“Neither of them is Wanda’s killer,” Alex said.
Rebecca sighed. “What do you want to do now?”
Alex pulled out his wallet. “We get something to eat. The Hopeless Sheriff Department is paying. Hope, you think you could grab something from Bess and bring it over?”
“Sure.”
Rebecca flashed a smile. “Mind if I join you, Hope?”
“Perfect. You can help me carry back all the grease.”
As the two of us walked to the Library, I gave Rebecca the quick and dirty history of how Granny and Bess came to run a bar. I realized I was talking a lot, and I realized why. There was something I wanted to ask her… and, at the same time, didn’t want to ask her.
But after we’d ordered cheeseburgers and fries from Bess, and had taken seats at the bar to wait for our food, I hesitantly steered the conversation toward the uncomfortable subject of her and Alex.
“So…” I said. “How long did you and Alex work together?”
“Well, we didn’t work together that much, but we worked in the same office for three years.”
“And why’d you make the switch to the Secret Service?”
“Are you kidding me? It’s the Secret Service.”
“Yeah, that does sound cooler than state police.”
“So what’s your story?” Rebecca asked. “After I talked to you on the phone I googled you. I saw you’ve written for the Portland News Gazette… and yet here you are in Hopeless, Idaho.”
I chuckled. “I’m not really sure how that happened. But what it boils down to is, maybe I was a little too good at my job.”
“How so?”
“I did a story on the Medola crime family… that hit a little too close to home. They didn’t want it to go to print. I was fired, and the story didn’t run.”
“The Medolas are a nasty bunch.”
“You know them?”
“They come on our radar for fraud. Haven’t been able to get anything to stick.”
We sipped on our Diet Cokes for a little while longer. I hadn’t gotten anywhere in learning if there was a history between her and Alex. Maybe that was for the best.
But to my surprise, it was Rebecca who brought him up.
“If you don’t mind me asking… I saw the way you were looking at Alex. Is there something going on between the two of you?”
I shook my head. “In all honesty? I have no idea.”
“How could you not know?”
I laughed. “Because I’m the world’s dumbest female when it comes to these things. I thought maybe there was something going on, but…”
“But now?”
I shrugged. “Now, I think murder investigations are easier to figure out than men.”
She laughed. “Truer words…”
Bess brought us a paper bag full of burgers and fries, then leaned over and kissed me on the forehead. Rebecca and I left the bar and started walking back.
But then Rebecca stopped. “Did um… I take it Alex told you about us?”
And there it was. There was an “us.”
I tried to act casual. “About?”
“The two of us. We dated. Pretty seriously. Heck, I thought we might even end up getting married. Then the opportunity opened up for me at the Secret Service and… and I don’t know what happened.”
I didn’t know what to say. “And you’re telling me this why?”
“Because I know Alex, okay?” She let out a breath. “I know him really, really well. And I saw the way he was looking at me tonight. Between us girls, I just don’t think he’s over me. And… and I think the two of us deserve another chance.”
She grabbed the bag out of my hand. “I guess what I’m saying is… I think Alex and I can handle it from here.”
Chapter Thirty
Katie answered her phone after two rings. “Heard you guys made a big arrest. It’s all anybody here at the pumpkin patch is talking about!”
“Why are you at the pumpkin patch on a Friday night?”
“Because my idiot husband invited a couple of guys over to our house to help him set up his beer-making equipment.”
“Wait, what? Chris is going to start brewing his own beer?”
“Hope, don’t get me wrong. I love my husband. And I really love beer. I just don’t love the idea of my husband making beer. I explained to him that I could go down to the gas station and get a case of Coors Light for under thirty bucks. Or, he could spend a thousand bucks and spend a month making a liter of crappy beer.”
“Coors Light is crappy beer.”
“That was kind of my point.”
“I assume that went over well.”
“He whined about needing something to do other than work and children, work and children.”
“And I assume that went over well.”
“I threw a shoe at his head. And then, demonstrating how mature I’ve become, I decided not to throw a second shoe at his head. Instead, I brought my children to Bubba’s for some apple donuts.”
“That’s a lot of money for donuts.”
“Mary gave me some all-day passes the other day. I think they’re officially called ‘We’re sorry your five-year-old found a dead body in our pumpkin patch’ passes. Anyway, I’m just glad I got them before you nailed her for murder. I can’t believe little old Mary killed someone.”
“I don’t think she did,” I said.
“Really? Is that why you’re calling?”
“No, I’m calling because of stupid Alex.”
“What did he do now?”
“Buy me some apple donuts and I’ll tell you.”
“You’re coming to Bubba’s?”
“I’m a single woman and it’s Friday night. What else could I possibly have to do?”
I met up with Katie outside the haunted mine. She had a stroller full of donuts in front of her, leaving no room for baby Celia, who was in her mama’s arms instead.
“A donut stroller?” I said.
“Gotta keep precious cargo somewhere. Here, Celia needs some Aunt Hope time.” Without asking, she handed the big smiling blob of fat rolls and chubby cheeks to me.
Celia smiled at once.
Katie handed me a donut. “She likes you.”
I kissed Celia’s big fat cheek and gave her a hug. If I was being honest, I liked her too. I liked all of Katie’s kids, despite them being little animals at times. And I sort of missed being around them this week. But I wasn’t about to tell Katie that.
Katie raised an eyebrow. “So… stupid Alex?”
I nodded. “Stupid Alex.”
Katie laughed. “You know, I remember someone else you used to call stupid.” She smiled. “Jimmy.”
“Don’t even.”
“I’m just saying. What did stupid Alex do this time?”
First I told her about the question I’d asked Alex while having chocolate cake on her couch—the one about whether or not he’d ever been in a serious relationship. I told her how he dodged the question at first, then finally told me when I pressed him the next day.
“That explains the two wine glasses,” she said. “I figured you were just double-fisting it that night.”
Then I told her about Special Agent Rebecca Vargas.
“Geez, Hope. How does something like that even happen? You randomly call the Secret Service, and you get put through to… Alex’s ex? And then you just happen to invite to Hopeless the one person in the world you least want to come to Hopeless?”
“Only I could be this lucky.”
“Wow. And she really told you that Alex wasn’t over her? Just like that?”
I nodded. “It was cold.”
“No, it was evil. That’s something Gemima would do.”
“And she seemed so nice before that. You know, while we were just arresting people for murder and counterfeiting.”
“So what are you going to do?”
“I guess what I usually do.”
“Push down all semblance of authentic human emo
tions for the next twelve years until you’re interested in another guy?”
“Harsh.”
Katie grabbed another donut and took a bite. “But true. Hope, if Alex really is interested in this girl… then what can you do? Move on. And if he’s not interested in this girl, it’ll work itself out.”
“That’s a pretty balanced and mature view for a woman who threw a shoe at her husband’s head tonight.”
“Married women with three children are allowed some inconsistencies. You, my friend, are not. You are Hope Walker, you are single, you are beautiful, and you have a heart that’s bigger than you could possibly know. And you deserve to love and be loved. So whatever you do, don’t hide that heart. Don’t act like it doesn’t exist. And don’t act like you don’t deserve to be happy. I don’t know if Alex Kramer and you are any good for each other, but I’ve seen the way he looks at you. I remember how Jimmy looked at you. And I know how my kids have talked about you this week.”
Katie’s eyes got a little wet, and that caused my throat to tighten. I closed my eyes and tried to control my breathing. Then the screams of children brought me back to the moment. I opened my eyes to see Lucy and Dominic running out of the haunted mine.
“Aunt Hope!” they shouted.
I knelt down, and they both ran and gave me and Celia a big hug. I had to admit, it felt really, really good. Katie looked at us and wiped a tear from her cheek. I stood up and took a deep breath, then handed Celia back to her.
“So, Hope, what are you going to do?”
“Can we go to the haunted corn maze?” asked Lucy.
“Can we find another dead body?” asked Dominic.
I laughed. “Those sound like fun ideas for you guys. As for me… I know what I have to do.”
Katie cocked an eyebrow. “Be a real human being with the full spectrum of emotions, tell Alex how you feel, and lay your heart on the line?”
I smiled. “I think you know me better than that.”
“I was afraid of that.”
“You see, Mrs. Rodgers, I’m an investigative reporter. And though Mary Riley was doing some crooked stuff—I mean, she was up to her eyeballs in counterfeit money—you were right about her.”
“I was?”
“Mary Riley is not a murderer. Somebody else killed Wanda Wegman, and I’m going to find out who.”
I said goodbye to Katie and the children. Dominic seemed especially upset that we wouldn’t be looking for another dead body together. He gave me a long hug goodbye. He was an odd boy—equal parts dangerous and strange. But he was also special and sweet. In his own way.
I walked back down Apple Donut Lane to Lucinda’s Famous Apple Donuts. Lucinda was working the front counter, and when she saw me coming, she had someone take her place and stepped out to meet me.
“How’s everything going with Mary and Bubba?” she asked with concern.
“She’s admitted to the whole counterfeit operation.”
“Wow. It’s… unreal. Everyone around here is in shock.”
“And you?”
“Especially me. I never saw it coming.”
“And you know this place pretty well?”
“I thought I did. Like I told you, I like to know a little bit about every part of this pumpkin patch.”
“But you never suspected anything like this?”
“Never in a million years. I especially never would have thought her capable of killing poor Wanda.”
“You haven’t heard?” I said.
“Heard what?”
“Mary didn’t kill Wanda.”
Lucinda’s expression changed. “What? I thought you said…”
“I was wrong. After interviewing Bubba and Mary… it’s clear she didn’t do it.”
Lucinda leaned in. “How can you be sure?”
“I… can’t really say.”
“Then who did do it?”
“That’s why I’m here. You know this place as well as anyone. I know I’ve asked you before, but I’m asking you again. If Mary didn’t do it… then who do you think could have killed Wanda Wegman?”
Lucinda put her hand to her chest. Then she shook her head.
“I don’t know. I really don’t know.”
I caught the last couple minutes of Johnny Driscoll’s final show for the night. His mobile robot got into a laser tag fight with a robot alien space cowboy that I hadn’t seen before. The kids went crazy and gave him a huge round of applause.
He rolled his eyes when he saw me coming.
I held up my palms in a sign of peace. “Relax.”
“I thought your mission to destroy our pumpkin patch was done.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you hauled off the owners. That won’t be good for business.”
“So it’s okay to commit a crime, as long as you run a pumpkin patch?”
“There’s no way Mary killed Wanda.”
“And how can you be so sure?” I asked.
“Because I’m smarter than most people. Remember?”
“Well, Johnny, this time you’re right.”
“I am?”
“Mary admitted to counterfeiting. All of it. But she flatly denies killing Wanda.”
“And you believe her?”
“I do.”
“So… why are you talking to me? Hoping I’ll confess to the crime?”
“That would sure make my job easier.”
“Well, sorry to disappoint you, but I didn’t kill Wanda and I think you know that. If Kip and her really were dating, and if she really broke up with him, then I’d start there. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ve got a lot to do before I get out of here.”
“Big plans tonight?”
“Do I look like the kind of guy who has big plans?”
I found Kip Granger unloading the last tractor full of hayrack riders. He was wearing the same blue overalls, white shirt, and green John Deere cap that he always wore. I wondered how many hayrack rides he had given in his life. Probably thousands. And I wondered if I had overthought this from the beginning. I remembered Earl Denton’s maxim. Occam’s razor. The simplest explanation is usually correct.
Wanda’s body was found in the pumpkin patch. And nobody spent more time in the pumpkin patch than Kip Granger, the farmer.
One of the strongest motives in the world was love gone wrong. Kip liked Wanda. Maybe loved her. She broke it off. His heart was broken.
Occam’s razor.
I waited until everybody departed the hayrack and Kip climbed down from his tractor.
“Didn’t expect to see you again so soon,” he said as he took out a handkerchief and blew his nose.
“We’ve got a problem,” I said.
“What kind of problem?”
“Mary Riley didn’t kill Wanda.”
“I thought you said…”
“I know what I said… but I was wrong. Mary admitted to the counterfeiting, but she didn’t murder Wanda.”
“You sure about that?”
“Pretty sure, yeah.”
Kip pulled out his pocket knife and started to dig out the dirt from under his fingernails again. Then I noticed how suddenly alone we were. The hayrack ride area was empty.
“You seem frustrated,” I said.
“Aren’t you? I thought you figured it out. I thought you solved it.”
“I solved part of it—but not the most important part. And I’m here to ask for your help. Is there anything else you can tell me, anything at all, that might help lead me to the real killer?”
“I’m just an old farmer. I’ve already told you everything I know.”
“I believe you, Kip. I’m just… at a dead end. I don’t know what to do next.”
“Hmm.”
“Hmm what?”
He folded up his pocket knife and returned it to his overalls. “Listen, I don’t know anything about solving crimes. But I’m pretty good at fixing things. There’s so much equipment in farming that you pretty much have to know how to fix th
ings. Anyway, sometimes I take a machine apart to fix it, and I’m sure I’ve done it right. Then I put it back together, turn it on, and realize I didn’t really solve the problem. I fixed something, but I didn’t fix it completely.”
“And what do you do then?”
“There’s only one thing I can do. I have to retrace all my steps. Along the way, I always spot something. Something I forgot to do. Something I broke. Or something I overlooked the first time.”
“Do you think you could help me figure out what I overlooked?”
“Like I said, I’m just an old farmer, but…” He smiled. “Let’s retrace your steps.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Kip and I sat on a couple of hay bales while I walked him through my investigation from start to finish. Finding the body. Talking to Bubba and Mary. Finding out it was Wanda. Learning she was stabbed. Interviewing person after person after person. Getting both Mary and Bubba to confess.
I didn’t tell him why I was certain that Mary and Bubba didn’t do it. That would mean revealing that little detail about the real murder weapon, and I needed to hold that one back. Just in case.
I even told Kip about the high-stakes poker game. Yes, I’d promised Flo I wouldn’t say anything, but forget the first rule of Poker Night, I was desperate, this was a murder investigation, and Kip didn’t really seem the gossiping kind. I told him about getting the fake twenty from Flo, hearing her story about Wanda, searching Wanda’s cottage for any evidence of counterfeiting, and finding none. I told him about checking her computer and finding searches for mechanical engineering and recipes and baking and welding and pumpkin patches… and counterfeiting.
“Which makes sense,” I said. “If she had just discovered Mary had paid her with fake money, she wanted to learn as much as she could before she confronted her.”
“Yeah, that makes sense, all right.” Then Kip scratched at his chin. “What were the other searches about again?”
“Mechanical stuff, mostly. Hydraulics and… I don’t even know.”
He shook his head. “No, there was something about recipes.”
“Yeah, lots of stuff about recipes and baking. Those were mostly more recent. Guess she was getting into cooking.”
A Hopeless Discovery Page 19
