Irregardless of Murder (Miss Prentice Cozy Mysteries) by E. E. Kennedy Page B
Authors: E. E. Kennedy
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when I attempted to squirm around him, large hands gripped my shoulders and restrained me.
“He knows what he’s doing, ma’am,” he kept repeating. “We gotta stay back.”
“He?” I stood on tiptoe and caught sight of a flash of shiny yellow. No one was talking now. The only sound was the whipping of the wind in my ears.
All at once I heard a cough, then a retching sound. A happy collective murmur spread through the crowd. There was a smattering of applause. The crowd parted and I stepped forward to see Lily’s small, crumpled form stirring once more to life.
The one who had revived her sat back on his heels, scratched his scruffy head, and beamed at me.
It was Professor Alexander Alexander.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“It was Providence, dear lady,” insisted Alec. “The poor mite was out there, flailing away desperately when I caught sight of her. I knew right away who it was. She must have just gone down for the third time, as it were, when the lads fetched her out.” He waved away my gratitude and smiled down at the stretcher where Lily lay, shivering and unnaturally quiet.
“Gracious Providence,” he repeated, rolling his r’s gently. “There’s just no other explanation. I was tempted, remember, to remain in your pleasant company, but something compelled me to go out at that moment and scan the waves.” He shrugged and ran a knuckle under one eye. “Providence,” he repeated gruffly and ambled away.
It was just a few minutes to the Vermont side, where an ambulance was waiting. As I began to climb in the back with Lily, she crooked a trembling finger at me. I leaned close to her face.
“Don’t look so worried. I’ll be all right,” she said hoarsely. “You go on to the sale.” Her hand, very cold and still a little damp, patted mine.
“No, Lily! I’m going with you.” I pulled the blanket down at the end of the stretcher. One of her stockinged feet had been sticking out. I hoped it was just my imagination that it looked a bit blue.
“Nonsense!” she snapped, and my heart lifted a little to hear the spirit returning to her voice. “Come back up here where I can see you!”
I obeyed and her voice dropped to a raspy whisper. “You need to drive my car off that boat and I’m going to need a nightie. They’re taking me to the hospital.” She looked around her. “Where’s my purse?” she wailed weakly and grabbed my arm. “Oh, no! It’s at the bottom of the lake!” She tried to rise on one elbow, but an attendant restrained her.
A long arm bearing the bag in question thrust in the ambulance door. “I found it on the deck,” said Vern. “Dry as a bone.” He withdrew into the crowd.
Flat on her back, Lily fumbled in the bag for her car keys and a credit card. She handed them to me and, clutching the bag to her breast, ordered, “Run along now.” Her voice was gaining strength with use. “Come see me at the hospital in a little while once I’ve gotten cleaned up. And tell that tall kid thanks. Remember,” she called as I backed out of the ambulance, “pale pink. Size eight, petite. Or small. Whichever they have—” The ambulance door slammed shut.
“Don’t worry, Ma’am, your friend’ll be okay,” the attendant assured me. “We see all kinds in this job, and this one’s a keeper.”
“Did they find her shoes?” I asked. “They’re alligator and—”
“Sorry.” He shrugged. “Must have come off in the lake.” He climbed in the front seat and the ambulance pulled away.
Poor Lily. She loved those shoes.
Vern walked up to me, snapping his fingers impatiently. “Need the keys. We gotta get her car off the ferry. They can’t load up for the return trip till we do.”
I handed them over and he bounded away.
I found a bench near the ticket booth and waited, shivering, for Vern to return with the car.
Someone walked up and stood before me. “Miss Prentice, how is Mrs. Burns?”
I looked up at Sally Jennings. “She’s going to be fine, we
“He knows what he’s doing, ma’am,” he kept repeating. “We gotta stay back.”
“He?” I stood on tiptoe and caught sight of a flash of shiny yellow. No one was talking now. The only sound was the whipping of the wind in my ears.
All at once I heard a cough, then a retching sound. A happy collective murmur spread through the crowd. There was a smattering of applause. The crowd parted and I stepped forward to see Lily’s small, crumpled form stirring once more to life.
The one who had revived her sat back on his heels, scratched his scruffy head, and beamed at me.
It was Professor Alexander Alexander.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“It was Providence, dear lady,” insisted Alec. “The poor mite was out there, flailing away desperately when I caught sight of her. I knew right away who it was. She must have just gone down for the third time, as it were, when the lads fetched her out.” He waved away my gratitude and smiled down at the stretcher where Lily lay, shivering and unnaturally quiet.
“Gracious Providence,” he repeated, rolling his r’s gently. “There’s just no other explanation. I was tempted, remember, to remain in your pleasant company, but something compelled me to go out at that moment and scan the waves.” He shrugged and ran a knuckle under one eye. “Providence,” he repeated gruffly and ambled away.
It was just a few minutes to the Vermont side, where an ambulance was waiting. As I began to climb in the back with Lily, she crooked a trembling finger at me. I leaned close to her face.
“Don’t look so worried. I’ll be all right,” she said hoarsely. “You go on to the sale.” Her hand, very cold and still a little damp, patted mine.
“No, Lily! I’m going with you.” I pulled the blanket down at the end of the stretcher. One of her stockinged feet had been sticking out. I hoped it was just my imagination that it looked a bit blue.
“Nonsense!” she snapped, and my heart lifted a little to hear the spirit returning to her voice. “Come back up here where I can see you!”
I obeyed and her voice dropped to a raspy whisper. “You need to drive my car off that boat and I’m going to need a nightie. They’re taking me to the hospital.” She looked around her. “Where’s my purse?” she wailed weakly and grabbed my arm. “Oh, no! It’s at the bottom of the lake!” She tried to rise on one elbow, but an attendant restrained her.
A long arm bearing the bag in question thrust in the ambulance door. “I found it on the deck,” said Vern. “Dry as a bone.” He withdrew into the crowd.
Flat on her back, Lily fumbled in the bag for her car keys and a credit card. She handed them to me and, clutching the bag to her breast, ordered, “Run along now.” Her voice was gaining strength with use. “Come see me at the hospital in a little while once I’ve gotten cleaned up. And tell that tall kid thanks. Remember,” she called as I backed out of the ambulance, “pale pink. Size eight, petite. Or small. Whichever they have—” The ambulance door slammed shut.
“Don’t worry, Ma’am, your friend’ll be okay,” the attendant assured me. “We see all kinds in this job, and this one’s a keeper.”
“Did they find her shoes?” I asked. “They’re alligator and—”
“Sorry.” He shrugged. “Must have come off in the lake.” He climbed in the front seat and the ambulance pulled away.
Poor Lily. She loved those shoes.
Vern walked up to me, snapping his fingers impatiently. “Need the keys. We gotta get her car off the ferry. They can’t load up for the return trip till we do.”
I handed them over and he bounded away.
I found a bench near the ticket booth and waited, shivering, for Vern to return with the car.
Someone walked up and stood before me. “Miss Prentice, how is Mrs. Burns?”
I looked up at Sally Jennings. “She’s going to be fine, we
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