When Fern was out of hearing range, Enid said to Cade, "I can't believe you told your mother you might lose your job. I wish you had waited until we could talk about it."
"I'm sorry, it just came out when we talked the other day. You know I wouldn't give her the satisfaction of catching you off-guard intentionally. Please, let it go for now. We'll talk when we get home."
Fern reappeared with giant slices of coconut cake on a silver serving tray. "Here you go. I know this is your favorite, Cade."
Enid had come to accept that Fern used her cake recipe to signal whether female members had been accepted. If a woman marrying into the family got the recipe, she was in. If not, then she was still on trial, by Fern at least. As far as Enid could tell, she was probably the only woman in the Blackwell family who did not have the family's secret recipe, and she was doubtful that she would ever have that dubious honor. She knew buttermilk was a main ingredient, but otherwise, she was clueless as to how to take all those ingredients and create a perfect cake. As much as Enid hated to admit it, Fern's coconut cake, along with everything else she cooked, was absolutely delicious, whereas her own cooking was only tolerable.
"Thanks," said Cade, as he stared at the cake on his plate.
"I'll wrap mine and take it home with me," said Enid.
"I don't know why you're always watching your weight. Especially since you're always working out at that gym. Seems like you should be able to eat what you want to," said Fern. “All you do is go to work and to the gym. What kind of life is that?”
For once, Enid agreed with Fern, although she wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of acknowledging it. She glanced at Fern's plate and saw that she had picked a little at everything but had eaten only a few bites.
Cade tasted the cake and remained silent, while Enid drew a design in the creamy icing with her fork. Fern finally broke the silence. "I found some old photographs the other day you might want to see." She turned to Enid. "Dear, can you check the top drawer of the console in the entrance hall and get them. They're in a big brown envelope."
Anxious to escape, Enid went to search for the photos, even though she dreaded what would follow. She found the big brown envelope lying in the drawer and wondered how many prints were in it. Enid knew Fern could talk about a few photographs for an hour or more, filling in every detail of the story, as if she were telling it for the first time.
Enid pulled the envelope out of the drawer and was thankful it seemed light. Maybe there were only a few photos inside. She opened the metal clasp and pulled the contents out: several yellowed newspaper clippings, but no photos. The articles were dated 2006, all neatly cut from the Madden Gazette. Enid recalled that Cade had lived in Madden with his parents until he left home to study journalism at the University of South Carolina, where she met him.
Enid could hear Fern chattering away in the dining room about her brother and his upcoming gall bladder surgery. Feeling a little guilty about snooping, Enid skimmed the articles quickly. All of them were about a seventeen-year-old girl named Rose Marie Garrett that had been found dead on the outskirts of the small town in South Carolina. One of the articles said "foul play is suspected," although the cause of death had not been determined. An article with a later date said Rose Marie had “apparently been strangled.”
Fern called out from the dining room, "Enid, dear, do you need help finding those photographs?"
"No, be there in a minute," said Enid. She looked in the drawer again and found another large brown envelope. This one contained a stack of old photos. Groaning in anticipation of the endless conversation ahead, Enid decided to take the clippings back to the table also.
"Sorry, I apparently opened the wrong envelope and found these articles," said Enid, as she settled back down at the table.
Fern's coffee cup stopped midway to her mouth and her face tightened. "It’s not nice to snoop in other people's things, now is it?" asked Fern. "Just let me have those, and I'll put them back where they belong. They were in the trunk with the photographs. It's old stuff that needs to be thrown out."
"Who was Rose Marie?" asked Enid.
Cade glanced at Enid with a "let it go" look she knew well and which made her even more curious. She would question Cade later.
"I actually don't remember much about her,” said Fern. “And besides, it's not important. Ancient history." She reached out her hand across the table. "Here let me have those."
"I'd like to read them. If you don't mind, that is," said Enid.
Fern straightened up in her chair and squared her shoulders. "Fine, but I'd prefer you not bring up that topic again. Some family matters are best buried and forgotten."
CHAPTER 5
Driving home several hours later, Cade was quiet. Enid finally broke the silence. "How are you related to Rose Marie? I know Garret was your mother's maiden name.”
"Rose was my cousin. Everybody called her Rosie.” Cade kept his focus on the traffic as he drove down John Belk Freeway, which was unusually busy for a Sunday afternoon. “Everybody except Mother, that is.”
"Why didn't you ever mention her murder to me?"
"Like Mother said, it's ancient family history." Cade reached down and turned up the volume on the radio. Garrison Keillor was on NPR talking about life in Minnesota.
Enid turned the volume back down. "Did they ever find out what happened or who killed her?"
"As far as I know, it's still unsolved." Cade glanced in his rearview mirror and put on the turn signal. "Idiot!" he screamed at the driver who cut in front of him.
"Was she really strangled?" asked Enid.
"Yes.”
“Aren’t you even curious about what happened? And why?”
Cade looked in the rearview mirror and changed lanes. “Several years ago, I did a little checking on it. But, you know how small town police departments are. They have limited resources and not much was done in the way of investigation. Rosie was involved with some unsavory types and did some drugs, so the police pretty much wrote her off.”
“That’s so sad. No matter what, she deserved better.”
Cade just nodded.
“The article mentioned Rosie was living with someone named Myra. Was that her mother?” asked Enid.
“No, Myra was Mother’s cousin. She raised Rosie.”
“Where was Rosie’s mother?”
“Aunt Wynona was Rosie’s mother. I assumed she must have been dead, since Myra was raising Rosie. I saw Aunt Wynona a few times when I was a child, but she moved away from Madden, and I never saw her again. Mother never mentioned her after that, other than to say they had never been close.”
“What about Myra? Where is she now?”
“Myra died several years after Rosie’s murder. Mother said Myra died of a broken heart.”
“Today at lunch, why didn’t Fern want to talk about Rosie?”
“It’s not a pleasant topic for her. I think Mother would just like to forget it ever happened.”
“One day, not long after we had married, you called and said you were going to a cousin’s funeral somewhere out of town. I offered to go with you, but you said there was no need. Was that Rosie?”
“Yes.”
“You had just started with AP as a reporter. Weren’t you curious about what happened?”
“Of course, but she was family, not an assignment. We were told the Madden police was investigating.”
“But they never caught the killer?”
Cade shook his head. “There were no leads, little evidence, and no enthusiasm by the Madden police force to pursue it.”
“So you dropped it?”
“There was nothing I could do.” Cade turned up the volume again, and Enid leaned back against the headrest and closed her eyes. “Now, can we please change the subject?” he said.
CHAPTER 6
Enid woke to find Cade packing his suitcase. "Good morning. I tried not to disturb you," he said.
"Where are you going?" asked Enid. She rubbed her eyes. "
I don't remember your saying anything about traveling today."
"I'm going to Montana," said Cade.
"Montana? To do interviews for a story?" Enid sat on the edge of the bed.
"An interview. For a media relations job," said Cade without looking at her.
"Don't you think we should have talked about this first?" She stood up to face Cade, but he continued packing. "What if you get the job? Are you expecting to just up and move to Montana?"
Cade kissed her cheek and picked up his suitcase. "It's just talk right now. I won't commit to anything without discussing it with you first." He walked out the bedroom and called over his shoulder. "Love you. I'll call later."
After Cade left, Enid tried to eat a bowl of oatmeal but couldn't force it down, so she spooned the cold clump into the garbage disposal. She glanced at the clock. Her presentation for the search committee was less than an hour away.
* * *
After her presentation and interview for the promotion at the bank, Enid sat at her desk, staring out the window at the world nine floors below her. Late summer thunderstorms were moving through the city, and streaks of lightning blazed across the sky. A light tap on her open office door brought her attention back to work.
"Hi, Jill, come on in.”
Jill sat in a chair and glared at Enid. "I'm going to sit here until you tell me what that performance was all about."
"I'm sorry. It wasn't my best effort."
Jill sat upright in her chair. "It was no effort." She relaxed a bit and sat back. "I wouldn't be so upset, except I know you're the best candidate for the job.” Jill lowered her voice and leaned forward. “And you blew it."
"I'm sorry I disappointed you." Enid paused. "It's just that I'm not sure this position is right for me."
"Well, when you figure out what is right for you, please enlighten me," Jill stood up to leave. "You do understand your job is being eliminated next month?"
"Yes, I know." Enid felt like a school child who had failed a test. Jill headed to the door. "Wait, I . . ." Jill sat down again, and Enid continued. "I need to take some time off. To handle some personal matters."
"Your timing isn’t great, but do what you need to. Just make sure your staff handles everything while you're out." She leaned over Enid's desk. "Get your shit together and then let's talk again."
As Jill stormed out the door, Enid turned back to the window and watched the storm dumping rain on the city.
CHAPTER 7
Enid looked to the other side of the bed, expecting to see Cade asleep beside her, until she remembered he was in Montana. She picked up her iPhone on the bedside table and checked her messages before she realized she wasn't going to the office. Her staff was experienced and could easily handle the work without her for a week or two. In fact, one of her most experienced employees had seemed eager to prove she was worthy of stepping into Enid's shoes.
A good night's sleep was usually enough to give her a clearer perspective, but this morning she still felt a heavy uneasiness about her conversation with Jill. Even though Enid had plenty of paid leave available, taking time off now probably wasn’t a good idea, given her tenuous situation at the bank.
The phone rang, pulling her from her thoughts. “Hello.”
“Hello, this is Fern. If you don’t mind, could you drop those articles by here on your way to work. I’d prefer to hold onto them myself.”
“Good morning, Fern.” Nice of you to call. “I can drop by around ten o’clock if you’ll be home then.”
“Aren’t you going to work today?”
“I can stop by later if that’s inconvenient for you.”
“Ten o’clock is fine.” With that, Fern ended the call.
After a long, hot shower, Enid climbed the stairs to the walk-in attic space Cade had converted to her private retreat. The walls were shiplap, stained a warm brown, and a slightly frayed oriental rug covered most of the hand-scraped hardwood floor. She sat at the large wooden desk and tried to remember the last time she enjoyed her work. Like Cade, she appreciated the paycheck and the security the bank job had brought them, but the cost of that security was steep.
Enid reached into her large leather tote bag that served as purse, briefcase, lunch bag, and, at times, overnight bag. Cade had given the buttery-soft, Italian leather tote to her when he was promoted to staff reporter for the Charlotte bureau of the Associated Press. On their meager salaries, the expenditure had been extravagant. Now, it was still a treasured, if well-worn, possession, and she was rarely without it. Cade jokingly called it her survival tote, because she carried everything from Band-Aids to roasted nuts to a tape measure in it.
She pulled the big brown envelope from her tote, and being careful not to tear the brittle, yellowed news clippings, she pulled them out and spread them across her desk. One by one, she placed the articles on the flatbed scanner and ran off copies, and then placed them back in the envelope to return to Fern.
* * *
Before Enid could ring the doorbell, Fern’s housekeeper opened the front door. Without speaking, she nodded to Enid and motioned her inside. Fern was standing in the hallway. “I won’t invite you to sit down, since I’m sure you’re in a hurry to get back to work.” Fern reached out for the envelope in Enid’s hand.
“Actually, I’d like to sit a minute. That is, unless you’re busy.” With a housekeeper and gardener in Fern’s employ, Enid wondered what her mother-in-law did all day.
Fern turned to the housekeeper, who was holding the door open, waiting for Enid to leave. “Get us a tray, please.” The housekeeper closed the front door and disappeared down the long hallway.
Enid followed Fern into the living room, where she sat on the sofa, and Enid sat in the one of the chairs across from her. Enid handed Fern the envelope of newspaper articles.
“Thanks for letting me read these. May I ask you a few questions about Rosie?”
Fern busied herself clearing a place on the table for the tray. “What do you want to know about Rose Marie, and why?” she said without looking up from her task.
The housekeeper brought the tray in and put it on the table. She put milk in Fern’s cup, poured the tea, and added a single sugar cube. She then poured a cup for Enid, placing a slice of lemon on the saucer.
“Thanks for remembering the lemon,” said Enid. The housekeeper nodded and left the room.
“Now, where were we? Oh, yes. Why are you asking about Rose Marie?”
“It’s not every day that you find out your husband’s cousin was murdered. And that the case has never been solved.”
Fern methodically stirred her tea, gently tapping the cup with the silver spoon. “Oh, I’m pretty sure we all know what happened.” She paused and sipped her tea, a stalling tactic she often used to signal she was in control of the conversation. There was no way to rush her, so Enid sipped her own tea and waited.
“Rose Marie, I always liked that name. Anyway, Myra did a superb job raising her with the right values. But, in spite of Myra’s efforts, Rose Marie turned into a rebellious teenager and fell in with the wrong crowd.”
“What do you mean?”
“She started taking drugs, and doing Lord knows what else.” Fern put her teacup back on the tray. “Now, if we’re finished, I need to work on the menu for our garden club meeting. It gets harder and harder these days to please everyone. You know, gluten-free, low-fat, or whatever the current craze is. Fresh, simple food—that’s all anyone needs to worry about.” She dabbed the corner of her mouth with a linen napkin. “Well, thank you for bringing these articles back. Give Cade a hug for me.”
“They never found out who killed her?”
Fern, clearly annoyed at continuing the conversation, replied, “I’m certain it was one of her friends, if you can call them that, or one of those thugs she bought drugs from.” She added in a softer voice, “That girl was raised better than that. May she rest in peace. Now, let’s leave her that way.”
As Enid stood up to leave, Fern added
, “We’re clear on that, aren’t we, dear? I don’t want to talk about this matter again. And I expect you to respect my wishes on this topic.”
CHAPTER 8
As Enid sat at her desk in her attic office, something about Fern’s demeanor was tugging at Enid’s thoughts. She just couldn’t put her finger on it. Why was Fern so eager to sweep her niece’s murder under the rug? Why was Fern adamant that Enid forget about the articles?
Enid laid out the copies of the articles on her desk. The first one simply stated that the body of an unidentified young woman had been found at the edge of town. Cause of death was unknown. The second article gave more information.
Murder Victim Identified as Rose Marie Garrett
Jack Johnson, Senior Staff Reporter
The young woman’s body discovered at the edge of town has been identified as Rose Marie Garrett. According to the county coroner, Garrett died of strangulation and also suffered a severe blow to the head. Her death has been ruled a homicide, although no suspects have been identified at this time.
A spokesperson for the Madden Police Department said Garrett’s body was discovered by a local man walking his dog in the woods, just inside the Madden city limits. The man, who asked not to be identified, said, “She looked so peaceful, like she was just sleeping. But then I looked again and could tell something wasn’t right. That’s when I called the police.”
According to Police Chief Richard Jensen, “We are pursuing several leads in this case and hope to have an arrest soon.” Jensen added his department was investigating reports that Garrett regularly purchased illegal drugs from dealers passing through Madden. In recent years, Madden’s drug trafficking problem has increased. In a recent town council meeting, Jensen attributed this rise to Madden’s proximity to interstate highways and network of unpatrolled rural roads, making transportation of drugs harder to detect with the police department’s limited resources. Jensen told the council, “I intend to do what it takes to keep these outside influences away from Madden and to keep them from corrupting our children.”
Murder in Madden Page 2