by Abby Deuel
She put her pencil down and turned on the shower to warm up the water. She figured she would grab a short shower because no matter how much gear you wear when you work around cattle, the smell of cow pats penetrates one’s skin. She knew Fred would not appreciate her eau de beast. Tonight was the night to go over to Fred’s for her much needed haircut. After working hard this morning pregnancy testing, she was ready to sit back and have someone look after her. The search at Anna’s house for the deed would have to wait until another day.
She stepped out of the RV once she had dried her hair with a towel. The sun was just starting to make its way down in the sky to rest for the night and she couldn’t help relating to the need to wind down. Tonight might be an early night.
Arriving at the salon, she was greeted by a happy little Marge. Despite the fact that Fred kept the heat rather warm in the shop, Marge was wearing a little pink polka dot dress. Fred must be cold-blooded because within seconds she was too warm for her jacket and her sweater. She stripped down to just her turtleneck to avoid sweating.
Dennis came from out the back. He was only wearing a T-shirt.
“Hi, Mandy. I’ll just go get Fred for you. He is just pulling some scones out of the oven. He is on a real baking kick right now, preparing for the bake-off at the Halloween Hoedown.”
“Thanks. Good to see you again. That must be the heavenly smell.”
“I sure can’t complain about the smells. He’s been baking a new batch every chance he gets and I get to sample them for critiquing purposes. It’s a hard life!”
“It sure is warm in here.”
“Fred keeps it warm all year round in here. He has a passion for rare cacti and they don’t do well unless it’s above 70 degrees. I can never wear more than a short-sleeved shirt in here. His clients learn to layer so they can dress down upon arrival.”
“Ah, that explains it.”
Dennis disappeared out the back. Fred had a little apartment attached to the salon which had a kitchenette, a bathroom, a living room, and a bedroom. Living at the salon meant he could see appointments throughout the day while still tending to his cacti and cooking feats. It also gave the salon a very welcoming feel, as if people were invited into Fred’s home.
“Try these,” Fred said, handing Mandy a freshly cooked scone. “These are cranberry and pistachio. Here is some butter. The butter is the real deal. I get it from Ben King’s dairy farm here in Crestview. It’s one of the secrets to perfect scones - real, old-fashioned butter. All these health nuts these days use whipped butter substitutes and wonder why nothing seems to satiate their taste buds. Anyway, enough about butter. I could go on forever about that. I have to stop myself. Let’s talk about my other passion, hair. What are you looking for?”
As they all sat around, tasting the scones, Fred produced some style books. He was neatly dressed in a pair of plaid slacks and some Sperry shoes. His shirt was a pressed short-sleeved button up shirt that matched a stripe in the plaid in his pants. He sat in a chair next to Mandy with his legs crossed at the ankles like a charm school graduate. One of the books he handed her was specifically for curly hair, like Mandy’s. While they were sitting on Fred’s pink corduroy overstuffed chairs, Marge was doing her best to try to convince someone, anyone to give her a morsel of a scone. Dennis reached down with a Marge-sized bit. Mandy noticed that there was a tan line on his left wrist where a watch or bracelet must normally be.
“Have you lost your watch?” Mandy asked.
“Hmmm?” Dennis replied, focused on sneaking morsels to Marge.
“Your watch, have you lost it?”
“Oh, um.” He retracted his left arm and covered his wrist with his right hand, rubbing it as if to make the tan line go away. “I took it off yesterday to wash someone’s hair for Fred. I must have forgotten to put it back on.”
“Oh. Ok. Well just don’t feed Marge too much. I wouldn’t want to see her for a tummy ache tomorrow,” Mandy replied.
“I think I’m going to go to the house side and watch the game,” Dennis said. “Nice to see you again.”
“You, too,” Mandy said.
“Well, let’s look at some of these pictures,” said Fred. “So what are you imagining?”
“I hadn’t given it much thought. I trust you. If you have something in mind, just go for it. I just can’t have anything too high maintenance. I don’t own a straightener or blow dryer. In fact, I don’t even use a brush. I just shower, add a little product, run my fingers through it, and let my hair air dry. I used to fight my hair and now I just let it go.”
“I see. Come and sit in the chair here and let me run my hands through your hair while I ponder.”
“Sounds good. I just washed it. You may need to wet it again since it dried a little on the way here.”
“As the greatest artists say I’ll just remove what shouldn’t be here and what will be left is the perfect haircut,” Fred said, already in deep concentration. He pursed his lips as his fingers moved through her hair. His forehead wrinkled as his thought process unfolded. All of the tension in his face finally subsided and he started to spray her hair down, to tame the parts that had started to dry. Mandy’s thick hair hadn’t dried underneath at all yet.
Mandy looked around at Fred’s domain while he worked. The salon was decorated with a rich flare of Victorian colors and textures. The window treatments were thick drapes of lace and taupe damask. Candelabras were mounted on the walls between the silver fleur-de-lis patterned, embossed mirrors. Mandy could see that hair was not his only outlet for his creativity. It was like being in an artist’s studio, seeing what kinds of ambiance gave them inspiration.
A selection of scissors and combs rested on the antique vanity below the mirror in front of Mandy. Fred selected the gold handled pair of scissors and an ivory comb and started to trim the backside of Mandy’s head. Since she couldn’t see what he was doing, all she could measure his progress by was the clumps of hair piling up on the floor. It had been a while since she got a trim, so she knew a fair amount would have to come off. Mandy reached her hand into her leather satchel on her lap and pulled out a red gummy bear, slipping it into her mouth.
“And what was that?” Fred asked.
“A little slice of heaven,” Mandy replied with a smile. “Want one?” She opened her palm to reveal several little gummy treats.
“Oh, a woman after my own heart. Some people think adults are a little too old to eat gummy bears. They happen to still be one of my favorites. Don’t mind if I do. I like the green ones.”
“Perfect, I’ll save you all of the green ones. I always leave them for last.”
“Deal. As I am shaping the back, I wonder how you prefer the length. Do you often wear it up?”
“Sometimes, but if it is short and I need to have it out of my face, I can just wear a hat.”
“Tisk, tisk. I suppose you are a working girl, though. Hats leave hat hair and no one looks good in that. Uglier than homemade sin, some might say.”
“Well, when I am calving a cow, I don’t really care about the style.”
“Fair enough. We are getting somewhere here. It’s all about feeling how the curls will want to sit.”
“It feels lighter already. Thank you. So, do you see most of the town through the salon?”
“More or less. Some people do their own grooming at home. You know the type. The number 40 blade with a guard, shave the whole family on the back porch. All the boys with matching haircuts.”
“Yep, I think I know the style.”
“Did you know Buck Dawson?” Mandy inquired
“I think it’s heart breaking. I never saw that coming. He’d come in here from time to time for a trim. He kept himself pretty manicured. I think he thought of himself as a bit of a ladies man, though I don’t think he was serious about anyone,” Fred said while spraying Mandy’s hair to keep it wet.
“Hmmm, a ladies man. Any particular recent relationships you can remember? You seem to have a finger on the pulse.”
“Not that I am aware of. He was pretty private. Came in, got his hair cut the same way and didn’t say a whole lot to me. He was a member of the dart club and they seemed to meet over a few friendly beers. They might know something. Why do you ask? Are you investigating the murder?”
“Sort of. I can’t help but wonder what would inspire someone in this little town to murder someone and since I saw it for myself, I can’t seem to let it go until it is solved.”
“I can understand that. Just don’t step on the toes of the law.”
Fred had been busily trimming Mandy’s mane to remove the rest of the hair that didn’t go with his vision. The layers nicely framed her face but were short in the back to take away from some of the density of her curls.
“Ok, I’d like to let it dry a little naturally and then we will have the final touches. In the meantime, would you like a coffee, tea, or pop? I have a cappuccino machine.”
“Oh, a cappuccino would be fantastic.”
“I’ll make you one. These new one cup brew machines are simply divine. Do you have one?”
“No, I have an old school coffee maker. It does have a timer so I’m not a total dinosaur.”
“Here is the cup of joe. Enjoy.”
“Oh, this is delicious. I may have to invest in one of those machines. You have some interesting gear here. Why the cacti and growlights?”
“I became a little obsessed with the Southwest a few years back. The Midwest can be so plain Jane. I decided to start my own desert oasis.”
“It’s very neat. You’re place is gorgeous. Have you thought about doing interior design?”
“It’s not exactly a hot market here for that,” said Fred. “My grandmother always encouraged my sense of fashion. My parents not so much.”
“You were close to your grandmother?”
“She practically raised me. My parents were salt of the earth people and didn’t like my flamboyance. I spent most of my time with my grandmother instead of fighting it. She was an artist and a pillar in this community. You probably haven’t heard of her. She is Crestview’s little claim to fame, though. She painted landscapes of the Midwest and scenes of our town. Kind of like Norman Rockwell. She was the first artist to capture this area of the country and make it cool to have a tractor painting in your house.”
“That is very neat. What was her name?”
“LouAnne Devor.”
“I haven’t heard of her. What a legacy. You must be very proud.”
“I am. She had a way of seeing the world like no one else could. Everybody loved her,” said Fred.
“I could see that,” said Mandy.
“How about you? Are you enjoying yourself here? With the exception of finding a body?”
“It’s nice. People seem friendly.”
“It’s a welcoming little town. All this talking has allowed your hair to dry quickly. Let me just take a few little pieces of from this side and you are officially re-styled.”
Once Fred had finished, he held a mirror up so Mandy could see the back.
“Wow, that is really fabulous. Even I can manage this style.”
“Next time we might want to think of a few lowlights and highlights. They always look so lovely with curly hair. But this is a very good start.”
“Indeed. I’ve never done color. In your hands, I could trust trying it out. Thanks so much. I will definitely be saving all of my green gummy bears just for you.”
“Lovely. It’s a deal.”
Fred saw Mandy to the door. “Thanks again and say goodbye to Dennis for me.”
“Sure thing, dear,” Fred replied as he swept up the tendrils of curly hair on the floor.
Chapter Fourteen
The next day, Mandy decided to get up early and make a trip to Anna’s house to start sorting through some things before the Hoedown. Mandy would shower when she returned to the RV. She grabbed a breakfast sandwich for herself and gave Lyle some kibble. Lyle was excited for a break in the usual routine. Mandy and Lyle loaded up in the Jeep before the sun had even risen.
Arriving at the house, she saw that someone had been carefully putting Anna’s mail on the landing in the front screen porch instead of in the mailbox. How thoughtful, Mandy thought. See, it just doesn’t add up. Why would someone murder anyone in this town where people are concerned about mail piling up? I guess it only takes one to ruin it for everyone else, she thought.
She brought the mail in and put it on the table. Not seeing anything pressing in the stack, she decided to start sorting through stuff in the living room first. It was quiet in the house without Jimbo and Emma there anymore. She was pleased with the decision to move them to the clinic. They would be so lonely here. Plus, it was getting quite entertaining that anytime anyone turned a sink on to wash their hands, Emma came thundering into the room to jump in the sink. She had quite the obsession with running water. She would sit in the sink and alternately take sips and paw at the stream of water. Clients enjoyed watching her.
In the living room, Mandy decided to sort items into two piles: those which she could donate and those that were too personal and should be dealt with individually. Her overall goal was to find the deed so she would start in locations she thought that might be. First, she came across a number of books which she decided would be best donate to the library. She would call Sonya about the arrangements. She needed to get up there to look into the death of Jim Moore’s wife anyway so she might stop in sometime in the next few days. A few of the titles looked interesting to her so she put those near her keys to read before sending them to the library. She made a mental note to start saving boxes from the clinic deliveries to help with transporting and sorting.
Next, Mandy came across some photo albums. She went to the kitchen and decided to make a cup of instant coffee to help inspire a few hours of sorting. As she settled on the couch with Lyle at her feet, Mandy picked up the first album. Before she even started looking at the photos, a stack of letters fell onto her lap. She opened them up.
Each letter was to Anna from Dennis. It was clear that Dennis had a particular obsession with Anna and she must not have reciprocated. The letters spanned over several years. Clearly Dennis continued sending them, despite the fact that not a single one indicated that Anna had shown any interest. The strange thing is: why would Anna keep them if she didn’t entertain some sort of possibility?
Mandy pulled out the albums to see if she could find some answers. She found one album that seemed to feature Dennis in quite a few photos. It must have meant that at some point they were an item. She thought back to what Sonya had said about Dennis being the only one who might have convinced Anna to marry. She wondered what the real story was here. Was it a bad break up, a case of unrequited love, a high school romance revisited? She would have to check into it further by asking Sonya and maybe trying to talk to Dennis.
Mandy then went to the next shelf which had yearbooks from college and high school. To reminisce for a while and give her brain a break, she pulled out the college yearbooks. In it, she found pictures of her and Anna. Since they were nearly always together in vet school, every time one was pictured, the other was too. What a time they had. They were both overachievers and always signing up to help with research studies for a little extra rent money. They had both come from humble beginnings and needed to find as many ways as possible to make money through vet school.
One time, they took part in a study where they had to take shifts through the night to watch cows calve. The study was trying to test the effect of ad lib feeding in the last trimester of pregnancy on the ease of calving for the cow. They had to sit in a little portable trailer with flashlights and keep checking on the cows through the night. Poor Anna slipped on a cow pie and landed in the mud. It was a cold night for her since they had no power in the trailer and she got quite wet in that mud puddle. They sure had a blast, drinking coffee and chatting quietly through the night. It was exciting to be part of a research project even if it wasn’t a very lucrat
ive post. They oversaw the most calvings out of anyone in the research study. They also signed up for more shifts than anyone else so it may have been an unfair competition. They both found it was a great time to study and test each other so it only enhanced their overachieving tendencies.
Smiling, Mandy returned to the task at hand. She pulled down some of Anna’s high school yearbooks. She was hoping to get some insight into the Dennis and Anna dilemma. She found that both of them served on the high school newspaper staff. Mandy wondered whether late nights editing the paper started a bond between them. Even though she was trying to find the deed, she couldn’t resist looking into angles that might help with the murder investigation. And what if somehow the Dennis and Anna connection added to the murder?
She found a picture in their senior year where Dennis and Anna were standing proudly outside the school with the rest of the staff of the newspaper. Mandy studied the photo closely. In the byline, she noticed a familiar name, Buck Dawson. He too was on the staff of the newspaper. This meant they all knew each other. She would have to look into that as well. Her list of leads was growing, even though this was supposed to be her day off from the case to sort Anna’s house.
She sat back on the couch to have her sandwich. Lyle obediently sat at her feet with her intense eyes staring at Mandy and her sandwich. The sandwich had cheese in it and Lyle’s fetch obsession was only matched by her affinity for anything made of milk. Mandy tore a little piece of cheese off and put it on the bridge of Lyle’s nose. Lyle stared, cross-eyed, waiting for her cue.
“Wait, wait,” pause, “Ok.” Lyle took her command and tossed her head up to throw the piece of cheese in the air before catching it. As a Border collie, Lyle could learn tricks easily and enjoyed the challenge of any form of training.
“Well, maybe we should put these in piles and go on home. We have some investigating to do.” Mandy said to Lyle who stood up and stretched her full body as if she knew exactly what Mandy had just said and was preparing to leave.
Mandy gathered her things together and locked the front door with Lyle right beside her. Lyle hopped into her side of the Jeep and started panting with excitement. Even though they did a fair amount of traveling, Lyle never tired of the anticipation of a ride in the truck. One time, they had been driving through a busy city in traffic and Lyle couldn’t curtail her enthusiasm. She was bouncing and barking with each truck that went by in the oncoming traffic lane. Their lane wasn’t moving at all which made the trucks going past seem so much faster. This continued with no break in the action until Mandy smelled a foul smell and opted to get off the highway to investigate. They pulled over to a gas station and Mandy determined that the source of the smell was that Lyle had expressed her anal glands all over the seat of the Jeep. It took Mandy months to get rid of that smell. The upshot was that by getting off the highway, they found an alternate route to avoid the traffic.
