No one spoke. Everyone rechecked their chit and then looked at one another.
Eventually, Minnie raised her hand. “But I don’t know what I want.”
Ginger and Gillian began whispering furiously to their mother, who looked more bewildered as they spoke. She finally nodded.
“I want the dining room set.” Minnie sank back in her chair like a deflated balloon.
Skye hoped this didn’t bring on another of Minnie’s spells. In the past, in any kind of stressful situation, Minnie would close herself in her bedroom and read cook-books for days on end. She’d come out during the wee hours of the morning and raid the kitchen, then retreat back to the bedroom. She wouldn’t talk to anyone, and an attack could last from two or three days to a week. No one could break her out of one once it started.
“That includes the buffet and china hutch, right?” Ginger hovered over her mother.
Voices flooded the room. When they quieted, May said, “Yes, anything that is a set goes together. We aren’t doing this fork by fork.”
Dante stepped toward May. “What gives you the right to say so?”
“If we’re going by this letter, Mom asked me to settle any disputes.” May looked at Dante without blinking.
He grumbled, but having number two he took the antique sleigh-style bedroom set.
“Three?” May’s eyes searched the assembly.
Gillian flashed her paper triumphantly. “I want Grandma’s good jewelry.”
“There’s only a necklace and earrings. And it isn’t a set. You’ll have to choose one piece.” As Gillian opened her mouth to argue, May continued, “If you argue you automatically have to go last.”
“Fine, I’ll take the emerald earrings.” Gillian stuck out her lip.
Ginger shot Skye a malicious glance. “I have number four. But before we go on, I want to bring something up. Since Skye, as the oldest female grandchild, already got the Leofanti emerald ring, wouldn’t it be fairer for her to go last now?”
“No.” May’s look dared anyone to disagree. “So, what do you want, Ginger?”
“I’ll take the emerald pendant.” Ginger sank back on her heels and whispered to her twin.
“Five?”
“Me, Mom.” Skye turned the paper she had been clutching to face the room. “I’d like the oak table by the window. It was Grandma’s favorite piece. She talked about it a lot when she was telling me the family history.”
Mona was next and she took the silver. Hugo was number seven and wanted the living room set. Vince took the safe, saying he could use it in his shop, and May took the china.
By the conclusion, everyone had four or five things and little was left to be sold.
Besides the table, Skye ended up with an old trunk, an incomplete set of pink crystal wineglasses, and the everyday dishes. No one mentioned Bingo, and she didn’t remind them.
As they all got ready to leave, May cleared her throat. “I have one more announcement.”
They all looked at her expectantly.
“Chief Boyd found the body of Mrs. Jankowski yesterday in the abandoned well out back. With her, they found a pan of brownies, which they believe were poisoned. They were probably responsible for Mom and the housekeeper’s deaths.”
The room was filled with voices asking questions.
May shook her head. “That’s all I know.”
The family broke into clots, hauling away their loot and whispering about May’s announcement.
Skye walked out with her parents and Vince. They were the first to go, leaving the others still picking over the last little items.
As Vince loaded Skye’s table into the Olds, he asked her, “Why didn’t you take one of the more valuable items when it was your turn?”
“Like I said, this was Grandma’s favorite piece.” Skye paused.
“There’s something more,” Vince prodded.
Skye reddened. “Well, not that I believed her, but she used to say it was magical.”
CHAPTER 11
Early To Bed
Skye sat on the closed toilet seat and watched her mother put on makeup at the counter.
“Maybe we shouldn’t go tonight. Mom only died a few days ago and it feels sort of funny to be going out.”
“The Grandma I knew wouldn’t want you to sit at home and cry. She’d be the first one to arrive at the party and the last to leave.”
Tears ran down May’s cheek. “You’re probably right, but I sure do miss her. I find myself holding the phone and dialing her number before I remember she’s gone.”
“Our after-school visits meant a lot to me.” Skye handed her mother a tissue. “More than I realized at the time. She was quite a ‘high-spirited’ young lady, as they used to say. I kind of got the feeling her family married her off to Grandpa to calm her down.”
May blotted her eyes and blew her nose. “She never would talk about that with me. She wouldn’t even tell me how Dad proposed or about their first date.”
“Grandma said that the marriage had been arranged after her original fiance died.”
“I never knew that.” May wiped away another tear. “Will you write all this down so you don’t forget?”
“Oh, don’t worry. I taped all our conversations.”
“Good.” May took a deep breath and turned back to the mirror. After a few seconds, she held out two containers of eyeshadow. “Which do you think would look better with my dress?”
“You’re wearing the taupe silk?” Skye studied the palettes. “Go with the shades of wine; I think the brown would wash you out.”
Nodding, May began the delicate operation of applying the color to the crease of her eyelid. “You sure you don’t want to go to the wedding reception with us?”
“Mom, I wasn’t invited, remember?” Skye studied her mother’s handiwork.
“They probably forgot you were back in town.” May clicked the case shut and reached for her mascara. “You really don’t need an invitation. The announcement in the paper said all friends and relatives were welcome. It’s not like it’s a sit-down dinner.”
“No, I barely remember these people. Who are they again?”
“They’re your dad’s second cousins.” May carefully colored her lips. “What will you do while we’re gone? I don’t like the thought of you moping around here by yourself.”
“I am not moping. Maybe I’ll take a ride, or visit Vince or Charlie. Simon’s got a wake tonight, but we’re going out tomorrow for brunch.”
“How about Trixie? Now that she’s back in town you should try and get together with her sometime.” May stood back from the mirror and checked her face.
“It’s a Saturday night, and she is married, so I don’t think this is the time.”
“Married. Seems like everyone’s doing that lately.” May shot Skye a meaningful look before walking out of the bathroom.
Thirty minutes after her parents left, Skye sat in the La-Z-Boy with Bingo ensconced on her lap. She was flipping through TV channels, but most programs were reruns of things she hadn’t wanted to watch the first time around. Six o’clock on a Saturday night offered poor television viewing.
She reached for the phone, careful to leave the cat undisturbed. No answer at Vince’s.
Next, she tried Charlie, who was just leaving for a poker game with his buddies.
Skye frowned when she heard this. “But, Uncle Charlie, I thought you weren’t going to gamble anymore, after you almost lost everything last fall.”
His usual booming voice sounded sheepish. “We play for toothpicks. No money is involved.”
“Oh, well, I still don’t think it’s a good idea. It feeds your addiction.” Skye sat up straighter.
