The Mandie Collection Read Online Free PDF

said.
    â€œHow long were you in there cleaning up the room that day?” Mandie asked.
    Liza frowned thoughtfully and replied, “Mighta been two, three hour it took me.”
    â€œWere there any visitors in the house that day? Did anyone come calling?” Joe asked.
    â€œNo, don’t think so. Leastways I don’t ’member seein’ nobody, and I looked de house all over fo’ Mistuh John. I went everywheres, even to Abraham’s house in de yard, and he don’t be nowhere, and den come suppertime heah he come. Been tendin’ to bidness, he say, and he go lock de do’ whilst we’s puttin’ de food on de table,” Liza said with a big sigh.
    â€œWhere was my mother all the time the door was unlocked?” Mandie asked.
    â€œShe stay in huh room restin’ all de day. I took huh a tray at noon, and she jes’ sittin’ round readin’ in huh sittin’ room,” the girl explained. Then she looked at Mandie and added, “Miz ’Lizbeth, she ain’t got plumb well yet from havin’ dat fever.”
    â€œI know, Liza. She probably won’t be able to go with us to the courthouse in Swain County on Monday,” Mandie said. “But Dr. Woodard says she is getting better.”
    â€œLiza, did you go with Mr. Shaw to see him lock the door?” Joe asked.
    Liza looked at him in surprise and answered as she shook her head, “Lawsy mercy, no. He know how to lock de do’.”
    Joe smiled at her and said, “I thought you might have gone up to his office with him to show him what all you had done in there.”
    â€œI ain’t done nuthin’ in dat room but sweep de carpet and dust, and den I polish ev’rything,” Liza explained.
    â€œThen how did you know he locked the door?” Mandie asked.
    â€œI knows he did ’cause when he come in de front do’ I tell him I’se done in his office room and dat de do’ be unlocked, and he say I gwine right up dere right dis heah minute and lock de do’, and he went up de steps. Dat’s how I knows he locked de do’,” Liza said, taking abig breath. “I’m athinkin’ y’all jes’ ain’t been alistenin’ to whut I been sayin’. He went up dem steps and locked dat do’ and den he come back down wid Miz ’Lizbeth to eat suppuh.”
    Mandie smiled and said, “I understand, Liza. Now, where was Mr. Jason that day?”
    â€œMistuh Bond he be he’pin’ Abraham build a new chicken coop dat day. You kin go see it. It’s in de fur corner of de backyard ’cause Miz ’Lizbeth she don’t want dem chickens crowin’ and cacklin’ too close to de house,” Liza explained. “Took ’em all day and then some mo’ time aftuh suppuh.”
    â€œAnd you didn’t see anyone else come into the house that day?” Mandie asked.
    â€œNobody,” Liza said, vigorously shaking her head.
    Joe looked at Mandie and said, “So if the desk lock was broken that day, your uncle didn’t notice it until he went to get the will this morning.”
    â€œI know he doesn’t go in there every day, only when he has bookwork to do,” Mandie replied. Then looking at Liza, she asked, “Do you remember what day it was when you cleaned his office?”
    Liza frowned for a moment and then said, “It be de day dis heah week fo’ prayer meetin’ night. I knows ’cause we all hurryin’ up to go to de church and sang dat night, me and Aunt Lou and Jenny. Abraham he couldn’t go ’cause he he’pin’ Mistuh Bond make de new chicken pen.”
    â€œAnd today is Saturday, so Mr. Shaw might not have been back up there in his office until he went to get the will this morning,” Joe said, looking at Mandie.
    â€œRight. Therefore he wouldn’t have known someone took the will if they did it the day the door was left open,”