The Road to Wrinkle Ranch

by Nick Russell

  John Lee and Maddy looked at the Impala, portions of which were covered with fingerprint powder.

  "Get any good prints?"

  "Lots of them, Maddy," Barry Portman said. “Question is, who do they belong to? We’re running them through the system now.”

  “You sure did good for yourself, Nathan," Maddy said, and the rookie deputy blushed slightly.

  “Don’t be praising the boy too much, Maddy,” Andy warned. “Otherwise he’ll start thinking he’s a real cop.”

  “Did you guys find out anything with all the running around you’ve been doing?"

  “We just had a meeting with D.W. and Schroeder," John Lee said. “We've got some information and some things we need to follow up on, but we’re still a long way from knowing anything."

  "Well, I can tell you one thing. However this comes out, it’s gonna be ugly," Barry said. "The rumor mill is in full force in this county right now. Every backyard gossip is spreading all kinds of misinformation. Alona Switzer from across the street came over to my place this morning while I was eating breakfast to tell me she’s pretty sure it was a Mafia hit."

  "The Mafia? Where did she come up with that?"

  “I don't know. She said something about money laundering and how else could a guy as young as McBride have a brand-new Corvette. Said the only way that happens is if he's dealing drugs or laundering money for the mob."

  "That old woman reads too many private eye books," John Lee said.

  Barry laughed and nodded his head. "No question about that. She's got a vivid imagination."

  “Well, it keeps her out of the bingo hall," Maddy said.

  John Lee was looking at the Impala when Maddy's phone rang and she answered it, stepping away so she could talk. When she was done, she said excitedly "John Lee, we need to go down to that hotel in Ocala!"

  "All right, John Lee," Andy said, fist bumping the other deputy.

  "Get your mind out of the gutter," Maddy told him, smiling, then said to John Lee, "They've got video from when Lonnie McBride checked into the hotel. And he wasn't alone!"

  Chapter 21

  It was just over 100 miles from Somerton to the hotel in Ocala, and they made it in quick time, taking advantage of the Charger’s red and blue roof lights to get through traffic. A friendly young African-American assistant manager, who wore her hair in dreadlocks and spoke with a slight accent that John Lee thought was probably from somewhere in the Caribbean, introduced herself as Brianna Simmons and took them into a back room with a bank of computer monitors.

  "Have a seat here, deputies, and I'll queue up the recording for you." She used a mouse to click on a couple of things on a computer screen and a list of files opened up. She clicked on one of those and fast-forwarded a while and said, “Here we go. Is that the man you were asking about?"

  "That's him,” John Lee said, watching a video of Lonnie McBride using his credit card to check-in.

  “Do you see anybody with him?"

  "Not yet, Maddy."

  “He registered alone,” Brianna said, “but like I told you when I called back, even though he registered alone, he was with someone. She stayed out in the car until he registered, then he went out and got her. Here, let me fast forward just a little bit.” She did and a new image came on the screen of Lonnie and a woman walking through the lobby together.

  “Now let me switch to a hallway camera," Brianna said. A moment later an image came on screen of Lonnie using a key card to open a hotel room door and stepping aside to let the woman go through ahead of him. He casually patted her on the rear end as she passed.

  "Well, I'll be damned," John Lee said. “That's interesting, isn't it, Maddy?"

  ***

  Since they were out of the county on business, they had dinner at a nice steakhouse and John Lee kept the receipt to turn in as an expense. Over dinner they talked about what they had found out and the best way to handle that information, coming up with a plan of attack by the time their meal was finished. They had a more leisurely trip back to Somerton County, no red and blue lights were needed this time, and held hands as John Lee drove. It was dark by then and he glanced across to Maddy. Her eyes were closed and she was smiling.

  "Are you asleep?"

  "No, just enjoying the moment, John Lee." She squeezed his hand lightly and said. "Can I tell you a secret?"

  "You can tell me anything. You know that."

  "I was really tempted to suggest we get a room while we were down there."

  “Seriously? I thought because of your…"

  “Yeah, about that," she said. “My willpower and resistance aren’t all that high right now, just so you know."

  She squeezed his hand again and John Lee said, "Don't make me turn this car around, girl. Because I'll do it. I'll turn this car!"

  Maddy laughed and said, “Just keep driving. It'll happen soon enough.”

  By the time they got back to town, it was too late to go by the sheriff's office and report to D.W. or Schroeder, so John Lee drove directly to Maddy's house. Seeing the two cars in her driveway, Maddy said, “Oh hell, I forgot."

  "Forgot what?"

  “I forgot Dixie and Beth Ann were coming over so we could watch Call the Midwife on Netflix."

  “Call the Midwife? What’s that?"

  “It's a series about midwives in London back in the 1950s and early 60s,” Maddy told him."

  “There's a TV series about women helping deliver babies?"

  "It’s more to it than that, John Lee. There's romance, and heartbreak, and tragedy, and comedy, too."

  “So, it’s a chick flick?"

  "No, John Lee," Maddy said patiently, "it’s not a chick flick. I guess you could call it a chick series."

  “I can still turn this car around and make it back to the hotel, Maddy."

  The two young women sitting on the porch of Maddy's house got up and Beth Ann Swindle demanded to know, "Where have you two kids been and what have you been up to?"

  “If I told you, you wouldn't believe me,” Maddy said.

  “Try me."

  “We were at a hotel down in Ocala,” Maddy said, grinning at her friend.

  "No way! You mean…?"

  "No, it was business," John Lee said.

  "Sounds like monkey business to me,” said Dixie Landrum, a reporter for the local newspaper.

  “Hey, you want to come in and watch Call the Midwife with us?"

  “Thanks, but no thanks, Beth Ann. I think I'll just go home and play with my dog," John Lee said.

  "Play with your dog? I thought it was polishing your bells," Maddy teased him.

  "What in tarnation are you two talking about? And do I even want to know?"

  "No, Beth Ann, you don't want to know,” Maddy said.

  "Come on, John Lee, stay and we’ll order pizza,” Dixie said. “It'll be fun."

  "Yeah, I bet it would be,” John Lee said. “We could polish our nails and everything."

  Dixie gave him an evil look and then turned to her friends and said. “We could do that. We could tie him down and paint his toenails and fingernails bright red. Better yet, hot pink! What do you say, ladies?"

  "I'm not gonna lie to you," John Lee said. "I've always had a fantasy about three hot women tying me up and abusing me any way they want to, but nail polish wasn't part of it.” He squeezed Maddy's hand again and said, "I’ll see you in the morning."

  They watched him drive away and Beth Ann bumped her hip against Maddy's and asked, "So, did you?"

  "Not that it's any of your business, Beth Ann Swindle, but no. We didn't and we haven't."

  “But you're going to, right? You're going to?"

  "You ask too many questions,” Maddy said. "Come on inside, I’ll order the pizza."

  ***

  Back at home, John Lee played with Magic for a while, then fed him and plopped himself down on his recliner to watch TV. He couldn't get his mind off of Maddy and the way their newly rekindled relationship seemed to be going. He was a red-blooded man a
nd there was no question that he wanted them to sleep together, but at the same time, for some reason, he didn't feel like there was any rush. The last thing he wanted to do was pressure Maddy, especially after what she had been through. Just knowing that it was going to happen sooner or later was fine with him. He watched some silly cop show for a while, shaking his head at all the mistakes that they made, and was drowsing off when his phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and saw that it was his grandparents’ number.

  "Hello?"

  “Hey there, John Lee. What's going on?"

  “Not much, Paw Paw. What’s up?"

  "I don't know. After you called Billy and told him about his daughter calling, he’s been out of sorts for some reason. He told me he might have to be heading down the road in the morning."

  "You're kidding me? He just got here."

  "I know, but he acts like something's wrong. I thought if you wanted to say goodbye to him, you might want to run by."

  John Lee really did not want to go anywhere, but he loved Uncle Billy and he sure didn't want to miss out on saying goodbye if he was leaving so soon. And, he was curious as to what was going on between his daughter and him that seemed to be such an issue.

  "Yeah, I’ll be there in a bit," John Lee said. Magic, finished with his dinner, was laying on the floor in front of the TV. He looked up expectantly when John Lee got out of his chair. “Want to go for a ride, boy?”

  The dog wagged his tail and John Lee said, “Okay then. Let’s go.”

  ***

  The lights were on in Billy’s motorhome when John Lee pulled in the driveway and he parked and walked over to it, knocking on the door. When Billy opened the door, John Lee said, “I guess I screwed up. I shouldn’t have told Bella you were here. I’m sorry.”

  "Don't worry about that, John Lee. No big deal. She’s always trying to hunt me down, but I manage to stay one step ahead of her.”

  "Can I come in?"

  "Yeah. The place is a mess. It's the housekeeper’s week off," Billy said stepping back to let him and Magic in.

  While Billy was bending down on one knee petting Magic, John Lee looked around the small Class C motorhome. Despite Billy claiming it was a mess, it looked fine to him. The compartment over the driver’s area was stacked with plastic bins of clothing and other items, and Billy had removed the couch long ago and installed a desk with a state-of-the-art computer, oversized screen, and expensive laser printer that was bigger than John Lee’s microwave.

  "I didn't know you were so into technology, Uncle Billy."

  "What do you mean?"

  “The big fancy computer and all that."

  "Oh, that? I get online and talk with my friends and plan my trips, stuff like that with it. Even play a video game now and then."

  "I don't think I've ever seen such a big printer," John Lee said.

  "It’s more than I need, but it was on sale and I figured what the hell? Why not?"

  "Paw Paw said you’re planning to take off tomorrow?"

  "Yeah, thinking about it. A couple of my friends are at a campground down in Bushnell. They get together and have a bluegrass jam session every couple of days."

  "I didn't know you played music, Uncle Billy."

  "I don't, but I like to listen to it.”

  "I'm sure sorry to see you leaving so soon," John Lee said. “Usually you stay a while longer."

  “Yeah, well you remember what I told you about hitch itch? How RVers feel the need to keep moving? It's a real thing, John Lee, and I need to scratch it."

  John Lee had been a deputy long enough to know when people were not telling him the truth, and though he had no reason to distrust his grandfather's best friend, something about the way Billy was acting and the things he was saying didn’t seem right.

  “What time do you think you'll be leaving tomorrow?"

  "I'm not sure. Stan and I were going to put new brakes on this thing, but I think it'll have to wait for another time."

  “Another time? If you need brakes, you don't want to put that off too long, Uncle Billy. I don't imagine this thing stops on a dime under the best of circumstances."

  The old man laughed and shook his head. “You got that right. Can’t tell you how many times some fool has pulled right out in front of me and then pokes along while I'm trying not to run over him."

  "I know what you’re talking about," John Lee assured him. “You’d be surprised how many people ignore an emergency vehicle behind them with lights flashing and siren blowing. Totally oblivious."

  "I call them Opops,” Uncle Billy said."

  “Oh pops?”

  "Yeah, Only People On the Planet."

  John Lee laughed and said,” I know some of those people. Way too many of them.”

  There was a knock on the door and Magic turned to look as it opened. "Is this a private party or can anybody join," Paw Paw asked, coming in.

  “Sure. There’s not much room, but make yourself comfortable," Billy said.

  “More room in the house, Billy. And Nell made brownies, just for you."

  “Are we talking the kind with the walnuts and the pecans both?"

  "Yeah," Paw Paw said. "She damn sure doesn't go to that much trouble for me."

  "Well, it would be an insult not to go over and have some, that’s for certain. And I wouldn’t want to insult Nell.”

  “No, that’s never a good idea,” Paw Paw said. “Trust me, I know what I’m talking about.”

  John Lee noted that he locked the motorhome’s door behind them, and as they walked across the yard toward his grandparents’ house, he couldn't help thinking that there was something Uncle Billy was hiding from him.

  Chapter 22

  When Maddy got out of the shower and toweled herself off the next morning, she did something she had not often done since she was attacked. She stood in front of the full-length mirror in the bathroom and looked at herself. A while back Beth Ann had assured her that the scars were not as visible as she thought they were, but she could see them. True, they were not as livid as before, and they didn't stand out as much, but they were still there. She touched the deep one on her left breast, where the doctors had reattached part of her nipple. Running her finger across the scar, she could still feel Emmitt Planter savagely biting into her flesh as though he wanted to tear it off. The doctors had told her that while the surgery had been successful, there was a real possibility that she would not be able to breastfeed from that breast if she were to have children. She felt a wave of rage come through herself and shook it off.

  “No, that's in the past," she told herself. “Don't go there, Maddy!"

  She applied light makeup. She never wore much and had just finished dressing when she heard John Lee's patrol car pull into the driveway. He knocked on the door and she yelled, “Come in," as she was putting her 5.11tactical boots on.

  "Good morning, sunshine. It looks like you survived the night of gabbing with the girls and watching babies being delivered," John Lee said.

  "We had a good time," Maddy said. “When we were kids I never really had many girlfriends to hang out with. Because of the way things were at home, I never wanted anybody to come over and see how it was. But now, with Dixie and Beth Ann, it’s fun."

  “Oh yeah, I can just imagine how much fun it is eating pizza and watching babies come out,” he told her.

  “That's not all we did! We talked about you, too."

  “I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing," John Lee said.

  "Oh, trust me, it's a good thing. You have absolutely no idea what a hot commodity you are, do you, John Lee?"

  "Me? I don't think so."

  “Oh, yeah,” Maddy told him, nodding her head. “You know you can have any one of the three of us."

  "How about all three of you together?"

  "Oh, silly boy,” Maddy said, shaking her head and smiling at him. “We’d kill you."

  “If a man's got to go, I can think of worse ways to do it."

  “Have you had
breakfast?"

  “I nuked a bean burrito."

  "Thanks a lot, John Lee."

  “I’m sorry. Did you want to have breakfast together?"

  “No, I don't want to smell your farts all day long."

  Maddy was buckling on her gun belt when John Lee's phone rang. He answered and asked, “What's up, Mama Nell?"

  “John Lee, you need to get here right now!"

  "Why? What's going on?"

  “Bella is here, and her and Uncle Billy are goin’ at it."

  “Bella is there?"

  “That's what I said, John Lee. She's here and they’re havin’ a nasty argument. Can you get here?"

  “We’re on the way, Mama Nell," John Lee said.

  "What's going on?"

  “Remember when I told you yesterday that Uncle Billy's daughter keeps trying to put him in some kind of nursing home or something and she called looking for him? I didn't realize he didn't want her to know he’s here, and now she's at the house raising hell."

  “Then let's get over there and see what's happening," Maddy said.

  ***

  Billy and a short, somewhat heavyset woman with short spikey blonde hair and deep-set eyes were arguing in front of the motorhome when they pulled in. Getting out of the car, John Lee said, "You must be Bella. I haven’t seen you since I was a kid."

  “Are you John Lee?"

  "Yes, ma'am, I am."

  “You need to tell this old fool that he's going to get in that camper of his and we’re going back to Iowa, or else!"

  "Or else what?"

  “Don't even go there with me, Daddy! You don't want to know what else."

  "Let’s just all calm down for a minute,” John Lee said.

  “Don't tell me to calm down. You have no idea what this old man is like!"

  "Maybe not, but I know him better than I know you," John Lee said. “So how about we just take this down a notch or two?"