Murder on Pea Pike

by Jean Harrington

  Looking doubtful, for which I wanted to leap over the furniture and kiss him everywhere, Sam grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair and shrugged into it.

  Before taking Lila by the arm, he came up to me and stared into my eyes. “You have nothing to worry about, Honey. I’ll back you all the way.”

  Matt spread his legs, big city lawman style. “You can count on me, too.”

  “Good.” With a farewell nod, Sam escorted Lila out into the sunshine, her laughter floating in the air behind them like an odor wafting on the breeze. And it wasn’t roses.

  I sank onto the chair across from Sam’s desk, aware that all the air had gone out of the room along with him.

  Eyeing me carefully, Matt arched a brow.

  “What?”

  “You outshine her a million to one.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “You’re such a lousy liar, I hope you tell the state police the truth and nothing but. Otherwise, they’ll see right through you.”

  Out by Mrs. Otis’ desk, the front door clattered open.

  “Here they come.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  I didn’t lie to them. Not so’s you’d notice. I said I’d gone to Fayetteville to do a little shopping and to call on a client, International Properties. My purpose? To see if they might be interested in Sloane’s acres, a parcel of land I understood would soon be on the market. When they asked where I’d shopped, I supplied the name and address of Franconia Jewelers but didn’t mention the appraisal. If they interviewed the jeweler, they’d find out, but by then the stones would be back in Violet Norton’s hands.

  Anyway, after thanking me for my statement and politely asking me to notify Sheriff Rameros if I decided to do any more traveling, they marched out of Ridley’s Real Estate, setting the floorboards in the old building vibrating under their heavy boots.

  Alone with Matt, I slumped in the chair, my brave front draining away like water down a gulley. “All those questions. Do they really think I killed Tallulah?”

  “They’re doing their job, is all. Like I said, once they eliminate you and Mr. Ames as possible suspects, they’ll probe elsewhere. I don’t see that you have anything to worry about.”

  He strolled behind the desk and sat in the swivel chair, the look on his face somewhere between a frown and a smile. “Can you take one more question?” His voice challenged like he was inviting me to a shootout. “You don’t have to answer unless you want to.”

  “Ask away.”

  “How do I look in Sam’s place?”

  I tipped my head to one side, pretending to study him like he was a new client I was trying to size up. “A little darker, a little shorter, maybe a tad heavier, but every bit as handsome.”

  “Darker and shorter, true. Heavier … yeah, probably. But just as handsome, no way.” As if sharing a secret he didn’t trust anyone else to hear, he leaned in closer. “I’ve known all along Sam’s the reason you keep turning me down. I don’t believe for a second it’s because you don’t like the way I look. You’re not that shallow.” The hint of a smile flitted across his face. “Actually, you’re not shallow at all.”

  “I wasn’t lying to you. You are handsome. It’s just that ….”

  He held up his hands, palms out. “No need to explain. This isn’t an interrogation.” He stood. “Since you’ve told the police everything you know—”

  “Not quite.”

  “What?” He sank onto the swivel so suddenly the springs squealed in protest. “There’s more?”

  I nodded. Reaching into my purse, I removed the little cloth sack and emptied the diamonds onto the desktop.

  Brows meshing, he picked one up. “This isn’t—”

  “Yes, it is.”

  “A diamond?”

  “Um-hmm.”

  He placed it carefully back on the desk. “Where did you get these?”

  “On the Norton farm. Out by the creek.”

  He looked up. Bam. His eyes flaring like headlights. “You stole them?”

  “Not exactly.”

  Swiveling like mad, he listened to my story then brought the chair to a squeaky halt. “You should have told State everything. And I mean everything.”

  “But I found the stones on a different piece of property. Not the Hermann Farm. There’s no connection.”

  “You don’t know that. Even details that seem unrelated may be important. This isn’t some kind of game we’re playing here. We’re looking for a murderer.”

  “But I didn’t—”

  A hand went up for silence. “I know you didn’t do it. You’re not capable of murder. More to the point, you have no motive. It’s entirely possible, make that probable, the boys from State don’t think so either. But the governor wants a conviction. And what about Senator Lott? The man’s considering a run for president, for God’s sake. If you think he’ll tolerate having an unsolved capital crime in his own hometown, think again. Bottom line, the investigation’s going to heat up, and when it does, it’ll sizzle. Also,” his finger jabbed the air, “do I have to tell you the fewer reasons to consider you a suspect, the better?”

  “No, but—”

  He waved an irritated hand, brushing away my protest like it was a mosquito. Too vexed to stop, he sucked in a quick breath. “Crap like having stolen diamonds appraised out of town is just plain foolhardy. And I’m using mild language here. You got that?”

  I sat silent as anger turned Matt’s jaw into concrete and his words into bullets. I’d never seen him this fired up, though that wasn’t what scared me. I’d known angry men all my life. His words were what had me frightened. I must have turned as white as my momma’s best bed sheet, for his jaw softened and he heaved a sigh. “You’re scared now. Maybe that’s not such a bad thing.”

  “I thought being innocent meant I wasn’t in any kind of trouble. I had no idea—”

  “You’re not in trouble. Yet. The point is to stay out of it. So here’s what you’re going to do.” He waited a second, no doubt for a protest so he could shoot it down, but my teeth were busy biting my bottom lip. “First thing in the morning, pay a call on Violet. Tell her about your find and leave these pebbles with her.”

  “Pebbles? They’re worth thousands.”

  He ignored my outburst. “Should the state police interview this Franconia Jewelry guy, they’ll likely learn the reason for your visit, and guaranteed, you’ll be in for another quizzing. How that will play out, I don’t know, but I don’t think any laws have been broken. Not if you show good intent by returning the stones before the loss is discovered.” He nailed me with a stern, no nonsense glance. “Have I made myself clear?”

  “Yes.”

  “Excellent. Now, let’s call it a day.”

  Mrs. Otis had already left, so he waited while I locked up.

  “Violet, first thing in the morning,” he said as I dropped the key in my purse.

  “Right.”

  “Good. Get some sleep tonight. You look like you could use it.” Without another word, he gave me a snappy, two-fingered salute and strode toward the cruiser.

  I watched him walk away, and despite my worries, I enjoyed the view. Even though his legs weren’t as long as Sam’s, he did his uniform proud. Having caused him so much trouble today, I was glad I hadn’t mentioned giving the clerk in Franconia Jewelers a fake name. AKA. Like in the wanted posters hanging on the police-station wall.

  Chapter Fifteen

  As soon as I got home, I kicked off the heels, hung up the black suit, and stood under the shower until the water ran cold. All day I thought I’d been slick as an old-time mountain man, but maybe I’d only been acting the fool. Matt seemed to think so. As for Sam, the bath towel slipped to the floor as it dawned on me. I hadn’t had a chance to tell him much of anything.

  Darn. I could call him at home, but the day’s events were too prickly to go into over the phone. And what if Lila picked up? Why go there? My news would hold until morning. I’d call A
melia. She’d be anxious to know about The Big Find.

  Shivering and squeaky clean, I tossed an old chenille robe over an outsized U of A T-shirt—the shoulders came to my elbows, the hem to my knees—and dug the cell out of my purse.

  Before punching in Amelia’s number, I glanced at the kitchen clock. Eight p.m. With any luck, the boys would be in bed, or hunkered down in front of the TV, so we could talk. When she picked up, sure enough her “hello” was hushed.

  “It’s me,” I said, keeping my voice to a whisper too, for some reason.

  “Who?”

  “Me,” I repeated, my voice louder now. “Can you talk?”

  “Just for a minute.” Her voice was still low. “I have a guest.”

  “Sounds interesting.”

  “Uh-huh. Cletus Dwyer stopped by. Isn’t that nice?”

  “Lovely.” Hmm. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

  “Oh, for heaven’s sake.” That was louder. “We’re talking about my business plan. You know, starting a daycare.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean? You forgot about my mortgage?”

  “No, no. I know the bank won’t wait forever.”

  “Exactly.” Then she whispered again, “What are they? You know, the—”

  “Diamonds. Not perfect but valuable. First thing in the morning, I’m bringing them over to Violet.” As if Cletus could hear me, I dropped my voice. “Not a word to anyone, okay?”

  “Certainly not.” She sounded miffed, as if I shouldn’t even suggest such a thing.

  “Well, you know, girl talk and all.”

  “Come by for coffee when you have a chance, and we’ll have us some real girl talk. I have to go now. Cletus is waiting.”

  “See you soon.” I pressed End and lowered the phone slowly. Was I the only person in Eureka Falls who was alone tonight? I snugged the robe closer and tightened the belt at my waist. No! No way would I fall into the self-pity trap. My life was good, better than good. I had everything I needed, almost, and in a year or so, I’d have saved enough to make a down payment on a house of my own. If I never found anyone to share it with, well, a life lived alone was better than a life filled with woe. My momma knew that, God rest her soul, and Amelia. Though, as a reward for their suffering, both Momma and Amelia had children. I had no one. At least no one who mattered to me right down to the ground he stood on. No one I could lay claim to, that is.

  One hand on the fridge handle, I swatted a tear sneaking along my cheek. “Suck it up, Honey.” I yanked open the fridge door. As Matt had made clear, I’d scrambled a few laws today, so why not complete the trend and scramble a couple of eggs? Tomorrow would be different. Tomorrow was Diamond Day.

  The next morning, I suited up in a lavender outfit and put my hair in a French twist. The magazines said you couldn’t go wrong with a French twist, so once in a while I rolled my hair into one, though I didn’t like them much. For a color boost, I slid on my favorite shoes, red stilettos with open toes. They looked real good with the suit but—I couldn’t put my finger on it—not quite right. So I switched to some plain beige pumps instead. Anyway, in the suit and pumps and my hair all knotted up like that, I drove out to see Violet Norton and share the good news.

  The Norton house, a kissing cousin to the Sloane place one farm over, stood on a sandy rise. In the front yard, a big ol’ rooster strutted around, pecking at the ground, and nearby, motor running, sat a Eureka Falls police cruiser. As I pulled up and parked, Matt got out from behind the wheel and strode over to me.

  “You stalking me, Sheriff?” I stepped out of the Lincoln.

  “No. I came by to see Miz Norton.” He upped his chin at the house. “Feel free to go in. She’s alone.”

  If he was checking on me, I didn’t take offense. I’d said I’d be here this morning, and here I was. I strolled over to the porch. The hounds slung across it slit open their eyes a bit but were too lazy to leap up and scare me off. I patted the one draped on the top stair and climbed over him. Before I could rap on the door, it opened a crack. Tall and gaunt, with a soiled apron covering her cotton dress and a man’s brown sweater over her shoulders, Violet peered out, staring at me without saying a word.

  “Morning, Miz Norton, I’m Honey Ingersoll. I work for Sam Ridley. We sell real estate.”

  She pointed a gnarled finger at Matt. “That there po-lice officer told me you’d be by. Said he was waitin’ to see you.” She sniffed. “He’s still lingerin’ for some reason or other. Ain’t he seen you?”

  Ignoring her frown, I beamed a happy smile. “Yes, he has, but we’ll talk later, after I show you something. Might I step in?”

  “Wal, I don’t know.” She opened the door a bit wider, squinting to get a better look at me, the wrinkles around her eyes deepening into crevices. “Ain’t you the gal that’s mixed up in that murder? What all bidness you got with me?”

  Beyond her, through the open door, I saw a tidy kitchen with a pump handle at the sink and two chairs near the eating table, its surface rubbed white from years of hard use.

  “What I have to show you will only take a minute.”

  She hesitated, a lifetime of suspicion clouding her face.

  “You won’t be sorry,” I coaxed.

  “Long as I can remember, I been sorry for most things, so one more time won’t make no difference either way.” She turned and walked into the kitchen.

  Taking that as my welcome, I stepped in and glanced around. A black monster of a wood-burning stove took up one wall and across from it stood the prettiest Welsh dresser I ever did see, its shelves stacked with rows of filled canning jars. Strawberry jam, onion relish, peach conserve.

  “That’s a mighty fine dresser.”

  “Yup,” she said proudly. “My granddaddy made it hisself from pure memory. Said it was like his momma’s back in the old country.”

  “Scotland?”

  She nodded, having spoken more than she probably did most days. The poor ol’ thing. I’d be glad to give her some good news. Reaching into my purse, I pulled out the little cloth sack and walked over to the table with it. “Miz Norton, please come take a look at these.”

  Her expression blank, she came a few steps closer. I spilled the diamonds onto the tabletop. Streaming in through the narrow window, the sun’s morning rays fingered the stones, firing up their dusty glow.

  Eyes wide, she studied them long and hard, then glanced over at me. I could see why she’d been given her name. In their nest of wrinkles, her eyes were as deep a violet as any flower that grew.

  “These are diamonds,” I said, “and they’re yours.”

  “What are you talking about, gal?” Her legs about to give way, she sank onto a chair at the table.

  I took that as permission to sit too. “A friend and I found them over by the creek the other day. They were just lying there near a big boulder.”

  Excitement throbbed in her voice. “You found ’em on my land? They’re mine?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  With a shaky hand, she picked up a stone and held it to the light. “Reckon this is worth some money?”

  “Yes, thousands.” I fumbled in my purse for the card from Franconia Jewelers and laid it on the table. “This man said he’d buy them from you.”

  Clutching the stone in her fist, she smiled, revealing gaps where teeth had gone missing. “Well, slap me nekkid. I’ve got me a treasure, just like Henry claimed.”

  “Henry?”

  “My husband. Before he passed, he always said we’d find diamonds on the land. Knew it in his bones.” She opened her fist to gaze at the stones. “Reckon this makes the farm worth a lot more than I figured.” Her glance snapped up. “Don’t it?”

  I shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not.”

  “Maybe not? If this one bitty stone is worth thousands like you say, there’s no telling how much a whole farm full of ’em might fetch.”

  “That’s the problem, Miz Norton. You have to have the land tested, to pro
ve these two diamonds weren’t an accident, or washed up by a storm, or ….”

  Cheeks flushed, she urged, “Go on. Or what?”

  “Or planted. They were right by the path, on top of—”

  She snorted. “Nobody’s darned fool enough to leave diamonds sittin’ around on the ground.”

  “True, but—”

  “No ‘true buts’ about it. I’ve got me diamonds on my land.” Cackling with glee, she clutched my wrist with her gnarly fingers. “No more dillydallyin’ around. I aim to sell the place.” She waved a hand at the weedy fields outside the window. “With Henry gone, the land didn’t get planted this year. And the way things are headed, it won’t no time soon neither. So I can’t see that I got much choice, and you strike me as an honest gal. So you want to bring the buyers to me? You and Sam Ridley?”

  I slid my hand out from under hers. “Without proof, you can’t put your farm on the market and tell people there’s diamonds on it.”

  “You got something wrong. I’m not planning on telling nobody nothin’. If folks hear there’s diamonds out here, it ain’t going to be from me.” She sent me a sly smile. “All’s I plan to do is ask my price.”

  “Listing is one thing. Selling is another.” I stared straight into those glittery violet eyes so there’d be no mistaking my intent. “If you spread a false story around, you’ll be messing with the law. You want that kind of grief?”

  Stony silence. Lord knows, this shrewd ol’ woman in a man’s sweater looked like she needed every penny she could lay her hands on, inside or outside the law. But the scam I was pretty sure she was cooking up could land us both in prison.

  I placed a second card, my own, on the table and used some fancy words so’s she’d know I wasn’t joshing. “If you agree to have the soil tested by a geologist, it’s quite possible Mr. Ridley would be happy to have his firm represent you. Without one, however, I’m afraid we can’t accept your offer.”

  “Wal, I never—”

  I stood and picked up my purse. “Do let us know your plans, Miz Norton.” I pointed to my business card. “I’m in the office most days. Or can be reached on my cell wherever I am.”