio. Sì, sì. Prometto, prometto.” He glanced toward the doorway and spotted Dickce. “Ciao.” He ended the call.

“Antonio,” Dickce said, her expression bland. “I am so sorry to interrupt you, but Rosabelle is downstairs now and would like you to join her in the parlor.”

Antonio gave her an odd look, but then he smiled. “How delightful. I am eager to see my lovely wife. I will go to her now.”

Dickce stood aside to let him pass, then followed him down the hall. She was determined to witness his reunion with Rosabelle somehow.

Especially since he’d been talking to someone on the phone about a divorce.