- Story by Lindsay Cohen, Grade 9

"How ‘bout an ice cream sundae fer you, little Susie?"

"No thank ya’, Mr. Callidus. A’ just ate ma’ lunch and mama says the ice cream isn’t good fer ma’ tummy."

"But you’re such a pretty lil’ girl. All pretty girls need ice cream!" Susie moved her head from left to right, inspecting her surroundings like a watch guard.

"A’right," she said in a soft voice, "just don’t tell mama."

"That’s a girl!"

"A’ only got twenty-five cents, though."

"Just the right amount for a sundae with a cherry on top."

APRIL 24, 1962. THE SOUTHERN POST. FRONT PAGE:
"GIRL DIES LAST NIGHT OF UNKNOWN CAUSE. SYMPTOMS WERE HIGH FEVER AND SORE THROAT."

Mr. Callidus flicked the paper onto his kitchen table with a smirk on his face.

"Awww. Poor lil’ girl. The family must be jus’ devastated."

Harry Callidus was the owner of the town ice cream shop. He had the most scrumptious ice cream in town. The Chocolate Brownie Chunk could not have had a richer taste and the Strawberry Delight was as sweet as candy.

"Hello, ma’am, is this the Peters’ residence?" asked the man at the door, while taking off his hat with his right hand and resting it on his chest. "Are you the mother of Susie Peters?" The man was of an average height, with a round belly and stubbly chin. He wore a dark suit and a brown, plaid hat. His left eyebrow rose every time he spoke, and he had a deep, humorless voice.

"Why, yes Detective. Is there somethin’ a’ can do fer you?"

"A’m Detective Baxter. A’d like ta’ investigate the cause o’ Susie’s death. If it’s a’right with you, ma’am, a’d like ta’ ask ya’ a few questions."

"Yes o’ course. Come in, please," Mrs. Peters said quietly.

Detective Baxter sat down on a beige armchair across from Mrs. Peters. With one leg crossed on top of the other, he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small writing pad and a pencil.

"Do you have a husband, Mrs. Peters?"

"Ma’ husband died in a car crash about three years ago. Susie was only five years old then."

"An’ where did you and your husband grow up?" the Detective asked as he scribbled in his notebook.

"We grew up here, in Daleville, Alabama. Loved it so much we started a family here. We were high school sweethearts, ya’ know. We’d been datin’ since the tenth grade. E’ryone knew us as Martha an’ Jim. Jim an’ Martha."

"A’right, and was there anythin’ strange about Susie’s behavior over the past month or so?"

"Not particularly."

"Now where was Susie the day she died?"

"She was sick in bed all day with a fever. Went downstairs for an hour to whip up somethin’ soft for her to eat 'cause it hurt when she swallowed. Her throat was closin’ up. Didn’t know it at the time, though. A’ thought it was jus’ a sore throat. Next thing ya’ know, when a’ go into her room, my little Susie’s layin’ there, dead in her bed. Not breathin’. Not doin’ anythin’ at all."

"I’m terrb’ly sorry, Mrs. Peters, but please bear with me for jus’ a few more minutes."

"A’ dropped the tray o’ food all o’er the floor. Glass shattered e’rywhere. An’ a’ called the cops, so they came right over, ambulance an’ all. But it was too late. They couldn’t save ma’ Susie. Ma’ poor lil’ Susie," she sobbed.

Mrs. Peters looked down at her hands that were folded neatly in her lap, and she was ashamed. The tears that fell from her eyes reflected the face of an ashamed mother. She was ashamed that she hadn’t acted sooner, and that she didn’t have the power to save her daughter. But what could she do now? What was done, was done.

"An’ the day before?"

"She had a dance recital in the mornin’. Let ‘er go into town with one o’ her little friends ta’ get some lunch. ‘Er friend hadda’ leave early, so a’ told Susie to be a good girl an’ sit on the bench outside the diner till’ mama came to pick ‘er up. A’ think she might a’ stopped at Cal’s Ice Cream. She does that behind ma’ back all the time, but a’ just let it slip. Good ol’ Cal. The kids love ‘im."

"Who’s Cal?"

"Harry Callidus, the town ice cream man."

"Did you ever have any relation or history with Mr. Callidus?"

"Aw, don’t suspect Cal o’ anythin’. He’s jus’ a good ol’ ice cream man. Would n’er do anythin’ ta’ harm Susie."

"A’ know, ma’am, but jus’ answer ma’ question."

"Well, we went ta’ high school together. Wasn’t so nice to him back then. Actually, my husband an’ a’ were kinda’ cruel. Made fun o’ him, kicked him, laughed at ‘im. But we’re fine now. Mature adults, that’s right. Worked all our problems out."

"A’ see. That’ll be all. Thank you very much, Mrs. Peters. I’ll let ya’ know if a’ find anythin’ important. Have a nice day, now."

Detective Baxter stood up and put on his hat. He walked to the door, followed by Mrs. Peters.

"Please, Detective, remember ta’ call me," Mrs. Peters pleaded while opening the door.

"A’ will." Detective Baxter left.

********************

Ding Dong…

Mrs. Peters drearily dragged herself to the door, but whoever was there couldn’t save her from being the monster that she’d become. She had grown into an ill-tempered, bitter woman. She was alone now, and the only person she would ever want to see in her doorway was Susie.

"Hello, Martha." Mr. Callidus stood before Mrs. Peters with a sympathetic look on his face.

"Hi, Harry."

"I’m terrb’ly sorry ‘bout Susie. How are ya’ holdin’ up?"

"How do ya’ think a’m holdin’ up? Ma’ daughter died. The one thing a’ lived for. Gone. A’m all alone. How should a’ be? Happy n’ dandy? Well, a’m not." Mr. Callidus awkwardly looked at the ground, and he was at a loss of words.

"Martha, a’ got some very important information ta’ tell ya’."

"What is it?"

"A’ know who killed Susie," he said, scurrying into the house.

"W-what?" trembled Mrs. Peters. She followed Mr. Callidus as if he held the secret of the world. How could Detective Baxter, a professional investigator, not have any clues about how her daughter died, but an ice cream man, a typical ice cream man, already have the entire case solved?

"It was the mailman. In the paper. Do you have the paper? Where’s the paper?"

"Y- yes, here it is."

"Look. Front page."

"MAILMAN OF DALEVILLE PUTS SUBSTANCE INTO ENVELOPES THAT KILLS."

Mrs. Peters’ mouth dropped and her eyes widened.

Shedding more tears that were trapped up inside of her, she said, "Ya’ can’t trust no one. That mailman o’ ours, he’s been deliverin’ our mail for years. Susie usually ne’er got the mail. It just happen’ a’ be that one Saturday when she did go get the mail, that ol’ mailman put somethin’ in it to kill er’."

"A’ know, Martha, ain’t it cruel? Why would he do such a thing?" Mr. Callidus was tickled inside. "Don’t worry, Martha, I’ll always be here fer ya’."

Mrs. Peters finally let Mr. Callidus leave her house after she thanked him an infinite number of times. Immediately after, she called Detective Baxter.

"Hello? Detective Baxter speakin’."

"Detective! Detective! A’ know who killed Susie! It was the mailman! Did ya’ see in the paper? Poison, that’s what it was! Poison!"

"Mrs. Peters, I already checked it out. That happened in the other neighborhood in Daleville. Not yours. An’ they already know who was poisoned. It wasn’t Susie. It was the people who didn’t tip 'im for Christmas," assured the Detective.

"Oh, no, a’ tip ma’ mailman. Always."

"Yeah. Now a’m a’ get back to investigatin’. I’ll call ya’ if a’ find anythin’"

"Thanks very much, Detective."

***********************

"Good afternoon, Miss. And might a’ say you’re a’ lookin’ very pretty today, ma’am. Can a’ help ya’?" asked Mr. Callidus from behind the counter.

A tall, blond woman with long legs and tanned skin strutted into Cal’s Ice Cream Shop.

"Harold? Is that you?"

"Ya. An’ might a’ ask what your name is?"

"It’s me. Amanda!" she shouted excitedly.

"Amanda Willis? Daleville High? Class o’ 1920?"

"Uh-Huh!"

"Oh ma’ God! I haven’t seen ya’ in ages! How’ve ya’ been? Are ya’ married? Where ya’ been livin?"

"Ne’er married. Been livin’ in the next town o’er from here. How ‘bout you, Harry?"

"Same. Ne’er married. A’m still livin’ here in Daleville.

Just then Mr. Callidus remembered that moment back in high school: Walking through the hallway of Daleville High. Amanda, his girlfriend and high school sweet-heart for a year already, was kissing some husky, brainless fellow who towered over her, and she had to stand on her toes for her lips to touch his. But she was magnificent now! He remembered her plump body and stumpy legs. And those braces. Those thick, metallic braces that reflected the sun from her unusually large mouth every time she smiled! But that was all gone. Now she was a lovely rose. But he hated her. He remembered the way his friends used to make fun of him, and how they still did because he was dumped by the most atrocious girl in school! And it hurt a lot. A flame of rage built up inside of him, but he forced a smile onto his face and pretended to listen diligently to what Amanda was saying. Still, he devised a plan in the back of his mind.

"Would ya’ like some ice cream Amanda?"

"Aw, a’ would love some, but a’ don’t have any money on me."

"This one’s on the house. It’s ma’ special. Just one minute and lemme’ go grab it."

"Aw, thanks, Harry."

Mr. Callidus went to the back of the store, where bills and checks were scattered all over his desk. He unbolted the freezer in the corner of the room, and opened a tub with the word "REVENGE" scribbled on it. He shoveled out a good amount of ice cream, dropped it into a large cup, and walked back out to the counter.

"Well, here ya’ go. The most delicious a’ve got." He stuck a spoon into the hard, half-frozen ice cream.

"Mmmm! This is delicious! Harry, you’re the greatest. A’ don’t know why a’ did what a’ did in high school. You’re jus’ a sweetie."

"Oh, don’t worry ‘bout it. We were young. Didn’t know a damn thing," he said with an evil grin on his face.

"Well, a’ better get goin’. Just stopped in ta’ say hello. I’m drivin’ a’ Virginia now. Goin’ ta’ visit ma’ sister."

"Oh, well have a nice time."

Amanda scooped some ice cream from the cup, swallowed, and then leaned over the counter and gave Mr. Calllidus a kiss on the lips.

Mr. Callidus fell under her spell. He licked his lips with the sweet sensation of her kiss.

"Bye, Harry. It was so good to see ya’ again."

Amanda walked out slowly, one long leg in front of the other. The heel of her shoes landing on the tile floor sent chills running up and down Harry’s spine.

The bells on the door jingled when it opened and then closed.

"Aw, ma’ chest burns. That heartburn been killin’ me."

Just then he realized it. Amanda ate the ice cream. Amanda kissed him. He licked his lips. He ate the poison.

He ran to the back of the store and, panicking, grabbed the bottle of ammonia from a cabinet above his head. He fumbled to read the directions. "DO NOT INGEST. TOXIC."

The bottle slipped from his hands as he discovered his fate.

He crawled over to phone on the wall and dialed the numbers he would ever dial.

"Hello?" said the voice from the other end.

"It’s Harry." Fiddling with his words, he blurted, "A’-a’ killed Susie."

Mrs. Peters let out a howling cry and gasped, "But why?"

The phone dropped from Mr. Callidus’ hand.

"Hello? Hello?" repeated Mrs. Peters.

But Mr. Callidus wasn’t breathing anymore.