do anything to find out what’s in it.”
“Did she now?” Miss Vivee asked seemingly intrigued.
“Tell me Viola Rose, what do you know about her?”
“Who? Gemma Burke?” Viola Rose asked. “Probably no more than you. You remember her before she left here to go to the big city.”
“Yeah, I do. But that was so long ago.”
“Well she hadn’t changed much. She still was a nice girl. Quiet but polite. She was always smiling.” Viola Rose tilted her head upward and squinted her eyes like she was thinking. “I asked her once why she come back after she was so gung ho to leave and she told me she just missed home.”
“So she hadn’t changed much, huh?”
“No way I could tell. Only thing I know she did different was she had become what you called one of them, uhm, runners.”
“Joggers,” Miss Vivee said and eyed me.
“Yeah, you know. But now that I think about it she seemed quieter than before. Always keeping to herself. I thought about that when I used to see her running out there.” She pointed through the window. “Always by herself.”
“She’d run past here,” I asked.
“Yep. That’s was the last time I saw her. Her going past my window. Every morning she’d come from her house and jog down along past here. She did it on the day she died.”
“What time was that, Viola Rose?” Miss Vivee asked.
“I know exactly what time it was. Eleven thirty. Junior Appletree had come in for his lunch. Comes in everyday at the same time. Funny, how I noticed her that day. Can’t say that I remember what time she ran by here any other day.”
“But you do remember that she passed here every day,” I asked.
“Sure do. Every day during the week. I don’t think she ran on the weekend. Leastways I can’t say I remember her doing it.”
“How’d she look when she passed?”
“How’d she look?” Viola Rose seemed puzzled.
“I mean was she coughing. Did she look like she was in any pain?”
“I can’t say.” She cocked her head to the side. “But I guess if she was coughing or sickly I would have taken notice of it.” She looked down at Miss Vivee. “So. Nope. I’d have to say she wasn’t. She looked like she did any other day.”
“Wasn’t she staying in Gunner Hadley’s old house?” Miss Vivee asked.
“Yeah, she was renting it. You know she’d sold her parents’ house when she left.”
“Where did she go when she left here?”
“I don’t rightly know.” Viola tapped her chin with her finger. “She said ‘big city,’ I’m sure it was Augusta. You know I don’t like to pry into people business.”
“Yes. Viola Rose, I know,” Miss Vivee said, obviously being sarcastic.
“She’s got a girl staying up there at the house with her, though,” Viola Rose added. “Brought her back with her when she came ahome.”
“Really? I don’t remember seeing any new faces around here?” Miss Vivee said.
“Sweetie, you ain’t left the house in twenty years, probably a lot of things around here you ain’t seen.” She stuck her hands down in the pockets of her apron. “She’s come in here to eat plenty of times. She’s a real bump on a log. Mousey. Quiet. I always wondered what her and Gemma did together because they wouldn’t say two words to each other when they’d come in here to eat. But Gemma was real nice to her. Gemma would always pay for the food for the both of them.”
“What’s the girl’s name?” Miss Vivee asked.
“Hmmm. Can’t say I know.” Viola Rose used one of the pens stuck in her hair to scratch her head. “Don’t know if Gemma ever said it.”
“Why was she staying with Gemma?” Miss Vivee asked.
“Well ain’t you full of questions?”
“It happens when you don’t get out much,” Miss Vivee said matter-of-factly. “You just become overflowing with questions almost to the point where you feel like you’re gonna pop if you don’t get them answered. Plus,” Miss Vivee said and leaned forward to whisper to Viola Rose, “I want to help Renmar and the Maypop keep their good reputation.” She touched her on her arm. “Like you said, it ain’t good for her or our establishment if people are dying.”
“Don’t I know it. I just shudder at the thought of that happening here. Someone dying right in one of my booths.” She shook her shoulders.
“That’s why I came down here to talk to you Viola Rose, I knew you could help me clear Renmar’s good name.”
“Miss Vivee. You know I’d