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Authors: Charlotte MacLeod
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the job. If only her old friend wouldn’t just keep sitting there, staring at that appalling shaft going straight down into her dead husband’s chest.
“Anora,” she pleaded. “Anora, it’s Sarah. Can you hear me? Are you all right? Please say something. Anything.”
“What?”
She had spoken. Thank God.
“Anora, do you know who I am?”
“Sarah. You said Sarah. Sarah, what’s happened to George? I can’t get him up.”
“I know, Anora, you mustn’t try. Max is calling an ambulance. They’ll be along very soon.”
“Call Jim.”
“Jim who?”
“Harnett, of course. Call him. Quick.”
“Oh, Dr. Harnett. Yes, of course. Max, look for Dr. James Harnett. He’s local. The number’s probably in that little book beside the telephone. Ask him to come as fast as he can.”
Max was already dialing the number, Sarah went on talking to keep Anora from drifting off again. “How long have you been sitting here, Anora?”
“I don’t know. I can’t remember. Phyllis, quit that disgusting snuffling. Get me some tea. What did you put this stupid blanket around me for? I’m stifling. Don’t just stand there, take it away.”
“Get the tea, Phyllis,” said Sarah. “I’ll tend to her. There you are, Anora, you must be stiff from sitting so long. Can you stand up, do you think?”
“I don’t know. Stop flustering me. You can’t help, I’d fall on you and squash you flat. Max, come here. Help me up. When’s Jim coming?”
“Sure, Anora. The ambulance is on its way.”
“I don’t want the ambulance, I want Jim Harnett.”
“You’ll get him. His wife’s calling the hospital now, he’s on his rounds.”
“Humph! Just like a man, always where you don’t want them to be. Oh, my God, George! George, what’s to become of me now?”
That was when she really fell apart.
6
N O DOUBT ABOUT IT , the Old Guard were tough. Anora’s breakdown lasted all of three minutes, then she was on her feet, letting Max and Sarah lead her away from the dreadful scene. Once in the morning room, with the sun streaming in through the southeast-facing bay, Sarah noticed for the first time how appallingly stained and dabbled her old friend’s robe and nightgown were. She sent Phyllis for hot water and fresh garments and told Max to go out to the kitchen, check on Cook, and not come back till he got the word.
Together, she and Phyllis got Anora cleaned up and decently garbed. By the time Phyllis was sent to make fresh tea and tell Max he was free to return, Anora was respectably settled on the button-tufted red-plush Biedermeier chaise with her feet up, a knitted afghan screening her nether limbs, and four sofa cushions stuffed behind her back.
“Shouldn’t she be lying down?” was Max’s first reaction.
Anora took umbrage. “I’ve never yet taken anything lying down, I’m not about to start now. And if you don’t like watching me cry, you can go peddle your papers. I’ve got a right to do as I please in my own house, even if I am a damned fool for doing it. What’s all that hullabaloo outside?”
“I expect it’s the ambulance I sent for,” Max told her. “And the police.”
“The police? Are you out of your mind? What did you do that for?”
“I had to, Anora. You do realize that George has been murdered?”
“Oh yes, I know he has. I don’t believe it, but I know it. Who did it, Max?”
“That’s what we need the police for, it’s their job to find out. Do you feel up to letting them ask you some questions?”
“No, but I suppose they’ll ask me anyway. For heaven’s sake, Phyllis, quit bleating like a lost sheep and go let them in. And bring me that tea I asked you for half an hour ago. I don’t know what’s got into everybody this morning. Max, maybe you’d better let them in yourself, they were your idea. Just don’t bring them in this room until I’ve had time to drink my tea, assuming I ever get any.”
Anora had plenty of time to drink her tea, the police were stopped
“Anora,” she pleaded. “Anora, it’s Sarah. Can you hear me? Are you all right? Please say something. Anything.”
“What?”
She had spoken. Thank God.
“Anora, do you know who I am?”
“Sarah. You said Sarah. Sarah, what’s happened to George? I can’t get him up.”
“I know, Anora, you mustn’t try. Max is calling an ambulance. They’ll be along very soon.”
“Call Jim.”
“Jim who?”
“Harnett, of course. Call him. Quick.”
“Oh, Dr. Harnett. Yes, of course. Max, look for Dr. James Harnett. He’s local. The number’s probably in that little book beside the telephone. Ask him to come as fast as he can.”
Max was already dialing the number, Sarah went on talking to keep Anora from drifting off again. “How long have you been sitting here, Anora?”
“I don’t know. I can’t remember. Phyllis, quit that disgusting snuffling. Get me some tea. What did you put this stupid blanket around me for? I’m stifling. Don’t just stand there, take it away.”
“Get the tea, Phyllis,” said Sarah. “I’ll tend to her. There you are, Anora, you must be stiff from sitting so long. Can you stand up, do you think?”
“I don’t know. Stop flustering me. You can’t help, I’d fall on you and squash you flat. Max, come here. Help me up. When’s Jim coming?”
“Sure, Anora. The ambulance is on its way.”
“I don’t want the ambulance, I want Jim Harnett.”
“You’ll get him. His wife’s calling the hospital now, he’s on his rounds.”
“Humph! Just like a man, always where you don’t want them to be. Oh, my God, George! George, what’s to become of me now?”
That was when she really fell apart.
6
N O DOUBT ABOUT IT , the Old Guard were tough. Anora’s breakdown lasted all of three minutes, then she was on her feet, letting Max and Sarah lead her away from the dreadful scene. Once in the morning room, with the sun streaming in through the southeast-facing bay, Sarah noticed for the first time how appallingly stained and dabbled her old friend’s robe and nightgown were. She sent Phyllis for hot water and fresh garments and told Max to go out to the kitchen, check on Cook, and not come back till he got the word.
Together, she and Phyllis got Anora cleaned up and decently garbed. By the time Phyllis was sent to make fresh tea and tell Max he was free to return, Anora was respectably settled on the button-tufted red-plush Biedermeier chaise with her feet up, a knitted afghan screening her nether limbs, and four sofa cushions stuffed behind her back.
“Shouldn’t she be lying down?” was Max’s first reaction.
Anora took umbrage. “I’ve never yet taken anything lying down, I’m not about to start now. And if you don’t like watching me cry, you can go peddle your papers. I’ve got a right to do as I please in my own house, even if I am a damned fool for doing it. What’s all that hullabaloo outside?”
“I expect it’s the ambulance I sent for,” Max told her. “And the police.”
“The police? Are you out of your mind? What did you do that for?”
“I had to, Anora. You do realize that George has been murdered?”
“Oh yes, I know he has. I don’t believe it, but I know it. Who did it, Max?”
“That’s what we need the police for, it’s their job to find out. Do you feel up to letting them ask you some questions?”
“No, but I suppose they’ll ask me anyway. For heaven’s sake, Phyllis, quit bleating like a lost sheep and go let them in. And bring me that tea I asked you for half an hour ago. I don’t know what’s got into everybody this morning. Max, maybe you’d better let them in yourself, they were your idea. Just don’t bring them in this room until I’ve had time to drink my tea, assuming I ever get any.”
Anora had plenty of time to drink her tea, the police were stopped
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