by Lydia Rose
CHAPTER 4
Marnie went back into the hotel and was greeted by Wilma warmly. “Hank called from the shop.” She handed a pink slip to Marnie. “You can call him from your room.”
“Thank you,” she answered, taking the slip and walking toward the stairs. Her suitcase had been placed in her room and she carried it over to the bed to open. The room wasn’t fancy, but it looked clean. She went toward the bathroom and was surprised by the claw foot tub and separate shower. Marnie walked back into the room and unpacked her bag and then called Hank.
“Marnie?” the voice said as he answered the phone.
“It’s me,” she said chuckling. “You have some information for me.”
“Yeah. Ralph came over and looked at the car. He called your insurance company and explained the situation.”
“How bad is it?” she asked almost afraid to hear.
“Not too bad, but I have to order all the parts that I need. It probably won’t be ready for a couple of weeks.”
“Two weeks? I can’t be here that long.”
“The parts have to come from Tesla, but Buddy’s insurance company will cover all the damages.”
She sat on the edge of the bed wondering if she should rent a car to finish her journey. “Are there any car rental places in this town?”
Hank chuckled. “Nope. At the airport though.”
“How far is the airport?”
“About one hundred miles or so,” Hank sighed. “You haven’t even looked around the town. You might enjoy spending time here.”
“Maybe,” she said softly. But if it is a choice between here or Paul’s home, there was no contest. “I’ll let you know in a couple of days if I’m staying or will pick up my car on the way back.”
“Okay, Marnie. I’m Hank by the way. Enjoy your stay.”
“Thanks, Hank.” She lowered the receiver back onto the phone. “Two weeks here. God,” she said shaking her head. Marnie changed out of her sandals and put on a pair of sneakers. She had hours before Leslie picked her up and decided to explore the town.
“Do you need a ride somewhere?” Wilma asked when she came back down the stairs.
“No thanks. I’m just going to walk around and explore.” She paused before leaving. “Wilma, can you tell me where the antique store is where Buddy works?”
Wilma smiled. “Make a left out of the hotel and around the corner.”
“Thanks again,” she said going out onto the street. That would be her first stop to make sure Buddy’s mother hadn’t killed him. She opened the door to the store and walked inside.
“Hello, Marnie,” Buddy greeted as she approached.
“Hi, Buddy. Thanks for getting your agent over to the body shop so fast.”
“You’re welcome,” he said shyly.
Marnie watched as a woman came out of the back room. She had salt and pepper hair and Buddy’s face resembled her. Realizing this was his mother, she put her hand out to her. “I’m Marnie Winters. I met your son this morning.”
Helen Chambers took her hand, surprised how friendly she was. If someone had done that to her car, she might have had a different reaction. “Helen Chambers. It’s nice to meet you Ms. Winters.”
“Marnie,” she said quickly. “I just wanted to make sure that I didn’t run over anything valuable this morning.”
Helen looked at her son before answering. “It wasn’t priceless, but a nice piece of furniture.”
“I’m sure Buddy’s insurance will pay for the piece.”
“We’re leaving it out of the claim. Your car is going to cost more than enough money. I never heard of a Tesla before. What kind of car is that?”
“It’s electric.”
Helen glared at Buddy. “I’ve told him every time to make sure he secures the load, but does he listen? No, of course not.”
“It was an accident, Helen. May I call you Helen?” she asked turning on the charm.
“Yes and I’m sorry that you are stuck here.”
“Yeah, two weeks I’m told by Hank,” she said rolling her eyes.
Buddy blushed and lowered his head to hide behind his cap brim. “Did you tell the woman how sorry you are, Buddy?”
Before Buddy could answer, Marnie spoke up. “He apologized several times, Helen. Well, while I’m here, I may as well look around,” she said to the pair. Not that any of this furniture would go in her very modern apartment, but she wanted to be polite.
“If there is anything that you like, I’ll give you a great deal on it,” Helen offered.
Marnie nodded and began to look around. She recognized that this store had some quality things here. It may not go in her apartment, but everything was of high quality. After a half hour she walked back toward Buddy. “Thanks for letting me look around. You have such nice things here.”
Helen came out of the back. “You didn’t see anything you liked?”
“I saw a lot of things I liked, but it wouldn’t go in my apartment.”
“I guess these things wouldn’t fit into a fancy New York apartment, then?” Helen asked.
“In a lot of apartments, yes, but mine is very modern.” Helen nodded her head understanding. “Can you ship from here?” Helen nodded smiling. “Then before I leave, I might be back for something for my mother.” She walked toward the door. “Have a good day.”
“You too,” Helen said before she disappeared and turned to Buddy. “You are lucky you did this to such a nice woman. Someone else might be suing us.”
Buddy didn’t want to tell his mother that Marnie had yelled at him right after the accident. That, he was going to keep to himself.
*
Marnie had gone back to the hotel to take a nap before she needed to get ready for dinner with Leslie. As she laid on the bed, she wondered what kind of trouble she could be in that she needed her help. Marnie doubted this little town ever had a murder and that was her specialty. She also doubted that Leslie was interested in her romantically since she was only passing through. Marnie chuckled to herself thinking I doubt very much that Leslie Reynolds is gay. The gay women here had to be as scarce as murder and crime in this little sleepy town. After Marnie dressed for dinner, she climbed down the three flights of stairs. She had only brought a couple of dress pants with her because she thought she would be in a bathing suit and shorts or jeans. This diversion was totally unexpected and she knew she would have to call Paul tomorrow to tell him what was going on. When she reached the lobby, she saw Leslie talking with Wilma at the check-in desk. Leslie had changed into a pair of tan slacks, sandals and a light sweater. They stopped talking the moment they saw Marnie.
“Don’t you look lovely,” Wilma said looking at Marnie. “You two make a good looking couple.” She turned to Leslie. “Patty was a fool to let you go.”
Marnie’s jaw dropped and she almost swallowed her tongue. What the hell does she mean by that? She can’t possibly know I’m gay, but was the brunette gay? She approached them without comment. “Hello,” she said glancing at both women. “Are you ready to go?”
Leslie nodded. “It was nice speaking with you, Wilma. See you later.” She waved with her hand as she led Marnie out of the hotel. “My car is over here,” Leslie pointed as they exited the hotel. Her car was a five-year-old compact car and she suddenly felt embarrassed knowing Marnie was driving around in a Tesla. “It’s old, but it’s clean,” she said as she unlocked the doors.
Marnie got into the car and couldn’t unfold her legs. She felt on the side of the seat to move the seat back. Leslie seeing her dilemma reached under her legs and pulled the lever so the seat would slide back.
“Sorry. I would have moved it if I remembered how tall you were,” she said now feeling embarrassed at pointing out Marnie’s height. “Sorry,” she repeated.
“It’s okay. I know I’m tall,” Marnie answered buckling her seatbelt. “Where are we going?”
“A place just outside of town. It’s not too far.”
Marnie turned in her seat. “Wha
t was Wilma’s comment about?”
Leslie chuckled. “Oh, you mean the comment about us being a nice couple?” Marnie nodded. “I guess by now, everyone that knows you’re here has looked you up on the internet.” Marnie’s mouth dropped open. “And if they read enough about you, they’ve read that you are an out lesbian.”
“Oh,” Marnie said with a rush of breath. “Is that going to be a problem around here?”
“No. Everyone here is pretty open to people. They aren’t like the typical southerners down here.”
“But the comment about a couple…” Marnie added.
“I’m gay and the town wants to see me happily coupled,” she said laughing. Leslie remembered the last time the town was involved with her relationship. She and Patty had been high school lovers and the whole town thought they would remain a couple, but it just didn’t happen.
“Oh,” Marnie murmured softly. “So who is Patty?”
“My high school girlfriend. She went to Georgia State after we graduated. Then two years later she said she needed her freedom.” Leslie shrugged. “We were too young.”
The rest of the ride was quiet because Marnie felt like she had entered the twilight zone.
Once they were seated at a table, a waitress approached. “May I start you out with a drink?”
Leslie nodded to Marnie. “I’ll have a glass of white wine.”
“I’ll have one of your micro brews,” Leslie announced and lifted her menu once the waitress walked away. “The fish is very fresh here. The shrimp were probably swimming in the gulf today.”
“Thanks,” Marnie said without lifting her eyes from the menu.
“I figured since you ordered white wine that you might be having fish or chicken.”
“Thanks,” Marnie said again, but didn’t offer anything more.
The drinks were delivered and she asked, “Are you ready to order or do you need more time?”
“I’m ready,” Marnie answered quickly. She didn’t have anything to eat since breakfast and she was ready for her next meal. “I’ll have the sautéed shrimp and mushroom risotto.” Her eyes glanced at Leslie before handing the waitress the menu.
“I’ll have the same,” Leslie said and closed her menu.
“Any appetizers?” she asked.
“Would you like to share something?” Marnie asked.
“Do you like lobster?” Leslie asked to Marnie’s immediate nod yes. “Bring us the lobster sampler.”
“Boy, you must really be in trouble trying to bribe me with lobster,” Marnie said with a laugh. She looked at Leslie who remained serious. “Tell me what kind of trouble you are in,” she began in her best attorney’s voice.
Leslie took a sip from her beer first before speaking. “My seventeen-year-old brother has been arrested for rape and murdering his girlfriend,” she answered and tried to hold back her tears.
“Seventeen? How old are you?” Marnie asked looking at the beer in Leslie’s hand a little too excited.
“Calm down, Marnie. Tom is my half-brother. My dad remarried after my mom passed away.”
Marnie sat back and relaxed her body against the back of the chair. “What evidence do they have?”
“I don’t know,” Leslie answered honestly.
“Did he do it?” Marnie asked, knowing she had to ask.
“No, Marnie. He didn’t kill her. They both were abstaining because Jess is the product of a single mother getting pregnant in high school. They both wanted to go to college.”
Marnie had heard it all before, but she also knew that sometimes one of the parties didn’t like the abstaining and something happened. This could be the case here, but she kept that to herself. “So you want me to recommend a good defense attorney?”
Leslie shook her head. “I know we can’t possibly afford your fee, but we were hoping you could help us out.”
“Pro bono case?” she asked with a slight grin.
“Not quite. My dad and I can find some money to pay you, but I’m sure it won’t cover what you usually get paid.”
The lobster sampler was delivered to their table. “Enjoy, ladies.”
“Thanks,” Marnie said already picking up the tiny fork. She began putting the succulent meat into her mouth. “This is so good. Eat, Leslie.”
Leslie picked up her fork and put some of the meat in her mouth. She had lost her appetite talking about Tom and knowing he was locked behind bars.
“Is your brother out on bail?” Marnie asked before filling her mouth again.
“No. Bail was denied.”
“Why? He’s a kid.” She shook her head. “Where is he going to run to? Is he being represented by a court-appointed attorney?” Leslie nodded. “I’ll call for another bail hearing and see if we can get him out of jail until the trial. I want to speak with him too.”
“I’ll take you to the jail tomorrow if you have time.”
“I’ll come in for breakfast and then I can go over to the jail.” She looked at Leslie who had stopped eating. “You don’t have to come with me. I’ll just tell them the family hired me.”
“That’s okay, Marnie. I’ll introduce you to Tom.”
Marnie reached across the table and took Leslie’s hand. “Everything will work out, Leslie. Let me do what I do best,” she said grinning. If nothing else, Marnie thought she could get the kid out of jail and find a good attorney that would take the case for practically nothing. After all, she had a vacation to get to. “The rest of this delicious dish is yours, Leslie.” She pushed the plate over to her.
The rest of the dinner was relatively quiet. Marnie tried to get Leslie to tell her about herself, but it was like pulling teeth. She found out that her mother owned the café and she had passed away when Leslie graduated from high school. She took over the café and her dad remarried two years later to her mother’s best friend Rachel. Tom was a big surprise to them, but they were both happy for the surprise.
“How are they holding up?”
“My dad is devastated and Rachel cries constantly.”
“So it’s all on you to try and get this resolved?” Marnie asked feeling sorry for the woman sitting in front of her. She had seen it before. While most of the family fell apart during tragedy, someone had to be the strong one and in this case it was Leslie.
Leslie’s eyes shot up and captured Marnie’s. How can she know that?
“I’ve seen it before. You’re trying to be their rock, but you are falling apart inside.” Leslie’s head went up and down. Again, Marnie reached for her hand. “I’m here to help right now,” she said smiling.
“Thank you,” Leslie said softly and trapped a tear that fell onto her cheek.
Marnie signaled for the check and handed the waitress her credit card. Leslie was so lost in thought that when Marnie stood up, she looked for the check. “I already paid.”
“I asked you out to dinner. I wanted to pay.”
“You pay next time,” Marnie said grinning. She took her arm and led her back to the car.
When they pulled up to the hotel a half hour later, Marnie reached for the door handle. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” She smiled at Leslie. “Thanks for having dinner with me.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow and thank you, Marnie.”
Marnie nodded and disappeared through the hotel door. If those green eyes hadn’t been looking at her when Leslie asked her to represent her brother, she would have instantly said no. Well, she didn’t really say she would take the case, but she would make it better for the family. That much she knew she would do without much work.
CHAPTER 5
The following morning, Marnie walked over to the body shop. She needed to retrieve her briefcase from the trunk of the car. “Hello, Hank,” she said when she walked into the shop.
“Marnie. How are you?”
“Good, Hank. I need my briefcase from the trunk of my car.”
“Sure. Let me take you to it.” He opened the trunk using the release on the set of keys and lifted the lid
.
Marnie reached in and took the leather case and closed the trunk. “Any word on the parts?”
“Not yet. I’ll let you know when they arrive so I can give you a better idea about how long after that.”
“Thanks, Hank.” She walked out of the shop and toward the café. The moment she opened the door, Dot was on her.
“Hello, Marnie. I’ve got your table ready for you. How about some coffee and fresh squeezed OJ?”
“Thanks. That sounds great, Dot.” She took her seat and went through the menu, but wondered what the special was this morning. When Dot returned, she asked, “Dot, what’s the special today?”
“Hoe cakes with fresh fruit and bacon, of course,” she said with a wink.
“Sounds right up my alley. I’ll have that,” she said even though she wasn’t sure what hoe cakes were, but she knew they would be good. As she drank her juice, she looked for Leslie. She found her delivering food to one of the back tables. As she turned around, their eyes met and Marnie automatically smiled. Now Marnie noticed a woman at a table who was glaring at her. She lowered her eyes and picked up her coffee cup again. When she glanced at the table, the woman was still watching her.
Leslie walked over to her table. “Has Dot taken your order?”
“She has. I ordered the special, but I’m not sure what hoe cakes are,” Marnie admitted.
Leslie smiled. “They’re like pancakes, but better,” she answered patting Marnie’s hand. “You’ll love them. If you don’t, I’ll get you something else.” Her name was called. “Excuse me. Enjoy your breakfast.”
Dot delivered her plate of food and Leslie was right, she loved the hoe cakes. She ate everything on her plate.
“I guess you enjoyed it,” Dot said chuckling, seeing the plate wiped clean.
“I did, thanks. Can I get the check, please?” Marnie asked opening her wallet.
“Put your money away. Leslie said your money isn’t any good here. She told me what you are going to do for Tom.” Marnie tried to hand Dot a five-dollar bill. “I won’t take your money either. I love that kid like he was my own. He would spend afternoons here when he was young. Both Alan and Rachel work so he stayed here until they picked him up.” Dot leaned down on the table. “That’s when we used to stay open later. The last few years we stopped serving dinner because the crowd was too small.”
