DEAD AS a DOORNAIL

by Tonya Kappes

  “And Bosco couldn’t do that?” he asked.

  “I don’t know.” I gnawed on my bottom lip, scraping off some of the lip gloss.

  “One thing I do know.” He snuggled me, wrapping his arms around my waist. “You look beautiful.”

  “You don’t think I have happy fat?” I asked.

  He pulled away.

  “Happy fat?” His face contorted. “What is that?”

  “Nothing.” I brushed it off. If I started to think about it now, I’d be mad at Mama all over again before I even made it to the dinner. “I’ve got to go make my appearance so we can go to the woods.”

  Duke left with Finn as I headed out to Mama’s house. Duke and Cosmo would keep him company while he got ready the equipment we needed for our date night in the woods. Not that it really was a date night, but I thought it might be a little romantic under the big late summer moon. And the thought of a chilly night and needing a little snuggling wasn’t such a bad thought either.

  By the time I got to Mama’s, I’d already dreamed up a romantic night instead of an investigation.

  “You’ve got it bad, Kenni-bug.” Poppa appeared just as I turned onto the street of my childhood home.

  “I do. I can completely see myself with Finn Vincent for the rest of my life.” I gulped. It was strange hearing myself say that when I really never took the time to figure out what I wanted out of life. “I’ve always been so happy being the sheriff here, having my girlfriends, my family, but somehow Finn makes it all complete.”

  “Being away for Christmas isn’t weighing heavy on you? Because you love Christmas and you’d never miss the Christmas Festival.”

  “You’re right. I do love it and I want to share that with Finn, but it’s strange. It’s like I’ve put my own needs and wants aside because I want Finn to be happy.” My lips quivered as I tried to keep a big smile from emerging. “I can’t believe that I’m actually happy to put someone else’s needs before mine.”

  Not that I never did that before, but most times I put others before me because it was the good Southern girl thing to do.

  “Oh no. You’ve really got it bad.” Poppa’s eyes teared up. “I bet you’re gonna marry that boy one day.”

  “Why are you sad? You should be so happy that he loves me so much.” I put the Wagoneer in park when I pulled up in front of my childhood red brick home.

  “Because I’m not sure how you’re going to feel about keeping me a secret. There should be no secrets in a marriage. Or a relationship that’s heading that way.” He brought up my worst fears about my relationship.

  “I’ve thought about telling him, but every time I get ready to or think about it, something comes up and I just can’t.” I took notice of all the cars already at Mama’s.

  The days were getting shorter and the darkness was starting to blanket Cottonwood. Goosebumps pricked my skin. I wanted to blame it on the temperature dropping, but I knew it was from the thought of losing Finn when or if I told him about Poppa.

  “I wonder if you told anyone about me how it would impact us.” He looked at me. His eyes were hollow. “Would you still need me as your backup if he knew? Would I just go away?”

  “I’m not willing to find out just yet.” I closed my eyes to stop from crying at the thought and ruining my fresh face of makeup I’d taken the time to do for Mama’s sake.

  When I opened them, Poppa was gone. I took a second to collect my thoughts and get my emotions in check. I tugged the rearview mirror toward me and reapplied some lip gloss.

  “I’m just going to meet his parents. It’s not like he’s asking me to marry him,” I told my reflection, giving myself a good reason to keep my Poppa a secret a little longer.

  “And to think she gave me a bad review before someone knocked her off” was the first thing I heard as soon as I walked through Mama’s front door. “And to think they used my nail polish.”

  The warmth of comfort swirled around me as the familiar smells rushed over me. Home. There was nothing like it. I stood in the foyer and looked left into the fancy living room that was completely furnished from Goodlett’s Furniture store, a locally owned business. The living room was rarely used. I took a couple of steps and entered the hallway. To the right were the three bedrooms, two on one side and one on the other, plus a bathroom at the end. To the left was the entrance to the family room and the kitchen along with an eating nook, laundry room, another full bathroom, and the door to the garage.

  It wasn’t a big house, but it was a comfy warm house my mama poured her heart and soul into because she loved to entertain. Many of those times, as a child, I escaped to my poppa’s house.

  The weather was so nice Mama had opened her windows and the door leading out to the back patio. The two nail stations were set up in the family room and the food and entertainment were on the patio.

  “It was awful.” Tina was hunched over her manicure table doing a hand of one of Polly’s bridesmaids who was from out of town. “Jail is not for gals like us.”

  I cleared my throat. Cheree jerked around from her manicure table and Mama, who was her client, looked up at me, as well as Tina and the gal in front of her.

  “Kenni!” Mama wiggled her fingers toward me. “You’re a bit late, but you’re here.”

  “It’s about time.” Tibbie walked in with a glass of champagne with a cherry floating in it. “Polly has been freaking out.”

  “I had to work.” I gave Tina a sideways smile.

  “Oh, we heard.” Mama drew back with an audible gasp. “Tina told us about Bosco Frederick killing Alma and Lucy. Just awful.”

  “And with my polish.” Tina nodded.

  “Shame, shame,” Tibbie said, then took a sip. “Let’s get you a drink.”

  “I’m not drinking tonight.” I walked out to the patio with her and realized I didn’t recognize any of the girls in Polly’s wedding. “I’ve got to skip out early. Work calls.”

  “Nuh-uh. No way.” Tibbie’s eyes grew big. “You promised.”

  “I said I’d be here and here I am. I’ve got some things I need to check out with Lucy’s case and it has to be tonight.” Mama had done a fantastic job with the shower.

  “Yay.” Polly tapped her fingers together with a fake greeting when she saw me walk out the door. She grinned, winked, and gave me the finger wave from afar as she talked to someone on the other side of the patio. She had on a white dress that was fluffed way out with crinoline and a white wide-brimmed hat with a big silk bow tied under her chin.

  There was a banner that read “Fiddle Dee Dee” strung over a snack table that held a tiny replica of Tara the mansion along with little figurines of Scarlett and Rhett. The cookies were in the shape of a woman’s dress like Scarlett had and some cookies were decorated like hand fans. A little over the top, but adorable no less.

  On The Run food truck was pulled up in Mama’s backyard. Jolee had strung twinkly lights that hung over some café tables and chairs. Jolee was serving mason jars layered with BBQ beans, cole slaw and smoked BBQ chicken, shrimp and grits on toast, red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese icing, Southern pralines, mint julep cookies, cheese straws, watermelon, and peach tea punch. Everything I loved.

  I reached for a piece of the shrimp and grits toast. Tibbie smacked my hand away.

  “Ouch.” I jerked away.

  “The watermelon is for you.” She jutted her finger out and gave me a grin.

  “I swear. I hate all y’all.” I rolled my eyes, knowing she was talking about that happy fat thing. “I’m not hungry.”

  “Fine.” She turned around to look back at the party and I grabbed a mint julep cookie, stuffing it into mouth right as she turned back to me. “Kenni!”

  “I am hungry,” I muttered through the sweet treat as I chewed.

  “Anyway, here is the game we are going to play. Do you think you can at least be h
ere for that since you came up with it?” She handed me a piece of paper that I had clearly not come up with. “Polly or Scarlett” written in fancy script on the top. “Go with it. Polly thinks you came up with this game and she needs to feel loved by you.”

  “Really?” I asked with sarcasm. “Only for you will I go along with this.”

  There were a series of question with their names listed next to it and the guests had to circle which one was Polly and which one was Scarlett.

  “Her favorite color is pink?” I asked, knowing Polly was wanting to get Perfectly Posh on her nails. “Really?”

  “It’s a game. Besides, you’ve solved the murder. And a week before the wedding. Polly and the mayor are so happy. Me too.” There was excitement spewing from her. “I’m so happy you figured it out.”

  “Yeah. Me too.” I swallowed the last of the cookie. The women’s intuition Finn talked about earlier kicked in and I couldn’t accept the fact that Bosco did it. It wasn’t just the fact that Poppa was still here—it was the evidence that was just too perfect. “Excuse me.”

  “Where are you going?” There was a worried tone and look on her face.

  “Inside.” And then out the door, but I didn’t say that.

  I’d made my appearance. Polly had seen me and I’d get my nails done later.

  “Okay. I’ll see you in a minute.” She handed me a piece of paper. “Here’s your toast.”

  “You hold on to that for me.” I headed on inside and bent down to Mama while she was getting the second coat of her nails painted. “Mama, I’ve got to go. Emergency.”

  “Kendrick,” she scolded and jerked around.

  “No, no, no, no.” Tina wouldn’t let go of Mama’s hand. “You’re going to smear.”

  “Kenni, no.” Mama warned again. “You aren’t doing this right now. You call Finn.”

  “Mama, my toast is written on a piece of paper that Tibbie has. You’re so good at speaking in public.” I waved bye and headed down the hall, getting myself safely out of the house only because Tina had a hold on Mama where she couldn’t budge.

  The temperature had dropped some more after the few minutes I’d been there. I even turned the heat on in the Jeep once I got in to take the chill out of the air.

  “You ready?” I asked Finn when he answered his phone.

  “That didn’t take long.”

  “Mama was sitting in the nail chair and I figured it was a good time to skedaddle.” It was all sorts of wrong and Mama was going to be really mad, but I had a job and it was an important one. “For some reason, I really feel that there’s an urgency to us getting to the woods.”

  “Well, I’m ready. How far away are you?” he asked.

  “I’m turning down Free Row now. I need to put on some jeans and grab a sweatshirt.”

  “Meet me in your driveway?” he asked. “I’ll bring Duke back.”

  “Yep. We can take the Jeep.” We said goodbye and hung up.

  I hurried into the house and threw on my clothes, pulled my hair up into a ponytail, strapped my police utility belt around my waist under my sweatshirt, and grabbed my police bag from the table just in time to open the back door for Duke to run in.

  I made sure he had some kibble and fresh water before I walked out the door where Finn was already in the front seat of the Wagoneer, Poppa right behind him in the backseat.

  “If you hurry, you’ll be able to talk to Danny and Art,” Poppa said. “I went to the woods while you were stuffing your face with that cookie and they’re all sitting around a fire discussing how they’re going to come home since they’ve got to go to Lucy Ellen’s layout at the funeral home tomorrow to pay their respects before Darnell moves out of town.”

  “Moving out of town?” I said.

  “Who’s moving out of town?” Finn asked with a funny look.

  “Finn.” I turned in my seat to him. “Do you think maybe Darnell Lowell killed Lucy?”

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Darnell?” He eased back into the seat. “I guess I never really suspected him.”

  “And that was his plan.” I started to remember a bunch of little things about the investigation.

  “Go on, Kenni, play the what-if game with him like you did me.” Poppa encouraged me this time instead of discouraging me.

  “You know I love my poppa a lot and I learned so much from hanging around the department from him.” I gripped the wheel as we made our way out on Cottonwood Station Road, the curvy road that took us deep into the woods where the turn-off was for the hunting grounds the Hunt Club used. “Anyway, you and I can talk through clues using your whiteboard, but maybe now you and I can play the game that Poppa and I used to play.”

  “What’s that?”

  “The what-if game. With Darnell, I mean.” There was a brief silence. “Like this. What if Darnell had an affair with Alma and Lucy Ellen found out, threatening to expose him because Lucy Ellen knew it would make Alma look bad to everyone, making her the ultimate winner in their little jealousy fight?”

  Finn looked at me and teetered his head back and forth as if he were noodling the idea.

  “What if Darnell killed Lucy Ellen using her favorite polish because she couldn’t get it from Tina? He broke into Tiny Tina’s. He somehow left the cabin unseen and then after Lucy Ellen was dead, he took the fingernail polish and hid it in the cabin.

  “Bosco found it and put it in his hunting bag since he knew Alma would like it. Then Alma went home to question Bosco after I went to see her and she found the polish in his bag like the suicide note said, but the note was written by Darnell,” I said, playing the what if game.

  This was how Poppa and I used to work on his crimes when he was sheriff. It helped us think outside the box and maybe come up with some new leads to look into.

  “Or Darnell was having an affair with Alma and he gave her the nail polish so she’d die too. He waited for Bosco to come home and he killed him, making it look like a murder-suicide, and wrote the confession about Lucy.” Finn was good at this game.

  “But why did he kill Lucy? Was she threatening to expose the affair? Was there an affair?” I threw out questions.

  “There might be something in the timeline of that night and when Bosco was at the cabin compared to Darnell.” Finn stared out the window.

  “I guess we’ll know here shortly.” I turned the Jeep up the dirt road that took us back five miles until we got to the clearing where the Hunt Club members parked before they used their four-wheelers or hiked back.

  “Kenni.” He reached over and put his hand on my shoulder. “Thank you for sharing the game with me. I know your poppa stays on your mind a lot and I’m honored you opened up to me.”

  I choked back my emotions. This was not the time to be emotional. There was one thing I knew. I knew I loved Finn and I was going to have to start sharing all of my life, not just parts of it, with him if I truly did see myself with him for the rest of my life.

  “We’re here.” I shoved the gearshift into park.

  “Where are the cabins?” His head twisted around and looked at all the parked cars.

  “Back that way.” I pointed into complete darkness. “I hope you brought your flashlight.”

  We got out and unsnapped our flashlights from our utility belts. I gave Finn one of the reflective jackets I’d stuck back in the Jeep to put on so the guys wouldn’t think we were some sort of game to shoot. I led the way. I’d been to the cabins many times in my life.

  The night sky had fallen and it always seemed darker in the country. Even in the small town of Cottonwood, the little bit of light didn’t make the darkness seem so black. In the country, you could see miles and miles of stars in the sky. If you stood still long enough and with a tiny bit of luck, you’d catch a shooting star.

  We were silent most of the walk and about fifteen minutes later, there was an
orange glow from afar.

  “Sheriff here!” I yelled into the dark. “Danny Shane! Art Baskin!” I yelled out, knowing that I’d recognized their cars when I’d pulled up to park. “Sheriff Lowry here!”

  “Sheriff?” The familiar voice of Art echoed into the night. “Is that you?”

  “Yes! Deputy Vincent and I are here.” I didn’t have to yell as I got closer and closer.

  There were six men around the fire when we walked up. Everyone greeted us, but there was a lingering curiosity in the air.

  “We were just discussing going home tonight because we really need to support Darnell at Lucy’s funeral tomorrow.” Danny said, followed up by echoes of agreement.

  “Tomorrow?” I asked. I’d not heard anything about a funeral.

  “He said with her body being part of the investigation, he was going to have a small memorial before he headed out of town,” another one of the men said.

  “Out of town?” I questioned.

  “He said something about moving to his brother’s down in...” he paused.

  “Tulsa?” I asked.

  “Yep.” He snapped his fingers and pointed to me. “That’s right. He said that he’s decided to move to Tulsa for his retirement. I told him I’d pack up his stuff and bring it to him.”

  “What are you doing here, Sheriff?” Art Baskin asked.

  “I’m here to actually talk to all y’all.” I made eye contact with each of them. The fire flickered and sent an orange glow around the group. “I’m sorry for the loss of your president Bosco Frederick.”

  “Yeah, crazy stuff. I just can’t believe he’d do something like that.” One of the guys shuffled around. “Poor Darnell. He’s not only lost his wife but also his best friend.”

  “Best friend?” At first I thought the guy meant Lucy, but I realized he was talking about Bosco. “I was under the assumption their friendship was over.”

  “Oh yeah. Bosco ended their friendship earlier in the summer. They’d been friends for over forty years. But Lucy Ellen started to get a little whacko over Alma and obsessed with all the success Bosco was having with the Jarrett company,” Danny said before taking a swig of his bottle of beer.