Lily Sprayberry Realtor Box Set

by Carolyn Ridder Aspenson

  “Me, too,” I whispered back.

  “Don’t think I can’t hear you,” Henrietta said. “And your daddies, they were lying. Just copying our family tragedy is all.”

  Bonnie laughed so hard she set herself into a coughing fit. Henrietta slapped her on the back twice and nearly knocked her over. Once we all realized she wasn’t in need of an ambulance, we laughed again. It definitely lightened the mood, and I was grateful. I’d all but forgotten that one of my friends could have been a double-murderer.

  Until I caught her sitting in her chair glaring at all of us, and then I remembered.

  * * *

  Dylan called just as we were cleaning up at the end of class. Caroline helped pick up the discarded paper plates and swept the scone crumbs from the table.

  “Everything go okay?” he asked.

  “Hey, Mom. Yes, class went great, but I’m cleaning up at the moment. Oh, Caroline’s here. Would you like me to say hey for you?”

  “Got it. Call me when you’ve got a minute.”

  “Okay, I will. I’m getting ready to head back to the office, but I’ve got to drop her off first, so I’ll call you back in a bit, okay?”

  Dylan understood. “Talk soon.” He disconnected the call.

  I drove the few miles out of the main area of town to the Abernathy farm, and Caroline and I talked the entire way.

  “I just can’t believe Heather’s gone,” she said.

  “I know. I’m in shock. It’s just unbelievable…” I shook my head. “And heartbreaking.”

  She’d been leaning back in the seat, but she sat up and stared out the window of my car. “Well, at least maybe now my life can get back to normal.”

  I glanced at her, not sure exactly what that meant. “What do you mean?”

  She rubbed the back of her neck. “Nothing. Things have just been stressful, that’s all.”

  I wasn’t sure how Heather’s death would alleviate her stress, but if I wanted to find out, I needed to tread carefully. If she did kill my friends, I didn’t want to end up her next victim. “We’ve all been through a lot, that’s for sure. Heather and I weren’t that close these past few years, but you two were. I know if something were to happen to Belle, I’d be a wreck, so I can imagine how you’re feeling.”

  She kept her body toward the car door and focused on the outside view as it zipped by. “We weren’t as close as you might think.”

  Okay, Lily, I told myself. Be careful. This could go really well or sink quickly into murky water. Choose your words with care. “I’m sorry about that. I had no idea.”

  “No one did, really. I never led on. It didn’t fit in with my plan.”

  “Your plan? I…I don’t understand.”

  She snorted but it wasn’t an accidental snort from laughing. It was a purposeful snort filled with disgust and disdain. “Of course, you don’t. Why would you? I mean, it’s not like we’ve really stayed friends since college. You and Belle dumped us right after graduation. It’s like we all came back to Bramblett County and y’all just up and stuck your noses in the air. I don’t know what happened, but until now, all that sister talk meant nothing to you.

  “I’ve had no one to talk to about any of this. I mean, first I find out my husband probably did cheat on me with Savannah and then I discover he and Heather might have been sleeping together recently, but could I confide in my lifelong friends, my sorority sisters even?” She flipped around in the seat and crossed her arms over her chest. She didn’t say anything. She just sat there, her eyes burrowing into me.

  I gripped the steering wheel, but my hands, sweaty with fear, struggled to stay in place. She was right. Not one hundred percent right, but pretty darn close. “Caroline, you could have come to me, and to Belle, too. Just because we don’t talk everyday doesn’t mean we aren’t your friends.” Besides, I wanted to add, but I didn’t, that it took two people to be friends, and Caroline hadn’t made a whole lot of effort either.

  She smirked, but her eyes stayed cold and flat. I’d never seen her so angry. “I doubt that. You’re too busy being little Miss Realtor and following that ex-boyfriend of yours around like a lost puppy. You don’t have time for anything else. Speaking of puppies, I feel sorry for that one you got. He deserves a family that will give him some attention.”

  I swallowed back the venom pooling inside my mouth. I could take some slamming, but she’d gone too far. “It takes two to maintain a relationship, and I don’t recall you putting a whole lot of effort into it either.”

  “I guess I didn’t see the point since you’d made your feelings clear years ago.” She tugged on her purse strap and wrapped it around her fist.

  “Well, I’m here now. So, why don’t you tell me what’s going on? What’s this plan you’re talking about?”

  “It doesn’t matter. What’s done is done. Heather’s dead, and I don’t have to act like I care anymore. Now maybe William can focus on me again instead of sneaking around with her.” She opened her mouth, pushed her tongue forward between her teeth and then pulled it back and breathed out. “Like that was even sneaking around anyway. Practically the whole town saw them together. Even you did. Don’t think I didn’t catch what you were trying to do at the sheriff’s office before. I’m not stupid.”

  “I never said you were.”

  “So, why didn’t you come to me then? Why didn’t you tell me you saw them together? If you were my friend like you say you are, you should have done that.”

  “I didn’t want to say anything unless I knew for sure. I’ve been trying to find out what’s going on. I even confronted Heather, and she basically threatened me and said to mind my own business. That’s why Belle got salty with William. You know how she gets.”

  Caroline’s face softened. “So, you told Belle?”

  I pulled into the private drive for her home on the farm and shut off my car. “She saw them together, too. We both had the same thought as you, and we wanted to know the truth.” I didn’t tell her our reason, though.

  “Did you confront William? Did he tell you anything?”

  “No, we didn’t. We haven’t had the opportunity.”

  She leaned back in the seat. Her body, tense and tight, loosened. “I don’t know what to believe.”

  I leaned toward her, took her hand in mine. “Honey, I will tell you this. When he brought you into class today, you were a hot mess.”

  She raised her eyes to me and sighed. “I know. I’m sorry.”

  I shook my head. “No, that’s okay. That’s not what I’m trying to say. My point is, William was genuinely worried about you. It was obvious. The concern in his eyes. You know how his eyes get all crinkly when he gets stressed? You used to talk about that in college. Said it happened during finals all the time, right?”

  She nodded.

  “He had that. He didn’t want to leave you, but I could tell he didn’t have a choice. I know he loves you. I don’t think he was cheating on you with Heather, honey.”

  “You don’t?” She bit her lip.

  “A cheater doesn’t worry about the person he’s cheating on, not like that. That man loves you like crazy.”

  She clutched her chest. “Oh heavens, what is wrong with me? He does love me, doesn’t he? And you’re right. I have been a hot mess. I don’t know what’s going on. My emotions have been all over the place lately.” She flung her arms around me and cried. “And look at what I’ve done to you. I’m a horrible friend.”

  I cried, too. “It takes two to maintain a friendship, remember? I haven’t been that great of a friend, but I promise I will be better.”

  We talked for a few more minutes, and as she walked to her front porch, I sat in my car, more confused than I was before. Caroline’s emotions went from one extreme to the other in a matter of minutes. Was that the sign of a killer or just a lost and confused wife?

  I needed a minute to collect my thoughts, or more to disengage from them and relax. Instead of driving back to town, I drove into the parking lot of Aber
nathy Farms.

  Fall season was just weeks away, and the corn for the maze was already fully grown and waiting for the design to be plowed in. The main sign said the design plan would be revealed on October first and had a burnt orange and hunter green count down sign next to it. The sign brought me back to my childhood and the excitement I felt knowing I’d be traversing through that maze soon and wondering what the design would be.

  I’d grown up finding my way through the various mazes at Abernathy farm every season, from the Georgia Falcons logo to the Atlanta Braves logo and their World Series win, to my favorite, the Atlanta Aquarium. The memories flooded my mind, and I let the tears flow with the sadness of knowing Savannah and Heather, no matter what their sins, would never experience those wonderful memories again.

  A harsh, loud knock vibrating on my window brought me back to reality. “Hey. You okay?”

  I jerked to attention. “Oh, William.” I’d left my car running, so I rolled down the window. “Yes, I’m fine. Just reliving old memories.”

  He kind of shook and nodded his head at the same time. “Must be tough for you right now.”

  “Very.”

  “It’s been hard on Caroline, too. That’s why my mom gave her those pills. Help calm her nerves and all.”

  “Are they still Xanax?” I asked. When I realized that question might have come off leading, I covered my tracks. “I’m wondering if maybe I should talk to my doctor about anti-anxiety meds or something? This whole situation has really been hard on me.”

  “I’m not sure. I think she gave her something different this time. My mom has a pharmacy of stuff in her bathroom. It’s sad. She had trouble sleeping, and she said she’s got a few prescriptions for sleeping pills, but I’m not sure which one she gave Caroline.

  He rubbed his chin. “I hope it’s not what’s causing her to act the way she’s been. Let me ask my mom what it was. Now I’m curious.”

  I nodded. “What do you mean, about the way she’s been acting?”

  He tapped into his cell phone, and as he did, he talked. I was impressed. I certainly couldn’t do both.

  “I think so, but I’m not sure. I told her she should go to the doctor, but you can imagine how well that went. She’s just so moody lately, and I can’t do anything right.”

  I waited, hoping for the right moment to ask him about Heather and Savannah.

  “Hey, listen, I owe you an apology for how I behaved the other day,” he said.

  I raised an eyebrow.

  “You know, when you saw me with Heather.” His phone buzzed and he checked it. “Oh, it’s Ambien.”

  I thanked him and then said, “You were a real jerk, so I’ll have to think about accepting your apology.”

  “Okay. I deserve that.”

  I didn’t break eye contact, but didn’t speak, either.

  “It wasn’t what you think, Lily. I promise.”

  “What do you think I think, William?”

  He held his palms up. “Come on. We both know what you think.”

  “Well, Heather certainly didn’t deny it, so are you going to?”

  “What? Are you serious?”

  “She didn’t admit to it either, but she didn’t really have to. The way she threatened me made it pretty obvious something was going on between the two of you.”

  He blinked. “What? Heather threatened you? I swear Lily, that wasn’t because of me. There was nothing going on between us, I promise.”

  “I’m not the only one that’s seen you together, William. Belle has, and according to Caroline, other people have, too.”

  “Did…did…when did she say that?”

  “Just a little bit ago.”

  He twisted around and glanced at his house, and then turned back to me. “It’s not what it looks like.” He swiped his hand over the top of his head. “This is bad. Real bad.”

  “She also thinks you were with Savannah in college, and I have to admit, I think you might have been, too. I have it from a good source you were.”

  He spread his legs apart and crammed his hands in his pockets. “Let me guess, Austin Emmerson is your source. Am I right?”

  I didn’t deny it.

  “He’s telling you what he thinks happened, not the truth. Yes, Savannah wanted to get with me, but no, it never happened. She had some crazy idea that she loved me, thought she could convince me to dump Caroline for her and that we’d get married and move to Atlanta together. I told her it wasn’t going to happen. I never planned to leave the farm, and I never wanted anyone but Caroline.”

  When I didn’t say anything, he added, “Austin couldn’t stand me. You know that. And the reason was because he knew he was second choice to me, so instead of making it about him, he had to make me the bad guy.”

  Austin had a big ego, and I could see him feeling that way. I’d also watched William with Caroline during college, and even during high school. He’d been enamored with her then, and just that morning, the love still showed in his eyes.

  Either William was telling the truth, or he was an incredible liar. “I don’t even care so much about what happened with Savannah, but if you weren’t cheating on Caroline with Heather, why have you been spending so much time with her?”

  “Our anniversary is coming up. I asked Heather to paint a portrait of me and Caroline for a present. It was supposed to be a surprise. I gave her my wedding album, and we went to the different places in town that had meaning for us. That’s why everyone’s seen us together.”

  I nodded. “First Baptist Church.”

  “Where we got married. And the bridge is where I proposed to her, remember?”

  I did remember.

  “And you caught us coming back from the old barn last time. That’s where…” He smiled. “well, I won’t tell you what happened there.”

  I laughed. “I think I probably heard that story.”

  “I was paying Heather a lot of money for that painting, too. Enough to buy herself one of those condos on the Redbecker property.”

  “Caroline mentioned that.”

  “I need to talk to her. This has got to be why she’s been acting so crazy.” He leaned on my car window frame. “Thanks for telling me. I appreciate it.”

  “William, I don’t know if you’re telling me the truth or not, but someone told me something recently, and I’d like to share it with you.”

  “Okay.”

  “Secrets are never really secret. Especially in a small town.”

  As he rushed through the parking lot toward the field to his house, I sat back in my seat, even more confused than before. Both of my possible suspects gave me reasons to remove them from my list, while at the same time hinted to reasons their spouse should stay on it, front and center.

  Chapter 12

  I decided to wait until I got back to the office to call Dylan. I knew he’d pitch a fit about my conversations with both Caroline and William, but they weren’t my fault, and I needed to get my thoughts in order to prepare for our discussion. I did send him a text to let him know I was okay and that I’d call him in a bit.

  When I got to the office, the front door and what windows could be opened were, and Belle had a scarf wrapped around her mouth and nose. The foul odor assaulted my nasal passages before I even made it inside.

  I covered my mouth with my shirt. “What is that God awful stink?”

  Belle tossed me a scarf from her desk. “The Bramblett County sewage system, and it stinks to high heaven.”

  “Yes, it does. What’s going on?” I wrapped the scarf around my face, but that didn’t stop me from gagging. “Goodness, this is horrible. It smells like—”

  “Like the gates of Hades opened up and every demon used our office as their toilet?”

  “I wasn’t going to be that descriptive but sure.”

  “Trust me, I’m a lady. If I wasn’t, my adjectives would have been a lot more colorful.”

  “Have you called anyone?”

  “No, I didn’t think it was bad eno
ugh. Yes, I’ve called the plumber, but I think he got here, took a whiff, and took off running.” She wrapped her laptop cord into a ball and placed it into her bag.

  Ellie Jean walked in. “Oh, Lord. That stench could drive a maggot off a gut wagon.” She held her nose. “Smells like you ladies got yourselves a burst sewage pipe. Have you checked your toilet?”

  I glanced at Belle.

  Her eyes shifted between the bathroom and me. “You’re crazy if you think I’m going in there.”

  “Seriously?” I marched toward the back of the office, the rancid funk growing stronger the closer I got to the bathroom. When I opened the door, I gagged, shut the door, and ran back to the front of the office. “Oh, dear God. We definitely need that plumber, fast.”

  Dylan and Matthew walked in just then. Dylan, waving his hand near his nose, and Matthew pinching his shut with his thumb and forefinger.

  “Whoever did that needs to see a doctor,” Matthew said.

  Belle laughed. Ellie Jean rolled her eyes, and Dylan and I tried hard to not laugh.

  “Ladies, you cannot work here,” Ellie Jean said. “Get your things. You’re coming back to the library. You can work in the conference room.”

  Belle grabbed her bag, tossed the strap over her shoulder and headed toward the door. “Thanks, Ellie Jean. You’re the best.”

  Dylan smiled at me. “You’re going too, I assume?”

  I nodded. “Definitely. Just need to grab a few things.” I pulled some files from my cabinet, grabbed a few notebooks, and stuffed it all into my bag. “Thank you, Ellie Jean, your timing is perfect.”

  “Oh, sweetie, I was just taking a break and thought I’d stop by to set that appointment to discuss putting my house on the market, but I can’t let you work under these conditions.”

  Dylan tipped his hat to her. “That’s awful kind of you, Ms. Pruitt.”

  “Oh, now Sheriff, you don’t have to be so formal. You can call me Ellie Jean like these two.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”