Grandma Sally poured herself a cup of coffee. “Up with the birds and already gone.”
Wow, Rosa thought. Where had Gloria rushed off to so early?
Aunt Louisa tapped the newspaper with a long finger dressed in diamonds. “Wait, Rosa, you already know about this?”
“Gloria and I were at the fair last night. She didn’t tell you?”
“That girl never tells me anything, and it appears you don’t either.”
Rosa felt that judgment was particularly unfair. “I’ve hardly had a chance to.”
Aunt Louisa waved a dismissive hand. “You can tell me now. And please don’t dillydally. I have a full day.”
Rosa had no intention of dillydallying. Miguel would be meeting the two electricians at the boardwalk soon and hopefully discover the problem with the control panel. He’d want to wrap up his investigation before the park opened, and she didn’t want to miss it. She concisely relayed what she knew.
“One of the carnies had an accident of some sort. Sadly, he passed away.”
“I know that part already,” Aunt Louisa said. “It’s in the paper. Do you know how he died?”
Rosa wasn’t at liberty to say and used the moment to take a bite of her muffin.
Aunt Louisa was undaunted. “Who was it then? Surely, you must know that.”
“Why do you assume that, Louisa?” Grandma Sally said.
Aunt Louisa paused. “I thought you said that Gloria mentioned a detective?”
The subject of Detective Belmonte was a sour point between Rosa and her aunt, and it seemed that eleven years hadn’t been long enough to erase strong feelings.
“As it turns out,” Rosa said, wanting to meet her aunt halfway, “I discovered the body. It was a fellow I went to school with when I lived here. Victor Boyd.”
Aunt Louisa stared at Rosa blankly, and Rosa wasn’t surprised her aunt hadn’t heard of Victor or his family. He was most definitely from the “other side of the tracks”.
“Wait,” Rosa said with a new thought. “Did Gloria take the Bel Air?”
“I would think so,” Aunt Louisa said. She prattled on about needing to get Clarence to take that vehicle into the shop.
Rosa finished her muffin as she stared out the open patio doors. The gardens, a well organized and manicured display of color, sprawled out like a vibrant quilt. A man with dark skin, black hair, and a thin black mustache pushed a wheelbarrow across the lawn.
“Bernardo?” Rosa said. The groundsman had worked for the Forresters in the forties when Rosa had lived there. “He still works here?”
“Of course,” Aunt Louisa said.
“Why haven’t I seen him before now?”
“His mother was sick. I gave him some time off.”
Rosa left her breakfast unfinished, wiped her mouth with the cloth napkin, and pushed away from the table. “I have to go and say hello.”
Bernardo Diaz broke into a toothy smile when he saw Rosa stroll toward him. “Miss Rosa? Is that you?”
Rosa took the man’s rough hands in hers. “It is. It’s so wonderful to see you again. How’s your family?”
“Muy bien, gracias. My mother was ill, but is feeling better today.”
“And the children?”
“They are all grown as you are, Miss Rosa. I have five grandchildren.” Bernardo’s dark eyes were bright with pride.
“Well, you’re doing a very good job keeping the gardens looking beautiful.”
“Mrs. Forrester lets me hire help. My family is very grateful.”
Rosa understood. Many of the workers she saw on the peripheral were family members of Señora Gomez and Bernardo. Aunt Louisa had a heart after all.
“Are you staying long, Miss Rosa?”
Rosa hesitated. “I don’t really know, Bernardo.”
“I hope you can stay for a long time.” Bernardo’s smile was infectious. Rosa smiled in return.
“Perhaps, Bernardo, perhaps.”
9
Since Gloria had absconded with the one vehicle Rosa had permission to use, she had no choice but to ride her bicycle, the Schwinn Deluxe Hollywood, to the boardwalk. She’d taken time to change into a more suitable outfit of capri pants—blue with white stripes—a blue blouse with three-quarter length sleeves, and a pair of white tennis shoes. She didn’t fail to attend to her appearance, applying eye make up and a layer of lipstick. Even though Rosa wouldn’t admit it to anyone, she couldn’t completely put Miguel, and her unrequited feelings that stubbornly remained, out of mind. After brushing her chestnut curls into submission and pinning them behind her ears, she added a cute little sun hat adorned with a blue and white ribbon to her head.
With Diego in the doghouse, so to speak—Clarence had taken Julie back to her mother, Gloria was out, and Señora Gomez had gone shopping, leaving no kitty-sitters about—Rosa brought him along to ride in the satchel in the handlebar basket. As she had boldly pronounced to Aunt Louisa, her kitten really did seem to enjoy traveling, and Rosa was grateful for his adventurous personality.
Miguel was at the gated and locked entrance to the fair when Rosa arrived. Leaning against his unmarked police car, he wore navy pants, a baby-blue cotton shirt with a black tie, and a straw fedora. Rosa couldn’t help but think he looked very debonair.
Miguel motioned to her wriggling satchel. “We’re involving Deputy Diego again today, are we?” Miguel had been joking about deputizing her kitten since the day she had rescued him from behind the bakery. She liked the sound of his new nickname.
“Well, Deputy Diego was the bright officer who helped me discover the mechanics of Jimmy’s pail last night,” Rosa said with a smile, remembering how a thirsty Diego had led her to the puddle of water. “So, you never know how helpful he might be.”
Miguel smirked, producing an extremely distracting dimple, then turned his attention to the metal fence. “I wish I could put Sanchez in a bag like that and take him out only when I need him.” He called between the bars of the gate, “Hello? Mr. Henderson?”
The portly man appeared from the direction of the amusement rides and, with quick, short-legged steps, made his way to the gate.
After polite greetings, Miguel asked, “Have the electricians arrived?”
Mr. Henderson
