Chapter 16
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D oreen hoped that she would still get there in time to talk to Shirley before her husband came home from work. As it was, just as Doreen and her animals walked up to the front porch, the door opened, and a woman stepped out, looking as though she was leaving. Doreen stopped her and introduced herself. “Hi, I’m Doreen. I was speaking with Mary down at Rosemoor earlier.”
“Oh my,” Shirley replied, “I certainly didn’t expect to see you.”
“I just wanted to confirm a few things.”
“Sure,” she said, then frowned. “I have to leave soon.”
“I don’t need very long,” Doreen promised. “I just want to verify some of the details, as Mary is getting on in years.”
“Oh my, yes,” she agreed but grimaced afterward. “Will I have to sign a statement or anything?”
“Nope,” Doreen replied, “I’m not the police. I work with the police, of course, but I am not employed by them.”
“Oh good,” she muttered, “because my husband really won’t like it if I get myself involved in something like that.”
“Understood,” Doreen agreed brightly. She quickly went over the information Mary had provided, and Shirley confirmed every bit. “And you didn’t see anybody on the street? Any cars? You didn’t see who shot Lynda? You didn’t hear the shot?”
“No, I didn’t see or hear it,” Shirley stated. “Yet, now that I know a shot was fired, then maybe I probably did hear it, but I didn’t necessarily hear it, if you know what I mean.”
“Meaning that you heard a weird sound and that you wondered what it was?”
“Exactly. There was this little pop, pop thing,” she shared, “but I didn’t recognize it for what it was. I was outside, but I didn’t see a vehicle or anything. I saw a man walking, and he seemed to walk a little bit faster, but I didn’t mention it to the police. Besides, for all I know, the poor guy was just out having a Sunday stroll.”
“Exactly,” Doreen noted. “Any description on him?”
“Oh, I know who it was,” Shirley stated. “He’s Clive from the corner store. Just up around the corner here, in that little shopping mall. It’s not much, but he has the corner store there.”
“And his last name?” Doreen asked.
Shirley frowned. “Now why can’t I remember that? He was adopted by a local—not a founding family or anything like that. Just one of us, you know? And my mind is still blank. Can I call you when it comes to me?”
“Sure.” Doreen nodded, handing her a card with her number on it. “Were you surprised to see him here?” Doreen asked.
“No, he lives close by.… Well, he used to live close by. I’m really not sure where he lives now.” She frowned. “I guess maybe I should have been surprised to see him but, then again, maybe not. I think he’s probably got a ladylove around here or something,” she suggested, turning to look around the neighborhood. “Not sure which one it would be though.”
“Have the police come by and asked you any questions?”
“Oh my, yes, but every time my husband is in the back of the house, yelling at me to not say nothing. He doesn’t want to get involved, doesn’t want to get in trouble, all that good stuff.”
“Of course,” Doreen agreed, with a bright smile. “Understood.”
Shirley smiled at Doreen’s animals and added, “You sure do have such nicely behaved pets.”
Doreen almost snorted. Instead she just smiled and nodded. “Thank you. I do love my animals.”