Nobody's Fool

he’s responsible for,” Wirf corrected, this in reference to old Hattie’s bizarre end. Sully still wasn’t sure he believed it. He’d gotten the story separately from Peter, Wirf, and Carl Roebuck, and while their versions differed in tone according to their personalities (Peter maddeningly detached; Wirf sentimental and apologetic; Carl choking with hilarity), nevertheless the facts were consistent, and so Sully guessed they must be true, however improbable. Peter, as far as Sully could tell, hadn’t the imagination to think up such a lie, Wirf was too kind, Carl too self-absorbed.
    What had happened was this. After Sully’s brainstorm to set up the old cash register at Hattie’s booth, the old woman had been content, ringing crazy, random totals every time one of her customers passed her on the way out of the diner. Some of these customers, who had ignored her for years when she sat small and blind and nearly deaf, though still malicious-looking, in her booth by the door, now found it easy to stop on their way out and argue good-naturedly about the price that sprang into the cash register’s window, into the clogged nest of previous numbers. One of these had been Otis Wilson, who may have wanted to convey to the old woman that he held no grudge against her for hitting him behind the ear with her salt shaker. On the fateful morning in question, old Hattie had gradually slumped down in her booth until she looked like she was in danger of slipping beneath the table and onto the floor. Other than her daughter, who was usually too busy, Sully was the only one who ever took the liberty of grabbing the old woman by the shoulders and righting her on his way out. Certainly Otis wouldn’t have dared touch the old woman, whom he considered lethal, though he was inclined to play to the assembled crowd by loudly refusing to pay twenty-two fifty for a cup of coffee. “Pay!” theold woman had predictably cackled, leaning forward, squirming, struggling to lever herself up straighter just as Otis hit the total key of the old register, which usually had the effect of clearing the nest of numbers in the register’s window. This time, for reasons still unexplained, the cash register’s drawer, long frozen shut, shot forward with the force of long-repressed desire, nailing the poor old woman in the middle of her forehead. She had died, without protest, on impact, sitting straight up.
    Miss Beryl went over to her drop-leaf table, picked up a legal-size envelope sitting there and handed it to Wirf. “Since you’re here … you’re authorized to pursue both matters we discussed.”
    Wirf took the envelope, a little reluctantly, Sully thought. “You’re sure you feel okay about this, Mrs. Peoples?”
    Sully frowned at them. Another riddle. Since getting out of jail, he’d been feeling increasingly disoriented. He wouldn’t have dreamed he could fall so far behind on current events by spending a few days in the Bath jail. Had the whole town gone crazy in his absence?
    â€œAs to this house, it’s time, Abraham,” she said, not exactly answering his question. “Only a stubborn, selfish old nuisance of a woman would have put it off as long as I have.” She looked at Sully now and nodded. “While old Harriet was alive and always trying to fly the coop I knew I wasn’t the battiest old woman in town. With her gone I just might be the oddest creature around, so I decided to take care of things before I’m the one you all have to start chasing with a net.”
    Wirf put the envelope into his pocket. “You understand you may not be able to undo this next month if you change your mind.”
    Miss Beryl, who followed the envelope into her attorney’s pocket with a wary eye, looked like she might have changed it already. “I won’t,” she assured him. “If I’m to be seeing Clive Sr., star of my firmament”—here she indicated her late husband’s photograph on the mantle—“again in the near future, I need to put things in order. Lately he’s been chiding me.”
    â€œWell,” Sully said. “If you’re hearing voices, it probably won’t be long.”
    Miss Beryl, who usually enjoyed Sully’s mordant humor, now stared at him with the expression she reserved for those occasions when he’d been an especially bad boy. “Donald,” she said.