Page 118 of For the Birds

Neely Kate still had the phone pressed to her ear. “I’m on hold. Oh, and I already called Kermit and told him we’d returned Squawker to Mr. Whipple. Boy . . . did he sound surprised.”

I bet. “If only he knew everything.” I took a breath. “Squawker saw something,” I said. “I’m certain of it. Just like I’m certain someone scared Mr. Whipple to keep quiet.”

“Who?” Neely Kate asked. Then her eyes lit up. “Hey, June,” she said into her phone. “That’s okay. I didn’t mind waiting. That’s right. Seymour and Mary Ellen Constant.” She wrote something down on a piece of paper. “You don’t say? Okay. Thanks.”

I rested my hand on the side of Witt’sseat.

“You’re never gonna believe it. Elijah Landry’s grandparents lived on the street behind Mr. Whipple’s. And his aunt and uncle own the housenow.”

Witt pulled away from the curb, drove to the end of the street, and turned the corner. “What number?”

“2500 Spring Street.”

“You were back quick enough that I guess you didn’t have a chance to ask Miss Mildred anything about the Beagles,” I askedher.

“She refused to discuss anything,” Neely Kate said. “I think she’s depressed over losin’ thatbird.”

I nodded. “Maybe we can ask someone from the church.”

“That’s it,” Witt said, pointing to a pale-yellow house that looked well-kept. “And check it out. It looks like the corner of its backyard touches Mr. Whipple’s.”

“I’m not sure it’s a good idea to march up to the door,” I said. “Maybe we should ask the neighbors what they know about the house.” Again, I remembered my vision with Jeanne.

“Good idea,” Neely Kate said as Witt put the car in park. “You stay in the car, Witt. It’ll be better if it’s just me andRose.”

“I’ll be watchin’.”

We got out and Neely Kate walked up to the house to the right of the Beagles’ place. She knocked on the door, and about ten seconds later, an elderly woman answered thedoor.

“Hi,” Neely Kate said. “I’m Nancy and this is Beth Ann, and we’re looking for Mary Ellen Constant. We were told she livedhere.”

“Oh, honey,” the woman said, putting a hand on her chest. “You’re one house off and ten years toolate.”

“I’m sorry?” Neely Kate asked.

“She died,” the womansaid.

“Oh.” Neely Kate turned back to me. “Now we’ll never find our cousins.”

“Which cousins?” the woman asked. “Her daughter bought the place after Seymour died. She’s rentin’ it out, but she gave me a contact number in case there were any issues that needed addressin’.”

“And have there been?” I asked. When the woman gave me a strange look, I said, “I’ve been thinkin’ about getting rental property, but it seems kind of like a nightmare, what with cranky tenants andsuch.”

“There haven’t been many problems.” Her face scrunched up. “At least until last week. Things were a little noisy then, but the boys said they were havin’ a get-together.”

“The boys?” Neely Kate asked.

“Pam’s sons. They’re between renters, and Paul and his cousin Elijah are repainting the place and sprucin’ itup.”

“You said they had a get-together?”

“Yeah, it was early in the day, so it seemedodd.”

“Do you remember what day?” Neely Kate asked.

“It was Wednesday,” the woman said. “They were makin’ a ruckus when I left early for Wednesday night church. It was late afternoon because I was helping make the dinner. Then they were at it again on Thursday morning. I was out hangin’ my sheets on theline.”

“What did youhear?”