by Melissa Rees
Uncomfortably aware how silent the building was, he started worrying about Warren Jones. Aaron Wagner had acted funny and very defensive when he had gone to the office to ask about Warren. For someone who was usually so stiff and unemotional, Wagner had seemed nervous and impatient.
Cecil knew he wasn't very smart but he had a feeling Wagner knew where his friend had tumbled to and he was beginning to think it was way out of Mississippi.
When he heard a noise coming from the front door, Cecil listened to his instinct and hit the floor. Deciding that discretion was the better part of valor, he began inching his way around the boxes, headed to the front of the building and outside.
"Cecil, you here?" Aaron Wagner called out; his tone was light and cheerful.
Cecil lay almost flat as he watched Wagner walk around a large pile of boxes.
Wagner's head was swiveling side to side as he searched for Cecil. He was holding something in his hand that looked very much like a gun.
Cecil kept low to the ground and watched Wagner creep towards the back of the building, the gun at his side.
Cecile’s heart thumped frantically against his chest. Crawling as quickly as he dared, he made it to the front of the building before he heard a shout behind him. Getting up, he threw himself out the door and started running.
He figured he knew what had happened to Warren now and that was all he cared about. He was out of Savannah and headed to New York within the hour.
***
Wagner got to the door just in time to see Cecil turn the corner and disappear.
What the hell? Why did Cecil take off? Had he seen the gun he was carrying? Did Cecil really know anything about Warren? Would he go to the police? How in the hell could an old man like him run so fast?
Distressed and unhappy that Cecil had gotten away, Wagner jumped into his truck and headed home. He didn't think he would have shot Cecil. He only wanted to bargain with him. At least that's what he told himself on the drive to the warehouse earlier and what he was going to tell Otis later.
He pulled into the driveway and parked, then shut the engine off. Gazing around the yard and house made him feel depressed. They would have to run, he supposed. He hated the thought of leaving the country and being unable to return.
How had things gotten out of control so quickly? He honestly thought no one would miss Warren Jones. The guy was such a loser.
He pushed open the door and climbed out of his truck, then wandered around the yard. He hadn't told Otis about Cecil. Now he should, he supposed. Bending down he deadheaded a pink rose.
Otis had planted the rose bush when they first bought the house. He hoped that whoever ended up with the house would appreciate it as much as he and Otis had.
He sighed in despair and anger. Walking around to the back of the house, he gazed at the brick patio they had installed when they had the kitchen remodeled. They had chosen an antique steel table and chairs and a dark green umbrella for the patio. Pots of red geraniums filled window boxes. Everything thing looked wonderful. He was infuriated at the trouble Warren had caused him.
He took the house key from his pocket and opened the door. Walking into the beautiful kitchen, he ran his hand over the smooth granite counter. Opening the cabinet doors, he saw Fiesta dinnerware stacked and ready for use.
Otis had bought white dishes because he enjoyed the clean look of the dishes against the dark wood of the cabinets. Closing the cabinet door, he looked under the counter where they had the wine cooler installed. All sixteen bottles lay chilled and ready for use. Otis loved this kitchen.
He moved on into the dinning room and gazed at the Chippendale table and chairs they had bought in England. It was a beautiful set. He ran a light finger over a serving table they had brought back from France. The surface did not have a scratch on it. The wood gleamed in the early morning light. Otis always kept fresh flowers in a crystal vase on the table when they used the Savannah house. Lovely yellow roses filled the room with fragrance and also made an attractive display against the cream walls. Otis has such style, he thought. He gave himself a mental shake and turned back towards the kitchen. Feeling nostalgic was getting him nowhere, he decided. Maybe Cecil wouldn't tell anyone.
After all, he was a respected antique appraisal and Cecil was a roadie with little or no education.
And he didn't have to worry about the two women. They wouldn't be able to prove that he nor Otis was ever in Mississippi.
He began to feel better about the whole situation. Deciding he needed to stay busy while he waited for Otis to come home, he walked to the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water. Turning, he started upstairs. He would change clothes and work in the yard.
Otis would be happy when he came home from work. Otis always loved it when he worked in the yard. The grass cut, the clippings bagged put Otis almost in a euphoria state of bliss.
And perhaps they could grill something for dinner and open a bottle of wine, he thought. Maybe things would get back to normal.
He needed things to get back to normal. His thoughts returned to Cecil. The man was old. Wagner really didn't think he would go to the police. If he did, he did. Wagner would buy a lawyer. The odds of him ever going to trail were slim. If you had money, you could buy your way out almost anything in the United States, he figured. Even the occasional murder.
***
Miss Pettybone watched warily as Mildred and Louise staggered off the plane. Mildred, wearing bright orange pants and a sleeveless white blouse, caught sight of Miss Pettybone and began waving frantically from the runway. As she hurried towards Miss Pettybone, multitudes of colorful silk scarves floated wildly
around her head.
Louise, walking slower with a cane, smiled broadly in Miss Pettybone’s direction.
"It’s so nice of you to meet our plane." Mildred exclaimed, grabbing Miss Pettybone’s arm, pumping it up and down.
Miss Pettybone gasped in pain and stepped back, then put her hands in front of her. "Mildred, my whole body hurts and you're not helping."
Mildred frowned when she noticed Miss Pettybone’s face. "My God Loraine, whatever happened to your face?" She demanded. "You look like you've been in a fight with a tomcat."
"In a way I have. But I’ll tell all about it when we get back to the hotel." She promised, watching Louise walk slowly up. "What happened to you, Louise?"
"Louise had a slight problem in Las Vegas." Mildred answered, putting her arm across Louise's shoulders. "She had a small incident with a table."
Miss Pettybone smiled when she remembered Billie June's gossip. She shook her head and teased. "Did it have anything to do with a Wayne Newton concert?"
"You heard?" Mildred asked, annoyed. "It wasn't Louise's fault. The table wasn't very sturdy, so she took a tumble. Let me tell you, we complained mightily to the management, but they apparently have rules about getting on the tables, even if you can't see Wayne Newton."
"It was worth it." Louise said, hobbling forward. "Wayne came to see me at the hospital to make sure I was alright. Caused quite a stir."
"I’ll bet." Miss Pettybone agreed. "Well, let's pick up your baggage and get going. Lynn should be up by now and wondering where we are."
"Is she alright with us coming? I mean, she and I were never what you would call friends." Mildred inquired, looking not in the least concerned about Lynn's opinion of her.
"She's fine with you and Louise coming. She wants to find the man who murdered Warren Jones and attacked me, as much as I do."
"That's good. Although I must say Edgar sure acted funny when I ran in to him at the cafe. He said he didn't know you all were in Savannah."
Miss Pettybone briefly wondered how Lynn would feel about Mildred, once she learned Mildred had tipped Edgar off to their being in Savannah.
"Well, you both are here and we can finally get a positive identification on those men." She said, turning towards the baggage area.
"I am so excited; I hardly slept a wink last night." Mildred excla
imed, turning to help Louise.
"I slept like a log." Louise said.
"That's because you took a pain pill the doctor gave you." Mildred reminded Louise.
"Still, I slept." Louise said happily.
"So, what's going on with those men?" Mildred asked, grabbing her and Louise's baggage as cart circled in front of them.
"I promise, I will explain everything to you once we get to the hotel." Miss Pettybone repeated, glancing around looking for a cart. Finding a rack, she purchased a cart and wheeled it over. "Let's put your luggage on this. And we need to hurry, I have a cab waiting."
"Here, take Louise's suitcase." Mildred ordered, handing Miss Pettybone two dark brown suitcases.
"These are mine." She said, gathering two bright red suitcases. "I only packed for one week. I figure if we stayed longer I can always buy more clothes."
Miss Pettybone placed Louise's bags on the cart and waited while Mildred loaded hers. Making sure they were secure, Miss Pettybone pushed the rack in front of her and limped in the direction of Scott T.
Bolts of pain ran up and down her body as she shuffled along, ushering the women forward. She was grateful that she taken the pain pills before she left the hotel room that morning.
When he spotted Miss Pettybone pushing the heavy cart, Scott T jumped out of his cab and rushed forward. "You shouldn't be pushing such heavy suitcases, Miss Pettybone. You must hurt like the dickens."
"Thanks, Scott T." She sighed, giving the cart a last push forward. "It’s not that hard to push but my body really is sore."
"I guess it would be," he said, throwing the suitcases in the trunk of the cab.
"Scott T, these are my friends from Mississippi. Mildred and Louise will be vacationing here with us this week."
"How you ladies doing?" Randal asked, giving Mildred a quick once-over, noticing her bright red hair and colorful clothes.
"We're doing just fine." Mildred answered, giving Scott T a flirtatious wink.
"How do you know our Miss Pettybone?"
"Mildred, I'm right here. I can answer that. Scott T's been kind enough to drive Lynn and me around this last week."
"Well, I must say, Loraine, you sure know how to pick them. He's as cute as a bug."
Miss Pettybone glanced at Scot T and frowned. She wondered how he felt being called a bug. Mildred was indeed a man lover, she thought unhappily. It probably would be better for everyone if she had Mildred and Louise identifies Wagner and Keel right away. She had a feeling they would stay busy in Savannah.
Scott T slammed the trunk lid and ushered Mildred and Louise into his cab.
Giving Miss Pettybone a wink, he opened the front passenger door for her. "I hope you don't mind riding up front with me, Miss Pettybone." He said, opening the door so she could slide gingerly in.
After she was seated, he closed the door and hurried around the cab, then jumped in. "You ladies are going to have a wonderful vacation in Savannah." He said cheerfully. "It’s is the best party city in the world.
Mildred eyes widened in anticipation at the word party. She and Louise were going to have a wonderful time, she just knew it. She smiled and leaned forward.
"I just know we're going to have a fabulous time, Scott T."
***
Mildred was practically salivating by the time they reached the elevator. She stopped so many times to admire the men strolling around the lobby that even Louise got annoyed. And checking them into their rooms proved to be an awful embarrassment for Miss Pettybone. Mildred actually patted a hotel employee on his behind when he bent over to grab her suitcases.
"Mildred, what in the world are you thinking?" Miss Pettybone hissed, staring at Mildred, appalled.
"Good gracious." Mildred laughed. "They expect that. Besides, did you see his behind? It was exquisite."
"Mildred!" Miss Pettybone snapped. "It should be exquisite. He's forty years younger than you are."
"Not forty, my dear. Maybe thirty. Besides, I was just having a little fun."
"Can you say sexual harassment?"
"Sexual harassment? Pooh, all I did was pat his butt."
"Do not do that again, I mean it. I’ll move you and Louise to a different hotel before you can say Jack Robinson."
"All right," Mildred said, annoyed. Turning to Louise, Mildred whispered, "She's a fuddy duddy, all right."
"I may be a fuddy duddy." Miss Pettybone growing angry. "But I'm not hard of hearing."
"Calm down, Loraine. I won't pat anyone on the behind while I'm with you. I promise."
"She patted Wayne Newton on the butt when he came to see me at the hospital." Louise said, grinning at Mildred. “It was a hoot."
"It’s my thing." Mildred declared happily. "Goodness knows how many times I got patted on the butt. You don't see me being upset about it."
"Just don’t do it around me." Miss Pettybone snapped.
"Fine." Mildred promised, gazing around the hotel. "This is a beautiful hotel."
Miss Pettybone punched the elevator button. "The concierge will show you to your rooms. I’ll go tell Lynn you all are here."
Miss Pettybone watched as Mildred and Louise stuffed themselves into the elevator. Mildred had whispered something to Louise, who was giggling and watching the concierge's bottom.
Miss Pettybone shook her head, sore in body and annoyed in mind. She turned and walked stiffly towards the bar. It might be only eleven o'clock in the morning but she desperately needed something to settle her nerves.
She slid on a bar stool and glanced at her watch. She had taken the pain pill at seven that morning, which was four hours ago.
She waved her arm slowly, gesturing at the bartender. When he hurried over, she ordered a Bloody Mary. Propping elbows on the bar, she cupped her chin in her hands and thought about Mildred.
Mildred was what most people, who were determined to be kind, would call a free spirit. Miss Pettybone did not have any doubt in her mind that Mildred's number one priority was to enjoy herself every day, all day long.
The problem was that she needed to keep Mildred focused long enough to identify the men.
She moved her arms to allow the bartender to place the drink in front of her, then dug in her purse and showed him her room number. He nodded and marked it on her bill.
She sipped her drink slowly, savoring the taste. When she felt someone slide onto the stool next to her, she was surprised to discover Lynn hunched over the bar. Her face was set and her hands shook when she waved at the bartender.
"I’ll have one of those." Lynn said, waving at Miss Pettybone’s drink.
Miss Pettybone turned to face her friend and raised her eyebrows at Lynn’s face. "I thought you were sleeping in. What's up?"
"Edgar called hopping miffed about us not being on the way home."
"Miffed?"
"He believes being furious is tacky, and so he’s miffed."
"I see."
"He hung up on me. He's never in twenty-five years ever been miffed enough to hang up on me."
"Maybe you should go home." Miss Pettybone suggested.
"And leave you with the senior Lolita of Beatty, Mississippi?"
"I can handle them."
"I know you can, Loraine. But I said I would help and I'm staying. Did you get the little darlings settled in their rooms?"
"Not without some drama. Mildred apparently has the God-awful habit of patting every man's behind she comes in contact with." She said, sipping her drink.
"She patted someone's butt?"
"The concierge. I swear she patted him right on the butt." Miss Pettybone said, rolling her eyes at Lynn.
"I don't know why you're so surprised, Loraine. She didn't get the reputation she has going to church every Sunday." Lynn teased, feeling a little better.
"Still. I told her she couldn't do it again in front of me."
"And she agreed?"
"Of course she agreed, after I told her if she did again, I would move her and Louise to another hotel."
> "So they're checked in?"
"Yeah, and the sooner we get them to identify Wagner and Keel, the better I’ll feel about it."
"Well, it's early. Maybe we can persuade them to go to the Home Show after lunch," Lynn suggested.
"That's a good idea. We'll have some lunch and let them get settled in. Then, we can steer them that way."
Chapter 41
Mildred pulled the door open, and then pushed Louise into the hall.
"I don't understand why we aren't waiting for Loraine and Lynn." Louise asked leaning on her walker, as Mildred makes sure the door was locked.
"Because if we wait for them, we will be spending our first day in Savannah at the Home Show looking for those men." Mildred replied, grabbing Louise's arm.
"But isn't that what we came for?"
"Sure, we came to Savannah to help Loraine and Lynn out. It’s just that I don't want to help them out today."
"Loraine is going to be awful mad when she discovers we're gone."
"She'll get over it. What would you rather do, Louise? Go to some quaint cafe and have lunch or go to some big, hot, smelly place, and search for those men we saw in Benton?"
"I'd rather go to lunch, but I feel bad about leaving without telling Loraine and Lynn where we are going."
"You'll get over it." Mildred promised, pushing the button to the elevator. "Wait until we are sitting with a couple of frosty grasshoppers in front of us, and then tell me how bad you feel."
Louise shuffled into the elevator, and then glanced over at her friend. "Loraine has a temper, you know."
"Water off my back." Mildred giggled, ushering Louise towards the lobby.
After helping Louise into a waiting taxi, Mildred leaned over the seat. "Are their any charming cafe near here?"
"Yes madam, we have plenty of beautiful restaurants in Savannah." The driver said, smiling at the women.
"Okay then find us one so we can start our vacation." Mildred ordered, settling back into her seat.
***
