Mavis tapped her nails impatiently against the breakfast room table while she waited for Rosanne to appear with the coffee she had requested. Honestly, that woman could be so slow sometimes. Mavis occasionally wondered if there wasn't more than a little of passive-aggressiveness in Rosanne's attitude. She supposed it was possible. After all, she wouldn't want to work for herself--why should Rosanne?
While she waited Mavis wondered what that odd visit from Dee Dee Whatsername had been about. How could anyone living in her house have been involved with Mary Austin's death? Grimacing, Mavis remembered Mary Austin. The woman had been yet another of Ron's flings but as Mavis recalled, Mary had been a little different. For awhile Mavis had thought that Ron was going to really leave her for Mary Austin. He'd been so infatuated with that little floozy. Of course, Ron was always infatuated with his cupcake of the month at first. Still, Mary had been different and it had scared Mavis. Not because her marriage to Ron was so wonderful but because she hadn't been altogether certain of what she'd get should they divorce. Plus, the children had been so small back then. Mavis hadn't wanted to raise them alone.
Mary Austin. Pretty, vacuous and nuts about her husband. Ron seemed to only hire women who would sooner or later fall in love with him--or at least fall into bed with him. Mary had reminded Mavis of that sitcom star--the one with the blonde cotton candy hair and the big boobs and who had snagged Burt Reynolds. What was her name? Oh, yes, Loni Anderson.
"Here's your coffee." Rosanne came into the breakfast room and set a cup of steaming coffee down in front of Mavis.
"Thank you." A sudden idea formed in the back of her mind. Rosanne had worked for the Schuyler family for years. Perhaps she was the one who was somehow involved in Mary Austin's death. Perhaps her husband had been having a fling with Mary too and Rosanne had killed her! Mavis had to bite back a giggle at the thought of placid, predictable Rosanne murdering anyone. Still, that Dee Dee had said that someone living at Schuyler Manor had something to do with the murder. Rosanne was a likely a suspect as anyone else. She waited until the maid was almost out the door when she asked, "Rosanne, do you remember a woman named Mary Austin? She died about 20 years ago."
Rosanne's uniformed back stiffened and she didn't turn around. "I beg your pardon?"
"Do you remember a woman who used to live in Schuyler Square named Mary Austin," Mavis repeated. "She was murdered and the police never figured out who killed her."
Still not turning around, Rosanne shook her head. "I don't remember," she said and then vanished through the doorway.
Interesting. Very interesting indeed. Mavis thoughtfully picked up her cup and took a long sip of coffee.
No comments:
Post a Comment