The Darling Dahlias and the Cucumber Tree

“Stolen!” Lizzy exclaimed, and pulled away from the shelter of Grady’s encircling arm. “But Bunny wouldn’t—I know she wouldn’t, Sheriff. She’s young and a little flighty but she’s a good girl. She wouldn’t steal a car!”


“Well, she did,” the sheriff said. “The fella she took it from telephoned it in. Said he saw her take it” He shifted his chew from one side to the other. “Well, not her by name nor nothin’. Somebody fittin’ her description.” He flipped a couple of pages in his notebook and read, squinting. “Short blond hair, red dress. In her twenties, staggerin’ a little, like maybe she was drunk. She was with some man. No description on him.”

“But Bunny didn’t drink,” Lizzy objected. “She might’ve been a little wild, but—”

The sheriff cleared his throat loudly. “Like I say, she was drunk. You just bend down and take a look under that car, and you’ll see a bottle of moonshine whiskey, broke, lyin’ right up next to her. Buddy found another, just up the hill.” He raised his voice. “Buddy, show Miz Lacy that empty bottle you found.”

Buddy Norris held up the bottle.

The sheriff went on. “Figger her’n the man took the car, maybe just meanin’ to go on a little joy ride, out to the Waterin’ Hole, maybe, then put it back. But they was liquored up enough so that they just kep’ on drivin’. Drove right through that there barrier.”

“Where’s the man?” Grady asked.

“Figger he jumped outta the car a-fore it went over,” the sheriff said. “Still on the loose.”

“I still don’t believe it,” Lizzy insisted. “Not Bunny.”

The sheriff closed his notebook and pocketed it. “’ Scuse me, Miz Lacy, but we’re lookin’ at the ev-i-dence right here in front of us. ‘Course, I reckon you could say the fella who had the car was careless, leavin’ the key in the ignition the way he did. But this is Darlin’, after all. Folks don’t steal cars in Darlin’. Much less a girl.”

“Well, I guess this’un did,” Buddy Norris said, coming around the car.

“She didn’t!” Lizzy protested. “Sheriff—”

The sheriff turned his back on her. “Buddy, is that the doc’s car I’m hearin’ up there on the road? You climb up the hill and see if he needs any he’p gettin’ down here. Meantime, Grady and Charlie, whyn’t you boys give me a hand in gettin’ this car off the body so Doc Roberts can have a look-see. With that broke arm of his, Buddy is worthless as tits on a boar hog.”

It was no good protesting. Lizzy turned away from the men and scrambled up the hill, unaided, trying not to think of the mangled body under the car. She didn’t look back. A little later, Grady joined her in the Ford, accompanied by the young man in overalls, who climbed into the rumble seat. They dropped him off at the Jackson place, then drove back into town together, still not speaking. Lizzy sat, hunched and miserable, against the passenger door.

They were just coming to town when she said, “I need to go to Verna Tidwell’s house, Grady. The corner of Larkspur and Robert E. Lee.”

He gave her a concerned look. “That’s pretty far from your place, isn’t it? Four blocks, almost five. You’ll have to walk home. I’ll wait for you.”

“No, thanks. But maybe you could wait until I see whether Verna’s at home.”

“This has been hard on you, Liz. I don’t think you ought to—”

“Just do what I say,” she said wearily.

Still objecting, Grady pulled up in front of Verna’s and waited while Lizzy ran up the porch steps and knocked at the door. When Verna opened it, she turned and waved at him. He sat there for a moment, then waved back, reluctantly, put the car in gear, and drove on.

“Well, come on in, Lizzy,” Verna said. Her black Scottie was eagerly sniffing Lizzy’s shoes. “Clyde, you stop that,” she reprimanded. She looked down at Lizzy’s feet and up again, with a sly grin. “My goodness gracious, Liz. You look like you’ve been scrambling around in the mud. You and Grady out sparkin’ in the woods?”

“Nothing like that,” Lizzy said. “Pour me some tea, Verna, and I’ll tell you about it.”





TEN





The Dahlias Play Hearts


Monday evening was the City Council meeting and Ophelia’s card night. The Dahlias’ weekly card game traveled from house to house, but tonight, it was here. Ophelia sent the kids to Momma Ruth’s for supper and the evening, to get them out from underfoot. Jed came home from the feed store late and wolfed down a ham-and-pimento-cheese sandwich, two deviled eggs, and a bowl of tapioca and peaches. Then he changed into a fresh white Sunday shirt to go and “act like I’m Darling’s mayor,” as he put it. He always downplayed the importance of the job, but Ophelia knew that he loved it, just as he loved Darling. He might not love everybody in it, but he loved the town.

Ophelia was helping him with his tie when Jed put his hands on her shoulders and looked her straight in the eye.