Free Mother Finds a Body by Gypsy Rose Lee Page B

it.
    The sheriff had a look of deep concern on his face as he looked down at her.
    â€œI’m afraid I’m getting a little faint,” Mother whispered.
    Biff looked from Gee Gee to me. We all knew what Mother could go through without getting faint.
    â€œI think you should go back to the trailer,” the sheriff said.
    â€œNo,” Mother said with a great effort. “My duty is here, with my child,” She braced herself and threw back her head bravely. With a quick, almost birdlike motion she reached for a square of white linen the sheriff held in his hand.
    The sheriff wasn’t birdlike but he was quicker. He put the handkerchief back into his pocket.
    â€œI’m sorry,” he said apologetically. “We found this in the grave, and it might be a clue. There may be a laundry mark or something on it.”
    He handed Mother his own handkerchief, and she dabbed at her dry eyes. Then she looked at him innocently.
    â€œYou mean you can tell things by laundry marks?” she asked. Her eyes were too wide and too innocent.
    I would have given plenty to get a good look at that handkerchief. When Mother’s eyes get that wide and that innocent, sheis up to something. And when Mother is up to something, it’s a cue to watch out.
    The sheriff began telling her how important every detail was. “Especially in a murder case,” he added slowly. “I know what you all have been through, and believe me I’d rather cut off my right arm than have to put all these questions to you, but I’m the sheriff and I just have to. This ain’t like our regular murders. We always know right off the bat who kills who, why they do it, when they do it, and how they do it. We almost know before they do it. This is different. These two murdered men are strangers to me. You folks are strangers to me. I have to know everything.”
    â€œWhy of course,” Mother said. “What would you like to know first?”
    â€œI’d like to know who this corpse is.”
    We all stared down at the dead man at our feet. Gee Gee turned her head away first. A gurgling noise came from her throat.
    â€œYou know him?” the sheriff asked quickly.
    Gee Gee shook her head wildly. Her teeth chattered. “No-no,” she said.
    Mother moved toward her calmly. “You’ve been drinking too much,” she said in a motherly tone. “That’s what makes you shake so.” She reached into her pocket for a handkerchief and handed it to Gee Gee.
    Then she turned around and smiled at me. Her eyes were very blue. There wasn’t a trace of worry in them. She glanced at the sheriff’s back through the corner of her eye, then she winked at me.
    Her mouth framed the words, “Leave it to me.”
    I tried to smile back, but it was too much for me. If I could only have some idea of what Mother planned on doing, I could feel more reassured, but Mother never knew herself until after she had started the ball rolling. By then it was always too late.

8 MOTHER WAS THE FIRST ONE TO HEAR THE TRUCK . “Listen!” she said.
    We listened. There was a loud knocking. I knew thebearings were burned out before I saw it. And after one quick glance I knew there was more than that wrong with the open-stake-body truck. Ysleta must have prided herself on the museum quality of her vehicles. First the sheriff’s car, now this! It had once been painted green, an uncomfortable green. Lettering on the sides read: COAL-WOOD-ICE . The front door was held shut with a piece of rope. There were patches of adhesive tape running crisscross over the windshield. That, I decided, was to keep the thing from falling in the driver’s lap. Instead of four mudguards, there was one. It was hanging noisily to the truck by the grace of a shred wire. The collector’s item stopped in a cloud of dust within a few feet of us, and three men jumped down from the front seat.
    I thought I recognized one of them