Pretty Is As Pretty Does

by Gen Griffin

  “Um. Can we make that promise later?” David asked.

  “Why?”

  “Because I'm still debating how I want to deal with Nellie. I don't want to break any promises I make you.” David squeezed her fingers tightly in his as Trish laughed.

  Chapter 57

  Help me.

  Help me.

  Help me.

  Help.

  Help.

  Oh god, please help.

  I don't want to die.

  I can't die.

  I haven't even gotten to live my own life yet.

  I want to finish law school.

  I want to solve Casey's murder and find her body.

  I want to fall in love.

  I don't want to die.

  “I don't want to die,” Kerry whispered his silent prayers into the still air that was surrounding him in the coffin. He was starting to have a very hard time getting enough air in his lungs. He felt dizzy and nauseous, but there was nothing he could do about it.

  He wasn't just stuck in a casket. He was buried in one. He'd clawed at the roof until the satin had ripped away from the wood and his hands had bled. It hadn't done him any good. No one was coming. No one was going to save him.

  He'd all but given up when he head something heavy thump hard into the lid of the coffin.

  “Help!” He used all the air he had left in his lungs to scream the word.

  Another thump.

  “Help! Help me! I'm here! I'm alive!”

  The lid of the coffin opened over him and pale moonlight covered Kerry's face. A bright light blinded him as a familiar voice called out. “He's alive! Get the paramedics!”

  Kerry reached up his arms as Sheriff Frank Chasson yanked him out of the grave.

  “Son, you're damn lucky,” Frank said.

  “Sheriff, it was Curtis Heinstien. He took me hostage and had me buried alive. You have to arrest him. He tried to kill me.”

  “He's already dead,” Frank replied as he passed Kerry off to the paramedics. “Just sit back and relax. Everything is going to be fine.”

  Chapter 58

  “Kerry's claiming to be an innocent victim,” Addison announced as he walked into the living room of Cal's parent's house. “They took him to the hospital and are keeping him overnight for observation, but he's already given his statement to Uncle Frank. He says Curtis forced him to help him. He says Curtis was going to kill him if he didn't go along with his plan.”

  “I was afraid Kerry might play the victim card,” Cal said. He was sitting on the couch with Gracie cuddled into his side.

  “Are y'all sure he's dirty?” Gracie asked. “I mean, it just seems so crazy that he'd help a killer. He's done nothing but talk about fairness and equality within law enforcement since he came to Possum Creek.”

  “I don't know what to think.” Addison sat down on the recliner opposite his sister and her fiance. “The pawn ticket is the smoking gun against him, but we can't use it without admitting that we were in possession of stolen property in the first place. I'm not worried about it though. If Kerry is dirty then he'll screw up again. We'll get his ass and we'll get him good. Its only going to be a matter of time.”

  “I'm starting to wonder if there is anyone we can trust,” Trish said quietly. She was laying on the second couch with her head in David's lap. “I mean, outside the present company, of course. My own step-sister traded me to a killer for a $1000.”

  “Who cares if we can trust anyone else?” Gracie asked. “We have each other. We don't need anyone else.”

  “Speaking of Nellie, I haven't seen her since the funeral. Did she leave?”

  “Mom said that Nellie claimed to have an emergency at work and that she had to get back to Brooksville immediately. I don't buy it, but what can I really do to her?” Trish sat up and took a sip of the glass of sweet tea that was sitting on the coffee table.

  “Not a damned thing.” Addison reclined the chair. “The only good thing I have to say about today is that it's over.”

  “Cheers to that.” David held up his own drink and faked a toast. He kissed Trish lightly on the top of her head. “Today is over. Curtis is dead. Trish is alive and she says she still loves me.”

  “I do love you,” Trish told him. She kissed him gently on the cheek.

  “Just out of curiosity, when are y'all planning the wedding for?” Cal asked.

  “Our wedding?” David blinked at them. “I don't know. Whenever Trish wants it.”

  “I guess technically I am legally single,” Trish mused. “I don't have to worry about getting my divorce finalized now that Curtis is dead.”

  “Y'all cannot get married before we do,” Gracie said. “Seriously. I'm really far behind on planning this wedding. I'm going to need all of y'all completely focused on helping Cal and I get down the aisle. We don't have anything done.”

  “Trish is in charge of our wedding,” David said. “I've made my intentions to marry her clear. Its up to her as to when she wants to get married.”

  “I'd kind of like to let the dust settle for a little while,” Trish said. “I want to be able to enjoy planning our wedding. I want Curtis to be a pretty distant memory. Besides, Gracie needs my help with hers.”

  “Fine with me,” David hugged her against him. “I'm happy as long as I'm with you.”

  “Awww, aren't y'all sweet.” Cal made a gagging gesture. David tossed a throw pillow at him, hitting him squarely in the face. They all laughed as Addison's phone began chiming.

  Addy looked at the screen of the phone and frowned. “Y'all, I hate to ruin a celebration but we do have one other problem besides Kerry.”

  “What?” David asked. They all looked at him expectantly.

  “Ian has decided to confess to killing Casey Black.”

  For a moment no one spoke. Cal finally broke the silence. “That's a horrible idea.”

  “I know. I tried to talk him out of it but he left me a voicemail earlier telling me that he's made up his mind and he's going through with it. Our deepest, darkest secret is fixing to not be a secret much longer.”

  “Is he taking the full blame or his he-?”

  “He says he's taking the full blame,” Addison said. “The death of Casey Black will no longer be hanging over anyone else's head.”

  “What's going to happen once he confesses?” Gracie asked.

  “I have no idea,” Addison admitted. “But he asked me to ask Trish if she'd go with him and act as his lawyer?”

  All eyes in the room went to Trish.

  “Of course I will,” Trish said. “But is there any chance we can talk him out of confessing to murder?”

  “I don't think so.” Addison folded his hands into his lap. “Y'all, all hell may be about to rain down on us.”

  “I guess we better go pick up our fire-proof umbrellas,” Gracie replied.

  Epilogue

  “My name is Ian McIntyre and I am giving this statement of my own free will. Eight years ago, I was in a car accident that directly caused the death of a girl by the name of Casey Black.”

  “You don't need to do this, son.” Frank Chasson was pale and frowning as he stared at Ian. “I'm begging you not to do this. You're going to lose your badge.”

  “I know,” Ian said.

  “Think about Katie and the baby. How are y'all going to take care of that little girl if you only have Katie's salary?”

  “I'll find another job. I can go back to the Shop N' Save.”

  “I don't know if you can or not, Ian. You're confessing to killing a little girl and hiding her body. Folks ain't going to look real kindly on that.” Frank sat down in the chair opposite Ian. “You ain't thought this through.”

  “You're not going to talk me out of confessing. I can't live with the guilt anymore. Besides, Trish has brokered the deal with the state attorney. Casey's death was an accident and I'm not going to face any charges. I won't go to jail.”

  “Just because you won't face charges doesn't mean that you can continue w
orking as a sheriff's deputy, Ian. There's going to have be a lengthy investigation and a review of your performance. You're going to have to go through a psych evaluation to see if you're fit for duty. You ain't got no other skills and the county's already turned down my application to give you paid leave. You go through with this, y'all ain't going to have a pot to piss in.”

  “I don't care,” Ian said.

  “You should care.”

  “I'm doing the right thing.” Ian reached for the piece of paper that Trish had typed his official statement on and printed out for him to read from. “I just need to read this out loud to you, right?”

  “Ian, I'm begging you not to.” Frank's forehead was creased with worry.

  Ian began reading from the prepared statement. “My name is Ian McIntyre and I am giving this statement of my own free will. Eight years ago, I was in a car accident that directly caused the death of a girl by the name of Casey Black. I take full responsibility for my actions that day as well as for disposing of her body in the swamp on the south side of Batton Bayou...”

  Epilogue Part 2

  “Are you okay?” Addison asked as he walked outside of the Sheriff's department and sat down on the curb next to Katie.

  “No.” Her eyes were red and swollen from crying. She was sitting on the curb with her knees pulled up to her chest. She had a tissue wadded up in her right hand.

  Addison wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “I want to tell you that I cam make this better, but I can't.”

  “I know. I wouldn't have asked you to. Ian killed Casey and he's decided to take responsibility for his actions. It's probably for the best.”

  “You think?” Addison was stunned.

  “Ian never takes responsibility for any of his actions. As bad as today is, I'm hoping that this really is the start of a change for him.” She sniffled miserably into her tissue but her honey-colored eyes were steady. “He can come back from this. We can come back from this even stronger than we were before. God helps those who help themselves and try to do right, doesn't he?”

  “Theoretically.”

  “I have to believe that everything will work itself out, Addy.” Katie brushed several strands of hair back from her face. “Ian and I have been having a really rough time lately. I have to believe that he's making the right choice and that we've reached a turning point and made the turn.”

  “Things will get better.” Addison said the words even though he didn't believe them.

  “Not immediately, but yes. I'm going to stand by Ian through this. I'm going to do everything in my power to be a good, supportive and loving wife. I'm going to make my marriage work and I'm going to make my life work. I'm too young to give up.”

  “I never would have suggested you give up,” he said.

  “My mother and Kristy aren't going to agree with you. Mom wants me to take Hannah Mae and move to Canterville with her. She thinks that I'm not going to have very many friends left in Possum Creek once the truth about Ian comes out.”

  “You'll still have me,” Addison said to her.

  Katie nearly smiled at him. “We can get through this, right?”

  “I don't have a single doubt in my mind,” he lied. “Everything will be just fine. Better than before.”

  Don't Miss

  Give Me Some Sugar

  A Possum Creek Novel

  (Book #5)

  AVAILABLE SPRING 2016

  Kerry Longwood had just made it past the welcome to Possum Creek sign on the outskirts of town when the sheriff's department cruiser pulled out behind him with sirens blaring.

  “You have got to be kidding me,” Kerry grumbled. He hit the brakes and eased his baby blue Audi convertible onto the shoulder of the road. He watched with annoyance as the cruiser pulled in behind him and Sullivan Briggs got out of the driver's seat. Sully was filling in as a temporary deputy until the state police commission finished investigating Ian and the Sheriff figured out whether Ian was going to get to continue serving in the line of duty or if he would forever be mowing the overgrown lawns of Possum Creek.

  “It's me,” Kerry called out his open window as Sully walked up to the car carrying his clipboard. Sully wasn't an improvement over Ian. Sure, he had been a detective in whatever city he'd live in before he'd moved back to Possum Creek to help Tate run the fire department, but the last thing Possum Creek had needed was a burned out former college football player with too much time to work-out and the same lousy sense of humor as Addison Malone.

  “You were speeding.” The buttons on Sully's uniform shirt were struggling to stay closed across his thickly muscled chest as he leaned down and peered into Kerry's car. “I'm going to need your license and registration.”

  “Screw off,” Kerry said. “You know I'm legal.”

  “License or registration,” Sully held out his hand. “Either give them to me or I'm going to have to fine you.”

  “Go to hell.” Kerry reached over to the passenger's side of the car and pulled open the glove box. He tugged out the manila envelope that contained all of his legal paperwork. He passed it out the window to Sully. “There. Are you happy now?”

  Sully pulled the paperwork out of the envelope and made like he was really checking the details. Kerry sat up as tall as he could in his seat and glared at Sully. “I wasn't speeding.”

  “You were going 47 in a 45 mph zone.” Sully tucked Kerry's paperwork into the clipboard he was holding.

  “You're not going to write me a ticket for going 2 miles an hour over the speed limit. I'm a cop.” Kerry was getting increasingly annoyed by the minute.

  “I've never heard of any law that prevents officers from getting tickets,” Sully replied with a shrug. “The whole thing where cops don't ticket cops is more of a, well, I believe the words I'm looking for are professional courtesy.” Sully grinned unkindly down at Kerry. “Its kind of a you scratch my back and I scratch yours situation.”

  “Whatever favor you're trying to get me to do for you, the answer is no.” Kerry crossed his arms over his own lumpy and decidedly not impressive chest.

  Sully laughed. “I'm not asking you to do me a favor, Kerry. I'm returning the favor you did for me a few months back. Remember when you wrote me $875 worth of seat-belt violations in less than two months because you were concerned for my safety?”

  Kerry groaned. “Those were valid tickets.”

  “So is the one I'm about to issue you for speeding,” Sully replied with a smirk. “Also sir, I'm going to have to ask you to get out of your car.”

  “Excuse me?” Kerry had no intention of playing along with Sully's little farce any longer.

  “Get out of the car.”

  “You're not searching my vehicle.”

  “Actually, I am.” Sully still had a smile on his face. “We had a tip called in through dispatch that someone was running a load of illegal prescription drugs through town in a bright blue Audi convertible. I've been waiting for a car matching the description the caller to come through here.” He tapped the Audi on the door. “Hop out, Kerry.”

  “Addison probably called that tip in and you know it.”

  “The caller was anonymous.” Sully jerked his thumb towards the side of the road. “Don't make me pull you out of the car.”

  “If you don't think I'm going to file an official complaint against you for this, you are sadly mistaken.” Kerry grudgingly opened his door and got out of the car. The pavement was so scorchingly hot that he could feel it through the thin soles of his flip flops.

  Sully began digging through the interior of the Audi. He made a big show of checking through all the consoles and peering under the seats as several cars drove past them. Someone in the back of a red pick up truck yelled out 'serves you right cocksucker' as they blew past.

  “You're wasting both our time,” Kerry said as Sully popped the trunk.

  “Police officers have to be thorough in doing our duty to the public.” Sully looked decidedly pleased with himself as he strutted towards the ba
ck of the car and pulled the trunk lid up. He tossed out the bag containing Kerry's spare uniform and the broken DVD player that Kerry had been on his way to return to the store when he'd been pulled over.

  “You won't find any drugs in my car. Malone is the one who called in that tip about my car. He knows I have the only blue Audi convertible in town. He probably thinks its funny to waste your time and mine.”

  “Addison Malone is the least of your problems.” Sully had lifted the carpeting in the trunk up and was peering into the hole where the spare tire was sitting. Kerry watched as the smart ass smile faded from Sully's face. He leaned down into the depths of the trunk to take a better look at the spare tire.

  “I don't have any drugs in my car,” Kerry snapped.

  “Drugs?” Sully straightened back up and stared at Kerry with surprising seriousness. “No. I haven't found any drugs.”

  “Surprise, surprise.”

  “Kerry Longwood, you're under arrest.”

  “Arrest?” Kerry scowled at Sully. “Sorry, but no. Your little joke has gone far enough. You're not arresting me.”

  “Kerry, I'm not playing with you.” Sully stepped back away from the car and leveled his dark brown eyes at Kerry. “Either you can put your hands on the hood of the car and let me do this the easy way, or I'm going to have to use the taser on you.”

  “You're going to taser me?” Kerry took a step back away from Sully.

  “You want to explain to me why you have a decapitated human head in the trunk of your car?” Sully asked.

  “A what?”

  Sully gestured to the trunk of the Audi. “See for yourself.”

  “If this is some kind of prank, I'll have your badge.” Kerry walked up to the trunk of his own car. There was no telling what horrible prop Sully had planted in the trunk of his car as the punchline for this joke. He elbowed Sully out of his way and stared down into the back of the car. A human head was laying next to his jumper cables. A clear bullet hole was visible in the middle of the forehead. Its rotted eye sockets were staring straight at Kerry.