Tony knew of some counties with programs organizing volunteers to check in with designated seniors or other residents who lived alone. They provided a safety check and some social interaction. He’d been toying with the idea of starting something similar here in Park County, but it needed a coordinator from his department. “Do you know where to look?” He held his breath. Waiting and watching.
“Yes.” Ruth Ann gave him a happy smile. “Are you asking me if I could or if I would like to coordinate the program?”
“Both.” Tony mentally ran through his office’s budget. There was not a spare dime. “It would mean lots more work for you and no more pay. We simply don’t have the resources.” He sat down on the chair next to Ruth Ann’s desk, feeling an odd combination of hope and defeat. “It could seriously cut into your manicures, but with your law degree and the inside information you glean here, you might be able to save, or at the very least improve, any number of lives.”
“One class I took should have been called ‘red tape and bureaucracy,’ because we dealt with it constantly. I earned an A,” Ruth Ann said. “I’ve gotten tired of watching people like Orvan slide into the cracks.”
“Did you know he was in such bad shape?” Tony hated to think someone had known and ignored the situation.
“No. If I had, I’d have told you or one of the doctors.” Tears welled in her dark eyes. “He’s a rotten old buzzard, but I love him. He’s my biggest fan.”
Tony believed her. “It sounds like you’ve been planning this for a while. Why didn’t you mention it?”
“I would have.” She sighed. “But until recently, when Walter began improving, it gave me something to think about besides him, his health, and us and our own problems. And, to be honest, for a while I thought we might have to move away from here. It’s only in just the last few weeks that I felt confident of our situation and our ability to remain here.”
“And with Walter better, his mama went back to her home.” As Tony remembered it, Ruth Ann had celebrated her mother-in-law’s departure by bringing in cookies and cupcakes for a party.
“That too.” Ruth Ann’s dark eyes sparkled.
“I’d love to give you the volunteer organization assignment.” Tony laughed. “I’m game if you’re game. It will take a while for word to get around, and it will require time to recruit volunteers and contact the residents in need. It’s your program. You set it up however you think will work the best.”
Her smile lit up the room and lifted some of the weight off his shoulders. “Tell me what you need, and I’ll try to get it.”
Ruth Ann ignored her single remaining unpainted fingernail, screwed the lid on the polish jar, and dropped it into the trash can. “Let’s get started and see what we can do.”
Blossom arrived at the Law Enforcement Center with a fresh, warm apple pie, a gift-wrapped box, and a shopping bag filled with homemade caramel corn. She stood in front of Tony’s desk and stared at the floor, her lower lip jutted forward. “I’m sorry.”
Tony’s stomach rumbled. He was hungry, and the smell of the pie was tantalizing. He wasn’t prepared to forgive her for the gossip firestorm yet, but it was inevitable that he would. “What does Kenny think about your bringing me pies? And now, what do you have, packages and caramel corn? It has to stop, Blossom.”
“Kenny says he’d prefer I not cook so much for you and so I’ll take the corn and the gift back.” Her head moved slowly side to side. “Won’t you keep the pie?”
“You know I can’t resist.” Tony took the offered pie and put it on his desk. “I get plenty to eat at home, and I can buy a pie you bake at Ruby’s. Don’t you think that’s a better way for me to eat your cooking?”
“I guess.” Blossom’s shoulders rose slightly. Tears filled her bulbous eyes and overflowed, streaming down her face and dripping onto her blouse. She made no attempt to stop them or wipe her face. She groped behind her until she located the chair and collapsed onto it.
Glad the chair hadn’t broken, Tony handed her a wad of tissues. He thought she was acting like an oversized three-year-old. “Mop up.” He glanced through the doorway. Ruth Ann stared openly, her mouth ajar. He gestured for Ruth Ann to join them. “This is not about pie, is it?”
Blossom shook her head and blew her nose. Ignoring the trash can he offered, she placed the used tissue on her lap and used another one. By the time she seemed calm enough to talk, she had five tissues lined up in a tidy row.
“I hate her.” Blossom’s entire body shuddered with the force of her statement.
“Her who?” Tony sincerely hoped she wasn’t going to say “Theo.”
She didn’t.
“That ex-wife of Kenny’s. She’s awful!” Blossom blew her nose again. “She don’t want me near her girls or Kenny or even Miss Cotton.”
Hearing the problem had to do with her love life, Tony was relieved as well as concerned. “Isn’t Miss Cotton your dog?”
Blossom’s head bobbed. “But ’cause Kenny’s little girls love her so much, she wants my dog.” The sobs morphed into a wail. “She says she’s getting a lawyer to stop me from—what’d she call it? Alien affection. And I said to Kenny she’s won and we can’t get married, and I gave him back his ring.” She began crying again even harder.
Ruth Ann delivered another handful of tissues, pressing them into Blossom’s hand. Keeping a tissue for herself, she carefully cleaned the used ones from Blossom’s lap and tossed them into the trash can.
Tony frowned. “Don’t let her run your life.” He floundered in the face of her obvious heartbreak.
“Blossom.” Ruth Ann stepped forward and patted the larger woman’s shoulder. “She can’t sue you for alienation of affection. Kenny divorced her long before you two became an item, didn’t he?”
Blossom managed a nod.
Ruth Ann said, “Do you love Kenny?”
Blossom nodded vigorously.
“Then you need to talk to Kenny.” Ruth Ann had Blossom up on her feet and headed for the doorway. “Tell him exactly why you gave him the ring back and kiss and make up. Kenny’s a good man. He’ll understand your side of this.”
Tony waited until the women were out of sight before taking the pie to the kitchen. He cut a big slab, slapped it on a plate, and shoveled a bite into his mouth. Instead of the normal exquisite flavor, all he could taste was salt. He spat it into the sink and washed his mouth out with water. “That’s nasty.”
In her heartbroken state, Blossom must have switched the salt and sugar measurements. He called Ruby to suggest she check the café’s pies for edibility.
Theo had days where no one seemed aware of her relationship to the county sheriff. This was not one of them. Every person she’d seen since she left the house had a comment or a question about Tony, his job, the recent rash of crimes, and if Theo was withholding information they’d be interested to hear. She was heartily tired of it. When timid Deirdre tapped on her workroom door, Theo almost yelled at her.
“Theo?” Deirdre whispered. “Can I talk to you?”
Theo sighed. It wasn’t like Deirdre to invade her space. The woman was usually so quiet it was easy to forget she was in the building. She was younger than the senior group and older than the new quilters. “Come in.”
Deirdre sidled in, glancing from side to side and barely opening the door wide enough for her to pass through. “I’m sorry to bother you, but I hope you can help me.”
“Let’s sit down.” Theo herded her to the window seat. She did not offer her anything to drink or sit down herself.
“It’s about my husband’s cousin.” Deirdre exhaled loudly as if getting a load off her mind.
Theo waited. Silence. “What about him?”
“He’s been acting weirder than usual. I mean, there’s always been something wrong with him, if you know what I’m saying, but it’s getting worse.” Deirdre’s hands floated in the air and waved about like they were pushed by a gentle breeze, but no words accompanied their movement.
&nbs
p; Theo blinked, waiting for the meaning of Deirdre’s story to become clear. “And?” She wanted Deirdre to leave.
“Well, you’re the sheriff’s wife. Don’t you think he should know?” The mouse snapped at Theo. “Honestly?”
“What are you talking about?” Defeated and curious, Theo sat down next to her.
Deirdre studied the floor in silence. After a couple of moments, she exhaled sharply. “Oh, I guess I didn’t tell you, did I?”
Theo shook her head. “Try again.”
“He—that is my husband’s cousin—has been staying in the tool shed on the back of our property ever since his wife ran off with a man named Bob. I’ve never liked him but, honestly, he’s gotten way worse lately than he ever was before. I know he does drugs, but I don’t know what kind. And then just the other day, I saw him drinking gasoline out of the mower can. Who drinks gasoline?” Her voice rose to a near wail.
Theo knew enough of the Bob/Not Bob story to realize this truly was something Tony should know. She called him on her cell phone, gave him the gist of what she had learned, and handed Deirdre the phone so she could answer his questions. Her recitation to Tony was a duplicate of the one she’d given Theo. She still seemed more impressed by his beverage choice of gasoline than his probable vicious bashing of total strangers.
Because Deirdre was so timid, Theo made sure she didn’t run home to try to smooth out any family rift and get hurt herself.
As the two women waited for news, Theo’s good manners broke her down, and soon she gave her visitor something to drink and threw in a mini-demonstration on the easiest way to quickly cut lots of the same-sized squares.
About a half hour passed before Tony called Theo back. “We’ve found him, thanks to you and Deirdre. He was passed out on his cot, and the hammer and wrench are in plain sight. It won’t take very long to transport him to the jail. Your friend can return home whenever she wants to.”
“That was quick.” Theo was surprised, but pleased.
Tony laughed. “It isn’t every day my wife calls with the solution to a puzzle like this. Thank you, sweetheart.”
Theo thought a box of good chocolates would be a nice reward, but she’d settle for some good old-fashioned gratitude. Moments later she had shepherded Deirdre out of her office and gone back to work.
In a good mood after arresting one of the county’s problems, Tony escorted Ruth Ann to the senior center. They wanted to survey the citizens who participated in the center’s activities and food service. Lunch was over, but there was a cluster of women at a table waiting to have their fingernails and toenails cared for.
Across the room three elderly men sat playing a board game. Each of them had a walker parked nearby.
A spry-looking silver-haired man came from the kitchen area, attracting the attention of the women in the room. He shied sideways a bit and kept his eyes trained on the floor.
“Have you ever seen him before?” Ruth Ann whispered to Tony.
“No.” Tony watched the women watching the older man. It was the way Daisy looked when her food bowl came out of the pantry. “The way the ladies are acting, I’d guess he’s someone they want to meet, up close and personal.”
Ruth Ann whispered. “I’ve decided to start with him.”
“Why?” Tony didn’t care where the work began.
“Because he is clearly here by himself and is new to the community.” Ruth Ann stepped closer to the new man. “What’s your name, and have you got a minute?”
The man’s gaze flickered from Ruth Ann, to Tony’s chest and badge, and moved back to the floor. “Sure, I’m Cecil.”
While Ruth Ann began her questions about what he thought would improve the seniors’ overall lifestyle and condition, Tony watched the elderly women, all of whom were keeping tabs on the new guy. They reminded him of sharks he’d seen one time, swimming in circles, checking out a piece of bait. Tony leaned forward and whispered, “Cecil, would you prefer to talk outside?”
“Yessir. I think you’ve got a dandy idea.” He led Ruth Ann and Tony into the fresh air. Once on the sidewalk, he straightened his spine and smiled more naturally. “The ladies are lonely.”
A pleasant-looking woman stopped her car near them, almost parking on the sidewalk. She climbed from it carrying a plate of cookies. “Oh, Cecil, these are for you.”
“Thank you, but I can’t accept.” Cecil smiled but shoved his hands into the back pockets of his jeans. In a voice barely audible to Tony, who was only a couple of feet away, he said, “Never, ever, accept food from a widow if you’re single.”
“Really?” Tony hadn’t heard of the rule. To be frank, he hoped he would never have to find out for himself. He liked being married.
“Yessir. I did back in Kansas. It was just one time, and then I like to never got rid of my admirer.” Cecil glanced up, meeting Tony’s eyes. “She tracked me to my house. Knocked on my windows. Sent me notes. Put boxes of cookies by my door.” He glanced over his shoulder. “I moved here to be closer to my daughter, but mostly to get away from all that attention.”
Tony was surprised by the gentleman’s intensity. “You don’t enjoy socializing?”
“Oh, yes, I do. I like to play cards. I even like to dance a bit, but I ain’t lookin’ for a woman who’ll likely as not yammer at me twelve hours a day. Life’s too short.”
At the request of Mayor Cashdollar, Tony and Wade attended the very private funeral of Hydrangea Flowers Jackson, in uniform. After the debacle at the visitation, only immediate family was invited to the service in the funeral home chapel. It was a subdued group—a couple of older attendees sported bruised faces and arms, probably due more to the fragile skin of the elderly than the violence of the fight.
The procession to the cemetery grew larger as it traveled through the gates. Once on public ground, it was suddenly well attended. Hordes of curious, some mourning, citizens joined in. The true mourners sniffled and stayed fairly quiet until the last amen. Then, chattering like small birds, they headed for the home belonging to one of the remaining sisters, Gladiola and Tulip, for the post-funeral party.
Tony watched as Calvin politely held the limousine door open for the sisters. Each woman paused before climbing in and offered the mayor a sincere apology. Calvin merely nodded his acceptance. All watching might assume he had come to terms with the fiasco in his place of business, but Tony had seen a copy of the bill. Words were not going to replace cold hard cash.
The twin husbands lagged behind the sisters but did not climb into the limousine. They walked side by side, moving slowly, leaning on each other. They paused near the group of women surrounding Calvin. Tony thought they might not have been invited to the post-funeral party. When Calvin reached into his pocket and handed one of the old gents a small pink notebook with a white cat on the front, Tony’s attention became totally focused on them. He stepped toward the men but encountered a pack of anxious women.
“My sister had two husbands,” Tulip shrieked. “And I’ve got none. Do you think that’s fair?” The feisty woman was so frail she wobbled in spite of her walker.
“If you hurry, maybe you can snag one or both of them.”
“What’s the hurry?”
“You’re not getting any younger and neither are they.” Her elderly companion laughed. “I always thought her husband had a bad memory—not that he was two people.”
Before Tony could extricate himself from the ladies and reach the twins, they had slipped through the cemetery gates and vanished, hidden by a stream of antique vehicles rattling down the road.
Tony decided to give the elderly widowers a few hours to themselves. Now that he knew they possessed Candy’s code book, he could let them grieve for a bit. He’d be surprised if the twins knew as much about it as he did.
Mystery Quilt
Putting it all together
Layout—place the two Block One’s on design wall or flat surface, one above the other. Place one Block Two on both sides of each Block One. Arrange a row of
three Block Two’s (yes, it does sound funny but that’s what it is) above and another row of Block Two’s below the center. Sew together into rows and the rows into finished quilt center.
Measure through the center, length and width. Cut 2 of the 2 1/2" wide border strips (B) the lengthwise measurement. Sew one on each side of the quilt top. Press to (B).
Cut 2 of the 2 1/2" border strips (B) the width (before border added). Sew 2 1/2" square of (A) on each end of both border strips. Sew one on top and bottom of quilt. Press to border.
Repeat process with 5" strips of (A) and 5' squares of (B)
Quilt as desired.
Bind with remaining 2 1/2" strips of (B).
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
* * *
“Sheriff Abernathy, this is Deputy Sheriff O’Brien.” The county’s name was lost in transmission. “I think we’ve got a little problem.”
The voice came through the receiver along with some howling wind and static, making Tony think O’Brien was calling outdoors using his radio or cell phone. “What’s up?”
“You know a Kenny Baines?”
“Yes.” There was more static, but Tony was sure he understood the words “woman killed” and “Blossom.” He couldn’t help feeling alarmed. “What’s happening there, O’Brien?” Tony tried to visualize where O’Brien’s county might be. It was not any of their immediate neighbors because he knew, or thought he did, all of the nearby law enforcement officers. “Where are you, and what is Blossom doing there?” He spoke his thoughts out loud.
“She’s not with me.” O’Brien said. “We’ve got a traffic fatality here, a Mrs. Baines, and there is a note in the car from your Ms. Flowers addressed to the Baines woman. Ms. Flowers sounds royally upset in her note about someone trying to steal the affections of Kenny Baines. While there is not a direct threat mentioned, it sure sounds like one to me. I presume both of these Baineses are connected?”
Barbara Graham - Quilted 05 - Murder by Sunlight Page 23
