Digging Up The Dirt

Mrs. Simpson moved slowly to a desk that stood against the wall and opened the top drawer. She shuffled papers for a moment, then turned with a single piece of paper in her hand. She brought it to Dickce and resumed her seat. Peanut promptly laid his head on her knee, and Mrs. Simpson patted it.

Dickce stared down at the rumpled piece of paper. The message was brief. And brutal, she decided. Regret to inform you that Coriander Simpson was killed in an accident in London. Burial to take place here. Sincere condolences. H. Wachtel

The name puzzled Dickce. She couldn’t recall any people with that name in Athena, though there must have been someone. Where else would Coriander have met him?

She looked at the date. June fifteenth. The same year that both Hadley and Callie disappeared from Athena.

Dickce returned the telegram to Mrs. Simpson. “Did you ever hear from this H. Wachtel again?”

Mrs. Simpson shook her head. “Not another word.” She sighed. “I couldn’t even bring my baby home to bury. She’s over there, and I don’t even know where.”

Dickce felt the woman’s grief, and for a moment she couldn’t speak. Finally she found her voice again. “Thank you for sharing this with me, Mrs. Simpson. I can only imagine how painful this is for you, and you have my deepest sympathies.”

Mrs. Simpson smiled briefly. “Thank you, ma’am.”

“I can tell you that your daughter must have left Athena around the same time that Callie Partridge did, but other than that, I don’t know anything. I’ve never heard of the person who sent the telegram.” Dickce shook her head. “I know there’s no comfort in that, but if I find out anything more, I will come back and tell you.”

“Thank you,” Mrs. Simpson said.

“Here’s your tea, Great-granny,” Monique said. The child’s quiet approach and sudden words startled Dickce, and she barely missed knocking over her own glass.

Mrs. Simpson accepted the glass and drank. Dickce decided she had taken enough of her hostess’s time. She finished her own tea and handed the glass to the hovering child. She thanked her again and rose.

“Mrs. Simpson, I appreciate your time, but I’d better get back on the road for home.” She pulled one of her calling cards from her purse and handed it to her hostess. “If there’s ever anything I can do for you, please call.”

Mrs. Simpson thanked her and held out her hand for Dickce to shake. “I hope you can find out what happened to Miss Callie,” Mrs. Simpson said. “She was always good to my daughter.”

“I’ll let you know, I promise.” Dickce held out her hand toward Peanut. “Come on, boy, time to go home.”

Peanut whined and looked up at Mrs. Simpson. She rubbed his head twice more and told him he was a sweet boy. Then he seemed satisfied and ready to go with Dickce.

Monique showed them to the door. She gave Peanut a quick hug and a pat on the head, and he returned her gestures with a couple of licks to her face. She giggled, and Dickce said good-bye.

Peanut jumped into the backseat, where Endora greeted him with several loud meows and a swipe at his head. Peanut barked at her, and that seemed to satisfy the cat. Once Peanut and Dickce were both settled, Benjy started the car and backed carefully out of the driveway. Dickce looked back to see Monique still on the porch, waving at them. She waved back until they were out of sight.

As Benjy navigated their way back to the highway, Dickce shared with him the details of her visit with Coriander Simpson’s mother. She concluded by saying, “There’s something fishy about that story and that telegram.”

“I think you’re right,” Benjy said. “You can’t remember anybody named Wachtel from Athena, you said.”

“No, I can’t,” Dickce replied. “But the name is oddly familiar for some reason. I must know it in some other context.” She shook her head. “Right now I can’t recall it. Hopefully it will come to me later.”

Benjy chuckled. “I usually remember things in the shower, for some reason.”

Dickce smiled. “Maybe I should take a shower when I get home and see if it helps.”

They were silent until they reached the highway south. “I can’t wait to tell An’gel about all this.” Dickce checked her watch. “It’s only a quarter to four. I wonder if she’s still talking to Hadley.” She fished out her cell phone and speed-dialed her sister. She listened briefly, then said, “Give me a call when you get this message, Sister.” She laid the phone on the seat beside her.

“I’m thinking about the timing of Coriander’s departure,” Benjy said. “She obviously left Athena not long after Hadley Partridge. If we accept the fact that the remains that we found belong to Mrs. Partridge, then Coriander probably left before Mrs. Partridge died. Does that sound reasonable?”