“It’s me, Charlie,” I said. “Your mother is down here in the kitchen with me, Kanesha. She’s okay.”

“Is that Mrs. Cassity on the stairs?” Kanesha asked.

“Yes, and she’s dead. Don’t try to come down the stairs.” She couldn’t come down at all, I realized, as I took in more of the scene in front of me. Vera’s hoops blocked the narrow stairs completely. That made me wonder whether she had simply stumbled and fallen and had the bad luck to break her neck.

Maybe it wasn’t murder after all. That was my first assumption, but I hoped like anything I was wrong.

The catering staff began to come in through the back door, and I wasn’t sure what to do. It was cold outside, and I didn’t think they would pay any attention to me if I told them they shouldn’t come back into the kitchen.

“Listen, everyone, please listen.”

They stilled and stared at me curiously, and in some cases, with hostility. I was sure they were tired and ready to finish up, but they probably wouldn’t be going home for a couple of hours yet. Neither would I, I realized as a wave of exhaustion washed over me.

“Thank you. There’s been an accident, and I’m afraid you’ll have to wait on packing up and leaving.”

The grumbling started, but Kanesha’s voice cut through it. She must have run through the mansion at top speed to get to us so quickly.

She strode forward to where I stood, pushing her way through the milling group of workers. She identified herself as she moved closer.

“Mr. Harris is right. I need you all to move out of the kitchen for now. Please make your way to the front parlor and wait there. The sheriff’s department is on the way, and someone will be talking to you soon. We’ll let you go as soon as we can.”

There was more grumbling as they complied with Kanesha’s orders, but no outright rebellion.

Kanesha turned to her mother, who had slumped into a nearby chair. “Mama, are you okay?”

Azalea nodded wearily. “She be dead, Kanesha, but she that way when I found her.”

“Okay, Mama,” Kanesha said gently. She turned to me. “Charlie, will you find Robert and send him in here? I want him to check my mother. He’s in the front parlor with the others.”

“Sure.” I was glad to get out of there.

Dr. Sharp stood at the door of the parlor, and as I reached him I heard the drone of sirens approaching the house. I explained what Kanesha wanted. He hurried off.

I was about to enter the parlor when the front door opened. Men in uniform streamed in, including the sheriff himself. Gerald Tidwell was a massive man, about six-three and probably two hundred and fifty solidly muscled pounds. He barked out orders to his men. Obviously familiar with the layout of the house, he sent two men ahead of him to the kitchen. He turned to another, an officer I recognized as the man who often accompanied Kanesha, Deputy Bates. After a brief conferral Bates nodded and headed toward me. Sheriff Tidwell strode off toward the kitchen.