bundle.
It was a large piece of fabric, a garment of some kind, slightly damp now from the recent rain shower. She gathered it up and moved back into the shelter of the trees.
She unfolded the garment and held it up. It was a coat. It was one of those practical all-purpose coats that Herculeahâs mother was always after her to buy.
She drew in her breath and peered closer. There were dark stains on the fabric. Brown stains. And Herculeah knew instantly what the stains were.
Blood.
18
DRAGON-LADY RED AND TICKLE-ME PINK PINK
Herculeah felt an instant and deep concern for the owner of this coat. And, at the same time, she felt a deep determination to find out what had happened to the owner.
The belt of the coat hung loosely to the ground. She ran her fingers over it thoughtfully as if seeking a clue.
She realized that if the raincoat had been wrapped and tied with the belt before being thrown from the tower, it would look exactly as Meat had described it. First it would appear to be round, even a stone, and then as it unfolded and was blown by the wind it might seem to have wings.
But whose coat was it?
She held it against her, checking the size. It was a small coat, too small to fit her. And way too small for Nurse Wegman.
She eyed it. And it couldnât belong to the sister. She hadnât been out of the house for fifty years. The style of clothing she wore was so old that even Hidden Treasures wouldnât carry it.
She patted the pockets.
Yes! Now at last she would learn something about the owner of the coat. What people kept in their pockets was often revealing.
She was reaching into the left pocket when she saw movement at the house. Instinctively she drew back deeper into the trees.
The front door opened and Nurse Wegman came out. She was wearing a down jacket and a cap. The peak of the cap hid her eyes.
She paused on the steps and looked to the right and left. Her eyes seemed to linger on the grove of trees where Herculeah was hiding. Herculeah clutched the coat tightly against her as if for protection. To her great relief, the eyes moved on.
Nurse Wegman came down the steps. She turned away from the direction of the tower. Anyway, she couldnât have been headed there. The tower had no outside door. She circled the house and walked to the large stone garage at the rear. Herculeah had not noticed the garage before. Nurse Wegman entered the garage by a side door and closed it behind her.
Herculeah sighed with relief. Now she could get back to the pockets. She reached into the left pocket and took out the contents. There wasnât as much there as she had hopedâa crumpled tissue, a small comb, and a lipstick.
Well, there was one other pocket to search. She was disappointed in what she found there, tooâa scarf and a single white glove.
The scarf was white silk. The lipstick was Coty. Herculeah took off the cap and twisted the base. The lipstick was pale pink.
She glanced at the bottom of the tube. In the little red circle, in white letters, was the shade: Petal Rose.
Herculeah didnât know much about lipsticksâshe didnât bother with the stuff herselfâbut she did know that a lipstick called Petal Rose would never have appealed to Nurse Wegman. Sheâd want something like Dragon-Lady Red.
And the old sister, sheâd want something like Tickle-Me Pink. Herculeah grinned. Maybe, she thought, Iâll go into the cosmetics business and think of names for them.
She broke off quickly.
She noticed the garage door was being opened. She noticed one other thing: Her hair was beginning to frizzle.
19
DEAD PHONE, DEAD MAN?
The garage door was not one of those modern, remote-controlled garage doors. This door required manpower, but Nurse Wegman was up to the job. She shoved the door with such force that it not only opened but rattled overhead in its tracks as if it didnât want to stop. Herculeah could hear the noise from where she stood in the trees.
A
It was a large piece of fabric, a garment of some kind, slightly damp now from the recent rain shower. She gathered it up and moved back into the shelter of the trees.
She unfolded the garment and held it up. It was a coat. It was one of those practical all-purpose coats that Herculeahâs mother was always after her to buy.
She drew in her breath and peered closer. There were dark stains on the fabric. Brown stains. And Herculeah knew instantly what the stains were.
Blood.
18
DRAGON-LADY RED AND TICKLE-ME PINK PINK
Herculeah felt an instant and deep concern for the owner of this coat. And, at the same time, she felt a deep determination to find out what had happened to the owner.
The belt of the coat hung loosely to the ground. She ran her fingers over it thoughtfully as if seeking a clue.
She realized that if the raincoat had been wrapped and tied with the belt before being thrown from the tower, it would look exactly as Meat had described it. First it would appear to be round, even a stone, and then as it unfolded and was blown by the wind it might seem to have wings.
But whose coat was it?
She held it against her, checking the size. It was a small coat, too small to fit her. And way too small for Nurse Wegman.
She eyed it. And it couldnât belong to the sister. She hadnât been out of the house for fifty years. The style of clothing she wore was so old that even Hidden Treasures wouldnât carry it.
She patted the pockets.
Yes! Now at last she would learn something about the owner of the coat. What people kept in their pockets was often revealing.
She was reaching into the left pocket when she saw movement at the house. Instinctively she drew back deeper into the trees.
The front door opened and Nurse Wegman came out. She was wearing a down jacket and a cap. The peak of the cap hid her eyes.
She paused on the steps and looked to the right and left. Her eyes seemed to linger on the grove of trees where Herculeah was hiding. Herculeah clutched the coat tightly against her as if for protection. To her great relief, the eyes moved on.
Nurse Wegman came down the steps. She turned away from the direction of the tower. Anyway, she couldnât have been headed there. The tower had no outside door. She circled the house and walked to the large stone garage at the rear. Herculeah had not noticed the garage before. Nurse Wegman entered the garage by a side door and closed it behind her.
Herculeah sighed with relief. Now she could get back to the pockets. She reached into the left pocket and took out the contents. There wasnât as much there as she had hopedâa crumpled tissue, a small comb, and a lipstick.
Well, there was one other pocket to search. She was disappointed in what she found there, tooâa scarf and a single white glove.
The scarf was white silk. The lipstick was Coty. Herculeah took off the cap and twisted the base. The lipstick was pale pink.
She glanced at the bottom of the tube. In the little red circle, in white letters, was the shade: Petal Rose.
Herculeah didnât know much about lipsticksâshe didnât bother with the stuff herselfâbut she did know that a lipstick called Petal Rose would never have appealed to Nurse Wegman. Sheâd want something like Dragon-Lady Red.
And the old sister, sheâd want something like Tickle-Me Pink. Herculeah grinned. Maybe, she thought, Iâll go into the cosmetics business and think of names for them.
She broke off quickly.
She noticed the garage door was being opened. She noticed one other thing: Her hair was beginning to frizzle.
19
DEAD PHONE, DEAD MAN?
The garage door was not one of those modern, remote-controlled garage doors. This door required manpower, but Nurse Wegman was up to the job. She shoved the door with such force that it not only opened but rattled overhead in its tracks as if it didnât want to stop. Herculeah could hear the noise from where she stood in the trees.
A
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