Bishop's Road (19 page)

By now Sarah is crying and Ruth starts too and they have their arms around one another and Sarah whispers, “You poor, poor thing to have suffered so.”

Ruth sobs. “What a load of crap we mortals must endure. Hardly seems worth it sometimes. If the alternative weren't so friggin' much scarier we'd probably all hang ourselves before we hit kindergarten.”

Sarah laughs. Ruth laughs. And Sarah kisses Ruth on the cheek and tells her she's happy to meet her. “And now you have to come around as often as you can. And get to know your grand-children and your son.”

But Ruth says, “Are you sure you want that? You don't know where I'm coming from at all.”

“Well yes I do,” says Sarah. “You loved your baby enough to give him up. You might have done fine with him you know, but you really thought you couldn't so you gave him up. That tells me more about you than anything else you will ever say or do. I want you to be part of our lives. My parents have seen Eleanor and Joseph once. They live on the other end of the country and find it difficult to get away. They've always been busy. I don't remember a time when they weren't rushing off to some event or other. I have no brothers or sisters. They didn't even have time for that. And, of course, Peter is an only child as well. Perhaps that's why we connected. We grew up lonely. I want my children to have people who matter in their lives. And here you are out of the blue. In my mind I'm setting a place for you at the Christmas table.”

“You know Sarah, you're a bit too trusting. Not very realistic if you ask me. Why don't you come to my home and see how Ruth lives. Tell me after you meet my family, if you want me within a hundred feet of yours.”

“You're on,” says Sarah and they walk arm-in-arm to Bishop's Road.

Dorrie's surprise bridal shower is in full swing. A number of the guests are three sheets to the wind. There's a game of strip Go Fish on in the Barbie room with several of the losers, hookers by the looks of them, down to their bras and thongs and Mrs.
Miflin in their midst, fully clothed and winning. Seems that no one was going to sit at a window during this party and when Sassy Connors came upon the landlady in her search for a bathroom she rounded up a few of her friends and they carried the old woman chair and all to the card game. After the place had been eaten down to a shambles Ginny Mustard checked her supplies and will have to spend the next four days cooking if she's to have enough for the wedding reception.

“Well?” says Ruth. “What do you think, Sarah? What do you think of my family? Did I happen to mention that I have obstructed justice? Do you really want your children hanging out with a woman who knows people like this crowd?”

“I wouldn't mind staying if it's all the same to you. I know I wasn't invited but I doubt that anyone will notice an extra body. Before I had the children I worked at a halfway house. I'm pretty sure I recognize a couple of the guests. Why don't you offer me a drink? And if you show me where the phone is I'll call Peter and tell him I'll be home later on.”

“These people are losers, Sarah.”

“I know who they are, Ruth. And there but for the Grace of God go you or I.”

“I'm already one of them. Don't think for a minute I'm not.”

“Right. I don't consider that a problem. I'd love to meet the bride-to-be. Is that her over there?”

“That's her. Come on. I'll introduce you.”

The party winds down around midnight. Sarah stays to help clean up and is invited to the wedding for her troubles. Before they leave the ladies help themselves to gloves and hats and Betty Parsons takes two of the kittens. Many of the guests will spend Monday at the thrift shops digging through old dresses and shoes to find something to match. The rest of the country upped the prices of relics from the forties some time ago but here
in this city you can still pick up a good formal gown for a couple of dollars whenever some old woman passes on to her heavenly reward and her own daughters don't want her tatty clothes, send them to the poor unfortunate.

In the morning Ginny Mustard and Judy take stock of the remaining food and make a list of essentials so they can begin again tomorrow. But this is a day of rest and hangovers and the list is a long time growing. “They ate all the shrimp and roast beef,” says Judy, “but I think the turkey is still there and they didn't touch the scallops or the cookies. That's good. I don't think it's as bad as all that and if you like, me and Maggs can help after school.”

Patrick is waiting when Ruth finally emerges from sleep. Since Ginny Mustard has decided to take full responsibility for the murder, freezing and eventual burying of Mr. Miflin, no one else will be charged in the case, leaving Ruth and the others off the hook.

“Well. That hardly seems right, does it? I'm the one who suggested we freeze him in the first place so the silly thing wouldn't have to go to prison for the rest of her life. I'm the one who told the others to go out and get trees to plant over the body.”

“Yes. Everyone in this house knows that. But nobody else does except for Joe Snake and he'll say whatever Ginny Mustard asks him to,” says Patrick. “Ginny Mustard is claiming that she forced all of you to go along with her. Said she was prepared to shoot the lot of you if you didn't. And if she wants to say that in court to clear you - well - who's to say she's lying?”

“We wrapped the gun in the rug with him for God's sake. How the hell was she going to shoot us if she had to dig him up to do it?”

“That's her story and she's sticking to it. I don't know why but there you have it.”

“Seems strange that a woman who can barely string two
words together on a good day managed to come up with that. Are you sure you didn't talk her into it?”

“I would never do that. As far as I'm concerned you're all guilty of something but it's hard to say what. Gross stupidity or aiding and abetting or just concern for a friend. Take your pick. In the meantime would you like to go for a walk with me?”

“Sure,” says Ruth. “You can see me to my nephew's house. Peter is his name. I'm spending the evening at his place.”

The walk along the river is not exactly close. No hand holding. No indication that Ruth and Patrick even like each other very much. Ruth's neck is prickly for want of touch, a stone's weight heavy on her heart, Patrick's blue eyes clouded and he finds it hard to swallow. When they reach the garden gate to Peter's house the children are waiting and Sarah is raking the last of summer's leaves. When she sees Ruth she walks quickly to greet her, is introduced to Patrick and invites him to dinner. Tells Joseph to run and ask his daddy to set another place before Patrick even accepts. Whispers to Ruth, “I hope you don't mind but I like the look of him.”

Dorrie has to wash all of the clothes her Barbies were wearing during the bridal shower to get the smell of smoke out.

“I don't know why you're bothering with that now,” says Judy. “They'll stink worse after the reception. Might as well do it next week.”

“I will but I'd like it to smell nice in here in the meantime.” And she sprays another dose of air freshener.

When Eve goes to put her stockings out to dry there is no room on the line with all the little dresses hanging there.

Ginny Mustard and Joe Snake have not decided where
they will live as husband and wife. His place is only one room with a kitchenette and bathroom but he doesn't like the idea of moving in here with so many women. A man could lose himself in Mrs. Miflin's house.

Ginny Mustard wants to stay with the others. She's been here so long now it would seem odd to move out. She doesn't know if her feet would ever get used to it. Thinks they might keep coming back no matter where she wanted them to go. And the nursery is just right. Painted so pretty and cozy. Neither of them will ever raise a voice to the other but it's easy enough to stop talking since they've never done much of that anyway. They are still making wedding preparations, though. There is no question of their calling it off. They will just have to work out the sleeping arrangements another time.

Judy thinks they're crazy. “How can you two not know where you're going to live? That's the dumbest thing I ever heard tell of. Why don't you get a nice apartment somewhere close? Then you could visit us whenever you want. It's not like you can't afford it. Though if you're going to be in jail anyway I guess it doesn't matter where Joe Snake lives. Never mind.”

Sometimes Ginny Mustard thinks about jail. Imagines how it will be. Not just a couple of days like before - that was easy - but a really really long time. Imagines never being allowed to go for a walk by the river or down to the ocean and as busy as she is, every chance she gets she's out the door and off by herself to
look at the wind on the waves or stand on a bridge under the bare trees and she pulls the cold air as far into her self as she is able, feeds like a person starved who knows she will be hungry again soon and forever.

Eve's old heart aches for the girl who needs such freedom. Sees her face light when she plays with the kittens and Harvey, when she talks about the baby she will have with Joe Snake, when she buys a recording of lullabies and plays it over and over, memorizes the words. And Eve thinks hard. Remembers the morning of the murder. Comes up with a plan. Walks down to Water Street and the police station to look for Patrick.

Sergeant Patrick Fahey is in a better mood than he has been in weeks. His dinner with Ruth and her family still warms his belly. They like him and he likes them and Ruth has said she'll see him when his shift is over today. He is surprised to find Eve waiting for him. More surprised by what she has to say.

“I am here to confess to the murder of one Mr. Miflin on Bishop's Road. I was upset and angry because he killed Mrs. Miflin's baby so I took a gun from the attic and I shot him.”

“Eve,” says Patrick. “You can't confess. Ginny Mustard has already admitted that she killed Mr. Miflin.”

“I can confess if I want to. I just did. If you aren't going to take this seriously then I will have to confess to one of the other policemen. I think you should just arrest me now and let Ginny Mustard go.”