Dying for a Change (13 page)

The family took their places, the casket started up the aisle, and the service began. Reverend Hanlon’s sermon was consoling, the eulogies moving, and the choir did their best. Afterward, everyone milled around in front of the church while the procession to the cemetery was organized. I came out onto the steps in time to see Vera climb into the family limousine, followed by Violet and several others I didn’t recognize. I looked around for familiar faces and spotted Dottie standing with a small group off to one side. Tina was there, in a skirt almost long enough to be considered decent, and so was Pat. Ruthie, from the Yum Yum, was patting Dottie gently on the shoulder, while they both daubed their eyes with tissues. Pat saw me, waved, and mouthed, “see you at the house later.” I waved back and kept edging my way through the crowd. Someone handed me a red ‘funeral’ placard for my windshield. I wondered if I’d make it back to my car in time to use it.

Sharon was standing with the mayor and his wife, talking in low tones to a couple I didn’t know. She didn’t see me and I didn’t stop. I was down the steps when I ran into Tom and Nicole.

“
Where’s your thing?” I waved my red placard at them. “You’ll need it to be in the procession to the cemetery.”

“
We’re not going.” Tom slipped his arm around Nicole’s shoulder pulled her a little closer. “Nicole’s headache is worse, and I’ve got some work to do. We’re going to head home.”

I watched them walk away, wondering again what was going on. They had given statements to the police, but so had everybody else who’d seen Hank in the last forty-eight hours of his life. They acted as if they expected Tom to be arrested any minute, but there was no reason to think that was true. Except for Dan’s cryptic questions of last night. I started again toward my car, a little slower and a lot more thoughtfully.

“
Hey.” A voice sounded in my ear, and a strong hand grabbed me by the arm. I jumped, and gave off a most undignified squeal.

“
You are one jumpy female.” Dan Dunham laughed down at my furious face.

“
Don’t do that!”

“
Don’t do what?” He was all innocence. “I’ll be there at six. Be ready. Mary likes to eat on time.”

“
You already told me when you’d be there, and I’m never late.”

“
Yeah? Then you’ve changed a lot.” He grinned again at me and left.

“
Wait,” I called after him. “What are you doing here? What...”

Dan raised his hand in a little wave, but didn’t turn around, and I lost sight of him as he rounded the corner.

“
He is the most infuriating--he hasn’t changed. Not one bit!” I said that loud enough so several others headed for their cars glanced at me. I got to mine, threw the red placard on the dash, gunned the engine a little, and eased my way into the procession.

The cemetery is on the outskirts of town, built on a gently sloping hillside. The graves date back to the early eighteen hundreds’. It’s a beautiful place, serene and dignified. Huge oaks are much in evidence, set off by perfectly manicured grounds. The afternoon sky had turned slate gray and a cold light seemed to surround the marble angels, crosses, and saints that dominate this old part of the cemetery. The casket, guided on its trolley by the pallbearers, bumped and swayed as it made its way over the grass to the empty grave. I pulled my coat closer around me as I watched.

Vera sat in one of the folding chairs, flanked by her family, a shrunken figure swathed in black. She held onto Violet with one hand. With the other, she held a handkerchief to her face. She kept staring at the casket, now resting quietly on the green fake grass. I didn’t think she heard the prayers being offered or saw the pall bearers lined up, Benjamin on one end.

I saw him. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. He had on a badly fitting dark blue suit, a white shirt whose collar was too big, and a snap on bow tie, hanging down a little on one side. But it wasn’t his clothes that held my attention. It was the expression that kept creeping over his face. Sorrowful, except for a little smirk of self-satisfaction that kept peeking out. He’d quickly tuck it away behind the mask of mourner, but it was there. Only, what did it mean?

The graveside prayers were finished, Vera was led away, and the crowd drifted back toward their cars. I walked toward mine when I felt someone clutch my arm. It was Sharon.

“
Sorry, Ellen. It’s this blasted grass. My heel caught.” Her face, white above her black cashmere sweater, showed strain her makeup couldn’t hide.

“
Are you going back to the house?”

“
Do we have a choice?” She walked toward her car.

I got into mine and joined the slow moving line out of the cemetery gates. The exodus to the Sawyer house had begun.

Custom in our town dictates that everyone who attends a funeral and burial troop back to the family home and offer one more set of condolences. The neighbor ladies serve the tons of food that have been pouring in, and the men stand around and swap outrageous tales about the dead person. I wondered what they were going to say about Hank.

The street was filled with vehicles when I arrived, about half of them pickups. Lots of the men filing into the house were dressed in clean, pressed jeans, western style cotton shirts, boots, and parkas. The signs on the trucks advertised plumbing, framing, electrical, concrete work, all kinds of construction. Hank’s friends had turned out in force. There were a few people leaving, but more were arriving as I walked up to the door. The dining room buzzed with conversation, and the aroma of tuna casserole and coffee hung in the air. I knew there would be beer on the back porch. Lots of full plates would find their way to the back yard where cans would be popped and cigarettes lighted.

A woman slightly older than Violet stopped me at the front door. “You’re Ellen McKenzie, aren’t you.” She held out her hand.

I nodded, and shook hers weakly. This must be the other daughter, but I had no idea what her name was.

“
I didn’t get a chance to thank you for looking in on Mother yesterday. It meant so much to her.” She gave my hand a little squeeze before she dropped it. “Mother’s in the living room if you’d like to speak to her again.”

I couldn’t think of anything I would like less, nor could I imagine why Vera would want to see me, or for that matter, any of the cast of thousands milling through her house. However, some things you can’t get out of, so into the living room I went.

She was sitting in the same chair as yesterday, only this time she was surrounded by people. I watched from the doorway for a moment as the faces of the group around her changed. Vera seemed only marginally aware of any of them, still hugging her private grief around her like a shawl. The line moved slowly, people awkwardly giving her a little pat, murmuring something. Occasionally someone leaned down to brush her with a kiss. The Little Playhouse people had already passed through when it was my turn to pat her gently on the shoulder and speak words in her ear that had no meaning.

Duty done, I headed for the coffee and the cups piled up at the end of the extended table. Dottie was there with Pat, who gave me a warm smile.

“
Hi. I was telling Dottie about your visit yesterday. We’re all hoping you’ll join our group. We have great things planned, and I know you’d have fun.” Pat handed me a full coffee cup.

I smiled, saying I’d think about it, but my mind wasn’t on The Little Playhouse. I didn’t think Dottie’s was either. She looked more anxious than ever, and was absently shredding a napkin into her saucer.

“
Do you want something to eat, Ellen?” She scooped the napkin remains into a trash bag placed at the end of the table. “There’s all kinds of things here. I could get you a plate...”

“
If you spoil your dinner,” said a voice behind us, “you just could be in trouble.”

Aunt Mary joined our group, acknowledging us all with a regal bob of her head. “Ellen’s bringing Dan to dinner at my house tonight, and I expect appetites to match my efforts.”

Dottie and Pat exchanged knowing looks, which I ignored. Instead I stared, captivated, at Aunt Mary’s hat. I’d never seen anything like it outside of old nineteen thirties’ movies. Had she kept it all that time? Or was it another legacy of the perennial church rummage sales?

Aunt Mary caught me staring at it. “If you like it so much, Ellen,” she said, reaching a hand up to touch the brim, “I’ll let you borrow it sometime. Don’t forget. Six thirty. Sharp!” She swooped up a tray of dirty cups and left.

Pat walked off, chuckling, and Dottie turned to join the conversation of the group behind us. Left alone, I emptied my cup and looked around for a refill. I glanced at the doorway to see Vera, a daughter on each side, head down the hall toward the bedrooms. Poor thing, I thought, she must be exhausted.

Evidently I wasn’t the only one who noticed her leave, for the quiet hum of conversation immediately got louder.

I filled my cup, picked up a brownie, and turned to find myself standing with Benjamin and several of the other downtown storeowners.

“
It’s terrible about Hank, just terrible,” Benjamin was saying, around a mouthful of potato salad, “but it’ll be the end of that blasted Stop N Shop.”

“
Why?” I asked. I got a scornful look.

“
Hank was the drivin’ force behind gettin that store okayed, and, as much as we’ll all miss him, now we can get that damn store stopped!”

“
What are you saying?” I lowered my coffee cup onto the plate where the brownie was and immediately splashed coffee on it. I almost didn’t notice. My attention was on what Benjamin had just said, or rather, implied. “That somehow Hank’s death and the new store are connected?”

“
Now, well, don’t you go puttin’ words in my mouth.” Benjamin sputtered, spraying us all with cookie crumbs. “Everyone knew it was Hank that wanted that store. He said he wouldn’t vote, but he was puttin’ the pressure on just the same. Said it was good for the town. What he really meant, it was good for Hank!”

The other members of our little group looked around, embarrassed. They started drifting away. I didn’t blame them. Accusing a man of manipulating city government for his own profit, in that mans own home, especially at that man’s funeral, could hardly be considered good manners.

I hadn’t seen Sharon come up. She set her cup and saucer carefully on the table before she spoke to Benjamin. Her voice was low but sharp, “Of course Hank wanted that store. It represents progress, growth. If you and your cronies had your way, we’d all shrivel up and blow away.”

“
It’s only progress if it makes you money,” Benjamin spit out. His Adams apple was bobbing up and down under his loose shirt collar. “You, Hank, and all the rest of them partners of yours’ll make a profit. The rest of us’ll go broke!”

“
That’s ridiculous.” Exasperation clearly etched on Sharon’s face. “A new store will bring shoppers in from all over the county. Hank knew that. He believed in that store, he believed in what we are trying to do, he--Dottie, what is it?”

Dottie had edged into the group and was trying to interrupt. I was astonished. I’d never seen her do anything that brave. She wrung her hands and her face was flushed, but she took a deep breath and out it came.

“
Hank was beginning to have doubts.”

“
What?” Sharon’s face paled. “What are you talking about?”

“
What kind of doubts?”

Sharon glanced at me out of the corner of her eye, then zeroed in on Dottie. “He didn’t have any doubts. He thought that store was a wonderful idea.”

“
He was beginning to change his mind.” It must have been hard for her, but Dottie held her ground. “The last time I talked to him he said he was taking a long look at the whole Stop N Shop thing.”

The expression on Benjamin’s face changed so quickly I couldn’t guess what he was thinking. “That’s what he said? Word for word?”

“
As close as I can remember. He didn’t make an issue of it, only mentioned it in passing.” Dottie’s voice faded away along with her courage. She looked at Sharon’s stony face, and I was pretty sure she wished she’d kept her mouth shut.

“
Takin’ a long look could mean anything. Doesn’t mean he’d changed his mind. Probably was still in favor of the whole thing.” Benjamin had no intention of abandoning his position. “When did all this happen, anyway? I talked to him last weekend and didn’t see any signs he’d changed his mind.”

‘
Yes, Dottie.” There was ice in Sharon’s voice. “When did you have this conversation with Hank?”

“
I don’t know.” Dottie had started to stammer. “A few days ago. Maybe he was still in favor, maybe he meant something else.” She started to back out of the group, hit the edge of the table, and grabbed a coffee cup just in time to keep it from crashing to the floor. “Oh, oh dear.” She looked as if she could break into tears any moment. “I, ah, I’d better go. Are you going back to the office, Sharon?” Her eyes were on the floor, the wall, the chandelier, everywhere but any of us.

“
No,” Sharon said. “No, I’m not.”

“
Well, well then, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.” She turned and fled.

“
Silly woman.” Benjamin voice was full of scorn.

“
We agree on that.” It was obvious she meant it was the only thing on which they agreed.

Benjamin glared at Sharon, included me, and stalked off toward the back yard, apparently looking for a more receptive audience for his diatribe against Stop N Shop.