Nuts and Buried by Elizabeth Lee Page A

by.”
    â€œShould’ve known. Not many secrets around Riverville. Hunter Austen will be coming out soon, too,” I lied. “He’s a local sheriff’s deputy.” I added this last part for Wanda.
    I saw Billy shiver. “Rather not be here to talk to him. I’m not ready for something like that . . .” He shot a pleading glance at Wanda.
    She made a face at him. “Not about you, Billy. It’s about Jeannie’s deceased husband. Talking all over town how he was murdered, didn’t commit suicide. No accident.”
    She turned to Jeannie. “They’ll pay the insurance, long as it wasn’t you who killed him. And you’ll get all the rest, too. But you can’t sit out here and leave that sister of his to grab everything. You go back there too late and I’ll bet you anything the place is stripped clean. I seen women fighting over flowerpots after a man dies.”
    I didn’t know if it was the right time or not, but I pulled the attorney’s card from my pocket and handed it to Jeannie. “Elizabeth stopped by my greenhouse, said you should call this man. The estate has to be settled.”
    Jeannie took the card and looked at it, then at me. “I don’t want anything from her. Tell her she can have everything. I loved Eugene. But I shouldn’t have married him. Awful things happen around me. People die. First my father . . .” She shook her head. “It’s all my fault.”
    Her eyes welled as her mother scoffed and her brother cleared his throat. I had to say, the man looked miserable.
    Melody leaned over and patted Jeannie’s folded hands. “I want you to go ahead and call Ben Fordyce.” She noddedalong with her words. “He’s the lawyer everybody around here goes to. Ben’ll help you.”
    Wanda pushed her chair back and stood, one hand shooting to the hip she stuck out. “Go get your stuff, Jeannie. I’m taking you back to that house right now. You’ve got nothing to be afraid of. I’ll be staying right there with you. Billy, too. She won’t go starting nothing with us there.”
    Miranda was on her feet. I could see her chest puffing up and her chin sinking down.
    â€œShe’s not goin’ anywhere she don’t want to go.”
    The words were growled. Melody said nothing though I thought I caught a smug smile cross her lips.
    â€œWell, yes, she is.” Wanda didn’t bother to look around at what she thought was a useless old lady. “I’m her mother.”
    â€œAnd Jeannie’s a grown woman. Let her talk for herself. You want to go with these two, Jeannie?”
    Jeannie shook her head.
    â€œThen that’s settled.” Miranda reached around and grabbed Wanda by the back of her neck and lifted her around the chair as the woman squealed and flailed out.
    Miranda tapped Billy on the shoulder and lifted her head, letting him know she wanted him up and out of there, too.
    Wanda went cursing and kicking out the front door. We ran to watch as Miranda prodded a squealing and cursing Wanda over to the blue Ford. Billy walked along behind, doing nothing to help his mother. When they were both in the car and turned around, headed back out the road, we all watched, hand up over our eyes against the sun, until we couldn’t see them anymore. Miranda swiped her hands together, and walked back to the house, offering everybody more cookies.

Chapter Twelve

    â€œWe’re going to the Barking Coyote,” Meemaw said on the way back from the Chaunceys’.
    â€œCan’t. I’ve got a dinner date with Peter Franklin. He was out to the greenhouse this afternoon, along with Elizabeth Wheatley. I think I’d better get it over with or he might never go back to Italy or wherever the heck he’s from. I don’t like people coming to the greenhouse. Seemed, I don’t know, like he was invading my space. Best that man left