Page 94 of A Rose of Steel
“Well, he better not come back,” Auntie Zanne said.
“I’ve got Pogue on the way,” I said.
“What’s going on?” It was Rhett. He was standing at the door holding it opened. “Something told me to come back and check on you guys.”
“Well something told you too late,” I said. “Auntie just attacked Shane Blanchard.” I pointed to King. “With a broom.” King held it up and wiggled it back and forth.
“Babet,” Rhett said and shook his head. “Didn’t I tell you to leave that man alone?”
“He’s a no good scoundrel and somebody had to do something about it, plus he was stealing my Mighty Max.”
“You don’t even like that stuff,” I said. We started walking back toward the door to Rhett.
“On top of all that,” she said once we got inside, “he’s the killer.”
“Killer?” Rhett asked.
“She thinks he killed Bumper,” I said.
“Mr. Blanchard killed Bumper?” King asked. “Oh man!”
“We don’t know that,” I said.
“I do,” Auntie said. “He and Coach Buddy.”
“Oh yeah, I’m definitely telling on them,” King said. “Bumper was a legend around here.”
“I guess he is now that he’s dead,” Auntie Zanne said. She looked at King. “I’m sorry you had to see that. But that man is hurting my boys.”
“It’s okay,” he said. “I only helped him so he wouldn’t hurt you, but I see you don’t really need any back up.”
Auntie shook her head and blew out a breath. “We’d better get started,” she said and nodded her head toward the front of the center.
“Don’t you want to wait until Pogue gets here so you can make a report?” I asked.
“No,” Auntie Zanne said. “I can do it after the banquet. King’s right, I don’t need that Deadly Max drink to get Shane Blanchard if I’ve got King. And trust me, he’s going to get it for trying to interfere in my boys’ hopes of going to school and playing ball.”
“And for killing Bumper?” Rhett said, a smirk on his face, I knew he was just egging her on.
“That’s not funny,” I said. “You see how out of control she gets.”
Rhett chuckled. We made it back up to the front, and I stopped Auntie, straightened out her clothes and puffed her hair back up. “We don’t want anyone to know you were having schoolyard fights out back,” I said. “Now lick your lips and put on a smile.”
She did as she was told and smiled back at me. “I’m okay,” she said, and gave a firm nod. “I’ll just go in and check on my dais so we can get this started.
As she started over, I saw Miriam Colter slip into the room right ahead of her.
Then something clicked inside my head.
I looked over at Auntie. She was waltzing toward the room, arm outstretched to reach for the knob, my eyes wide as saucers, my jaw slack.
Oh, my gosh, I thought and took in a breath,I know who killed Bumper!
“Auntie, stop!” I said rather loudly across the room. “Don’t go in that room.”
“What?” Auntie Zanne said, turning to look at me. She placed her hand on the doorknob. “Don’t worry. I’ll be right back out.”
“No! We have to wait to start, Auntie,” I said, I trotted over to her and pulled her hand away. “We can’t start until Pogue gets here.”
