“I spoke to Zelda.”
Luis strode forward, frantic. “My Zelda? When?”
“A few minutes before I almost ended up just like her—knife in the chest.”
“What did she say?” he persisted.
I let them all stew for a moment, watching as they tried to figure out exactly how our conversation had gone. I knew what they were thinking—had Zelda told me who killed her? Did I now know the truth?
Even Tex lifted his basketball body up in his chair. All gazes were on me.
This was a golden opportunity. “Well,” I said slowly, letting the word drip from my tongue, “it seems that Zelda had a lot of talking to do—about me, that is.”
Lemon snapped. “Just tell us what you know. Did my mother say who killed her?”
I swear the entire room shrank as everyone leaned in. After a beat, I finally answered. “No, she didn’t tell me. She didn’t remember, or if she did, she thought it best not to answer.”
“Why would that be?” Alice asked. “If Ruth killed me, I would remember; I’m sure of it. I would tell everyone that I could.”
“You’d be dead, Alice,” Ruth snipped. “There’d be no telling anyone.”
“I would tell Blissful.” Alice turned to me. “I would tell you, of course. You’re always such a good listener.”
Ruth rolled her eyes. “Right. I’d kill you the same as I hooked that knife up to the ceiling.”
“Ruth,” Alice gasped, “I never really thought of you as a killer, but did you do this? How could you?”
“Of course not,” she snapped. “Why would I have done it?”
“You just admitted it.”
“It was a joke, Alice.” Ruth glared at her. “It’s not me. I’m not a killer. There’s no one here that I would want to get rid of except, maybe, for you.”
Fright filled Alice’s eyes. “Exactly like I said.”
“I’m joking,” Ruth explained. “Mostly.”
Alice shot her a quizzical look but said nothing.
Lemon snickered. “If you really did talk to my mother, she would have told you who killed her.”
“Perhaps not,” Luis said. “What if Zelda wanted us to figure it out? What if she wanted me to find the evidence that meant you were guilty,Lemon?”
He pronounced her name like the Spanish word,limon.It was said in jest, I figured.
“You only wish I killed her so that you could take my half of the inheritance as well. You’re worthless, Luis.”
Luis shot a look to Traylor. “See how she talks to me? You married this…this…cockroach!”
Lemon rose. “I am not a cockroach. You come closer to me and say that!”
Roan and Traylor stepped between the two enemies. “That’s enough,” Roan demanded. “Fighting isn’t going to make anything better.”
Lemon stared daggers at Luis for a moment before curling into Traylor’s arms. “It’s all so bad,” she said. “So very, very bad. I can’t wait to get out of here, pookie.”
“Me neither.” He stroked her hair. “It will be all over soon.”
The room quieted, and Alice directed her attention to me. “What do we do now?”
