“If he’s that good, I might put him to work myself.” Clementine laughed. “Antoinette would rather have someone her age to talk to instead of her old gram.”
“You hush that talk,” Antoinette admonished her grandmother with a smile as she wheeled the cart to the dishwasher. She had to steer with some care around Diesel, who attempted to rub against her legs. “I’ll be gone back to school soon and won’t get to see you much until Thanksgiving.”
“My granddaughter is a student at Vanderbilt,” Clementine told Benjy with obvious pride. “She wants to be a doctor.”
“That’s great,” Benjy said. “Do you like college?”
Dickce thought his tone seemed wistful. He had mentioned college himself a few times, but evidently money was an issue.
Antoinette dimpled. “I sure do. There’s a lot of hard work, but I don’t mind. Are you going to school?”
Benjy shook his head. “I’d like to, but I don’t have the money right now. I want to be a veterinarian.” He scratched Diesel’s head. “I like animals a lot.”
“That one sure seems to like you,” Antoinette said. “He is the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen.”
Benjy blushed and nodded. “I wish I could take him back to California with me.” He wandered toward Antoinette and the dishwasher with Diesel at his side.
While the two young people chatted about California, Dickce talked to Clementine about shopping. “An’gel told me I probably need to go into town and buy some groceries. Especially since we don’t know how long this swarm of locusts is going to be staying with us.”
Clementine pulled a small notebook from the pocket of her apron and tore out a couple of pages. “This is what I’m guessing we’re gonna need for the next three or four days. I think that’s all, but you may want to check for anything I missed.”
Dickce almost groaned as she scanned the list. She was glad Benjy wanted to go with her. Clementine’s requests would fill at least two shopping carts, if not three.
“I’ll have to check with Kanesha Berry to see if it’s okay for Benjy and me to go,” Dickce said. “And then, hopefully, we’ll be on our way.”
Clementine shook her head. “I sure do appreciate it. That pantry is as bare as I’ve ever seen it, except for those jars of muscadine jelly and tomatoes I put up.”
Dickce nodded. They couldn’t feed their guests on jelly and tomatoes alone. “I’ll go find out about going into town.” She glanced over at Benjy and Antoinette, still chatting by the dishwasher. “If you do have something Benjy can help with for a little while, that would be a small blessing. If he can keep busy, I’m hoping he won’t have time to brood much about his mother.”
“Don’t you worry, Miss Dickce,” Clementine said. “Me and Antoinette will look after that poor child. That cat, too. I’m not used to having so much company in here, but right now I’m liking it pretty fine.”
Dickce left the kitchen in search of An’gel and Kanesha, well aware that Clementine, one of the most kindhearted women she knew, would look after Benjy. Dickce wasn’t sure why she herself was so determined to see to the boy’s welfare. She had always liked young people and occasionally regretted that neither she nor her sister had married and had children of their own.
You are not taking that child to raise. She could hear An’gel scolding her already. She had no intention of taking Benjy to raise, but she didn’t see any harm in keeping an eye on him. Nobody else was, as far as she could tell, and he was too young to weather all this on his own. If An’gel made an issue of it, that was exactly what Dickce would tell her.
Dickce walked into the parlor while Kanesha was addressing the assembled family, all of whom were seated on the sofas and chairs near the fireplace. Kanesha had her back to the door, and Dickce walked around to the left where An’gel stood to one side of the fireplace.
“. . . you’ll understand that I have further questions to ask. I have to reiterate that we are treating this as a suspicious death. I can’t say any more about that right now, until we have the results of various tests. I have to work on the assumption that this was a deliberate act, and not an accident.”
“It certainly wasn’t an accident,” Rosabelle said. “No matter what my children might think. Deputy, I would like to talk to you first, before you interview the rest of my family.” She rose from her chair.
“That’s fine, Mrs. Sultan,” Kanesha said. “If you’ll come with me to the library, we’ll get started. I would appreciate it if the rest of you would be on hand during this process. It will make everything go smoother and quicker that way. If at any time you need to talk to me, one of my deputies will be here to assist you.”
Dickce hadn’t noticed him before, but now she spotted a man in uniform positioned by the front window. He looked vaguely familiar, but he was not the young man who had spent the night keeping watch.
“Mrs. Sultan, if you’ll come with me now, please.” Kanesha stood back to allow Rosabelle to pass, then turned to follow her.
“Deputy Berry,” Dickce said, stepping forward. “If I could ask a quick question.”
“Certainly, Miss Dickce,” Kanesha said. “You can go on ahead, Mrs. Sultan. Deputy Bates is in the library. I won’t be long.”
Rosabelle nodded, though she frowned at Dickce. Dickce ignored that and approached Kanesha. She spoke in an undertone. “I need to go grocery shopping, and I’d like to take Benjy Stephens with me. I know you will want to talk to him first, though.”
Kanesha nodded. “Yes, ma’am, I do need to interview him. I will put him next after Mrs. Sultan. I suppose it will be all right for him to accompany you. Are you sure you will be okay with him?”
“Yes,” Dickce said firmly. “These people really aren’t his family, and he and his stepfather don’t get along. Benjy needs distraction, and I thought it would do him good to get away from all this, even for an hour.”
“Okay, then. I will finish with him as soon as I can.” Kanesha nodded once more before she headed out of the room.
“I hope this isn’t going to take all day,” Maudine said. “I can’t stand to be cooped up in one room like this.”
“I heard thunder a few minutes ago,” Wade said. “Why don’t you go out for a walk and see if you can get lightning to strike you? Stand under a tree.”
Maudine’s face turned so purple Dickce thought she might burst right there.
“Wade, don’t talk to Maudine like that.” Bernice shook a finger at her half brother. “You’re going to make us all upset, and that’s the last thing we need right now.”
“Tell Maudine to stop complaining, then.” Wade crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Bernice. “Mother is in there now with that deputy saying who knows what about all of us, and I am tired of hearing the sound of Maudine’s whining.”
Dickce wondered whether she should offer to lead them in a sing-along. Maybe that would get them to settle down.
No, she decided, they would only argue about what song to sing. She had seldom encountered a family so determined not to be civil with one another.
“Uncle Wade, please.” Juanita held out a hand toward him in a clear entreaty. “We’re all on edge right now. Deputy Berry impresses me as a smart professional. Whatever Grandmother tells her, I’m sure the deputy is shrewd enough to see through any attempts to mislead her.”
“That is certainly true,” An’gel said. “Deputy Berry is an experienced officer. She has handled several investigations like this in the past couple of years. I can assure you she will treat everyone fairly and not be prejudiced by anything Rosabelle might say to her.”
“How about something to drink?” Dickce said. “I think Clementine has the iced tea ready by now. I’ll just go and see about it.” She was eager to get out of the room.
“How about something stronger?” Wade asked, his tone still strident. “I need a real drink.”