Birds!

 


Look!  A flock of sparrows came to the birdbath today.  I was so excited to see them.  Not many birdies have come by since all of the feeders got put away so it was good to see this little crowd of feathered friends.



 


I got out my snowshoes and good boots and took a turn around the yard.  I'm in no shape to go tromping about in the park but I can clomp around the yard a bit, although the snow was so wet it was like walking around in a giant Slurpee.  I'll go again one of these days.




The only other noteworthy thing I did today was finish knitting January Preemie Hat #3.  I cast on #4 tonight but there's not enough of it to take a picture of.





26 January--Barbara Malcolm, Three Cheers for Murder. 

              After thanking Dirk Davis for his cooperation, Archibald summoned Lt. Graybow and they went out in search of Kenneth Edwards, the man Davis said he saw outside Blossoms.  They drove first to the Ashville Community Shelter run by Teddy Allgood, one of Tiffy Davis’ closest friends.  Not finding Edwards there, they cruised through the downtown alleys finally spotting him behind a restaurant.  Graybow parked the car and they both got out to talk to him.

“Kenneth, how’ve you been?” began Archibald.

“Fine, Detective, how’re you?”

“We need your help, Kenneth.  We’ve got a witness says you were at that floral place, Blossoms, last Monday night when Tiffany Davis was murdered.”

The answer seemed a mixture of belligerence and defensiveness, “Yeah, I was there.  What about it?”

Gently Archibald said, “Now don’t get defensive.  We just want to find out of you saw anything that could help us.  Did you see anyone leave?  Hear anything?”

Kenneth Edwards looked away, thinking back to the night of the murder.  “Well, I remember seeing the lady who works there leave about 8:30, must have been let off early.  Then Tiffy came out the back with a couple of bags of trash.  She didn’t see me, I think, because she usually called out a greeting.  Then I went back to looking for cans.  Heard a car pull up a little later.  After a while when I was next door to the florist place, I saw a woman leave.  I think it was that Marlene Brownloe who runs the bookstore.  Anyway, then I decided I’d just bed down back there.  It was a warm night and I didn’t want to walk back downtown to the shelter.  So, I fixed up a place with a couple of nice boxes and settled down.  I’d been asleep when I heard a man yelling in one of the stores.  Didn’t know which one.  But then right away there were sirens coming, lots of them, so I kind of leaned around the edge of the building to see what was going on.  By then there were four or five squad cars and a rescue squad there.  I edged toward the front to try to hear what was going on.  Just then a couple of officers came out the front door with Mr. Davis.  They were yelling at him that he killed his wife.  Boy, that really surprised me.  They seemed like such a happy couple when I saw them.”

“Did you see them often?” Graybow asked.

“No, not really.  Mrs. Davis, Tiffy, she saved cans for me sometimes, so I talked to her a little.  But I only saw them together a couple of times coming out of a restaurant.  Or if he’d stop and get her after the store closed.  They were always nice to me.  Had a few words to say.  I guess I just figured they were doing okay.”

Archibald asked, “Did you see or hear anyone else after Ms. Brownloe left?  While you were getting your sleeping spot organized?”

Kenneth Edwards paused to think.  “No, I didn’t hear anything until the yelling woke me up.”

“No cars?  No voices?  No one walking around?”

“I told you.  I didn’t hear anything.”

I had to make a funeral call today at the same place as Durwood's funeral.  It was hard to make myself go but it was the brother of a friend and she deserved my effort to be there for her, even for a few minutes.  Afterward I went down to Zambaldi for a short visit with people I love.  Perked me right up.
--Barbara