“The plan is to stay out of the way and let the cops do what they do best. Detective Columbo seems perfectly capable of handling the situation. Don’t you agree, Dee Dee?”
“Huh? Oh yeah, sure, whatever you say, Trix.” I glanced in the direction she was looking and discovered the reason for her distraction.
Detective Bowerman had entered, along with a couple of his cronies. He’d discarded the overcoat, but his rumpled suit wasn’t much of an improvement. The unlit cigar protruded from his mouth. It was downright disgusting.
Ever the vigilant detective, he surveyed his surroundings with eagle eyes. I suppose he could have been searching for an empty table, but he appeared to be looking for someone to arrest. Then he spotted me. I quickly glanced away and hoped he hadn’t recognized me. No such luck. Dee Dee waved to Detective Bowerman like he was our long-lost friend. I promptly kicked her in the shin, but it was too late; he made his way toward us.
Removing his cigar, he addressed us with a nod of his head. “Ms. Montgomery. Ms. Lamont.”
“Hello, Detective,” I replied. “This is my Nana—”
“Are you the detective who interviewed Trixie this morning?” Of course, Nana couldn’t let it be.
“Yes, ma’am. And who are you?” He shot right back.
“I’m Belle, Trixie’s aunt. Everyone calls me Nana.” She smiled at Detective Bowerman and continued. “Detective, you sure are lucky my Trixie was at the museum this morning.”
“Oh?” His facial expression didn’t reflect someone who felt lucky. “Why would that be, ma’am?”
“Because. This is not the first murder Trixie’s been involved in.” Columbo’s caterpillar eyebrows crawled up toward his forehead.
“Really?”
“That’s right. She cracked a case wide open in Dahlonega last year. And I helped,” she said proudly.
Oh-my-word! She sounded like the little girl on the old Shake and Bake commercial. You know, the one where she’s helping her mother bake biscuits and at the end she states, “And I hel-lped” making helped a two-syllable word.
“Yes, Detective, and I was on the case, too,” Dee Dee said with aplomb.
CHAPTER NINE
I don’t think the conversation with Detective Bowerman went over as well as Dee Dee and Nana expected. Twirling an empty chair around, he sat down, eyes leveled at me. His arched brows led me to believe instead of seeing three astute amateur detectives; he ranked us right up there with the three stooges. He quickly confirmed my suspicion.
“Well, now. This is interesting, Ms. Montgomery. I don’t recall any of this from our conversation this morning. Perhaps you were too modest to share this bit of information with me?”
His probing eyes bore right through me. I tried to swallow the lump in my throat, but it was like trying to swallow a cantaloupe.
Bowerman didn’t wait for me to respond. “You can rest assured I’ll follow up on this. Let me tell you right now, there will be no interference in my case. I don’t want or need any amateurs messing around where they don’t belong. Not only is it dangerous, but you could compromise the investigation. Do you understand, Ms. Montgomery?”
Well, shoot. Why ask me? I wasn’t the one who brought up my involvement. He should interrogate Nana and Dee Dee. I’d deal with those two later. In the meantime, I didn’t have a choice but to give him the answer he wanted. “Yes Detective, I understand.”
“Good.” He stood up, replacing the chair. “Don’t forget to call the station and let them know where you’ll be staying, in case I need to get in touch with you.” Nodding again, he said a curt, “Good day, ladies.” He stuck his cigar in his mouth, pivoted, and went on his way.
I turned to the two culprits. “Thank you. Between the both of you, I’m up to my neck in hot water.”
“Well, who stuck a bee in your bonnet? We just sang your praises.” Dee Dee came to their collective defense.
“Yeah, that’s right Missy.” Nana called me that when she wanted to remind me who was in charge. “Don’t you go getting on your high horse with me. I just told the truth. No harm in that is there?”
I knew better than to answer a loaded question.
The crowd in the restaurant had thinned. I imagined the churchgoers headed home to take a Sunday afternoon nap, and I wished I was one of them. The night’s activities were catching up to me. I didn’t know about Dee Dee, but I could use a snooze. Between ghostly visits and Doc’s harrowing dawn-thirty arrival, neither of us had slept much. At this point we didn’t even have a place to lay our heads.
“Dee Dee, let’s find a hotel for tonight.”
Nana spoke up. “Take me over to Dora’s first. I need to pack her some clothes to take to the hospital. And she has a couple of cats I’m sure she wants me to feed and water.” Nana swigged the last of her iced tea. “Hey, why don’t y’all sleep there for the rest of the afternoon until visiting hours? I know she wouldn’t mind.”
To tell the truth, I was too tired to go hotel hunting. I acquiesced quickly. “Nana, that sounds wonderful.”
“Yes, it does. Lead the way young lady,” Dee Dee said.
Of course, I thought she was talking to me. Before I could take my assignment, she grabbed Nana’s elbow, and together they walked arm and arm to the car, leaving me to my own accord.
The drive wasn’t far to Dora’s, and soon we were pulling into her driveway. The gracious homes in the community shouted “old money.” Whoever chose the dwelling’s color must have loved blue bonnets. The rich blue presented a beautiful background for the magenta azaleas and rhododendrons framing the front of the house. A welcoming porch lined with rocking chairs invited the weary traveler to sit and rest a spell.
A rare breeze, filled with sweet summer perfume, ruffled our hair as we walked to the front door. The varied shades of green in Dora’s yard reminded me of the Georgia hills on a spring day. God had painted a beautiful picture.
The inside of the house rivaled the outside. Dee Dee and I oooh’d and ahhh’d our way through the spacious cottage. The elegant house featured four bedrooms and two baths, dining room, living room, and kitchen. Exotic oriental rugs covered rich mahogany heart pine floors. Each room boasted crown moldings, wainscoting and wood ceilings. Wallpaper in a demure flowery pattern decorated the living and dining rooms. Unlike the understated common rooms, the bedrooms displayed deep, rich tones. I wanted to ask Nana the history later, but now I desired to lay my head down somewhere cozier than the hard, museum floor.
Since Nana already occupied one guest bedroom, Dee Dee and I picked between the two spare rooms left. We bade each other a “good nap,” and I gratefully flung myself across the bed fully clothed. I fell asleep faster than a hound dog trailing a scent.
Next thing I knew, Nana gently shook me. I fumbled for the clock on the bedside table and glanced at the time. Instead of minutes, I’d been asleep for hours.
“Hey Sleeping Beauty,” Nana cooed. “If we’re going to see Dora this evening, we’d better get a move on. I packed her clothes, and Dee Dee toted them out to the car for me. We’re just waiting on you.”
Dee Dee stuck her head in the door. “That’s right. And don’t forget we need to stop somewhere and get some supper on the way to the hospital.” Ever-practical Dee Dee.
“Y’all give me a few minutes, and I’ll be ready.” I yawned heartily and raised my arms above my head, loosening my achy spine. “I could stretch a mile if I didn’t have to walk back.”
Nana cackled. At least, it sounded like a cackle to me. “Hey, you stole one of my old sayings.”
“Yes, I did. Now you two go find something to do while I make myself presentable.”
“Geeze Louise. I don’t think we have that much time, do we?” Dee Dee grinned ear to ear. I threw a pillow at her, but my aim was off, and she escaped any serious damage. This time!
My phone dinged indicating a text message. It was from Harv and he wanted an update immediately.
CHAPTER TEN
We detoure
d into a drive-through and purchased burgers and fries. You’d have thought we’d eaten an adequate amount of grease for lunch, but we were in a hurry, and it was the only place quick enough. We finished our food in the hospital parking lot and headed toward ICU to check on Dora. Finding our way through the maze proved no easier than it had earlier that morning. We arrived a few minutes before visiting hours.
We plopped down to wait on a sofa that had seen better days and many bottoms. The cushion was so worn out I sunk lower than a worm in a wagon rut. Getting up would be next to impossible without help. I was glad Dee Dee sat beside me for more than one reason. She’s been a rock in my life. Feeling maudlin, I reached over and patted her hand. She smiled and returned the gesture.
A bevy of visitors filled the waiting room. An older couple sat huddled together in the corner. Their features were drawn, and they held hands. I wondered who they worried about - their daughter, their son, or maybe a grandchild.
An extended family, from grandma to grandkids, sat across from us. The group were obviously celebrating a loved one’s positive prognosis. According to the noise level, they were having a party – fixin’s and all. I’d watched this scene played out before in hospital emergency rooms. This throng of family are often referred to in the south as “Mama and ‘em”.
A Good Samaritan told us visiting hours started, and everyone jumped up and headed to the double doors.
“Nana, do you want me to go in with you?” I put my arm around her shoulder and squeezed.
“That would be nice, dear. You can come too, Dee Dee.”
“The sign says two visitors at a time, you and Trixie go ahead. I’ll stay here and wait on you,” Dee Dee instructed as she picked up a battered magazine.
Pleasantly surprised, we found Dora propped up, awake and talking. After we visited for a few minutes, I understood why Nana adored her. They were carbon copies. Reassured she was doing well, I excused myself to let them visit. To take our minds off more serious matters, Dee Dee and I spent the next several minutes expounding the virtues of “Mama and ‘em”.
Nana returned after the allotted time. Her eyes danced and she wore a huge grin, relieved her friend would be okay.
“She looks good doesn’t she, Nana?” She nodded in agreement. “Come on. We’ll take you back to Dora’s and we’ll go find a hotel.”
Nana’s eyes sparkled and her grin widened. “I mentioned to Dora y’all didn’t have a place to stay, and she said, ‘Nonsense! You let them stay at the house with you.’”
Tears sprang to my eyes. The thought of a quiet, relaxing place to stay thrilled my heart. Bowerman’s warning on top of Harv’s deadline mingled in my head, and I predicted we would need the extra rest for what awaited us.
Sunlight flooded my room. No! Wait a minute. This unfamiliar bedroom wasn’t mine. As the cobwebs cleared from my mind, I remembered we’d spent the night at Dora’s.
I emitted an audible groan, as I glanced at the clock and discovered it was only six in the morning. I pulled the covers over my head, not ready to face the day. Strange dreams had invaded my sleep, robbing me of a peaceful rest. During the nightmare the murder victim arose to haunt me, but when I saw his face it was that of my ex-husband, Wade. I wondered how an expert would explain that dream.
“Yooo-Hooo!”
I willed myself to sneak a peek from under the covers. Nana peered around the doorway. Her smile was way too bright this early in the morning. “Good! You’re up.”
“Do you know what time it is?” I pulled the covers back over my exposed head.
“Yep, it’s after six. I overslept; I must’ve needed that extra shut-eye. I’m making home-made biscuits for breakfast.” She sang off-key as she made her way down the hall.
I hauled my caboose out of bed, not bothering to change clothes. My jammies would do just fine for an audience with Nana and Dee Dee. Dragging into the kitchen, I noticed Dee Dee fared no better. Droopy eyed, bed-headed, pajama-clad Dee Dee sat at the table.
Dee Dee made a half-hearted effort to glance in my direction. “What are you grinning at? You don’t look any better than I do.” We took in each other’s bedraggled appearance and burst into laughter.
Nana, dressed in a summer running suit, was cute as a button. Adorned in hot pink pants with a pink tee shirt, she looked like a spring flower. I knew a matching pink jacket existed. Nana never went anywhere without a cover up, ‘just in case’. Occasionally, she even wore a matching ball cap.
She hummed a catchy tune, as she stood at the stove and cooked a full-blown southern breakfast. The mingled smells came straight from heaven. My stomach growled in agreement. Nana heaped a plate with eggs, bacon, and homemade biscuits. She sashayed over and placed the feast before me.
“Here you go, ‘shugah,’ eat up! Y’all are going to need a heap of energy if you plan to investigate the murder at the museum.”
“Nana! I told you I have no intention of getting involved. You heard Detective Bowerman warn me to butt out.”
“Well, that’s never stopped you before. Why should it now? And you have me and Dee Dee to help you.”
Dee Dee sputtered coffee at Nana’s declaration. “Uh, I don’t know. Maybe Trixie’s right. Detective Bowerman doesn’t seem like somebody you’d want to cross. Actually, he looks kind of mean to me. Those thick hairy eyebrows give me the creeps.” She wiped up the spewed coffee.
“I know I’m right. I don’t want to hear any more nonsense about us investigating the murder.” When she didn’t answer, I repeated. “Did you hear me, Nana?”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Nana turned around and looked me directly in the eyes. I was familiar with the look. I’ve known it since childhood, and it means I’ve definitely overstepped my boundary. She slowly, purposely laid down the spatula and placed her hands on her hips.
“Don’t take that tone with me, Missy! Yes, I heard you. I might be old, but I’m not deaf. I won’t mention the “M” word again. I thought it would be a boost for your article if you solved this murder like you did before.” So much for not mentioning the “M” word. “Heaven forbid I try to help again.” She turned around and continued cooking, her back straight. Even at her age, Nana kept herself in great shape.
“I’m sorry, Nana. I guess we’re all on edge. Let’s do something fun today. I don’t have the heart to work on my story, and the museum is probably off limits anyway. Let’s ride down to the square and hit some of the shops. Retail therapy always makes a girl feel better. What do you say?”
“Thanks for including me, but I think I’ll sit with Dora.”
“We could check on her first, the hospital’s not out of the way.” I took a big bite of biscuit loaded with strawberry preserves. The gooey goodness oozed out the side and fell onto my plate.
“No. I want to stay at the hospital. I feel responsible since she doesn’t have any family close by.” Nana removed empty dishes from the table.
“If that’s what you want to do. How about you, Dee Dee? Are you up for shopping?”
“Does the Pope wear sneakers?” Dee Dee giggled at her own wit.
“I think the saying goes, ‘Does the Pope pray?’ Anyway, I’ll take that for a yes. They have a lot of antique shops on the square. Maybe you can find something for Antiques Galore.”
“I’d better call Sarah and tell her I’m not sure when I’ll be back. I can’t imagine what excuse I’m going to give her. What about my babies? Heaven only knows what they’ll do without their mother. When I’m gone for more than a couple of days, they go off their feed.” She wore the worried expression of a mother extremely concerned for her children. The fact of the matter was – her concern was for her cats – not her children.
“I’m sure Stephanie will be glad to take care of them. They’ll be fine. Children are pretty resilient.” I attempted to sound as serious as possible while I stifled a grin.
“I hope you’re not being facetious, Trixie. You know how I feel about my babies. It’s not a joking matter.”
“I’m sorry, Trix. But, better you than me,” Dee Dee said.
After we finished breakfast, we returned to our separate bedrooms to get ready for the rest of the day. If we’d only known what was in store, we’d have pulled the covers over our heads and stayed in bed.
Within the hour, we were at the hospital receiving good news. Dora was awake and doing better than expected, with the possibility of being moved out of ICU later in the day. Nana insisted on staying, in case they moved her. We left her with instructions to call on her cell phone if she needed anything.
The minute we stepped outside, the sunshine proved we’d been blessed with another glorious day. The sun vied for a spot in a tropical island commercial. The azure blue sky was as clear as a crystal glass. A slight breeze tickled my skin. I relished the moment, aware the luscious breeze would be replaced with thick, sticky air later in the afternoon.
I conversed silently in prayer as I inserted the key into my temperamental Jeep’s ignition and gave it a swift turn. Happily rewarded with the hum of the engine, I exhaled a sigh of relief. Shortly down the road, I decided to go-for-broke and give the air conditioner a chance, too. Semi-cool air shot out of the vents.
Dee Dee’s elation was evident as she exclaimed, “Lo and behold, miracles never cease.”
We basked in our good luck as we headed back to the Historic Marietta Town Square where a short twenty-four hours ago we experienced such a horrible day. I intentionally parked a comfortable distance from the museum.
Murder in Marietta (A Trixie Montgomery Cozy Mystery Book 2) Page 4
