Miranda James - The Silence of the Library

“That had to be the person who killed her.” Melba’s voice came out barely above a whisper. Her eyes filled with tears, and she pulled her hanky out of her pocket and scrubbed her face.

I felt pretty shaken myself. Diesel quickly picked up on our mutual distress and meowed anxiously. He came to me and rubbed his head against my thigh, seeking reassurance. I scratched his head as I tried to collect my thoughts. Diesel quieted under my ministrations.

Melba continued to sniffle, and I felt helpless in the face of her grief and horror. I would not soon forget the sound of Carrie Taylor’s voice as she left that final message for her best friend. I took a deep breath to steady my own nerves before going around the table to bend over my friend and give her a hug.

Melba clung to me, and I muttered, “It’s okay, honey, I’m here,” over and over. Slowly she calmed, and I felt her relax in my arms. I released her gently, and she gave me a tremulous smile. I patted her shoulder before I went back to my chair opposite her.

“Thank you, Charlie. I don’t know what I’d have done if I had been alone when I heard that.” Melba sighed. “I’ll have nightmares about that phone call. If only I’d been awake and able to talk to her, she might have told me who was at the door.”

I felt a deep chill all of a sudden as a terrifying thought struck me. Had the man at the door seen Carrie Taylor on the phone? If he had, would he try to track down the person she had been talking to? Melba could be in grave danger if the killer thought Carrie had identified him to someone.

Did I dare share that thought with Melba right now? She was upset enough, and I had no idea how she’d react if I told her she could be a target for the killer as well. I needed to talk to Kanesha. This was a job for the professionals.

Melba apparently had not noticed my brief lapse of attention. She pushed back her chair. “Excuse me a minute. I’m going to wash my face. Lord only knows what I must look like by now. I’m ashamed to let you see me like this.” She scurried out of the room before I could voice a disclaimer.

Diesel warbled at me, seeking more reassurance, and I rubbed his head and told him what a sweet boy he was for being so good to his friend Melba.

The doorbell interrupted our little chat, and Melba called out, asking me to see who it was, if I didn’t mind.

My pulse raced as I headed for the front door. My fears for Melba’s safety dominated my thoughts. What if the killer had come to call?

I quickly dismissed that notion, because what killer would be stupid enough to call on someone in broad daylight, when there was a car in the driveway?

Nevertheless, I paused in front of the door. I couldn’t believe Melba had no peephole. That wasn’t a good idea for a woman living alone. I took a deep breath and opened the door.

“Thank the Lord,” I said when I saw Kanesha Berry standing there.

She did not look happy to see me, however, as I stood aside and waved her in. Diesel greeted her with a loud meow, and she muttered “Hello, cat” before she focused her attention on me again.

“What are you doing here, Mr. Harris?” Kanesha glared at me.

“Who is it, Charlie?” Melba called from her bedroom. “Tell them I’ll be out in a minute.”

“It’s Kanesha Berry.” I had to raise my voice to make sure Melba heard me clearly. “We’ll be in the kitchen when you’re ready.”

I motioned for Kanesha to precede Diesel and me down the hall. Her laser stare became even more intense, but after a moment’s hesitation, she headed for the kitchen.

“To answer your question,” I said as we stepped into the sunny room, “Melba called me about forty minutes ago. She had just heard about Carrie Taylor’s death, and she was terribly upset. She asked me if I would come over, and I couldn’t say no to her. She’s one of my oldest friends.”

Kanesha’s eyes closed as she dropped into a chair. If anything, she looked even more exhausted than she had when I saw her earlier that morning. I could understand her frustration with me, but I hadn’t deliberately sought Melba out in order to interfere in the investigation.

The chief deputy’s eyes popped open. “There’s nothing I can do about it now. I’ll have to deal with the situation like I always do.” She frowned at me. “I hope I don’t have to warn you again about sticking your nose into things you shouldn’t.”

Diesel sat on the floor in front of her and stared at her. She pretended not to notice, but I could tell she was slightly unnerved by the attention. Her eyes flicked down to him every so often though she mostly focused intently on me.

“I have no intention of getting involved in your investigation.” I kept my tone even, although I was worried and irritated. “It’s not something I deliberately do because I can’t think of any other way to occupy my time. These things just happen, and somehow I end up in the middle of them.”

Before she could respond to that, I hurried on. “Listen, I’m worried that Melba could be in danger. She had a voice mail from Carrie Taylor that ended with Mrs. Taylor answering her door. She didn’t say who it was, but it was a man. It might have been the killer. I haven’t said anything to Melba because I didn’t want her to get any more upset than she already is, but something needs to be done about it.”

Kanesha rubbed a hand wearily across her eyes. “Let me talk to Mrs. Gilley and hear this message for myself. Then I’ll decide what to do.” She expelled a sharp breath. “I’m not about to let anything happen to her if I can help it, but first I have to determine whether there’s a legitimate threat. Understood?”

I nodded. “Certainly. Do you want me to leave now so that you can talk to her alone?”

Kanesha hesitated, obviously torn. I figured she would love to tell me to go home and mind my own business, but she might also have been thinking that Melba would find it easier to talk with me there.

“No, you can stay if Mrs. Gilley wants you to.” Kanesha shook her head. “Even if you didn’t, I’m sure she’d be on the phone to you the minute I walked out the door.”

“Good morning, Deputy.” Melba sounded more like her usual self when she entered the kitchen. She also looked more like her usual self. She had dressed in jeans and a sweater, combed her hair, and applied a little makeup. “Would you like some coffee? I think there’s still some in the pot, or I could make some fresh.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Gilley, but I’m fine. Mr. Harris told me earlier this morning that you were a close friend of Mrs. Taylor’s, and I wanted to talk to you about her. First, though, let me tell you how sorry I am about the death of your friend.” Kanesha’s sympathy sounded sincere, not the rote words of a stranger observing the social niceties.

“Thank you.” Melba resumed her place at the table, and I chose the chair to her left. Diesel gave up his close observation of the deputy and stretched out on the floor between Melba and me. “I’m glad you came by. There’s something I want you to hear.”

Melba picked up the cell phone and played the eerie voice mail message for Kanesha. I found it even more affecting than I did the first time I heard it. If anything, my fears for Melba’s well-being increased.

Kanesha sat stony-faced until the message ended. “Can you forward that message to me, Mrs. Gilley?” She pulled a business card from her pocket. “Here’s my number at the sheriff’s department.”

“Certainly,” Melba said as she picked up the phone. “I’ll do it right now.”

Kanesha and I waited until the task was complete and Melba set the phone aside once more. In the meantime the deputy had pulled out her notebook and pen and jotted something down in it.