Those 70ish Girls

“What do you suppose that was all about? Jack was getting frustrated. He had to get his daughter, Vanessa, who was being discharged from the hospital in a few hours. He needed to take her home. His younger daughter, Alice would be in the hospital in Boston for a few more weeks.

“I don’t know,” Kat said as she got up from the table, “but I’m about to find out.”

“I’ll go with you.” The detective got up to join her. “Everyone else stay here.”

Kat was about to enter the cafe’s kitchen when she heard Paul say, “I think it’s time to tell the detective everything.”

The detective did not agree.

“I think we need to go down to the station. It’s time we get your statements.”

“That won’t be necessary,” they heard a voice say.

Kat saw the shadow of someone standing near the doorway. “Come out where we can see you,” Kat said. “Who are you?”

“They deserved so much more…”

The figure moved into the light. “I took care of your mother for twenty years. I loved her like a daughter and we both loved Jennifer. We were devastated by her death. When I heard what Edith did to Jennifer’s daughters, her own granddaughters, I had to come. I did what I did for your mother, Kat, for Claire.”

Kat was stunned. She couldn’t believe it was Stella speaking.

Sandy continued where Stella left off. “I was here when Edith pushed her own daughter, Jennifer, into the fire. This little town of Danfield was horrified, but not surprised. It was never proven because there was no one but the little girls to see it and they couldn’t remember. But we all knew. Then Paul left Edith. Later, he came back and bought this cafe. Edith and Annette started spending more time in Brewster. It appeared Annette was doing well and had a successful career. Then she showed up here one night. She was a complete wreck. When she told me her name, I called Paul. I knew he was Annette’s stepfather. He didn’t know how she would react to seeing him, so he stayed away. He asked if I would keep an eye on her. I was so angry that Edith had done such terrible things to her two daughters and those precious granddaughters. I wanted to kill her.”

“I never should have left Annette with her,” Paul said. “I had adopted her. I was the only father she had ever known. I knew she would never leave her mother alone and I couldn’t stay. I had to make Edith’s evil acts stop…forever.”

“Wait…the detective sat down on a stool and pushed his hat back. It was darned hot in that kitchen. “If I’m hearing you all correctly, one of you was responsible for suffocating Edith Morris?”

“You’re right,” Stella said. “One of us killed her, but we don’t know which one.”

Next: The night Edith died