“Not too serious, Mrs. Parnell. I got hit on the back of the head. The x-rays indicate I’m all right. But if I’m not, Alexa is watching me like a vulture. I have no idea who did it. As for why, I think I discovered a body before the murderer was willing to have it found.”
“Tea, Camilla?” Alexa called from the kitchen.
“Tea would be lovely,” Mrs. Parnell said.
“Yes, please,” I said.
Alexa poked her head out the kitchen door and gave Mrs.
Parnell a dirty look, wasted as Mrs. Parnell was facing me.
“I have a question of my own, Mrs. Parnell. How did you get into my apartment?”
Mrs. Parnell snorted. “Well, Ms. MacPhee, the wailing of your cats became so pronounced during the late evening and early morning that it disturbed my sleep. I had no choice but to conclude that you had failed to provide them with the necessities of life and that it was up to me to get some sustenance into their whiny little mouths before one of the nosier neighbours called the police.”
One of the nosier neighbours?
Alexa fumbled the tea tray at that one.
“But Mrs. Parnell,” I said, unwilling to let go, “how did you get into the apartment?”
“Ah,” said Mrs. Parnell, accepting a china cup from Alexa.
“You should use these more often,” Alexa said, turning and adding in a whisper, “instead of that moss-encrusted mug you keep in the sink.”
“I’m very curious about it,” I said to Mrs. Parnell, who showed no signs of answering my question. “How did you get into the apartment?”
“Well,” she said, and took a sip of her tea.
I waited.
“I felt I had no choice.”
I nodded.
“I asked the super for a key.”
“You what?”
“I asked the super for a key. I explained that you had asked me to water your plant and I had misplaced the key that you’d left me and I was in a panic.”
“What plant?” said Alexa. “Camilla doesn’t have any plants.”
I motioned to her to keep quiet. “And he gave it to you?”
“Yes. Oh, he offered to do it himself. But I assured him that the plant had to be watered at 9 o’clock sharp because I knew he was tied up then.”
“And he believed you?”
“Naturally. He’s not exactly a rocket scientist.”
“You weren’t bothered by the fact that this was against the law?”
“Not in the least,” said Mrs. Parnell. “As much as I dislike the idea of animals in our building, I didn’t want the beasts to starve.”
Four of the cats were clustered near her feet, basking in the warmth of their newfound friendship. Only the fat little calico waddled over to me. I had to lift her on to the sofa.
“Camilla thinks she found a body lying in a large amount of garbage. We’re not certain that this idea did not come about as a result of her head injury,” Alexa said in a conversational tone.
Mrs. Parnell nodded in agreement. “Very unsettling, head injuries. I’ve had a few myself.”
“There was a body,” I snarled, “and I’m sure the lab boys are going to agree once they finish going through that apartment.”
“Fascinating,” said Mrs. Parnell, “and were you alone at the time? No other witnesses.”
“That’s right.”
“Hmm. And how did you get into the apartment where the body was?”
“The door was open.”
I shot her a glance. Sure enough, I saw a little glimmer of amusement. Point to Mrs. Parnell.
Fifteen
I had trouble sleeping after the incident in Sammy’s apartment. I dreamed about tan shoes and garbage. I wanted comfort. I wanted someone to pat my hand. I wanted a shoulder to wipe my nose on. I think I even wanted to be cuddled. But I found myself alone.
Since we were kids, Robin’s been the one who comforted me when I needed it. Now, of course, it was out of the question to go to her with my problems.
Richard, I thought, was suited to comforting, and I could see myself sniffing on the padded shoulder of his navy suit. Richard could have done a hell of a good job, but he was in Toronto doing something tedious at corporate headquarters.
That left my family.
Sunday dinner at Edwina’s was their way of easing me back into normal life after my brush with violence. Even Stan refrained from practical jokes in the course of the evening, although he did have a suspicious bulge in his jacket pocket.
The conversation was cautious. Everyone stared at me when they thought I wouldn’t notice. My father looked more puzzled than usual. I was certain they were all convinced the entire Sammy in the garbage scene was a product of the blow to my head.
So no one mentioned it.
We spoke about the poached Atlantic salmon, which was very nice, the parslied potatoes, which Edwina always did so well and the fiddleheads, which a friend of Stan’s had picked and sent by Priority Post from the Restigouche. Praise was heaped on the dinner rolls and hollandaise sauce.
The Chardonnay was excellent. We discussed it for a while.
We might have been meeting for the first time at a dinner party.
“The weather’s been lovely,” said Alexa.
“Very nice,” said my father.
“Great for the Tulip Festival. Tourists all over the place,” said Stan.
“The tulips are spectacular. They really are,” said Donalda.
“Is everyone ready for lemon mousse cheesecake and coffee?” Edwina prefers action to talk.
No one said much of anything while she and Alexa and Donalda bustled around in the kitchen.
I fiddled with my napkin. Stan patted his pocket. My father looked at me with his brow wrinkled.
For the first time in my life, I would have preferred to help out in the kitchen. But I’m never allowed to. Something about my track record with china.
By the time we were all settled in with lemon mousse cheesecake and steaming coffee, I’d had it with pussyfooting. “So,” I said, digging into my cheesecake, “looks like I was right.”
Everyone looked at everyone else, before everyone spoke at once. “Right about what?”
I pointed to my mouth to indicate I couldn’t talk.
They watched me munch on my cheesecake.
Edwina drummed her fingers on the table until Alexa reached over and gave her a little nudge.
I took my time. When I finished, I dabbed at my mouth with a linen napkin.
“Well,” I said, pausing for effect.
Everyone leaned forward.
“Sergeant McCracken of Ottawa Police Services phoned me this afternoon.”
I looked around the table, beaming. “Do you all remember Conn McCracken?”
“Get on with it.” Edwina has