by Jude Pittman
Grasping each other, they merged as one, spinning into a whirlwind, giving and taking greedily as they met each other's need. Finally, sweating and spent, they collapsed against the sofa.
"That was so special," Kelly whispered against her ear.
"For me too," she said, in the husky voice of fulfillment.
For several minutes, they lay still holding each other and when they finally sat up, Kelly snuggled her into his arms.
"I hate to leave now," he said. "But I've got to make rounds at the flea market."
She smiled, happiness shining from her eyes. "Of course you've got to go. It was wonderful, Kelly. Come on, I'll walk you to your truck."
He drew her to him one more time and caressed her lips. "Before I go, I'm going to tell you something I probably shouldn't. It means betraying a confidence and I hate that but I just can't walk out of here and leave you unprepared for what might happen on Monday."
"What's going to happen?" Her eyes widened with sudden fear.
"Gus found out that your uncle was in town the night Anna was murdered. He's going to Houston to question him."
Krystal's forehead creased in a puzzled frown. "Uncle Andrew was here? I don't understand. He never said anything about having been in Fort Worth."
Kelly shook his head. "I can't give you any details. That wouldn't be fair to Gus but I just wanted to warn you your uncle might be more involved than he's led you to believe. I'm going out on a limb talking to you, so please don't repeat any of this to your uncle."
"Of course not. I don't know what Uncle Andrew could've been doing in Fort Worth but I doubt if he'd tell me even if I asked him."
Chapter Thirteen
It was just past eight when Kelly made it back to Indian Creek. There were several vehicles parked around the bait house and down by the creek. Frank Perkins stood in the center of a group of men. Kelly pulled into the driveway and joined Marty Jenkins on the edge of the group.
"What's all the excitement?" he asked.
"That's Frank's new boat." Marty pointed to a gleaming new bass boat fastened to the end of the dock. "Isn't she a honey?"
"She's a stunner all right."
From inside the circle of men, Frank's high, excited voice carried to where Kelly stood. "She's a sixteen footer with a hundred-and-fifty horsepower motor," Frank said, his face gleamed with pride. "See that gadget up on the console?" He pointed so the admiring circle of listeners could identify the object. "That's an electronic fish finder."
"Damn!" Doug Phillips piped in. "Won't be no need for you to go fishing, Frank. Y'all can just send that boat along and it'll catch 'em for yuh."
"That isn't as farfetched as you might think." Frank puffed out his chest. "All I gotta do is turn that gadget on and it'll spot every damn fish in the lake."
Doug tipped back his cap and scratched his head. "I'll be danged," he said. "What won't they think of next?"
"Hey, Frank." Kelly moved closer to the group and broke into the conversation. "What did you do? Win the state lottery?"
"Nah. My sister out in California died last year and the lawyers just now sent me my share of the estate."
"Oh! Sorry she passed away but it's nice she remembered you in her will."
"Yeah…well…I had it coming to me." Frank's round face flushed with color. "She got the house and property out in California when my old man died, so it's only right I should get my share back. As it is, I didn't get all I should've. She left most of it to that good-for-nothing kid of hers."
Kelly regretted asking any questions at all. "Well, nice to see you got yourself a new boat anyhow."
"I ain't getting any younger," Frank growled. "’Bout damn time I got some of the things I been wanting."
Kelly nodded and strolled back to Marty.
"Have you heard what's going on with Cam?" Marty asked.
"That's where I was headed when I stopped off here to see what all the excitement was about," Kelly said.
"You think the cops are gonna charge him with Anna's murder?"
"You'd have to ask Cam about that." Kelly smiled to take the sting out of his words. Marty was a good guy but like all the old timers at the Creek, he liked to gossip and Kelly wasn't about to feed the rumor mill.
"Guess I'll catch you later," he said, starting toward his truck. "I want to stop by and see Cam before I make my rounds at the flea market."
"See you later." Several voices called and Kelly lifted his hand in farewell.
When Kelly entered the Hideaway after his inspection of the flea market, Cam was sitting on a stool behind the bar with a towel in his hand and a frosted mug perched on the coaster in front of him. Marty and Leroy argued over their cribbage game at the back table and Darlene bent over the sink washing mugs. They were all in exactly the same spot they'd been in a week ago before a murderer struck and turned their lives upside down.
"You don't look any the worse for wear." Kelly pulled up a stool and held out a hand to Cam.
"Looks are deceiving," Cam returned Kelly's handshake.
"So, now that we've got the amenities out of the way," Kelly lifted his left eyebrow and gave Cam his best glare, "what the hell is all this bullshit about you busting into Anna's cabin?"
Cam's jaw dropped and a red flush spread up his face. "Hey, I'm sorry about that, Kelly. I know I should've told you but I was afraid you'd think I killed Anna if you found out I swiped the note." Cam wiped the back of his neck with the bar towel and stood there looking sheepish.
"Oh, yeah, you got no idea how much I appreciated having Gus drop that bit of news on me. If I hadn't already talked to Bubba and figured out you'd probably been down to Anna's cabin that night, I'd have looked like a damn fool."
"Yeah. That was a stupid move on my part. What can I say? I'm sorry."
"Okay. We'll let it drop. I just hope you haven't held back anything else. And if you did, then for God’s sake, tell me now."
"I haven't, Kelly. I swear it. One thing you gotta believe, though. I didn't break into Anna's box. I admit I went to her cabin looking for the note but the door was open when I got there and that damn box was busted open and lying on the bed."
"Are you saying somebody else was there before you?"
"That's right." Cam got up and filled his mug, then leaned back across the bar. "I wasn't going to keep that note, you know. I just wanted to hold onto it until I had a chance to talk to Anna after she'd sobered up a bit. Then, when I realized the money was gone, I didn't know what the hell to do."
"What money are you talking about?"
"The twenty thousand dollars Anna got from the bank for the down payment on that fish camp. I took her to Fort Worth Friday and she drew it out of her savings account."
Kelly slapped his hand against his forehead. "What the hell happened to the ‘oh, no, there’s nothing I ain’t told you’? And where in the hell you been keeping your brain lately? It never occurred to you that the money might be the motive for Anna's murder?"
"I know I should've told you but everything happened so damn fast. Besides, I thought Bubba’d tell you. Anna was getting the money for him, you know. I figured if he told you the money was missing, I could just stay out of it. It seemed like the best idea at the time."
"Bubba never said shit. Hell, he probably figured you took the money and he didn't want to rat on a friend. Damn you guys and your misplaced sense of loyalty. How the hell am I supposed to help you if you keep holding out on me?"
Cam hung his head and Kelly could tell that he'd hurt his feeling.
"Okay." Kelly struggled to keep the irritation out of his voice. "I can understand why you might keep it to yourself at first but what about later—once the cops questioned you? Didn't it occur to you then that Bubba hadn't said anything about the money? Why didn't you give me a call and tell me about it after they locked you up?"
"I was going to. I even thought about calling you from the jail but then I decided I'd better wait 'til I got out. You know cops… I've heard they bug them teleph
ones."
"You watch too damn much television. I'm sure as hell going to have to tell Gus about this and he isn't going to like it when he finds out you been holding out on him."
"Damn it, Kelly. You go telling him about the money and where the hell does that leave me?"
"It'll leave you in a helluva lot better spot than you’ll be in if he finds out on his own. I wasn't going to tell you this yet but Gus already told me if you aren't involved in the murder, he'll ask the DA to drop the burglary charges against you."
Cam's eyes widened. "You ain’t kidding? He really agreed to do that?"
"Yeah, provided you're clean on the murder. But he might have changed his mind about that he's found out about that missing money. He hasn't mentioned it to me but he knows you and I are tight, so he probably wouldn't. But I'll tell you one thing, though. Gus is too damn thorough when he makes an investigation not to have found out Anna withdrew a large sum of money from her account on Friday. And for damn sure, he’s probably already found a witness who'll testify you took Anna to the bank."
"I never thought about that. Why do you suppose he hasn't questioned me about the money if he already knows?"
"Because right now he's investigating a murder, not a robbery. He's probably gathered up a whole bunch of shit he hasn't seen fit to share with you or me either but you can bet your ass he'll bring it up when the time is right."
"What do you think I oughta do?"
"Nothing. Just sit tight and keep your mouth shut. I want to have a few words with Bubba, then I'll go see Gus and tell him about the money. You keep your mouth shut about all this. Don’t you be discussing Anna at all, not even with Darlene."
"Ain’t been talking about it anyhow. To tell you the truth, I'm sick to death of the whole damn thing. I'm sorry as hell Anna's dead but I can't help her none now and I just wish this whole pile of shit would go away and let me get back to running my business."
"I know, it's tough on everybody. I'll do some thinking about the money angle and see what I can come up with. If Gus wants to talk to you, he'll let you know, otherwise just keep your head and try to get things back to normal around here. I'll keep in touch and let you know if anything develops."
On the way to the flea market, Kelly re-played his conversation with Frank. The little weasel had been plenty evasive when Kelly started questioning him about his sister's inheritance and it was one hell of a coincidence his coming up with that inheritance at exactly the same time a bunch of money turned up missing out of Anna's strongbox.
By the time Kelly got to the flea market, it was almost nine. For the next hour and a half he was too busy to indulge in any more speculation about Frank's sudden wealth. Most of the dealers had shut down and Kelly was kept hopping retrieving tables and issuing gate cards for Sunday's business. He bolted the door when he finished and whistled for Jake, who'd been taking a run around the grounds.
"I don't know about you," Kelly said when the dog joined him on the path, "but I'm ready to call it a night."
At the cabin, Kelly grabbed a couple of hotdogs out of the fridge and tossed them in the microwave. He gave Jake one and took the other over to his recliner to stretch out and think about Frank's inheritance. Pretty big coincidence, Frank getting his money at the same time as Anna's twenty thousand dollars disappeared. And more than strange Frank hadn’t mentioned the anticipated windfall before. Keeping his mouth shut simply wasn’t in his make-up. No way he hadn’t had notification about the estate before the money was distributed.
So why hadn't he bragged about it all over Indian Creek? The only reason for secrecy Kelly could think of was if the money had come from Anna’s lock box and not an inheritance. What was Frank really doing at the creek the night Anna and Cam had their fight? Was he really night fishing? Or had he just come from rifling Anna's cabin?
Kelly got up and un-cramped his legs. Before he got anymore worked up about Frank, he needed to check out his story. The Hideaway was still open and Darlene had been quite friendly with Frank's sister when she'd visited a couple of years ago. Maybe she knew her last name and where she lived. That should give Kelly enough to call Jim Forbes in Dallas. Jim's brother was a probate lawyer in Los Angeles and should be able to check out the details of the sister's estate. He laughed. All that was called working the good old boy network and it was one of the most effective investigative tools ever created.
Kelly dialed the Hideaway, got Cam and asked if he could speak with Darlene.
"Sure, hold on a sec, I'll get her."
"How you doing, gal?" Kelly said, when Darlene's voice came on the line.
"Just fine, Kelly. What's up?"
"Oh, nothing much. I just wondered if you happened to remember Frank's sister's last name and where she lived."
"Sure. Her name was Perkins, same as Frank. She changed back to her maiden name when she and her old man got divorced. She lived in San Clemente but she died last year, you know."
"Yeah, I knew that but I needed to get some information about her and listen, I'd appreciate it if you'd keep this under your hat, okay?"
"Sure, no problem. I wouldn't have any reason to talk about it, anyhow."
"Thanks. You're a gem. Talk to you later."
Kelly replaced the receiver. "Well, that was simple." Darlene was good about keeping her mouth shut, so he needn't worry on that account.
The next thing was to get hold of Jim and that was something he needed to do anyhow. It’d been six months since they'd talked. Jim understood the reason Kelly seldom saw him. Kelly’d been at Jim's house the night Lynda died, the night Kelly’s world had ended in flames. He had a hard time dealing with his own guilt whenever he spent any time around Jim. That wasn’t Jim's fault and Kelly needed to put things right between them. Jim liked to fish. He'd probably jump at the chance to spend a weekend here at Indian Creek.
"Hey, buddy, how you doin?" Kelly said when Jim's cheerful voice came over the line.
"Kelly! I'm great. Good to hear from you. What's going on with you? You still buried out there in the boonies?"
Kelly laughed. "Yep, still a creek rat. I figured you'd still be up, knowing how you like to burn the midnight oil."
"It's the only time the place is quiet enough to sort out my own thoughts. So what's on your mind?"
"Actually, two things. One—and this is the most important—it's been too damn long since we've gotten together. How about picking a weekend and coming down here to Indian Creek? We've got some great fishing around these parts and it'll give us a chance to catch up on things."
"Now that sounds like a winner. It'll have to be a couple weeks from now though. I'm teaching a class at the academy the next couple of weekends. I'll be free the end of the month. Would that suit?"
"Terrific. Now, the second reason I called concerns your brother out in California. He's still practicing law out there, isn't he?"
"Ernie. Sure, he's still with the same firm. What do you need a California lawyer for? I didn't think you ever left the United States of Texas."
Kelly laughed. It was an old joke. Kelly wasn't much of a traveler and he'd always claimed that everything he wanted to see he could find in Texas. "I don't need him personally," Kelly said. "What I need is some probate information. I want him to check up on an estate that's just been distributed. Do you think he can get that information for me?"
"Sure. I don't see any problem. Let me grab a pen and paper here. Okay, now shoot."
"The deceased's name was Eleanor Perkins, she lived in San Clemente, California. I don't know the exact date of death but it was sometime last year. The estate has probably been probated within the past two months. What I need to know is what, if anything, Eleanor's brother Frank received out of the estate. Frank Perkins."
"Okay, I'll pass this on to Ernie. Sounds intriguing. Maybe you can fill me in when I get up there."
"It'll be intriguing if Ernie finds out what I think he will. And it just might help solve a murder."
"Are you back on the force?" J
im's voice registered surprise.
"No, not yet. I still haven't made a decision about that. This is something I got involved in because of a friend. You remember Gus, don't you?"
"Sure. How's that old sinner doing anyhow?"
"Oh, he's fine, same as usual. He left the city about three years back. He's a homicide detective with the county now and one of his cases involves a murder at the flea market where I handle security. I've been nosing around a bit—with Gus' blessing, of course—and this Perkins business just might answer a few questions."
"I'll get Ernie on it right away. I'll give him your number so he can call you direct with the information."
"Thanks, Jim. I'll see you the end of the month."
"For sure. You take care now."
Kelly hung up the phone and glanced at his watch. Bubba didn't usually leave the bait house until midnight. He should still be up. "Hey, Jake!" he hollered. "Let's go have a talk with Bubba."
Jake, wide-awake at the promise of a run, raced to the door.
As usual, Bubba sat kicked back in an old wooden chair with his feet propped against the potbellied heater. Kelly stepped in the door and Bubba greeted him with a wide grin.
"Hey, good to see you, Kelly. I was beginning to think I'd have to spend the whole night right by my lonesome. Ain't been a soul around since dinner."
"I figured you might be up to some company." Kelly grabbed a cup off the rack and stepped to the stove. "Is that coffee hot?"
"Yep!" Bubba grinned. "Hot and black like it oughta be."
"I saw Cam earlier tonight." Kelly straddled a chair. "He wasn't any too pleased with the county's hospitality and he sure was glad to get back home."
"Yeah. I talked to him myself. I hope like hell things work out for him."
"I hope so, too. By the way, Cam says Anna had about twenty thousand dollars in that metal box of hers and he doesn't have a clue what happened to that money."
Bubba's face lit up. "Cam told you! Damn! I'm sure glad to hear that, Kelly. I been fretting over that money for days. See, I knew Anna’d put it there but I hated to bring it up what with Cam being in all this trouble. I didn't want to believe he'd stolen it but what the hell else was I supposed to think? Anna’d told me she was putting the money in the box until Monday when that real estate fella was supposed to come and get it, see. Then when she got killed and all that shit came out about Cam taking the note, I didn't know what to think. Nobody said anything about the money and I was afraid to mention it 'cause of Cam."
