Thirteen Diamonds

volunteer work for local organizations; a few still had paying jobs. I tutored math pupils; there were plenty who needed tutoring.
    Which leads me to my alternate theory: If women don't take over the world it will be because dummies do—the ones who can't read or do math. They won't know how the modern technological world works and it will collapse on them. Again, I'm glad I won't be here to see it.
    But to get back to my point, I had to be careful what I did, because residents of Silver Acres would be watching.
    I broached the subject of murder to Tess on Monday, a typical hot summer morning, as we walked to our water aerobics class at the Silver Acres indoor pool. Tess was less than enthusiastic about me conducting an investigation. “You mean you want to go nosing around like Agatha Christie's Miss Marple? Or the detective with the funny name in those alphabet books? A is for...awful acts, B is for bad people. Those books are too gory for me.”
    “I'll be discreet,” I said. “But I need you to help me. You have a certain savoir-faire that I lack, which helps in social situations, at least when you don't forget to wear your hearing aid. And you're so much better at small talk than I am.”
    “So you want to make me your sidekick, eh? Well, I'm no Dr. Watson. And you're no Sherlock Holmes.”
    “Don't blow this out of proportion, Tess. I just want to satisfy my conscience. For example, Dora is in our aerobics class and she tried to help Gerald. I'd like to talk to her. She might have some insight.”
    Water aerobics is good for people who suffer from arthritis and other joint problems—or just plain old age. Even wheelchair-bound residents could be lowered into the pool, which was only four feet deep, by mechanical means. The buoyancy of the water made it easy to stand; Tess, who had chronic sore feet, was pain-free in the water. The resistance the water provided helped to strengthen arm and leg muscles as we went through our exercise routines. Even 90-year-olds could improve their muscle tone.
    After the workout Tess and I approached Dora in the locker room next to the pool, where she was drying off. Her small body didn't look bad in a bathing suit. She seemed to have been spared some of the ravages of old age, such as varicose veins.
    I was debating what to say when Tess opened the conversation. “Dora, it's wonderful what you did to help Gerald. I feel a lot better living here, knowing that people like you are available in an emergency.”
    Dora shook her head. “I'm devastated that we couldn't save him. He was such a nice man. But his heart was too weak to withstand the anaphylaxis.”
    “Anaphylaxis?” I asked.
    “A severe allergic reaction. It can be caused by medication or food, but since Gerald wasn't on any new medications that's been ruled out. They say shellfish caused it.”
    “So the closing of Gerald's throat was definitely an allergic reaction.”
    “That's what the autopsy report says. I talked to Dr. Wacker at the clinic about it on Friday. I was trying to deal with my guilt, I guess.”
    Carol had mentioned guilt also. There was a lot of it going around. I said, “It wasn't your fault he had an allergy. But tell me—how soon does this reaction start after eating the forbidden food?”
    “It can start in as little as five to fifteen minutes.”
    The timing was right. “There's nothing you could have done.”
    “You win some and lose some. The best medicine, of course, is preventive. If only the lunch committee had known about Gerald's allergy to shellfish.”
    “I wanted to ask you about that,” I said. “Did anybody know about it?”
    “Carol asked me the same question. Not that I'm aware of. Although she told me it was on his medical record.”
    “So there's a possibility that even if he hadn't talked about it, somebody may have seen his record.”
    “Medical information is supposed to be confidential...”
    “Of course. What kind of a relationship did you have with Gerald?”
    “We were...friends...good friends. But we were not romantically involved.”
    “Dora, did Gerald have any special girlfriends? I know he was chummy with a number of different women.”
    “It sounds like you're conducting a murder investigation.” Dora stood up from the bench where she had been sitting. “You don't suppose that Gerald's death wasn't accidental, do you?”
    “I don't know. It's just suspicious.” I explained about the 13 diamonds.
    Dora reflected. “He was quite close to