Page 171 of Hello, Summer
“Obviously, it ends with Symmes dying from a fatal mixture of fentanyl and dirty martinis. After which, he hits a deer, his car bursts into flames, and suddenly, there’s a House seat up for grabs,” Conley said. “And his ex-wife falls into a very valuable piece of property.”
“Which was rightfully hers anyway,” Toddie said.
“But let’s not forget the penultimate part of the story. We know for a fact that Symmes waited until Vanessa was asleep that night, and then he took one of his midnight rides. He came to see you, didn’t he?”
“I already told the sheriff he did.”
“Only after the sheriff told you they’d tracked Symmes’s movements that night through his cell phone. And when the sheriff told you Symmes had alcohol in his bloodstream, you eventually admitted you’d played bartender for him.”
“Vanessa didn’t just cut him off from his friends and his son, she wouldn’t even let him have a damn drink. It was pure meanness. I mean, he was dying. What difference was a martini going to make?”
“Not just one martini. Two, possibly three,” Conley said. “And I think you knew what difference it would make, since you knew he was wearing a fentanyl patch.”
“How would I know something like that?” Toddie asked. “I’m not a doctor.” She shot out of the rocking chair with surprising speed for a woman of her age, her formerly placid face flushed with anger. The dogs sat up on their haunches, attentive to the sudden change in mood.
“I’ve been real patient with you today, out of respect for who your family is, but now I’m going to ask you to get off my property before I lose my temper.”
“I bet you lost your temper that night, after Symmes told you he wanted to back out of giving you Oak Springs Farm,” Conley said.
“Off my porch!” Toddie said, her mouth twisting into a snarl. One of the dogs let out a low growl and crept closer, until it was almost on top of her moccasins.
Conley stood up, her face inches away from Toddie’s. “It was easy to give him one martini, then two, maybe three. And then send him on his way, zonked out of his head on fentanyl and gin. I guess it’s lucky for all of us that the only other living thing that died that night—other than Symmes Robinette—was a deer.”
“We’ll never know about that, will we?” Toddie said. Her demeanor was shockingly calm again. Lethally pleasant. “Because there were only two people in the room that night. And one of them is dead. Vanessa can fuss and cuss and threaten to sue all she wants. I let her win, years ago, because I didn’t have any choice. I had young kids to raise and no money of my own back then. It’s different now.”
“Charlie and Vanessa don’t want a court battle with you, do they?” Conley asked. “Not with their political ambitions.”
“I’m the wronged party,” Toddie agreed. “How would it look if they took me to court? Me, a kindly, white-haired grandma who just wants to live out her life on her farm, with her dogs and her family? Totally harmless. Sometimes, you know, age has its privilege. People almost always underestimate you.”
“At their own peril,” Conley said.
“You’d best be going now,” Toddie said. “Before I forget my good manners.”
The dogs followed her to the edge of the porch. “Stay,” Toddie said. They all did, wagging their tails in unison as Conley walked out to her car and drove away.
65
Winnie and G’mama had a new jigsaw puzzle spread out on the dining room table. It featured snow-covered mountains, delicately frosted trees, and a variety of snow-loving birds and other wildlife.
Conley peered down at it. “What’s that supposed to be?”
“It’s either the Alps or Maine,” Winnie said, slotting together two corner pieces. “I get all those cold places mixed up.”
G’mama picked up the box top and waved it in her friend’s face. “It’s Alaska, you old fool. Pay attention.”
“We saw you on television tonight,” Winnie said excitedly. “You looked real cute, once I got over how awful the yard looks at the house.”
“Gray said the contractor doesn’t think the house can be saved because of all the termite damage,” Conley said. She glanced over at her grandmother, who was sipping her drink and studying the puzzle.
“I gave myself exactly an hour to feel sad about it, and then I made up my mind that I won’t be sad anymore,” Lorraine said. “Termites didn’t take the things I care most about. So we’ll sell the lot and use the money to put some air-conditioning in this house.”
“And a dishwasher, praise baby Jesus,” Winnie added.
“You did look cute on TV,” G’mama said. “Should wear your hair like that all the time.”
She paused, then continued. “By the way, I talked to your sister before you got home. She tells me you’ve got something important to tell me.”
“She’s such a tattletale,” Conley said. “I guess she also told you I’m planning on staying on to work at the paper.”
