She glanced toward the door, hearing it open. The decision had been made for her.
Tuck Tucker had just walked in.
Chapter 16
“Afternoon, Wanda Nell,” Tuck said, sliding onto a stool at the counter.
“Afternoon, Tuck,” Wanda Nell replied. “What can I get you?” She wiped down the counter near him, trying to avoid looking into his face.
“Got any decaf coffee?”
Wanda Nell nodded and turned away to get him some. She set the coffee down in front of him. “How about something to eat? We’ve got some blackberry cobbler, made fresh this morning.”
“That sounds good,” Tuck said. “But I’ll have to run a couple of extra miles.” He laughed.
Wanda Nell smiled vaguely in his direction as she left to fetch a serving of cobbler.
Don’t be such a wuss, she scolded herself. Just look at the man or he’ll know something’s wrong for sure. She carried the bowl back out and placed it in front of Tuck.
“Dig in,” she said brightly. “It’s real good.”
Tuck picked up a spoon and tasted the cobbler. “Mmm. Very good, and worth a couple of extra miles.” He smiled at her. “Thanks.”
Tuck turned his stool slightly and surveyed the room. The nearest customers were sitting more than a dozen feet away, involved in an animated discussion. He shifted back and regarded Wanda Nell.
“That was an interesting list you gave me,” he said in a quiet tone. “Where did you find it?”
Keeping her voice low, Wanda Nell said, “In a menu Fayetta had stuck in a drawer at her house. I found it this morning when I went over there with Miz Vance.”
“I see.” Tuck had another spoonful of cobbler. He chewed thoughtfully. “Judging from the contents of that list, she was playing with a pretty interesting crowd.”
“Yeah,” Wanda Nell said. She slipped a hand in her pocket and fingered the key card. Should she show it to him now? She pulled her hand out of her pocket.
“Has anybody else seen that list?”
“I gave it to Elmer Lee Johnson,” Wanda Nell said. “I made copies of it at your office, then I took it to the sheriff’s department.”
“I thought I saw your car parked there,” Tuck said. He ate a bit more cobbler. “TJ. and I were at the courthouse this morning,” he added in a casual tone.
“Oh, really?” Wanda Nell tried to keep her voice cool. Tuck put his spoon down and fixed her with his brown eyes. Wanda Nell couldn’t tear her own gaze away from them. She remembered thinking how attractive he was the first time she had met him, when she had gone to consult him about representing TJ. She Mushed at those thoughts now.
“Yeah,” Tuck said. “I thought I saw you ducking into the sheriff’s department when I was talking to TJ. in his truck.” He watched her closely.
Wanda Nell tried to keep her breathing even. What should she say? That she saw them? Or deny it?
The silence stretched on a little too long.
“I reckon you must have seen us,” Tuck said. He smiled slightly. “What you think matters a great deal to T.J. He’s worked hard to turn his life around so you’ll be proud of him, Wanda Nell.”
“I know that,” she said softly. “And I am very proud of him.” She paused for a deep breath. “I just want what’s best for him, and I don’t want him getting hurt.”
Tuck’s hand trembled a bit as he played with his spoon. He set the spoon down on the counter. “I don’t want him to get hurt either. Can you believe that?”
“Yes.” And she did. She had never seen Tuck look the least bit vulnerable, but suddenly he did. She knew that one wrong word from her could cause damage not easily repaired, but she felt that things were moving way too fast. She needed more time to think and to understand.
“As long as we both want what’s best for T.J.,” she said softly, “then I guess somehow it’ll all be okay.”
“Good,” Tuick said. “Just... wait till he’s ready to tell you himself. Can you do that?” His eyes pleaded with her. Wanda Nell nodded.
Tuck stood up and pulled some money from his pocket, suddenly in a hurry. He dropped a five-dollar bill on the counter. “I’d better be getting back to the office. I need to follow up on some things.”
He was out the door by the time she remembered the key card. She could have run after him, but she didn’t. All she wanted right now was to go someplace quiet so she could sit and think. The murder, TJ. and Tuck—everything was piling up on her, and she was starting to feel like she was suffocating.
“He sure is one good-looking man,” Katie Ann said as she sauntered up to Wanda Nell. “I’ve seen him around town. What’s his name?”
Jolted out of her reverie, Wanda Nell scowled. “Trust me, I don’t think you’re his type.”
“Oh, really,” Katie Ann said. “And you are?” She said it playfully, but Wanda Nell detected a note of spite in there somewhere.
“I’m not either,” Wanda Nell said shortly. She started to push by Katie Ann.
“Isn’t he a lawyer?”
Wanda Nell stopped and turned back. “Yeah, he is. If you must know, his name’s Hamilton Tucker, and my son works for him. Are you satisfied now?”
“Well, thank you, Wanda Nell. I appreciate the information,” Katie Ann said. “You never know when you might be needing a lawyer, and I might as well have me one that’s as good-looking as him.”
Wanda Nell didn’t stay for another word from her. She stomped off through the kitchen and back to Melvin’s office. They weren’t that busy and Katie Ann could hold the fort for a little while. She wanted a few minutes of quiet.
She sat down behind the desk and stared at the calculator Melvin kept there, as if it could answer her questions. She had just told Tuck she wouldn’t say anything to TJ. about what she had seen. She would wait and let TJ. come to her when he was ready. Part of her wanted to get it over with, to talk to TJ. right this minute. But another part of her just didn’t want to know. Knowing meant having to acknowledge it completely, and she wasn’t sure she was ready to deal with all that.
Instead, she steered her thoughts back to Fayetta’s murder. What was she going to do with that dang key card? If she hung onto it much longer, she might find herself with some problems. She needed to get rid of it, make it someone else’s responsibility. But whose?
She pushed that question away for the moment. What about Katie Ann? Wanda Nell was beginning to think that the younger woman was a lot more involved in everything than she let on. She had tried to mislead Wanda Nell about how well she had known Fayetta. That was one thing. The other was her snooping around here at the restaurant. Had someone put her up to that? Or was she doing it on her own?
If she was acting on her own, then why? Could she have killed Fayetta?
That didn’t make much sense. Why would Katie Ann want to kill Fayetta? Was she jealous of all the men, and all the money, that Fayetta had? Did she want that for herself?
Even though she was sure Katie Ann was lying to her, Wanda Nell still couldn’t picture her as a calculating, coldblooded murderer.
No, Katie Ann must be in cahoots with someone, probably some member of that damn club. But who? The murderer?
Wanda Nell needed to know more about Katie Ann, but how could she find out? After a moment’s thought, she reached for the phone. She punched in a number, and after only one ring, a familiar voice answered.
“Lucille’s Style Shop. How can I help you?”
“Hey, Roberta,” Wanda Nell said. She and Roberta had known each other forever, and Roberta had worked at her mother’s beauty shop since she was sixteen. “Is Mayrene where she can talk?”
“Hey, there, Wanda Nell,” Roberta said, cheerful as always. “Hang on a minute and I’ll see.” She put the receiver down and Wanda Nell could hear the sounds of women’s voices mixed with hair dryers.
Nearly a minute later, Mayrene spoke into the phone. “Hey, girl, what’s up?”
“I need a favor,” Wanda Nell said.
<
br /> “Shoot.”
“Can you find out if anybody there knows anything about this new waitress I hired? Her name’s Katie Ann Hale.” Wanda Nell gave a brief description of her.
“I guess so,” Mayrene said. “What’s going on?”
“I’m not sure,” Wanda Nell said, “but I think it’s got something to, do with Fayetta’s murder. Can you ask around, real careful-like?”
“Of course, honey,” Mayrene said. “I’ll see what I can turn up. You gonna be working the afternoons and evenings at the restaurant all week?”
“Yeah, until Melvin gets out of jail. Which I hope won’t be too much longer. Maybe they’ll let him out on bail soon.” That was something she should ask Tuck about, she realized.
“If I hear anything, I’ll call you,” Mayrene said. “I better get back to Miz Tribble. I left her looking like a lopsided poodle.”
“Mayrene,” Wanda Nell said, as another thought struck her. “You got any plans tonight?”
“No, honey,” Mayrene said. “Mr. Padget is busy tonight. They’ve got a viewing at the funeral home, and he has to be there.”
“How about coming by the Kountry Kitchen after you get off work?”
“Sure, I can do that,” Mayrene said, sounding slightly puzzled. “Something wrong?”
“Just something I need to talk to you about,” Wanda Nell said.
“Hang on, I’m coming,” Mayrene called out to someone at the beauty shop. “I gotta go, Wanda Nell. See you later.” The phone clicked in Wanda Nell’s ear.
She put the receiver on its cradle and sat staring at the phone. She needed to talk to Mayrene about Hector Padget, but she wasn’t sure how Mayrene would react. She couldn’t put it off, though. This whole club thing was very serious, and if he was a member, well, Mayrene ought to know about it. Especially since it might have something to do with Fayetta’s murder.
Wanda Nell rubbed her eyes tiredly. Lord, but she could use a cigarette about now. She started poking around in Melvin’s desk. He usually kept a few packs here.
She found some in one of the drawers, and her hand reached out for one.
What are you doing? she asked herself. Don’t blow it, you fool, not after this long without one. She slammed the drawer shut and got the heck out of Melvin’s office.
It was time she got her rear end out front. She needed to keep a close eye on Katie Ann. She didn’t think anybody from that club would show up here after Deke Campbell had put in an appearance, but you never knew.
Wanda Nell checked her purse first, to make sure that Katie Ann hadn’t been snooping in it. The list was still there. She folded the two pages into a small rectangle and shoved it into her pocket. She didn’t trust Katie Ann not to go through her purse.
For a moment Wanda Nell was tempted to go through Katie Ann’s. Her hand reached for it but she stopped. No, she wasn’t going to do that just yet. Surely Katie Ann was smart enough not to carry anything incriminating on her.
Business was slow for a while in the afternoon, but things started picking up around four-thirty, as usual. Wanda Nell and Katie Ann kept pretty busy, but there was a lull around six-thirty when Mayrene walked in.
Wanda Nell glanced at her watch in surprise. She’d lost track of time. The beauty shop usually closed at five. What had kept Mayrene?
Mayrene wandered through the front of the restaurant, stopping to chat a time or two with some of the men she knew. Wanda Nell waited until she had found a table in the back room before heading her way with a glass of water and a menu.
“Thanks for coming by,” Wanda Nell said. Only a couple other tables in the back room were occupied. Mayrene had chosen one well away from them.
“No problem, honey,” Mayrene said. “Can you sit down a second?”
Wanda Nell checked the front All her customers had their food, and Katie Ann would be okay for a few minutes. She sat down.
“Did you find out anything yet?”
Mayrene shook her head. “Not yet. Nobody knew her. But we got a busy morning tomorrow, and maybe somebody’ll know something. I’ll keep trying.”
“Thanks,” Wanda Nell said. “I really appreciate it.”
“So what’s up with this girl?” Mayrene asked. “She sure is pretty, but why are you so curious about her all of a sudden? Don’t she have any references?”
“I wasn’t in much position to check around,” Wanda Nell said. “She showed up looking for a job, and I needed somebody right away. She’s a good worker; I’ll say that for her.”
“But?” Mayrene prompted.
Wanda Nell glanced over her shoulder. Katie Ann was up near the cash register. She turned back to Mayrene. “But she knew Fayetta pretty well—a little too well, I’m beginning to think.”
“She know something about the murder?”
“She knows something,” Wanda Nell said. “I haven’t got it all out of her yet. There’s something pretty strange going on.” She hesitated. “Have you ever heard anything about a club called the Deer Stand?”
Mayrene pondered that a moment. “No, can’t say’s I have. What is it? Some kind of hunting club?”
Wanda Nell nodded. “Yeah, but I think they do more than hunt there, if you get my drift.”
Mayrene snorted. “Honey, it don’t surprise me none, what some of them hunters get up to. You should’a heard the way my daddy and his brothers used to talk. Half the time, they was so drunk, it’s a wonder they didn’t kill each other.” She laughed, a deep, rolling sound. “Hell, my uncle Dub shot off three of his own fingers.”
“Fayetta worked at this club,” Wanda Nell said, putting a slight emphasis on the word worked.
Mayrene snorted again. “Probably flat on her back, knowing that girl."
“Probably,” Wanda Nell said. “I think it had something to do with her getting killed.”
“Who belongs to this club? Or do you know?” Mayrene picked up her glass of water and drank.
“I got a pretty good idea,” Wanda Nell said. “Mostly men you don’t want to get mad at you.” She took a deep breath. There was no easy way to do this, so she just plunged right in. “Mayrene, how much do you know about this Mr. Padget you’re seeing?”
Mayrene’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean, how much do I know? Why are you asking about him?”
“I found his name on a list,” Wanda Nell said.
“Damn it, I don’t believe it,” Mayrene said, fire in her eyes. “I meet the first man in months that seems like a decent guy, and here you are telling me he could be mixed up in this?”
“Mayrene, please, keep your voice down,” Wanda Nell pleaded. “We don’t need nobody else hearing all this.”
“We sure as hell don’t,” Mayrene said, snatching up her purse and stood. “I don’t want to hear any more myself.” She stalked off, Wanda Nell staring helplessly after her.
Wanda Nell knew better than to try to stop Mayrene when she went stomping off like that. Better to let her cool off and try to talk to her later.
Besides, Wanda Nell figured, Mayrene wasn’t really mad at her, or she would have come right out and said something. Mayrene would get right up in your face if you pissed her off.
Wanda Nell got up from the table and went back to work. Mote customers started coming in, and before she knew it, it was almost eight o’clock.
Katie Ann caught her coming out of the kitchen with a tray full of desserts for one of her tables. “Wanda Nell, I need to run to the bathroom a minute, and maybe freshen up my makeup. Okay?”
“Sure,” Wanda Nell said, scanning the room. “I can handle it for a few minutes.”
“Thanks.” Katie Ann whipped by her and into the kitchen.
Mindful of her resolve to keep an eye on Katie Ann, Wanda Nell watched as closely as she could and still handle her customers. It seemed like it took Katie Ann a little longer to touch up her makeup than it should have. She was gone nearly five minutes, and Wanda Nell wondered whether the girl had been snooping again when she popped through the kitch
en door.
Katie Ann flashed a smile as she ducked into the hallway where the restrooms were. She was out in a couple of minutes. “Thanks,” she said as she walked by Wanda Nell.
Wanda Nell nodded. From what she could see, Katie Ann hadn’t done much to her face, except maybe touch up her lipstick.
What had the girl been up to?
Wanda Nell resisted the impulse to head for the storeroom and snoop around herself. She didn’t want Katie Ann to think she was any more suspicious than she already was.
Half an hour later, Wanda Nell took advantage of a brief lull to use the bathroom herself. When she came out, she told Katie Ann she needed to check something in the office.
Katie Ann nodded, seemingly uninterested in anything except the good-looking young mechanic in greasy overalls she’d been flirting with when Wanda Nell stopped to speak to her.
Wanda Nell scanned the storeroom and Melvin’s office, but she couldn’t see that anything had been disturbed. What had Katie Ann been doing back here so long?
Shaking her head in annoyance, Wanda Nell went back to work.
The rest of the evening passed quickly, and when the last customer departed at nine-forty-five, Wanda Nell started closing up. She was ready to get home and get to bed. Katie Ann looked just as tired as Wanda Nell felt.
By ten the front door was locked and they were all heading for their cars. After Katie Ann and the others had driven off, Wanda Nell was about to do the same when her cell phone rang. Putting the car back into park, she pulled her phone from her purse.
The caller ID told her it was Tuck calling from his office. “Hello,” Wanda Nell said. “You’re working mighty late tonight. Something wrong?”
“You might say that,” Tuck answered. “Have you closed the Kountry Kitchen yet?”
“Yeah, I was just on my way home,” Wanda Nell said, her stomach clenching. “Is it T.J.? Is he okay?”
“TJ.’s fine,” Tuck assured her. “No, it’s something else. I’d rather not go into it over the phone. I know it’s late, but can we get together and talk?”
Murder Over Easy (A Trailer Park Mystery Book 2) Page 15
