Mulch ado about nothing

phone. She was too busy driving the boys insane with her warnings to be careful, not to drop the TV, or let the corners make dents in the wall, or hurt themselves.
    “Jane, I’m sorry to tell you this, but you’ll see it on the evening news and I thought you should know in advance.”
    She went cold, then hot all over. “What’s happened?“ she asked in a shaky voice. Her first thought was that Shelley had finally had the car accident Jane had anticipated for twenty years and she and the girls were all in a hospital.
    “It’s nothing personal. Don’t worry. I didn’t mean to scare you. It’s just that we found Dr. Eastman.”
    The silence that followed this was frigid. But Jane had to ask, “Is he all right?“
    “No. He’s dead. He’d been put in the compost pile that’s hidden behind that stand of pines in his backyard. Fortunately a neighbor reported an awful smell, and the little boy and his mother weren’t the ones that found him.”
    Jane made a hearty sigh of relief. “I should be sorrier than I am. I hardly knew the man. I’m just glad it wasn’t something awful about Shelley and Katie.“
    “I’m really sorry I frightened you, Janey.“
    “How did he die?”
    Mel paused. “Do you really want to know?“
    “I guess so.“
    “He was strangled to death with a tough green twine that he used to tie up plants.”

Twenty Four

    “Omelettes!“ Shelley said when she returned from picking up their daughters from the cooking class. “They learned how to make omelettes today. At least it was something more reasonable than a fancy chicken dish. Jane? Are you listening?“
    “I have something to tell you, but not with kids swarming the house. Come look at my television first.”
    Mike and Scott had gotten it all set up and were lounging on Jane’s bed, watching a movie of highly doubtful taste. They frantically flipped to a news channel when Jane and Shelley entered the room.
    Shelley clasped her hands and exclaimed, “Isn’t that wonderful? Terrific reception. A huge picture. And the cabinet looks great in here. Aren’t you glad you decided to do this, Jane?“
    “I’m not sure. There’s going to be a big temptation to never get out of bed.“
    “Let’s go outside while Mike and Scott dispose of all the rubble. Boys, put all the instructions and warranties in the drawer of the cabinet.”
    Mike rolled his eyes. “We’d have never thought of that,“ he said with sarcasm, softened with a smile.
    Shelley was so anxious to hear what Jane had to say that she carried Jane’s iced tea out to the patio for her without being asked. Held the back door open for her. Even fluffed up the patio chair cushion.
    When they were settled in where their conversation couldn’t be overheard, Jane said, “Mel called while you were gone. They’ve found Eastman. He’s dead.“
    “No! You don’t mean this!”
    Jane repeated what Mel had told her.
    “That’s awful. And it really does point to someone in the class. I wouldn’t have believed it,“ Shelley said.
    “How do you figure that?“
    “Two teachers of the same class in a row, Jane. One violently attacked, the other killed. You can’t ignore the connection. And neither can the police.“
    “But, Shelley, all of the class are pretty normal pleasant people.“
    “Not exactly. You and I are normal pleasant people, but Charles Jones is an ironing board, Miss Martha Winstead had a long bitter history with Eastman and made no bones about it. And Ursula is a nutcase. And so is Arnie in a different way.“
    “You’re right about Miss Winstead. But she’s a tiny thing and old. Can you see her overpowering a large man, then hoisting him bodily into a compost bin? And as far as we know, she had nothing against Julie Jackson.“
    “We don’t know that. She knew a lot about Julie and followed her social life in the papers. She might have disliked Julie Jackson as much as she hated Eastman and had the sense to keep quiet about it.“
    “Maybe. But it still seems physically impossible that she could do it. She’s tough-minded, but little and frail. You heard her explain that she has hired men to do the heavy work in her yard. It’s not that she’s been bulking up by hauling tons of those rocks around herself.“
    “What about Arnie then?“ Shelley suggested.
    “That doesn’t play. He’s very strange, I admit. And probably strong for his age, having once been a firefighter. They have to be fit. But his obsession has nothing to do with