Page 77 of Murder of a Dead Man

Cecilia opened the door. “No!” Liddy protested, eyes wide.

“No, what, Liddy?”

“It should have been locked. I locked it so they couldn’t get me.”

“Perhaps whoever searched Mr. Montgomery’s room left by way of this outside door.”

“Oh-h-h. Yes, they could do that, I guess.”

“How about you go in this way now so you can lock it and Julia, Mrs. Vance, and I can come through the house.”

She frowned longer, her face a reflection of changing thoughts and feeling tumbling through her mind.

“What is it, Liddy?”

“I want to see if the key is still here.”

“What do you mean?”

“The key Mr. Montgomery always hid outside.”

Cecilia looked around. At the moment, there were no other residents in the vicinity save Julia and Mrs. Vance, and it looked like they were discouraging others from coming their way.

“All right, quick, quick, check it.”

Liddy went to where the windows ended and picked up something off the ground, then she put it back down and came back to Cecilia all smiles.

“You were right. They must have come out the door. The key is still in its hiding place.”

“You go in this way and lock the door after you.”

“And I’ll hide like I did that night, and you can see if you can find me!” she said.

“You hid in Mr. Montgomery’s room the night he died?”

“I didn’t know what else to do.”

“Liddy, why haven’t you told anyone about what happened that night?”

She squirmed a bit, shrugging her shoulders, her face again going through different expressions of guilt, sadness and confusion. Cecilia patiently waited. “I was afraid,” she finally said, her voice cracking and her eyes welling with tears. “And Dr. Worcham was there.”

Cecilia sighed and hugged her again. “You probably did right. I understand. All right, you wait in here for us, and we’ll come around through the house.”

She nodded and sniffed.

Cecilia handed her a handkerchief.

Liddy wiped her eyes. “I don’t want anyone to see me crying again.”

“It’s all right. I’ll be back soon.”

Cecilia told Julia and Mrs. Vance what she had learned from Liddy.

“Poor child,” Mrs. Vance said.

“But you are gaining her trust, Cecilia, and she is telling you. This is good,” Julia said.

“Probably because I wasn’t here when these events happened. Did you have any problems dissuading others from coming over this way?” Cecilia asked as they walked back to the house.