“What did your husband do?”
“He worked in tobacco. We met during the war when most of the world’s cigarettes were made around here and you could find hardly a one, or stockings either.”
Her reminiscing soothed her, and I did not interrupt.
“One night I went to a party at the Officers’ Service Club at the Jefferson Hotel.
Arthur was a captain in a unit of the Army called the Richmond Grays, and he could dance.” She smiled. “Oh, he could dance like he breathed music and had it in his veins, and I spotted him right away.
Our eyes needed to meet but once, and then we were never without each other.”
She stared off, and the fire snapped and waved as if it had something important to say.
“Of course, that was part of the problem,” she went on.
Arthur and I never stopped being absorbed with each other and I think the boys sometimes felt they were in the way.” She was looking directly at me now. “I didn’t even ask if you’d like tea or perhaps a touch of something stronger.”
“Thank you. I’m fine. Was Ted close to his brother?”
“I already gave the policeman Jeff’s number. What was his name? Martino or something. I actually found him rather rude. You know, a little Goldschlager is good on a night like this.”
“No, thank you.”
“I discovered it through Ted,” she oddly went on as tears suddenly spilled down. “He found it when he was skiing out west and brought a bottle home. It tastes like liquid fire with a little cinnamon. That’s what he said when he gave it to me. He was always bringing me little things.”
“Did he ever bring you champagne?”
She delicately blew her nose.
“You said he was to have visited you today,” I reminded her.
“He was supposed to come for lunch,” she said.
“There is a very nice bottle of champagne in his refrigerator. It has a bow tied around it, and I’m wondering if this might have been something he had intended to bring when he came by for lunch today.”
“Oh my.” Her voice shook. “That must have been for some other celebration he planned. I don’t drink champagne. It gives me a headache.”
“We’re looking for his computer disks,” I said. “We’re looking for any notes pertaining to what he might have been recently writing. Did he ever ask you to store anything for him here?”
“Some of his athletic equipment is in the attic but it’s old as Methuselah.” Her voice caught and she cleared it.
“And papers from school.”
“Are you aware of his having a safe deposit box, perhaps?”
“No.” She shook her head.
“What about a friend he might have entrusted these things to?”
“I don’t know about his friends,” she said again as freezing rain clicked against glass.
“And he didn’t mention any romantic interests. You’re saying he had none?”
She pressed her lips tight.
“Please tell me if I am misunderstanding something.”
“There was a girl he brought by some months back. I guess it was in the summer and apparently she’s some sort of scientist.” She paused. “Seems he was doing a story or something, they met that way. We had a bit of a disagreement over her.”
“Why?”
“She was attractive and one of these academic types.
Maybe she’s a professor. I can’t recall but she’s from overseas somewhere.”
I waited, but she had nothing more to say.
“What was your disagreement?” I asked. -[ knew the minute I met her that she was not of good character, and she was not permitted in my home,” Mrs. Eddings replied.
“Does she live in this area?” I asked.
“One would expect so, but I wouldn’t know where she is.”
“But he might have still been seeing her.”
“I have no idea who Ted was seeing,” she said, and I believed she was lying.
“Mrs. Eddings,” I said, “by all appearances, your son was not home much.”
She just looked at me.
“Did he have a housekeeper? For example, someone who took care of his plants?”
“I sent my housekeeper by when needed,” she said.
“Corian. Sometimes she brings him food. Ted can never bother with cooking.”