Chapter Two
Whoa Nilly
The next day, Jessica picked up Christi and headed to Mrs. Trempson- Carstatch's house. Their research revealed that she had the next three days off, and Mr. Conston wasn't on his shift for four hours.
They pulled into the gravel driveway of Mrs. Trempson-Carstatch's house. It was light blue, the colors were homely enough, but there was a foreboding air about the place. Perhaps it was the dead ivy hanging on the house, or the ill kept, weed filled garden, or the overgrown lawn, but this did not seem to be a happy place to visit, let alone live.
"Hire a gardener, woman," Christi muttered, eyeing the foot high lawn. A half smile pulled on Jessica's lips. She had been worried that her friend had changed when she hadn't spoken all throughout the ride. That sounded more like her.
They went up to the door and Jessica rang the doorbell.
"Don't get it!" a voice called. Apparently the order went unheeded, since a moment later a teenage girl, clothed in black with a nose piercing and some chains on incredibly baggy pants, opened the door, looking incredibly bored.
"Yeah, what d'ya want?" she blew a bubble in her gum.
"To speak to your mother, if she's not busy," Jessica replied.
The teen raised an eyebrow. "More officials?"
"We're not officials. We're P.I.'s, but we're hired by the state police to solve the case, so here we are."
"My mom is so pissed at you guys," she sounded a bit happy at the prospect. "You should have seen her last night! She actually swore-!"
"Melissa!" the voice from earlier shrieked. It was Barbara Trempson- Carstatch herself. The P.I.'s recognized her immediately from the photo in the file. Barely. Her face was redder than Officer Kornmel's, if that was even possible, and her curly blonde hair was frizzy. Her eyes were also bloodshot. "What did I just say about opening the door?!"
"It's Malice, mom," she replied, looking annoyed. "I'm getting a tattoo of it on my ankle on my 18th birthday."
"You will not!" Barbara snapped, and then turned to Jessica and Christi. "Get out of my house! I didn't do it, for God's sake! Just-!"
"We're not in your house," Jessica replied smoothly, as though she were talking to a sensible person and not this madwoman. "We're on your doorstep."
"Get off my property!" she shrieked.
"After I get some questions answered. Of course, I could go. and the police would take you into custody for being suspected of the murder of your father. If you let me in, I could save you that embarrassment."
She considered it, but then eyed them suspiciously. "How do I even know you're police officials? You could be reporters trying to get a good story."
Jessica and Christi pulled out their visas. "We're not officials, we're Private Investigators hired by the state police to solve this case. These are 48-hour P.I. visas, which let us act as officials for 48 hours. You may see them if you like."
After examining both visas, she finally-but reluctantly-let them in. They sat around the kitchen table, except for Malice who was banished to her room by her mother. Only Jessica saw her spying on their conversation. She didn't hesitate to start the questioning.
"Are you Mrs. Barbara Trempson-Carstatch?
"Yes."
"Do you work at Second Chance Animal Home?" "Yes."
"What do you do there?"
"I'm the co-owner."
"Are you married to a Mr. Charles Carstatch?"
"Yes, but we're getting a divorce."
"Why?"
"He was caught sleeping with another woman," she choked.
"Who's getting the children?"
"Me. He wants nothing to do with them."
"Reminds me of my ex. bastard cheated on me twelve times, and never once with a woman," Christi added.
"What job does your husband have?" Jessica asked again, ignoring the disturbing comment.
"He works in the post office. He's a mail sorter."
"Where were you on the night of your father's murder?"
"I can't tell you that."
"Because you were too busy cutting off your father's limbs?"
"No! What gave you that idea?"
"If you refuse to answer the question, we will have to assume that you murdered him until you present some hardcore evidence or a justifiable alibi proving that assumption wrong." Christi knew immediately that she was lying. partly. Jessica never made any assumptions. It was hard evidence, or get out of my face until you've got some. That, however, was irrelevant. She was trying to make a point to Barbara. And she did.
"I. I was. Oh, it'll ruin my reputation!"
"This information will be strictly guarded by the police force and myself. But we-pardon, I should say, you-need it. Which is worse? A few people knowing a little secret about you that will soon pass their minds? Or the general population of America thinking that you murdered your own father?"
Barbara was dumbstruck by her statement, which wasn't surprising. Jessica tended to have that effect on a lot of people. Her lipped trembled as she looked wildly around the room, as though looking for an escape from her pain.
"Well?"
"I'll tell you!" she burst in tears. "I'll tell you, drat it all."
"And." Jessica's tone was less harsh now. It was an expectant whisper.
"I." she sniffed. "I had to get Nilly put to sleep."
"WHAT?!" Barbara and Christi both jumped. Jessica looked amused. Malice, as had been said before, was eavesdropping on their conversation. She leapt up now in shock and anger. "You put Nilly to sleep?!"
"I had to!" said her mother hysterically. Her insane love of animals was suddenly very clear. "I had to! With Charley gone, we'll be lucky if we can get the bills paid!"
"Nilly!" The love of animals seemed hereditary. "How could you. t-to Nilly?!" "That's all the questions we have for now!" said Jessica, standing up. Christi followed suit. "We may be back tomorrow! Our sincere regrets to Nilly!"
And with that, the two P.I.'s left the animal lovers to themselves.
Jessica chuckled as they got in the car.
"That was pretty funny, actually. Now, off to Roberto's."
Whoa Nilly
The next day, Jessica picked up Christi and headed to Mrs. Trempson- Carstatch's house. Their research revealed that she had the next three days off, and Mr. Conston wasn't on his shift for four hours.
They pulled into the gravel driveway of Mrs. Trempson-Carstatch's house. It was light blue, the colors were homely enough, but there was a foreboding air about the place. Perhaps it was the dead ivy hanging on the house, or the ill kept, weed filled garden, or the overgrown lawn, but this did not seem to be a happy place to visit, let alone live.
"Hire a gardener, woman," Christi muttered, eyeing the foot high lawn. A half smile pulled on Jessica's lips. She had been worried that her friend had changed when she hadn't spoken all throughout the ride. That sounded more like her.
They went up to the door and Jessica rang the doorbell.
"Don't get it!" a voice called. Apparently the order went unheeded, since a moment later a teenage girl, clothed in black with a nose piercing and some chains on incredibly baggy pants, opened the door, looking incredibly bored.
"Yeah, what d'ya want?" she blew a bubble in her gum.
"To speak to your mother, if she's not busy," Jessica replied.
The teen raised an eyebrow. "More officials?"
"We're not officials. We're P.I.'s, but we're hired by the state police to solve the case, so here we are."
"My mom is so pissed at you guys," she sounded a bit happy at the prospect. "You should have seen her last night! She actually swore-!"
"Melissa!" the voice from earlier shrieked. It was Barbara Trempson- Carstatch herself. The P.I.'s recognized her immediately from the photo in the file. Barely. Her face was redder than Officer Kornmel's, if that was even possible, and her curly blonde hair was frizzy. Her eyes were also bloodshot. "What did I just say about opening the door?!"
"It's Malice, mom," she replied, looking annoyed. "I'm getting a tattoo of it on my ankle on my 18th birthday."
"You will not!" Barbara snapped, and then turned to Jessica and Christi. "Get out of my house! I didn't do it, for God's sake! Just-!"
"We're not in your house," Jessica replied smoothly, as though she were talking to a sensible person and not this madwoman. "We're on your doorstep."
"Get off my property!" she shrieked.
"After I get some questions answered. Of course, I could go. and the police would take you into custody for being suspected of the murder of your father. If you let me in, I could save you that embarrassment."
She considered it, but then eyed them suspiciously. "How do I even know you're police officials? You could be reporters trying to get a good story."
Jessica and Christi pulled out their visas. "We're not officials, we're Private Investigators hired by the state police to solve this case. These are 48-hour P.I. visas, which let us act as officials for 48 hours. You may see them if you like."
After examining both visas, she finally-but reluctantly-let them in. They sat around the kitchen table, except for Malice who was banished to her room by her mother. Only Jessica saw her spying on their conversation. She didn't hesitate to start the questioning.
"Are you Mrs. Barbara Trempson-Carstatch?
"Yes."
"Do you work at Second Chance Animal Home?" "Yes."
"What do you do there?"
"I'm the co-owner."
"Are you married to a Mr. Charles Carstatch?"
"Yes, but we're getting a divorce."
"Why?"
"He was caught sleeping with another woman," she choked.
"Who's getting the children?"
"Me. He wants nothing to do with them."
"Reminds me of my ex. bastard cheated on me twelve times, and never once with a woman," Christi added.
"What job does your husband have?" Jessica asked again, ignoring the disturbing comment.
"He works in the post office. He's a mail sorter."
"Where were you on the night of your father's murder?"
"I can't tell you that."
"Because you were too busy cutting off your father's limbs?"
"No! What gave you that idea?"
"If you refuse to answer the question, we will have to assume that you murdered him until you present some hardcore evidence or a justifiable alibi proving that assumption wrong." Christi knew immediately that she was lying. partly. Jessica never made any assumptions. It was hard evidence, or get out of my face until you've got some. That, however, was irrelevant. She was trying to make a point to Barbara. And she did.
"I. I was. Oh, it'll ruin my reputation!"
"This information will be strictly guarded by the police force and myself. But we-pardon, I should say, you-need it. Which is worse? A few people knowing a little secret about you that will soon pass their minds? Or the general population of America thinking that you murdered your own father?"
Barbara was dumbstruck by her statement, which wasn't surprising. Jessica tended to have that effect on a lot of people. Her lipped trembled as she looked wildly around the room, as though looking for an escape from her pain.
"Well?"
"I'll tell you!" she burst in tears. "I'll tell you, drat it all."
"And." Jessica's tone was less harsh now. It was an expectant whisper.
"I." she sniffed. "I had to get Nilly put to sleep."
"WHAT?!" Barbara and Christi both jumped. Jessica looked amused. Malice, as had been said before, was eavesdropping on their conversation. She leapt up now in shock and anger. "You put Nilly to sleep?!"
"I had to!" said her mother hysterically. Her insane love of animals was suddenly very clear. "I had to! With Charley gone, we'll be lucky if we can get the bills paid!"
"Nilly!" The love of animals seemed hereditary. "How could you. t-to Nilly?!" "That's all the questions we have for now!" said Jessica, standing up. Christi followed suit. "We may be back tomorrow! Our sincere regrets to Nilly!"
And with that, the two P.I.'s left the animal lovers to themselves.
Jessica chuckled as they got in the car.
"That was pretty funny, actually. Now, off to Roberto's."