I shrugged. “I guess someone told me. Sorry, I thought it was common knowledge. But anyway, how is Jeanette doing?”
Joel pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, and in so doing spilled a few sunflower seeds on my kitchen floor. “Jeanette is very upset, of course. After all, they were close, even if they were just friends. Which, of course, I guess they weren’t, since they happen to be mother and daughter.”
“They seemed close,” I conceded. “Then again, all you A.P.E.S. members seem close, which doesn’t leave much room for suspects, does it? Unless the murderer is one of the Congressman’s party?”
I thought I saw Joel squirm, but he might just have been shifting slightly on his stool. Those stools are rather hard and uncomfortable. “Why in the world would any of the Congressman’s party have it in for Linda?” he asked wide-eyed. “She never even saw them before Sunday night.”
“Beats me. But speaking of which, did you guys catch up with them in the woods today?”
Joel’s long sculptor’s fingers picked aimlessly at a sunflower seed that was stuck to his handkerchief. “If you ask me, they didn’t even go hunting today. We drove by every public access to state game lands in the country and didn’t see a sign of their car. They’re obviously not playing fair. This whole thing isn’t fair. Linda never hurt a fly, and now she’s dead. The Con-gressman, on the other hand, is a sleaze, and he gets away with everything. Life just isn’t fair.”
“Life is never fair, Joel. Those times when it seems like it, it’s just coincidence.”
“Life sucks,” said old Doc succinctly. “I ought to know. I’ve lived enough of it to be something of an expert on the subject.”
“But my God, this is too much,” sobbed Joel. He buried his face in the handkerchief with the sunflower seed still clinging to it. “Linda didn’t deserve to die. And I know you don’t like her, Miss Yoder, but Jeanette didn’t deserve to lose a daughter, either. She must be in terrible pain.”
I got up and headed for the parlor. I had to see for myself how Jeanette was doing. Much to my surprise, Melvin didn’t seem to mind when I slipped into the room. Perhaps he didn’t even notice.
But Jeanette did. She was sitting on a footstool, weeping quietly in front of the fireplace. Billy Dee was down on one knee with an arm around her, and on the other side Susannah was doing the same. Melvin was standing a few feet to Susannah’s left, seemingly staring off into space. Together, they looked like a Norman Rockwell painting that might have been titled “Grief.” Except for Jeanette, nobody seemed to notice my entering the room. The second I slipped in, she rose to her feet and pointed a finger in my direction.
“There she is!” she screamed. “There’s the woman who killed my little girl!”
For a split second I thought of slipping out again, but of course it was too late. With that one accusation Jeanette Parker had undoubtedly sent Mama spinning so fast in her grave that the heat she generated might compel God to send her to the other place. For Mama’s sake I had to stay and sort things out.
Chapter 19
Melvin Stoltzfus snapped to attention. “What did you say?”
“She didn’t say anything,” I ventured. “She screamed.” Jeanette’s finger, which was still pointing at me, vibrated on the end of her hand like that obscene thing I once saw Susannah hide away. “Murderess! There’s the woman who killed my little girl.”
Melvin flashed me a look that would have been a smirk on someone with lips. “Why do you say that?” Jeanette sat down again. “She’s the one who bought the food that poisoned my little girl. She’s the one who asked us all to cook something for that disastrous meal. And then she didn’t even stay to eat it. Doesn’t that prove it?”
“Let’s say it raises some questions,” said Melvin. Frankly, I was surprised at his restraint. I would have thought the praying mantis would have been glad for any excuse to pounce on me.
“Yeah, like the fact that Susannah didn’t stay to eat it either. In fact, it was Susannah’s fault we had to skip out to begin with.”
“Thanks a lot, Mags!” sang out Susannah. “Melvin, it’s not just because she’s my sister, but I really don’t think Magdalena would do such a thing.”
For once I was proud of my baby sister.
“And why not?” asked Melvin. It was obvious he respected Susannah’s opinions.
“Well, for one thing, Magdalena doesn’t even kill spiders. And for another thing, that’s not like her at all. My sister is just too... too...”