Best Served Cold (A Trailer Park Mystery Book 3)

by Jimmie Ruth Evans

  All she got was a busy signal. She dropped the phone back into her purse and concentrated on driving the last couple of miles to the trailer park. She was driving too fast, but she knew the road well, and there was no other traffic.

  About three minutes later she pulled into the driveway of the trailer park. Her trailer was the first one to the right after the park entrance. Her headlights hit the side of a car parked in front of her trailer, and she slammed on her brakes in shock.

  Wanda Nell jumped out of her car, her heart in her mouth. What was a sheriff’s department car doing in front of her trailer? Wanda Nell thrust open the door of her trailer and stepped inside. Her racing pulse began to slow. Juliet, Miranda, and Lavon were sitting on the couch, apparently unharmed. Sitting across from them, however, was one of Wanda Nell’s least favorite people.

  “Elmer Lee, what the heck are you doing here?” Sheriff’s Deputy Elmer Lee Johnson stood up and scowled at Wanda Nell. “And good evening to you, Wanda Nell. I’m fine, how’ve you been?”

  “Stop trying to be cute, Elmer Lee,” Wanda Nell said. “Girls, are you okay? What’s happened?”

  “They’re fine,” Elmer Lee said before either Miranda or Juliet could respond. Lavon was chattering and holding out his arms, and Wanda Nell walked over to scoop him up into her arms. She kissed his cheeks and nodded her head at his babbling. Maybe soon they’d be able to understood what he was talking about.

  “So is this some kind of social call?” Wanda Nell kept her voice cool, though just the sight of Elmer Lee standing so casually in her living room made her head ache. In her experience, Elmer Lee’s presence usually meant trouble of some sort.

  “No, it’s business, Wanda Nell,” Elmer Lee said. “Why don’t you sit down for a minute, and let me talk to you.” More uneasy than ever, Wanda Nell complied with his request. What if something had happened to T.J. or Tuck? The awful thought struck her, and her mouth went dry.

  “I’m just looking for some information,” Elmer Lee said. “I hear your brother Rusty’s back in town.”

  Wanda Nell took a deep breath and relaxed slightly in her chair. She might have known it had something to do with Rusty. “Yeah, he’s back for a visit.”

  “You know where I might find him?”

  Wanda Nell shrugged. “He’s staying with Mayrene next door, and if he’s not there, well, I don’t know where he is. Out gallivanting around somewhere, probably getting drunk.”

  “Mighty high opinion you have of your brother,” Elmer Lee said. “Gallivanting around and getting drunk. But now I think about it, I reckon you’re right. I remember some of the hijinks he got up to before he left town, what, ten years ago?”

  Wanda Nell nodded. “Yeah, about ten years ago. He’s been living in Nashville recently.” She rocked Lavon gently in her lap. “How come you want to talk to him? He was never a buddy of yours.”

  “He’s been running around town stirring people up. Some people it don’t do to stir up, if you get my drift. I think I ought to have a little talk with him before things get ugly.”

  “What do you mean, get ugly?” Lavon reacted to the note of alarm in his grandmother’s voice and started to whimper. Wanda Nell did her best to soothe him while she waited for an answer.

  “Sounds like he’s been threatening some people,” Elmer Lee said. “And I aim to stop him before something happens.”

  “What people? Has Bert Vines been talking to you?” Elmer Lee scowled. That answered the question for her, despite what he said next. “I can’t say who, but that don’t matter. Rusty just can’t go around bothering people.” Wanda Nell wanted to throw something at his head, preferably something hard and pointed. “I don’t know what to tell you,” she finally said. “Rusty’s got something on his mind, I know that, but he’s not talking to me about it. I just know I don’t want to see anybody get hurt.” “Neither do I,” Elmer Lee said, standing up. “Then I guess you’ve told me about all you know, or else all you’re gonna tell me.”

  “I’m not lying to you, Elmer Lee,” Wanda Nell retorted. “I know it’s hard for you to believe that, but I don’t have a clue what’s going on.” She stood up and handed Lavon to his mother. The girls had been sitting wide-eyed and, in Miranda’s case, open-mouthed during her exchange with Elmer Lee.

  Elmer Lee strode to the door. Wanda Nell followed him. As he opened the door, the deputy regarded her for a moment. The stern look on his face softened slightly. “I know you may not believe me, Wanda Nell, but I’m just trying to help. I don’t want to see you or your family in any kind of trouble.”

  “Thank you,” she said. “I appreciate that.” She wasn’t quite sure what to make of Elmer Lee trying to be friendly. Was he sincere? Or was he just trying to lull her into relaxing her guard around him?

  “When you see Rusty, you tell him I want to talk to him,” Elmer Lee said.

  “Okay,” Wanda Nell replied. She shut the door after him and stood there a moment, lost in thought.

  “Mama, what’s Uncle Rusty doing?”

  Miranda’s voice brought Wanda Nell out of her reverie. She turned to look at her daughters. “I’m not sure, honey. I don’t know if it’s anything we need to worry about, but if your uncle comes around here when I’m not home, y’all be careful. I don’t think he’d ever harm you, but it don’t hurt to be careful.”

  “He was real nice to me when I talked to him this morning,” Juliet said. “He even gave me a ride to the library so Miranda didn’t have to.” She frowned. “I’m sorry, Mama, but I thought it was okay, him being my uncle.”

  “It was okay, honey,” Wanda Nell said, “but from now on, I think you’d better not accept any rides from him.” Her heart ached at having to warn her daughters about her own brother, but the safety of her children and grandson had to come first. “Everything’s gonna get straightened out, and we won’t have to worry about any of it. Y’all just get ready for bed, okay?”

  Juliet gave her a hug and a kiss before heading to her bedroom. Miranda stood, Lavon on her hip, watching her mother uncertainly.

  “What is it, honey?” Wanda Nell could tell Miranda wanted to talk about something.

  “I didn’t wanna say nothing in front of Juliet,” Miranda said, “because I don’t think she noticed it, Mama. But I thought I oughta tell you.”

  ‘Tell me what?” Wanda Nell’s voice came out sharper than she intended, and Miranda scowled. “Sorry, honey, I’m just tired and worried. What do want to tell me?”

  “It’s about Uncle Rusty,” Miranda said, frowning. “Maybe it don’t mean a thing, but I just thought it was strange.”

  “What?” Wanda Nell forced herself to be patient. Miranda was a slow thinker, and a slow talker, and it didn’t do any good to try to hurry her along.

  “It was the way he looked at Lavon,” Miranda said. She paused, obviously struggling for the words she wanted. “You know how most people around here look at me and Lavon, like we was something the cat threw up.” Her brow furrowed in anger. “Like it was any of their business who Lavon’s daddy is.”

  “I know, honey,” Wanda Nell said gently. They had faced a lot of uncomfortable moments because of the color of Lavon’s skin. “Did Rusty do or say something nasty to you and Lavon?”

  Miranda shook her head. “No, he didn’t. He just had this funny look on his face. Then he reached out like he wanted to hold Lavon, but Lavon was shy with him and wouldn’t let him.”

  Wanda Nell frowned. It did sound a bit odd, not like what she imagined Rusty’s reaction would be.

  “He just looked real sad for a minute,” Miranda said. “Then he said something really strange.”

  “What did he say?” Wanda Nell prompted her after Miranda trailed off.

  Frowning, Miranda thought. “Well, it was something like, ‘I hope you have a better time of it, little man.’ What did he mean by that, Mama?”

  “I have no idea,” Wanda Nell said, totally puzzled. Maybe Rusty had something wrong with his head. She had read about cases
where people with brain tumors did and said strange things. Could that be what was wrong with her brother?

  “Anyway,” Miranda continued, “I just thought I should tell you. Come on, baby, let’s go get ready for bed.” She kissed Lavon on the forehead. “Goodnight, Mama.”

  “Good night, honey,” Wanda Nell said. “Good night, Lavon.”

  “Night,” said Lavon clearly, startling both his mother and his grandmother. They grinned and said good night again to the baby, and he started chanting the word night over and over. Laughing, Miranda took him off to bed.

  Still smiling over the baby’s accomplishment, Wanda Nell walked into the kitchen and picked up the phone. She punched in a number and waited for a response.

  “You weren’t in bed yet, were you?” she asked when Mayrene answered.

  “Naw, I’m still up puttering around,” Mayrene said. “What’s going on with you?”

  Quickly Wanda Nell filled her in on Elmer Lee’s visit. Mayrene whistled when she had finished. “I was back in my room with the TV on and I didn’t hear a thing. What do you reckon your brother’s up to?”

  “I sure wish I knew,” Wanda Nell said. “I don’t like the sound of this. If somebody’s complaining about him to the sheriff’s department, then he’s really getting somebody riled up. And that can’t be good.”

  “No,” Mayrene agreed. “I ain’t seen him since this morning, so I don’t know what he’s been up to. And he ain’t showed up yet.”

  “I figure Elmer Lee’s probably sitting out there on the road somewhere, waiting for him to come home,” Wanda Nell said.

  “Maybe it’ll be a good thing if Elmer Lee gets hold of him before something happens,” Mayrene said.

  “I guess so,” Wanda Nell said. “But if you do hear him come in sometime tonight, will you call me? I want to talk to him, and if I have to slap him upside the head five hundred times, I’m going to find out what he thinks he’s doing.”

  Mayrene laughed. “Well, either I’ll hold him down while you slap him, or I’ll just let Old Reliable do the talking for you.”

  Wanda Nell snorted. Mayrene and her shotgun. Mayrene thought she could do anything and get anything she wanted as long as she had that danged gun in her hands. So far she pretty much did. Wanda Nell wasn’t too worried about her.

  “If it comes to that,” Wanda Nell said, “we’ll really be in trouble.”

  After telling her not to worry too much, Mayrene said good night and hung up the phone.

  Wanda Nell wandered back to her bedroom. She thought about taking a hot shower, but she was now so tired she didn’t feel like making the effort. Instead she took off her clothes, got into her nightgown, and crawled into bed.

  She fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow and slept soundly until she was awakened sometime later by a pounding at the door.

  Bleary-eyed, she glanced at the bedside clock. It was just barely seven o’clock.

  Climbing out of bed, she threw on a robe and padded to the front door.

  The minute she opened it, she knew she was in for bad news.

  Elmer Lee stood there, a grim scowl on his face.

  “I need to talk to Rusty,” Elmer Lee said, pushing his way inside the trailer. “Where is he?”

  Annoyed by Elmer Lee’s rudeness, Wanda Nell slammed the door before she thought about it She winced at the sound, hoping it wouldn’t wake up the girls and Lavon.

  “How in the Sam Hill should I know?” Wanda Nell said, folding her arms across her chest. She didn’t feel comfortable standing there in her robe and nightgown with Elmer Lee. “We went through all this last night Elmer Lee. Did you check next door with Mayrene?”

  “I did,” Elmer Lee said, “and he ain’t been there all night. Have you heard from him?”

  “No,” Wanda Nell said. “What’s so urgent now? You weren’t behaving like this last night.”

  “Last night I wasn’t investigating a murder,” Elmer Lee said baldly.

  “A murder?” Wanda Nell could barely whisper the words. She stumbled over to a chair and plopped down on it. She pulled her robe tightly across her and stuck her hands under her arms to warm them. Her body suddenly went ice cold. Surely this couldn’t be happening again.

  “Yeah,” Elmer Lee said, “and Rusty may have something to do with it. I need to talk to him.”

  “Who was murdered?” Wanda Nell tried hard to keep her voice steady.

  Elmer Lee regarded her silently for a moment. “Reggie Campbell. You know him?”

  Wanda Nell thought about it. She tilted her head, looking up at Elmer Lee. Then it hit her. “He was in Rusty’s class in high school, I think. And his brother is a veterinarian.”

  “Yeah. Dr. Tony Campbell. Reggie ran a gas station out on the highway that his mama owns.”

  “Tony Campbell,” Wanda Nell said. “He divorced his wife and then married that niece of Bert Vines, didn’t he? She’s about the same age as his daughter.” She couldn’t keep the disgust out of her voice.

  “I ain’t here to discuss who Dr. Campbell is married to,” Elmer Lee said, his impatience barely under control. “I need to find Rusty and talk to him. You sure you ain’t seen him or heard from him since last night?”

  “No,” Wanda Nell said. “Why are you so set on finding Rusty? Why do you think he knows anything about a murder?”

  Elmer Lee hesitated briefly before he spoke. “Because witnesses saw Rusty and Reggie having a knock-down drag-out about midnight. This morning somebody found Reggie’s body with the back of his head caved in and called the sheriff’s department.”

  Wanda Nell stared mutely up at him.

  “I shouldn’t even be telling you any of this, Wanda Nell,” Elmer Lee said.

  Wanda Nell resisted the urge to ask him why the heck he was doing it then.

  “Things are looking pretty bad for Rusty,” Elmer Lee continued. “I need to find him and find him fast. Campbell’s brother’s already raising hell over it.”

  “And you want me just to turn my brother in, is that it?” Wanda Nell got up from her chair. Warmed by fear and anger, she stuck her face in Elmer Lee’s. “If my brother killed a man, then he has to face up to it and take what’s coming to him. But I’m not gonna sit by and watch somebody railroad him just because it’s convenient.”

  “What the hell do you mean by that?” Elmer Lee’s face reddened.

  “I been sitting here remembering a few things about Reggie Campbell,” Wanda Nell said. “Seems to me there ought to be a pretty damn long line of suspects for killing him. It ain’t been that long since that girl living with him ended up in the hospital. Mayrene told me all about it, because the girl’s mama gets her hair done at the beauty shop where Mayrene works. And from what I hear, she’s just the latest one he’s beat up on.”

  The skin tightened on Elmer Lee’s face. He took a step back from Wanda Nell.

  “Seems to me you ought to be looking at a lot of other people besides my brother,” Wanda Nell went on. “Reggie Campbell was a nasty, worthless excuse for a man, and there was probably plenty of people in Tullahoma wanted him dead.” She paused to draw a breath. “I know his mama owns just about half this town, but I don’t care how much money she’s got. Nobody’s gonna railroad my brother, you got that?” She sat down in her chair, trying to get her temper under control.

  “I ain’t looking to railroad nobody,” Elmer Lee said. “I didn’t say Rusty was the only suspect, but I ain’t gonna comment any further’n that. One way or another, I’m gonna find him, and he’s gonna talk. If he’s guilty, he’s gonna have to pay for it. But if he ain’t guilty, then we’re gonna find out who is.”

  “Damn right we are,” Wanda Nell said.

  “Now hold on there a minute, Wanda Nell,” Elmer Lee said, his face flushing red with annoyance. “Just ’cause I said ‘we’ just now don’t mean I want you poking your nose into this like you did before.”

  Wanda Nell smiled sweetly up at him, ignoring the finger he was shaking in her face
. “That’s your tale, Elmer Lee. I’m sitting on mine.”

  “You just better hope you don’t end up in jail for interfering in this investigation,” Elmer Lee said. “But I know talking to you don’t do one blame bit of good. You’re as stubborn as any hundred mules I know.”

  “Why, Elmer Lee, you do say the sweetest things.” She grinned at him, determined to goad him.

  To her surprise, he threw back his head and laughed, a deep, rolling sound. “Yeah, and one of these days, you maybe’ll be lucky enough to hear some more.”

  Leaving Wanda Nell speechless for once, he turned and marched out of the trailer, closing the door with quiet firmness after him. She heard his boots clomping down the steps, then the opening of the car door and, moments later, the engine roaring to life.

  As the sounds of the car faded in the distance, Wanda Nell sat in her chair, deep in thought. She didn’t want to delve too deeply into what Elmer Lee had meant by that last remark. She didn’t have any time in her life to deal with something that complicated. Besides, she could never think of Elmer Lee that way, not in a million years.

  Firmly she forced her thoughts away from Elmer Lee and onto the subject of her brother. Where the heck could Rusty be? And had he killed Reggie Campbell?

  Chapter 5

  Wanda Nell didn’t want to think of her brother as a murderer, although she knew he was capable of violent outbursts. Back in high school, after their daddy died, he’d gotten into trouble for fighting several times. He had the same hair-trigger temper she’d been cursed with, and now she worried he had finally gone too far.

  The phone rang, but for a moment she ignored it. Her head ached from tiredness and stress, and all she wanted to do was climb back into bed and forget everything and everybody. The phone continued to ring insistently, and she dragged herself into the kitchen to answer it.

  “Hello.”

  “Hey, Wanda Nell, it’s Rusty.”

  Wanda Nell almost dropped the phone.

  “Where are you?” she asked.