Page 72 of Evil Bones
I suspected both nuns remained in the park solely because the first responder cops had ordered them to.
“Gimme more kibble,” Sister Adelbert demanded loud enough to be heard in Atlanta.
“Don’t let the squirrels get too close,” Mona warned, while producing a cellophane bag labeledBackyard Buffet for Wildlife. “I’ll join you shortly.”
The elderly nun took the feed and hobbled off.
“I’m not sure Sister Adelbert fully grasps the significance of what she’s seen,” Mona said.
“I understand,” I said again.
“Sister Adelbert took her holy vows when she was only nineteen years old. She’s now eighty-four. As you might guess from the woefully outdated habit she favors, the woman is quite set in her, well, habits.”
“Cordelia is her favorite park?”
“By far. I bring her here often.”
Sudden thought.
“On one of your outings, might you have crossed paths with the person who nailed the remains to the tree?”
“If so, I didn’t notice. I’m too busy keeping an eye on my charge.” Nodding toward the octogenarian nun now tossing kibble in a circle around her feet.
“Might she have noticed?”
Mona shrugged. “It’s possible. Sister Adelbert’s hearing is shot, but her vision seems fine.”
“May I ask her a few questions?”
“Of course. But I’ll warn you. Have a getaway plan. Once the old gal starts talking, it’s hard to escape.”
Mona beckoned to her companion.
Emptying the last remnants of corn and nuts onto the ground, the elderly nun shuffled over to join us.
I shot Slidell a “let me handle this” look, then greeted Adelbert and commented on one of the squirrels.
“That fat guy looks like the leader of the pack.”
“She’s a pesky one,” Adelbert said in a voice much larger than expected for such a small person. “Actually, that little bugger yonder is alpha.”
Adelbert indicated a smallish squirrel off to one side of the group. Seeing four sets of eyes pointed its way, the animal froze, bushy tail twitching like a night worker overdosed on caffeine.
“Did you know there are two hundred and eighty species of squirrels in the world?” Adelbert asked, rheumy eyes shifting between Slidell and me.
“I did not,” I said.
“Ground squirrels, tree squirrels, flying squirrels. Did you know that chipmunks, prairie dogs, and groundhogs are also squirrels?”
“I wasn’t aware of that, either.”
“The eastern gray is the most common variety around here. That’s what these fellas are.”
A bit more squirrel talk, then I managed to maneuver to the topic that had brought us to the park.
“I understand it was you who noticed the remains nailed to the tree.”
“Damn straight.”
