“The baby rules my life.” Etta shook her head. “I’m totally out of touch.”
“Wait, there is something odd.” Paul stepped forward. “It wasn’t only yesterday though. It’s been going on for days. I thought about reporting it, but it didn’t seem, you know, criminal.”
“What’s that?” Tony straightened, paying closer attention.
“There was a car out on our little road, going back and forth and back and forth again. The driver, a man, kept checking a piece of paper,” Paul paused. “It looked kind of like a yellow sticky note, and he had a map stretched across the steering wheel.”
“That’s right,” said Etta. “Yesterday morning when I saw him, he was parked over at Kwik Kirk’s, the store, and he had binoculars and this floppy hat with a long bill and the skirt-like thingy to cover his ears and neck. I have no idea what that’s called.” She sighed. “I might not have noticed, but he’d turned his car and backed into the parking space. Not many people at the store park like that. And not too many people drive around wearing what I’d call a hiking hat.” She pressed her fingertips to her eyes. “Little Cooper has been awake more than he’s been asleep. We’re all barely holding together.”
“We like Alvin.” Paul swayed slightly and patted the sleeping baby, now curled up like a snail against his father’s chest. “He’s a good kid, and we talk sometimes out in the yard. I was glad when he was emancipated ’cause his mom’s just not part of this galaxy.”
“Does he come by the house very often?” Tony made a note about the driver wearing the hiking hat.
“Well, not to stay. He works in his garden or mows the lawn and leaves.” David’s eyes widened. “Come to think of it, I haven’t seen him for a few days. Is everything all right?”
“He didn’t tell you about plant camp?”
“That’s now?” Etta laughed. “We really are out of touch. I know he’s been looking forward to camp. I thought I saw him talking to the trash guy not long ago. You know, Claude. He comes by fairly often.”
“Let’s go see what Opal Dunwoody has to add.” Stepping outside again, Tony felt the contrast between the air-conditioned temperature and the midday sun. “I’m sure it will be fascinating.”
“I’m sure it will be, too.” Wade kept pace with Tony, even though he was still writing himself a note. “Seriously, the two sets of neighbors, Candy Tibbles and the Vanderbilts, were in touch with two different planets. It’s kind of interesting.”
“Interesting?” Tony considered the word and all its meanings. “Yes, I do believe you’re right, but timing is important.” Before they even reached the road, Tony saw Opal waving them over. The old lady sat in the shade of a grand old elm tree. Tony thought her lawn chair might have traveled over on the Mayflower and she might have been with it. Her face was nothing but wrinkles, discolored by years in the sun. She had no teeth, and her lips were sucked into the space where they should have been, making her look like a dried apple doll.
“How are you today, Miss Opal?” Wade called out as they approached.
Behind the thick lenses of her glasses, she batted her snowy eyelashes. “You ready to get rid of that young wife of yours and try a real woman?”
“No, ma’am, not just yet.” Wade laughed. “Ask me again next week.”
Tony guessed the discussion was one his deputy and the old lady had on a frequent basis. “May we join you for a few minutes?”
Opal waved toward the ground at her feet. “I’d offer you a chair, but I’m a-sittin’ on it.” She cackled at her own joke.
“We can stand, thank you.” Tony glanced over his shoulder to see what her view might yield. Then he walked to her chair and squatted so he would see the same view she did. With the heavy vegetation and this line of sight, she would not be able to see Candy’s house unless she went down to the road. She would be able to see the mailbox and the patch of lawn near it. “Do you always leave your chair in the same place?”
She shook her head. Moving the chair would change everything about her view.
“Have you noticed anything unusual lately?”
“Well, those young’uns across the road have a baby.” She grinned, exposing her gums. “He’s pretty good looking.”
“The baby?”
“No, the husband.” Opal winked. “The baby’s a charmer when he’s happy. They let me cuddle him some.”
“Anything else?”
“You mean the man with the map and the big spy glasses?” She leaned forward sharply, almost tumbling from the chair, mimicking someone holding binoculars. “Lawsy, but I never seen him afore, and he’s driving back and forth like we’re a Hollywood attraction.” She waved a gnarled hand in the direction of the road. “You see any movie stars?”
“No, ma’am,” Tony agreed. “You know Alvin and his mama, Candy?”
“That girl.” Opal frowned. “She’s been trouble since forever. Just can’t help herself I guess, but I ain’t sure how hard she tried. You’d think after all the trouble she was in she’d be more careful like.”
“Trouble?”
“That baby boy who drowned. You know, the one who lived across the road way back when Candy was supposed to be taking care of him.”
Tony didn’t recognize the story. “When was this?”
“Oh, well, before she had her own young’un.” Opal cackled. “We thought mebbe she’d give them hers when it was born. Be better for all concerned.”
“So, at least sixteen years ago.” Tony thought sixteen years would not be too long to feel the anguish of such a loss—and to carry a grudge. “Do you know where the family is now?”
“Nope. They moved away years ago, and there’s been a couple of different families in the house since.”
“How about their name?” Tony thought a name would help their immediate investigation.
Opal stared at the house, thinking. “It seems like the name was Pills, or Pingel, Partin, or something like that. I see them from time to time when I go to town, but I don’t think they live hereabouts anymore.”
Tony was sure his mom and aunt would be able to fill in the rest of the story. Those two women knew almost everyone in the county, between the two of them, and still had pretty good memory function.
“Wait now!” Opal’s hands vibrated and she leaned forward. “Candy was outside and yelling at a girl the other day. Candy was some mad, flapping her arms around and screeching like a crazy woman.”
“Did you recognize the girl?” Tony felt a bit of hope. Maybe this was what they needed.
“No, she had her back to me and was over in the yard with Candy. I kin remember how that little ponytail bounced up and down when she stomped her foot.”
“Anything else you remember about her?”
“She was a big girl. About the size of one of them Flowers girls and had, like, blue stuff on her arms.”
“What color was her hair?”
“It was brown.” Opal seemed pleased by her memory. “And she had on sunglasses.”
Wonderful. A female with brown hair and sunglasses would stand out in Park County like salt in the sugar bowl, but there weren’t too many with tattoos. “Any idea what they were arguing about?”
“No.”
Tony stared down the road, trying to picture what the woman had seen. “That’s fine. You’ve been quite a big help.”
“You don’t understand. No is what they were yelling. Both of them.” Opal’s faded, cataract-clouded eyes were sparkling with excitement behind the smudged lenses. “No more.”
Believing they’d heard all she had to say, Tony and Wade turned to leave. Over on the highway a small group of vintage automobiles was moving past Kwik Kirk’s headed toward town.
Tony couldn’t suppress a groan. “I guess this means the day after tomorrow’s the Fourth. Why not add escorting the parade to the search for our hammer-wielding attacker, and now a killer and all the bad behavior we’ll have from people mixing beer and fireworks.”
Wade whistled. “Those ar
e some awesome cars.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
* * *
Two of Candy’s neighbors down, one to go. Tony saw no reason why they shouldn’t go ahead and talk to the third one. Kirk Kil-patrick owned the convenience store. His wife, Elizabeth, was a teacher at the elementary school. Their children had probably been in school around the same time Candy was.
“Kirk’s Kwik Korner” faced the half-block-long road and was usually referred to as “Kwik Kirk’s” or just “Kirk’s.” The major attractions were gasoline, beer, and live bait. It wasn’t a bad place to get a sandwich either. Kirk’s had a small kitchen area to provide made-to-order cold sandwiches, hot dogs, and snack foods. Kirk worked long hours and sucked up gossip like a vacuum cleaner. Tony had been into the store many different times, and the owner was always there. If he lived farther away than directly across the road, he might never have seen his family.
“Hey, Tony, Wade,” Kirk greeted them as they walked in. “What’s happening over at the Tibbles’s place? Everything all right?”
His avid expression showed Tony he was burning with curiosity. The yellow barrier tape was easy to spot from his post near the cash register. Tony thought about feigning ignorance just to make the man beg, but relented. “There’s been a bit of an incident over there. Mind if we ask you a few questions?”
“Sure, what’s up?”
Tony ignored Kirk’s question and asked one of his own.
“Have you noticed anything suspicious in the neighborhood recently?”
“Suspicious?” Kirk shifted behind the counter, a hint of excitement sparkling in his eyes. “Like?”
“Strangers? Odd noises?”
“I called to report the radio blaring all night long, and it wasn’t until just a bit ago that someone did something about it.” The man looked angry enough to incinerate bricks. “What took so long?”
“When did you make your complaint?” Tony pulled out his notebook.
“I called after I got to work. Guess it was maybe nine.” Kirk calmed down a bit.
Wade asked, “And how long had it been noisy?”
Kirk shuffled his feet. “All night, I think. Well, it started much earlier. I’m not sure when, but I remember hearing the radio when I went home for dinner. It didn’t seem too bad then. We have air-conditioning so all the windows were closed, and our TV room is in the back of the house.”
“Did you call Candy and ask her to turn it down?” Wade asked.
Kirk’s mouth dropped open in apparent amazement. He shook his head.
“Why not?” Tony could guess, but he wanted Kirk’s answer. The longer Kirk thought they were here regarding his complaint about the noise, the clearer picture they might get of his relationship with his deceased neighbor.
“I’ve lived across the road from her for a long, long time, and I can promise that asking her to turn it down would only make her turn it up louder.” Kirk’s eyes rolled. “Once I suggested she might want to lower the volume on her television after ten o’clock because my wife and kids were having trouble sleeping. After that, for a month, she raised the volume at exactly ten o’clock. Turned it up as loud as it would go. I could hear the news here in the store with the doors closed.”
“Okay, I get your point. So, anything else odd or annoying happening around here?”
“Some old guy has been driving up and down and spying on everyone.” Kirk raised his hand to stop another comment. “I know, I know. Why didn’t I call to report that? To be honest, I’m not sure. The guy came in a couple of times for coffee and to use the restroom. He seemed nice enough, maybe a little wonky, but who isn’t?”
“What else can you tell us?” Tony tamped down his aggravation. “What kind of vehicle? Description of the man? Local or a stranger?”
“If he’s local, he’s new,” Kirk said. “I can get a video of him for you.” He pointed at a camera aimed at their faces. “You’ll be able to see him and his car.” He waved to his employee, who was busy putting drinks in the cooler while trying to eavesdrop. “Watch the register.”
A few minutes passed before Kirk returned, carrying his prize video. “Here you go, Sheriff. Anything else I can do for you?”
“Just another question about neighbors.” Tony checked his notes. “Do you remember the name of the family who lived in the house on the far side of the Tibbles’s house when Candy was a girl?”
“The ones whose baby died?” All signs of joviality vanished. “I still can’t believe they let Candy get away with it. It was murder, or at least criminal negligence.”
“The name?”
“Pingel,” Kirk said. “The couple moved away from here but her dad—I think it’s her dad, but I don’t know the last name—still lives out near old Nem’s chicken farm. I’ve seen him around town a few times but we don’t talk.”
“Anything else catch your eye or ear?” Tony’s mind was half on trying to place Mrs. Pingel’s father. The woman’s maiden name could help a lot.
“Nope. We’re a pretty quiet area. The new couple is busy with the baby and Opal—” He laughed. “Opal hasn’t changed since I was born.”
Tony didn’t give Kirk any information but made sure he took the video with him. Then he headed back to the Tibbles’s house.
Theo stood by her office window. The second-floor view let her see much of this side of town and gave her a lovely view of the Smokies as well. Even though it was still days before the actual holiday, the traffic on Main Street was already clogged. The Fourth of July traffic meant good news for the businesses, including hers.
A small parade was planned for the morning of the Fourth, and it would include her children and Daisy. She was still working on the pea costumes for the babies, and the boys planned to decorate the double stroller to look like the pod. They were going to be farmers. The big golden retriever was going to be transformed into a cow. As far as she knew, no one had asked Daisy if she wanted to do it. Theo tried not to imagine what would happen if the hundred-pound dog decided to leave the parade route, and wondered if her status as the sheriff’s wife would get her an extra blanket in the jail, or if she’d get the worst one ever when she got arrested for child endangerment because she’d agreed to let the kids do it.
There was no more space for anyone to park on the cul-de-sac. The sheriff’s vehicles, as well as the TBI vehicles, clogged the driveway. The mail delivery truck was making the far turn when Claude in his garbage truck stopped, backed up, and parked along the shoulder of the highway. Claude had evidently realized, just in time, that if he made it into the cul-de-sac, he’d never be able to turn around. He lowered his window and talked to Wade.
“I’m supposed to water Alvin’s garden.” Claude gestured to the barrier tape. “What’s going on?”
Instead of letting Wade answer, Tony walked to the driver’s side. “Did you come out here yesterday?”
“No.” Claude shook his head for emphasis. “Alvin said every other day. I thought I could combine trash collection and watering this afternoon.”
“Why are you doing his garden?” Tony never ceased to be surprised by what people did and who they did it with. What did their trash hauler have in common with a fatherless boy? Or, was he fatherless?
“We’re friends.” Claude laughed. “Bet you didn’t expect that. Well, me neither. The kid started coming out to the dump looking for old boards and junk to build himself a greenhouse and some raised garden beds. We got to talking about this and that, and the next thing I knew I was delivering the rescued bits. I helped him build the greenhouse and plant beds.”
“You helped build the greenhouse, not just the raised beds?” Tony asked.
“Yep. It ain’t pretty, and it needs some major ventilation, but the tarps on top help some. At least there’s shade,” Claude said. “Still, I doubt he’ll ever be able to keep something alive in it past March. It gets powerful hot in there.”
Tony couldn’t disagree with his statement. Except the tarps were not both still on top. “A
lvin’s mom died.”
Claude’s head drooped. “That poor beggar.” He squinted through the windshield. “That kid’s had nothing but sorrow and bad luck. First losing his grandparents, and then having to try to live on his own and raise his mom. He inside, back from camp?”
“No.” Tony cleared a sudden clog from his throat. “I gave him the news this morning. He’s staying at camp until we have a better idea what happened. Neither of us saw any reason for him to come back yet.”
“So I guess there’s no date for the funeral?”
“No.” Tony hesitated. “There needs to be a full investigation first.”
Hearing “investigation,” Claude turned his head to meet Tony’s gaze. “What happened?”
Tony saw kindness, curiosity, and honesty mixed with compassion. It was the compassion that made him ask. “What do you know about the Tibbleses?”
“I can tell you there’s several of us who pay Candy each month. Cash on the first. We drop the money into the mailbox. It’s a great one for secret drops, with the lock and all.”
“How many? How much?” Blackmail? Tony stifled a groan. He wasn’t sure he understood Claude’s comments about the mailbox. He’d have to examine it later.
“I don’t know how many, for sure. I’d say at least three, maybe four, maybe even more than that.” Claude shook his head. “I swear I don’t know who else is paying. I never really thought Alvin might be mine, but he could be. Anyhow, I had the money and couldn’t bear thinking of him being hungry or cold. So I paid. Three hundred dollars a month.”
“Does Katti know?” Once again, just when Tony thought he knew what his electors were up to, he was wrong.
“That I pay blackmail? Yes. Does she know Candy?” Claude thought about it. “I don’t think so.” He absently scratched his hairy belly where the shirt didn’t quite meet his jeans. “Katti understands that I was a randy teenage boy and Candy was giving it away.”
Barbara Graham - Quilted 05 - Murder by Sunlight Page 11
