Someone to watch over me

a moment. “He could have been walking alongside the tracks trying to hitch a ride on a freight and hit his head. Or something might have come off a train. You see enormous chunks of coal along the tracks. It could have really been an accident, you know.“
    “And then someone ‘accidentally’ dragged him off to where he was better concealed?“
    “Oh,“ Lily said. “I didn’t know that part. Why didn’t you tell me before I made a fool of myself?”
    Robert smiled as he got the Duesie running. “Because I like when that happens.”

Chapter 12

    Monday morning, Lily accompanied Phoebe when she went to work in town. Most days Mr. Prinney gave Phoebe a lift in his rackety black Ford when he went to his town office, but today he was working at home, so they took the path down through the woods again.
    “What do you know about Donald Anderson?“ Lily asked Phoebe.
    Phoebe thought for a long time before saying, “I’m not one to gossip, but I didn’t like him much. I don’t know anyone, except Roxanne, who did. People say he was once a nice man, a good father and husband. But losing his job changed him. Not that I knew him well. I kept away from him after he came in the shop last spring pretending he wanted to surprise his wife with a nice new Easter hat and then made remarks to me that were—inappropriate.“
    “What sort of remarks?“
    “I’d rather not repeat them,“ Phoebe said, blushing to the roots of her bright red hair.
    Lily was surprised at Phoebe’s reaction but didn’t question her further.
    She stopped by Jack’s office, as she’d promised him, checking for water leaks and mail so important that it had to be tended to immediately. When she left she spotted Ruby Heggan across the street and caught up to her.
    “What are you doing in town?“
    “Just borrowing a spool of thread from a friend of my mother-in-law’s. I had to get out of that noisy house. Why do you ask?“
    “I wondered if you were in a hurry. I’d like to ask you something.“
    “I’d love to sit down and rest for a minute,“ Ruby said. “Isn’t it awful about Mr. Anderson? I feel so sorry for Roxanne.“
    “Let me carry the baby for a bit. We can walk down to the park. Mr. Anderson’s death is what I’m wondering about. Did you know him? What did you think of him?”
    Ruby was stretching her arms with the relief. She dropped them to her sides when Lily spoke. Her reaction was as slow and careful as Phoebe’s. Finally Ruby said, “Do you remember the fete at Grace and Favor last spring?“
    “Of course.“
    “I brought Baby over to where you and Mrs. Prinney were spreading out blankets so the little ones could nap. And I stayed there.“
    “I do recall,“ Lily said, wondering where this was leading.
    “That’s because of Mr. Anderson. He kept following me around, asking to hold Baby. And each time it was an excuse to touch me. Here,“ she added, gesturing to her chest. “He frightened me.“
    “Of course he did,“ Lily said, outraged that any man would try that with such a vulnerable young woman.
    “I couldn’t find where my husband had gone, so I stayed with you and Mrs. Prinney until he turned up. I knew Mr. Anderson wouldn’t bother me that way in front of the two of you.“
    “Did you tell your husband about it?”
    Ruby laughed. “Heavens, no! Louis would have blabbed to his brothers and they’d have killed the man.”
    Suddenly she heard what she’d said. “I didn’t mean that, really.“
    “But you can see why someone did,“ Lily commented.
    “He was an awful person,“ Ruby said, sitting down on the only remaining bench in the tiny park. She took a handkerchief out of her pocket and patted her forehead. “I shouldn’t have told you. I’ve never told anyone else.“
    “I’m sorry I upset you. I didn’t mean to,“ Lily said. “No. I needed to say it sometime. I had nightmares about him for weeks after.“
    “Do you think Roxanne knew he behaved that way?”
    Ruby shrugged. “I don’t know. I hope she didn’t. It would have really hurt her feelings. At least it would have hurt mine if I learned something like that about my husband.”
    So at least two of Lily’s women acquaintances had been approached “inappropriately,“ as Phoebe had put it. Women who knew and liked his wife. If it had happened to Lily herself, she hoped she wouldn’t have kept silent. She’d have at least threatened to tell Roxanne. Maybe. Or maybe she’d have been as humiliated as they’d