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DuBose was writing all of this down while Jack asked, “Now, you told the police that Jerome had come into the house alone one time before that you know of?”
Robinson stared down at her hands. “I don’t wanna get Jerome in no trouble. But he was in the house and he only supposed to come in if the Randolphs ask him to do some work in there. And Mr. Leslie, he always stay with Jerome when he do come in.” She glanced at DuBose. “It just how he like to do things,” she added quickly.
“Did you ask Jerome why he was in the house that time?” asked Jack.
“Yeah. He say he have to, you know, use the toilet.” She looked down at her hands again, clearly embarrassed to be revealing this.
“Don’t they have a bathroom for him to use?” asked Jack. “I mean, the man is there all day.”
“No, they don’t got no bathroom outside. Jerome, he just goes behind a tree if he has to pee. But that day he come in the back door and said he had to do the other one real bad. The Randolphs were out takin’ a walk so I didn’t see no harm in it. I showed him which bathroom to use, and I went in there after and gave it a real good scrubbin’ down. Then I give Jerome a roll of toilet paper and tell him to keep it in the garage. That way he can go behind a tree for the other one and then take care ’a his business after.”
Jack shook his head. In his mind was Miss Jessup being at Ashby’s all day.
Surely to God he lets her...
“Did you tell the Randolphs?” asked DuBose.
“No. I never had no reason to tell ’em. I scrubbed it down real good. They never be able to tell he was in there.”
“And how did you come to tell the police this?”
Robinson looked scared. “They ask me if I ever seen Jerome in the house before, without Mr. Leslie bein’ with him. They say if I lie, I go to jail. I can’t go to no jail. I told ’em he had to use the toilet.”
“Okay, that’s fine, Mrs. Robinson. Now, how were things between Jerome and the Randolphs?” asked DuBose.
“Oh, real good. They liked Jerome. A lot.”
“You never heard any harsh words between them?” asked Jack.
“Harsh words? Why, no.”
“Were you there when they had the Washingtons over for lunch and to swim?”
“No, but he told me about it. It was on the weekend and I don’t work then. He say his children really liked it.” She looked disappointed. “They never let me bring my children over there for lunch and swimmin’, and I been workin’ there longer’n Jerome.”
“Did he tell you he saw Christine Hanover and her family as they were leaving?”
“Yeah, he did.”
“Have you ever seen Christine, or Sam Randolph?” asked Jack.
“Miss Christine come pretty often. I haven’t seen Mr. Sam in a long while. But he could come over when I’m not there.”
Jack said, “Were you there when a man came by to talk to the Randolphs? Jerome said Mr. Randolph was very angry about it.”
“Yep, I seen him. He was dressed in a nice suit and carryin’ a black bag. I thought he a doctor or somethin’.”
Jack asked, “Did you hear any of the conversation between them?”
“No, sir, but when the man left I hear Mr. Leslie say somethin’ like ‘I got me enemies all over the place. And I won’t stand for it.’ And Miss Anne? She was cryin’.”
“Did you ask them what the trouble was?” said DuBose.
“Oh no, ma’am. I mean, I think they be mad to know I hear what I did. So I didn’t say one word about it to them. But Mr. Leslie, he real mad.”
“Did he get mad often?” asked DuBose curiously.
“Yeah, he had a temper all right. And...”
