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Rosalie raised a brow. “You’re awful young to know something like that.”
“I buried my first husband eight years ago and my grandmother three years ago, Mrs. Eddy.”
Rosalie nodded. “I’m sorry to hear that. I’m sorry to make you come here, Detective, but I won’t be able to concentrate if I know I’ve got to meet you later. I’ll be wondering the whole time what kind of news you’ve got. Let’s just get on with it, if you don’t mind. You do have news, don’t you?”
Josie said, “Yes.”
Rosalie studied her for a long moment. “It’s not good.”
“I’m afraid not. I’ve also got a few more questions.” Josie looked around the room. She’d helped her late husband Ray’s mother choose a casket in a room just like this. Later, she had chosen one for her grandmother with the help of Lisette’s grandson, Sawyer. She’d never known there were so many choices.
Rosalie turned and moved slowly toward the door. “That’s fine. Come now, there’s a nice soft bench out in the hall.”
A moment later, they were seated side by side on the cushioned bench. Josie looked up and down the hall, but it was silent and still. Sound seemed to get sucked away instantly in this place. Even their voices didn’t feel like they carried very far. If someone approached, they’d never hear it. Josie said, “Are you sure about this? We could go upstairs, or outside. I can take you any place you want.”
Rosalie patted Josie’s hand. “Just get it over with, would you?”
“Right.” Josie took a deep breath. “Mrs. Eddy, Sharon was murdered.”
Rosalie closed her eyes. Her upper body rocked back and forth a few times. “How?”
“She was strangled,” Josie said. “She had a subdural hematoma on the back of her head. The only other injury was a burn to her hip, like a cattle brand.”
Rosalie’s eyes popped open. “A cattle brand?”
Josie nodded. “We’ve been looking into other cases that might have similarities. Which brings me to my questions. Sharon’s mother, your daughter, what’s her name?”
“Carolina. Like the states. Why? You don’t think she had something to do with Shar’s death, do you?”
“When is the last time you saw Carolina?” asked Josie.
“’Bout a year ago. When Shar graduated from high school. It took me months to track her down. Her cell phone is always out of service, or she didn’t keep up with the payments. Or she’s in jail. That’s where she was when I finally found her. I told her about Shar’s graduation. She said she’d be out by then and would definitely be there. Of course, she missed it. Showed up two days later, not even an apology. Same old Carolina. She looked well enough, but in jail she always put on weight. Her skin would clear up. Couldn’t get the drugs in there the way she does out here. But I could tell she was taking something already. I wouldn’t let her see Shar. I don’t think Shar wanted to see her anyway after she missed the big day.”
Josie asked, “Do you know how to get in touch with Carolina now?”
“I could give you her number but I’m not sure it still works. Detective, you didn’t answer my question. Did Carolina have something to do with Shar’s murder? My daughter’s been addicted to drugs from when she was a teenager. I know she’s done some terrible things to feed her addiction, but I’ve never known her to be violent.”
“That’s not why I’m asking about Carolina,” Josie said. “I’m wondering if your family used to live in Bly.”
“Why, yes,” Rosalie said. “That’s where we’re from. Left about seven years ago.”
“When I talked with you the other night, you said you’d moved from Bellewood.”
“Yes, we moved from Bly to Bellewood. The three of us: me, Carolina and Shar. It took about a minute for Carolina to get into all kinds of trouble. I took Shar and moved here. It was a fresh start. A real one.”
“What do you mean?” Josie asked. “Are you saying you moved from Bly to Bellewood for a fresh start?”
Rosalie leaned her cane against the edge of the bench and smoothed her dress over her lap. “We had to after that business with that poor girl who died.”
“Jana Melburn?”
“Why, yes. You’ve done your research, haven’t you?”
“Not as much research as you think,” Josie said. “What can you tell me about the ‘business’ with Jana Melburn?”
“If you know about her then you know she was seen at a gas station a couple of days before she was found dead. My Carolina worked at that gas station. It had a little minimart inside. They sold snack food and soda and cigarettes. That sort of thing. Carolina saw that girl the night she went missing. Jana came in and purchased a can of soda and a pack of cigarettes. Then she went back outside and there was that boy—the football player who molested those cheerleaders—and Jana stopped to talk to him.”
“Did Carolina hear what they said to one another?”
