Read Online Kent Conwell - Tony Boudreaux 04 - Vicksburg by Kent Conwell - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kent Conwell
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“Certainly,
sir.”
“You probably knew more about John Edney than anyone”
She cast a sidelong glance at the parlor. “I knew him very
well. Probably better than his own children.”
I picked up a nuance of resentment in her tone. Then I
remembered the will. I tried not to push too fast. “How long
had you been with him?”
Her response was instantaneous. “Eighteen years, six
months, and fourteen days. Never sick once. I always had his
meals on time, kept his house clean, and his clothes fresh.
Not once did Mr. Edney ever complain.”
“He must have been satisfied. He included you in his will.”
Her eyes narrowed. “How did you know that? What business is it of yours?”
“Jack and I are old friends. I’m a private investigator back
in Texas. Jack couldn’t believe his father was so careless that
he killed himself in an accident. He wanted to look into it.”
Her glaring suspicion turned into a frown. “Look into it?”
Her frown deepened as she absorbed the implication of my
remarks. “You think it wasn’t an accident?”
With a shrug, I replied, “I can’t say. Any information pertinent to Mr. Edney’s death, I have to turn over to the
Vicksburg Police Department. They make the call.”
She drew a deep breath, then slowly released it. “Yes, he
included me in his will. I haven’t seen it, but that’s what he
told me.” Her brows knitted in anger and her words reeked
with sarcasm. “He said I was in his will for the grand sum of
ten thousand dollars.” She shook her head, her words
exploding in anger. “Can you imagine, Mr. Boudreaux? I
took care of that man for eighteen years, six months, and
fourteen days-better than his worthless children have ever
done, and all he leaves me is ten thousand dollars.” She
shook her head. Tears welled in her eyes. “You know, I could
have taken some of the silver or other valuables and sold
them on eBay or at some flea market. Nobody would have
known”
I felt her hurt, and her anger. “No. They probably
wouldn’t.” ”
She gave me a rueful grin and wiped at the tears in her
eyes. “Don’t misunderstand. I’m not crying because of him,
but because I’m mad at myself, and I don’t know why. I guess
it’s because I feel like I’ve wasted eighteen years of my life.
You know, I don’t guess I should have, but I expected more.”
She drew a deep breath and slowly released it. “Mr. Edney,
well, he was the only family I had. I just expected more from
him.” She drew another deep breath, then sighed in resignation. “Well, there’s nothing I can do about it now, is there?”
I suppose not, but you could answer a few more questions for me”
Pulling herself erect, she nodded. “Certainly. What do
you want to know?”
“Tell you what, Alice. Bring me the tea in the parlor.
Bring some for yourself too. We’ll have us a little visit.”
A look of alarm showed in her face. “But, Mr. Jack. He’s
in there”
I winked at her. “He was the one who started this whole
thing.”
She nodded. “If you say so. Just you go up in the parlor,
and I’ll be right back”
Jack looked up from a rerun of “I Love Lucy” when I
entered the parlor. His face wreathed in ecstasy, he was
scratching under his cast with the slender rod. “Well, you get
settled in?”
Nodding, I sat in a Victorian wingback upholstered in red
velvet and trimmed with ornately carved rosewood. I laid
the stack of sympathy cards on the end table. “As well as
could be expected” I glanced around the parlor, noting the
heavy tan drapes on the French doors and the intricately
detailed wallpaper. “You were right about one thing. This is
an old house.”
At that moment, Alice entered with the tea. I’m no expert
on tea services, but having escorted Janice CoffmanMorrison to several of her Aunt Beatrice’s receptions, I had
seen many expensive silver tea services, and the set Alice
carried would suffer no shame in
sir.”
“You probably knew more about John Edney than anyone”
She cast a sidelong glance at the parlor. “I knew him very
well. Probably better than his own children.”
I picked up a nuance of resentment in her tone. Then I
remembered the will. I tried not to push too fast. “How long
had you been with him?”
Her response was instantaneous. “Eighteen years, six
months, and fourteen days. Never sick once. I always had his
meals on time, kept his house clean, and his clothes fresh.
Not once did Mr. Edney ever complain.”
“He must have been satisfied. He included you in his will.”
Her eyes narrowed. “How did you know that? What business is it of yours?”
“Jack and I are old friends. I’m a private investigator back
in Texas. Jack couldn’t believe his father was so careless that
he killed himself in an accident. He wanted to look into it.”
Her glaring suspicion turned into a frown. “Look into it?”
Her frown deepened as she absorbed the implication of my
remarks. “You think it wasn’t an accident?”
With a shrug, I replied, “I can’t say. Any information pertinent to Mr. Edney’s death, I have to turn over to the
Vicksburg Police Department. They make the call.”
She drew a deep breath, then slowly released it. “Yes, he
included me in his will. I haven’t seen it, but that’s what he
told me.” Her brows knitted in anger and her words reeked
with sarcasm. “He said I was in his will for the grand sum of
ten thousand dollars.” She shook her head, her words
exploding in anger. “Can you imagine, Mr. Boudreaux? I
took care of that man for eighteen years, six months, and
fourteen days-better than his worthless children have ever
done, and all he leaves me is ten thousand dollars.” She
shook her head. Tears welled in her eyes. “You know, I could
have taken some of the silver or other valuables and sold
them on eBay or at some flea market. Nobody would have
known”
I felt her hurt, and her anger. “No. They probably
wouldn’t.” ”
She gave me a rueful grin and wiped at the tears in her
eyes. “Don’t misunderstand. I’m not crying because of him,
but because I’m mad at myself, and I don’t know why. I guess
it’s because I feel like I’ve wasted eighteen years of my life.
You know, I don’t guess I should have, but I expected more.”
She drew a deep breath and slowly released it. “Mr. Edney,
well, he was the only family I had. I just expected more from
him.” She drew another deep breath, then sighed in resignation. “Well, there’s nothing I can do about it now, is there?”
I suppose not, but you could answer a few more questions for me”
Pulling herself erect, she nodded. “Certainly. What do
you want to know?”
“Tell you what, Alice. Bring me the tea in the parlor.
Bring some for yourself too. We’ll have us a little visit.”
A look of alarm showed in her face. “But, Mr. Jack. He’s
in there”
I winked at her. “He was the one who started this whole
thing.”
She nodded. “If you say so. Just you go up in the parlor,
and I’ll be right back”
Jack looked up from a rerun of “I Love Lucy” when I
entered the parlor. His face wreathed in ecstasy, he was
scratching under his cast with the slender rod. “Well, you get
settled in?”
Nodding, I sat in a Victorian wingback upholstered in red
velvet and trimmed with ornately carved rosewood. I laid
the stack of sympathy cards on the end table. “As well as
could be expected” I glanced around the parlor, noting the
heavy tan drapes on the French doors and the intricately
detailed wallpaper. “You were right about one thing. This is
an old house.”
At that moment, Alice entered with the tea. I’m no expert
on tea services, but having escorted Janice CoffmanMorrison to several of her Aunt Beatrice’s receptions, I had
seen many expensive silver tea services, and the set Alice
carried would suffer no shame in
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