Music, Murder, and Small Town Romance

by K C Hart

  “I know things had been tough for her, but she seemed to be coping with Mr. Clay’s death well.”

  “She was. She has always been hard as nails. She never broke the rules to make things easy on herself.” He blinked back another tear. The corners of his lips turned up just a fraction. “Mr. Rob was finally getting around to doing right by her. Then he got killed, and now she’s gone, too. It’s really made me think about what your preacher said about realizing what’s truly important.”

  Katy pressed a finger to the corner of her eye. “You can bring something good out of this if you choose to. I know all of this is tragic, but it can be an opportunity for you to change for the better.” She pulled in a deep breath. “You just have to want to.”

  “That’s kind of what I’ve been thinking, too. I’ve been reading the Bible your preacher left me. He was telling me about that guy Paul. He said that guy helped killed innocent men, women, and children, but God still wanted him after all that.” He raised his arm to the fountain at his nose again. “Do you believe that?”

  “I do. And I believe that he wants you, too.” Katy swiped at the tear as it made a path down her cheek toward her chin.

  “That’s what your preacher said. I just don’t understand how it could be like that.”

  “I don’t understand how He could want me, either. Most of us don’t. I’m just grateful that He does want us. It doesn’t matter what sorry shape we’re in when we give our lives to Him.” They sat in silence, listening to the low buzz of the fluorescent light. This morning was not turning out how Katy had expected.

  “I just wish she would have gotten to get the engagement ring before Mr. Rob died. That would have meant so much to her.”

  Katy pulled her eyes from the narrow window across the room back to Brock’s face. “The ring?”

  “Yes ma’am. Mr. Rob showed me the engagement ring he had bought her the day before he was killed. He was going to give it to her Saturday night.”

  Katy could feel the lines on her forehead getting taut. “Are you saying that Rob Clay was planning on asking your sister to marry him?”

  “Yes ma’am, on the Saturday that he was killed. I should have told her about it when she came to see me the other night. But she was all over me about selling the pot again, so I decided to make her wait and find out the next time she came to see me.” His shoulders slumped as he leaned back against the metal chair. “Now she’ll never know.”

  Katy drummed her fingers across the Formica tabletop. “I know you’re upset, Brock, but do you know what happened to that ring?”

  “No ma’am. I just figured the police had it. I guess it could be in his storage unit, but I figured he had it on him. He told me he had kept it in his pocket ever since he bought it, so he would be ready when the time came to give it to her.”

  “He had a storage unit?” Her fingers stopped tapping as she watched Brock’s head bob up and down. “You wouldn’t happen to know where this unit is located, would you?”

  “Yes ma’am. I should have told the police about that, too, but my head has been all full of Pam and her being killed. They didn’t ask me about any of Mr. Rob’s personal life, and I didn’t say anything about it. I didn’t think any of that kind of stuff would be important.”

  “That’s okay. I’ll send them back over here to talk to you. You start thinking about every single thing you know about that man and anybody that he had dealings with, and you tell them every bit of it.” She paused and bit her bottom lip. “But for now, can you tell me where the storage unit is located?”

  “It’s at the Cool Deal Mini Storage on the old side of town. I don’t know which unit, but I bet you Donnie Gibson does.”

  “I bet he does, too.” Katy reached across the table and patted the young man’s hand. “I have to get going. Is there anything I can bring you or do for you before I leave?”

  “No ma’am, I’m set. Your preacher is coming to see me again this afternoon.” The right side of his mouth raised in a lopsided grin. “I asked him to bring me a pack of smokes. I kind of doubt he will, but it didn’t hurt to ask.” He raked his hand through his inky black hair, the smile slipping from his face. “There is one thing. Do you think you could come to Pam’s funeral? I don’t expect anybody else but me to be there, but I think she would like it if you were there, too.”

  “I would be honored.”

  Katy pulled her phone from her purse as she walked back to her car. The reminder icon jumped onto her locked screen. She unlocked her phone, slipped behind the wheel of her car, and smiled as John’s message popped up. Text the love of your life. He needs to know you are okay so he can make it through the day.

  She texted him as instructed then pulled out of the parking lot and started back toward Skeeterville. She would let Todd know about everything she had found out as soon as she got back into town. The storage unit had to be where Rob Clay was keeping all his secrets. And if Donnie Gibson knew about the unit like Brock said, then he knew a lot more about all the illegal stuff Rob was involved in as well. But what about that ring? It couldn’t have been on him when he got killed, or Todd would have said something.

  Rob Clay had broken up with Edna Morse about a month before, and then Johnnie Mae Smithers had broken up with him just a week before he was killed. Had he decided to buy the ring while on the rebound from Johnnie Mae? That didn’t seem likely, but this man’s mind obviously didn’t work like hers, or anybody else’s that she could think of. She needed to talk to Edna or Johnnie Mae. She frowned at the thought of having to confront Edna with anything at all, much less the thoughts and actions of her faithless lover. No, Johnnie Mae would be the best place to start. The bug man’s office would be her first stop. Hopefully, she would find out what she wanted to know and wouldn’t need to go by the funeral home. If she did, she would ask Misty to come along for moral support, or maybe to use as a shield when Edna threw something at her head.

  Her stomach rumbled as she passed a Popeyes on one of the busiest streets of the only town in Buford County. She hadn’t had their chicken in ages, but the line of cars was wrapped around the building. A Sonic sign came into view as she topped the small hill, and she gave her signal to turn in. A chicken sandwich with some tater tots and a milkshake would be just as good.

  She needed to get home and see how Moose had done with his surgery. She had been so worried about the dog and how he would handle the stress of the vet’s visit so soon after his recent trauma that she had forgotten to put the roast in the crock pot. Oh well. John said he would be late tonight, anyway. They would have to make do with tuna fish sandwiches.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Tuesday around lunch time, Katy wheeled into the empty parking lot in front of Smithers Extermination Service and walked up to the entrance. She had planned on going by yesterday but decided to wait until she wrote down everything she learned from Brock in her book. She needed to make sure she had all of her facts straight in her head before she talked to either one of Rob Clay’s women friends. She had also been distracted waiting to hear from the vet on how Moose was doing after his surgery.

  She tugged on the locked door. Under the official open sign was a piece of paper taped to the glass.

  Be back in five minutes. Slide payments under the door…Johnnie Mae

  She sighed and looked around. She could wait, but Johnnie Mae’s five minutes could stretch into thirty-five minutes. The woman owned the business, so no one was going to dock her pay if she didn’t get back on time. Katy walked back to the car and pulled a blank piece of paper from her nursing bag.

  Johnnie Mae, please call me ASAP. I need to ask you about an engagement ring.

  She added her name and number and slid the note under the door as instructed. If Johnnie Mae didn’t call soon, she would bite the bullet and talk to Edna.

  Next stop, the cleaners to pick up John’s suit, then home to the wonderful world of scrubbing toilets and changing sheets. She had kept her nursing schedule light this week in case
she needed to do something last minute before the contest on Friday. So far, all of her running around had to do with the recent deaths, not the upcoming show.

  Since she was out and about already, she might as well drive by the mini storage. She wouldn’t stop, of course. John would wring her neck if she did. She just wanted to lay eyes on the place. Before starting out she shot Todd a quick text. Call me ASAP. I have some important information about Rob Clay. She had tried a couple of times yesterday to get in touch with him without success. If he didn’t call her today, she would have to run by the police station and try to talk to the sheriff, but the text would do for now. She bumped across the railroad tracks and made her way up the street to the mini storage. The place looked neat and quiet, nothing out of the ordinary. Clay House Music was about as dull looking as it could get, too, but it seemed to have a shady underbelly. Looks could be deceiving. Oh well. She had put it off as long as she could. A bowl brush and a spray bottle of cleaner were calling her name.

  The smell of roast beef with onions, carrots and potatoes met her as she walked through the carport door. She had remembered to put the roast on this morning. Her phone started ringing from the bottom of her purse just as she laid it on the bar. She shoved her arm elbow-deep into the months of accumulated junk, but the call went to voice mail before her hunt was successful.

  “Well, rats.” She dumped the purse out on the counter and grabbed the phone as it started ringing again.

  “Hey, Aunt Katy. It has been a crazy couple of days. You have something for me?”

  “I hope so.” She glanced at the mess of old receipts, gum wrappers, ink pen tops and torn-open envelopes now strewn across the bar and shook her head. “I visited Brock Newman yesterday to let him know how sorry I am about his sister. He told me that Rob Clay has a rented unit across town at Cool Deal Mini Storage. I’m almost positive Donnie Gibson has known about it all along. You need to go talk to him as soon as you can. He said that Rob Clay was getting ready to propose to his sister. I bet Brock knows a lot about the man that might help you figure everything out.”

  The phone was quiet while Todd jotted down the newly acquired information. “Now we might be able to get somewhere with all of this mess. Thanks, Aunt Katy. We’ll get right on it.”

  Wow, she thought. He must really be busy if he didn’t bother to fuss at me about where I got the information. “Wait, Todd. Have you learned anything more from Donnie Gibson? Did he have the dog bite like Trudy Mae said?”

  “Yes ma’am,” Todd paused. “But I’m afraid you missed the mark on that one. It’s not associated with Pam Newman’s murder.”

  “What?” Katy’s voice rose three octaves and two decibels. “I was sure Moose jumped him when he went after Pam.”

  “Nope…different dog. We talked to the dog’s owner who lives across the street from Donnie. He was going from his house to the car when their overly aggressive Chihuahua got out and bit his calf.”

  Katy ran her fingers through the top of her hair and walked over to the patio door. “Are you telling me that the nasty looking dog bite that Trudy Mae was going on about was from Brenda Lane’s Chihuahua, Rufus?” She rolled her eyes. “How could Rufus do that much damage to anybody? He’s bitten me two or three times, and believe me, it was more of a nuisance than anything.”

  “Hold on, Aunt Katy; don’t throw Mrs. Trudy Mae under the bus. Donnie got bit several days ago and didn’t think much about it. But after a couple of days, the spot got all red and hot and was oozing green stuff. I would call that pretty nasty.”

  Katy’s face turned bright red, even though no one was in the house to see it. “I’m sorry, Todd. That’s what I get for thinking that I couldn’t possibly be wrong.”

  “That’s alright. I was hoping you were right, too. But this just means we have to dig a little more. Look, I really have to run. Can I come by tonight and we’ll finish talking?”

  “Sure thing. You can eat dinner with us.”

  “Great. See you then.”

  Katy pulled out her murder book and put a big X through the dog bite theory. Poor Emma. I was hoping that this whole thing would be over and done with and she would be free to truly enjoy herself by Friday night. There’s still hope that the contents of the storage unit will help find the real killer, and right now my money is still on Donnie Gibson….bite or no bite.

  “Are you sure he’s okay?” Katy called from the patio door as she watched Moose sleeping in his doghouse. He had spent the night at the vet’s office, and John had picked him up after work that afternoon. “I would hate for him to get sick from staying outside right after…uh…the snip-snip.”

  “The vet said he would be perfectly fine in the back yard. I asked.” John patted Belinda’s head as he walked back across the yard toward the house. “He’s gonna be fine, girl,” he said to the redbone. “He just needs a little rest.”

  Belinda lay at the entrance of the patio while John and Katy walked into the kitchen. “Are we expecting company?” John looked at the three place settings on the bar. “I need to jump in the shower before anybody gets here. I smell more like a dog than a man right now.”

  “Take your time. Todd is coming over in a bit. I want to find out everything he learned about Donnie Gibson and see if they found out anything else on the key from Emma’s guitar case.”

  “I thought everything was tied up and Donnie Gibson was the guy.”

  “I still think he’s the guy, but no, everything is not tied up.” Katy reached in the refrigerator and pulled out a can of biscuits. “Go ahead and get your shower while I get these in the oven.” She popped the can against the corner of the bar with a not-so-small sense of satisfaction. “Hopefully, Todd will have some good news.”

  Forty-five minutes later John walked back up the hall with damp hair while Katy answered the door. John said the blessing, then Katy poured the tea while the men dipped the plates. Katy filled Todd in on all of the details of her visit to see Brock Newman yesterday morning, including how he felt that Donnie Gibson had known about the storage unit all along.

  “Donnie is still sticking to his story that he was home with his daughter on the day Rob Clay was killed, and on the night Pam Newman was killed, too.” Todd stuck a fork in a baby carrot and watched a waft of steam float away. “He’s owning up to dealing drugs, and he even filled us in on some of the blackmail schemes Rob Clay had going, but flat out denies having anything to do with the murders.”

  “Do you believe him?” Katy looked over the men’s shoulders out the patio door as Belinda sniffed Moose’s sleeping head then returned to her matching doghouse next to his. “We already know that he has no problem with stretching the truth like it’s a worn-out girdle.”

  “I’m just not sure.” Todd took a small nibble off the end of the carrot. “His daughter swears he was home.” He stuck the rest of the carrot in his mouth. “This is really good, Aunt Katy.”

  “Don’t sound so surprised,” Katy grinned. “I can throw raw stuff in a pot and turn the knob as well as the next woman.”

  “Did y’all find anything at the storage unit?” John pulled off a piece of his biscuit and dipped it in the pool of gravy on his plate.

  “Yeah, some pretty interesting stuff so far. Apparently, Floyd Perkins has been making a weekly run to somewhere in Jackson and bringing back marijuana. He takes it to the storage unit where he and Rob, now he and Donnie, separate it into baggies, then hand it off to Brock Newman to distribute out of town to his individual buyers.”

  “Well, I’ll be.” John stopped mashing a potato chunk with his fork. “You mean Rob Clay has had a real, live dope ring going on here in Skeeterville?” He looked from Katy and back to Todd. “My grandpa would turn over in his grave if he knew what was going on in his hometown.”

  “How long has this been going on? Brock talked like he had been working for Rob for at least a year.” Katy swirled her half empty tea glass. “Do you think this kind of thing is what really got Rob Clay killed?”

 
; “We will know more tomorrow. The sheriff picked up Floyd this evening, but he ain’t talking. He has a lawyer coming down first thing in the morning. I’m going to Buford tomorrow to follow up on your visit with the Newman boy.” Todd took the last bite of his roast beef. “This has been great, but I have to get back. We are working some long hours right now.”

  “I don’t guess Floyd will be the MC Friday night,” John said.

  “No sir. He might be stuck in a jail cell, but even if he gets out, I have a feeling his days of being associated with the school are long gone.”

  “Do you know who will be taking his place?” Katy asked. “I hope it’s somebody with a good sense of humor.”

  Todd picked his cap up from the nearby cabinet and placed it on his head. “I don’t know if I would use those words to describe her.”

  “You know who it is?” Katy poked Todd in the arm. “Don’t make me beg. Who is it?”

  “Edna Morse.”

  “Don’t be so dramatic. You have just as much chance of winning as the other groups.” John put his toothbrush back in its holder and wiped his mouth. “She’s been running that funeral home for years. She’s cranky, but she’s a good businesswoman. She’ll keep her personal feelings out of the competition for the sake of the school. And she’s not one of the judges, after all, just the MC.”

  “I know.” Katy tossed her floss in the trash. “But what if some of her anger at me bleeds into her introduction of The Moonlighters? That won’t be good. Besides, she put me on edge before she decided that I ruined her life. Now she practically makes me shake in my boots. How can I sing feeling like that?”

  John turned and laid his hands on Katy’s shoulders. “Look, Edna Morse didn’t get The Moonlighters into this contest; the people did. She is a sad woman who won’t own her own mistakes. She does not have any power over you that you don’t give her. You are too tough to buckle under. I know you.”