truthfully, it was better coffee than she could make at home. Cyrus put his cup of coffee on the table and sat down on the couch next to Sadie.
“Marnie is not having coffee with us?” she asked.
“She thought she’d take this opportunity to do some errands while you’re here with me,” he said.
“She doesn’t like to leave me alone. She’s afraid I’ll fall and break my hip, I guess.”
“Funny, I’ve never heard of a man breaking his hip,” Betty said.
“Is that a thing?” She took a sip of coffee and looked at him over her cup, eyebrows raised.
Cy looked at Sadie and said in a low voice, “What does she mean--is that a thing? What is she talking about?”
“She’s just asking if older men break their hips as easily as older women. Because women get osteoporosis, and it makes the bones brittle.” Sadie smiled. “That’s what ‘is that a thing?’ means.”
“Oh,” the old man said, looking confused.
“I never thought about that. Marnie always is saying ‘Be careful going down those steps you might break your hip.’ I just took her word for it. Don’t men get osteoporosis?”
“I don’t think so,” Sadie said. “What other things does Marnie say to you?”
“She’s very concerned about my health,” Cy said.
“Which is good, right? Because she’s my caretaker. She says it’s dangerous for me to have a dog. I can’t go out late at night. Drinking in the bar with my buddies is limited to once a month, and I have to eat a very limited diet.” He frowned.
“I don’t like that last part, but I guess I shouldn’t complain because it’s working. I’ve never been in better health.”
“And what you do with all the money you save from not having a dog or drinking with your buddies or eating too extravagantly?” Lucy asked.
“It’s in my savings account,” Cyrus said. “You don’t have to worry. I pay Marnie well, and she’s not in my will.”
“Smart move,” Lucy said. “Does she have access to your bank accounts?”
“Do I look like an idiot?” Cy asked.
“I do all my own banking. I pay my bills, I balance my accounts, and I reconcile my statements. My banker says I’m fiscally responsible, but really I’m just careful. I always wanted to be careful so I wouldn’t let my sweetheart down.”
“Oh, that’s so charming,” Betty said. “This is a lovely cake, Mr. Dumville, did you make it yourself?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” he said, “I bought it from the bakery. Do I look like the kind of man who puts on an apron and bakes a cake?”
“I’m sure you’d look charming in an apron,” Lucy said.
“Of course I look charming, I’m a charming old man. That doesn’t mean I can bake a cake. As it turns out, I can’t. And neither can Marnie.”
“Did Marnie find you when you got hit on the head, and your painting was stolen?” Sadie asked.
“Yes, I told that nice lady police officer. Marnie found me and put me to bed.” He touched the back of his head absently.
“Where were you when she found you?” Betty asked. “In here?”
“No. The kitchen. And she cleaned up the mess. That lady police officer was not pleased about that. And it’s funny,” he looked at Sadie, “funny strange,” he winked, “because we have a cleaning lady. Marnie never cleans anything.”
“What are Marnie’s duties?” Sadie asked.
“My son hired her, mostly she’s just here if I have an emergency. So I’m not living alone since my wife died. But Marnie, she takes her duties seriously. She says as long as she is getting paid to keep an eye on me, she’s going to make sure I don’t do anything stupid.” He sighed.
“But I wish she’d let me see my friends more often. I’d even give up the beer.”
“Maybe I can do something about that,” Sadie said. “I could mention it to your son, and he could ask her to ease up.”
“Would you do that?” he asked. “I tried to tell him, but he just says I’m exaggerating. I say to him, ‘Go down and
“Marnie is not having coffee with us?” she asked.
“She thought she’d take this opportunity to do some errands while you’re here with me,” he said.
“She doesn’t like to leave me alone. She’s afraid I’ll fall and break my hip, I guess.”
“Funny, I’ve never heard of a man breaking his hip,” Betty said.
“Is that a thing?” She took a sip of coffee and looked at him over her cup, eyebrows raised.
Cy looked at Sadie and said in a low voice, “What does she mean--is that a thing? What is she talking about?”
“She’s just asking if older men break their hips as easily as older women. Because women get osteoporosis, and it makes the bones brittle.” Sadie smiled. “That’s what ‘is that a thing?’ means.”
“Oh,” the old man said, looking confused.
“I never thought about that. Marnie always is saying ‘Be careful going down those steps you might break your hip.’ I just took her word for it. Don’t men get osteoporosis?”
“I don’t think so,” Sadie said. “What other things does Marnie say to you?”
“She’s very concerned about my health,” Cy said.
“Which is good, right? Because she’s my caretaker. She says it’s dangerous for me to have a dog. I can’t go out late at night. Drinking in the bar with my buddies is limited to once a month, and I have to eat a very limited diet.” He frowned.
“I don’t like that last part, but I guess I shouldn’t complain because it’s working. I’ve never been in better health.”
“And what you do with all the money you save from not having a dog or drinking with your buddies or eating too extravagantly?” Lucy asked.
“It’s in my savings account,” Cyrus said. “You don’t have to worry. I pay Marnie well, and she’s not in my will.”
“Smart move,” Lucy said. “Does she have access to your bank accounts?”
“Do I look like an idiot?” Cy asked.
“I do all my own banking. I pay my bills, I balance my accounts, and I reconcile my statements. My banker says I’m fiscally responsible, but really I’m just careful. I always wanted to be careful so I wouldn’t let my sweetheart down.”
“Oh, that’s so charming,” Betty said. “This is a lovely cake, Mr. Dumville, did you make it yourself?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” he said, “I bought it from the bakery. Do I look like the kind of man who puts on an apron and bakes a cake?”
“I’m sure you’d look charming in an apron,” Lucy said.
“Of course I look charming, I’m a charming old man. That doesn’t mean I can bake a cake. As it turns out, I can’t. And neither can Marnie.”
“Did Marnie find you when you got hit on the head, and your painting was stolen?” Sadie asked.
“Yes, I told that nice lady police officer. Marnie found me and put me to bed.” He touched the back of his head absently.
“Where were you when she found you?” Betty asked. “In here?”
“No. The kitchen. And she cleaned up the mess. That lady police officer was not pleased about that. And it’s funny,” he looked at Sadie, “funny strange,” he winked, “because we have a cleaning lady. Marnie never cleans anything.”
“What are Marnie’s duties?” Sadie asked.
“My son hired her, mostly she’s just here if I have an emergency. So I’m not living alone since my wife died. But Marnie, she takes her duties seriously. She says as long as she is getting paid to keep an eye on me, she’s going to make sure I don’t do anything stupid.” He sighed.
“But I wish she’d let me see my friends more often. I’d even give up the beer.”
“Maybe I can do something about that,” Sadie said. “I could mention it to your son, and he could ask her to ease up.”
“Would you do that?” he asked. “I tried to tell him, but he just says I’m exaggerating. I say to him, ‘Go down and
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