Murder Welcomes You to Buxley

by Maddie Cochere

  The other door led to a small half bath. No surprise here. It was spotless. Even the wastebasket was empty. Magazines in the magazine rack had been straightened so they were flush with each other. As I turned to leave the room, my peripheral vision caught a small piece of paper sticking out from the side of one of the magazines. It was the only item out of place in the entire house.

  I pulled the magazines out of the rack and set them on the small counter. They were all car magazines. Most of the issues were for Hot Rod with Super Street coming in a close second. I pulled the piece of paper from the magazine and saw it was for a Craigslist ad.

  Driver wanted to drive cars from one location to another. Must have clean driving record and pass drug test. No phone calls. Reply to ad only.

  I slipped the paper into my pocket before putting the magazines back into the rack. I left the bathroom and closed the door behind me. Dana was waiting by the stairs.

  “Johnny is a car enthusiast?” I asked.

  “He loves cars. The faster the better. John used to race stock cars on Saturday nights over in Patterson, and when Johnny was old enough, he took him along with him. Johnny couldn’t wait until he could race with his dad. It was ironic that John was killed in a car accident when he was such a skilled driver.”

  John Wyler had been killed by a drunk driver. I remember the newspaper article saying the accident happened on a bridge, and John had no way to avoid the car when it swerved into his lane.

  “Did John own the cars he raced?” I asked.

  “No. One of his friends from college owned three cars. He raced for him.”

  “Keith thinks he saw Johnny yesterday when we were in Patterson.”

  She nodded her head. “I heard, but Bee said there was no way it was him. What do you think?”

  I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t know. Keith is hyper and prone to exaggeration, but he knows what Johnny looks like. He might have seen him. Do you think Johnny would have gone to see your husband’s friend?”

  “I haven’t heard from Will Foster since John died, but it did cross my mind. I tried to call him to ask if he’d heard from Johnny, but the number I have for him is no longer in service.”

  I pulled a notepad from my purse and had her write down Will’s old phone number and the name of the track where John raced for him.”

  “I didn’t see a computer,” I said. “Do you own one?”

  “We don’t. Johnny always liked using the computers at the library, and John and I never felt the need to have one. It already crossed my mind that I don’t have access to any emails Johnny might have sent or received.”

  That was exactly my thought. It would have been helpful to see his email account.

  “Just one more thing,” I said. I almost smiled as the words came out of my mouth. Columbo was rubbing off on me. “Was Johnny looking for a job?”

  She shook her head. “Not yet. He was going to start looking in May for a summer job.”

  I thanked her for letting me look around again and left to make my way over to Pepper’s. I’d hang out at her place until after lunch, and then I’d run by Graham Realty.

  I opened the front door and walked in.

  “Hello?” I called out.

  The house was quiet. Too quiet. I walked through the living room, dining room, and into the kitchen. Pepper and the kids weren’t here. I felt the coffee pot. It was warm but not hot. With the front door unlocked, I assumed they’d be back soon.

  I poured a cup of coffee and put it in the microwave. I took off my coat and made myself comfortable at the breakfast bar with the warmed up coffee and one of Pepper’s homemade blueberry muffins. I pulled out my notebook and looked over my meager case notes.

  I’d have to go back to Patterson for more follow up on Curt’s stolen car. I could try to find John’s college friend while I was there and see if he’d heard from Johnny. I was being sarcastic when I talked with Arnie earlier, but it probably was a good idea to show a picture of Johnny around the area where Keith thought he saw him.

  I jumped a few inches in my seat when Pepper came around the corner and yelled, “Shit! Jo! You scared me half to death. Why didn’t you yell when you came in?”

  “Where’s your swear jar?” I asked. “That was so loud, you have to pay double.”

  She laughed. “You took me by surprise. I didn’t have enough time to think about yelling jeepers.”

  “I called out a hello when I came in, but you guys weren’t around, so I thought you were out.”

  “You might go out and leave your door unlocked, but I don’t. Do you ever read the newspapers? There are break-ins all the time.”

  “Not in this part of town there aren’t. Where are the kids? Studying?”

  “No. Mama picked them up. The Dependers are practicing this morning, and she took the kids so they could bowl a few games, too. I’m marking it down as gym class.”

  I smiled. Between Mama and Keith, the bowling alley was probably all kinds of crazy this morning, and Pepper’s ability to turn anything into a notation for their schooling always made me smile.

  “What are you working on?” she asked.

  “I have three cases. Maybe you can help me with one – or all three if you have time.”

  “I booked three more parties last night, but none of them are until after Valentine’s Day, so I can help. What do you have?”

  “There’s Curt Hendershot’s stolen car. That’s going to mean driving around Patterson. And then there’s the missing Johnny Wyler. That’s going to mean driving around Patterson. The third case is Lisa Graham. She thinks her husband is cheating on her. I hope that doesn’t mean driving around Patterson.”

  “George Graham? Of Graham Realty? He’s cheating on his wife?”

  There was a hint of excitement in her voice, and I knew that look in her eye. “Pepper, you absolutely can’t tell anyone. If you help me, you have to be discreet. What if he’s not cheating? If you put it out there that he is, you’ll be spreading malicious gossip. You could be sued and go to jail for a long time.”

  I really didn’t know if she could go to jail for spreading a lie, but it sounded good, and she needed a strong reminder to keep her mouth shut.

  “You’re right,” she said. “I won’t say anything, but that’s the case I want to help you with. I’ll bring the coffee and donuts, and we’ll do a stakeout and follow him. But we can’t do it tomorrow. We’re going to Slimmers.”

  I had no idea what she was talking about. I gave her my best deer-in-the-headlights look.

  “Jo, you promised,” she said. “The grand opening of the new Slimmers Weight Loss is tomorrow. You promised you’d go with me when it opened.”

  There was no way I wanted to try another weight loss place right now. “I thought that wasn’t going to open until summer.”

  “No, I said I wanted to lose twenty pounds by summer. I need a new bathing suit, and I want to lose some weight before trying them on this year.”

  “I don’t know, Pepper. It’s so doggone cold, and I don’t feel like exercising. I’m doing fine losing weight on my own.”

  “This isn’t exercising. It’s learning what foods to eat besides salads all the time. They have counselors to help you with menus and food choices. It’s learning a new way of eating, and we have to weigh in every week, so we’re more likely to stay on track. And, you aren’t doing fine on your own. You’re slipping back into bad habits. What are you having for supper tonight?”

  I smiled. “Glenn’s coming over. We’re having pizza or ribs.”

  “See,” she said. “Bad habits. You’re coming with me. This will be easier than the other things we’ve tried. We won’t have to eat grapefruit or make a gross vegetable soup, and we don’t have to shake on machines. Come over after work. I’ll drive.”

  I stared at her for a few moments. I knew she was looking forward to this latest weight loss endeavor, and I knew she didn’t want to go alone. “I’ll go with you to hear about it, but that doesn’t mean I’m
on board.”

  She smiled and said, “That’s all I’m asking.”

  She was fine with my hanging out for a while. We chatted about my relationship with Glenn, her upcoming Valentine’s Day party, and she had just started to tell me what she thought of my losing Keith in Patterson when Mama and the kids came through the front door like tornadoes.

  “I can’t stay,” Mama yelled from the living room. “I don’t want to be late for book club. I need to talk to the ladies about the Smurfs.”

  “They’re not Smurfs, Grandmama,” Kelly said. “They’re munchkins.”

  “They’re Smurf knockoffs,” Mama said as she went right back out the door. “See you later.”

  “Mom,” Keith said excitedly. “I bowled a sixty-nine. Grandmama thought that was hilarious, but it’s my best score yet. I only rolled five gutter balls.”

  “Didn’t anyone ever teach you how to bowl?” I asked.

  “He doesn’t even try,” Kelly said. “He just throws the ball as hard as he can and hopes he gets something.”

  “I tried harder today,” he said.

  “Did not,” Kelly said.

  “Did, too,”

  “Ok, that’s enough,” Pepper said. “Go to your rooms and write two pages on your field trip with your grandmama today.”

  They ran up the stairs, still arguing about whether or not Keith had tried harder at bowling.

  “No more peace and quiet,” Pepper said.

  “I need to get out of here anyway,” I said and grabbed my coat to put it on. “I don’t know what I’ll find at the realty office, but I thought I’d go in and get a good look at George Graham. Arnie didn’t have a picture in the file, and I don’t know that I could pick him out of a lineup. I haven’t seen him in years.”

  “He’s a good-looking man. Probably in his mid fifties. He’s tall and has silver hair now. His look is distinctive.”

  “Let’s plan our stakeout for Thursday night,” I said.

  Her eyes lit up with excitement. “That’s good with me. Buck’s coming home late Friday night, and I’d rather not be out that evening.”

  I could see the wheels spinning in her head as she made mental preparations for our stakeout. I headed back out into the cold.

  Chapter Five

  It took nearly twenty minutes to drive across town. Graham Realty was in a mixed neighborhood of residential homes and commercial buildings. Arnie’s notes indicated George had purchased one of Buxley’s grand old homes and had it completely renovated for his offices.

  I pulled into the parking lot and admired the detail work on the house. It was a lovely Victorian painted navy blue with pink and white trim. Jackie had written a newspaper article last summer about the rise of painted ladies as homes were remodeled around town.

  The interior was beautifully decorated. The hardwood floors gleamed. The aesthetic was slightly marred by some cheesy Valentine’s Day decorations in the waiting room.

  “May I help you?”

  An attractive brunette sitting behind a desk awaited my answer. She wore an extremely tight black dress. Her pushup bra was doing its job of pushing her boobs up and nearly out of the low neckline. Arnie would call her a bombshell. I was calling her my number one suspect.

  “I’d like to see George Graham.”

  “Do you have an appointment?”

  “No.”

  The woman didn’t respond. She appeared to have disdain for me in the way she looked me up and down before simply staring at me. I assumed she expected me to tell her who I was and what I wanted with George, but her less-than-friendly attitude made me keep my mouth shut.

  It became apparent we were in a war of wills. The next person to speak was going to lose, and it wasn’t going to be me. I could stand here all day.

  “Did I hear my name?”

  I looked to my left and saw the handsome George Graham standing in the doorway of what would have been the home’s original living room.

  Black dress with boobs didn’t say anything, and neither did I. George unknowingly joined our silent war and stood staring at the two of us.

  The silence was uncomfortable. I felt like I was in high school again and not willing to play nice with the prettier girls who were bullies.

  George lost the war when he asked, “You’re Estelle Frasier’s daughter, right? The one with the investigative business?” He looked off into the distance and snapped his fingers as he struggled to recall my name. “Jo Ravens. My wife had your card out the other day. She said she was going to ask you to investigate our cleaning lady and see if she’s stealing from us. She must have you on the case already. How’s it going?”

  I smiled. Lois had come up with a good cover story.

  “I’m just getting started,” I said with a smile. “I’m here to talk with you about possibly selling my house.”

  His smile broadened as he swept a hand toward his spacious office and said, “Great. Come on in.”

  I glanced at the woman behind the desk. There was no smile on her face. I wondered if she was always this way, or what it was about me that caused her to act so unprofessionally. I followed George into his office and took a seat in a leather chair.

  “You live on Clark Street, right?” he asked.

  “Yes. How do you know that?”

  “I’ve been at this for a lot of years. I pretty much know every house in town and who owns it. Have you already found another house you want to buy?”

  “I’m sure you have a few to show me.”

  Double commission. I could see it in his eyes. My guilt meter went up a tad. This may not have been the best idea, but I wanted to meet him and see his offices. The upfront method seemed the easiest approach.

  He began typing like crazy on his computer keyboard. His fingers flew on his adding machine. I glanced around the office. For as many years as he had been married, I was surprised there weren’t any family photos. His children would likely be adults and not living at home, but I at least expected to see a photo of his wife. There wasn’t one on his desk, his credenza, or in his bookcase. Not displaying a photo of the wife was common when the husband was having an affair.

  George raised a hand off the keyboard and brought one finger down in a commanding way as he struck a key. A printer behind him came to life. With a flourish, he reached around for the paper and handed the printout to me.

  “Here’s the information for your property. Details of the house, lot size, approximate value of the home and property, yearly taxes, and the balance you owe on your loan. There have been a few comparable sales in your neighborhood recently, so I think you can easily sell for what it’s worth.”

  It was disheartening to see how little equity I had in the house. George began talking about an appraisal, closing costs, and realty fees. My mind kept drifting to him sleeping with the chippy at the reception desk.

  “When can I drop by to see your place?”

  I was only half listening to him. His question caught me off guard.

  “I’m not one hundred percent sure I want to sell yet,” I said. “It’s a big house for one person, so I think about selling it from time to time. I dropped in today on a whim.”

  He pulled out a contract and began filling in numbers. When he finished, he made a copy and placed it in front of me.

  “Take this with you, Jo. Look it over. Think about it. When you’re ready to list, give me a call, and you can come in to sign the original.” He handed the copy to me.

  We walked out of his office together.

  “Donna,” he said to the receptionist. “Get a packet of agency information for Jo.”

  The woman walked over to a bank of filing cabinets and pulled out a colorful folder. Her look was stony as she handed it to me.

  George thanked me for coming in and assured me he could sell my house quickly. I said goodbye to him and the woman, but she had her head down and pretended not to hear.

  I drove to the corner convenient store and parked in the last space facing the road. I had
a full view of Graham Realty from here. If George left within the next hour or so, I’d follow him.

  It didn’t take long before I was restless. I listened to the news on the radio. I checked my presets to see if there was a song I could sing along to. I read the brochures and information in the Graham Realty folder. There was a nice picture of George that I could cut out and put on the whiteboard.

  I checked the clock on the dash. Thirty minutes gone. A thought nagged in the back of my mind that I shouldn’t let my car idle for so long. I remember Mama saying it when she taught me to drive. I turned the car off and ran into the store for a hot cappuccino.

  I was only in the store for a few minutes, but George picked that exact time to leave his office. When I stepped outside, he was sitting at the traffic light. I took off running for my car.

  A patch of ice claimed my cappuccino as my feet flew out from under me and I landed on my butt.

  “Horse feathers!” I shouted.

  A teenage boy who had just walked past me said, “Damn, lady. You ok?”

  It felt good to have someone else do the swearing for my fall.

  I scrambled to my feet, threw my hand up in a wave to let him know I was all right, and finished bolting for my car. The light was yellow when I turned left under it. George was ahead of me by five cars.

  My heart began to pound with excitement. It would be awesome to catch him in an afternoon tryst and have an answer for Lisa today.

  It didn’t take long before we were in a suburb on the east side of town. There were no cars between us, and I had to drop farther back so as not to be obvious in my attempt to follow him.

  He pulled into the driveway of a ranch style house with a Graham Realty sign in the yard. I parked across the street and several houses down to watch. He didn’t get out of his vehicle.

  A few minutes later, a car came down the street from the opposite direction and pulled in the same driveway. A woman exited the car. George stepped out to greet her with a broad smile and gave her an affectionate hug. I was too late getting my cell phone out to take a picture. I grabbed it and turned the camera on as they walked through the front door.