Six Cats A Slayin'

I suppressed the spurt of irritation I felt at Jared’s naiveté. “Yes, it is significant,” I said. “There must be something suspicious about Gerry’s death.”

I could see from Jared’s expression of increasing unease that he finally understood the gravity of the situation.

Two police officers began to circulate through the room, taking down names, addresses, and phone numbers. While our foursome waited for one of the officers to reach us, we remained silent.

Our turn came about ten minutes later, though it seemed longer. The officer who took our details had moved on to the next group when a voice called for our attention. I recognized that voice. Kanesha had arrived.

Everyone turned to face the deputy. Kanesha surveyed the room, and I thought I saw her grimace slightly when she caught sight of me. Then she began to speak.

“Sorry to hold y’all up when I’m sure you’re ready to go home,” Kanesha said, “but we’ve got some questions about what happened. We also have to follow procedures, and I’m sure y’all understand that we want to do everything by the book. I need to talk to anyone who saw or spoke to Ms. Albritton in the fifteen minutes or so before she collapsed. If those of you who did would move to your left and those who did not will move to your right, that will be a big help.”

At first no one moved at all. Kanesha frowned. “Come on now, folks. Some of you saw or spoke to her, I’m sure. I will make this as quick as I can, but nobody’s leaving until I get some cooperation.”

After that, people began to move. Helen Louise sighed and began to move to the left. Melba went with her. I thought it had been more than a quarter hour since I had seen Gerry before she collapsed, but given the argument Helen Louise and I had heard, I knew I might as well go ahead and talk to Kanesha tonight. I felt her eyes on me—though I probably imagined it—as I followed Helen Louise and Melba. Jared, I noticed, went the other way.

“Thank you,” Kanesha said when the two groups were finally separated. “Those of you who moved to the right can go, unless you need to wait for someone in the other group. My deputies will be in here to answer questions and help you if you need anything.”

Haskell stepped into the room, now in uniform. Kanesha must have called him in. He was her staunchest supporter in the sheriff’s department. I wasn’t too surprised that she would want him to be part of this investigation.

Haskell spotted Melba, Helen Louise, and me and nodded to acknowledge us. He and his fellow deputy watched as a few people filed out of the room. Jared Carter made a move as if to leave, but then subsided. His resigned expression as he glanced at Melba made me wonder about their budding relationship and whether it would survive the stress of this night.

Kanesha left the room but was back in about two minutes. She held notebook pages, and she glanced through them. Then she looked up, and her eyes met mine.

“Mr. Harris and Ms. Brady, I’d appreciate it if you would come with me.” Kanesha indicated that we should follow her, and she led us to the dining room.

I felt Helen Louise stiffen beside me when we entered the room, and I knew she was thinking the same thing I was. Neither of us wanted to see poor Gerry Albritton still lying on the floor.

I was relieved to see, however, that the body had been removed. The table and the spilled food, however, had not been touched.

Helen Louise stopped and stared at the area where Gerry had lain. She wore a puzzled expression.

Kanesha drew us toward three dining room chairs arranged about ten feet away from the spot where Gerry died. Helen Louise and I occupied the two chairs that faced the one Kanesha took. The deputy took out a notebook and pen. She stared at Helen Louise and me for a moment, and then she addressed Helen Louise.

“Ms. Brady, when you stopped to look just now at the place where Ms. Albritton fell, it looked like something was bothering you. What was it?”

Helen Louise frowned. “Something is missing,” she said slowly. “The brandy snifter. What happened to her brandy snifter?”

SIXTEEN

I concentrated on recalling the scene. Had there been a snifter? I wasn’t sure. I didn’t remember it.

“Snifter?” Kanesha asked. “That’s a kind of glass, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it’s stemware with a wide bottom and a narrower top,” Helen Louise said. “Used for brandy, port, that kind of thing.”

“And Ms. Albritton had one?” Kanesha said. “In her hand when she collapsed?”

Helen Louise frowned. “I’m pretty sure she did.”

“It didn’t break?” Kanesha said.

“No, the carpet is thick enough that it wouldn’t, and the snifter looked like good crystal,” Helen Louise said. “There might be a stain in the carpet. Although . . .” She hesitated. “She may have drained the glass before she fell. I’m not sure.”

“Excuse me a moment.” Kanesha got up and went to talk to the other officers. Two of them began to examine the carpet carefully while Kanesha came back to resume questioning us.