Dolores was positively bubbly. “Jess, Elton is right. You are in for a real Southern treat. Not a cook alive can make barbecue chicken and ribs like Lucinda. And I am going to bet we are having baked beans and potato salad for the sides. Get ready. We are going to need elastic waistbands for this dinner.”
When Elton tapped his clicker to open the gate to Manning Hall, I asked Dolores if she had any idea how many clickers existed and exactly who had them.
“Goodness no. There may be dozens. Having a gate with a clicker was one of Willis’s sillier affectations. He loved to remind guests that his estate was gated and they would need to be admitted.
“When I have the time I am going to have a top-notch company come in and organize a security plan for the entire property: Manning Hall, Marjory’s cottage, the garages, the gardening shed, even the stables. Once that’s done we’ll say bye-bye to the clickers.”
“Stables?” I was surprised I’d never noticed them. “How could I have missed them when I was out jogging?”
“They are easy to miss. You know that stand of cypress trees behind the house?”
“The ones heavily covered with the Spanish moss? I’ve avoided the area because there doesn’t seem to be a path where I could walk or jog safely.”
Dolores nodded her head. “Exactly the problem. There is a path but it is hopelessly overgrown. Willis planned on having the entire area cleaned out and landscaped when he restored the stables to house Abby’s horses.”
“Abby’s horses? I didn’t realize the child had horses.”
“She doesn’t, but Willis was planning on buying horses and supplying riding lessons in another year or so. Abby’s mother was a first-class rider, medals and all. I think Willis wanted to build reminders of Emily so that Abby would always feel her presence. Horseback riding would be one way.”
Learning about the softer side of Willis Nickens continued to surprise me.
Elton parked at the top of the driveway, and he was coming to open our doors when the front door of the house flew open and Abby bounced across the veranda and down the steps.
“Mr. Elton! Mr. Elton! Wait until you see.” She was waving an oversized piece of drawing paper.
Elton took two quick steps, opened the passenger door next to Dolores, and then flung his arms up in the air. “What have you got there? Something special?”
“I drew this. Look. It’s the solar system. And this is Earth, where we live. The moon is this little ball, and it goes around Earth in an . . . an orbit, almost like a circle.”
“Wow. You are an excellent artist,” Elton said.
“Thank you, but that’s not all. Look over here. That is Mars. Remember the story you told me about the Martians and the moon men? We live here, on Earth, the Martians live on Mars, and the moon men live on the moon. And I know where they all are!” Abby did a little happy dance.
Elton laughed. “So now we know you are smart enough and talented enough to be an artist or a storyteller or an astronaut.”
Dolores got out of the car. “Abby, can I see, too?”
“Granny Dolores, today was the best day of school in my whole life. I knew lots of things about Mars and the moon. And when Mrs. Creighton asked me how I knew so much, I said because Mr. Elton told me adventure stories. And Mrs. Creighton said adventure stories are a great way to learn.”
Dolores said, “We are lucky to have Elton here. He has been a huge support to all of us in so many ways.”
Elton was beaming with pleasure. “I’m happy to be of help, ma’am.”
And in that moment, as I looked at Abby and Dolores, both so happy to have Elton around, I thought he could easily become the solution to still another problem that was bothering Dolores. I’d have to remember to discuss it with her when I had the chance.
Clancy came out of the house. “There you are, princess. I thought you were doing your homework in the dining room.”
Abby’s face dropped. “Bah, homework. I have to do extra homework because I missed some days at school. That doesn’t seem fair. I mean, if you don’t go to school on a day, why should you have to do homework for that day? It’s either a school day or it’s not.”
While I could see there was a certain logic to her thought process, it was clear that neither her father nor her grandmother was buying it. Elton and I were wise enough to stay out of the conversation.
We were a noisy bunch as we finally made our way across the veranda and into the foyer. Elton was last, carrying the cooler. As he turned down the hallway that led to the kitchen, Marla Mae came rushing past him.
“Miss Dolores, there you are.” She looked flustered and pointedly gave Clancy a wide berth. “Could I have a private word?”
Clancy said to Abby, “No more stalling. Kiss Granny Dolores good-bye, and we’ll see her at dinner.”
Abby rolled her eyes, gave us a theatrical grimace, and dragged her feet all the way to the dining room door. Only when Clancy had closed the door behind them did Marla Mae speak. “You have a telephone call, ma’am. I suggest you take it in your office.” She whispered, “It’s Mr. Jonah Harrold, from the funeral parlor. I told him you’d be a minute or two. He said for you to take your time.”
Dolores fished a key from her purse. “Come with me, Jess. This could be the moment I’ve been waiting for. Willis might finally be free of all these sheriffs and coroners.”
She hurried to the office. I followed along, thinking that if the Coroner’s Office had released Willis’s body, that meant they would finally release an official cause of death. I could only hope that wouldn’t mean a new, more forceful round of questions for Dolores.
Dolores picked up
