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How’s the shower going?”
    â€œFine. How’s Rosa’s grandmother?”
    I couldn’t speak, could only shake my head. The hysteria hovering in the back of my mind threatened to come forward, but I fought it down, then picked up Hyacinth’s tea tray and carried it out.
    The paramedics had returned with a stretcher. I waited for them to pass, then delivered the tea tray to Hyacinth and returned to the front parlor.
    One of the paramedics looked at me and gestured to an urn of flowers on a pedestal. “We’ll have to move this.”
    I picked up the urn and stood aside while they set down the stretcher, moved the pedestal, then picked up the stretcher again and carried it into Lily, pushing the screen aside. I put the urn back on the pedestal and followed them, wondering if I should call Rosa down to say goodbye to her grandmother.
    No. That’s what funerals were for. But I would have to go up and give her the bad news.
    â€œDang!” said Bird Woman’s loud voice behind me. “Hope it wasn’t the cucumber sandwiches!”

 
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6
    I turned and saw the Bird Woman peering into Lily. I couldn’t get to her at the moment, which was probably fortunate. My way was blocked by the stretcher which now bore Mrs. Garcia’s body, tactfully covered with a blanket. The paramedics eased it out of the parlor and I hurried past them to open the front door. I had half-expected more disruption than they’d actually caused, and was beginning to hope that my patrons would be able to enjoy their tea after all.
    But what if it was the sandwiches?
    No, it couldn’t be. Our food was completely fresh and of the highest possible quality. I’d watched Julio making the sandwiches myself.
    I'd also eaten some of the scraps.
    Brushing aside doubt, I saw Kris returning with the tea tray for Jonquil and followed her. The Bird Woman and her friends were standing at the window, watching the paramedics take Mrs. Garcia away.
    â€œWouldja look at that!” said the Bird Woman to her friends. “Last time somebody croaked here I didn’t get to see it!”
    â€œYour food is here, ladies,” I said brightly.
    â€œJust put it on the table, honey,” the Bird Woman told Kris. “We’ll get to it in a minute.”
    â€œShall I explain the menu?” Kris asked, glancing doubtfully at me.
    â€œNah, I know what it is,” said the Bird Woman, standing on tiptoe to peer over one of the crosspieces of the window. “Already had it once this week.”
    Kris and I withdrew, knowing when to accept defeat. I returned to Lily, where I found Tony picking up the bits of plastic wrapping the paramedics had left behind.
    â€œYou don’t have to do that,” I said, reaching for them.
    â€œFigured you’ll probably be needing this space.” He glanced at his collection of evidence bags and containers. “Um, do you have a bag or a box I could put these in?”
    â€œOf course.”
    I took away the trash and returned with a wisteria-colored shopping bag from the gift shop. Tony gazed at it briefly, then shrugged and started loading his evidence into it.
    â€œI’ll get the china and silver back eventually, I hope,” I said.
    â€œYeah, you will. Probably sooner than later. Hey, don’t worry. This is just a precaution.”
    He glanced toward the window as a police squad pulled up outside. The ambulance was already gone. I hadn’t noticed its departure.
    Tony picked up the shopping bag, then looked at me. “You OK?”
    I nodded. “Yes. Thank you for stopping by.”
    â€œYou know, anyplace where a lot of older people come this is going to happen. The casinos get one or two a month, seems like.”
    I smiled. He’d meant it to be comforting, but I found the thought of coping with dead customers on a regular basis to be rather distressing.
    He was still gazing at me, dark eyes intent. “Should I call