Progressive Dinner Deadly: Myrtle #2

Chapter Eleven

"I don't really understand," said Miles, "why, if Jill really did have some information on Blanche, why Blanche would really care. You mentioned that Jill was snooping in your medicine cabinet, so I'm guessing she might have snooped in Blanche's too. I mean, if she has some sort of a medical problem or some kind of an addiction, won't people just understand that she needs help?" 

"People....you mean like people where you moved from? City people? Urban people? Atlanta people?" Myrtle snorted inelegantly. "Sure, those type of people would bring Blanche a casserole, tell her about their Uncle Edwin's pill problem, and give her the number of the nearest chichi rehab facility. Then they'll promptly forget the incident ever happened and descend back into the chaos of their daily lives." 

"But not Bradley people?" 

"Bradley people know that there's not really any other news to talk about. They will absolutely run Blanche's pill problem into the ground by gabbing about it all the time. They'll bless her heart, then yak and yak and yak about it. On her deathbed, she'll still be Poor-Blanche-Who-Did-Drugs. Remember Katy Johnson? No, you wouldn't because she ran away from Bradley before you got here. But if you ask anybody about Katy, will they say that she was sweet as homemade pie? Will they mention that she organized the toy drive for the underprivileged children? No, it'll all be "Katy-Who-Lost-Her-Whole-Bathing-Suit-in-that-Water-Skiing-Contest." 

"And you said that Georgia was upset with Jill," Miles took off his glasses and polished them. 

"Upset doesn't even really cover it. I think spitting mad is more the term. Georgia thinks Jill cheated her out of her share of a lottery win."  

"How did your visit with Georgia go?" asked Miles in a careless voice. 

"I'd have taken you with me," said Myrtle carefully, "if I hadn't thought you'd turn my interrogation into a social visit." 

Myrtle added hurriedly, "So, yes, Georgia is a natural suspect. And there's also Jill's neighbor Sherry. Sherry knows Erma Sherman and she still claims that Jill was a worse neighbor than Erma is. So now we know that Sherry is a drama queen. Because no one is a worse neighbor than Erma." 

"Why did Sherry think that Jill was so awful?" 

Myrtle snorted. "Some ridiculous reason like 'Jill was too perfect' or something like that. I can only dream of having a neighbor who is so meticulous about her yard that it's annoying. Oh, and Jill's Christmas lights and music bugs her. I think she might even have been having an affair with Cullen just to get back at Jill." 

"Wait. Stop right there. The bad neighbor stuff isn't such a big deal, but you didn't tell me that Sherry and Cullen are having an affair." 

"That's right. It's been going on for a while, apparently. That's what Simon alluded to, anyway. He was accusing Cullen of murdering Jill so that he could marry Sherry. And while we're mentioning Simon, he's never been a big fan of Jill's either. I think he's always thought Jill wasn't good enough for his brother." 

Miles snorted. "That's a good one. Like Cullen is actually good enough for anyone." 

"Yes, but I taught those boys. The family was a good one and well-respected at the time. The father had plenty of money and they were one of the wealthier families in Bradley. So it's definitely possible that Simon would have looked down on Jill, who was from a working class family." 

"And killed her after so many years?" Miles looked doubtful. "Did anyone else want to get rid of Jill?"  

Myrtle thought. "Willow. I've heard several accounts now-one from you-about how Willow and Jill were arguing right before Jill was murdered. And then they fought with each other at your party. It always seemed to be over Jill's marriage. Willow wanted Jill to leave Cullen."