Jack and Wanda Nell protested that she had already been of help, but Miss Fehrenbach gave them a sad smile. “Thank you, my dears. But what we all really need to know is who Jenna Rae’s biological father was. That seems to be the key to the whole terrible mess.”
“Exactly,” Jack said. “If we could find out who Margaret worked for in Tullahoma, that would be a start.”
“Since Jenna Rae was Margaret’s own daughter,” Wanda Nell added, “it seems reasonable to think that some married man got her pregnant, then fobbed her off on somebody to get her out of Tullahoma.”
Miss Fehrenbach nodded. “I’d say you’re right about that. The question is, though, was that married man her employer? Or someone else?”
“Good point,” Jack said. He shook his head in irritation. “And the one person who could answer these questions is right next door.”
“Do you want to go back over there and tackle him about it?” Wanda Nell asked. “I might have to ask Miss Fehrenbach to lend me a clothespin for my nose, but I’ll go with you.”
Both Jack and Miss Fehrenbach smiled at Wanda Nell’s attempt to lighten the mood.
“That’s not such a bad idea,” Miss Fehrenbach said. “About going back to talk to him, that is. If you wait much later in the day, he’ll probably be passed out for the night.” She shook her head, a doleful expression on her face. “Once he’s that far gone, not even the Last Trump would wake him up.”
“I suppose it’s worth a shot,” Jack said. He stood. “You don’t have to come, honey. Why don’t you stay here, where it’s cool and pleasant?”
Wanda Nell was torn. She wanted to be there in case Jack needed her for anything, but she remembered all too well the horror of the inside of that house. “Then I’ll stay here,” she said, with a quick glance at Miss Fehrenbach. “I’ll keep Miss Fehrenbach company, if that’s okay with her.”
“Of course, my dear.” Miss Fehrenbach beamed at them. “I don’t get that many visitors these days, and you’d be doing an old woman a service to visit longer.”
“Since that’s settled,” Jack said, “I guess I’ll go and get it over with. Keep your fingers crossed that I can get him to talk to me again.”
He turned to leave the room, insisting that he could see himself out. Miss Fehrenbach instructed him on how to set the latch so he could come back in when he was done. Jack thanked her and departed.
Moments later they could hear him knocking hard on Howell’s door.
“Good luck to him,” Miss Howell said. Wanda Nell nodded. “Now tell me, my dear, while Jack is gone, how long have you two been married?”
With a smile Wanda Nell responded to Miss Fehrenbach’s query, telling her a bit more about Jack and herself. They conversed for several minutes, and Wanda Nell told her hostess about her children.
“Sounds to me like you’ve done a lovely job raising them,” Miss Fehrenbach commented. “And since you didn’t mention their father, I guess he must have bowed out of the picture not long after Juliet was born.”
Wanda Nell had to laugh at that, and at the tone of censure in her hostess’s voice. She told her a little bit about Bobby Ray, and was just about to tell her about his murder when they heard Jack coming up the porch.
When he came into the room, he was scowling. He sat down by Wanda Nell. “That was pretty much a waste of time. He opened the door to me, but he wouldn’t answer my questions.”
“Oh, dear, I was afraid of that,” Miss Fehrenbach said. “That man could outstubborn a dozen mules any day.”
“He didn’t say anything?” Wanda Nell asked. “What, exactly, did you ask him?”
Jack had a long drink of water before he responded. Setting his glass on the table, he said, “I was very direct with him. I told him we knew he wasn’t telling the truth about Tullahoma. He just grunted at me.”
“Was that all?” Wanda Nell asked when he failed to continue.
“No. Next I asked him to tell me who his wife had worked for in Tullahoma. That at least got more than a grunt out of him. He asked me why I wanted to know something like that.” Jack glanced at Miss Fehrenbach. “But he didn’t ask it in words that polite.”
“I’ve lived next to him a long time,” Miss Fehrenbach said, her tone dry. “It’s been quite educational sometimes, but not in the best way.”
“I can imagine.” Jack’s tone matched hers. “When I told him that knowing who she worked for might help us find out who killed Jenna Rae, he just stared at me. Then he said he couldn’t remember, and I should get the hell out of his face.”
“I don’t believe him,” Wanda Nell said. “But maybe all the years of drinking have affected his memory.” She turned to their hostess. “What do you think? You know him a lot better than we do.”
Miss Fehrenbach considered the question for a moment. “It’s entirely possible that he doesn’t remember. Goodness knows, his brain is probably more like a pickled peach than anything else by now.” She shook her head. “But he could very well be lying. Since the whole matter of Margaret and the baby is very shady, I’d be willing to bet he does remember. Or certainly could, if he exerted himself a bit.”
“What should we do now?” Jack asked. “I don’t think it will do any good to go back again this afternoon.”
“No, it wouldn’t,” Miss Fehrenbach said. “I think your best strategy would be to wait and talk to him again in the morning. Around ten. He’s usually up and moving around by then, and he hasn’t had time to get hard drunk yet.”
“Maybe we’ll have better luck in the morning, honey,” Wanda Nell offered hopefully. “We thought we might have to spend the night here, anyway.”
“That’s fine with me,” Jack said. “But we do need to find somewhere to stay. Miss Fehrenbach, are there any motels or hotels nearby?”
“Yes, but you’re overlooking the most obvious solution. You can stay here with me. I have a lovely extra bedroom, and you’d be most welcome to it. The only thing is, there’s only one bathroom, but that wouldn’t be a problem.”
“That’s very kind of you.” Wanda Nell was touched by their hostess’s generosity. “But we don’t want to impose on you.”
“What imposition?” Miss Fehrenbach beamed at her guests. “I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t mean it. Besides, having the pleasure of your company would be such a treat.”
Neither Wanda Nell nor Jack could hold out against the wistful appeal in Miss Fehrenbach’s voice. “Then we’d be delighted to accept, and very grateful,” Jack said. “But I do insist that you let us take you out to dinner tonight as a way of expressing our thanks.”
Miss Fehrenbach clapped her hands together. “Why, thank you, Jack. What a sweet notion. I won’t argue with you. I don’t get to eat out in restaurants all that often these days. Now, you go get your things and bring them in, while I show Wanda Nell your room.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll do that.”
While Jack went out to the car to retrieve their luggage, Wanda Nell followed Miss Fehrenbach down the hall. The house was bigger than it looked from the street, because it extended pretty far back on what was actually a large lot. There was a small dining room next to the front parlor, with the kitchen next. The two bedrooms were on the other side of the hall with the bathroom between them, and the front room on that side of the house was a study. There were shelves bulging with books, a couple of comfortable chairs with reading lamps, and a small desk.
“This looks very comfortable.” Wanda Nell smiled at Miss Fehrenbach. “I bet you spend a lot of time in here.”
“I do. I do love to read, and I’m blessed with good eyesight. Mother’s eyes didn’t give out until about a year before she died, and I’m counting on mine lasting at least that long, too.” She waved a hand at the shelves. “I love rereading, and I’m determined to reread my favorites often. Not to mention the new books I get from the library.”
Jack came back with their things, and Miss Fehrenbach left Wanda Nell to show him the way to their room. Once they were insid
e, Jack closed the door behind them. He set the bag down and surveyed the room. He stepped closer to examine an old but sturdy four-poster bed with a canopy. The top of the mattress came up to his waist.
“Looks very comfortable,” he said. “I haven’t slept in a bed like that since I used to stay with my dad’s mother.” He grinned. “Back then I had to take a running jump to get up on it. I was only five.”
Wanda Nell had to laugh at the thought. “I bet you were so cute when you were little. You’re even cuter now.”
“Shucks, I could say the same about you.” Jack gave her a quick kiss. “So, what do you think of all this?” He leaned against the side of the bed.
“The room, you mean, or the situation?”
“Both.”
“It’s a very nice room,” Wanda Nell said. “A lot nicer than the kind of motel we could afford. I wonder how she manages to keep everything so clean.” Indeed, the room appeared to be in apple-pie order, with not a speck of dust to be found.
“She’s such a little dynamo, I wouldn’t be surprised if she does it all herself,” Jack said admiringly. “But I’ll bet she gets some help, probably from ladies at her church.”
“You’re probably right. Now, about the situation. We’ve got to find some way to get Mr. Howell to talk to us. But what?”
“I’m not sure,” Jack said. “But I’m hoping Miss Fehrenbach’s right. Maybe he’ll be easier to talk to in the morning, if we can catch him before he’s had a chance to drink very much.”
“I guess. If we don’t, though, what’s our next step?”
“I already thought of one. Since we know Howell’s name, but not Margaret’s maiden name, I put in a call to T.J. and Tuck while I was outside. I asked them to see if they could find a marriage license for the Howells in Tullahoma or any of the nearby counties.” He shrugged. “It might be a long shot in some ways, because we can’t be sure they were actually married. This whole setup stinks to high heaven.”
“I bet they were married,” Wanda Nell said, after thinking about it for a moment. “I’ll bet Jenna Rae’s real father would have insisted on it, because he would have wanted to get Margaret and the baby permanently out of the way. At least, that’s what I think he would want in a situation like this.”
“You’re right. I hadn’t thought about it like that.” Jack paused. “The other thing I wonder about is how much money, if any, was involved.”
“Do you mean the real father paid Howell to marry Margaret and go away?”
“It seems logical. I think I’ll ask Miss Fehrenbach a few questions about it. For example, did Howell seem to have more money than he ought to, given that he was a janitor at a funeral parlor?”
“And if anybody would have noticed something like that,” Wanda Nell said, “I’m sure she would have.”
There was a light knock at the door. “Come in,” Jack called.
Miss Fehrenbach opened the door and peered in. “Is there anything y’all need?”
“Everything’s fine,” Wanda Nell assured her. “It’s a lovely room. I was telling Jack this is a lot nicer than any motel we would have stayed at. You’re so sweet to have us stay with you tonight.”
Their hostess beamed. “I’m so glad you like it. Now, if either of you would like to freshen up next door before dinner, you just go right ahead. I’ve set out some extra towels and so on, so you just make yourselves right at home.”
“Thank you,” Jack said. He glanced at his watch. “I’ve totally lost track of the time. It’s almost five-thirty.” He looked at Miss Fehrenbach. “What time would you like to go to dinner?”
“How about seven? That will give us all time to relax a bit and refresh ourselves. Besides, I have to decide what to wear. I haven’t put on my party clothes in quite a while.”
“That sounds fine,” Jack said, “but don’t outshine us too badly. Wanda Nell and I didn’t bring any party clothes.” He winked at Miss Fehrenbach.
She laughed. “Now, never you mind. Just let me know if you need anything. I promise I’ll be ready to go when you are.” She smiled and left, shutting the door behind her.
They were ready to go by a quarter to seven. Jack escorted Miss Fehrenbach—or Miss Lyda, as she now insisted they call her—to the car. He insisted that she sit in the front seat beside him, and Wanda Nell assured her she would be just fine in the back seat.
As Jack prepared to drive away, Wanda Nell glanced next door at Mr. Howell’s house. There was no sign of life anywhere. It wouldn’t be dark for a while yet, and she couldn’t spot any lights burning inside the house. She thought about what Miss Lyda had said. He was probably passed out drunk somewhere. How sad that was.
Miss Lyda directed Jack to a favorite restaurant, and during the meal she regaled them with tidbits of local history. Wanda Nell and Jack were touched by the story of Hattiesburg’s founding and the origin of the town’s name.
“In August of 1880, Captain William Harris Hardy was on his way from Meridian to New Orleans on a surveying trip,” Miss Lyda said, in her best history teacher manner. “He stopped along the way to have lunch, and the spot he chose was on the north side of Gordon Creek, amidst a large oak and several hickory trees.” She paused for a sip of her iced tea. “That spot is now in downtown Hattiesburg, across from the post office.
“While he was resting after his lunch, the captain spread out one of his survey maps, looking at the line of one of the railroads. He thought that a rail line from Jackson to Gulf-port would help develop the southern part of the state. When he drew the lines to connect this new rail line with the existing one, it was right through this area. He decided to name the train station after his beloved second wife, Hattie.”
“What a charming story,” Wanda Nell said. “I’m sure Miss Hattie loved having a town named after her.”
“No doubt she did,” Miss Lyda said. “But sadly, she never lived to see it in person. She died in 1895.”
“That is sad,” Jack commented.
Through the rest of the meal Miss Lyda kept them entertained with somewhat less sedate stories about historic citizens of the town. By the time they had finished their dessert and coffee, it was almost nine-thirty.
“My goodness, look at the time,” Miss Lyda said as they were leaving the restaurant. “I’m sure you two must be tired and ready to rest, after all the driving and everything today.”
Once they were home again, Miss Lyda firmly bade them good night, insisting that they rest. “I’m going to have a little nap,” she said. “I’m a bit of a night owl. I don’t need much sleep, but I won’t wake you, I promise.”
Jack and Wanda Nell kissed her on either cheek, and Miss Lyda’s face turned pink. “And thank you again for such a lovely dinner, my dears. I can’t think when I’ve had such a delightful time, or more charming companions.”
Wanda Nell and Jack made their preparations for bed, and they were soon snuggled down in the old four-poster. It was very comfortable, and they were both very tired. Neither of them had any trouble dropping off to sleep.
At some point Wanda Nell woke to the sound of a firm knock on their door. She squinted at the window, trying to figure out what time it was. There was some light, so it must be morning.
Jack woke, yawning, and sat up in bed. Wanda Nell got up and went to the door. Miss Lyda was there, already dressed for the day.
“My apologies for waking you.” Her tone betrayed her distress. “Ordinarily I would have let you sleep, but I’m worried.”
Now wide awake, Wanda Nell said, “What’s wrong?”
“I think perhaps Jack should go next door and check on Mr. Howell. I’m afraid something has happened to him.”
Twenty
A moment later, his pants now on, Jack stood beside Wanda Nell. “What do you think has happened?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe I’m just being a silly old woman, but I think something may have happened to him.”
“Something must have triggered this feeling,” Jack said in a gentle voice. He a
nd Wanda Nell exchanged quick glances. They were both worried about Miss Lyda. She was far too pale.
Wanda Nell took Miss Lyda’s hand and led her into the room, to an armchair by the dressing table. Miss Lyda sat, her hands twisting in her lap. “It may be nothing,” she said, looking up at them. “I told you I’m a night owl.”
Wanda Nell and Jack nodded. “So did you see something during the night?” Wanda Nell asked.
“I did. It was about one in the morning. I had slept for a bit, and then I got up and tiptoed into the study to read for a while. I usually read for a couple of hours and then go back to bed. I don’t need that much sleep most of the time.” She stilled her hands. “Anyway, as I was sitting there in my chair, about to open my book, I heard a car pull up out front.”
“And was that unusual?” Jack asked.
“At that time of the morning, yes. I know this neighborhood doesn’t look like much, but it is actually pretty quiet here at night. So when I heard the car, I got up and looked out the window. By the time I got to the window, whoever was in the car was already out of it and on the way up the walk to Mr. Howell’s front door.”
“Was it anyone you recognized?” Jack asked.
“No, it wasn’t. The lights out there aren’t that strong, and I’m afraid my night vision isn’t very good. I could see that whoever it was wasn’t very tall and was wrapped up. Maybe to disguise his identity.”
“You got the impression that it was a man?” Wanda Nell asked. “At least that’s something.”
Miss Lyda frowned. “That was my first reaction. But when I think back over it, I can’t really say for certain. There was something slightly odd about the person’s gait. Of course, whoever it was seemed to be in a dreadful hurry, so maybe that’s all it was.”
“What happened once this person was at Mr. Howell’s door?” Jack asked. “Were you able to see that?” He frowned. “No, you couldn’t see that from your study, because it’s on the other side of the house.”
Miss Lyda offered a slight smile. “Well, curiosity got the better of me, so I hurried into the front parlor and peeked out the side window. I got there in time to see the door open and the person step inside. I didn’t see Howell, but who else would have opened the door?”
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