Read Online The Wolfe Widow (A Book Collector Mystery) by Victoria Abbott - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Victoria Abbott
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you’re nosing around for, but you don’t know crap about Carmen Delgado. Get your butt off our property before I call the cops.”
“What?”
“You heard me. Don’t think that we’re going to turn on our neighbors. Off with you.”
“Neighbors” was pushing it, as the house the Delgados lived in was nothing more than a field now. “But it’s not a matter of turning on them. I do have information for Carmen Delgado. Important information of benefit.”
She sneered, “If you did, you wouldn’t have said ‘he.’”
Of course. All the Carmens I knew were men, most of them quite dangerous. But Carmen is a woman’s name as well, and, although dramatic, it doesn’t seem quite the same at all. I said, “Oh! I don’t think they had that information at the office. They thought C. Delgado was a man. Well, the information would still be in her interest. Gender has nothing to do with it.”
I tried again after noting his blank face and her hostile glare. “There’s a small but nice legacy. Doesn’t matter if C. Delgado is a man or a woman in terms of inheritance.”
Why had I leapt to that conclusion? Because C. Delgado was listed first, indicating head of household. That was silly of me, with all the women heading households in the world.
He said to the angry woman, “Gotta be Carmie. She’s the only one that could be a C. Delgado. Could be money for her.” He turned to me. “Too bad. I heard that Carmie died. Years ago.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” I said. I meant it too. I had nothing against Carmen. Muriel was a different story.
He nodded, accepting my sentiment. “She was all right, Carmie. A real looker.”
“I’m sure she was. But I need to know how to reach her or her family. The legacy may pass to another family member now. Let’s see. Was she sister to Muriel?”
He shook his head. “Muriel? Muriel don’t have no sisters.”
“Well, then what was the relationship?”
“Carmie would be the mother. Muriel would be the daughter. But they’ve been long gone from here. Maybe fifty years. I told you that.”
“That is too bad,” I said.
“Well, nothing to me really. I liked Carmie well enough, but we weren’t what you’d call close.” He flicked a nervous glance toward the woman.
I pressed on. “Are there other relatives that you know of?”
She had been quiet for a while, standing with her thick legs in a wide stance, burly arms on her hips. Now she butted in pugnaciously. “Who did you say you were?”
“I’m from Lawson and Loblaw. We’re a legal firm from Albany.”
She raised a white eyebrow. “My fat fanny, you are. And I’m the First Lady.”
“Really,” I said, with what I hoped was outraged innocence. “I am here to ensure that Ms. Delgado gets what’s coming to her.” That was true enough in a different sense.
“I think you better get out of here and leave folks alone or you’ll get what’s coming to you. Don’t come back neither. Or I will call the cops.”
CHAPTER FOUR
“B Y ALL MEANS, call them,” I said, nose in the air. “I’m not doing anything wrong.”
“We’ll see what the cops say about that.”
I had what I wanted and I raised my hands in mock surrender. I kept my spine straight as I walked to the car. I could feel her eyes on my back. As I got into the vehicle, I glanced around again at the side yard. There she was, on the phone. Police?
Mental note to self: Maybe the bright red wig didn’t mesh with the law firm gofer persona.
Oh well, I was committed to this cover now.
I wasn’t doing anything illegal, but I didn’t want to have to explain myself or my red wig to anyone I knew on the local police force. I’d met a lot of the officers since I started to see more of Tyler Dekker. Of course, that whole idea made my uncles feel faint, so I tended not to mention it. I made tracks back to Uncle Mick’s second garage, keeping an eye in the rearview mirror for anyone on my tail. I didn’t think anyone would be
“What?”
“You heard me. Don’t think that we’re going to turn on our neighbors. Off with you.”
“Neighbors” was pushing it, as the house the Delgados lived in was nothing more than a field now. “But it’s not a matter of turning on them. I do have information for Carmen Delgado. Important information of benefit.”
She sneered, “If you did, you wouldn’t have said ‘he.’”
Of course. All the Carmens I knew were men, most of them quite dangerous. But Carmen is a woman’s name as well, and, although dramatic, it doesn’t seem quite the same at all. I said, “Oh! I don’t think they had that information at the office. They thought C. Delgado was a man. Well, the information would still be in her interest. Gender has nothing to do with it.”
I tried again after noting his blank face and her hostile glare. “There’s a small but nice legacy. Doesn’t matter if C. Delgado is a man or a woman in terms of inheritance.”
Why had I leapt to that conclusion? Because C. Delgado was listed first, indicating head of household. That was silly of me, with all the women heading households in the world.
He said to the angry woman, “Gotta be Carmie. She’s the only one that could be a C. Delgado. Could be money for her.” He turned to me. “Too bad. I heard that Carmie died. Years ago.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” I said. I meant it too. I had nothing against Carmen. Muriel was a different story.
He nodded, accepting my sentiment. “She was all right, Carmie. A real looker.”
“I’m sure she was. But I need to know how to reach her or her family. The legacy may pass to another family member now. Let’s see. Was she sister to Muriel?”
He shook his head. “Muriel? Muriel don’t have no sisters.”
“Well, then what was the relationship?”
“Carmie would be the mother. Muriel would be the daughter. But they’ve been long gone from here. Maybe fifty years. I told you that.”
“That is too bad,” I said.
“Well, nothing to me really. I liked Carmie well enough, but we weren’t what you’d call close.” He flicked a nervous glance toward the woman.
I pressed on. “Are there other relatives that you know of?”
She had been quiet for a while, standing with her thick legs in a wide stance, burly arms on her hips. Now she butted in pugnaciously. “Who did you say you were?”
“I’m from Lawson and Loblaw. We’re a legal firm from Albany.”
She raised a white eyebrow. “My fat fanny, you are. And I’m the First Lady.”
“Really,” I said, with what I hoped was outraged innocence. “I am here to ensure that Ms. Delgado gets what’s coming to her.” That was true enough in a different sense.
“I think you better get out of here and leave folks alone or you’ll get what’s coming to you. Don’t come back neither. Or I will call the cops.”
CHAPTER FOUR
“B Y ALL MEANS, call them,” I said, nose in the air. “I’m not doing anything wrong.”
“We’ll see what the cops say about that.”
I had what I wanted and I raised my hands in mock surrender. I kept my spine straight as I walked to the car. I could feel her eyes on my back. As I got into the vehicle, I glanced around again at the side yard. There she was, on the phone. Police?
Mental note to self: Maybe the bright red wig didn’t mesh with the law firm gofer persona.
Oh well, I was committed to this cover now.
I wasn’t doing anything illegal, but I didn’t want to have to explain myself or my red wig to anyone I knew on the local police force. I’d met a lot of the officers since I started to see more of Tyler Dekker. Of course, that whole idea made my uncles feel faint, so I tended not to mention it. I made tracks back to Uncle Mick’s second garage, keeping an eye in the rearview mirror for anyone on my tail. I didn’t think anyone would be
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