In the stained mirror, I looked at my reflection as I washed my hands. Compared to Sandy’s new hairdo, I looked like a disparaged frump. I needed a new perky style too, maybe a a smart color and cut that said I am a successful soap shop owner on the avenue.
“Let’s go. I’m outta here.” Heading into the showroom, I glanced looking for Fanny’s glimmer. She’s probably sulking because I snapped at her so sharply.
I walked through the dark showroom and a deep male voice said, “Patti. Turn around and look at me.”
Chapter 25
Secrets
I whirled around and my knees buckled. Since Fanny became part of my life, I should be prepared for any surprise, but this… this was totally unexpected. I grabbed the back of a chair I was passing and held on tight.
“I’m sorry this is upsetting, but time is short. I don’t have long. I must tell you what to do.”
Belly Walker’s image stood beside Fanny. She smiled, glimmering golden yellow. “This is why I rode along. He’s got unfinished business.”
He glowed and glimmered as brightly as Fanny, and he smiled like he felt sorry for me.
“Nooo! I’m hallucinating.” Shaking my head, I gripped the chair.
Even in my state of denial, if I hadn’t believed I could see dead people, I should believe now. Only a short time ago, I sat talking with Belly, now he shared the same flickering Technicolor glow as Fanny.
Belly floated toward me. My pulse raced. If he touched me or did anything, I’d probably pass out again and it might be hours before the shop employees found me.
“I’m as surprised as you,” Belly said stopping nearby. “Heck, if I’d known how it was going to be, I would’ve been more rambunctious. Kicked up my heels higher.” He snickered and added, “You better sit down.”
“This… this… isn’t real. It can’t be.” Denial was my best attribute, and now it replaced my bah humbug and empty nest syndrome.
“He knows who murdered him. Isn’t that nice?” Fanny asked. “He can solve the case.”
I tried to gather my wits, but they were so scattered I couldn’t find one wit.
“He’s gotta go soon. Can’t hang around waiting for you to be all right.”
Belly didn’t wait for me to calm down. “Remember the part of the shop where you and Muriel decorated the bathtub?”
“Yeah.” I nodded, easing around the chair to sit. My weak knees wouldn’t support my weight if I let go.
“A week ago, Bangor brought me a car I’d been asking Gretchen for.”
“Yeah?” I took a deep breath because if Belly was headed to the Beyond, this was my only chance to hear his version of the events.
“I hid it in the back of the shop. Nobody goes there. You get the police to look in the trunk of the car.”
I closed my eyes, pressed my heels hard onto the floor. Knowing better, I asked, “What’s in the trunk?”
“Don’t worry yourself. It’s the secret Gretchen’s been keeping.”
I looked up. “I can’t do that. How will I explain how I found out about this?”
“Tell Dick you forgot about this part. He’ll understand. He’s clueless. Needs your help.”
“So, Bangor didn’t…?”
“Uh-uh. He found me, but did the wrong thing. He got spooked. He had a girlfriend… he should’ve gotten away from his family. Good kid didn’t have a chance.”
Belly held up a finger. “One more thing. Gretchen’s gonna get him, too. He needs protection.”
“One of the shop guys just told me, Dick picked him up. Walker’s there now.”
“Like I said, somebody’s gonna silence him.” His beautiful glimmer faded into a soft watery glow. “Looks like I gotta go.”
“Wait don’t go.” Strength surged in me, and I reached out, but he faded more. “Ally had a baby. It’s Walker’s. We’re grandparents just like we always dreamed.”
“I already know. Don’t worry about those kids. They’ll turn out all right.”
He looked at Fanny, and she looked so sad, I felt a catch in my chest as my heart slowed. He was leaving without her. Whispering, she released him. “Go. The Beyond is waiting for you.”
When I came out of my daze, we were sitting in the car. My head hurt, my body ached, and I was thirsty like I’d been snoring for hours. The sun wasn’t much lower in the sky, and Myra’s gift boxes still needed to be delivered.
Fanny sat beside me, sewing her red bowtie. “Ooh, there you are. I thought you’d never wake up.”
“I’m groggy and sick.”
“I’m sure. It took all my strength to hold him here long enough. It drained you, too. Belly said the kid insisted on pulling the car from the junkyard. Belly didn’t want him to do it. But after he had it out, Belly wasn’t going to give it back. That’s why that old crow was so mad. The kid didn’t want any money or nothing.”
My hand shook as I twisted the cap from the bottle of water I left in the cup holder.
“Which car?” My brain wasn’t firing on all cylinders and was full of cobwebs.
“The one missing at the junkyard. Belly said there’s a stash of cash in the trunk, and other surprises.”
“Sounds like the kid was crazy about Belly.”
Fanny gazed through the windshield. “Belly thought he’d make a great mechanic. Said it wasn’t too late to help him.”
“Help him how?”
The guy who I talked to in the bay door, rapped his knuckle on the window. “You okay?”
“Oh, hey. Yeah, I was just talking on the phone.” I raised my phone proving I wasn’t lying, even though I was. I hadn’t been talking, I was recovering from another traumatic event.
He nodded. “Okay. Just checking.”
I waved him off. I didn’t want his employees to think there was something wrong. There was something drastically wrong, I just talked to their dead boss with a chattering dead seamstress.
Pushing the car’s start button, I said, “I must get to Myra’s and back to the shop. It’s already after four o’clock. I gotta go. I can’t think about this right now.”
Arriving at Myra’s home, I gave Fanny a warning. “Don’t get out of the car. I’m only dropping off, not staying for a visit.”
Myra greeted me in the driveway. “There you are, I was getting worried.”
At the back of the car, we passed gift boxes between us, and she ferried them into the open front door into the foyer.
“I stopped off to see Walker, but he wasn’t at the shop…” I had to be careful, I couldn’t give Myra even an inkling about what Belly said.
“I heard they found the Floyd boy.”
I handed her two gift boxes. “Yeah, I heard it too.”
Secret keeping was hard work. I couldn’t tell Myra I turned the Bangor boy in either, and now I was sorry I had. On a whim, I made one phone call to rat on an innocent person. He was a victim as well, a victim of belonging to a gangster family. The only good thing about what I did was that he’d be safe inside the sheriff’s department. Instead of turning him in, I needed to find him an attorney.
“You think the kid did it? From what I heard Belly’s head was blown—”
“He’s innocent. He was only pulling parts for Belly.”
“Blown clean off.” She set the boxes on the foyer table and took mine. Sandy included an envelope with Myra’s name written on it, and I handed it to her without a word.
Going back for the last few boxes, I glanced over the backseat only to see Fanny’s green eyes glowing over it. She was acting nice, and I put my finger to my lips, reminding her to keep quiet. Carrying the last two boxes, I met Myra at her door.
“I’ll call Sandy with my credit card number. Maybe y’all should keep it on file.”
“We better not for security’s sake. I’d hate for someone to steal your information.”
“Guess you’re right. How is Belly’s son?”
I shut the car’s lift backdoor. “Walker? Oh, he’s fine. His daddy’s head got blown o
ff, but other than that…”
Shrugging, I headed around the car, but stopped before I got in. Myra stood watching me run away with her mouth open.
Wincing, I realized how abrupt and crass I acted. “I’m sorry.”
I went back and gave her a big hug. “Things have blown up. On top of Belly’s murder, Ally came home.”
Confession felt good, better than keeping secrets and standing on Myra’s porch I told her the whole story about the baby, including Ally’s ugly dreadlocks. Admitting Walker was Allison’s father made that fact feel even more real. When I finished I felt better than I had in weeks, ever since I developed bah humbug.
Myra hugged me back. “It’s okay. I had no idea. No wonder you’re so stressed and flustered.” She walked me to the car, offering advice on how to remain calm under adversity but I listened without comment. She was part of the problem with her upcoming remodeling plans.
I opened the car door. “Thanks for being so understanding.”
She smiled, waving. “Who’s with you? I’ve never seen her before.”
My eyelid ticked, her words frightened me. “Who? What? I’m alone.”
Myra leaned over and did a double-take peering into the open car door again. “Oh! I thought I saw someone waving.”
“Just an overactive imagination. After what Morris did to you, I’d see things, too. You try to rest, you hear?”
She shrugged. “Guess your right, I haven’t been right since.” Rumors about town said she was seeing a therapist.
“Guess you can talk that out.” I grinned, but got in the car fast, slammed the door and buckled my seatbelt. Waving at her, I hurried to drive away.
A safe distance from Myra’s new security gate, I glared at Fanny. “She could see you! You better stop doing that.”
“What? Who? I didn’t do a thing.” Chuckling, she sewed her red bow tie, glimmering gleefully.
Chapter 26
Beyond
Back at the shop, Fanny passed through the car door leaving me behind. I sat in the car musing about Belly, even though I saw him, I couldn’t wrap my head around the reality.
These things weren’t possible, were they?
Fanny sent Belly to the Beyond. Wherever and whatever that might be. It must be Heaven because where else would Belly go? He was an angel on earth, he deserves the best of everything else.
Cringing, I popped open the car door and got out. Finger-combing my tangles, I straightened my shoulders putting on a chipper smile. My bah humbug had returned full force, as I keyed open the Row’s door. Opening the backdoor had begun to feel like Let’s Make A Deal, I never know who or what might surprise me behind it.
I hung up my jacket, and for a change, the shop felt warm. I called, “You out there?”
Etta had cleaned the workroom to perfection and finished the gift box orders.
Sandy hollered. “Yeah, I’m in here.”
I went into the room, relieved there weren't any customers.
She smiled, flipping her snappy new hairdo. “How was your afternoon?”
Why did she ask? Imagine the look on her face if I said yawning—Ho-hum. Boring as usual. I talked to Belly. He solved the mystery of who killed him. Sort of in a round about way. Then Fanny gave him a nice sendoff to the Beyond. How was your afternoon?
Of course, I wouldn’t blow her mind with such nonsense. Instead I said, “Myra was good. She said she’d call with her credit card number.”
Sandy grinned slightly. “She already called. Said she saw someone riding in your car, but then when she looked again there wasn’t anyone there. She said it was weird.”
She got off the stool, and I pulled the stool underneath me. “Yeah, she said she saw someone. I’ve been alone all afternoon. I’m sure it’s only Myra’s stress issues, she’s acted paranoid since Morris kidnapped her.”
“Joined the crazy club, huh?”
She made me grin, and I said. “She’s seeing a therapist. More the merrier.”
“A therapist, eh?” From now on, Sandy will always believe Myra is crazy, too.
I changed the subject. “So, it’s been slow today?”
“Yeah, worst day in our history. Until Myra paid her bill. Now we’re rich.” She ruffled a finger along the scant receipts in the binder below the counter.
“Cha-Ching!” I held up my palm, and she gleefully high-fived it.
“I needed a low-key afternoon. Getting my hair done did me in. You headed home?”
“Yeah. Anything else happen?”
“Anita called on the land line. Said she took Ally to meet a friend.”
“She did? I mean funny she didn’t call or text me.” Who did Ally go visit? Was she spreading the word about Allison? Our local gossipers, blabbermouth Erica, would enjoy sharing that news. If she wasn’t careful, Walker would get wind of the baby.
“I haven’t heard from her. What’s up with that?” No break of dawn text messages made me think Anita didn’t love me anymore.
“She said she dropped her phone in the toilet. About scared her to death.”
I didn’t stifle my giggle. I’ve dropped my cell phone in the toilet before, it sparked like fireworks, crackling as it died a watery death. Anita won’t forget it and will add it to her long list of stories she loves to retell. “Did she get a new phone?”
“Yeah. She and Ally went by the phone store. She added Ally to her plan until she can get things settled.”
I nodded agreeing, but I would pay her for Ally’s service. She was like a mother and a grandmother, but I couldn’t have her shouldering our expenses.
“Did they leave their numbers?”
“Nope. I’m assuming she didn’t change her number. I forgot to ask for Ally’s.”
She patted her bob again. “Let’s close up early. I’m bushed. My plantar fasciitis is flaring up.”
“Okay.” Closing early was just fine with me.
During the winter, with the early sunset, it doesn’t make much sense to stay open while everyone was wrapped in their kerchiefs, sipping cocoa by a fire and reading a good mystery. If I had a fireplace that’s where I’d want to be. “You go. I’ll lock up.”
“There’s cash in the drawer. Don’t forget to take it with you.”
“Sure.” Sandy didn’t waste any time finding her coat and purse. “Wuu! I’m beat. See you tomorrow.” As she left the security door thudded shut.
I flipped off the overhead lights, straightened the countertop and locked the deadbolt. Outside the door, our Christmas lights strung in the window illuminated the sidewalk. Across the avenue, lights twinkled in the evergreen tree reminding me I hadn’t shopped for a single gift.
Usually by this time, I’d have my gifts wrapped and under the tree. Before I can shop, I must figure out how to tell Dick what Belly told me. Fanny said there was money and something else in the trunk of the car. Was that Gretchen’s secret Bubba mentioned? There couldn’t be anything in that car which was worth killing Belly.
“Don’t worry.” Fanny sat in her favorite spot in the display window, flashing dull slow flickers of light. “Everything will turn out like Belly said.”
Sensing her darker mood, I asked, “Are you lonesome tonight?”
She played with a tendril of hair falling from her chignon. “It was good to send Belly off. He needed to let go.”
Leaning against the window wall, we shared the small space. Outside the window, Hot Springs looked rosy but we were sadly grieving our shared loss.
After Christmas, when Myra moves her big bathtub into the space, I won’t be able to join Fanny in the window.
“He’ll be a good addition to the Beyond.”
“Yes, he’ll fit in fine.” Near where Fanny’s heart would have been a short flash of golden yellow lit her core.
“Why don’t you just go? With the information Ralph gave you about Willie, we might not ever find him.”
Her yellow color faded quickly. “I’m not ready to give up. He isn’t here in Hot Springs, but he went s
omewhere.”
“True. He couldn’t have just disappeared.”
Although in Hot Springs, people did disappear. Volumes of old unsolved murders and disappearances filled dusty backroom filing cabinets in the department. I knew they were there, but in all my years of working for the county, I never looked into any of the old case histories.
“If I get time, I’ll ask permission to look at the unsolved disappearances.”
From time to time, a historian or retired detective asked permission to search through the old files, a daunting task even if you had time.
“I’m not in a hurry. Belly told me I was left behind so I could help you. He said you have many issues you need to resolve.”
“Guess so. I always thought I lived such a boring life. Nothing mysterious about it.”
She bowed over a sliver of red bowtie. “You should try being dead forever. Talk about boring. I love riding in the car going places, solving mysteries.”
I didn’t reply but thought she was causing more trouble than helping.
“I better get going.”
Counting the cash, I rectified it with the receipts, made out a bank deposit slip and but it in the bank bag. Cash was a pain. I suggested we keep the cash, stash it in a honey hole and adjust the books, but Sandy had a conniption over my dishonesty.
“I’m closing up. You okay?”
“Bloke. I’m fine. I got a date with Ralph tonight. We’re gonna trip the light fantastic.”
“I thought he was only passing through.”
“He decided to stay a few more days. Keep me company until… until I feel better.”
Chapter 27
Highlander
Pulling into my condo parking lot, I knew immediately things had changed forever.
Walker’s unmissable jacked-up Ford pickup sat in the visitors’ parking lot. Even if I hadn’t recognized his truck, his custom license plates were printed with WALKER.
This time, I took the elevator and instead of going home, I knocked on Anita’s door.
Found Dead in the Red Head Page 13
