Page 73 of A Fabulously Unfabulous Summer for Henry Milch

“Yet,” my grandmother added.

I looked at her. Crap, I was going to have to find out who killed the drug addled, possibly, occasionally gay Reverend Hessel. Otherwise, that person might keep trying to kill me. Ugh.

“When can my grandmother leave?” I asked Edward.

“I think it’s best if we keep her overnight. It’s concerning when anyone her age gets this sick.”

“I’m notthatold.”

“I didn’t say you were old. We’re just concerned when someone your age—”

“That means old.”

“The important thing is you’re staying the night.”

“In that case, I’m going to need the ladies’ room,” Nana Cole said.

“I’ll have a nurse bring you a bed pan,” Edward said.

“Oh, no, just have her walk me to the bathroom.”

“I’m afraid you need to stay in bed right now.”

She gave Edward a look I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. The rest of us quickly vacated.

I went out to the waiting room and took a seat, thinking about who might have done this. It was someone who knew we wouldn’t think twice about accepting a casserole. That only narrowed the field to twenty or so. Well, no, people up here knew bringing a casserole was the right thing to do when someone had an illness or a tragedy. Really, it could have been anyone in the county.

No one in Los Angeles brought you a casserole when you had a tragedy. In fact, if your neighbors knew you’d had a tragedy, they tended to avoid you as though it might be contagious. I still find a certain logic in that.

I went back to checking things off… It had to be someone who knew where we lived. Which didn’t narrow the field any further since Nana Cole was listed in the phone book.

And, of course, it had to be the person who killed Reverend Hessel.Run through the suspects, one by one, I told myself. People were often killed by someone close to them. Ivy Greene was in a bar, seen by who knows how many people. Her son, Carl, had been with Opal. So, unless he and Opal did it together it wasn’t him.

I considered for a moment whether they might have done it together. Honestly, it seemed ridiculous. It was challenging enough having coffee with Opal, I couldn’t imagine she’d stop being annoying long enough to commit murder. But then, Carl did have a better relationship with her than I did… so… maybe.

Or maybe it was Reverend Wilkie and Sue Langtree. Reverend Hessel had blackmailed them both. Of course, they were both ancient, decrepit really. I had trouble believing either of them could bludgeon someone to death.

And what about Denny? Maybe my questions had been a little obvious. Maybe he’d guessed I was trying to find Reverend Hessel’s killer. Which might possibly be him—

I looked up and there was Edward standing over me. I nearly swooned. Thankfully, I didn’t. I didn’t need another medical bill.

“Are you okay?”

“Oh yeah. I didn’t have any of the lasagna. I hate spinach—”

“That’s not what I meant. This is the second time your grandmother’s been in the hospital in what… two months?”

“Three.”

“That has to be frightening.”

"It is.”

And it was. He smiled at me so sweetly I felt dizzy.

“What time do you get off?” I asked, trying not to sound too eager.

“Six tomorrow morning. I’m on nights for the next week. And then I’m going camping in the UP for the fourth of July.”