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?