have Don put you on the list.”
Her mother shook her head, slowly at first, and then vehemently. “No. I can’t see him there. I can’t. It was bad enough losing him to…to that woman. Now I’ve lost him for good.”
“Not for good. We’ll get him out.”
Her mother’s eyes bored into hers. “I don’t see how you’ll do that. She fixed him up good. That little…witch.”
“The plot thickens,” Death said. “Or at least gets interesting.”
“Mom, from what I hear, Ricky loved her.”
Her mother grumbled. “He was obsessed with her. There’s a difference. Your brother is a sweetheart, we all know that. Would do anything for anybody. Has done everything for you.” She shook her head. “I thought he was smarter than other men. I guess I was wrong. A pretty face comes along and he’s as dumb as they come.”
Death whistled. “I am so feeling the love.”
“Mom, what made her so bad?”
“Besides getting herself killed and accusing him?”
“She didn’t…why didn’t you like her before?”
Her mother let go of Casey’s sleeve and again clasped her hands in her lap. “She took him over. His whole life. It was all Alicia this and Alicia that. I couldn’t…” She closed her eyes again, and her knuckles went white from the strain of her grip.
“She couldn’t compete,” Death said.
It sounded that way.
Death rushed on. “And she apparently had no idea Alicia wasn’t the girl’s real name. You realize Ricky probably didn’t know, either. He gave the police this fake one. Makes you wonder just how well he knew her, after all.”
It made Casey wonder a lot of things. “When did Ricky meet her, Mom?”
Her mother’s eyes didn’t open, and she talked in a low voice. “A few months ago. July? June? I can’t remember. I don’t know. It was probably going on long before I knew about it.”
Certainly before Casey had known about it. She’d talked with him a few weeks ago, before all this had happened, and he hadn’t said a word. She’d even teased him about women, and had warned him to stay away from another one he’d dated who Casey hadn’t liked. He hadn’t said anything about Alicia. Probably afraid Casey wouldn’t like this one, either. Ironically, having her mother hate the girl so much made Casey feel less angry with Alicia, and even sorrier that she’d ended up the way she had.
“What do you know about her, Mom? Where was she from? How long has she been here in town?”
Her mother shrugged her bony shoulders. “Ricky never told me much. She worked at some awful diner on North Jackson. Terrible food. Your brother convinced me to go there one time. The mashed potatoes were fake, and the gravy came from a can. The pie was cold and doughy.” She shivered. “I wonder when the health department last checked up on the kitchen.”
“Alicia was a waitress?”
“I suppose. Ricky met her when he made a food run for that catering company he works for. Not that the girl’s restaurant had the good sense to buy their food. This was for some huge banquet or other. The girl had been hired on as extra wait staff for the event. Ricky took one look and…” Her jaw came forward. “That’s all.”
“She never visited here? You didn’t get to know her?”
Her lips twitched. “Ricky never brought her. My opinion apparently didn’t matter.”
“Ah,” Death said. “Now we’re getting to it.”
“Or,” Casey said, “he was forming his own opinion before getting yours, Mom. That’s only natural.”
“Hmpf.”
Casey glance at Death. Her mother had never been this snarky before. The whole affair had obviously been more than she could handle.
“Plus, you haven’t exactly been here for her,” Death said. “Who knows how long she’s been this way?”
Great.
“Anything else I should know, Mom? Anything that might help Ricky?”
“I’ve already said. It was the girl. You find out about her, you’ll find out who really killed her.”
“You’ve told me all you know?”
Her mother leveled her eyes at her. “I told you—I don’t know much. Your brother—and that girl—made sure of it. Why would that be if she didn’t have something to hide?”
Casey stood up, knees cracking. “Okay, Mom. I’ll look into it. I’ll find out why she was such a mystery.”
Her mother grabbed her hand. “Casey. I am glad you’re home. I’ve missed you.”
Casey put her arms around her mother’s shoulders, which were so much frailer that she remembered.
“I’ve missed you, too, Mom.”
Her mother stiffened, and Casey backed away.
“Come back and see me,” her mother said.
“Of course I will.”
“Don’t let me hear