Dead to the World by Susan Rogers Cooper Page B

I would say he was upstairs staring out the window waiting for them to leave, but that would seem spiteful – true, probably, but still spiteful.
    While I was helping Miss Hutchins with breakfast, I said, ‘I’ve been thinking about who could have done this to Humphrey, and I thought maybe a stranger came in to steal something. Have you noticed if anything’s missing?’
    She flipped over great slabs of ham she had frying in a cast iron skillet and said, ‘Well, I haven’t really looked, of course. Maybe we can do that after breakfast?’
    I continued cutting up a melon. ‘Sounds like a plan,’ I said.
    Willis stuck his head in the kitchen door. ‘Something smells great,’ he said.
    ‘It’s called breakfast,’ I said.
    He came all the way into the kitchen. ‘So what did the chief say? About Humphrey?’
    ‘He’s dead,’ I said.
    ‘The chief?’ he asked, eyebrows raised but a grin tickling his lips.
    I poked him in the gut with the hand that wasn’t wielding the knife. ‘He doesn’t know anything as of this moment. Diamond’s in the dining room and appears grief-stricken, and we know she’s not that good an actress,’ I said, remembering her performance ‘channeling’ Miss Hutchins’ father, ‘so maybe she really is. And as far as I can tell, she didn’t have anything to add about Humphrey’s passing.’
    ‘Should I go in there and question her?’ Willis asked.
    I shrugged. ‘Knock yourself out,’ I said. I went to the coffee machine and handed him the fresh carafe – the fifth one, and it wasn’t even eight o’clock in the morning. ‘Take this in and fill up the thermos. Oh, and here’s a mug for you,’ I said, taking one down from the cabinet. He gave a quick nod and was out the door to the dining room.
    Breakfast was a relatively quiet affair. Personally, I was starving and set about stuffing my face as quickly as possible. As usual, the food was amazing: thick ham slices were layered over chunky homemade bread, a poached egg sat on the ham, and Hollandaise sauce covered it all. Not exactly eggs Benedict, but even better with the addition of her hearty homemade bread. There was also my offering of cubes of cantaloupe and honeydew melon. And more coffee, of course. By the time we’d finished I was ready to go back to bed, but knew that wasn’t in my near future.
    ‘So, Diamond,’ I said when I’d finally finished stuffing my pie-hole, ‘what did the chief want when he talked to you earlier?’
    ‘Your husband has already drilled me,’ she said, her face stony. ‘Why don’t you ask him?’
    ‘Willis!’ I said. ‘I’m so sorry, Diamond. You know men. Like bulls in the proverbial china shop.’
    ‘Absolutely no finesse,’ she said.
    ‘The grace of a gorilla,’ I offered.
    ‘The compassion of a brown recluse,’ she said.
    ‘The—’ I started, but Willis interrupted.
    Pointing at me, he said, ‘She made me do it!’
    ‘Did not!’ I said.
    Diamond began to laugh. Unfortunately, it got out of control, the laughter turning into hysterics. I got up quickly and moved to her side. ‘Come on, Diamond, let’s get you upstairs. You need to rest.’
    ‘What I need is to get the hell out of here!’ she said, pulling away from me. ‘Away from you and your crazy husband! And away from this batty old broad! It’s all her fault, you know!’ I couldn’t help looking at Miss Hutchins, who appeared to have shriveled up before my very eyes. ‘If she’d been a better daughter, her father wouldn’t be doing this! You know he killed Humphrey! We all know he did it!’
    I moved away from the banshee act now in full swing from the so-called medium.
    ‘I really think you need to go to your room, Diamond,’ I said, in the same voice I use when chastising my children for various wrong-doings. ‘You know you can’t leave,’ I added. ‘Chief Cotton said we had to stay here until—’
    Diamond jumped to her feet. ‘I can do whatever I want! And I want to get out of here!’