Broken Flower

  Grandmother Emma stepped back. She shook her head and then she turned to me. "Get out!" she cried. "Go downstairs immediately. Go on. Get out!" "What about my medicine?" I asked. "Get out!" she shouted, much louder.

  I had never seen her so wild and angry. It truly made my heart stop and start. I turned and ran out of the room, down the hallway and to the stairway, but at the top. I stopped and looked back because I heard Ian's door open.

  Ian should know what was happening. I thought, and took a few steps toward him when he stepped into the hallway. He looked up at me.

  "Something's wrong with Miss Harper," I said.

  He glanced at her bedroom and at me and then, without saying a word, he turned and went back into his room and closed the door. A moment later, Grandmother Emma came out of Miss Harper's room. She closed her door and started walking toward the stairway. She didn't shout at me again. She looked like she was in a daze and didn't even see me. I waited for her until she realized I was standing there.

  "Go on down. Jordan," she said. "I'll get you your medicine. Don't worry. Go on," she said in a low tont of voice that was only a shade or two above a whisper. I started down. "Tell Nancy to come upstairs immediately," she called to me.

  I looked back and nodded. She turned and started toward her room and then turned and headed back to Miss Harper's room. I shook my head. She looked like she was confused and didn't know in which direction to go.

  But of course I hoped she was going back to get my medicine for me. I practically leaped down the remaining steps and ran to the kitchen. Nancy looked up from the platter of toast and scrambled eggs.

  "Grandmother Emma wants you upstairs right away," I said. She brought her head back.

  "Now?"

  "Yes, right away," I said.

  "Everything's going to get cold," she said with regret. "Why would she want me up there now?"

  "Something's wrong with Miss Harper," I said, and she widened her eyes.

  "What do you mean?"

  "She looks frozen," I told her.

  "Frozen?"

  "Uh-huh. Her mouth's open and so are her eyes, but she doesn't talk."

  Nancy's mouth opened and closed and then she hurried out of the kitchen.

  I looked at the platter. Suddenly. I was very hungry, so I brought it into the dining room and placed it all on the table. Then I took my seat, fixed my napkin, and began to serve myself. After I began eating. I heard footsteps on the stairway and a moment later Grandmother Emma went by, hurrying to her office. A short while after that. I heard Nancy open the door so Felix could come in and follow her down to the office, too.

  Grandmother Emma should have brought down my medicine. I thought. I buttered my toast and then I felt sorry for Ian. He was probably hungry, too, but no one was going to pay attention because of Miss Harper, so I carefully fixed a plate of eggs, toast, and jam and included a napkin. Then I went upstairs with it and knocked on his door.

  "What?" he asked as soon as he opened it.

  "I thought you might be hungrg. Everyone's busy with Miss Harper."

  He glanced at the food, "Thanks," he said, and took it.

  "I'm still waiting for my medicine," I said.

  "That's wrong," Ian said. "They should worry about you more than about Miss Harper. If you don't get it in an hour, come back to me and I'll make sure you get it," he said. "You'd better go before Grandmother raises hell." he said, and closed the door.

  I started downstairs again. Felix. Nancy, and Grandmother Emma were all starting up the stairway.

  "What are you doing up there?" Grandmother Emma asked as soon as she saw me.

  "I gave Ian something to eat," I said.

  "Get back down here and stay here," she ordered.

  "I need my medicine," I said.

  "Oh, that damn medicine. Nancy will bring it to you. Now move," she said, and I walked past them as they all started quickly up the stairway.

  I returned to the dining room and nibbled on a piece of cold toast and drank some more orange juice. Nancy finally brought me my medicine and I took it. She didn't wait to see if I did it right. She went back upstairs. I was happy she hadn't taken it back. Now I wouldn't have to wait for anyone before I could take it in the morning. I thought. Mama would be pleased.

  I brought my dishes and glasses to the kitchen and then I wandered out to the stairway to listen. Felix came down and without even looking at me, went out. I went to the living room window that looked out on the driveway because I thought I heard the sound of a siren. Sure enough, an ambulance was turning into our driveway and right behind it was a police car. Another car, a black sedan, turned in after those two vehicles and all of them sped up to the front of the mansion.

  Moments later Felix led two paramedics into the house. They carried bags and followed him up the stairway. Two policemen came in after them and then two men in suits followed, closing the door behind them. They all hurried up the stairway. I waited below, listening. The patrolmen came back down the stairway first. They saw me, but they didn't even smile or nod their heads. I watched them leave the house.

  I wondered if I should go up to tell Ian I had gotten my medicine so he wouldn't worry about me, but I was afraid Grandmother Emma would really yell at us both. It didn't matter that all these strangers were in the house. If she was angry, she was any.

  What. I wondered, had happened to Miss Harper to cause all this commotion?

  Finally, Nancy came slowly down the stairway, her eyes down, shaking her head as she walked. She looked at me. "You know she's dead, don't you?" she asked.

  I shrugged. How was I supposed to know anything? "Do you know anything about it?" she asked me. "About what?"

  "About how she died?"

  I shook my head and then remembered to speak instead of just shaking my head.

  "No. I had to go to her room to get my medicine,'" I told her, and showed it to her. "She kept it there and I have to have it in the morning every day. She should have left it in my bathroom and there wouldn't have been all this trouble."

  "Believe me," Nancy said, "that's the least of her problems now,"

  She walked to the kitchen and I waited at the bottom of the stairway. The front door opened again and Mac, the man in charge of the mansion's grounds, came in with the two patrolmen. They told him to wait in the living room and one of the patrolmen went back upstairs.

  No one seemed to notice or pay any attention to me.

  Moments later, the patrolman and both of the men in suits came down the stairway and joined Mac and the other patrolman in the living room. I could hear everything they said because I stood just across from the living room door.

  "This is Lieutenant Risso and I'm Detective Ryan," one of the men in suits said to Mac. "You look after the property?"

  "Yes, sir," Mac said.. "And any odd job around the house itself, plumbing, electrical, whatnot." He glanced through the doorway at me and I thought he smiled.

  "Have you been using any rodent poisons of any kind lately?" Lieutenant Risso asked him.

  "Oh, yes, sir," Mac said. "We have a little problem in that regard. I use GoRodent Getter,"

  "What's the active ingredient?" Detective Ryan asked.

  "Strychnine. May I ask why you ask?"

  "We have a possible incident that might involve that poison. Are you missing any?"

  "Don't know. Hafta check the storage shed," Mac said.

  "Let's go check," Detective Ryan said.

  Mac shrugged and all of them left the house together. Mac winked at me, but no one else looked my way.

  The paramedics came down the stairs next, but much more casually. They turned and went into the kitchen. I followed and saw that Nancy was giving them cups of coffee.

  "What happened to her?" Nancy asked them.

  "It sure looks like she was poisoned," one of the paramedics said.

  "She suffered severe convulsions and were pretty sure it was strychnine. Usually, with strychnine, the victim remains in a convulsed position
like the one she's in, eyes wide open and the face in a look of agony, just like hers," the other said, and then added, "The victim goes into rigor mortis almost

  immediately after death.'

  "Billy is studying to become a medical examiner," the first paramedic said, smiling.

  "Sweet Mary and Joseph," Nancy said.

  "It's strychnine," Billy said. "Stake my reputation on it."

  "What reputation?" the other paramedic said, and they both laughed.

  If Miss Harper were dead, how could they be funny about it? I wondered.

  Nancy smiled at them and offered them some of her homemade corn muffins. They both said yes and she sat them at the kitchen table and brought them muffins and jam.

  "I always wondered what this place looked like inside, Billy said. "Don't know how many times I've gone by here. It's a wonderful mansion all right." he said, nodding at the ceiling and the walls.

  "Isn't so wonderful if you're the one cleaning it," Nancy said, and they all laughed again.

  I guess it was all right to be funny. I thought. They all finally saw me standing in the doorway.

  "Oh, Jordan. Do you want something to eat now?"

  "I already ate, Nancy. I brought Ian food, too, remember?"

  She shook her head. "I don't know if I remember my name this morning."

  The paramedics smiled.

  I turned when Mac and the two detectives returned. Mac came toward us, but the detectives hurried up the stairway again.

  "Helluva thing," Mac said, stepping into the kitchen.

  The paramedics looked up at him. Nancy offered him some coffee.

  "What?" she said when he took the cup.

  "Someone was in my shed. I got a can of GoRodent Getter missing."

  "I'll be damned," Billy said. "Told you, strychnine."

  Nancy gasped and brought her hand to the base of her throat.

  Suddenly, they were all looking at me, but before anyone could say anything, Lieutenant Risso was in the hallway by the bottom of the stairway calling to me. I turned and looked his way.

  "You're Jordan?" he asked. I nodded. "Come with me," he said, and led me into the living room. "Go ahead and sit on the sofa. Jordan," he said, nodding at the Victorian parlor settee.

  "It's a settee," I told him.

  "Huh? Oh, yeah, sure."

  I sat. clutching my medicine against my stomach.

  "What'cha got there?" he asked.

  "My medicine. I have to take it every morning. Where's Grandmother Emma?" I asked him.

  "She'll be right down," he said. "Now, tell me about Miss Harper," he said. He smiled at me but it didn't make me feel better.

  I looked toward the doorway. What was I supposed to tell him about her?

  "She's helping Grandmother Emma with us this summer," I said. "She used to be a school teacher, but she lost her job."

  "Is that right? Do you like her?"

  I shook my head. I was afraid to lie and I really didn't see why I had to lie anyway.

  "Why not?"

  She washed out my mouth with soap. She slapped me. She locked me in my room. She took my medicine and kept it in her room. She took all of Ian's things out of his room because we went to see my mother in the hospital."

  "Is that so?"

  "Uh-huh," I said, nodding.

  "So I guess Ian's mad at her, too?"

  I was going to just nod, but again I remembered Miss Harpers warning about saying yes and saving no.

  "Yes. She shouldn't have taken his things. He was upset, too, when she didn't give me my medicine. He said if I didn't get my medicine in an hour, he would get it for me."

  "I see. So, did Ian say you guys should do something to Miss Harper because of all she had done to you two?"

  "No," I said.

  "Never?"

  "Didn't you and Ian go to the shed to get something?"

  "Do you know if he did yesterday?"

  "No. He couldn't. He had to stay in his room. Miss Harper said so. She said if he disobeyed her, she would have Grandmother Emma send him away and he wouldn't get to see Mama or Daddy."

  "I see. All right. You wait here," he said, and started out of the living room.

  I was uncomfortable sitting on the Victorian parlor settee. Grandmother Emma was never happy about either me or Ian lounging about on this furniture, especially without anyone else in the room.

  Suddenly. I heard Grandmother Emma's voice coming from the stairway. "What do you think you're doing?" I heard her demand. "Where is my

  ganddaughter?"

  I rose and went to the doorway. The detective was at the bottom of the stairs waiting as

  Grandmother Emma came down.

  "It's pretty clear that someone put that rodent poison in her water glass, Mrs. March," he said.

  "Nevertheless, you know you don't speak to children, especially my grandchildren, without an adult present and certainly not without counsel."

  "But Mrs. March..."

  "I'll thank you to wait for the arrival of my attorney. He should be here momentarily,"

  Grandmother Emma said.

  She looked past him toward me. "Jordan, I'd like you to go directly up to your room immediately," she said. ''Go on.

  I hurried to the stairway and past the detective. When I got upstairs. I looked down the hallway and saw the policemen standing outside Miss Harper's bedroom doorway. Ian's door was still shut. I couldn't help but wonder what he was doing in his room without any of his things, the things he loved, and with all this commotion in the hallway. Ian hated not knowing things.

  When I went into my room. I stood there for a moment deciding what to do. I put my medicine in the bathroom cabinet and then I went to my desk and despite how much I had not wanted to do it before, started to thumb through the schoolbooks Miss Harper had given me. I even found myself doing some of the workbook pages as if I thought she would be in at any moment to check on me.

  Of course, she didn't come, but Grandmother Emma did, accompanied by her lawyer, Mr. Ganz. He was a short man, not much taller than she was, with curly black hair that looked like a mass of tiny springs. Some were lined with gray. His eyebrows were so thick they reminded me of caterpillars and I immediately thought about curling up on my bed. If there was ever a time to hope for hope, this was it. I thought.

  "Jordan, you know Mr. Ganz. He has been here for dinner with his wife. He wants to talk to you and I want you to tell him the truth, understand?"

  "Yes, Grandmother."

  "So," Mr. Ganz said, pulling up a chair. "Tell me what happened here between you. Ian, and Miss Harper."

  I looked at Grandmother Emma and then I began. I told him everything I could remember. I told how angry Ian was when he found out she had taken his things.

  "Were you with Ian after Miss Harper brought you two back home last night?" Grandmother Emma asked, looking impatient. "Well?"

  "I thought it was a dream," I said.

  "What was? Tell us everything, Jordan. This is very, very serious now," she said.

  "I thought it was a dream. He came to see me when I was asleep."

  "And? What did he do?" she asked, stepping toward me. "Tell us immediately."

  "Easy," Mr. Ganz said. "Don't frighten her, Emma."

  "Oh, these children will be the death of me. Well, Jordan?"

  "He didn't do anything. He told me not to worry. He said everything would be all right."

  "And that's all he said?" Mr. Ganz asked.

  "He said Mama and Daddy would be home and maybe Daddy would walk again,"

  Ms. Ganz looked up at Grandmother Emma. "It's the scene of a murder, Emma. They can go through this house."

  "Okay," she said. "It's time we had a talk with my grandson and brought this all to a quick

  resolution."

  "Oh. I don't think we'll have a quick

  resolution," Mr. Ganz said.

  "Yes, we will," she told him.

  It was as if she had put a stamp on everything, a seal like a queen woul
d put on her papers.

  "You stay here," she told me, and they left me.

  It was getting nice outside again. Maybe today we would be permitted to go swimming. I thought. After everyone leaves. I'll ask Grandmother Emma. Maybe she would even let me invite Missy Littleton. Ian liked her, too.

  He would put on his underwater mask and we would toss pennies into the water for him to find. We did that one summer day for hours and he always found them. Daddy came out that afternoon to swim, too, and he could find them without a mask. Ian wouldn't open his eyes in the water without the mask because he said the chlorine irritated them. Daddy said that was nonsense.

  He pounded his chest like Tarzan and said, "Real men don't need underwater masks."

  Missy Littleton laughed, but Ian glared at him with such anger. I got a chill and had to wrap my towel around myself.

  Later, at dinner. Daddy's eyes were red and Ian told him so.

  Even Grandmother Emma said it was true and he was stupid to get them so irritated.

  Daddy ignored her, but Ian looked happy.

  I wondered if he ever would look happy again.

  25 Daddy Comes Home

  . I didn't go swimming. I would go later, but not very often that summer because Grandmother Emma didn't hire anyone else to look after me.

  I was very lonely.

  I really didn't understand everything that happened until much later, but Mr. Ganz was right about what the police could do and couldn't do. They brought in two forensic detectives who went into Ian's room and found traces of the rodent poison. Later, he admitted to putting it into Miss Harper's glass of water, which she kept by her bed when she slept.

  While she was taking a bath, he snuck into her room and did it. He was very upset about her reading his journal, he said. He told the police that it was more than a violation of someone's privacy; it was a violation of their very soul.

  He went into great detail about some of the other things in his journal, his notations about people, animals, and plants. Everyone agreed he was one of the most intelligent young boys they had ever questioned. I don't know why Grandmother Emma told me that, but she did. It was almost as if she was trying to save some face, to brag about one of her grandchildren, despite it all.