“Who am Miss Kitty?” asked Oscar in scandalized surprise. “Why, Miss Baird’s niece. They live together, leastwise they did ’till yesterday. Poor ole Miss, she didn’t mean no harm—”
“No harm to whom?” questioned Penfield swiftly.
“To Miss Kitty. She jes’ said she wouldn’t have no such carrying-on,” explained Oscar.
“To what did she refer?”
Oscar favored the coroner with a blank stare. “I dunno, Sah. That’s all o’ de conversation that I overheard.”
Penfield regarded him attentively, but the old man’s gaze did not waver, and after a moment he resumed his examination.
“How long have you worked for Miss Baird?”
“’Most twenty years, Sah.”
“And what did you do for her?”