impossible to teach. He says it can’t be done. Now, I’m really quite glad to be rid of him, but he was also our accompanist.”
“Don’t worry,” Benjy Goins said. “I know someone who plays piano for the Sunday morning gospel hour radio show. He’ll be happy to do it.”
“Thank you, Benjy.” Evan James looked at me entreatingly. “Tell me you have some idea who is behind all this.”
I had to admit it looked like minor vandalism. “Just keep everything locked, like the police said.”
I could tell he was disappointed I didn’t have the criminal in hand. He sighed. “Very well. Benjy, please have your friend come over right away so I can show him what needs to be done.”
As Evan started up the aisle, I followed and kept my voice low. “If you’ll give me a key and let me keep surveillance tonight, I may surprise someone.”
“Excellent,” he said.
“Only don’t say anything to anyone, not even Cindy.”
On my way to my car, I encountered drama in the parking lot. Evan was in earnest conversation with Percy. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but from the way Evan was strangling his handkerchief and Percy was flapping his arms like a condor attempting takeoff, I could tell the conversation wasn’t going in Evan’s favor.
I got into the Mazda and had reached for the key when Kimberly Dawn and Juliet walked past. Kimberly Dawn’s voice was tightly controlled.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Juliet gave an elegant shrug and kept walking. Kimberly Dawn caught her arm and made her stop. “You’re not going to make any trouble, Juliet, do you hear me?”
Juliet calmly removed the woman’s hand. She smiled a superior smile. She leaned forward and spoke right in Kimberly Dawn’s face. “I will if I want.”
I expected Kimberly Dawn to give her a lecture on manners, but the older woman stepped back. Juliet gave her a little wave and walked on. Kimberly Dawn stood for a moment, fists clenched. Then she noticed me sitting in my car.
“Oh, Madeline. Did you hear that?” She wiped her palms on her skirt and fussed with her hair. “Honestly, the nerve of that girl!”
“What was that about?”
She stooped a little to speak into my window. “That girl thinks she can do anything she likes. I—” She glanced over to Evan and Percy. “Good heavens, do I have to fix everything? Excuse me, Madeline.”
As she hurried over to the men, I wondered if Juliet had been caught doing something destructive to the stage. And if so, why Kimberly Dawn would want to protect her. I started the Mazda and drove out of the parking lot, passing Juliet in her car. She was still smiling.
***
I drove out to the Eberlin house and parked the Mazda under one of the oak trees. Carrying a couple of bags of supplies, I nudged the door open with my foot.
“Jerry, I got the stuff you wanted.”
Jerry was asleep on the sofa.
“You lazy bum,” I said. “Here I think you’re working and you’re goofing off.” I stopped. Jerry was lying very still, and there was some sort of towel on his forehead. I put the bags down and gave the sofa a little shake. “Hey, what’s the matter?” Jerry blinked up at me. “What happened? Here, don’t go back to sleep. Talk to me.”
He got his eyes open. “I fell.”
“Fell? Fell where? Are you all right? Did you break anything? Let me have a look.” I lifted the towel. “Well, you took a nice chunk out of your forehead.”
Jerry looked around. “Where’s the girl?”
“Save the delirium for later, will you? Do you remember what happened?”
“I tried to get into the attic. The door was stuck. I came back down the stairs. I must have tripped on one of those loose boards.”
“Let me fix a better bandage.” In the kitchen, I got some ice cubes out of the freezer, and wrapped them in a dishcloth. While Jerry was holding this to his forehead, I went out to my car where I keep a first aid kit
When I came back, Jerry was sitting up. “That feels
“Don’t worry,” Benjy Goins said. “I know someone who plays piano for the Sunday morning gospel hour radio show. He’ll be happy to do it.”
“Thank you, Benjy.” Evan James looked at me entreatingly. “Tell me you have some idea who is behind all this.”
I had to admit it looked like minor vandalism. “Just keep everything locked, like the police said.”
I could tell he was disappointed I didn’t have the criminal in hand. He sighed. “Very well. Benjy, please have your friend come over right away so I can show him what needs to be done.”
As Evan started up the aisle, I followed and kept my voice low. “If you’ll give me a key and let me keep surveillance tonight, I may surprise someone.”
“Excellent,” he said.
“Only don’t say anything to anyone, not even Cindy.”
On my way to my car, I encountered drama in the parking lot. Evan was in earnest conversation with Percy. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but from the way Evan was strangling his handkerchief and Percy was flapping his arms like a condor attempting takeoff, I could tell the conversation wasn’t going in Evan’s favor.
I got into the Mazda and had reached for the key when Kimberly Dawn and Juliet walked past. Kimberly Dawn’s voice was tightly controlled.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Juliet gave an elegant shrug and kept walking. Kimberly Dawn caught her arm and made her stop. “You’re not going to make any trouble, Juliet, do you hear me?”
Juliet calmly removed the woman’s hand. She smiled a superior smile. She leaned forward and spoke right in Kimberly Dawn’s face. “I will if I want.”
I expected Kimberly Dawn to give her a lecture on manners, but the older woman stepped back. Juliet gave her a little wave and walked on. Kimberly Dawn stood for a moment, fists clenched. Then she noticed me sitting in my car.
“Oh, Madeline. Did you hear that?” She wiped her palms on her skirt and fussed with her hair. “Honestly, the nerve of that girl!”
“What was that about?”
She stooped a little to speak into my window. “That girl thinks she can do anything she likes. I—” She glanced over to Evan and Percy. “Good heavens, do I have to fix everything? Excuse me, Madeline.”
As she hurried over to the men, I wondered if Juliet had been caught doing something destructive to the stage. And if so, why Kimberly Dawn would want to protect her. I started the Mazda and drove out of the parking lot, passing Juliet in her car. She was still smiling.
***
I drove out to the Eberlin house and parked the Mazda under one of the oak trees. Carrying a couple of bags of supplies, I nudged the door open with my foot.
“Jerry, I got the stuff you wanted.”
Jerry was asleep on the sofa.
“You lazy bum,” I said. “Here I think you’re working and you’re goofing off.” I stopped. Jerry was lying very still, and there was some sort of towel on his forehead. I put the bags down and gave the sofa a little shake. “Hey, what’s the matter?” Jerry blinked up at me. “What happened? Here, don’t go back to sleep. Talk to me.”
He got his eyes open. “I fell.”
“Fell? Fell where? Are you all right? Did you break anything? Let me have a look.” I lifted the towel. “Well, you took a nice chunk out of your forehead.”
Jerry looked around. “Where’s the girl?”
“Save the delirium for later, will you? Do you remember what happened?”
“I tried to get into the attic. The door was stuck. I came back down the stairs. I must have tripped on one of those loose boards.”
“Let me fix a better bandage.” In the kitchen, I got some ice cubes out of the freezer, and wrapped them in a dishcloth. While Jerry was holding this to his forehead, I went out to my car where I keep a first aid kit
When I came back, Jerry was sitting up. “That feels
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