Rodeo Granny

by Marilyn Miggles

  "I have just been talking to Midge Dexter."

  She stopped dead on the spot.

  "I know about the rodeo. Do you want to tell me about the day you found gran?"

  "Why do you want to know?"

  "I think my gran was murdered, put out of the way that's why?"

  "What? Are you mad? Are you suggesting I killed her?"

  "I am not mad, I just want to find out what happened to her. I'm not accusing you, I just need to know what happened on the day you found her?"

  Louisa sighed, "I don't like to think about it again. She was just lying there in her bed. I think it was peaceful."

  "Was there any evidence that she had been given

  an overdose?"

  "I don't know, I didn't touch her. I left that to the doctor. It seemed like she had just gone in her sleep."

  "Did you call the doctor right away?"

  "Almost, once I had got over the shock."

  "Did she say anything to you about being afraid of anyone?"

  "No, I don't recall. I didn't see a lot of her until she became ill."

  "When did she become ill?"

  "About a week before she died."

  "It seems so sudden."

  "It can happen like that with old people. One minute their fine, the next thing you know, they're on their back."

  I was struck then by how unsurprised she'd seemed by my theory that gran was given an overdose. Her answers seemed well rehearsed too. They were too precise, somehow.

  "Did you see anyone else around before you found her? Any other neighbours, perhaps?"

  Louisa thought for a moment. "There was her across and down a bit. Sherri Longley. She was outside, putting out the trash when I went round."

  "I've seen her about."

  "Yes, she and your gran were always falling out. Mainly about her kids playing out in the street. She has two, a boy and a girl. I'd check her out, if I were you."

  "I'll do that. Was there anyone else you can think of who may have visited gran?"

  Louisa thought hard. "There was that nurse from the doctor's who came round after your gran became ill."

  "A nurse?"

  "Yeah, Carolyn Flaxseed, her name is. I remembered her because I see her sometimes."

  "Does she still work here?"

  "Oh, yes. You'd get an appointment quickly with her if you went down there. Sometimes she'll see you on the same day."

  "Thanks, Louisa."

  I crossed over and went to see if Sherri Longley was home, but finding no answer at the front door, I went home to go and dig out the other half of the house, the part my gran mainly inhabited. I needed to find more evidence that my gran was given an overdose, which I was sure she had. I was sure there was evidence, I just needed to look harder for it. A murder investigation was never that simple, it seemed!

  When I got home I had a quick lunch and got to work right away. Most of the stuff I pulled out of the boxes was junk, and I put it to one side to be taken to the tip. I found a few framed photographs of me as a small child with gran, but I thought it was odd that my mom wasn't in any of them. I still had the feeling that they had fallen out. Maybe the other people in Sunshine Bluff were right about her.

  Sunny came to have a look at what I was doing, rubbing his face around the edge of the boxes and I had to move him away a few times so I could get on with the job at hand.

  Dinner time came around and after a hot bath I gave it a rest, going to see what I could find to rustle up to eat in the kitchen.

  C h a p t e r8

  The next morning I was still plugging away at this tidy up when the doorbell rang downstairs. I glanced at my watch and realised it was later than I'd thought as it was now noon. I had been hard at it since nine 'O clock!

  I dusted down my dungarees and had a quick glance at myself in the mirror on my way to answer the door. Being satisfied that I was presentable enough, if a little rough around the edges, my hair being clipped out of the way in a fly-away mass at the side of my head, I tripped down the stairs and threw open the door.

  Sheriff Mali was standing on the doorstep and he did not look in a good mood, to put it mildly! His face had a scowl upon it and his arms were folded. I had a very good idea what this was about too, but I feigned my surprise at seeing him there.

  "Sheriff!"

  "Miss Womack. I have something of importance to say to you," he began, looking down at my dusty clothes as though he would get dirty from them by just standing there.

  "What can I do for you, Sheriff?"

  "I think you know the answer to that. I have just been speaking to Midge Dexter."

  "Right," I said, avoiding eye contact with him.

  "I have come to warn you to stop badgering him. I see you have not taken my advice and left this whole business of Nelly's death alone. I must ask you to stop this now!" He waved a finger at me as he was speaking.

  "Is this a threat, Sheriff? What exactly has Midge Dexter complained of?"

  "He says you accused him of giving your gran an overdose. You have no business to go around pointing the finger at people like that. Especially to Midge, he's been going through enough lately."

  "But you do?"

  "Of couse I do, I'm the Sheriff!"

  "How could I forget. Is this all you have to say to me, because I am very busy just now trying to catch my gran's killer! If you don't mind, I would like to be left to it, thanks."

  "Have you listened to a word I've just said? I'm warning you, you must stop this right now!"

  "Or what?"

  "I'll have no choice but to arrest you!"

  "You can't do that."

  "I can and I will!"

  "I can't stop now. I am looking for evidence that my gran was given an overdose and if I find it, I'm holding you personally responsible for neglecting to do your duty!"

  "Fine, if that's how you feel, I think I'd better leave. But if I hear any more complaints about you snooping around, I'll have no choice but to bring you in for questioning."

  "I am not scared of you, Sheriff. You can do as you please. Good afternoon." I closed the door in his face before he could say anymore.

  I stormed back upstairs to take a shower and stew over what the Sheriff had said. Feeling a little calmer after lunch and noticing through the kitchen window that Sherri Longley was out in the garden, I went across to her house to defy the Sheriff!

  I waved and introduced myself as I walked up the drive.

  "I knew your gran. I'm sorry I haven't been across to introduce myself sooner, it's just that your gran and I didn't really see eye to eye," Sherri said, as she led me inside the house. She was a young mom of about twenty, with blonde hair and freckles, and she had let herself go a bit, probably due to the chaos I found the place in when I stepped through the front door! There were dogs and two children running riot all over the place and there was washing and dirty dishes everywhere!

  As it was a Saturday, I had probably chosen the very worse time for my visit, but I gave it a go anyway!

  "Did my gran lose it with you, is that happened?" I asked her directly. Sherri had found me an empty chair, the others being piled high with junk, at the kitchen table and closed the door firmly behind the noise and chaos going on in the other part of the house. She seemed good at switching off.

  "Yeah, it's an old people thing, isn't it? Can't stand kids when they get old, can they?" She said, pouring hot water into two mugs and dunking in a tea bag.

  "I can't speak for my gran, she was always happy to have me over for school holidays."

  "They can cope with gran kids, but when they're someone else's, that's a different story, isn't it?" She carried the mugs across to the table and placed them down, taking a seat herself, which was probably the only one left empty for her use during the day.

  "Mind you, with my two, I can see why she would lose it. I'm a single mom, and it kind of takes its toll." Just what I was thinking!

  "I suppose it would. What happened?"

  "Well, the
kids used to play ball out in the street a lot at evenings and weekends, I was tired of knowing what to do with them and she got sick of it. She used to come waddling across and tell them off. Then she started on me and I have been so stressed out, I probably made things worse with my big mouth."

  "Are you taking any medication for it?"

  "For stress, yeah."

  "I suppose you were glad when gran died, huh?"

  Her face fell and she seemed really agitated by the question. She started to come up with excuses to get me to leave. "I think I'd better get the kids ready now, they're going swimming," she said, looking at her watch.

  "Oh, that's okay. I won't hold you up any longer," I said cheerily, gathering up my handbag. I'd heard all I needed to. Enough not to write her off as another suspect.

  I thought over what she'd said as I walked home and came to the conclusion that stress could have been a factor here. Sherri could have easily come over and had a go at gran, frightening her and when gran became ill, gave her an overdose of her own stress tablets.

  I needed to see that nurse, find out about the meds my gran was on. First, I needed to find the evidence to convict whoever did it!

  ∞∞∞

  T H A T E V E N I N G I H A D arranged to meet Alley at Lulu's diner, for a special Saturday treat. Her mom had baked a trial traybake and we were trying it out for the first time. I couldn't wait to try it! I had become her best critic!

  Alley and Lulu were waiting at one of the booths when I arrived, the diner was quiet today as Lulu had closed early especially for the occasion.

  "Hi, Bry!" They both said at once, as I budged them along the red leather seats to sit beside them.

  "Hi, you two. Mmm, something smells good." I leaned in closer to the new creation to take in the aroma.

  "Toffee apple and salted caramel brioche, with a toffee crisp base and drizzled in a caramel sauce," Lulu announced.

  "Sounds amazing too!"

  "Let us try it then, mom. I'm starving!" Alley said, rubbing her stomach.

  "Here goes." Lulu dished us up a large slice each and watched as we tried a bit. "How is it?"

  I gave her the thumbs up and Alley nodded her head to show her approval, neither of us wanting to talk until we'd savoured the whole slice. We washed it down with extra milky toffee milkshake while we talked.

  "Should I put it on the menu, then?" Lulu asked, clearing away the plates.

  "Please do," I said.

  "Yep, yep, yep!" Alley said.

  Lulu discarded the plates and came to sit with us again to have a talk. "So, how is the investigation going?"

  I pulled a face, "not great, I'm afraid."

  "Oh, no. What's happened now?" Alley asked.

  "The Sheriff has happened," I said with a grin.

  "The Sheriff is a strange one. What has he done now?" Lulu said.

  "He threatened me and told me if I continued looking into my gran's death, he would arrest me."

  Lulu snorted, "he can't do that! He just can't bear the thought that he might have missed something. He's a perfectionist, I shouldn't worry about him."

  "Oh, I'm not. I'm going to continue with the investigation, I could just do without everyone running to the Sheriff everytime I interview them."

  "You'll have to be more discreet, that's all."

  "I think he has been talking to Midge Dexter who is not too happy about my accusing him."

  "No, Midge and the Sheriff are two of a kind. They both think they're actually cowboys for a start, and then Mali has always looked up to Midge like a father. I gather his own father wasn't much good."

  "Don't you think it smacks of guilt, though, how Midge doesn't like my shopping?"

  "It could do, but Midge is a private person, he doesn't like prying."

  "Hm. I'm not too sure if Midge is guilty, but he is hiding something, alright. I need to get to the bottom of what that is."

  "Rather you than me, Bry. That's all I can say."

  C h a p t e r9

  I was determined to finish clearing out the other half of the house before I visited the nurse, so I dedicated a few full days' to working on this project. I was nearly there! Just a few more things to move and hey presto! I was disappointed that I had not found any evidence of an overdose yet. I thought I would have found something by now!

  Just as I was beginning to despair, I found what I was looking for! An empty medicine bottle! I was moving the last box from under gran's old bed, when my hand brushed against it. It was just lying there! It had been the whole time! I was wearing gloves so that I wasn't tampering with any evidence, and I took it to the window to examine it closer.

  The writing on the label meant nothing to me and it could after all have been something my gran was prescribed. I may be able to get it out of the nurse when I visit.

  Just at this moment, the doorbell rang, and this time I peeked out the window in the front bedroom to see who it was. I didn't want to have another encounter with the Sheriff!

  It wasn't him, but it was his deputy. Deputy Shiller. What could he want?

  I ran downstairs and opened the door just as he had turned away to leave, and I called out, "Deputy Shiller, isn't it?"

  He turned around, "ah, hello, Bryony."

  Could he have been the help I was waiting for?

  "Would you like to come in? I was just about to make some coffee and I have fresh cupcakes in the larder."

  "Sounds tempting. I'll take you up on that," he said smiling. He had the cutest smile I had ever seen on a guy.

  "Sit yourself down while I make the coffee. I actually have something interesting to share with you." I walked into the kitchen while Shiller made himself comfortable on the couch and called over my shoulder to him as I worked, "so, what do people call you when you're not working?"

  "Eddy is my name. It's really Edward, but I prefer Eddy!" He called from the other room.

  "Okay, Eddy, what did you want to talk to me about?" I asked, appearing through the kitchen door carrying a tray loaded with coffee and cupcakes.

  "I gather the Sheriff came to warn you off the case. I just wanted to assure you that I don't feel as he does about it. I understand your concerns about your gran."

  "Thanks, that means a lot." I sat down and poured coffee.

  "Don't tell him I was here though. I think it best he doesn't know."

  "Your secrets safe with me. What is his problem anyway?"

  "The Sheriff's?"

  I nodded, blowing on my coffee before I took a sip.

  "I can't rightly say. I haven't worked with him all that long. I don't much like him, though. I have a particular reason for that, but I wouldn't want to bore you with the story."

  "Go on, I don't mind."

  "It was after the tragic death of a dear friend and colleague, Deputy Williams. Harry was killed after a bodged job by the Sheriff, I won't go into all the details about that, but the Sheriff has never admitted his part in his death even though there was no doubt he was to blame. He is stubborn like that."

  "And far too full of himself!" I said indignantly. I could feel my chest rising and falling in anger.

  "Anyway, enough about him. What is it you have to show me?"

  I placed my cup down on the coffee table and went to fetch the bottle. "This is a medicine bottle I found under my gran's bed this afternoon. I don't know what was in it, but I am certain it is the medicine used to give her the overdose."

  He was about to take it off me when I protested against his gloveless hands. "There probably won't be any fingerprints on it. They probably used gloves. Wasn't your gran on medication herself?"

  I shook my head, "I don't think she was. My gran never needed medication! This has to be the pills that were used. Find out whose pills these are and we have our killer!"

  "Wait, I can take this to the lab without the Sheriff finding out. I don't think you'll have much joy with fingerprints though, as I said."

  "That is unless the killer acted rashly! What if the person who gav
e them to gran was stressed out and it was just a spur of the moment thing?"

  "I suppose it's worth a shot."

  "You bet it is! I am going to see my gran's nurse tomorrow and see if I can find out if my gran was on any meds."

  When Eddy had gone, I resumed the last bit of tidying up ready for decor and collapsed on the couch in front of the t.v.

  ∞∞∞

  A S P L A N N E D I V I S I T E D the doctor's the next morning and asked the receptionist if there

  were any available appointments with Nurse Flaxseed for that morning. She smiled and punched a few keys on the desk top.

  "You're in luck. There is an appointment for eleven-thirty today," she said, after scrolling through the appointments on the screen.

  I looked at my watch, it was half an hour away. "That's great, thanks," I said, and decided to wait in the waiting area with a glossy magazine.

  Just a little after eleven-thirty, a small, stocky lady, with grey hair and a placid face called me in to nurse room one and I followed her inside, closing the door behind me. She sat at her desk and I sat down on her right. She smiled and placed her hands on the desk before her in a clasp. "Now, what can I do for you, Miss Womack?"

  "I understand you attended on my gran, Nelly Womack, through her sickness?"

  "That's right. Do you have no medical complaint of your own?"

  "I'm sorry, no. I have come to talk about my gran."

  "We don't usually see people unless they have a medical complaint themselves. But, as you are here, I'll hear you out."

  "Thanks. I wouldn't be here unless it was urgent, nurse Flaxseed."

  "Then, I'd better hear it, hadn't I?"

  "I found this in my gran's house. A pill bottle. I have never heard of the contents, but I wondered if you could tell me if my gran had been prescribed this?" I asked, holding the bottle up surrounded by a handkerchief.

  "I am afraid you know the procedure. I can't divulge such information. It goes against patient rights."

  "But she was my gran? Can't you just say yes or no!"

  "I am afraid not. I'm sorry, Miss Womack. This seems to have been a wasted journey for you." She stood up and towered over me, and for the first time a thought had struck me.