A Minute on the Lips

by Cheryl Harper

  “Listen, I’ve got a plan. We’re going to get one of the groups from town to play in front of the courthouse to draw a crowd. Your boyfriend, Mark, can moderate and also do some advance promotion. We’ll set up podiums on the stage and spend thirty minutes talking about the issues.”

  Andi still didn’t think it was a good idea. Public speaking didn’t terrify her but it didn’t please her, either. Tammy had no doubts. Finally, Andi wrapped one arm around her grumbling stomach and said, “All right. You set it up with Mark and Ray, and I’ll be there.”

  Tammy clapped her hands. “I can do it. We’ll go through a little practice beforehand to be sure you’re ready.”

  “Maybe,” Andi replied. She was quiet and they both laughed when her stomach rumbled loudly enough to get attention. “If I don’t eat soon, I’m going to lose my laid-back personality.”

  Tammy snorted. “Right. Well, we wouldn’t want that.”

  They had done enough for one day. Tammy had outlined the basics of the “media plan,” and since it consisted of yard signs, a billboard, a few postcards and several ads in the newspaper, Andi couldn’t see much to change. They’d done practically the same thing for the last election. And Tammy had everything ready to go because they were on a deadline. The new photo was an unexpected bonus that made Tammy’s eyes sparkle when she talked about it. The billboard was a new idea and Andi wasn’t sure how she’d feel seeing her name that big, but she trusted Tammy’s instincts.

  “Let’s walk over to the Country Kitchen. I’ll drop the strategy board in my car on the way.” Tammy picked it up but paused in the doorway. “I guess Jackie’ll eventually let you eat in peace?”

  Andi shrugged. “We’ve got to give it a try.”

  Jackie made a beeline for Andi as soon as her right foot cleared his threshold. He dropped two menus on the table and yelled over his shoulder, “Two sweet teas, Oscar.” Then he turned his laser focus back to Andi and said, “Any news, Sheriff?” His eyes narrowed as he studied her face, as if he knew something was different but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

  Andi shook her head, enjoying the swish of her now-shorter ponytail, and sighed with happiness as Oscar magically appeared and set the glasses down on the table. Before they left her office, Andi had pulled her curls back up into a ponytail as required by both the heat and her need for authority. “Not yet, Jackie, but a list of anyone who might have a personal reason to steal from you—something other than taking the cash you have on hand—could help. Also, can you tell me who else has a key to the restaurant?”

  “Only people with a key are me and Mona, but I can make you a list. What’ll you have for lunch?” Jackie asked. He looked a little anxious and a little ticked off.

  Andi didn’t open the menu. She didn’t need to. “Club sandwich and chips, please.”

  “Make it two, Jackie,” Tammy added.

  “How’s Mona doing?” Andi asked.

  “As good as anybody can be with a burglar on the loose. Sure hope you’ll fix that quick.” He snatched both menus and went back into the kitchen to make up the sandwiches. Andi thought about asking again just what kind of papers were in the safe, but she figured her chances of finding out were even worse with an audience.

  While they waited, Tammy said, “So...you and Mark. What’s the plan for this working date?” When Andi didn’t immediately launch into a heartfelt confession, she waggled both eyebrows.

  Andi snorted a little of the sweet tea she was methodically draining from the glass, but she had no worries. Oscar would have it refilled before she knew it was empty.

  When she caught her breath, Andi said, “There’s not much to say. He asked me out. I said yes. We’re going out on Saturday. We’ll share information on the case, try to come up with some new direction. Right now, that’s all I know.”

  Tammy tilted her head and waited.

  “Really, that’s it, my whole plan.” She shook her head. “And if you don’t believe me, just wait a bit. You’ll hear the tale of how he asked me out over at the Hair Port. Also, that I nearly verbally murdered Edna for comparing me to my father, but Mark saved the day.”

  Tammy’s eyebrows rose and she tore her napkin into small pieces before she answered. “Wow, all that with an audience. That’s not the Sheriff Jackson I know.” The concern on her face brought on an old familiar lump in Andi’s throat. Tammy had been there through it all, and her care was enough to burn past the rage to the hurt that lingered and resurfaced anytime her father came up. “Sheriff Jackson’s usually firmly in control.” She rolled her eyes. “And she’d never let someone else come to her defense.”

  Andi opened her mouth to argue because Tammy looked a little hurt as she said it, but it was the truth. She’d practiced long and hard to pretend her past no longer got to her. The idea that she’d need anyone else to protect her was silly.

  “But...Mark Taylor. He’s the kind of guy you should go for. I mean, if you lived for anything other than work.” This was an old argument. Andi had explained how important serving this town flawlessly was, and it had been enough to get her on board for the first campaign. “Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone who would fight for you, even if you don’t really need it?”

  “Tammy, it wasn’t a fight. It was a clever remark that...deflated the tension.” Which was better than the smoke and ash she’d have left behind. She might owe him a grudging thank-you for that. “And I said yes to his working date because I want to solve Jackie’s case quickly and I want to be reelected sheriff. Getting along better with him will help, but this isn’t a love match.”

  Saying it out loud seemed to lift a heavy load off Andi’s shoulders. “You know I’m only here for a little bit, Tammy. I’ll win this election, do a very good job, and by then, Gram should be settled.” Maybe. She hoped. “I want to take advantage of Mark and his connections. That’s all. I’m not settling down here.”

  Tammy sighed and looked resigned. Maybe even disappointed. “I’m just saying he’s pretty cute...has his own business. He’s a catch. Maybe you should...you know, try to catch him. Most men—a lot of men—stay, Andi. They don’t leave their wives or kids. And I think you’d be happier if you took a chance on a good one sometime.”

  Andi shook her head. Tammy had never put any direct pressure on her to come home, but Andi had the feeling she’d be over the moon if Andi settled down right here with the newspaper man and a white picket fence. She watched Tammy smile determinedly and tried to ignore the pang brought on by the thought of leaving again, missing these lunches, relying on weekly phone calls to know what was happening with her best friend. Following right behind that was the burning guilt that filtered in anytime she thought about leaving her Gram or Tammy behind in Tall Pines again.

  Maybe Tammy was right about taking a chance, but she didn’t understand that Andi’s work with the FBI was important. She couldn’t give up forever the satisfaction it gave her, not even for her best friend.

  Jackie came back with the sandwiches and deposited them wordlessly. And Andi’s tea glass was full again. She was really coming to appreciate Oscar’s abilities. She took a more-aggressive-than-strictly-necessary bite of her own sandwich and chewed forcefully.

  “Did you hear anything else over at the beauty shop? Any news?” Tammy took a bite of her own sandwich.

  “Edna couldn’t wait to tell us about Jimmy and Maylene.” Andi shook her head. “And I wasn’t going to repeat it. What’s wrong with me?”

  Tammy laughed. “That’s not news to anyone who knows Maylene, Andi. She’s been smiling ear to ear like a lunatic. She knows how important a good man is. They’ve been dating for four months. Edna must be slipping.”

  Andi leaned back in her seat. “Really?” She picked up a potato chip and crumbled it into pieces. “Everybody seemed surprised.”

  Tammy waved her hand. “I’ll guarantee you that
most of them already knew it. Half the fun of getting your hair done is seeing who can tell the best story. They don’t really have to be breaking news.”

  Uncomfortable at the reminder that there was so much going on that she didn’t know about, Andi asked, “When do you think you’ll get the debate set up?” Back to business. It was easier.

  Tammy shrugged. “It would be nice to wait until it’s cooler.”

  It was the beginning of October now. Clearly there was no guarantee it would ever get much better. “Mayor Jones won’t be happy to lose a night of singing on the square for a debate when the tourists are flocking to town.”

  She nodded. “You’re right. I’ll aim for three weeks and see how that works with everyone’s schedule. Maybe we can squeeze into one of the nights already booked.”

  Jackie marched back to the table to deposit the check. Andi used her own developing ninjalike quickness to snatch it up before Tammy even knew there was a contest. Jackie also had three pages stapled together. It looked like a list of everyone in Tall Pines with a few names Andi didn’t recognize. She didn’t know if those were tourists who’d come through town once or maybe people he’d met the few times he’d stepped foot outside the county lines, but she was pretty sure she could cross Willie Nelson off the list of suspects. One down and about eleventy million to go. He’d helpfully written numbers beside each name and short descriptions of why they were after him.

  Andi tried to ignore the sinking feeling she got about how long it would take to read the list, much less work through everyone on it, and she smiled up at him. “This is good, Jackie. Are the numbers a ranking system? Maybe I should start with number one and work down the list?” Just like his spotless restaurant, Jackie made a ruthlessly organized list.

  He nodded once sharply. “Exactly. I don’t expect most of ’em have the ambition or pure want-to to accomplish this, but it’s hard to tell about people sometimes.”

  “Is Mona around? I’d really like to talk to both of you.”

  Jackie snapped to attention and shook his head. “Not right now. She’ll be back about four to help out after Oscar’s shift. We’re shorthanded until I can get somebody hired.” His eyes tightened suspiciously as he handed her change. “Maybe you can leave her out of this. I don’t want her more upset than she already is.”

  Telling him that she wanted to check with his wife about her whereabouts and, more importantly, find out what exactly was taken from the safe would send Jackie into a full-on fit. Instead, Andi said, “Oh, I want to check with her to see if she’s noticed anything around here that needs to be investigated.”

  She wasn’t certain he believed her. He finally nodded. “Come on back after four, then.”

  Andi left a generous tip and followed Tammy back out to the sidewalk. From the corner of her mouth Tammy asked, “You want to get Mona’s take on the whole thing, right?”

  Andi smiled and said, “You bet.”

  Tammy hugged Andi and thanked her for lunch. “Come on by the store when you have a minute. We got some new sock yarn in, and I picked the most obnoxious color combination just for you.” She said the last bit in a singsong voice because she knew it was a temptation. No matter how much sock yarn she had, Andi could be counted on to buy more. Knitting was therapy.

  She acted uninterested. “Yeah, but I’ve already got enough yarn to make everyone in town a pair.”

  Tammy pretended to think it over. “Wonder if that would work as a campaign promise. Vote for Andi, and she’ll give you a pair of ugly socks.”

  Tammy didn’t get it. Sock knitting was the perfect kind of knitting: small, quick and precise—just the way Andi liked her projects. She shook her head sadly. “While it might work for me, it would definitely not work as a slogan for Purl’s Place.”

  Tammy snorted. “You’re right. Forget I mentioned it. Besides, you’d make me knit a pair or eight hundred and that would ruin my life.”

  As she opened the door to her shop, Tammy stopped and pointed at Andi. “Swear you’ll call me with any new developments.”

  Andi was confused but she nodded uncertainly. “Okay, sure. If I find out anything concrete about Jackie’s robbery, I’ll give you a call.”

  Perky Tammy stomped her foot. “That’s not what I meant.” She looked up and down the street, then said in a stage whisper, “I was talking about Mark Taylor, girl.”

  Andi should have known. Tammy didn’t think twice about crime in this town except to consider whether or not it would get Andi elected. She’d known Andi a long time. Except for the years she’d spent in Atlanta, she and Tammy had talked almost every day and just about every day they talked about boys. They’d mainly been Tammy’s boys, not Andi’s, because Tammy had gone a much saner accounting route while Andi had done a double major. Thanks to the scholarship that sent her to college, Andi didn’t have much choice except to concentrate more on books than boys. Thank goodness she’d always been able to live vicariously through Tammy.

  Andi gave her a thumbs-up and Tammy waved before stepping inside the shop. She looked at the clock on the tower above city hall. She had less than an hour before Mona would be over at the diner. Andi walked back to the SUV and decided to try Oscar’s house.

  After introducing herself to Oscar’s mother only to learn they’d already met at the school’s field day, Andi verified that Oscar had been home on the night of the break-in. As she was getting ready to leave, she said, “One more question. You mentioned he liked working at the diner. How does he feel about his boss?” Andi expected to get some good dirt with this question.

  Mrs. Martinez shrugged. “Jackie gives him forty hours or more a week and pays on time every time. He understands that I sometimes need Oscar’s help with the children and has always been flexible.” She nodded once. “And yes, Jackie has a temper. But it takes quite a lot to ruffle my Oscar.”

  She was probably right about that. Andi sighed. Logically, it was possible that Oscar might have another reason to unlock the window, but she remembered watching him drag over that metal chair, clamber on top of it and struggle to reach the handle. Eagle-eyed Jackie would have noticed. Andi mentally drew a black line through his name.

  She’d thanked Oscar’s mother and headed back to the diner. With no other suspects, Andi decided to take a closer look at Jackie’s list. She needed to widen her net. Maybe Mona could help with that.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  MONA WAS ALREADY behind the counter when Andi walked into the diner. After she took a deep breath of the nice, cool air, Andi slid onto a stool in front of her.

  “Howdy, Sheriff. How’s your day going? Any news?” Jackie’s wife looked tired, and maybe older. Her eyes were puffy, as if she’d been crying, and when she smiled it didn’t reach her eyes. Andi rolled her shoulders as she smiled at Mona. “Well, I’ve had better, but I’m hoping you can help me with that.”

  Mona filled a glass with ice and set it in front of Andi before she filled it with sweet tea from a nice, sweaty pitcher. She put the pitcher on the counter and one eyebrow rose higher and higher as she watched Andi drain half the glass. When Andi noticed her fascination, she carefully set the glass down. Mona refilled it, and Andi forced herself not to touch it.

  Andi had known Mona a long time. She hated to see her upset. As a Sunday-school teacher, Mona had been one of the first people to try to teach Andi that patience was a virtue, along with the Golden Rule and the stories of all the Bible greats. When Jackie and Mona opened the restaurant and Mona had taken over the church youth group, she’d looked like she might have known the Bible heroes firsthand—she was all sweet smiles and never-ending good humor. Now a halo would perch comfortably right on top of her fluffy white curls.

  She and Jackie might be the opposite sides of a coin. She was all goodness and he was ornery cussedness. Jackie kept people stirred up and talking, but Andi had never heard a bad word
about Mona. In one way she and Jackie matched: height. Mona couldn’t stand any taller than five feet even. Today she somehow seemed even smaller. She was one of those people who made Andi understand Godzilla’s dilemma when confronted with Tokyo. One wrong step could flatten something important, but a giant lizard’s gotta do what a giant lizard’s gotta do. And so did sheriffs.

  “I’ve talked to Jackie’s group from yesterday morning.” Andi looked at the tea glass. Condensation slid down the side and her fingers inched a little bit closer.

  Mona shook her head. “I don’t know what he’s thinking sometimes.”

  Andi knew exactly what she meant. “He’s determined to find what was taken from the safe.” Andi watched Mona’s face closely enough to see her small frown come and go. “But I can’t come up with a good reason for Mark or Wanda, or even Oscar, to steal the recipes.”

  “Oscar?” Mona asked, with her eyebrows raised high enough to merge with her hair.

  Andi shrugged. “It would’ve been easy for him to actually steal the stuff, but he likes his job. He’s too smart to mess that up, surely.”

  Mona shook her head and wiped down the spotless counter. “He’s the best employee Jackie’s ever had. He thinks the world of Oscar. If we could find another one like him, I might convince Jackie to retire or at least cut back some. He’s always wanted to see the Grand Canyon, but at this rate we’re running out of time.”

  It was hard to imagine either Jackie or Mona aging. Maybe there was something magical about the atmosphere of the Country Kitchen. Neither one seemed to have changed much over the years. Of course, Andi was getting older, too. Maybe her memory was the magical part of the equation.

  She pulled out the list and ran her finger down the first page as she read quickly, and she realized that Oscar’s name wasn’t there. Jackie hadn’t thought his employee had a motive, either. And that was saying something. Jackie probably stayed up all night on Christmas Eve just in case Santa did try to come down his chimney. Only instead of milk and cookies, he’d offer a loaded shotgun and a sour expression.