Heartbreaker

in the mail. I wrote a second letter then, and when I still didn’t hear-'

'She wrote to the director himself,' Viola explained.

Bessie Jean led the way into the living room. It was cool and dark and smelled of cinnamon and vanilla. One of them had been doing some baking, and his stomach rumbled in response. He was hungrier than he’d realized.

Dinner would have to wait. It took his eyes a second to adjust to the darkness, then Viola opened the front window curtains, and he was squinting again. The room was cluttered with antiques. Directly ahead of him was the fireplace. The mantel was lined with candles, and above was a huge oil painting of a gray-haired dog sitting on a burgundy cushion. The animal appeared to be cross-eyed.

Bessie Jean ushered Nick and Laurant to the Victorian sofa, then removed the needlepoint pillow from the wicker rocker and sat down, crossing one ankle over the other as she’d been trained to do by her mother. Her posture was so stiff, she could have balanced a couple of encyclopedias on her head.

'Get your pad out, dear,' she ordered.

Nick barely heard her. His attention had been arrested by all the photos cluttering the tables and the walls. The subject was the same in every one of the silver frames-the dog-a schnauzer he guessed, or maybe a mixed breed.

Laurant touched his arm to get his attention and said, 'Bessie Jean and Viola wrote to the FBI for help in solving a mystery.'

'Not a mystery, dear,' Viola corrected. 'We know exactly what happened.' She was sitting in a big floral print easy chair and was busy repinning the doily on one of the arms.

'Yes, we know what happened,' Bessie Jean agreed with a nod.

'Why don’t you give him the particulars, Sister.'

'He doesn’t have his pad and pen out yet.'

Viola got up and went into the dining room while Nick patted his pockets, looking for a pad he knew he didn’t have. It was in the car with his folders.

The sister came back with a pink notebook about the size of a pocket calculator and a pink pen with a purple feather sticking out from the end.

'You may use this,' she said.

'Thank you. Now tell me what this is all about?'

'The director was remiss in not telling you what your assignment was,' Bessie Jean said. 'You’re here to investigate a murder.'

'Excuse me?'

Bessie Jean patiently repeated her announcement. Viola nodded. 'Someone murdered Daddy.'

'Daddy was a family pet,' Laurant explained with a nod toward the oil painting looming over them.

'Daddy was named after our daddy, the colonel,' Viola added.

To his credit, Nick didn’t smile. 'I see.'

'We demand justice,' Viola told him

Bessie Jean was frowning at Nick. 'Young man, I don’t mean to criticize…'

'Yes, ma’am?'

'I’ve just never heard of a law officer not having a pad and pen. That gun clipped to your belt is loaded, isn’t it?'

'Yes, ma’am, it is.'

Bessie Jean was satisfied. Having a gun was important in her opinion because, once he caught the culprit, he might very well have to shoot him.

'Have the local authorities looked into the matter?' Nick asked.

'Not a matter, dear. It was murder,' Viola corrected.

'We called Sheriff L.A. right away, but he won’t do anything to help us find the criminal,' Bessie Jean explained.

Viola, wishing to be helpful, interjected, 'That’s Lard Ass, dear. Now write it down.'

Nick couldn’t decide which was more jarring-a pet named Daddy or a sweet old lady using the words lard ass.

'Why don’t you tell me exactly what happened.'

Bessie Jean gave her sister a relieved glance and then began. 'We believe Daddy was poisoned, but we can’t be absolutely certain. We kept him chained to the big oak in the front yard off and on during the day and sometimes into the evening on bingo night so he could take in the fresh air.'

'We have a fence, but Daddy could jump it, so we had to use the chain,' Viola explained. 'Are you writing that down, dear?'

'Yes, ma’am.'

'Daddy was in the best of health,' Bessie Jean told him.

'He was only ten and in his prime,' Viola supplied.

'His water bowl was completely turned over,' Bessie Jean said as she rocked back and forth, fanning herself with her handkerchief.

'And Daddy could never have managed to turn that bowl over, because it was weighted down so he couldn’t.'

Bessie Jean nodded again. 'That’s right. Daddy was clever, but he couldn’t get his nose under that bowl.'

'Someone had to have turned the bowl over,' Viola said emphatically.

'We think poison was added to his water, and then after poor Daddy took a big drink, the culprit got rid of the evidence.'

'We know how he got rid of it too,' Viola announced. 'He threw the poisoned water into my impatiens,' Viola said. 'He killed my beautiful flowers. They were in glorious bloom one day and shriveled up and brown the next. They looked like someone had poured acid on them.'

A bell started ringing in the back of the house. Viola struggled to get out of the chair. 'If you’ll excuse me, I’ll go get my buns out of the oven. Could I get you anything while I’m up?'

'No, thank you,' Laurant said.

Nick was busy writing on his pad. He looked up and said, 'I could use a glass of water.'

'We often take a gin and tonic in an evening,' Viola said. 'It’s quite refreshing on such hot humid days. Would you like one?'

'Water will do,' he answered.

'He’s on duty, Sister. He can’t drink.'

Nick didn’t contradict her. He finished making a note to himself and then asked, 'Did the dog bark at strangers?'

'Oh my, yes,' Bessie Jean answered. 'He was a wonderful watchdog. He was quite persnickety about letting strangers get near the house. He barked at everyone. Why, he took exception to anyone who walked down the street.'

The topic of the dog was obviously still distressing to Bessie Jean. As she talked about him, she gradually increased the pace of her rocking. Nick half expected her to fling herself out of the chair.

'There are some strangers in town now, working up at the abbey. Three men moved into the old Morrison house across the street and are renting it while they’re here,' she said. 'And two more moved in with the Nicholsons at the other end of the block.'

'Daddy wasn’t partial to any of them,' Viola interjected from the dining room. She carried a glass of ice water across the room to the coffee table and set it on a napkin she pulled from her pocket.

Nick was rapidly getting the idea that Daddy wasn’t partial to anyone.

'Those Catholics are always in such a rush,' Bessie Jean remarked. She had obviously forgotten that Laurant was Catholic and that her brother was a priest. 'They’re an impatient lot if you ask me. They want to get the renovations completed on the abbey so it will be ready for the open house during the July Fourth celebration.'

'It’s the abbey’s anniversary celebration as well,' Viola said.

Bessie Jean realized they were getting away from the investigation. 'We had the doctor put Daddy in the freezer so you could oversee the autopsy. Are you getting all this down on your pad?'