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been used on patients, like bandages or swabs, has been disposed of properly and promptly. She also looks for anything that might have been spilled and not cleaned up. She’s very thorough. Chief Walker, you should talk to her. She’ll tell you we’ve never had a single bad mark against us.“
    “I’ll check with her even though I believe you. Why are your hands over your ears, Robert?”
    Lily nudged him and repeated what Howard had asked.
    “My ears are a bit cold,“ Robert lied. “I was just warming them up.”
    Howard was hard-pressed not to snort his disbelief. He knew what a sissy Robert was about other people’s physical illnesses. Howard went on, “Who else was in Mr. Connor’s room this morning?”
    Betty was the one to respond. “His grandson Kelly. He came as Miss Quincy was leaving. He knows his grandmother always shows up on Monday or Tuesday at eleven in the morning, and Kelly comes to visit his grandfather earlier or later than she comes or on other days, when he’s in town.“
    “Did he stay long?“ Howard asked.
    “No, I don’t think so,“ Betty replied. “He brought some trinkets to him. I was out here in the main room. I glanced into Mr. Connor’s room after Kelly left and they’re still on the night table. Or they were then.“
    “Trinkets? What sort?“ Howard asked.
    “Oh, little samples of things. Chewing gum. Shaving brushes. Tiny tins of tooth powder and such,“ Betty replied.
    “Don’t any of you touch those things,“ Howard said. “I’ll have to take them away for examination of the contents. How does this boy come to have these samples?”
    This time Lily answered. “He drives an enclosed bus around to small towns in a couple counties that don’t have drugstores. Towns like Voorburg. And goes house to house with samples. The whole containers are in the bus if you want to buy them.“
    “Where is he now? Does anybody know?“ Only Lily had a reply. “He was at Grace and Favor on Friday. I suppose he might still be nearby.“ There was a round of shrugs from the others. Even Miss Smith and Miss Jones, who usually were remarkably knowledgeable about people who visited the nursing home as well as many individuals who hadn’t, garnered from the other women in their handwork group, had no good information.
    The old ladies had taken in everything that had been asked or said, and were sure to inform their knitting-circle friends of every word, Miss Twibell thought. In fact, this was the only time she’d seen them awake and without knitting needles, crochet hooks, or yarn in their hands. She was wishing she’d imposed the same sanctions on them that the chief of police had made for the town reporter.
    Howard asked Betty, “Did you check on Mr. Connor after this boy left?“
    “Of course she did,“ Miss Twibell said.
    Betty’s face turned pink. “In fact, I didn’t. I’d been up all night checking on him and fell asleep on the sofa out here. I didn’t wake up until around a quarter of ten.“
    “I saw her sleeping when we got here a little after nine this morning,“ Lily said. “I tried not to disturb her.“
    “And at quarter of ten was she still sleeping?“ Howard asked.
    “I don’t know. Robert and I were probably still taking the laundry downstairs by that time. I’m not wearing a watch today.“
    “Neither am I,“ Robert said.
    “Did anyone else see the young man leave?“
    “I was in my own room,“ Miss Twibell said. “Putting on real shoes before Mrs. Connor’s visit.“
    “So were we. I mean, in our room,“ Miss Smith added.
    “And when did Mrs. Connor arrive?“ Howard asked.
    “On the dot of eleven,“ Miss Twibell said. “You could set your watch by her arrival.“
    “What did she do first?“
    “Walked into his room and started complaining that he was faking being asleep,“ Betty said. “Then she must have realized that the door was open and everybody could hear her and she slammed the door. But Miss Twibell and I could still