by CC Dragon
“Big dreams. Lots of people have them, but they aren’t what they’re cracked up to be. Small-town life, healthy family and pursuing what makes you happy—that’s good enough for most people,” Gran advised.
I nodded. “Anyway, I’m not sure what Mr. Johnson will do, but I wanted to tell you he’s here.”
Pete circled the hymns and readings. “No flowers. Donations to the church food pantry or their favorite charity is good.”
“Did you meet with the funeral director? Pick out the coffin? We can find a suit,” Gran offered.
“No, I’m going to have him cremated so I can just take him with me. Put him in the family plot back home. We’ll do it all at the church. No graveside.” Pete set down the pen firmly.
“And the reception?” I asked.
“We can’t use his house. Still a crime scene,” Pete replied.
“Do we know what happened to the snake?” I asked.
“I guess they checked it for chips or any other owner information. There was none,” Pete said.
“I know—we’ll do the food and such here,” Gran suggested.
I shook my head. “Gran, that’s going to be weird. We can do it at the church. One big event. Food and reception in the foyer and outside, weather permitting.”
“No graveside—it’ll be unconventional enough,” Gran grumbled.
I smiled at Pete. “Most people around here go for traditional burial. I’m surprised the funeral home does cremation.”
“It’s a bit less expensive and he’d want his ashes buried with the family.” Pete stood. “Done?”
“That’s it. I’ll let Mrs. Woodson know,” Gran replied.
“Thank you, Mrs. Baxter. It feels very odd. Your kindness is very helpful.”
Pete left quickly.
“What a weird situation to be in,” I admitted.
Gran nodded. “But we must do something to say good-bye. Then the board will have to look for a new pastor.”
“Great. More new people.” My phone binged. The text message was from Gus.
“What is it?” Gran asked.
“Gus wants to meet for dinner away from town. Go over suspects and what we know,” I explained.
“Another date?” Gran teased.
“No, let’s hope it’s a nice clearing of the air.” I texted him back that I’d meet him there at six o’clock.
“I’ll have dinner with the boys, then. They’ll know a handyman who can work on the wiring. Upgrade the electrical. It’s only when we try to add stuff.”
“Have fun on your date,” I teased.
She swatted my hand.
* * * *
I pulled up to the restaurant and Gus was there, waiting in his truck.
“Everything okay?” I asked as I hopped out.
He met me by the door. “Fine. If you like Chinese. I wasn’t sure.”
“Love it. I miss the city for things like this. Variety of food. Home cooking is the best, but sometimes you want to order pizza or Chinese.” I walked while he held the door.
We got a booth and both of us went with the buffet to save time and interruptions. Once our water and iced teas arrived, we filled up our plates and settled in.
I took a little bit of all my favorites to see which of their versions I liked. Spicy was good, but every place was different.
“You like spicy,” he teased.
“I do. Atlanta had so many options. Nashville is good too.” I smiled.
“I know this is weird, but you were the last one to see Luke and probably the closest person to him,” he said.
I frowned. “Pete informed me that his brother might’ve been seeing someone else too.”
“You mean before at his prior church?” Gus asked.
I sampled the Empress chicken and frowned. “Too much onion. Sorry, no, Pete said he was seeing someone else here. Someone in the choir.”
“You don’t like onion?” he asked.
“Not when it’s the only flavor I’m tasting. The orange chicken is good. General’s chicken is very good. How’s yours?”
“Good. Beef with broccoli is my go-to.”
“You and Dina came here?” I asked.
He grimaced and tried to hide it with a grin. “We did occasionally. Are you ready to hear the truth?”
“You said you broke up with her and didn’t bother to demand the ring back. She was trying to keep her claws in you even though she’s the one who was seeing other people?”
“More or less,” he agreed.
“What’s the more part of that answer?”
“I tried ending it a few times. She always had a crisis where I felt bad and stuck by her. A family member died, she had a pregnancy scare or she got fired. Finally, I ended it and meant it.” He gestured for emphasis.
“She thought you were crying wolf again. Well, she found another guy, which is good. But you don’t want to play games. It only makes it worse.”
“With you?” he asked.
“With any woman. She’s going to cry, scream and make it hell every time. If you’re serious, do it once and it’s done. Easier on both of you. Some women are so clingy. I never want to be that,” I insisted.
“You could never be,” he said.
I dunked my egg roll in duck sauce. “Then other ladies say I’m too cold and independent. Men don’t want someone who doesn’t need them.”
He chuckled. “Sounds like my grandma warning me about those career girls who just want to date man after man and never settle down. They don’t want to cook, clean or raise babies.”
I nearly choked on my rice and took a long drink of water. “Exactly. Who wants to clean house? I mean, it’s necessary, but few people love it. The point is, women’s work and their role in the family got devalued because we weren’t getting paid. Men made the money so they had the power. If you married a good guy, you’d be okay, but if you married a jerk or someone who liked that control…you could be stuck in a horrible situation. Gran got lucky, but it’s too much of a gamble. Now you have to pay for daycare and so on or do it yourself.”
“Because now women work too,” he added.
“You think that’s a bad thing? Have you heard about Sally and Ed?”
Gus cleared his throat. “I can’t talk about cases.”
“Oh, so she came to you?” I asked. “She’s been gone for weeks now, so I don’t think she’d care if we talked. I’m not telling Ed a thing.”
“I saw her marks. She works at the grocery store, I asked. She claimed it was nothing. I went by the house, social call to Ed. He didn’t care for it. I went by again when Ed was on a haul. She refused to press charges. Even refused to say he’d hit her so I could bring him in. I can’t force her, and without seeing him do it or her word that he had, I can’t initiate the charges unless I see the assault,” Gus explained.
“I know. I appreciate your trying to help. She’s been gone for two weeks. Someone helped her. And she can get a job and a credit card and all that stuff in her own name. I know people long for the good old days when life was simpler, people stayed married and so on…but that’s always with a happy couple that’s good to each other. Plus, us sad spinsters deserve equal pay.” I tried the sweet and sour chicken. “That sauce is a bit too tomato-heavy for me.”
“Picky eater,” he teased.
“No, I’m just sampling to see what I like and don’t. Means I’m willing to try new things. Second round, I’ll get my favorites only.”
“That’s a good strategy. I like it. What happened with the pastor?” Gus asked.
I smiled. “You’ve heard, I’m sure. I dumped him very loudly in an Italian restaurant. He wanted an old-fashioned pastor’s wife to be at his and the church’s beck and call 24/7. Me helping out at the bar was somehow reflecting badly on him. Working at the shop on a Sunday too. I don’t think he liked the band having their RV parked on the property, but he couldn’t say anything about that because Gran owns the land. Some men want to be the boss without conversation or question
. It wasn’t going to work, so I ended it. He was so stunned, like I had to be out of my mind.”
“He didn’t harass you?” Gus asked.
“No, I don’t think he’d want to take the chance people might overhear or see anything more. He always wanted to look like he had the answers. He was way more conservative than he let on in public or in his sermons,” I warned Gus.
Nodding, Gus reached for his water. “He never said anything to me, but everyone has secrets. The deputies have talked to a few people who have a lot of pets—reptiles of various kinds. So far no one is missing or claims to have owned a Burmese python.”
“I’ve never heard of anyone owning a snake around here. Kids catch them or something, but a stray python… That’s not normal. I know sometimes guys will go hunting when the rattlers are getting too close or too thick and putting people off. Sometimes cattle and horses are getting bitten, so they do a roundup, but it’s been a while,” I explained.
“This snake will have to be euthanized. It’s not native and unless someone claims it as their pet, we can’t let it live. Animal Control has it now, but even with proper feeding, it’s a fairly aggressive snake. Doesn’t seem like someone’s pet.” He leaned in.
I smiled.
“What? Miss me?” he teased.
“You got sauce on your cuff.” I pointed.
He laughed and lifted his wrist. “Sauce on everything.” He wiped it off.
“I missed you. You’re different. Not feeling judged by you is nice. But your complicated recent past—I’m not going to be the other woman.”
Gus sighed. “It’s not like that. She and I are done. Not every woman out there is independent like you.”
“Men always seem to like the clingy ones, until they don’t. I’m not going to play in some weird tug-of-war over a man. I’d rather be alone with my shop and have people feeling sorry for the spinster than make a fool of myself,” I said.
“Like you’d be a spinster.” He laughed.
“It’s possible. Not needing a man doesn’t mean I don’t want one. I’m not good at being fake or playing games like your ex or Lurlene. Why do men like to play the knight in shining armor?” I asked.
“Society tells us to be the hero. My job is to help people, all the people. I know this is difficult, but life is complicated. I can’t control her. You can’t control any of your ex-boyfriends. If one showed up to bug you, I’d have to deal with it,” he agreed.
“If I had one that obsessively bad and recent, I’d tell you about it before we got involved. I guess that’s the loophole. We weren’t really involved before. We were solving a murder, not really dating. Just seems like such a coincidence,” I explained.
“Dina has higher hopes than a sheriff, trust me. I thought she just had a rough childhood and needed stability, but she’s a climber. Wanted to meet politicians and businessmen that a sheriff got to know. She’ll be the governor one day, or his wife,” Gus replied.
I shook my head. “Is that your type? Girls who need stability and saving?”
Gus sighed. “That’s not what I meant. If you want to disqualify me, you don’t need a reason. Tell me you’re not interested and I’ll leave you alone, except for murder stuff and getting coffee at the shop.”
“I don’t know you well enough to know one way or the other yet. I’m not trying to judge you by your past, but what else is there? I don’t want people judging me by my parents’ behavior, but they do. My grandpa bought a bunch of land on the cheaper side of town. He figured he wasn’t going to farm it, so more land is better than rich soil. People judge each other for stupid things.”
“They do. They also murder each other for stupid reasons. Passion, money, revenge, lust, authority or fear. Money and authority don’t seem likely for motives here. The others are possible, but it wasn’t impulsive. They planted a snake and waited. The intent might not have been murder, which makes this case trickier,” he said.
“Do you believe Jeff?”
Gus sighed. “No warrants in the state. We’re checking with others. Making sure he’s safe to release. It’s just a big coincidence. It happens when his brother is in town and he’s hiding an old friend. Why not ask someone to put him up? If Luke really believed Jeff was harmless…why not introduce you?”
“I have no idea. Maybe he was ashamed of the connection? That’s what I don’t get. If he wanted to be moving up, he should’ve asked out Lurlene. Her family owns a business, she’s in beauty school and she’d love to be the pastor’s wife with all of that responsibility and power,” I grumbled.
“You don’t?”
“No. I see the reality that it’s all free work. If you have a lot of money, it’s cool. I’m all for charity, but the pastor is paid. Why is the wife expected to do a ton of work for nothing?”
Gus shook his head. “I have no idea. But you’re not a pastor’s wife.”
“No?” I tilted my head. “I’m a career girl with a bakery shop who moonlights as a bartender for her friend’s bar.”
“Maybe. You can be whatever you want.” He stood. “Round two, where I’ll probably get something else on my shirt.”
“Oh, I did think of one thing that was weird.” I stood and followed him to the buffet.
“What’s that?” He grabbed a new plate and handed me one.
“Thanks. When we saw Jeff in the storage closet. Everyone was scared and shocked, even Mrs. Woodson. But Megan didn’t seem to be shocked by the news. I’m not saying she knew he was there, but it didn’t faze her at all. That’s odd,” I remarked.
“It is.” He filled his plate.
I went for the General’s chicken and white rice and egg rolls. “I wonder if they deliver?”
“To our neck of the woods? No.”
“What do you mean our neck of the woods?” I asked.
He smiled. “I may have put an offer in on that ranch next door.”
“Ranch?” I scoffed. To one side of our property was a quiet couple who had horses. The other side was unoccupied except for the doublewide the couple had left behind. “The Conners moved a year ago, according to Gran.”
“Lots of land for cheap. I can build the house I want and live in that trailer until then. Seems like the perfect set up, but the neighbors do have this RV with a band on their property. I hope it’s not too noisy,” he teased.
“You’re not serious.”
“We’ll see.” He winked at me.
I shrugged it off and forced myself not to smile like a fool. “You can’t control your neighbors, now, can you? Although good fences make good neighbors, but that’s a costly fence to erect.”
Chapter Seven
The next evening, Gran and I were working on apple pies and peach cobbler.
“I don’t know how they haven’t found the owner of that snake by now,” Gran said.
I smiled. “Do you want them to go house to house and search?”
“Wouldn’t hurt. But I suppose people wouldn’t like it.”
“I agree.” I rolled out more crust. “I told Gus what I know, but no help, apparently.”
Gran put some pies in the oven. “You know, trucks come and go from all over. Snakes could’ve gotten on a truck in Florida and ended up here. It might be an accident.”
I sighed. “A few snakes make it here, sure. But getting into a private home? It’s so random. You’d think it’d manage to get into a store or something easier. Fewer steps, more traffic. But that might keep them away. I don’t know much about snakes, but Luke was a door locker. He didn’t leave things open, even his back door. Someone probably had to put it inside.”
“I think I’ll call Gus,” she said.
“Why?” I asked.
“We can discuss the case. But put the casserole in the oven,” she instructed.
“You want him over for dinner,” I concluded.
Gran smiled. “Everyone has to eat, Annabelle.”
My full first name, no arguments needed. I put the casserole in the oven and took the fancy ye
ast rolls out of the freezer. “Should I make a salad?”
She waved me off as she spoke with Gus. The woman wasn’t a matchmaker, but she wasn’t going to ignore something if she wanted it.
I worked on a Caesar salad, for something a bit different.
“He’ll be here in half an hour,” she informed me.
I loaded the fridge with premade pies to bake later and a couple of cobbler pans.
Gran wiped down the table then set up the dough for baking. When she took off her apron, I noticed her hand was a bit shaky.
“You feeling okay?” I asked.
“Sure. You should change. You’re covered in flour. The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, but he doesn’t need to see the mess. Apron or not, you always get messy when you’re baking,” she said with a smile.
I looked down. “Okay. Don’t let the dog get in the food.”
She gave me a thumbs up then checked her hair in the reflection of the window.
Rolling my eyes, I went into my bedroom and changed. I pulled on cowboy boots and a summer dress with little yellow flowers on it. Brushing out my hair, I tried to make it look nice loose. Finally, I gave up and pulled it back with a ribbon. I touched up my makeup and added a tiny bit of perfume.
All that work and I was sure he’d get back with Dina one day. Not that he’d said anything like that during our dinner, but I knew girls like her. She knew a good guy when she saw one and wanted to sink her claws in. Goofing things up could cost her time and she’d have to try harder to get him back.
Life had never handed me easy passes like some people got. I wasn’t going to fall into the trap of thinking I was going to get one now—no matter how much Gran tried to help.
I went out and buttered the rolls before I put them in the oven. When I started to set the table, I realized how rarely we had company. If Gus bought the place next door, this might become a habit.
No way in hell was I telling Gran about that until it was a sure thing. She’d never let up about it.
“You okay, dear?” Gran asked.
I looked up. “Sure. Why?”
