Moonlight, Murder, and Small Town Secrets

by K C Hart

  Chapter Thirty

  Katy peeked under the foil covering the metal throw away pan. The peach cobbler looked okay. She had taken extra pains trying to pay attention as she stirred it together for the second time last night, but still, looks could be deceiving. She got a teaspoon out of the silverware drawer and dipped a tiny taste out of the corner of the pan. She smiled dropping the teaspoon in the sink. Thank goodness, sugary sweet and peachy keen, just the way it always tasted. If she lost her touch making peach cobbler, she would have to resort to a store-bought cake from the Pig every time she needed to give someone a sympathy dish. She knew it didn’t matter, but good grief. Undoubtedly, she could still master the only edible dish she managed to make consistently for a few more years before the dementia kicked in.

  She crimped the foil back around the edges of the pan and scooped it up with. She had texted Todd when she got home an hour ago asking him to call her when he got a chance. The only response she had received was the letter k. She had taken her time changing, but if she didn’t get the dish over to Amanda Carson’s house soon, she wouldn’t be back in time to make it to the funeral home with John tonight. She made sure her phone wasn’t on silent before dropping it in her purse and heading out the kitchen door.

  She knocked on the front door of the Carson’s trailer. As with her last visit, she heard little feet running from a distant area of the home. This time the door was thrown open immediately by the six-year-old grandson to give Katy entrance. “Mawmaw heard you drive up and we peaked out the mini blinds and watched you get out of your car.”

  “You did?” Katy’s eyes crinkled with a smile.

  The little boy smiled back at Katy. “Uh-huh. We were looking from Mawmaw’s bedroom. She still has Gunner in the tub and said I could come and let you in.” He stepped to the side of the doorway and swept his hand forward toward the inside, urging her to the living room.

  Katy stepped inside the room and the little boy slammed the door shut behind her making the nearby photos on the wall rattle in place.

  She turned and looked as he slapped his hands together as if wiping away some imaginary dust. He was wearing a white button-up dress shirt, black slacks, and black loafers. His wet brown hair was slicked over to the side and his smile of accomplishment at answering the door beamed out showing the hole where his two front teeth had once been.

  “You sure do look nice in your dress-up clothes,” she said.

  He looked down at his shirt then back up at Katy “Mawmaw says we all got to stay clean and not fight tonight at the funeral home.”

  “I’m sure you’ll make your Mawmaw very proud,” Katy said softly, eyes damp with heartbreak.

  He nodded his head in agreement and the smile left his face as he thought about the plans for the upcoming evening. “We have to go tell Momma bye tonight. She had to go to heaven to be with Rex. He needed her. He was our dog, but he got hit by a car and he’s already in heaven.”

  Katy squatted down and hugged the boy to her chest with her one empty arm. The other arm balanced the pan of peach cobbler.

  Tyler allowed himself to be hugged for a few seconds before pulling away. “You can put your food on the table with the other stuff. I’ll see if Mawmaw has Gunner out of the tub yet.” He ran through the living room down the hall out of sight.

  Katy sat the cobbler on the dining table then stepped back into the living room. She took a closer look at the family portrait of the Finch’s that had rattled when Tyler slammed the door. It must have been just a few weeks old because all the children looked the same. Laney was sitting in a rocking chair holding the toddler with Grey, the oldest boy, standing to one side of the chair. Tyler was in his father’s arms on the other side. They all looked so happy. Katy blotted more tears that were forming in her eyes. The youngest boy would never even remember his mother.

  She heard Amanda coming up the hall and turned to greet her. Amanda appeared to be holding up remarkably well. She had the youngest of her grandsons riding on her hip and the other two followed close behind. All three were dressed in identical outfits and looked to have just gotten out of the bathtub.

  Amanda leaned in and hugged Katy with her free arm. “Thank you for stopping by. It means a lot to us.” She sat on the couch and patted the spot beside her. “Can you stay for a minute?”

  “Of course I can,” Katy said, sitting down beside her friend. “I can stay as long as you need me to.”

  “Grey, why don’t you and Tyler go back to the toy room and turn on some cartoons for a little while,” Amanda said, turning to the two older boys who had snuggled up beside her. “Mawmaw wants to talk to Mrs. Katy for a second.”

  The boys stood and Grey took his little brother’s hand and led him down the hall obediently. The toddler squirmed for a second attempting to get out of his grandmother’s arms and follow his brothers. Amanda leaned over and sat the child on the floor at her feet. She reached under the couch and pulled out a shallow plastic box containing several brightly colored plastic blocks for him to play with. He immediately started digging through this new treasure and lost all interest in his brothers.

  Amanda sat up and turned to Katy. She glanced back over her shoulder to make sure the children had indeed left the room. “I guess you heard who is in jail.”

  “I’m afraid so.”

  “He wasn’t much of an h-u-s-b-a-n-d,” Amanda spelled out in a whisper, “but he’s always been a good d-a-d-d-y. I just can’t believe that he would do what they’re saying. He would never hurt his kids by risking leaving them without either parent like that.”

  Katy reached out and squeezed Amanda’s hand.

  “Don’t get me wrong.” Amanda looked into Katy’s eyes needing her to understand what she was saying. “He was a cheating jerk to Laney, but he didn’t k-i-l-l her. He knew she was the reliable parent that the boys leaned on. He just wouldn’t hurt his kids this way.”

  “I believe you, Amanda,” Katy said, nodding slowly. “I’m just so sorry that he can’t be here with his kids right now to help them get through this.”

  “Me too, although I don’t know how much good he would be.” Amanda leaned over and rubbed Gunner on the top of his head. “Johnny talked to him on the phone earlier and he said that the man is a basket case.”

  Katy didn’t know what to say. She squeezed her hand again. “Is there anything I can do for you or your family?”

  “Not today. Johnny’s down at the funeral home now tying up all of Laney’s arrangements. Me and the boys are leaving in a little while to go there. Jake’s parents are taking the boys with them tonight and keep them for a couple of days.”

  “That’s good that they’re helping you.”

  “They’re good people even if their son is a lousy husband.” Amanda reached for a tissue from the box on the end table. “They’re almost as torn up about this as me and Johnny. They’ll do whatever they need to do for the grandbabies.”

  “It sounds like you’re holding up pretty good, but are you sure there’s nothing that I can help you with?” Katy leaned over and hugged the grieving mother. “I cannot even begin to imagine how you’re feeling right now.”

  Amanda’s shoulders shook lightly in a silent sob as she allowed herself to have a few moments of relief from her sorrow. This only lasted for a brief minute. She lifted her head and smiled at Katy, wiping away the tears. “I have to be strong for my boys. They’re trying so hard to be little men, especially Grey. I can’t let them see me break down.”

  “Well just remember that if I can do anything to lighten your load, or make things easier, I’m available,” Katy said, wiping the tears from her own eyes.

  “As a matter of fact,” Amanda swallowed hard and looked at Katy. “There is something I need help with.”

  “Of course, what do you need me to do?”

  Again, Amanda looked over her shoulder toward the toy room down the hall to make sure they were still alone. Satisfied that she was not being overheard, she turned back to Katy. “Laney c
omes…I mean, Laney came to the house just about every day. In the toy room under the bed is a box of her stuff. I’m not sure what it is, but she was always going back there and putting things in and taking things out.”

  “What kind of stuff are you talking about,” Katy asked, tilting her head to the side.

  “I don’t rightly know. Papers and stuff she would take out of her purse. I asked her what it was a couple of times and she always said it was just things she needed to keep and not to worry about it. I figured she was gathering stuff about Jake in case she decided to leave him.”

  “Is it still there?” Katy asked, looking past Amanda and down the hall.

  “Yes it is,” Amanda said. “I haven’t touched it and that’s why I need a favor. I hate to ask you, but would you mind being there when I go through it? I just need somebody with me when I open it, so I won’t fall apart if I don’t like what I find.”

  As Katy listened, the wheels in her mind began to turn. Had the woman truly been taking things from the people that she cleaned for? Is this what had happened to the missing papers Mrs. Tellman was talking about earlier? She blinked her eyes as she realized Amanda was waiting for a response. “I’ll help you, Amanda, of course, I will. You just let me know when you want me to come over and I’ll be here.”

  “Thank you so much,” Amanda said, her voice shaky. “I would ask Jake’s momma to help me, but I’m afraid what we find is going to just confirm what I already think about him. There’s no need to share his dirty laundry with his momma. I don’t want Johnny to do it either because if he hears any more bad news about Jake, he’s liable to go down to the jail and beat him within an inch of his life.”

  “I don’t mind, but don’t you think you should give the stuff to the sheriff?”

  “I will if it’s anything he needs to know, but well, if it just turns out to be a bunch of nonsense then I don’t want to drag my girl’s name through the mud any more than it already is.” Again, Amanda looked at Katy willing her to understand. “I don’t know why somebody would want to kill my daughter, but if I can preserve her good name, even a little bit, I’m going to try.”

  “Of course you are. Any mother would do that for her child, and don’t you worry. I’ll be here for you and whatever is in that box will be sorted out.”

  “You just don’t know how I appreciate this.” Amanda let out a long, haggard sigh and reached down to scoop Gunner into her arms. “I think I’ll make it through this with prayers, my friends, and Johnny.”

  “John and I are praying for you and your family,” Katy said, as both women stood. “I’ll be waiting for a call from you to take care of the box, but if you need any help with anything else you just call. I’ll be right over.”

  Amanda walked Katy the few steps to the front door and hugged her one more time before saying good-bye. The woman’s world would be upside down for the next several days. She would love to know what Laney had been stashing in the box, but she would have to wait.

  She was planning on waiting until she talked to Todd before she looked at her clue book, but since he hadn’t returned her call, she decided to pull it out when she got home to jot some things down before she forgot.

  The last thing recorded was that Coach Finch was in jail, possibly for both murders. This was followed by a question mark. She walked back to the living room and sat down in her recliner. Emma Robinson said that the police had found gloves used in the murder in the back of Jake Finch’s jeep. She wrote this down, but also added ‘need more info, need to talk to Todd.’

  Mrs. Simmons said Laney Finch needed money and didn’t mind looking at peoples’ private papers. She also didn’t mind telling others about her discoveries. Mrs. Tellman said Laney was fixing to be fired for stealing some papers that belonged to Jessa Williams. And last, Amanda Carson had a box of ‘stuff’ that Laney had been secretly collecting.

  Katy looked at her notes and sighed. She needed to get a list of everybody that Laney worked for. She was pretty sure the woman had stuck her nose into something that had gotten her killed. She got up and went to the kitchen and pulled her phone from her purse to check her messages. Todd still had not tried to call. He must be very busy with something.

  She walked back to the bedroom to put up the clue book and pick out something to wear to the funeral home. A pair of loose-fitting black linen pants and a white peasant blouse with little black polka dots caught her attention. She quickly changed and got ready. She needed to get supper together, so when John got home, they could eat before going to the funeral home. She listened as his truck pulled under the carport as she was walking back into the kitchen. Oh well, so much for plan A.

  He showered and changed while Katy made them grilled cheese sandwiches. This was not the supper she had planned, but at least they wouldn’t have growling stomachs in a couple of hours. They wolfed down the melted cheese on the toasted bread and headed out the door.

  There were quite a few more cars in the parking lot of the funeral home tonight than there had been when Jessa Williams was there. As John and Katy were walking to the front entrance, they saw Jake Finch’s parents leaving with the three boys. They were several feet away, but the two older boys waved vigorously to Katy as she passed by. Katy teared up again as she thought about how the past couple of days had changed the children’s lives forever.

  John placed his arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. “We need to do some serious praying for that family, Katy. I need to drop by and talk to Johnny too and see if we can do anything to lighten their load.”

  “I just can’t imagine having to face everything they’re dealing with,” Katy said, laying her head on John’s shoulder.

  Laney’s casket was closed with a large framed portrait of her and the boys sitting on top. A spray of white roses surrounded the picture which looked like it was taken at the same time as the one Katy saw in Amanda’s house earlier that day. They made their way through the crowd, speaking to all the different people from the small town. Daycare workers and parents of the children Laney cared for, kids from the school where Jake coached, and, of course, all the people that Laney had grown up with in the town, were crowded into the building paying their respects, along with the extended members of the Carson family.

  There were flower arrangements and plants all along the walls that had been sent by loved ones. Poor Misty, she had probably been working her fingers to the bone for the last couple of days. Katy didn’t see her in the room with the casket. She excused herself from the group she and John were talking to and stepped into the foyer to see if she was there. She thought she had seen her car in the parking lot when they came in, but it may have just been someone else’s that looked similar.

  She scanned the crowd of people who were grouped together in little bunches of three or four all around the massive room with wanderers roaming from group to group. Most were talking quietly, some smiling, some crying. There were comfortable chairs all around the walls and most of these were taken as well.

  She began working her way through the room, speaking to people as she went. A few people asked her if it was true that she had been at Mrs. Simmons’ house when the body was found. She knew that people would soon find that out, even if the sheriff was trying to keep it quiet. Too many folks had seen her there and people just liked to talk. She had answered them with a brief yes, but she couldn’t talk about it. She would let them draw their own conclusions as to why.

  Misty was nowhere in the foyer. She was about to give up her search and go back to her husband when she happened to glance out of one of the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows on the front wall. There was Misty, sitting on the steps of the entryway with her back propped against a massive brick column.

  Katy stepped outside and walked over to where she was sitting. “Hello friend. You need some company?”

  “Well sure,” Misty said, her voice slow with fatigue, “as long as you don’t ask me to move or arrange a flower.” She patted the step beside her. “Grab a seat
. They’re hard to find around here tonight.”

  Katy sat down next to her and gave her a brief hug. “All of the flowers are gorgeous. You and your mom always do such splendid work.”

  “Thank you,” she said softly. “This has been a very, very hectic couple of days.”

  “I believe you. This place is packed with people and flowers.”

  Misty nodded. “I had to help with deliveries today. You probably already know this, but they let Coach Finch come up here earlier to see his kids and be with them when they arrived.”

  “No, I didn’t know that,” Katy said, “but I’m so glad they did. Were you here when they were together?”

  “Yeah, I was arranging the roses on the casket. The poor fellow was just completely torn up.”

  “I imagine he was. His world has fallen apart. Please tell me they didn’t make him wear that ugly orange jumpsuit and handcuffs to his wife’s funeral.”

  “No, they didn’t. How tacky would that have been? He had on a suit. Todd was in the room with him, but he stayed at the door while the family visited.”

  “Well thank heaven for small favors.” She reached up and pushed a stray hair out of her eyes. “Those little guys didn’t need to see their daddy in a prison get up.”

  “I hadn’t thought about that. That would’ve been bad for them.”

  They watched as people continued in and out. Katy guessed that Todd had been busy getting Coach Finch ready for his visit with his kids and that was why he hadn’t called. Poor kid. His job was probably just a little more crazy than usual here lately.

  Eventually, Mike came out looking for Misty. Katy told her friends good-bye and returned inside to search for John. She was ready to get home and call Todd.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Katy checked her phone as they got in the truck. Todd had texted about an hour earlier saying he was home and could talk. She punched in his number.

  “Hey Aunt Katy.” He picked up on the first ring. “I’ve been waiting for your call.”