Tall Tail
Page 27
Millicent Grimstead quoted a line from the Bible. “ ‘Judge not lest ye be judged.’ ”
Feet on a hassock, Ned said, “The Bible is like the Constitution. People pick out what serves their purposes. My dolorous experience in the statehouse is that some elected officials and their constituents live to sit in judgment upon others.”
“Hasn’t gotten us very far, has it?” Harry remarked.
“What else can they do?” Pewter laughed. “They can’t run fast, they have no fangs or claws, they can’t see in the dark. How else can they feel powerful except by judging others to be even weaker and more stupid than themselves?”
None of the other four-legged souls could answer that, so they didn’t.
“Do you think Eddie killed Barbara?” Penny asked.
“I do,” Susan resolutely answered. “Somehow he got her to take that drug from the hospital. Eddie must have learned about these things when he worked on drug issues in the House of Delegates. Given that no marks showed up in her autopsy, he found a way to get her to eat it, drink it, or take it as a vitamin. She probably had no idea.”
“Such was the medical examiner’s conclusion. Our hope is that if Eddie regains clarity, he will confess. But Barbara, who administered the governor’s drugs, had to have a good idea what his true condition was,” Cooper said.
“Eddie will never confess,” Susan spat. “He’ll lie to his dying day. I wouldn’t even be surprised if once he becomes operational again he won’t go out and present himself as some sort of a conservative martyr.”
“Then you and I will be charged with attempted murder.” Harry tossed that off nonchalantly. “And we’ll have to prove he’s a murderer.”
“Possible,” Susan answered. “But wouldn’t it be funny to tell people from the witness stand how he was brought down by two cats, two dogs, two women? The media would have a ball with that.”
“And therefore, we all keep our mouths shut.” Millicent Grimstead pointed to the two friends. “I trust your report, Officer Cooper, since you were first on the scene, offered no conclusions as to Eddie’s attackers.”
“Since no one has confessed, all I saw was a man with a split skull, a chewed-up left calf, claw marks on his back. No wild animals were in sight and the call was made by his cousin, who also did not view any intruders.” She paused. “But I can now tell you since our computer whiz in the department went through the thumb drive, your husband did know he had sickle-cell anemia. The section of his autobiography, I think that’s the correct term, concerning his health traces the symptoms. He uses this as an ironic comment on his former racism. So Mignon also knew. She was lucky Edward suspected her but didn’t know for sure.”
“This is such a terrible, terrible thing.” Millicent’s eyes misted.
“Do you think Daddy knew Eddie had killed, Mother?” Millicent Grimstead asked.
Penny replied, “Possibly. The red crosses that Susan and Harry showed us on Sam’s diagram, how long he had worked on that. Sam was piecing it together. He must have been researching his own family, as well as the nature of the disease, for months. But yes, I think he knew that Eddie would do anything to cover up that he had the trait. Sam was probably moving toward having Eddie arrested as Barbara’s murderer. But he wouldn’t do this until he felt the case was airtight. That’s the way Sam worked.”
“I wonder if that’s why he crawled to the graveyard?” Susan would forever remember that sight. “He was telling us the answers lay under the ground, among our forebearers.”
“And so they do,” Harry said.
Wendell Holmes, next to Penny, said, “If I’d known, I would have bitten Eddie’s throat.”
“We tried,” Tucker and Owen remarked.
“My fangs sunk deeper than yours.” Pewter puffed up.
“I really thought he was going to kill our human,” Mrs. Murphy said.
“It was nip and tuck,” Tucker agreed. “But we prevailed.”
“They’d be dead without us,” Pewter boasted.
“Humans are doing the best they can,” Mrs. Murphy replied.
“Wouldn’t they be better off if we ran the show?” Owen asked.
“They would, we wouldn’t.” Tucker laughed and the others laughed with her.
Afterword
Sickle-cell anemia occurs most frequently in African Americans and people from the sub-Saharan part of Africa. In the New World those of Caribbean descent have it and it can be found in people from Central or South America. Actually, it shows up now in all ethnicities but the above-mentioned peoples have the highest incidence, especially African Americans.
Francisco Selisse was from the Caribbean and Marcia West Holloway’s mother was mixed race, but in the eighteenth century dark enough to be identified as African American. Ailee would have been deemed an octoroon, meaning she was one-eighth African American, her father being white. Those who read history will recall the famously glamorous Octoroon Ball in New Orleans, which was celebrated for decades. As so many have written about it, it must have been one of the best parties in New Orleans, which is saying something.
But both Francisco and Ailee carried the genetic trait, which probably meant that Marcia had full-blown sickle-cell anemia. If two people who carry the trait mate, the numbers, if they have four children, are one without, one with full-blown sickle-cell anemia, and two that carry the trait. It is for this reason that most states now mandate a screening of infants. As adults, they will be able to make informed decisions about whether to have children if they marry someone who also carries the trait or if they have disease as opposed to the trait. If they do go ahead, they can be vigilant about their offsprings’ health.
Human beings for centuries, millennia even, could describe illnesses. We often knew which ones were hereditary. Today we have much more information and instead of saying dropsy runs in the family, we can be precise.
What we can do about such diseases when they present themselves is another matter. When you start reading all the literature about cancers, sickle-cell anemia, multiple sclerosis, et cetera, it’s a wonder any of us stay upright for long.
Mother Nature will work her will one way or the other.
As for Moses, he more than likely carried the gene as well, given the pains for which his father, DoRe, suffered. When Moses’s years of work were up, he remained in York. He’d learned of Ailee’s suicide when Charles wrote Bartholomew. He continued to work for the Graves, displaying an aptitude for math. Bartholomew taught him and they worked on many projects together.
Moses married in his forties. He never spoke of Ailee. He doted on his two sons, who also became mathematicians.
Jeffrey and Maureen Holloway lived a good life. If Maureen felt any guilt about killing her first husband, she never showed it. When she died, Jeffrey married the much younger, gorgeous Marcia West. It was a fruitful marriage.
The Schuylers and the Wests became part of the Underground Railroad, although there were no trains then, so the term wasn’t used. That’s another story.
All our ancestors made decisions that affect us today. It has always been thus. They did the best they could with what they had, and so must we.
For Ruth Dalsky, my old polo teammate.
She never let me down on the pitch and she doesn’t in life, either.
Dear Reader,
I am not fat. I have big bones. When I eat, I have good manners. You should see Tucker eat. Furthermore, she’ll eat anything. I, at least, display discretion.
Mrs. Murphy and Tucker are either criticizing me or telling me what to do. When I need a second opinion, I’ll look in the mirror.
Yours,
Dear Reader,
Why respond to Pewter’s complaints? You couldn’t make her happy if you blew a fan on her in Hell.
Now, to this book. Walking along the creek mentioned herein, there are rock outcroppings and small caves. I didn’t mention it, but lingering in these old hideouts I could smell ancient tobacco odors, the tang of long-ago fires.
Made me think about the cats and dogs who traveled with the fugitives, warning them of danger. I’m sure some of them were tiger cats.
Guess we never will know all of our history, but anything that happened in this country happened to us, too. Still does.
Ever and Always,
Dear Reader,
Virginia harbors many spirits, some even before the English came in 1607. We dogs can feel them, smell them, and sometimes see them. The spirits are human as well as animal, domesticated and wild. But since humans refuse to acknowledge other dimensions, they miss the wisdom these departed souls can impart. Still, humans can often feel spirits even if they won’t admit it. Harry feels them at the Avenging Angel tomb.
Pewter denies most of this stuff but she, too, knows we aren’t alone. Part of her lack of interest is the departed bring no food.
My mother told me when I was a puppy, “When you drink the water, don’t forget those who dug the well.” I don’t.
I guess the spirits have their realm and we have ours but I have to share mine with Pewter. Not fair.
Your best dog ever,
Books by Rita Mae Brown & Sneaky Pie Brown
WISH YOU WERE HERE • REST IN PIECES • MURDER AT MONTICELLO • PAY DIRT • MURDER, SHE MEOWED • MURDER ON THE PROWL • CAT ON THE SCENT • SNEAKY PIE’S COOKBOOK FOR MYSTERY LOVERS • PAWING THROUGH THE PAST • CLAWS AND EFFECT • CATCH AS CAT CAN • THE TAIL OF THE TIP-OFF • WHISKER OF EVIL • CAT’S EYEWITNESS • SOUR PUSS • PUSS ’N CAHOOTS • THE PURRFECT MURDER • SANTA CLAWED • CAT OF THE CENTURY • HISS OF DEATH • THE BIG CAT NAP • SNEAKY PIE FOR PRESIDENT • THE LITTER OF THE LAW • NINE LIVES TO DIE • TAIL GAIT • TALL TAIL
Books by Rita Mae Brown featuring “Sister” Jane Arnold
OUTFOXED • HOTSPUR • FULL CRY • THE HUNT BALL • THE HOUNDS AND THE FURY • THE TELL-TALE HORSE • HOUNDED TO DEATH • FOX TRACKS • LET SLEEPING DOGS LIE
The Mags Rogers Books
MURDER UNLEASHED • A NOSE FOR JUSTICE
Books by Rita Mae Brown
ANIMAL MAGNETISM: MY LIFE WITH CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL • THE HAND THAT CRADLES THE ROCK • SONGS TO A HANDSOME WOMAN • A PLAIN BROWN RAPPER • RUBYFRUIT JUNGLE • IN HER DAY • SIX OF ONE • SOUTHERN DISCOMFORT • SUDDEN DEATH • HIGH HEARTS • STARTED FROM SCRATCH: A DIFFERENT KIND OF WRITER’S MANUAL • BINGO • VENUS ENVY • DOLLEY: A NOVEL OF DOLLEY MADISON IN LOVE AND WAR • RIDING SHOTGUN • RITA WILL: MEMOIR OF A LITERARY RABBLE-ROUSER • LOOSE LIPS • ALMA MATER • SAND CASTLE
About the Authors
RITA MAE BROWN has written many bestsellers and received two Emmy nominations. In addition to the Mrs. Murphy series, she has authored a dog series comprised of A Nose for Justice and Murder Unleashed, and the Sister Jane foxhunting series, among many other acclaimed books. She and Sneaky Pie live with a collection of other rescued animals.
SNEAKY PIE BROWN, a tiger cat rescue, has written many mysteries—witness the list at the front of this novel. Having to share credit with the above-named human is a small irritant, but she manages it. Anything is better than typing, which is what “Big Brown” does for the series. Sneaky calls her human that name behind her back after the wonderful Thoroughbred racehorse. As her human is rather small, it brings giggles among the other animals. Sneaky’s main character—Mrs. Murphy, a tiger cat—is a bit sweeter than Miss Pie, who can be caustic.
ritamaebrown.com
What’s next on
your reading list?
Discover your next
great read!
* * *
Get personalized book picks and up-to-date news about this author.
Sign up now.