Bitty and the Naked Ladies by Phyllis Smallman Page A

It’s hard. Needs help dressing and bathing, that’s why the nurse comes in, although how much longer we can afford a nurse I don’t know.
    â€œWhat happens then…when the money runs out?”
    â€œThe house is in trust for a nephew. When she can’t stay on, Miss Jane will go into care.”
    â€œAnd you?” I asked. “What will you do?”
    She lifted her shoulders and spread her palms up.
    â€œSo if Miss Jane can’t stay there, you lose your home?”
    â€œThat’s how it is, Lovey.”
    I didn’t want to think about the future. “Well, I’m sure you’re not losing your mind. So who else could have taken it?”
    Her lips turned down and her brow furrowed. “Couldn’t just admit I was getting old. I’m ashamed to say I accused someone.”
    â€œWho?”
    She moved restlessly on her chair, gave a giant sigh and said, “Well you know that nephew of mine, Willy?”
    I nodded.
    â€œThought it was him. He’s never been real honest. Given his folks nothing but worries. I tore a strip offa Willy but he swore up and down it wasn’t him. Last week I knew it couldn’t have been Willy. A little wooden box went missing.” Her hands squared the small shape of the box. “He hasn’t been by since I went after him.” She shook her head and said, “No, it isn’t Willy.”
    â€œWho else is in the house?”
    â€œJust the nurse regular like.”
    â€œWell there you go. It must be her.”
    Bitty sighed. “Seems like it but why would an educated lady steal? What would she want with that stuff? I just don’t know what to do, Lovey.”
    â€œGo to the police. Let them sort it out.”
    Bitty looked uncomfortable. Police weren’t the first line of defense in the world Bitty and I come from. Back at the Shoreline Trailer Park you tried real hard to stay away from them. “Who they gonna to believe, a nurse or me?”
    â€œOkay, make a list of everything that’s missing. We’ll start there.”
    Her eyes lit up as though I’d actually solved her problem. In truth, I had no idea how to help her.
    â€œIs there a lawn service?”
    â€œCourse.”
    â€œPut down the dates you noticed things were missing. We’ll see if they are the same days the grass gets cut.”
    â€œBut they’re never in the house. I take a jug of lemonade and a jug of ice tea out to them.” I knew she would. That was Bitty. “Could one of them be slipping into the house while you’re occupied outside?”
    â€œDon’t see how and Miss Jane would scream real loud if she saw a man in her house.”
    â€œWhen does the nurse come in?”
    â€œTen ’til noon.”
    The next day I was outside the elegant old house on Washington Street at a quarter to twelve. Around it, houses of the same age had been knocked down and replaced by monster homes, the disease of south Florida, but number fourteen still had all the Spanish charm of the nineteen twenties. The over-sized lot was dotted with mature jacaranda trees, which spread a beautiful dappled light over the neatly clipped lawn.
    At five minutes to twelve a tall thin woman, dressed in a tailored navy suit, came out of the house. She looked more like my idea of an investment banker than a nurse but she carried a big canvas bag instead of a briefcase.
    I called Bitty on my cell. “Did the nurse just leave?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œWhat was she wearing?”
    Bitty laughed. “She was dressed to do business. A blue suit. She takes off the jacket and puts on a smock when she’s here.”
    I followed the suit feeling silly. What did I think I was doing playing detective? I was in debt up my ying yang and eating had become a habit I couldn’t break so I couldn’t afford to miss my shift at the Sunset Bar and Grill, even thought the tips were barely keeping me alive now that the