Page 17 of Nikoli

"You're missing the point," Em Darcy hums. "Martha's not explaining it well."

"Oh hogwash!" Martha hisses. "The police have been called." Martha leans in close. "They're thinking foul play."

My eyes widen as I stare at Nikoli's grandmother. "Why do they think that?"

Em Darcy grabs my wrist and pulls me toward her. "He was found on the floor with a head wound," she tells me with great pleasure. "Face down with the wound in the back of his head."

"He could have hit his head on the way down," I suggest, watching Em and Martha closely.

"There was no furniture near where he was found, dear girl." I smile and gently pat Eunice Turner’s hand. The elderly woman is covered in blankets. She sits and smiles as usual. Half the time I forget she can actually talk; how quiet she can be. Then again, half the time it's impossible to get a word in when Martha and Em are together.

"Wait a minute." I sit up. "If the police were called, where are they? I haven't seen them?"

"They're not here yet." Em rolls her eyes. "We just discovered what is going on.”

"Oh!" I sit back in my chair, wondering what the hell is going on at Evergreen. I haven't been here long. Just a few months. It's been uneventful until recently. I frown as I remember seeing Sandra and Julie sneaking around Mr. David's room. Then Laura and Isobel slipped the note under my door. I'm not sure Rosie and Dodge are going to get anything useful from my two co-workers. But what were Sandra and Julie up to? Neither of them would have killed the man. I mean, certainly not.

Rubbing my eyes, I happen to see Rosie and Dodge just as the police arrive. I don't really pay attention to what's going on. However, I get the message that no one is allowed to leave without giving our details to an officer. Rosie comes over to me while Dodge shakes hands with one of the detectives.

Rosie pulls up a chair next to me. "It was your cousin who passed the note and the photo," she whispers. "I pulled a photo of Sarah Carter from the Internet. They agreed it was her."

"So at least we know for sure." I rub over my right eye. "Even though I was sure it was them, I was hoping for another explanation." Pause. "Dodge seems right at home surrounded by cops."

Rosie grins, "He's a former detective and before that an army man. My boss, Joshua Ellison, snapped the guy up." She shrugs. "He's good at what he does. Very focused." Pushing her chair away, Rosie takes my arm. "Give your information to an officer, then we can go. Dodge will help with that."

I nod and turn to Martha. "Will you be okay if I leave?"

"Oh, honey, I'll be fine. You go spend time with my handsome grandson." She offers me a secretive smile.

I chuckle and hug her. "If you need either of us, please call."

"I will, dear. Now go and enjoy the rest of your day off."

12

NIKOLI

Detective Cross sits across from Willow and me. Rosie's colleague, Levi Dodge, is also here. Turns out Cross and Dodge are former partners.

I'd been looking forward to seeing Willow at the arena, but that never happened after all hell broke loose at Evergreen. My grandmother was having a good time with the young men in uniform, reminding me that she wasn't dead or blind.

Willow's hand trembles in mine as we wait to hear what the detective has to say or ask. Willow hadn't been there when the old man was killed. But they still needed a full statement from her.

"Do you recognize this?" Cross asks Willow, holding out his phone with a picture of a paperweight.

"No."

"Are you sure?"

Willow takes a closer look. "It looks like a paperweight. I've never owned one. I don't remember seeing one around Evergreen." She tilts her head to the side and stares at Cross. "Is this the murder weapon?"

"We think so. It's being tested."

"I wasn't there when he was killed."

Cross says, "I didn't tell you when it was."

I narrow my eyes at the man. "What does that mean?"

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