My use of the word “accident” relaxed him completely.
“No need to worry. In a case like this, where we find a dead person in a small body of water, it is common practice to call the Department of Natural Resources. They scoop out the fish and quarantine them for some amount of time to make sure they are all healthy.”
I pressed my hand over my heart and gave him a warm smile. “That is a relief. Such beautiful creatures. I am glad they are being well cared for.”
“Yes, ma’am. I expect Sheriff Halvorson is explaining that all to Mrs. Nickens, if he hasn’t already done so. She needn’t worry about her fish one bit.”
And there it was, the opening that might help me wriggle a few morsels of information out of him.
“How thoughtful of you to realize how many things Mrs. Nickens has on her mind right now. I understand that Willis had business interests spread far and wide. I can’t imagine how Dolores will be able to deal with all that high finance.” I shook my head as if I was pondering an insoluble problem.
Deputy Lascomb cleared his throat. “Now, that’s a problem most people would love to have.”
“Oh yes, I’m sure. Tell me, has your office spoken to any of Willis’s business associates, lawyers, accountants, or the like?”
I could see he was deciding how, or if, he should answer. I pressed further in as casual a tone as I could muster. “It’s just that any contacts or information that your office gleans could be of great help to Dolores when she begins to wrestle with the family finances.”
My question must have sounded innocent enough, because the deputy responded, “Sheriff Halvorson don’t think it’s necessary to look all around Mr. Nickens’s business, ma’am. He already has a focus, and he’s a man who locks down a focus pretty quick, if you get my meaning. Now I may have said too much, so I kindly ask you to move along before the sheriff comes out.”
“I understand.” I raised my voice slightly, in case the walls had ears. “Thank you for letting me know those beautiful fish are being taken care of.”
I started to walk back to Willis’s office. While I waited for the sheriff to finish talking to Dolores, I wanted to go through the Quartermaster folder in the hopes of discovering . . . well . . . anything I could.
My plan was derailed by Norman Crayfield, who was coming down the stairs. His well-pressed chinos and hot pink golf shirt were a step up from his attire of the past few days. I wondered if he was going somewhere. “Jessica, I’m so glad I ran into you. Follow me to the dining room. I got a text from Clancy. There are muffins straight from the oven, and I do believe it is time for a midmorning snack.”
“Oh, that sounds like a wonderful idea.” Sure as I was that Lucinda’s muffins would be scrumptious, it was the thought of an opportunity to speak informally to Clancy and Norman that truly whetted my appetite.
Clancy waved us into the room with a knife in his hand, and went back to slathering butter on a muffin. “Oat bran with almonds and raspberries. There is quite an assortment here. I am not sure how Lucinda does it, but I am so grateful that she does. There’s both iced and hot tea on the sideboard. Take your pick.”
I looked around. “Where is your sweet daughter this morning?”
Clancy had just taken a bite of muffin. I waited for him to swallow and wipe his mouth with a napkin. “She’s in the kitchen learning how to make corn bread. Honestly, Lucinda and Marla Mae spoil her rotten. The day we arrived Lucinda made chocolate pudding from scratch because it’s Abby’s favorite.”
Perfect. A time for adult conversation. I poured myself a cup of tea and sat at the opposite side of the table from the two men. As soon as I saw blueberries among the muffins on the plate, I took one. If they were anything like Lucinda’s blueberry scones, I was in for a treat. My first bite confirmed that I had made an excellent choice.
“Hmm-mmm. Heavenly. I didn’t realize how peckish I was. This certainly hits the spot.” If we were going to have a serious conversation, I might catch them off guard in this relaxing atmosphere.
Clancy beamed. “I know exactly how you feel. Next, try a cinnamon apple muffin.”
“Clancy, please—I still have half of this one left to eat.” It was a tempting offer, but I managed to resist.
“I was just being helpful,” he replied.
“Oh yeah, we are nothing if not helpful around here.” Norman chuckled.
And I had my opening.
“Well, in fact, there is a way that you both could be quite helpful to me. You could tell me about Willis,” I said.
They exchanged a look, and then each of them leaned back in his chair as if willing the other to go first.
To ease their discomfort, I tried again. “You see, Dolores has asked me to write Willis’s obituary and perhaps a eulogy, yet I am the one person here who hardly knew him. We’d only just met. Sorry as I am for everyone’s loss, I do wonder what he was really like. And who better to ask than you two, his business partner and his son-in-law. You can give me a glimpse of the two sides of Willis Nickens, the personal and the professional.”
That did the trick.
Norman said, “Of course we’ll help. How fortunate for Dolores to have a writer of your stature among her friends. We’ll tell you the stories and you can arrange the words perfectly. You have to mention that Willis was one dapper dresser. Everything he wore was pressed and polished. I am sure he is up in heaven complaining to the angels that he looks ridiculous wearing a tuxedo with his ratty old brown suede slippers. I’m sure he’s begging Saint
