Bless Her Dead Little Heart

CHAPTER 32

Dickce sped up again and hurried into the kitchen. She hoped like anything those spiders weren’t Benjy’s property. If they were, things could get ugly, because Benjy was the outsider in Rosabelle’s family. He would make a convenient scapegoat, even though Dickce knew Kanesha was far too smart to accept such a pat answer. Or to force evidence to fit it.

In the kitchen Dickce found Antoinette at the table by herself, drinking a diet soft drink. There was no sign of Benjy, Diesel, or Clementine.

Antoinette stood. “Are you ready for the coffee yet, Miss Dickce? I made a couple of pots and put them in the big urn. I figured I’d better wait to bring it until you or Miss An’gel came and asked for it.” She nodded to indicate the serving cart, laden with the urn and all necessary items for coffee service.

“Thank you, dear,” Dickce said. “Would you mind taking it to the parlor for me now? And can you tell me where Benjy is? I suspect your grandmother is out back smoking.”

“I’d be happy to,” Antoinette said. “Benjy took Diesel with him out to the garage apartment a while ago. And, yes, Gran is out smoking.” She grimaced. “I have tried and tried to get her to quit, but nothing works. Mama says that when Gran passes on, they’ll have to leave the casket open three days to let the smoke clear.” She grasped the handle of the serving cart and pushed it toward the door into the hall.

“Thanks.” Dickce smiled. She had heard that expression before, and in Clementine’s case, she reckoned it was appropriate.

She found the housekeeper in her usual spot on the back porch. She paused to tell Clementine that she had asked Antoinette to take the coffee to the parlor, then hurried across the back lawn and driveway to the garage. She opened the apartment door, stepped inside, and called up the stairs, “Benjy, are you up there?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he called back, and moments later he appeared at the top of the stairs, Diesel beside him. “Come on up. I won’t be long. I was just calling my friend in California, the one I told you about? He said he would keep Bert and Ernie. He’s been looking after them while I’m gone anyway.”

“That’s good,” Dickce said as she climbed up toward him. “Kanesha has started to question people one-on-one, and I decided to slip out for a few minutes. I wanted to talk to you about something.”

Benjy stepped back, frowning, as Diesel rubbed himself against Dickce’s legs. “I’ll bet it’s about the rubber spiders, isn’t it? Antoinette told me about them and how they were all over the bathroom.”

“Yes, it is,” Dickce said. She walked over to the battered sofa and sat. She patted the space next to her. “Please, come sit with me.”

Benjy slowly complied with her request, and Diesel jumped up to occupy the space between them. He put his head in her lap and his back legs and tail across Benjy’s. Dickce absentmindedly began to scratch his head, her thoughts focused on the questions she had for Benjy.

“Did the deputy ask you about them?”

“No, she didn’t,” Benjy said. “I haven’t seen her. Right after Antoinette came back from upstairs and told me and her grandmother what happened, I brought Diesel out here. I had to get out of there.”

“I don’t blame you,” Dickce said. She knew Kanesha might be angry with her for talking to Benjy about the rubber spiders before she had a chance to do so officially, but Dickce would deal with that later. Right now she wanted to know whether Benjy was connected to them in any way.

“I know what you’re going to ask.” Benjy looked at her, and she could read the plea in his eyes. “I’m pretty sure those rubber spiders are mine. I bought a bag of them two or three years ago for Halloween. I was going to put them around the house as a joke, but then my mom told me about how scared Mrs. Pittman and her mother are of them. So I stuck them in the closet and forgot about them, like I did the water pistol.”

“Did anyone else know about the spiders?” Dickce asked.

Benjy frowned. “My mom told the Wart, and then he yelled at me in front of everybody about it. They all knew about them.”

“Thank you,” Dickce said. “Did you bring the spiders with you?”

“No,” Benjy said. “I’ll bet the Wart is telling everybody that I did it as a joke, but I didn’t. I swear I didn’t.”

Diesel, perhaps sensing the boy’s distress, shifted himself so that he could sit next to Benjy and rub his head against the boy’s shoulder. Benjy smiled briefly.

Dickce reached across the length of feline between them and squeezed the boy’s hand. “I know you didn’t, but Deputy Berry will have to ask you about them. You just tell her what you told me. You still haven’t told her about the water pistol?”

“No, ma’am,” he replied. “I really haven’t had a chance to, but I will as soon as I can.”

“Good.” Dickce rose. “Why don’t you and Diesel come back to the house with me now? You can stay in the kitchen, if you like, but it’s best to be close at hand when the deputy wants you.”

Benjy agreed to come with her, and the three of them set off for the house.

“I feel bad for Junior,” Benjy said. “He’s lost his mom now, too, but he got along with her most of the time better than I did with mine. It really bites.”

He sounded so forlorn, Dickce wanted to stop and hug him right then. Instead she said, “Losing your mother bites no matter how old you are and no matter how the two of you got along when she was with you. An’gel and I lost our mother quite a few years ago now, and there are very few days that go by that I don’t think about her and miss her.”

“How do you stand it, knowing you’re not going to see her again?” Benjy said. “I guess at least you’ve got your sister.”

“Yes, I’m lucky to have my sister,” Dickce said. “Having someone to share the memories of a loved one with means a lot, but even if you don’t have brothers or sisters, you can count on friends to help you through the rough times.”

Diesel warbled loudly as they climbed the steps to the back porch. Benjy paused to rub the cat’s head. When he spoke, his voice sounded thick with emotion. “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have anyone much to count on.”

Dickce squeezed his shoulder gently. “I’m glad we can be friends.”

Benjy nodded and opened the door for her. Inside they found Clementine back at the stove, and Antoinette was at the oven basting the roast.

“Sure smells good,” Benjy said. Diesel chirped in agreement as he padded over to Antoinette. He sat at her feet and stared up at her. Antoinette grinned at him and shook her head to let him know he wasn’t getting any roast.

“Miss An’gel’s looking for you again, Miss Dickce,” Clementine said.

“Seems like An’gel’s always looking for me,” Dickce said. “Y’all excuse me. I’d better go see what she wants.”

When Dickce walked into the parlor, she noticed that Junior was still evidently with Kanesha, because everyone else was present. Wade was sitting in the outside corner of the room at the front of the house. Dickce wondered if that had been his own idea, or had Rosabelle suggested it? Either way it was probably just as well he stayed as far away from his mother as possible for the time being.

No one spoke upon her return, but An’gel motioned for her to take her former seat. As she did so, An’gel edged her own chair closer to Dickce’s.

“I presume you talked to Benjy.” An’gel spoke in a low tone.

“Yes,” Dickce said. She really didn’t want to discuss what Benjy told her right now. An’gel might get annoyed with her, and the last thing they needed was to have an argument here in front of Rosabelle and her family. An’gel was a bit hotheaded, and her temper might get the better of her.

“I’ll tell you all about it later,” Dickce whispered. She could tell her reluctance to talk didn’t sit well with her sister, but she refused to be drawn into conversation. It wouldn’t do An’gel’s temper any good, but she didn’t always need to get her way over everything.

The afternoon wore on, and once a person left to talk to Kanesha, he or she did not return. Bernice was called next after Junior, then Wade and Juanita. Rosabelle followed, and that left Antonio with An’gel and Dickce.

An’gel suddenly got up and went over to the sofa and took the spot Rosabelle had vacated moments before. Dickce wondered what her sister was up to.

“Have you decided whether you will stay here with us tonight?” An’gel asked. “I suddenly realized that you had no bags with you when you arrived. Nor did you appear to have a vehicle.”

Antonio smiled. “Ah, yes, I perhaps should have mentioned that I have a car and driver. We went first to the charming Farrington House when we arrived in Athena. I have reserved a room there because I was not certain, you understand, of my reception from my dear wife, even though she summoned me. She is a whimsical creature, but that is part of her charm.” He laughed. “Now that I know she really needs me, I of course will call the driver and have him bring what is necessary. He will remain at the hotel because I realize you do not have room for my man.”

“I’m afraid that’s correct,” An’gel said. “We would have to bed him down on the sofa in the library, but of course he would be welcome to do that if you prefer to have him near you.”

“No, no, that is not necessary,” Antonio said. “He will stay at the hotel.”

Was it her imagination, Dickce wondered, or did Antonio seem a little uneasy over the idea of having his manservant in the house?