Town Hero: A Romantic Suspense

by Hildie McQueen

  Finally they sat at the kitchen table on plastic chairs with Shelly who’d yet to shed a tear. Cassie smiled at the woman with what looked like genuine care. “There now, you can at least feel better that the kitchen has some sort of sense to it.” Eliza looked to the adjoining living space and winced. Hopefully Cassie wouldn’t get the idea of cleaning that room. The landfill was more orderly than the Mason’s living room.

  “I need your help.” Shelly glanced from Cassie to Eliza. “If one of you could talk to Deputy Castro. Tell him the sooner they release Eddie’s body to me, the faster I can move on. He won’t listen to me.”

  “I know Doctor Wilkes has the body and is probably doing some sort of autopsy or something,” Cassie replied with a frown. “Besides, Shelly, you want them to take their time if it helps catch his killer.”

  “Whoever done it is long gone by now. Some thug looking for crack money.”

  Eliza was pretty sure a crack thug would have taken Eddie’s wallet. From what she heard, nothing was missing. She decided to just nod in agreement along with Cassie.

  “I will ask him about it when I see him,” Eliza said and looked to Cassie hoping it was time to leave.

  Shelly huffed, got to her feet and looked around the floor. “On second thought, I’ll do it. They can’t keep me from getting the funeral over with.” She shoved her feet in mismatched flip-flops and picked up a discolored fabric hobo bag. “Can I catch a ride to town with y’all? Damn I need to find my lip gloss.” She began digging in her purse.

  So much for the grieving widow.

  Chapter Five

  Sebastian drank coffee and looked over notes from Scott’s interviews of people around town. Nothing new. The only bit of bright news was that most people were forthcoming about dealings with Eddie Mason. Turned out he was a friendly guy with a drug habit. Right after getting paid on Fridays, he and Shelly normally went to Newton to buy their drug of choice and binged over the weekends. Not surprising. That would explain why he owed Jay money.

  He considered that with her husband dead, Shelly would not have money for drugs. She’d probably go back to prostitution. If she’d ever stopped.

  A groan escaped at seeing the object of his thoughts at the door. She shuffled in with a predatory look about her. A pissed off Shelly Mason zeroed in on him and walked straight toward where he sat. Her fingernails tapped on his desktop. “Deputy, I came to ask about Eddie’s body.”

  He stood to greet her wanting ask why she wasn’t more concerned with the status of the investigation. Instead he assumed a professional expression. “Please sit, Mrs. Mason.” He motioned to a chair in front of his desk.

  She ignored him and moved closer, her eyes roaming from his face to his crotch. “You’re single aren’t you?”

  Shit. “Yes, ma’am.” He took a step back and held onto the back of the chair, putting it between them. “Why don’t you make yourself comfortable? Can I get you some water?”

  “I’m single now too,” she stated the obvious not moving. “Maybe we can go out sometime.” She attempted to touch his arm and he edged away to rearrange the papers on his desk.

  “I believe you came to ask about your husband?”

  The woman shrugged and finally sat. She crossed her skinny legs and he fought not to look at the gap that showed her lack of underwear. Either that or she wore a thong. He swallowed to force his lunch to remain down.

  Her lips curved taking his discomfort as a compliment. “Yes. I need you to tell Dr. Wilkes I need Eddie’s body released today. His momma and them are planning the funeral for this weekend. They’re coming tomorrow to pick me and Eddie up.”

  She tapped her head. “Oh yeah, and I need the truck too.”

  “The body will be transferred to a funeral home wherever his family instructs. You can’t take the body in a private vehicle.”

  With an exasperated exhalation, she frowned. “Damn, y’all make everything so damn complicated.”

  “I’m sorry but that’s a law, Mrs. Mason. I will talk to Dr. Wilkes and get back to you with an expected date Eddie’s body will be released. I wouldn’t plan the funeral until you know for sure.”

  “You can’t keep it. His uncle is about to go to court and might get locked up. He wants to say a proper goodbye.”

  “Mrs. Mason, who do you think killed your husband?”

  “A thug. A crack-head. I don’t know. That’s your job.”

  Sebastian looked at the woman. “I heard Mr. Malone was at your house early today.”

  She huffed and stood. “Leroy Malone dropped off Eddie’s last paycheck. Not sure how long that’s supposed to last me, it wasn’t a full two weeks pay. You’d think he’d give me some sort of death bonus or something.”

  Not sure what kind of reply fit, Sebastian remained quiet.

  After his visitor left, Sebastian hoped the day would bring more useful information about Eddie’s killer.

  He picked up his cup of coffee and reheated it in the microwave. Cup in hand, he stood at the door and watched Shelly Mason go into the insurance office a few doors down. Interesting.

  Less than fifteen minutes later, she exited with a scowl. Her skinny arms pumping, she marched down the sidewalk. Her destination wasn’t clear, perhaps the diner. An older couple stopped her, no doubt to give their condolences. He watched with interest as she produced a tissue and dabbed at her eyes. The two people walked with her into the diner.

  He picked up the phone and called Lovely Diner. The owner and chef, Phil White, answered on the second ring. “Need more coffee?”

  “Yes, but that’s not why I’m calling. Can you keep an eye on Shelly Mason for me? I need to know if you notice anything of interest.”

  He knew Phil, once a military policeman, caught his drift. “Not a problem.”

  A few minutes later, Sebastian entered the insurance office and was immediately assailed by the pungent smell of flowers. What was it with people in this town and bouquets in every office? He eyed a large vase overfilled with colorful flowers.

  Misty Rivers, a redhead who spent way too much time applying makeup by the looks of her spider leg looking lashes and bright lipstick, smiled up at him. “Need insurance of some kind, deputy?”

  To be fair Misty was one of the nicest people he knew. She was married to the owner of the Rivers Insurance, Doug, who loved to hunt and was always out in the wood rather than at home. With her husband always gone, Misty was left to manage the office, the house, and their three children. Under the soft feminine exterior was a tough as nails woman, who’d once taught martial arts.

  “No insurance for me today, Misty.” He sat in a chair in front of her desk. “I saw Shelly Mason walk out of here a few minutes ago and need to know what she was here about.”

  Misty’s eyes slid to the side as she considered what she could divulge. “I’m not sure I can give specifics.” She met his gaze then let out a sigh and shrugged. “What the heck, its not like Shelly didn’t already tell half the town.”

  Knowing the woman liked to draw things out before giving information, he sat back to give her the impression of relaxing. “Uh-huh.”

  “You know she hasn’t cried one tear over her man. It just makes me wonder what kind of woman wouldn’t be devastated over the loss of her husband. I know I would be if something happened to Doug.” Misty sniffed making her point.

  “Did she say something about his murder?”

  “No, just came in here wanting to know how long it would be before she could collect his life insurance.”

  This was news. He didn’t expect someone like Eddie Mason to have life insurance. The couple seemed to live paycheck-to-paycheck. “When was the policy purchased?”

  “A couple months ago. Eddie and Shelly came in and each got a small term policy, only ten thousand. They said they wanted to be sure funeral expenses were covered if they died.”

  “Didn’t you find that a bit strange?” He couldn’t help but ask. “They don’t seem the type to preplan for that sort of thing.
”

  Misty nodded frowning. “I did. Even told Doug it was strange how Shelly seemed to be the one with the idea. I could tell Eddie wasn’t happy about making the payments. He grumbled about how he could be using it for better things.”

  “Did Shelly say why she needed the money so desperately?”

  This time Misty leaned forward, a gleam in her eyes. “She said it was time to leave town. That she was going to get a new start away from Lovely and from his family too. I told her she needed the death certificate and she had a fit saying I knew damn well Eddie was dead and could just cut a check.”

  Sebastian stood. “If you think of anything else you think is useful to the investigation, let me know. I’ll be around.”

  He made a beeline for the diner after leaving the insurance office. Perhaps another conversation with Shelly Mason was in order.

  Before he could go into the restaurant, his cell phone dinged. It was Doctor Wilkes, the coroner. He looked through the window. Shelly Mason was surrounded by people. The couple who’d walked in with her were no doubt paying for her meal. She ate while talking, seeming to enjoy being the center of attention. There was no way she was leaving town until the insurance money was paid. Besides, Phil was hovering nearby. She’d probably divulge more there getting attention than if he questioned her. He’d stop by and talk to Phil later.

  Lovely Medical Center was Azalea Drive, three streets over at the end of the block. The building was one of the newest in the town. The stucco one-story square building looked like a mini-hospital. The ambulance was parked on the side under a covered portico that covered the entrance to the emergency area.

  He walked to the front of the building. A set of automatic doors soundlessly slid open and he walked into the cool air-conditioned space. It was interesting to him how medical facilities always hovered just above freezing. A nurse at the reception desk elbowed another and both looked up at him with expectant expressions. Aleesia Martin arched a brow at him. “Well, hello, Deputy Castro. Haven’t seen you in a while.”

  It wasn’t possible to stop the flinch. He and the pretty woman had a one-night stand and he’d done the quick escape as soon as she fell asleep. For months he’d managed to avoid her, until now. He decided it was best to remain professional. “Hello, ladies. I’m here to see Doctor Wilkes.”

  “Catch something?” Aleesia’s coworker who was obviously in the know of what happened sneered at him.

  “Err… There he is. Have a good day.” He walked on past doing his best to ignore the soft chuckles. Not one of his best moments. Should have called and apologized to her.

  Doctor Wilkes was a tall man in his fifties who kept in shape. His salt and pepper hair was always styled perfectly and his mustache trimmed. He wore tasteful wireframe glasses. Intelligent blue eyes met Sebastian’s as he rushed from the front desk. “I’m glad you’re here. I’ve been trying to keep Mrs. Mason at bay. She’s desperate to get the body released. I guess they have the funeral all planned.”

  They made their way into the doctor’s office. A mahogany desk filled most of the small space. Behind the desk on shelves was a collection of medical books and a couple of model ships. Sebastian wondered if the doctor owned a boat of some sort.

  “What did you find?”

  The doctor motioned for Sebastian to sit. Then took out a file and flipped it open. “Not surprisingly, Mr. Mason died of blood loss. His carotid artery was severed as well as all the others along his neckline. He may not have died right away, but he couldn’t speak since his vocal cords were severed by the slicing of his throat.”

  “Would he have struggled or reacted? He seemed relaxed, his hands at his sides.”

  “I imagine at first becoming aware of what happened, he would have reached up and covered the affected area with one or both hands. But you’re correct. There was no blood on his palms. So that fact, along with his relaxed expression, made me wonder if he was sedated in some way.”

  “He was drugged?”

  “Yes. He had a large amount of diphenhydramine in his system. I assume he must have taken it before driving to town. It would take twenty to thirty minutes to make him drowsy to the point of falling asleep. “

  Why would Eddie Mason take so much medication before going to work? “Is this drug easy to purchase?”

  “Yes, it’s Benadryl. He swallowed four or five of those pills. Maybe he didn’t know any better. Seems convenient, though, don’t you think?”

  Sebastian took the report the doctor extended to him. “Very convenient. Can I ask you a favor, doc?”

  “Sure.” The doctor stood and looked at his watch. “What do you need?”

  “Can you keep Eddie’s body for a couple more days?”

  Doctor Wilkes grimaced, clearly not looking forward to having another round with the widow. “I figured you’d ask that. Got it.”

  Chapter Six

  “Who would have thought a murder would happen here in little ol’ Lovely?” Birdie, the dayshift cook’s assistant stood beside her chopping cucumbers for two salads. “I am just beside myself. Can’t even go let my dogs out without first looking through all the windows.”

  Eliza nodded and agreed. Two days since Eddie was killed and the murder was still the main topic of conversations. Not that she didn’t feel bad about it. But it seemed to her the more people spoke of it, the more nervous everyone became. She wondered absently if Sebastian had made any headway in the investigation.

  It hadn’t helped that Shelly Mason had been there the day before. Surrounded by patrons, she’d spend the best part of an hour eating and accepting offers for help and money. It had caught her by surprise to catch Shelly in the bathroom primping in front of the mirror. She’d stood on her tiptoes her mismatched flip-flops kicked aside applying bright lip gloss.

  “All this crying made my makeup run,” she’d explained while applying mascara.

  Eliza didn’t point out that she’d not been wearing any earlier. The woman was not exactly firing on all pistons.

  Thankfully it was two in the afternoon almost time to go. She placed a special on the counter and rang the bell. Time to leave the diner and all the questions behind.

  Once outside the restaurant, she walked down the sidewalk to the small boutique next to the cupcake shop. She’d not made it out of town to shop, so this was her next best option. The shop was tastefully decorated with pastel colored walls in a deep turquoise blue. Deep brown sashes hung from the windows and pooled on the floor. Soft music played in the background, the atmosphere making her feel as if she’d driven to a larger city.

  “Hello, let me know if I can help you.” A curvy blonde waved to her. Eliza couldn’t remember the woman’s name so she smiled in return.

  The first rack that caught her attention held long sundresses. Some were black with colorful flowers and others blue.

  She eyed a mannequin dressed in a two-piece lacy top and A-line skirt.

  “This would look great on you. You have the perfect body for it.” The blonde appeared with an apple green dress. It was calf-length with pencil skirt. Geometric shapes drawn with white lines accented the apple green fabric. She immediately loved it. “Do you have a size fourteen?”

  Eliza walked out with two bags. One held her new dress and pretty white dangly earrings, the other a pair of strappy white sandals.

  When a hand took her upper arm, she gasped.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I called your name.” Sebastian Castro looked into her eyes and immediately her knees turned to jelly.

  “How are you doing?” She noted he had purpling under his eyes and his face seemed gaunt. “You haven’t been getting enough rest looks like.”

  The corner of his lips lifted and she wished they were comfortable enough with each other so she could kiss him. “Not exactly a compliment, Miss Brock.”

  “Sorry.” She flushed. “How about a cupcake and coffee? My treat.”

  “Only if you promise I’ll get to see you wearing whatever is in
those bags.” He eyed the bags. “Lingerie?”

  A chuckle escaped at his flirting. “Nope. A dress.”

  He shrugged opening the door to Sweet Indulgence. “I’ll take that.”

  Eliza hated that she probably smelled of food and grease as she walked past him into the shop.

  Thankfully there were no other customers in the shop, so they picked a table tucked in the corner. Cassie called out a greeting. “Let me wash my hands, I’ll be right there.”

  They sat and he looked across the shop toward the cupcake display. “Do you have a favorite?” Sebastian asked.

  “I try different ones. I suppose the Banana-Berry is the one I order most often. You?”

  He watched her for a long moment. His eyes scanning her face. Thankfully the bruising was gone, but she wasn’t sure any of her makeup remained after spending hours at a hot grill. “I like chocolate.”

  How those three words could get her turned on and squirming in her seat was a mystery. She cleared her throat when he smiled as if reading her thoughts. Thankfully Cassie walked over with a cupcake and cup of coffee for Sebastian. Chocolate. She winked at Eliza. “He always gets the same thing unless there’s no chocolate.”

  “I’ll have tea please,” Eliza told her. “Earl Grey is fine.”

  Sebastian took a bite of the cupcake and washed it down with coffee. “How have you been?”

  “Good,” she told him honestly. “I’ve actually slept soundly last night. I think it helps that I know Deputy Scott is keeping an eye out.”

  He nodded and watched as Cassie placed a small teapot and cup in front of her. She added cream to her tea and took a tentative sip. “I’m glad to hear it.”

  “How’s the investigation going?” she asked, hoping police work was the cause of his lack of sleep and not a woman. Just the thought made her stomach clench.

  “Can’t stop thinking. Last night I tossed and turned, my mind working non-stop. I feel like I’m missing something obvious. Then again, that’s what happens with these things. The clues are right in the open many times.”