Denise Swanson - Murder of a Sweet Old Lady

Using the handkerchief Wally provided, she wiped her face and blew her nose.

“So what ‘stupid things’ are you thinking about?” Wally asked after she had collected herself.

“Where’s the housekeeper?” Skye blurted. “Why were the covers pulled up over Grandma’s face? What was Bingo doing outside? The doctor just said she was fine. Why is she dead?”

Wally patted her shoulder. “Now, Skye honey, there could be lots of reasons for those things. The housekeeper’s a foreigner, right?” Skye nodded. “Well, she could’ve gotten scared when your grandmother died and called for someone to pick her up. The cat probably got out when she left. And she, no doubt out of respect, covered your grandma’s face.”

Wally’s answers made sense, but Skye still felt troubled. Something just didn’t add up.

After a few minutes, Skye sighed and made a move to stand up. “I’ve got to call my aunts and uncle. She’s their mother too.”

“Sure, but why don’t you give Quirk a little while longer to find May so you can tell her first? Isn’t she the oldest?” Wally kept hold of her hand.

“The oldest of the three girls, but my Uncle Dante is the oldest. He’s sixty.”

Before she could break away from Wally, the paramedics poured from the house, yelling, “Gotta go. Another call,” as they rushed by. They piled into the ambulance and squealed out of the driveway, sounding the siren.

They almost crashed into an old Cadillac that came barreling into the drive, throwing up gravel and blowing its horn. It shuddered to a stop and the door was flung open. The six-foot-tall, three-hundred-pound man who emerged from the front seat charged over to Skye.

He grabbed her in a bear hug, lifting her off the ground. “Baby, are you okay? I heard the call about your grandma on my scanner. Sorry it took me so long. I had someone checking in at the motel and I had to get them settled.”

“I’m fine, Uncle Charlie. Everything is under control.” Skye managed a tremulous smile.

Charlie Patukas was actually her godfather, not her uncle, but he was closer to her family than most of their blood relations. Charlie owned the Up a Lazy River Motor Court, and had a hand in most of the town’s business. He had always been protective of Skye and Vince, but since she’d moved back to town last fall and gotten involved in solving a murder, his concern had often led him into the realm of paranoia.

The chief watched them for a moment, then shrugged. “I’ll go take a look at the housekeeper’s room.”

Skye related to Charlie the events leading up to her call to Simon, then spent the rest of the time in silence.

Quite a while later Simon joined them on the front steps. He spoke softly. “I’ve done what had to be done before we could move her.”

Simon stepped back inside to talk to Wally, but Skye could hear their conversation. Simon’s voice was low, but clear. “Since she died unattended, we’ll have to keep her until we can determine the cause of death.”

Wally’s deeper tone was a little harder to discern. “Fine, I’ll call Doc Zello and have him meet you at the funeral home. He recognizes death by old age when he sees it.”

Skye frowned. Wally was still treating her like she was fifteen and dismissing her concerns.

Simon had already left with her grandmother’s body when May’s white Oldsmobile careened into the driveway. The chief was looking around inside the house and Charlie was with him, supervising.

May flung the door open and ran to Skye. “Are you okay, honey?”

Skye saw the tears running down her mother’s cheeks. “I’m fine. How about you?”

“It’s such a shock. Doc Zello saw her just a few days ago, and said she was in excellent health.” May sat down on the front porch beside Skye.

May was only five feet two, with short salt-and-pepper hair and eyes the same green as her daughter’s. Skye got her height from the Denison side of the family.

“I was out back planting flowers when Quirk came over. Thought for a minute they needed me at work.” May dabbed her eyes with a tissue. “Vince will be here in a little bit. He’s looking for Dad in the field.”

“How about Aunt Mona, Aunt Minnie, and Uncle Dante?” Skye asked.

“I tried all their houses before I left. No answer anywhere.” May shook her head. “Hope we can find them before the grapevine does.”

That was odd. None of the women worked outside their homes. It was a Monday and almost five, supper time for most farm families. They all should be in their kitchens cooking. Where could they be?

Skye was sitting on the sofa talking softly to May and Charlie when her brother, Vince, arrived. He was an extremely handsome man of thirty-five. Although Vince had the Leofanti green eyes, his hair was a rich butterscotch blond. They never could figure out to what ancestor he owed its color.

After greeting everyone, Vince took a seat next to his mother and patted her hand. “Dad’s on his way.”

“Thanks, hon.”

A few minutes later, Skye’s father entered the room. He snatched a John Deere cap off his head, revealing a steel-gray crew cut and faded brown eyes. His tanned face crinkled like a leather handbag when he frowned.

Jed nodded to everybody and lowered himself into a side chair. “I’m sorry, May. Antonia was a good woman.”

They all agreed, and then sat silently, Skye getting up to let Bingo back in when he meowed at the door.

Chief Boyd coughed politely, standing at the archway between the dining and living rooms. When they became aware of his presence, he entered.

As soon as he was settled on the edge of an overstuffed chair the chief spoke. “Looks like that housekeeper of yours hightailed it out of here. The closet and drawers in her room are empty, and there’s no sign of any personal possessions. Do you have a way to reach her?”

“The only thing we have is the number of the agency we hired her through. We send our check to them, and they pay her from that,” May said.

“Well, I’ll need that address and number as soon as possible.” Wally shifted in his chair.

“I’ll get it to you first thing tomorrow.” May turned to Jed. “Don’t let me forget.”

Jed mumbled something that seemed to satisfy May.

The chief made a motion as if to get up, but May asked, “Why did Simon take her away before we got here?”

He looked down at his immaculately polished shoes and reached down to rub out an imaginary scuff mark. “Well, if a person dies alone, not in a hospital or with a doctor attending, then it’s considered suspicious until we get someone to sign off on the cause of death.” He stopped, obviously choosing his next words carefully. “So Simon had to take certain precautions in case things were ever needed for evidence.”

“I see. I guess I knew that from work.” May’s face screwed up, but she didn’t cry. “When can we make the arrangements?”

“Real soon, I expect. Doc Zello is good about taking care of things like this.” The chief stood and edged toward the door. “I’m going to get going now, unless I can do something for you folks.” He looked at May. “I’m sorry for your loss. Take as much time off work as you need.”

May nodded her thanks.

Skye finally remembered to call Father Burns. After that, she and her mother took turns on the phone trying to reach May’s sisters and brother.

Vince was sent to check the various fields that the different families owned, rented, and/or farmed; Jed went back to their place to take care of the equipment; and Charlie finally agreed to go home.

It was nearly seven and they had still failed to get in touch with any of the siblings. Skye and May sat at the kitchen table drinking from cans of soda. There was an untouched plate of saltine crackers and cheese in front of them.