by Tim Myers
“Ben, I swear you are relentless. When you said you called to apologize, I thought it might be for sticking your nose in where it didn’t belong.”
“Hardly,” I said. “Did you know about Haller?”
She snapped, “Of course I knew. He served his time, came back here, and changed his name legally to Haller. If you think he killed Earnest Joy, you’re wrong. He’s got an alibi I’m satisfied with. Ben, believe it or not, I do know what I’m doing. I just wish I could say the same thing for you.”
“That’s not fair. You’ve got a lot more resources than I do. How am I supposed to compete with that?”
“You’re not,” she said, then hung up on me. Okay, that exchange could have gone better. Not only was Molly aware of Haller’s record, she’d already checked out his alibi.
So who else could I investigate? No doubt Molly had tested Andrew’s and Terri’s alibis, but did she even know about Linda Mae? I couldn’t exactly call and ask her at the moment, but I could dig into that angle without alerting Molly.
I drove to the Mountain Lake Motel, found the room Terri had visited the afternoon before, and knocked on the door. Linda Mae answered dressed in a bathrobe and her hair wrapped up in a white towel. Did the woman ever wear clothes in her room?
She had her wallet in her right hand as she said, “It’s about time,” then she realized it was me. “Why Ben Perkins, how did you know I was here?”
“I’d like to talk to you, Linda Mae.”
She stepped aside. “I was waiting for some Chinese takeout. There’s enough for both of us; I always order too much.”
“Would you like to get dressed first?” I asked. A fully clothed Linda Mae was enough to deal with.
She clapped her hands. “You are just the sweetest thing. If you insist, I’ll need a minute. You can come in and wait while I get dressed, if you want to.”
“No, thanks,” I said.
She was laughing as she shut her door. While I was waiting, a college kid drove up in a beat-up old Chevrolet. He checked room numbers, then looked at me suspiciously. “Did you have an order from Pete’s Palace?”
“I’ll take it,” I said, reaching into my wallet and paying the bill myself.
After he was gone, Linda Mae threw the door back open. She was wearing a tight black sweater and snug Capri pants, doing her best to show off her figure.
When she spotted the bag in my hands, she asked, “Did he come by already?”
“He did,” I said as I stepped inside.
“Here, let me pay you for that,” she said, digging into her wallet.
“I’ll buy your lunch if you answer a few questions,” I said.
Linda Mae clapper her hands together. If you pay for my meal, you’re entitled to more than that.”
“Answers are all I’m looking for right now,” I said.
She shrugged. “That’s probably just as well. You’ve get a woman in your life already, don’t you? Don’t bother denying it; I can see it in your eyes.”
In all honesty, I didn’t know the answer to that question myself. “Let’s just say I’ve got all I can handle as it is right now and leave it at that okay?”
“That’s fine by me,” she said, extending her hand. ‘Then we’ll both have to settle for just being friends.”
I wasn’t sure I wanted this woman as a friend, but I wasn’t about to snub her. I shook her hand, then she pointed to the small table in the room. “See? I already set the table.” The room, though not elegant by any standard, did have a kitchenette. Linda Mae had laid out the plates and silverware, along with a pair of beers from her mini fridge.
I hadn’t realized I was hungry until I’d smelled that food. Suddenly my skipped lunch made my stomach growl. “Are you sure you have enough to share?”
“There’s plenty. Believe me. Besides, you’re the one sharing with me, remember?”
“Okay,” I said.
We dug into the assorted containers until our plates were full.
“You weren’t kidding, were you?” I asked as I realized just how much she’d ordered.
“I never joke about food, Ben. I always get more than I want when I’m out of town. That way if I get hungry late at night, I don’t have to go out again. You said you had some questions for me,” she said as she pointed her chopsticks at me. “Fire away.”
I swallowed a bite, then said, “Tell me about you and Earnest.”
She thought about it a second, then said, “To most of the world he was a cold, heartless man, but for a while there, I saw a side to him that really touched me. Earnest came to Charlotte on a buying trip and we ran into each other at a pawn shop. He was looking for old coins for his jewelry shop, and unfortunately, I was there selling my grandmother’s pearl earrings. The man wooed me for nine days with flowers, candy, and gifts. He catered to my every whim, and even flew me to Las Vegas to see a show. That night we both got drunk, and when I woke up the next morning, there was a ring on my finger. I don’t know how he managed it, but we got married. Man, oh man, did things change then. That afternoon, Ernie handed me a ticket to Charlotte and told me he was going back to Harper’s Landing, and that I wasn’t welcome to join him.”
I believed her, every word of it, but I had a hard time seeing Earnest Joy in that light. “So what did you do then?”
She took another bite, then followed it up with a sip of beer. “I flew back home and cried in my cups, trying to forget that it had ever happened. Then one day last week I was messing around on my computer and decided to see what I could find out about my errant husband. When I discovered he had his own jewelry store and everything, I drove up here to have a little talk with him.”
“Were you hoping to reconcile?” I asked her.
Linda Mae laughed. “No sir, I was after a little divorce settlement. When I came by his shop, he threw me out. I wasn’t about to give up that easily though, so I came back the next day and found out he was dead. That’s when I marched over to your soap shop and shook your hand. Are you still claiming you didn’t do it?”
“It’s the truth,” I said.
“Take it easy. I’m not accusing you of anything. You might just be right, since you’re still walking around. I wonder if one of those brats of his did him in.”
“Do you know Andrew and Terri very well?” I still hadn’t told Linda Mae how I’d found her, and it appeared that she’d forgotten she’d asked the question.
“No, we never met. I doubt I could pick either one of them out of a lineup.”
She was the best liar I’d ever come across. I’d seen Terri go into her room, and she was sitting there now telling me they’d never met. Suddenly everything she said was suspect.
“So what are you going to do now?” I asked.
“I’m going to see how much I get from the estate,” she said. “One way or another, Ernie’s going to pay.”
“They won’t settle until they find out who killed him, you know,” I said. I wasn’t sure if they would or not, but I was looking for some kind of reaction from her.
“That shouldn’t take too long,” she said. “I’ve got faith in your police force.” She pushed her plate away, then stood. “That was lots of fun, Ben, but I’m late for an appointment.”
As she walked me to the door, I said, “I didn’t think you knew anybody in Harper’s Landing.”
“What can I say, I make friends fast.”
She locked her door behind us, then got into a Cadillac that was at least fifteen years old. “See you around, Ben.”
I waited until she was gone, then got into my Miata and followed her. I was expecting her to go to a bar or even another motel. I did not expect her to do what she did. Linda Mae pulled the Caddy in front of Kelly Sheer’s office and walked inside. It appeared that she was retaining counsel in Harper’s Landing. But could she afford Kelly? I didn’t see how, given the apparent state of her finances, but perhaps she was hoping Kelly would take her on a contingency basis. I thought about waiting until she came out to s
ee where she was going next, but sitting in front of Kelly’s law office was not my favorite place to be. I looked at my watch and was surprised to see that Kelly was working late, given her new living arrangements. Was there trouble already? If there was, I realized it wasn’t any of my business anymore.
I was close enough to visit Diana’s bookstore, but I didn’t want her to think I was stalking her. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to drive by. She was working in the display window as I neared, and she waved at me. That was all the invitation I needed. I parked in front of Dying To Read and she met me at the front door.
“Do you always hang out in your display window?” I asked.
“We’re doing an author signing next month, and I want to give everyone fair warning.” She lowered her voice and added, “I’m having second thoughts about it. I spoke with another store owner and found out the woman’s a real nightmare.”
“What’s wrong, does she demand all the brown M&M’s be taken out of her candy bowl?”
“I wish it were that simple,” Diana said. “When her publicist called to book the signing, I was thrilled, but I got an e-mail from her today, and she’s made the most unusual request.”
“I’m really curious now. What did she ask for?”
Diana looked around the store to make sure no one was listening to us. I saw Rufus had his head buried in a book, and there were just a few customers browsing the cozy section. She whispered, “She insists that her books not be referred to as mysteries while she’s here. Ben, I run a mystery bookstore. How on earth am I going to avoid it?”
I shook my head. “Beats me. Suddenly I’m very glad I’m in the soapmaking business.”
Diana laughed. “Don’t get me wrong, nearly all the authors I bring in are delightful, but sometimes I wonder why I do it. Then I remember that it’s fun for my customers to meet their favorites, and they often buy lots of books.”
“How about you? Have you met any of your literary heroes?”
She pointed to one of an array of photographs hanging near the register. “That’s me with Carolyn Hart. She’s as warm and as gracious as her characters. What an utterly delightful woman.”
“Are all of these photographs on display new?” I asked as I pointed to several frames I’d never noticed before.
“I just put them up today,” she admitted. “There wasn’t room enough in my office, so I decided to mount them out here where everyone can enjoy them. I feel a little odd about it all, since I’m in every picture.”
“That’s what makes them special,” I said. As soon as I said it, I realized how it must have sounded. The groan from Rufus didn’t help matters.
“I’m going on my dinner break,” he said as he brushed past me.
“Don’t stay too long,” Diana said, but he was already gone. She moved behind the register, then asked, “Have you eaten yet, Ben? I’d be delighted to return the favor and take you out. We even have time to go to The Hound Dog.”
“I’ll keep you company,” I said, “but I grabbed an early bite.”
“We’ll do it another time then,” she said. “I brought a salad from home, anyway.”
A male customer came up and asked, “Can you help me? Somebody told me Donald Westlake was writing under another name, but I can’t remember for the life of me what he said.”
“Mr. Westlake’s written under several different names, but I suspect you want Richard Stark.”
The man said, “Yeah, the guy’s name is Tucker, or something like that, right?”
“It’s Parker,” she said with a smile. “Let me show you.”
I said, “I’ll see you later, Diana.”
“Bye, Ben. Thanks for stopping by.”
I left the shop feeling good. Diana had a way of making me feel important to her day in a way that I really liked. Though Kelly was still in my thoughts sometimes, I knew that I was doing the right thing moving on.
I was still thinking about the extraordinary changes in my life over the past few days when I literally bumped into Terri Joy out on the street.
“Hey, slow down,” I said as she hustled past me.
There was a look of fear in her eyes as she saw me. “Ben, I think somebody’s following me.”
I looked up and down the block, but I didn’t see anyone paying particular attention to us.
“What makes you say that?”
She pointed to a mass of people standing around the Blake Theater. “He’s right there.” As she stared at the crowd, she added, “At least he was.”
“Take it easy, Terri. Why would anyone be following you?” It was an ironic question for me to be asking her, since I’d followed her myself before.
“How should I know?” she snapped. After a moment’s hesitation, she added, “I bet Linda Mae’s doing it. She’s got some deluded idea that she and my father were really married, but until I see a wedding license, I’m not about to believe it.”
“She obviously knew your dad though, didn’t she?”
Terri shrugged. “So what? He had a fling with her. He was a grown man, I suppose he was entitled. But I know he never would have married her. It wasn’t anything he’d ever do.”
“Sometimes people do things out of character,” I said.
“Come on, Ben,” she said as she looked into my eyes. “You knew my father and you’ve met Linda Mae. Can you possibly imagine them as a couple?”
“Who’s to say what the heart wants,” I said. “If you’d like, I’d be happy to walk you to your car.”
She glanced back at the group waiting to get into the theater. “Thanks, but it looks like he’s gone. You must have scared him off.”
Before I could ask her anything else, she was gone. What was that about? I’d been counting Terri among my list of suspects, but it sounded as though she might be in jeopardy herself. Why would someone follow her, anyway? Was it possible she knew something important that she wasn’t aware of? She and her brother Andrew were still my main suspects, but Ralph and Linda Mae might have also had their reasons to want Earnest dead. Too, there could be someone else out there that I didn’t know about, but if that were the case, I might as well give up. Molly had the resources and the expertise to dig into Earnest Joy’s life. I could focus on the four people I knew were suspects. Of course Molly had me on her list too—as well as the rest of my family in all likelihood—but I knew I was innocent, and my family as well. That gave me an edge over Molly. She had to be distracted by a surplus of suspects, while I could focus on just four people.
I decided I needed some time to think, so I got into the Miata and started driving in the direction of Sassafras Ridge. As I drove, I began to think about my suspects, and what their motives might have been. For Andrew and Terri, money had to be a factor. Earnest Joy’s jewelry shop had to make a great deal of money, given the store’s inventory and his taste for the nicer things in life. I couldn’t imagine anyone killing a parent for an inheritance, but I knew people did it all the time, and given the right circumstances, I could see Andrew or Terri doing it. Linda Mae could have been concerned that Earnest would nullify their marriage— if they had indeed gotten married—so she might have killed him before he could disown her. Then again, she could have demanded a payoff to stay out of his life, and knowing Earnest, he would have probably laughed in her face. That blow to the head could have easily been done out of anger instead of greed. That left Ralph Haller. Why would he want Earnest dead? They were best friends from the sound of things, though he had to have had plenty of opportunity, but what about a motive? I needed to dig into that a little more and see what I could find out.
I turned the Miata around and decided to drive to Ralph’s home. The last time I’d seen him he’d called me a murderer. Did I really want to go through that again? I didn’t have much choice, but if I was going to try to solve Earnest’s murder on my own, I needed to stand my ground.
Ralph’s car was parked in his driveway. I walked up onto the porch, but before I knocked, I looked in through the side window n
ext to the door. The curtain was askew, offering me a slight view inside his home. Ralph was sitting at the kitchen table with some rags, polishing something gold and shiny. I rapped on the door, and he quickly shoved whatever it was into a shoe box and tucked it under the sofa before answering my summons.
“What do you want?” he snapped the second he saw me.
“I need your help,” I said. It was the first thing that popped into my mind.
“Why should I help you, Perkins?”
That was a good question, one I didn’t have a ready answer for, except for the truth. “Don’t you want to see that whoever killed Earnest is punished for it?”
“I know who killed him,” he said. “I’m looking at him.”
“I told you before; I didn’t do it. And I don’t think you did, either.” That was a flat-out lie. He was still on my list of suspects, but I doubted he’d cooperate with me if he knew.
Ralph studied me a few seconds, then said, “What do you think you can do about it?”
Given his history, I came up with a way he might help. “Do you honestly believe the cops are going to figure it out?”
He looked at me like he wanted to spit. “They couldn’t find a candy bar in a convenience store.”
“So help me,” I said.
He reluctantly nodded and stepped aside. Was I really doing the smartest thing in the world, grilling one of my suspects without a backup? No one even knew where I was. I realized that I should have at least checked in with someone, but it was too late for that. I stepped across the threshold, then he reached behind me and dead bolted the door.
“We don’t want anybody sneaking up on us,” he said.
“That’s a good idea,” I said as I started looking for another way out of there.
The place needed more than just a woman’s touch. A Dumpster and a fire hose were the only things that might save it. Newspapers were piled up in the corners, and there were four old pizza boxes stacked up on the kitchen countertop. A thick layer of dust coated everything, and a stack of dirty dishes sat in the sink. I didn’t even want to see the bedrooms or bathrooms if the public spaces were like that. I was going to try to sit on the sofa where he’d tucked that box, but he beat me to it. Instead, I took the armchair and faced him.
