Authors: Jessica Beck
Opal resisted
the idea at first, but after a few seconds, she nodded as she slumped down into
one of the booths. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m beside myself. Victoria, would
you join me?”
The diner was
starting to fill up, but I knew that Jenny could handle things for a little
while. I wanted to talk to Opal about what had happened to Gordon Murphy, and I
wasn’t about to get a better opportunity. “I’d be delighted.” I went for a
coffee pot, and as I passed by Jenny, I asked, “Would you cover things for a
few minutes? I need to talk to Opal.”
“Sure thing,
Boss,” Jenny said with a smile. “Man, there are some really good tippers this
time of day, aren’t there?”
“I hadn’t
noticed, but I’m glad that you’re doing well,” I said. “Thanks again for
covering the extra shifts.”
“Keep it
coming, I say,” she said, and then her smile dimmed a bit. “I’m not happy about
what Ellen’s going through; you know that, don’t you?”
“Nobody’s
going to doubt your motives, Jenny,” I said.
“Good.”
I poured a
cup of coffee for Opal, and then I filled another up for myself. It felt good
sitting down with her, but I wasn’t exactly on break. I needed more information
on Gordon, and I hoped that Opal had some for me.
“It’s a shame
about your former son-in-law, no matter how you might have felt about him,” I
said as I took a sip. Usually I drank sweet tea, but I had the occasional cup
of coffee, too. Any way I could get my caffeine was okay with me. When my dad
had experienced his episode, he’d given up all caffeinated beverages, but I
didn’t know how he did it. My father was a lot like my grandfather in that
respect. He had a tough time passing up a good story. Whenever someone asked him
if he wanted a soda or a sweet tea, he’d tell them that the last one he’d had
was in Intensive Care. I honestly believed that was what kept the man from
having another one since.
“Gordon was a
weasel, plain and simple,” Opal said as she took a long sip of coffee. “I
warned Ellen about marrying him, but she wouldn’t listen, and now look what’s
happened.”
“You haven’t
changed your mind, have you?” I asked her.
“What do you
mean?”
“Opal, please
tell me that you don’t think that your daughter had anything to do with what
happened to Gordon,” I said.
She looked
shocked by the question. “Of course not. My Ellen would
never
do something like that.” She took another sip of coffee, and
then Opal looked steadily at me. “There
is
something on my mind, though. Have you spoken with Robert?”
“Your husband
was in here the day Gordon was murdered,” I said.
“That’s not
what I meant. Have you spoken with him since it happened?”
“Not very
much, but then again, we haven’t had the chance to really chat,” I admitted.
“Why, do you think that we should?”
Opal shook
her head. “No, I’m sure that Robert is innocent. I’m sure of it!” Why wouldn’t
Opal make eye contact with me all of a sudden? Did she suspect that her husband
may have had something to do with Gordon’s murder? And if she did, was there
cause to believe that it might be true? One thing was clear; Moose and I needed
to speak to Robert and decide for ourselves.
I touched her
hand lightly. “Opal, are you trying to convince
me
of that, or yourself?”
Opal frowned,
took another sip, and then she said, “Sometimes it’s like I don’t even know the
man anymore, you know?”
“I can’t
imagine that it’s easy for you, given the way the two of you live apart.”
Opal shook
her head. “It was never my idea. Robert was committed to the plan once the
Jefferson place went on the market. He told me that it would be a good
investment property for our old age. I believed him, but three days after we
took possession, he told me that he wanted to live there full time. I know
folks in town talk about our living arrangement, but I couldn’t change his
mind.”
“Hey, if it
works for you, I don’t think anyone else’s opinion matters,” I said.
“Would you
live apart from Greg?” she asked earnestly.
I tried to
imagine what it would be like not seeing my husband right before I fell asleep
or the first thing in the morning when I opened my eyes. “I don’t think it
would work for us, but that’s just our situation, not yours.”
“Well, it’s
me, too,” Opal said sadly. She took another sip, and I topped off her coffee
cup. “I really shouldn’t.”
“You don’t
have to drink all of it,” I said. “How are Ellen and the kids holding up?”
“The children
are in some kind of shock, and Ellen’s doing everything in her power to hold it
all together for them. They begged her to let them go to school today, though I
tried to talk them out of it, but Ellen thought it would be healthy for all of
them to go about their business, and nobody would listen to me. Now that she’s
here, I’m sure that she’s regretting it. I just hope the other children at
school aren’t too brutal to my grandchildren.”
It had been
my experience growing up that while there were a handful of kids who knew how
to show real compassion, the vast majority of them hadn’t mastered the skill
yet. I wasn’t about to say that to Opal, though. “Well, they’ll be home soon,
at any rate.”
“They aren’t
going home,” Opal said. “They’re all going to stay with me until things settle
down.” It was pretty clear that she was quite pleased with the situation.
“Was that
Ellen’s idea?” I asked.
“No, you know
as well as I do that my daughter is fiercely independent. She refused at first,
but then the first reporter from Charlotte showed up on her doorstep. They can
smell blood in the water, and when they’re going after a story, they are
relentless.”
I wondered
just how true that was, since no one had come by the diner looking for a story
about Ellen and her ex-husband since the murder. Chances were good that it had
just been a stringer trying to find something to write about, and once she’d
been rebuffed, the story was dead. “Still, it’s awfully sweet of you to take
them in.”
“What’s a
mother or a grandmother to do,” Opal said. “My home is always open to them.”
She took another sip of coffee, and it was clearly starting to loosen her up.
“And if the reporters weren’t bad enough, the police have been positively
relentless. Can you imagine? They even asked me for
my
alibi.”
“What did you
tell them?” I asked.
“How can
anyone say for sure? I baked that day, saw to the children, had a picnic with
my daughter and her children, ran some errands, and I probably did half a dozen
other things that I don’t remember now.”
“This is one
of those times when it pays to be as specific as you can be,” I said.
Opal looked
as though she were about to elaborate when Ellen came out of the kitchen. She
looked surprised to see her mom chatting with me.
Ellen walked
over quickly. “How long have you been here, Mother?”
“It’s my
fault she didn’t come get you,” I said. “I offered her a cup of coffee, and I joined
her,” I said quickly.
“That’s nice
of you, but we need to go,” Ellen said firmly.
“I understand
that,” I said as Opal and I got up from the booth. “How are you doing, Ellen?”
“I’m better,
now that I’m going home.”
“With me, you
mean,” Opal said.
Ellen
frowned, but then she nodded in agreement. “We’ll stay there tonight, but we’re
going back home tomorrow. Okay?”
“Whatever you
want to do is fine with me,” Opal said, but I noticed that there was more than
the hint of a smile on her lips as she said it. This woman was clearly enjoying
her daughter and grandchildren, and I had to wonder how lonely she must be with
her husband living across the street.
“Will we see
you tomorrow?” I asked Ellen.
“It’s
doubtful,” Opal said before her daughter could answer.
Ellen
frowned. “Mother.”
“What? Isn’t
it true?” Opal asked.
Ellen turned
to me. “I’ll let you know, Victoria. Jenny’s offered to work both our shifts
for the next few days, and if you don’t mind, I might just take her up on it.”
“I want you
to do whatever makes you feel comfortable,” I said.
“I doubt
coming in to work or staying at my mother’s place will make much difference one
way or the other. We’ll see.”
“That’s
fine,” I said as Greg walked into the diner.
“Hey, Ellen.
How are you holding up?” he asked as he hugged her.
“I’m leaving,
if that’s all right with you,” she said.
Greg offered
his smile. “I’m happy to say that I’m not in charge of anything but the grill
and the kitchen. If you need any executive decisions made around here, the boss
is standing right there.”
“Don’t worry;
I’ve already approved it,” I said.
“Then I’m all
for it,” Greg said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a kitchen to run.”
“I’ll be back
there to see you in a second,” I told my husband, and we all watched him stroll
back to his domain with supreme confidence.
“You’re a
lucky woman to have that man in your life, Victoria,” Opal said after Greg was
in the kitchen.
“Don’t I know
it,” I said with a smile. “Ellen, call me if you need to talk. I’m there for
you.”
“Thank you
for your kind offer, but she has me,” Opal said.
Ellen shook
her head slightly, and then she ignored the fact that her mother had just
answered for her. “I appreciate that more than I can tell you.”
Once they
were gone, Jenny grabbed the coffee pot. “They’re quite a pair, aren’t they?”
she asked.
“Opal might
be a little overprotective of her daughter, but I’m sure that she means well.”
“I don’t know
how Ellen even
breathes
when she’s
around her,” Jenny said with a laugh.
“Isn’t your
mother just as attentive?” I asked.
“Not since
kindergarten. Don’t get me wrong. She’s there if I need her, but I have to be
the one who calls her for help. She learned a long time ago that I was a big
girl, and I could take care of myself.”
“Well, we’re
not all as strong as you are,” I said with a laugh. Jenny had an infectious
spirit, and I loved being around her.
“You’re
kidding, right? Victoria, if there’s a woman in all of Jasper Fork who’s more
self-assured than I am, it’s got to be you. You’re the very definition of an
independent woman.”
“It’s nice of
you to say so, but I have a pretty good support system in place here and at
home. I’m not nearly as autonomous as you might think. In many ways, my family
is what makes me stronger and more assured.”
“Some make us
stronger, some fight to hold us back,” she said. “Enough philosophizing; I’ve
got work to do. I don’t know how you manage to work all day. I’m already
pooped, and my real shift hasn’t even started yet.”
“You can do
it,” I said. “The key is to take some breaks throughout the day. I don’t work
from six in the morning until seven at night straight through. I have short
breaks from eight to eleven, and then again from four to five. We can work
something out for you, too, while you’re working both shifts on the floor.”
“Thanks, but
I want to see how much I can manage in tips. If I start to wear out, I’ll let
you know.”
“You do that.
Just don’t kill yourself.”
“I’ll try not
to, but you’re not the greatest example of moderation, even
with
your breaks.”
“So then do
as I say and not as I do,” I answered with a smile.
“I’ll give it
my best shot,” she said as Mom came out from the back after being relieved of
her duty at the grill.
“Victoria, do
you have a second?” she asked.
Jenny flipped
a towel over her shoulder. “I’ll take care of the bar.”
“What’s up,
Mom?” I asked once Jenny was gone.
“To be honest
with you, I’m worried about Ellen,” she said.
“Did she say
something to you when she was back in the kitchen waiting for Opal?”
“She said a
great many things. I’m afraid that she might be a little paranoid.”
“What do you
mean?” I asked.
“Over the
course of thirty minutes, she expressed concern that her mother, her father,
and even her boyfriend might have been involved in Gordon Murphy’s murder.”
“Did she say
anything specific?” I asked. Maybe Ellen had picked up on some things that
Moose and I hadn’t been able to uncover yet.
“You don’t
think that she’s right, do you?” my mother asked.
“Moose and I
are still trying to figure out who might have done it,” I admitted. “Maybe
Ellen’s heard or seen something that incriminates someone close to her, only
she doesn’t realize it.”
Mom bit her
lower lip for a second before she spoke. “Why do I feel as though I’m telling
tales out of school?”
“Look at it
this way. Did Ellen swear you to secrecy?”
“No, of course
not.”
“Did she even
ask you to keep your conversation private?” I asked.
“No, not at
all.”
“Then you
should be able to tell me whatever she said with a clear conscience.” I meant
it, too, and I had a hunch that my mother knew it.
“Well, she said
that Wayne and Robert were both so angry with Gordon that they were both seeing
red, but it was Opal’s reaction that disturbed her even more.”
“What
happened?” I asked, trying to imagine the woman that I’d just had coffee with
as a cold-blooded killer.
“She said
that her mother had something on her coat when they were all at the park
together, and it looked as though it might be blood.”
“What?” I
asked a little too loudly. If I remembered correctly, Opal hadn’t even been
wearing a jacket when I’d seen her at the park with Ellen and her
grandchildren. “Did Ellen tell the police about it?”
“No. Opal
told her that it was red paint she picked up by accident sitting on a newly
painted bench at the park.”