Рита Браун - Sour Puss

He replied, eyebrows raised, "What do you think?"

She waited, looked at Hy, then back at Rick. "Nope."

"Damned straight. I'm treating this as a suspicious death."

"Too many, too close."

"I hear the wheels turning." Rick pointed his forefinger at her.

"They are, boss, but I need traction."

"What we know is, everyone who could have killed Professor Forland or Toby doesn't have an airtight alibi." He tapped his toe on the crushed-stone road surface. "Fair has an alibi for Forland. He was asleep in bed. Harry can testify to that. Toby and Arch have or had no one who could clear them about their whereabouts in the middle of the night. Rollie has Chauntal. Then, of course, wives can and do lie to protect husbands. For Toby's murder, while signs point to Hy, we can't completely rule out Fair."

"I think Fair was set up, because of Toby calling about Jed. We're missing a big chunk here."

"Yeah, I know. And now the bugs." He nodded in the direction of the truck.

"Flypaper?"

"Coop, we're close to this guy. Really close, if we can just find the right piece to the puzzle."

"In time," she grimly replied.

"Thought of that, too."

"Traction."

33

Fiona had borne up through her husband being accused of murder. Now she bent under the crushing weight of his death.

Rick carefully described the scene and the fact that the gunshot may have been self-inflicted.

Cooper, as was her habit, stood quietly beside Rick but made mental notes. Once back in the squad car she would write everything down. Usually she carried her pad with her, but under the circumstances that seemed cold.

"Hy would never kill himself. He's Catholic." Fiona sobbed, her embroidered handkerchief at her gushing eyes.

Plenty of Catholics had killed themselves over two millennia, but neither Rick nor Cooper thought it wise to mention this. Thefact that Fiona hadn't collapsed was impressive to the two enforcement officials. Events had leached pounds from her, but her haggard face retained vestiges of mature beauty.

"Did you notice anything out of line the last few days?" Rick sighed. "You and Hy have been under a punishing strain."

Her bloodshot eyes searched his. "Do you still think Hy killed Toby?"

"I have to stick to facts. Hy was our main suspect in the death of Toby Pittman."

Coop stepped in. "Something horrible is happening, and for whatever reason it's happening among those who possess highly specialized knowledge concerning disease in grapes and other crops."

Fiona wiped her eyes, took a deep breath. "Hy was passionate about making wine. He got into a big argument with Rollie Barnes yesterday at the co-op store about using machines to destem grapes. He ran into him at the cafe. People have been shunning us, Rollie included, so Hy's been extra sensitive. I don't even know how they started talking, but Hy lost his temper and declared the only way to make wine was to destem the grapes by hand. No bad grapeshould ever fall into the basket. With a machine they do. Hy came home livid, as it apparently turned into a real shouting match. He thinks everyone is against him." A long pause followed. "And they were."

Coop's voice soothed. "I'm terribly sorry, Fiona."

"Sheriff, Deputy, I know my husband did not kill Toby Pittman. Yes, a wife isn't considered a good judge in these circumstances, but the least I can do for Hy," she choked up, then gained control, "is to clear his name, and by God, I will."

"Why don't we wait with you until Alicia arrives?" Rick suggested, as he didn't want to leave her alone.

Knowing that the Maudants had no children and were fairly new to Crozet, Coop had taken the precaution of calling Alicia Palmer on the way to White Vineyards. Alicia and Fiona were pals. Alicia dropped everything, so Rick and Coop expected her at any moment.

The sound of the Land Cruiser on the drive sent a ripple of relief through Coop. Alicia would know what to do.

Before the beautiful woman camethrough the door, Fiona asked, "When can l have his body?"

"I'll get the autopsy performed today. I'll call you as soon as it's over. You understand this is necessary?" Rick spoke in a low tone.

"Yes, I understand." She sat upright, speaking deliberately. "I want you both to know that my husband did not commit suicide."

Alicia entered without knocking, greeted the sheriff and deputy as she walked over to Fiona. She leaned down to embrace her friend, and that's when Fiona gave way.

As Fiona's sobs shortened, Rick briefed Alicia on the disposition of the body.

"I'll take care of the details." Alicia held Fiona's hand.

"Fiona, please forgive me for pressing you at this time, but it's crucial. We must go through Hy's papers and computer."

"Must it be now?" Alicia spoke for her friend.

"Yes. Alicia, if this isn't suicide, others may be in danger," Rick stated.

Fiona nodded that it was all right.

Alicia asked, "Is she in danger?"

"I don't care if I am," Fiona flared. "Let them come and get me. I don't want to live without Hy. I don't care!"

Coop calmly reminded her, "You have to live long enough to clear his name."

Fiona blinked, nodded, and said, "You're right."

34

Hy Maudant's funeral, a desultory affair, was attended by twenty-five people that Friday. St. Luke's seemed cavernous with so few mourners in the pews, but the Reverend Jones rose to the occasion. He didn't want to praise a murderer, but he didn't wish to condemn him, either. While Herb didn't know conclusively if Hy had killed Toby, he felt the evidence against him to be overwhelming. However, the Christian God is a merciful God, and Herb wanted to console Fiona and leave some shred of dignity with the departed.

Whenever confronted with a knotty problem, Herb turned to the Psalms. He read from Psalm Twenty-five:" Turn thou to me, and be gracious to me; for I am lonely and afflicted. Relieve the troubles of myheart, and bring me out of my distresses. Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins.'"

As the service ended, Hy's casket was carried by four men from Hill and Wood Funeral Parlor, along with Fair Haristeen and Jim Sanburne.

Fiona, supported by Alicia and Boom-Boom, followed her husband's casket to the shining black hearse. Aware that eyes were upon her, she held her head up.

Eight people attended the burial apart from the pallbearers: Harry, BoomBoom, Alicia, Susan, Miranda, Tracy, Little Mim, and Aunt Tally.

As they repaired to Fiona's house for the traditional gathering, Aunt Tally waited for Harry to walk next to her.

"Aunt Tally." Harry slipped her arm through the old lady's free arm as Tally used her cane with the other one.

"We could have done better," the nonagenarian muttered under her breath.

"Beg pardon?" Harry inclined her ear toward Aunt Tally.

"Crozet should have done better by Fiona. Whatever Hy did is buried with him. No need to punish his widow."

"You're right." Harry shortened her steps.

"I have a terrible feeling, Aunt Tally."

"We all do, dear."

"It's not just about Hy's death. It's about all of this. Usually I can piece things together. Even if I don't put all the puzzle together, I'm close and I eventually figure it all out. But I'm blind this time."

"Malaise." Aunt Tally nodded. "I think we all feel that, Harry. It's not just the shock of this death or the visceral impact of the others, it's that we can't see why." She stopped, withdrawing her arm from Harry's to put both hands on the silver hound's head of her ebony cane. "Mark me, Harry, I am near one hundred and I tell you with the fullness of my years: there is nothing new under the sun. There are new technologies, but there is nothing new in the nature of the human animal."

"I believe that," Harry interjected while Aunt Tally took a deep breath.