The Listener Read Free Page B

at her? That girl is odd.”
    In a mild, patient tone, Frances said, “Mother, she can hear you.”
    “What?”
Mrs. Branyon shouted.
    “Put in your hearing aide,” Frances shouted back.
    Offended, Mrs. Branyon said, “Don’t you talk to me that way, young lady.”
    Frances sighed and started texting again.
    “Why do you take me out to coffee when you never pay any attention to me?” Mrs. Branyon shrieked.
    Frances tapped her ears.
    “I’m too young to be wearing those things.” But Mrs. Branyon opened her purse, took out the hearing aids, and put them in.
    Rainbow walked past. “That’ll lower the noise level,” she muttered to Cornelia.
    Cornelia stared at Rainbow. Was Rainbow trying to make
conversation
? With
Cornelia
? Ever since Cornelia could remember, Rainbow had been in Virtue Falls working at the Oceanview Café as a waitress.
The
waitress, actually. Rainbow was big-boned and tall, with broad shoulders and salt-and-pepper gray hair. She was hearty, cheerful, and she chatted up her customers, tourist or local. She asked questions and gave unwanted advice. People liked her anyway.
    And Mrs. Branyon called Cornelia odd.
    Cornelia looked back at the texting.
    At least she goes to bed early.
    Cornelia took a sip of milk.
    Yes, but I’m tired of meeting you like we’re two furtive lovers. That was fun for a while, but I want to live together in public!
    Cornelia choked and coughed.
    Rainbow came by and slapped her on the back. “Are you okay, hon?”
    Cornelia nodded.
    So not Frances and her brother. At least Cornelia hoped not.
    Rainbow placed a glass of water on the table.
    Cornelia drank the water, dabbed at her damp eyes, and read.
    Is the poison fast?
    Not fast, but irreversible. Wait a minute, I have to take care of one of the kids.
    Cornelia looked around again. This person took care of children. So probably a woman, a teacher or a child care provider.
    That just wasn’t right. Yet who could Cornelia tell?
    The lady came back and texted,
That kid is so cute, six years old and lost both her front teeth, just like in the song.
    Ahhhh.
    A sentimental response to losing teeth, a common childhood occurrence. That seemed also feminine. So perhaps a lesbian couple?
    What does she like to eat?
    The kid?
    No. Don’t be deliberately stupid.
    Oh. You mean … Just about anything. She’s has a good appetite.
    Does she like fried mushrooms?
    Yes.
    That makes it easy. How about steak? Does she like steak?
    Yes. T-bone is her favorite, with rosemary garlic roasted potatoes.
    T-bone steak it is. As soon as I get home, I’ll dehydrate the Galerina autumnalis and grind them up, and you can dust them on the steak and mix them in the fried mushrooms. Symptoms won’t occur for six to twenty-four hours. That way, when they investigate the death, if they suspect poison, you can act innocent and say she likes to pick mushrooms, you cooked them for her, and she must have got a bad one.
    Cornelia sat, riveted, waiting to hear what s/he was going to say.
    Finally, s/he came back with
How long have you had the poisoned mushrooms?
    I got them this morning! Really, dear, they grow everywhere. And what does it matter? We’ve been talking about this for *months.*
    Not poison. We hadn’t discussed poison.
    Poison is a natural.
    I suppose. But—
    Does she like dessert?
    Yes.
    Do you want me to pick up something at the bakery?
    Yes. Yes, if she has to die, at least let her die happy.
    This matter was beyond Cornelia’s ken. She didn’t know what to do. She supposed she should ask someone who would know. Someone who knew everything about real life.
    Looking up, she beckoned Rainbow.
    Rainbow looked behind her, both ways, then pointed to herself and raised her eyebrows.
    “Yes,” Cornelia said. “You!”
    The tourists craned their necks.
    Cornelia realized she’d been too loud. A little more quietly, she said, “Rainbow, I have a question.”
    Rainbow sidled over. “I wasn’t sure you knew my name.”
    Cornelia was