Speak of the Devil

by Jeanne DuBois

About the Author: Jeanne Dubois lives in Florida with two ex-racing greyhounds. Whenever she’s not walking them, on the beach or in the woods, she likes to read and write mysteries. Website: jeanne-dubois.com

Excerpt

Vera squeezed the last container of red velvet cake into the cooler and closed the lid. “I think that’s everything.”

Ashley, one of Vera’s fourteen-year-old granddaughters, wheeled the cooler down the ramp into the garage and levered it into the sedan’s trunk. Her twin was usually at hand, but this morning, the first Saturday of their spring break, Hannah was already up the street at Miss Betty’s. Which sparked a little Q and A in the car.

“It wasn’t dark when Hannah left, was it?”

“No, Mimi.”

“Why couldn’t she wait for us? There’s a lot of traffic in the morning.”

“She wanted to help Miss Betty get ready.”

“There’s no sidewalk there. You sure the sun was up?”

“There’s a sidewalk on the other side, Mimi, and yes, the sun was up.”

From a distance, the white-haired woman in the little veiled hat and floral shirtwaist appeared much younger than her ninety-one years. The shoes were a dead giveaway though. Sturdy black oxfords with Cuban heels, straight from the Forties. A matching snap-clasp handbag hung over her wrist. While Miss Betty climbed into the front seat, Hannah stowed a vintage green tote in the trunk, slid into the back with Ashley, and stretched out her everyday prosthetic with its matching tennis shoe and lifelike cover. Vera knew the cover was for her benefit. For school, Hannah wore one resembling black lace or no cover at all. Both girls had on skirts with shorts underneath. Hannah’s skirt was yellow, Ashley’s pink.

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