by Rose Pressey
Chapter Twenty-Five
How would I get out of the diner without having to talk with the guy again? Could I slip out the bathroom window without anyone noticing? What was I talking about? Could I slip out the bathroom window without killing myself? Probably not. I had to call Lacey and my mother and warn them not to come to the diner.
Suddenly the pancakes didn’t look so good.
“You seem to know a lot,” I said.
“Well, when you work in here you get all the gossip and goings-on around town. That’s why I knew who you were right away.”
I nodded.
“Some people believed Stan was guilty but there was nothing they could do. There was one cop definitely on Stan’s side.” She crossed her arms in front of her chest.
“Who?” My eyes widened.
“His brother,” she whispered.
“His brother is a policeman?” I mimicked her tone.
Thank goodness I’d met Carrie. Maybe she could be my source for the police department. Okay, it wasn’t exactly the best source, but it was better than nothing and about the only option I had.
A flash came back to me of the officer who had been on the scene of the murder and who hadn’t been all that friendly the night they had questioned Reed. What was his name? Oh yeah, Officer Morgan. But if he was Stan’s brother, then wouldn’t they have the same last name? I had to ask though. Maybe Carrie could give some insight on why the officer had been such an ass.
“His brother’s name wouldn’t happen to be Morgan, would it?” I asked.
She nodded. “Yeah, that’s the one. He’s even nastier than his brother and I didn’t think that was possible.”
“Why do they have different last names?” I asked.
“They’re half-brothers. Same mother. The oldest one is Morgan. His father died when he was a baby.”
But that didn’t explain why he had been so rude to us the other night. I thought Reed was on good terms with Stan and you’d think that would apply to his brother as well.
“I think there’s some bad blood between your boyfriend and Morgan, but I don’t know what it is. I get almost all the news around here, but unfortunately, not all of it.” She glanced over her shoulder again.
I nodded. I’d have to ask Reed what that was all about. There were all kinds of secrets in this town.
“Well, I’d better let you eat your pancakes before they get cold. Let me know if you need anything else.” She placed my ticket on the table.
After Carrie bounced away, I picked up my cell phone and tried Lacey and my mother again. There was still no answer from either one. I’d hurry up and eat, then get the heck out of there. I grabbed the syrup and smothered the pancakes with them. I stabbed my fork into the fluffiness and pondered what Carrie had just told me. I had a ton of more questions for her. I chewed the food, relishing the burst of flavor from the blueberries, and tried to forget about my worries for just a moment.
As I flipped through the paper, I spotted the article about Gordon’s murder. And I definitely lost my appetite when I saw my name in the paragraph. Reed of course was in there too. Maybe buying the house hadn’t been such a good idea after all. I needed to abandon my food and get out of there. Maybe I could get some work done and hopefully get us away from this town sooner.
We couldn’t abandon the project now, though. It was too late for that. Me and my bright ideas. I tossed my napkin over my plate and grabbed my purse. Stan was still talking with someone. Maybe I could sneak out without him spotting me. But with everyone else watching my every move that was highly unlikely. I felt like yelling, “Nothing to see here, move along, people.” Yeah, and they could mind their own business while they were at it too.
I made it past Stan without him looking my way, but when I reached the door, a hand clasped onto my shoulder and I jumped. When I spun around, it was Carrie.
“I left the money on the table,” I said. “I didn’t want to go to the register and have to talk with Stan.”
She waved off my statement. “Oh honey, I completely understand. But it wasn’t that.” She paused and looked around. “I get off in five minutes. Would you like to talk some more?”
Would I? That was exactly what I wanted. It was as if she had read my mind.
“I’d love to, but I’d prefer not to wait in the diner, if that’s okay. At least not until he leaves.” I gestured toward Stan with a tilt of my head.
She snorted. “I don’t blame you.”
“I’ll just wait in my car until you get off.” I pointed toward the door.
And pray that Stan didn’t come out and see me waiting out there. He’d think I was waiting on him.
“Great.” She smiled. “I’ll just be a couple minutes.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Thank goodness I’d remembered to leave a tip. I hurried over to my car and climbed in, locking the door in a hurry. Luckily, I had parked next to a big black truck. I crossed my fingers that Stan wouldn’t see me there. The couple of minutes that I waited on Carrie passed by slower than pond water. I fumbled with the radio, trying to find a station playing a good song. After scanning several times, I flipped off the radio and nervously tapped my fingers against the steering wheel. Finally, I spotted her coming toward my car and I hopped out. Was Stan still in the diner? I hadn’t seen him come out.
“Do you want to go for a walk?” she asked.
Carrie had changed into jeans and a bright pink T-shirt.
I glanced around. We were the only people in the parking lot at the moment.
“The historic part of town is this way and they have a lot of old houses to look at.” She pointed down the street.
Now I liked the sound of that.
I checked my watch. “Sure, that sounds great.”
“I figure you must like that kind of thing since you bought the McKeeley Plantation. Do you plan on living there or is this an investment like Gordon Millerton was trying to do?” she asked as we moved down the sidewalk.
I paused, unsure of what my answer really was. “Both?” I laughed. “I’m not really sure. I guess we’ll see how things turn out. The house needs a lot of work. It is beautiful though.”
I looked up at the grand Victorians as we walked past. Three stories tall, the homes hovered above us. Thick, green lawns with flower beds popping with color greeted us. Grand old trees stood proud with history. Sun glinted off the windows, making the homes practically glow. There were wraparound porches, gables, and ginger-board. I envisioned the ladies in their long dresses and men in their suits climbing into their carriages in years gone by.
She nodded. “It is gorgeous.”
“I hope to bring it back to life.” The thought made me giddy. Bringing the old houses back to life gave me a rush.
“You know it wasn’t so long ago when people lived there.” She cast a glance at me.
I quirked a brow. “Really?”
This was my chance to ask about Amber Gaines and the connection with Stan.
“Yeah. You do know the history of the house, don’t you?” She inclined her blonde head.
I shook my head. “No, I don’t. I’d planned on going to the library later today and doing some research, maybe talking with the town historian.”
“Well, I don’t know about the history that goes way back to when it was built or anything, but I do know what happened there twenty years ago.”
My stomach turned. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what had happened in the house. Reed had talked about a serial killer. Did that have something to do with the house? I’d thought he’d been joking.
I mustered up my courage and asked, “What happened in the house twenty years ago? Was there a serial killer?”
She looked confused as she shook her head, then adjusted her ponytail. “Not that I know of. But what happened was awful. A man and woman owned the home. The woman was found in the house bludgeoned to death. The husband proclaimed his innocence, but everyone believed he did it.”
This discov
ery hit me full force. It was not the news I’d wanted to hear on our walk, or anytime for that matter. “Bludgeoned to death? That’s terrible. What happened to the man?”
“He moved away and they never charged him with the murder.” She nervously twisted the hem of her T-shirt in her hand.
“They didn’t charge him?” I looked at her. “Why would they not charge him?”
As casually as she could manage, she said, “They had no way to prove that he did it. He had an alibi.”
This seemed to be a common thread in this town. Did everyone commit a crime and then just go free? Everyone accept for Reed.
“I’m surprised they didn’t tell you about this when you bought the home,” she said.
“I guess that’s not something that’s listed as a selling feature, huh? I guess you know about my boyfriend Reed?” I caught myself glancing over my shoulder far too often.
She was quiet for a moment, then said, “I know Reed. I remember when he lived here. He’s a nice guy. And yes, I heard about what happened.”
“It’s ridiculous that they are even questioning him.”
“I don’t understand it either,” she said.
I let out a deep breath as I pondered the situation.
Carrie had moved from playing with the hem of her shirt to twirling her ponytail. She had a lot of nervous habits. “You know, I know a lot of police. I could see what I can find out about the case for you. They all come in to the diner. I talk to them when things are slow.”
I hesitated, then said, “I don’t think they’re supposed to share information about investigations with you.”
She chuckled. “Yeah, they’re not supposed to, but they do. I bet for a slice of pie I could get all the details.”
I quirked a brow. “Hmm. That is tempting.”
“The pie or the police info?” She chuckled.
“Both.” I smiled.
I didn’t have any other options, so I knew I had to take her up on her offer.
“If you find out anything and can share the details with me I’d really appreciate it,” I said.
“Consider it done,” she said with a click of her tongue.
At the end of the street sat a church with a tall steeple that could probably be seen from miles around. We turned around at the end of the sidewalk and headed back toward the diner.
“I can’t believe they didn’t tell you about the house,” she said.
“Well, I guess I didn’t ask. I seemed to be a little obsessed with this house when I first saw it. I don’t think this news would have even stopped me from buying the house. I had to have it.” I shrugged.
“I can understand that.” She gave a polite smile.
“Do you know anything else about the house?” I asked.
She scrunched her brow together. “I can’t think of anything. But if I do, I’ll be sure to let you know. I work at the diner every day and go to classes at night. I’m going to be a veterinarian.”
“Sounds like you are very busy,” I said.
“Well, after my divorce I knew I had to do something with my life. I wasted several years with that asshole I was married to, and I didn’t want to waste another minute of my life.”
I smiled. “I admire that. Thank you for the information.”
“I’m just sorry I was the one who had to break the bad news about your house.”
I shrugged. “Someone had to tell me eventually. Don’t worry about it.”
“Yeah, just the same, I feel bad,” she said in a gentle tone.
I gave a half-hearted smile. Birds chirped as they skipped from one tree branch to the other and in the distance someone mowed their lawn. The smell of freshly cut grass floated across the morning air.
“One other thing. This woman who was murdered. Do you remember her name?”
She shook her head. “I’m afraid that I don’t. I didn’t live here at the time. I’m just going by what I’ve heard since I got here.”
I nodded. “Okay. One more question. Do you know Amanda Porter? She used to date Reed.”
“Oh, I know who she is all right. She’s the reason for my divorce. She was cheating with my husband.”
“That’s terrible. I’m so sorry to hear this. Can I ask what happened?” I asked softly.
I tried to hide my doubt, but my self-confidence wavered. Would Reed do the same thing? Did I really have anything to worry about with Amanda? What if Reed had run to her last night when we’d argued? No, he wasn’t like that and I was letting my mind run wild with crazy thoughts.
“They worked together. She is an evil woman. I’d watch out for her if I were you.”
“I’ll make sure to do that.”
“Stop by the diner anytime if you have any more questions or need to talk. I work every morning except on Wednesdays. I know how it is to be the outsider. I moved here with my parents when I was eighteen.”
“Well, it’s not as if I’m from a different planet,” I said.
She shrugged. “You might as well be. I’m just now fitting in.”
When we reached the parking lot, I spotted Stan. He was talking with Evelyn. I stopped in my tracks and pulled Carrie’s arm to get her to stop too. Evelyn and Stan seemed to have a lot to talk about. Carrie’s posture tensed and she hurried her steps.
“There’s that woman from the historical society. She is unpleasant.”
“Yeah, I saw her earlier today with Reed,” Carrie said.
I froze. “What? You saw Reed?” I asked.
She shook her head. “Yeah, he left with that woman.”
Why hadn’t she mentioned this earlier? I guessed she didn’t find it important.
I quirked an eyebrow. “He left with Evelyn?”
She gave a quick, disgusted snort. “Yes, the old bat. She was flirting with him too.”
We watched as Evelyn walked over to her car and drove away. Stan stood for a moment watching the car. What was on his mind?
I almost choked. “The woman is eighty years old.”
She shrugged. “Well, like my grandmother says, just because there’s snow on the roof doesn’t mean there’s not a fire in the furnace.”
“That’s a popular saying, huh?”
Carrie looked confused.
I waved off the comment. “Never mind. Anyway, did they say where they were going?”
She shook her head. “No, I didn’t talk with them. I figured it had something to do with your house, why?”
“No reason, I guess,” I said quietly.
A strange feeling settled in my stomach. Something wasn’t right. Where could they possibly have gone?
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“It was nice meeting you, Alabama. I’ll see you soon.” Carrie waved over her shoulder and hurried away.
“You too. And thanks again,” I called in her wake.
She moved swiftly across the parking lot and jumped into her rust-covered Toyota before I could say another word. Now I was stuck trying to get away from Stan. I knew he saw me because he was looking right at me. It looked as if this was going to be a confrontation. That was the last thing I wanted right now. I just wanted to get away from him. I didn’t want any trouble, but I did need to ask about Amber. I might as well get it over with. It looked like Stan was always looking for trouble. I couldn’t believe Reed would actually like the guy. Didn’t he know about his past?
“I see you made a new friend,” he said as I neared my car. “I wouldn’t believe anything she has to say. She’s a trouble maker.”
That made me angry. I didn’t know her, but she didn’t seem like a trouble maker to me.
“Listen, I don’t think you should be talking about people. She was nice to me and that’s all I need to know.” I unlocked my car door.
“You seem to have a lot to talk about with Evelyn.” I flashed him a look of disdain.
“She’s a family friend and that’s none of your business.” A fiery, angry look flickered in his eyes.
“What about Amber Gaines? Was sh
e a family friend?” I countered icily.
His face blanched. “You like to stick your nose into things that don’t concern you. I don’t know anyone by that name.”
I knew that was a lie. “You know what, Stan, I don’t think your services are needed at my home any longer.”
That was a bold statement considering he could be the killer and now want me dead, but I had to tell him to get lost. I opened the car door, but he shoved it, and then held it down with his hand. He glared at me and it sent a chill down my spine.
“I think Reed might have something to say about that.”
My blood was boiling. He was trying to scare me. Why, I didn’t know. Sure, it was working, but I wouldn’t let him know that.
I stared him straight in the eyes. “Reed and I are partners on this project. He is happy with whatever decision I make and my decision is to terminate our working agreement. Now if you’ll kindly take your hand off my car I’d appreciate it.”
He glared at me for a second and I wondered what his next move would be, but finally he moved his hand, then turned around and walked away. I looked around the parking lot to see if anyone was watching us. No one seemed to be paying attention. It figured. When I wanted someone to see what a jackass he was, no one looked. The rest of the time they couldn’t stop gawking.
I hoped in my car and pulled out of the parking lot in a hurry. The wheels on my car squealed a little when whipped out onto the road. That had been the strangest breakfast I’d ever had. Or what little of the breakfast I’d actually gotten to eat. Right now I needed to call Reed and tell him about Stan and what Carrie had told me. I’d apologize for what I’d said and hope that we could move forward, although I was still doing what he didn’t want me to do by being involved in investigating Gordon’s murder. Then there was the little matter of finding out what was holding up my mother and Lacey.
