Thoroughly 03 - Who Invited the Dead Man? by Patricia Sprinkle Page B
Authors: Patricia Sprinkle
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maintenance for an apartment complex. Jed knew the manager and got him the job. But Hiram said the alien situation got so bad up there that he decided to come on home.”
“Poor Hiram.” I had to swallow tears. “He should have stayed in Atlanta.”
Maybe Buster could tell I was about to bawl, because he gave a little chuckle. “Apparently the aliens followed him back. Hiram swore he saw one on Oglethorpe Street Thursday. He was so riled up about it, I had a time steering him back to his expired tag. But finally he promised, ‘I’ll see about that right away, Sheriff.’ He turned the truck then and there and headed for the tag agency. Sorry, Mac. My guess is that he was so rattled about getting stopped he plumb forgot your mowing.”
Charlie moved closer to my chair. “Thereby inciting Judge Yarbrough here to anger. . . .”
“I didn’t kill him!” My voice was a hoarse, desperate whisper. I raised my eyes to Buster, stricken by a sudden thought. “I didn’t even invite him to the party!”
“Somebody did.” Buster’s eyes roamed the crowded rooms.
“It’s time to send everybody home, Judge.” Charlie positively gloated at spoiling my party. “Get their names and addresses and tell them to go.”
“I have their names and addresses,” I said hotly. “But you don’t think anybody killed Hiram since this party started, do you? This house has been fuller than a well-fed pup since before noon.”
“So who was around earlier?” He waited for me to tell him who killed Hiram.
“Clarinda came at nine-thirty to get started in the kitchen. Walker and his kids came soon after to set up the tables and chairs he and Ridd brought from the church last night. We stored them in the barn in case there was a heavy dew. The florist came at ten to decorate the tables, and Ridd and Bethany followed her in with corn they picked real early. The kitchen crew came soon after that to start shucking. A lot of other people started coming around eleven, to set up the music system and televisions and to mark off the parking lots. Dad’s BarBeQue brought the food at eleven-thirty, and the place has been a madhouse since.”
“But until ten it was just you, Joe Riddley, Clarinda, and Walker.”
I didn’t remind him about Walker’s two kids. Charlie was using the fingers of one hand to count on the other, and he doesn’t have six fingers on either hand. But I wanted to smack him. “When the Sam Hill do you think any of us would have had time to kill Hiram? Besides, nobody was even in the dining room until the florist brought flowers for the table.” I nodded toward them, a larger, nicer arrangement than I’d ordered, which she’d said was a gift.
“What about Joe Riddley? And what were you and he doing before Clarinda arrived?” Charlie’s eyes drilled me like I was soft wood.
“I went to the beauty parlor at seven-thirty. Phyllis opened early especially for me. I got home a little before nine. Joe Riddley was still asleep, so I woke him and helped him dress. Then we ate breakfast. We were finishing when Clarinda got here.” And fussed about us messing up her clean kitchen. I didn’t mention that. I also didn’t mention that I’d locked our kitchen closet. Mama always locked closets before a party, so folks wouldn’t snoop. I didn’t lock most of ours, but I didn’t want folks seeing the ratty clothes we kept there for working in the yard.
“What did Joe Riddley do while you all were working so hard?”
Oh, he nipped in here on his walker and shot Hiram Blaine.
I didn’t say it, but I came within a hair. “He sat out on the porch and watched everybody work.” And barked orders that didn’t make sense, nearly driving us crazy. I didn’t say that, either. I saw no point in clouding either Charlie’s or Buster’s mind with details that didn’t have a thing to do with Hiram.
“So Joe Riddley was here alone the whole time you were gone, apparently sleeping.”
“Not
“Poor Hiram.” I had to swallow tears. “He should have stayed in Atlanta.”
Maybe Buster could tell I was about to bawl, because he gave a little chuckle. “Apparently the aliens followed him back. Hiram swore he saw one on Oglethorpe Street Thursday. He was so riled up about it, I had a time steering him back to his expired tag. But finally he promised, ‘I’ll see about that right away, Sheriff.’ He turned the truck then and there and headed for the tag agency. Sorry, Mac. My guess is that he was so rattled about getting stopped he plumb forgot your mowing.”
Charlie moved closer to my chair. “Thereby inciting Judge Yarbrough here to anger. . . .”
“I didn’t kill him!” My voice was a hoarse, desperate whisper. I raised my eyes to Buster, stricken by a sudden thought. “I didn’t even invite him to the party!”
“Somebody did.” Buster’s eyes roamed the crowded rooms.
“It’s time to send everybody home, Judge.” Charlie positively gloated at spoiling my party. “Get their names and addresses and tell them to go.”
“I have their names and addresses,” I said hotly. “But you don’t think anybody killed Hiram since this party started, do you? This house has been fuller than a well-fed pup since before noon.”
“So who was around earlier?” He waited for me to tell him who killed Hiram.
“Clarinda came at nine-thirty to get started in the kitchen. Walker and his kids came soon after to set up the tables and chairs he and Ridd brought from the church last night. We stored them in the barn in case there was a heavy dew. The florist came at ten to decorate the tables, and Ridd and Bethany followed her in with corn they picked real early. The kitchen crew came soon after that to start shucking. A lot of other people started coming around eleven, to set up the music system and televisions and to mark off the parking lots. Dad’s BarBeQue brought the food at eleven-thirty, and the place has been a madhouse since.”
“But until ten it was just you, Joe Riddley, Clarinda, and Walker.”
I didn’t remind him about Walker’s two kids. Charlie was using the fingers of one hand to count on the other, and he doesn’t have six fingers on either hand. But I wanted to smack him. “When the Sam Hill do you think any of us would have had time to kill Hiram? Besides, nobody was even in the dining room until the florist brought flowers for the table.” I nodded toward them, a larger, nicer arrangement than I’d ordered, which she’d said was a gift.
“What about Joe Riddley? And what were you and he doing before Clarinda arrived?” Charlie’s eyes drilled me like I was soft wood.
“I went to the beauty parlor at seven-thirty. Phyllis opened early especially for me. I got home a little before nine. Joe Riddley was still asleep, so I woke him and helped him dress. Then we ate breakfast. We were finishing when Clarinda got here.” And fussed about us messing up her clean kitchen. I didn’t mention that. I also didn’t mention that I’d locked our kitchen closet. Mama always locked closets before a party, so folks wouldn’t snoop. I didn’t lock most of ours, but I didn’t want folks seeing the ratty clothes we kept there for working in the yard.
“What did Joe Riddley do while you all were working so hard?”
Oh, he nipped in here on his walker and shot Hiram Blaine.
I didn’t say it, but I came within a hair. “He sat out on the porch and watched everybody work.” And barked orders that didn’t make sense, nearly driving us crazy. I didn’t say that, either. I saw no point in clouding either Charlie’s or Buster’s mind with details that didn’t have a thing to do with Hiram.
“So Joe Riddley was here alone the whole time you were gone, apparently sleeping.”
“Not
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