Bless Her Dead Little Heart

CHAPTER 27

Dickce suggested that they take their ice-cold cans of soda to the garage apartment, and Benjy agreed. She had watched him during Rosabelle’s big announcement and its aftermath, and she could tell that he was worried. She suspected she knew the reason for some of his concerns, and she had an idea about how to resolve them. She hadn’t consulted An’gel yet, but she didn’t think her sister would have serious objections. Besides, Benjy might not like her idea at all.

She waited until they were upstairs and seated before she said, “I have good news about our two four-legged friends that will make you feel better.”

“Did the vet call already? Can we go get them today?” Benjy sounded happy.

“No, the vet hasn’t called.”

Benjy’s disappointment was obvious.

“I found out where they came from,” Dickce said. She told Benjy about her talk with the farmer and his willingness for Dickce to take the animals. “He told me their names, too. His mother named the cat Endora and the dog Peanut.”

“Endora?” Benjy frowned. “Isn’t that the name of that character from Bewitched? Oh, I get it, because of the red hair.” He paused. “It’s pretty cool, actually. Endora. I like it.”

“I like it, too,” Dickce said. “I also like Peanut. Mrs. Thayer thought Peanut’s hair was like the color of peanut hulls, and that’s why she chose that name for him.”

“Peanut is a good name for a dog,” Benjy said. “I’m glad he doesn’t want them back. I just wish . . .”

“What do you wish, Benjy?” Dickce said, although she was sure she knew.

Benjy shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. It would be stupid to even think I could.”

“You mean take them to California with you?” Dickce said.

“Yes, ma’am,” Benjy said. “I told you it was stupid. I don’t have the money to take care of them, and I may not even have a place to live. I didn’t have much to begin with, but now that the Wart’s mother is going to live in Italy, he’s sure not going to want me in the house. He already complains about how much I eat.”

“You told me about your father,” Dickce said. “You don’t have any other relatives at all? Grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, anyone?”

Benjy shook his head. “My mom didn’t have any brothers or sisters, and her parents died a long time ago. I don’t know much about them and whether they had any other family. Even if they did, I have no idea who they are. Same thing with my father’s side. I know even less about them.”

If he did have relatives, they could be traced, but Dickce didn’t see much point. Later on, Benjy might want to know more about them, but his most pressing need at the moment was a home. Dickce had the solution to that problem, but she didn’t know whether Benjy would find it acceptable.

“Having Peanut and Endora living with An’gel and me will require some adjustments.” Dickce decided to take a sideways approach to her idea. “We haven’t had animals in the house since we were about your age. They’re both young and are going to need a lot of attention. Not to mention a lot of energy, and I don’t know if we’re really going to be up to the task.”

“You mean you think you shouldn’t keep them after all?” Benjy looked distressed at the prospect.

“No, that’s not what I meant at all.” Dickce realized she needed to get to the point. “I think we need someone younger here who can help take care of them. Like making sure Peanut gets enough exercise, for example. An’gel and I are pretty fit, but a young, healthy dog has a tremendous amount of energy.”

Benjy examined the top of his soda can. “Maybe someone young like me, you mean? To work for you and take care of the animals?”

“Exactly like you,” Dickce said. “What do you think, Benjy?”

“I know how to do a lot of things.” Benjy still wouldn’t look directly at her. “Like laundry and cleaning and stuff like that. I did it all the time for me and my mom, even after we went to live with the Wart and his family. I could help Clementine a lot, and I think she likes me.”

Dickce’s plans didn’t include turning Benjy into a full-time servant, but she knew it might be better for him, at least for a little while, to feel like he was earning his keep. She would save her plans for him to go to college and on to veterinary school for a later time.

“I know you would work hard and be a lot of help,” Dickce said. “The main thing would be to look after Endora and Peanut, of course. So what do you say? Would you like to give it a try?”

“Yes, please.” Benjy finally looked at her, and she could see that his eyes were a bit wet. “I don’t want to go back to that house and those people. I have a couple of friends out there, but nobody really special.”

“Then it’s settled,” Dickce said. Her own eyes felt suspiciously wet now. “We can arrange for your things to be sent here, and you won’t even have to go back for them, if you don’t want.”

“That’s great,” Benjy said, “except for Bert and Ernie. My tarantulas. I can’t ship them, but one of my friends will take them.”

Dickce was relieved to hear it. She wasn’t that keen on sharing quarters with a couple of big spiders. An’gel most certainly wouldn’t be keen either.

“That’s a good idea,” Dickce said. “Let’s keep this to ourselves for now. Then at the appropriate moment we’ll let everybody know you’re going to stay here.”

“Have you talked to your sister about this?” Benjy asked. “I’m not sure she likes me.”

“She hasn’t had the chance to get to know you yet,” Dickce said. “Not like I have. You leave her to me. She won’t have a problem with this.” Not after I get through with her, she added to herself.

“You are going to tell her about Endora and Peanut tomorrow when you bring them home, aren’t you?”

“As soon as there’s a good time,” Dickce said. “Before we go pick them up tomorrow, we’ll have to do some shopping. Food, of course, and a litter box and so on for Endora. Toys and whatever else they’ll need.”

“I can make a list,” Benjy said. “I found some paper and pencils in a drawer in the kitchen area here.”

“That sounds like a good idea.” Dickce reached over and patted his arm. “I’m so pleased, Benjy. I really do hope you’ll be happy here.” She rose from the sofa. “I’d better get back over to the house and see what’s going on.”

“I think I’ll stay here for a while. It’s too crazy over there for me.” Benjy shook his head.

“I know exactly what you mean.” Dickce laughed. “I’ll see you later, then.”

“Definitely,” Benjy said. He got up and gave her a quick hug.

Dickce walked back to the house wearing a big smile. The moment she stepped into the kitchen, Clementine spotted her.

“Miss An’gel’s looking for you. She’s all worked up about something. You’d better go see. I think she’s in the library.”

Dickce sighed, her smile gone. “I will. I wonder what it is now.” In her concern for Benjy, she hadn’t given much thought to Rosabelle and her big announcement. On the way to the library, though, Dickce figured out what had probably gotten her sister riled up. Rosabelle was practically begging to be murdered.

She found An’gel in the library with Diesel. “Here I am.”

An’gel, seated behind the desk, was stroking the cat’s head. At the sight of Dickce, he meowed and padded over to her. She took a seat in a chair near the desk, and Diesel stood beside her. He tapped her leg with a paw to remind her that he needed attention. She laughed and patted his head.

“It’s good to see you, too, you big handsome boy.” Dickce wanted to tell him that, starting tomorrow, he would have a couple of playmates, but she couldn’t, not while An’gel was present.

“Where were you?” An’gel asked.

“Talking with Benjy,” Dickce replied. “I’m concerned about him. Did you know that he has no other relatives, now that his mother is dead?” She might as well plant a few seeds right away.

“No, I didn’t,” An’gel said. “I know you’re taking an interest in him, and it’s good that someone is. Wade Thurmond doesn’t impress me much as the fatherly sort. That poor boy is in a difficult situation.”

“What was it you wanted to see me about?” Dickce asked. She was pleased to know that her sister’s interest was engaged. That would make things easier.

“After you and Benjy left, I came to a startling realization,” An’gel said.

“You realized that Rosabelle had made herself an even bigger target by declaring her intention to move to Italy with Antonio.”

“I thought you would probably see that, too.” An’gel shook her head. “I am concerned over what could happen tonight. The killer may be even more desperate now.”

“He or she might also target Antonio,” Dickce said. “I hadn’t thought of it before, but that would also be a way to stop Rosabelle from moving to Italy.”

“Possibly,” An’gel said. “But Rosabelle could inherit substantial property in Italy. I can’t imagine that Antonio’s son, Benedetto—wasn’t that the name?—that Benedetto would be happy to have an American stepmother taking part of what he thinks of as rightfully his.”

“True.” Dickce felt a paw on her leg, and she resumed rubbing Diesel’s head. “I have to say, after hearing that conversation in Italian, I have an odd feeling about this Benedetto.”

“What do you mean?”

“Remember I told you that he was talking to a man, whom he addressed as mio caro?”

An’gel nodded. “That may simply be a term of affection for his son. It’s not something an American man might do, but he’s Italian.”

“Rosabelle said something a bit odd, too, in reference to Benedetto. It was right before you came up and startled me.” Dickce paused for a moment. “Antonio said, ‘I must think of Benedetto. He is my son.’ Then Rosabelle said, ‘So you say.’ Don’t you think that’s a strange response?”

“In the context of changing his will, no, not necessarily. That could be all Rosabelle meant. ‘So you say you have to consider your son.’”

“I suppose,” Dickce replied. “Maybe I’m making too much out of it. There was something about the tone of his voice during that phone conversation.”

“We’re both letting our imaginations go into overdrive, I think, thanks to the stress of the situation.” An’gel shook her head. “Back to what I originally wanted to tell you. I called Kanesha right away to tell her about Rosabelle’s plans, and she’s on her way here.”

The doorbell rang, and Dickce started. “Perfect timing.”

“Let’s go.” An’gel rose from the desk and headed out of the library. Dickce and Diesel followed.

An’gel opened the door to admit Kanesha, who greeted them both. Diesel started to dart out once the deputy was inside. He made it onto the verandah, but Dickce moved quickly enough to grab him. She got him back inside and waited for An’gel to shut the door.

An’gel wasn’t moving. Instead she stood there staring out at the driveway and frowning.

Dickce released the cat and shut the door herself. She did take a peek at the driveway, but all she saw was Kanesha’s patrol car. What was so strange about that?