“I don’t know what they think,” Ida Belle said. “Carter was there, of course, but he hasn’t typed up any reports yet. If he’s got any ideas, they’re all in his head. Myrtle got most of the story from the paramedics, and then she overheard Carter telling some of it to Deputy Breaux.”
“I don’t think Gail owned any valuable jewelry,” Gertie said. “At least, I never saw her wearing anything valuable. Even her wedding ring is a plain gold band. And no one is foolish enough to keep cash in their house these days. Not enough cash worth killing over, anyway.”
I frowned. “Well, there has to be something. Genuinely nice women don’t get murdered over nothing.”
“That’s what worries me the most,” Ida Belle said.
“We need more information,” Gertie said.
“We should have some later on today,” Ida Belle said. “Marie is a large donor to the charity that Gail administered. Gail helped her find the home Charlie is in. She’s been friends with them for years and knows Nolan’s personality and his disability as well as anyone in Sinful. She went over first thing this morning to help Nolan. He’s going to need someone to lean on, both physically and emotionally.”
Marie was one of Ida Belle and Gertie’s best friends and Charlie was her autistic brother. She was perpetually nice and always worried about things being right and fair. She was also the candidate who called for the audit of the mayoral election. If the vote was found to be fraudulent, then Marie would be the new mayor of Sinful. The city probably couldn’t do any better, at least in my opinion.
“I’m glad he’s got Marie,” I said.
“I’m glad we’ve got Marie,” Gertie said. “I know we have this catfish thing going on, but I think murder trumps it.”
“The police might solve it before we even get all the facts,” I said, hoping it was true more than actually believing that would be the case. Facts tended to make their way to Ida Belle and Gertie on the express train, and no way were they going to leave this one alone.
“It would be nice,” Ida Belle said, “but I’m not counting on it. I expect Carter will be by here any minute now, reminding us to mind our own business.”
I held in a sigh. She was probably right.
I rose from the table to pour myself another cup of coffee. I’d barely gotten two sugar packs poured in when I heard the rap on the door. I knew that knock. I looked over at Ida Belle and Gertie and the sigh I’d held in earlier escaped.
“I’ll get it,” Ida Belle said. “You sit back down and drink your coffee.”
She headed out of the kitchen and I sat down again. The expression on my face must have reflected exactly what I felt because Gertie reached across the table and squeezed my arm. “Don’t let him get to you,” she said. “At the very least, don’t let him see that he is.”
I smiled and nodded. Gertie was right. No way was I letting on to Carter how bad I felt about our breakup. My life and my feelings were no longer his concern.
A second later, he walked into the kitchen behind Ida Belle and I felt my smile slip for just a second, then I forced it back on. Not a big toothy grin sort of smile, but a small pleasant one. The kind reserved for when you’re trying to be polite and don’t really want to be.
“I see you’re all up early,” Carter said. “No surprise there. I suppose you’ve already heard about Gail Bishop.”
We all nodded.
“So tragic,” Gertie said. “Gail was such a nice woman and now, poor Nolan on his own again.”
“Yes, it’s all extremely unfortunate and unpleasant,” Carter agreed. “It’s also a police matter and a serious one, so I expect you to stay out of it. I mean it. This was a callous crime. Whoever did it wouldn’t think twice about popping off any of you three to cover his own ass.”
All of a sudden, my forced pleasantness vanished and I just felt tired and angry.
“We’re not stupid, you know?” I said. “In fact, I’m certain you know we’re not stupid because you know more about us than anyone in this town. Are you stopping by anyone else’s house to tell them not to butt their nose into your investigation, or just the people who might figure it out before you do?”
Gertie sucked in a breath.
Carter’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped a bit. Of all the things he’d expected me to say, that apparently wasn’t on the list.
“I’m tired of this entire song and dance,” I said, unable to stop now that I’d gotten the rant started. “Before you knew my true identity, I had to pretend to be some helpless, ignorant female, as Gertie and Ida Belle have done for years. Well, now you know the truth and I’ll be damned if I’m going to continue acting like something I’m not. At least not in front of you. You can arrest me if you’d like, or handcuff me to my couch, but what you cannot do anymore is condescend to me. Or them.”