if they have themselves a party, it’ll be a mess. But this is … Something’s not right.”
She gestured toward the entrance to the living room. Carrie and I looked in on the disorder that hadn’t changed in the last few minutes. “Holy mackerel,” I said, hoping it sounded more sincere to the housekeeper than it did to me.
“This is just terrible,” Carrie said with impressive conviction. But she was a professional liar. She bent down to fondle a few items. “It looks like there’s been a robbery.”
I touched some stuff, too, making sure the housekeeper noticed. “It does look like a robbery. Maybe the police should be notified.”
That panicked the housekeeper. “I don’t want any business with the po-leese. ’Sides, could be the boys did this.”
“Cut up their cushions and throw pillows? Pried the back off the TV?” Carrie asked.
The housekeeper was blinking now, edging toward the hall. Getting ready to scamper?
I quickly joined her, took her hand, and said, “Any robbers would be long gone by now. And we’re here to keep you company. You know my name. I’m Billy. That’s Carrie. And you’re …?”
“Josepha Davis. Josie.”
“Well, Josie, it might be a good idea if you did call the police.”
She shook her head and pulled back her hand. “No. No po-leese. I’ll just clean best I can, and the boys can do what they want about the po-leese when they get here.”
Carrie and I exchanged looks. My great plan wouldn’t work unless she called the cops.
“Maybe you should phone the boys, Josie,” Carrie said.
The housekeeper was amenable to that. “I’ll go get my phone,” she said, and left the room.
I nodded to Carrie, and we took off to the kitchen, where she began wiping the window and sill with a silk neckerchief. Using my handkerchief, I lowered the window and locked it. Then I ran to the back door and gave that a hearty wipe-down.
We returned to the living room to await the next event.
It came in the form of Kelsto’s laughter ringtone.
A few beats after it stopped, Josie joined us, saying, “I couldn’t get through to either of ’em. You say Mr. Kelsto’s supposed to be meeting you here?”
“That was the plan when we talked yesterday,” I said.
“Then he’ll know what to do when he gets here.”
Carrie was looking at me anxiously. “He’s not answering his phone, huh?” she said.
“No. He left it here,” the housekeeper said. “It’s got this sound of folks laughing. I could hear it after I dialed him.”
“I thought I heard laughter,” Carrie said. “But it sounded far off.”
“Basement, I think,” Josie said.
Carrie and I stared at each other. Josie seemed like a nice enough person. I didn’t feel right about setting her up for the shock of herlife. But I supposed she’d eventually have gone down to the basement on her own. In any case, Carrie barely hesitated.
“The basement’s a funny place to leave your phone,” she said.
“Mr. Kelsto uses the basement to practice his comedy,” Josie said. “He probably jus’ put it down and forgot it.”
Carrie frowned. “I don’t know … The condition of this room … Robbers … Larry not being here for our meeting … His phone down in the basement …”
Josie was frowning, too. “I guess I better …” She gave me a pleading look.
“We’ll go down with you.”
That’s me, pillar of compassion.
I positioned myself to block most of Josie’s view, but she’d seen enough. “Oh. JesusMaryJoseph,” she mumbled. “He’s dead, idden he?”
I nodded, and she began to weep.
I helped her back upstairs, straightened a chair in the dining room, and sat her on it. Carrie brought her a glass of water from the kitchen and a towelette to dry her eyes.
She took a long drink of water, almost choked on it, then pushed the glass away. She started to rise. “I got to do … call somebody … an ambulance …”
I put my hand on her shoulder and kept her on the
She gestured toward the entrance to the living room. Carrie and I looked in on the disorder that hadn’t changed in the last few minutes. “Holy mackerel,” I said, hoping it sounded more sincere to the housekeeper than it did to me.
“This is just terrible,” Carrie said with impressive conviction. But she was a professional liar. She bent down to fondle a few items. “It looks like there’s been a robbery.”
I touched some stuff, too, making sure the housekeeper noticed. “It does look like a robbery. Maybe the police should be notified.”
That panicked the housekeeper. “I don’t want any business with the po-leese. ’Sides, could be the boys did this.”
“Cut up their cushions and throw pillows? Pried the back off the TV?” Carrie asked.
The housekeeper was blinking now, edging toward the hall. Getting ready to scamper?
I quickly joined her, took her hand, and said, “Any robbers would be long gone by now. And we’re here to keep you company. You know my name. I’m Billy. That’s Carrie. And you’re …?”
“Josepha Davis. Josie.”
“Well, Josie, it might be a good idea if you did call the police.”
She shook her head and pulled back her hand. “No. No po-leese. I’ll just clean best I can, and the boys can do what they want about the po-leese when they get here.”
Carrie and I exchanged looks. My great plan wouldn’t work unless she called the cops.
“Maybe you should phone the boys, Josie,” Carrie said.
The housekeeper was amenable to that. “I’ll go get my phone,” she said, and left the room.
I nodded to Carrie, and we took off to the kitchen, where she began wiping the window and sill with a silk neckerchief. Using my handkerchief, I lowered the window and locked it. Then I ran to the back door and gave that a hearty wipe-down.
We returned to the living room to await the next event.
It came in the form of Kelsto’s laughter ringtone.
A few beats after it stopped, Josie joined us, saying, “I couldn’t get through to either of ’em. You say Mr. Kelsto’s supposed to be meeting you here?”
“That was the plan when we talked yesterday,” I said.
“Then he’ll know what to do when he gets here.”
Carrie was looking at me anxiously. “He’s not answering his phone, huh?” she said.
“No. He left it here,” the housekeeper said. “It’s got this sound of folks laughing. I could hear it after I dialed him.”
“I thought I heard laughter,” Carrie said. “But it sounded far off.”
“Basement, I think,” Josie said.
Carrie and I stared at each other. Josie seemed like a nice enough person. I didn’t feel right about setting her up for the shock of herlife. But I supposed she’d eventually have gone down to the basement on her own. In any case, Carrie barely hesitated.
“The basement’s a funny place to leave your phone,” she said.
“Mr. Kelsto uses the basement to practice his comedy,” Josie said. “He probably jus’ put it down and forgot it.”
Carrie frowned. “I don’t know … The condition of this room … Robbers … Larry not being here for our meeting … His phone down in the basement …”
Josie was frowning, too. “I guess I better …” She gave me a pleading look.
“We’ll go down with you.”
That’s me, pillar of compassion.
I positioned myself to block most of Josie’s view, but she’d seen enough. “Oh. JesusMaryJoseph,” she mumbled. “He’s dead, idden he?”
I nodded, and she began to weep.
I helped her back upstairs, straightened a chair in the dining room, and sat her on it. Carrie brought her a glass of water from the kitchen and a towelette to dry her eyes.
She took a long drink of water, almost choked on it, then pushed the glass away. She started to rise. “I got to do … call somebody … an ambulance …”
I put my hand on her shoulder and kept her on the
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