either. Did you tell Violet?”
“She already knew. Believe it or not, Mom told her.”
“I take it the two of you are on opposite sides of the fence on this one.”
I nodded. “I want to confront Mom. Vi says I should let it go.”
“Your sister’s right on this one. Let it go. Let this mess stay buried in the past where it belongs.”
“I’m not sure I can.”
“It’s what you need to do. Thirty years ago, I did everything in my power to protect my brother’s family. Dredging up the past now . . . .” He closed his eyes. “Trust me. It’s better if you don’t drag that skeleton out of the closet and parade him around.”
“How . . . ” I swallowed. “How did you protect us, Uncle Hal?”
He opened his eyes but stared up at the ceiling. “I ran Vern March out of town.”
We both fell silent then. The only noise was Chester’s toenails clicking on the hardwood floor when he spotted a toy and went to retrieve it.
Finally, I broke the silence. “He must not have cared very much about her then.”
“I can be fairly persuasive . . . or I could be . . . back in the day.” Uncle Hal’s voice was softer now…tired. He gave me a wan half-smile. “And I always took care of my baby brother. Even though there’s not that much difference in our ages, I prided myself on being the big brother. The protector.”
“I know.” I grinned, although I felt an almost overwhelming urge to cry again. “To me, you were always Batman to Dad’s Robin.” I had to lighten the conversation before Aunt Nancy came home to find me bawling. Okay, to be completely honest, I had to change the subject before I asked questions I wasn’t a hundred percent sure I wanted answered.
“So,” I said, “is Aunt Nancy doing her part to help the economy today?”
Uncle Hal gave a chortle that held more than a hint of relief. “Depends on whose economy we’re talking about. I don’t doubt she’s boosting the retailers’ economy, but I might be eating peanut butter sandwiches for a month.”
“You know better,” I said, laughing.
“Yeah,” he admitted. “We could live on yesterday’s leftovers for two weeks.
We chatted about the family then: Vi, Jason, Lucas and Leslie, as well as Uncle Hal’s and Aunt Nancy’s children and in-laws. We shared funny stories for a half hour or so, and then I stood and put on my coat.
Uncle Hal walked me to the door. “That other matter . . . it’s over, right?”
I nodded.
“Good.” He kissed my cheek. “Be careful driving home.”
*
Before going home, I went by the Save-A-Buck to pick up my check and the glass cake plate I’d used for my display. Juanita was leaving as I went in. She took my arm and pulled me back outside the store.
“I’m so sorry for your troubles,” she said. “I know your cake did not poison that lady.”
“Thank you. Hopefully, everyone else will realize that, too.”
“I pray that they will. You are a good person.” She smiled. “I bought one of your white cakes, and my family enjoyed it very much.”
“I’m glad.”
“This will pass.” She nodded. “It will pass.”
A lump gathered in my throat. I barely knew this woman, and she was treating me like a lifelong friend. “Thank you.”
Juanita left, and I went on into the store. En route to the office, I was stopped by a diminutive old lady with two iron gray braids hanging to her waist. The pigtails made me wonder if Willie Nelson’s mother might still be living . . . in Southwest Virginia.
“I understand you found Yodel’s corpse.” For such a small woman, she certainly did have a booming voice. Every head within sight turned our way.
“I . . . yes . . .I did.” I kept my voice low, hoping she’d take the hint. She didn’t.
“Heard she was poisoned.”
“I don’t know how I can make this any clearer. The woman didn’t even see the cake I—”
“Oh, no, I don’t think it was you. I just wonder who the police think did the
“She already knew. Believe it or not, Mom told her.”
“I take it the two of you are on opposite sides of the fence on this one.”
I nodded. “I want to confront Mom. Vi says I should let it go.”
“Your sister’s right on this one. Let it go. Let this mess stay buried in the past where it belongs.”
“I’m not sure I can.”
“It’s what you need to do. Thirty years ago, I did everything in my power to protect my brother’s family. Dredging up the past now . . . .” He closed his eyes. “Trust me. It’s better if you don’t drag that skeleton out of the closet and parade him around.”
“How . . . ” I swallowed. “How did you protect us, Uncle Hal?”
He opened his eyes but stared up at the ceiling. “I ran Vern March out of town.”
We both fell silent then. The only noise was Chester’s toenails clicking on the hardwood floor when he spotted a toy and went to retrieve it.
Finally, I broke the silence. “He must not have cared very much about her then.”
“I can be fairly persuasive . . . or I could be . . . back in the day.” Uncle Hal’s voice was softer now…tired. He gave me a wan half-smile. “And I always took care of my baby brother. Even though there’s not that much difference in our ages, I prided myself on being the big brother. The protector.”
“I know.” I grinned, although I felt an almost overwhelming urge to cry again. “To me, you were always Batman to Dad’s Robin.” I had to lighten the conversation before Aunt Nancy came home to find me bawling. Okay, to be completely honest, I had to change the subject before I asked questions I wasn’t a hundred percent sure I wanted answered.
“So,” I said, “is Aunt Nancy doing her part to help the economy today?”
Uncle Hal gave a chortle that held more than a hint of relief. “Depends on whose economy we’re talking about. I don’t doubt she’s boosting the retailers’ economy, but I might be eating peanut butter sandwiches for a month.”
“You know better,” I said, laughing.
“Yeah,” he admitted. “We could live on yesterday’s leftovers for two weeks.
We chatted about the family then: Vi, Jason, Lucas and Leslie, as well as Uncle Hal’s and Aunt Nancy’s children and in-laws. We shared funny stories for a half hour or so, and then I stood and put on my coat.
Uncle Hal walked me to the door. “That other matter . . . it’s over, right?”
I nodded.
“Good.” He kissed my cheek. “Be careful driving home.”
*
Before going home, I went by the Save-A-Buck to pick up my check and the glass cake plate I’d used for my display. Juanita was leaving as I went in. She took my arm and pulled me back outside the store.
“I’m so sorry for your troubles,” she said. “I know your cake did not poison that lady.”
“Thank you. Hopefully, everyone else will realize that, too.”
“I pray that they will. You are a good person.” She smiled. “I bought one of your white cakes, and my family enjoyed it very much.”
“I’m glad.”
“This will pass.” She nodded. “It will pass.”
A lump gathered in my throat. I barely knew this woman, and she was treating me like a lifelong friend. “Thank you.”
Juanita left, and I went on into the store. En route to the office, I was stopped by a diminutive old lady with two iron gray braids hanging to her waist. The pigtails made me wonder if Willie Nelson’s mother might still be living . . . in Southwest Virginia.
“I understand you found Yodel’s corpse.” For such a small woman, she certainly did have a booming voice. Every head within sight turned our way.
“I . . . yes . . .I did.” I kept my voice low, hoping she’d take the hint. She didn’t.
“Heard she was poisoned.”
“I don’t know how I can make this any clearer. The woman didn’t even see the cake I—”
“Oh, no, I don’t think it was you. I just wonder who the police think did the
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