by Rose Pressey
Judy pulled two more chairs from the hallway into the center of the room; all the while Maggie pointed the gun at us. “Sit.”
I moved over, but my gaze never left Judy. Claire Ann sat in one chair and I eased into the other. What the heck was she going to do to us? Judy was distracted with Maggie again, so I took the opportunity to talk.
“She’s going to kill us,” Claire Ann whispered.
“You don’t know that. We’ve got to keep positive thoughts. You have to remain strong,” I said.
“That’s almost impossible given our current situation.”
Claire Ann looked as if she was on the verse of freak-out mode.
Chapter Thirty-One
“Do you have any suggestions to get us out of this?” Claire Ann snapped.
“No, but I’m not about to let her kill us.”
“You got us into this mess. I told you not to come over here.” A panic had settled in her voice.
“You didn’t have to follow me, you know,” I said.
Claire Ann snorted. “Someone has to save your ass.”
“Now you’re a tough girl again? I thought that façade faded when the cat jumped from the shed?”
“Well, you thought wrong,” she huffed.
“You know this woman better than I do. Do you have any suggestions on how to get her to let us go?”
“Just because I know her doesn’t mean I know the inner workings of her mind.” Claire Ann let out a deep sigh. “I doubt anyone could figure out that mess.”
We sat in silence, waiting for their next move. My leg twitched and Claire Ann fiddled with her thumbs. Judy paced around the room, mumbling under her breath, then chewing on her nails. Her scarlet face twisted with anger. Sweat broke out on her forehead like dew.
Claire Ann looked at me. “What’s with her outfit?” Judy wore camouflage pants and T-shirt.
“Maybe she’s going hunting. How should I know? We have to think of something to get out of here.”
“Maybe she’s hunting for us. You said you called Kent earlier?” she asked.
“Yes, but I just left a message. Who knows if he even got it.”
Claire Ann let out another deep breath.
“Shut up, you hussies.” Judy screeched out the vehement command. Her mouth twisted as she stuck her wrinkled face close to mine. Maggie cocked the gun from her post in the corner of the room.
Without a doubt, Judy had something to do with the murder of Nancy and that realization took my fear to a whole new level. My heart pounded harder.
“You know, there is a way for you to escape here alive.” She smiled, trying to sound sweet.
I didn’t answer. Whatever she had in mind couldn’t be good.
Without waiting for my response, she continued, “Basically you give me the house. Simple enough, huh? It was supposed to be mine, anyway. Oh, and pay me, too. Yeah, I’m going to need some funds also.” She smirked. “Just like Mrs. Mathers and Nancy paid me. They were stupid bitches just like you two.” She pointed at Claire Ann, then to me. “Nosing around where they didn’t belong. They paid me money and I didn’t kill them. Simple as that.”
The lump in my throat grew. She was more disgusting than I’d imagined… and that was bad. Taking money from an old woman.
Judy paced across the floor, delivering her ultimatum. “So what do you say? We got a deal?”
“Give her the house. Let’s just get out of here.” Claire Ann certainly was a hard nut to crack.
I glared at Claire Ann, then focused my attention on our captor. “I don’t have money, Judy.” Maybe I shouldn’t have admitted that. With the gun pointed in my direction, I shouldn’t have pushed my luck by talking too much.
Claire Ann groaned.
I’d gotten us into a pickle and I needed a plan. My mind raced and my thoughts were muddled. Panic and shock consumed me.
Even worse, fear covered Claire Ann’s face. I’d never hassle her again if we got out of this mess. She could possibly lose her life because of me. If Judy didn’t kill me, Claire Ann might for getting her into this mess. Thinking of puppies and babies wasn’t helping to calm my nerves. Nothing I thought of helped ease the apprehension running through my body.
Claire Ann sat perfectly still, hiding her fear. She was always so brave, but I knew it wouldn’t last for much longer. I felt the energy buzzing off her and she’d probably freak out at any minute. The guilt for dragging her into this situation mounted. It was my fault she was in this mess.
A sneer of disgust covered Judy’s face. “I wanted what was rightfully mine. I talked to the old bag and baked her cookies and she left you the house! That Nancy bitch had been poking around over there, too. Probably trying to befriend the old woman. She got too nosey and discovered the shed over here. You saw what happened to her.” She paced in front of me, wringing her hands.
“It doesn’t have to be this way, Judy.” Yeah, what could I tell her to get out of this? She knew we’d rat her out to the police the first chance we got.
“That’s enough talking. The drone of your voice gets on my last nerve.” Her tone grew darker. “I’m tired of dealing with you bitches.”
She ticked me off calling us bitches. “You won’t get away with this, you know?”
Judy chortled. “Why not? I got away with the first one. What’s two more?”
“Even if you kill us, you still won’t get the house,” I said.
“Maybe. But… I have to kill you. Y’all know I killed Nancy. And I doubt y’all will keep your fat traps shut. That’s the last thing I need is you talking all over town. And I know that one likes to talk.” She pointed to Claire Ann.
Judy wasn’t about to loosen her grip on the weapon. It would be hard to fight her considering she had a gun. Silence surrounded us. Only a few birds chirped outside the window.
“I still don’t know why you took the candlestick from my house.” Oops. I shouldn’t have reminded her that it was my house now. Not at this moment. Talk about bad timing.
She chuckled. “What are you stupid? I’m framing you for her murder. God, you’re so dumb. No wonder your husband left you. Everyone in town hates you now. Not that they ever really liked you.” She chuckled. “So how about you shut up before I hush you up permanently? You’re giving me a headache.”
She really was bonkers.
I watched, my heart pounding, as Judy paced across the floor, from the old pine kitchen table to the worn-out brown leather sofa at the edge of the living room.
“Don’t you think the sheriff will be suspicious of you? Do you think you’re smarter than the police?” I asked.
She stopped in her tracks, then whirled around to face me. “Shut up, I said! I can’t concentrate on my plan.”
Did she have a plan? It looked more like she was winging it. Sweat beaded on my forehead. Things were not looking good.
“I don’t think it’s my talking that makes it hard for her to concentrate,” I whispered.
My eyes wide, I glanced over at Claire Ann. Despite our fear, we had to stifle a laugh. Judy moved closer, flashing a wicked grin as she pointed the gun back and forth between us. My face hurt from where she’d hit me. I said a silent prayer—it was my only hope of escaping the crazy woman.
Claire Ann sat without making a peep. I turned to look at her.
“Will you ever forgive me? I’m so sorry,” I whispered, “I just wanted to get to the bottom of things. My plan wasn’t very well thought-out, as usual.”
“You seriously need to stop reading those mystery books, you know.”
I stared at her.
“In real life normal people don’t solve crimes,” she added.
“I’m not sure I believe that. The police aren’t the only smart ones. What about private investigators?”
“They’re professionals.”
Maybe I shouldn’t confront Claire Ann at that moment, but since we were about to die, I’d get everything off my chest.
“Why did you tell the mayor’s wife about
my idea with the buildings?” I asked.
“I really didn’t. You need to trust me, you know. I wouldn’t lie to you. What reason would I have to talk with her? She doesn’t like me either.”
I stared at her. “I just thought maybe you’d interviewed her or something. I’m sorry.”
“You can’t build up a wall and leave it there forever. Ross is history and not everyone will lie to you,” she said.
Claire Ann was one hundred percent correct. I’d been keeping my distance from Kent because of the wall I built around me, too. Maybe it was time for that to change. Just because he had been friends with Ross didn’t mean I couldn’t trust Kent. They were completely different people.
“You’re right.” I nodded. “My guest did overhear my conversation. Maybe it was him. Heck, for all I know, she may have the house bugged. Maybe she’s listening to phone calls. She’s crazy enough to try it.”
“Better chance of it being your guest than me, don’t you think? Honest, I didn’t tell her.” Claire Ann paused, then continued, “She was in the store when I was talking with my uncle. Maybe she overheard me talking to him about your idea.”
“Claire Ann, I’m so sorry. Sometimes I can be a pain in the ass. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions.”
“You can be a pain in the ass.” She nodded with a smile. “It’s okay. You’ve been under a lot of stress—”
Judy moved and she stopped talking. Judy had been distracted by the conversation with her daughter again. She stood near our chairs and stared out the window. A loud rattling knock at the front door made all of us look up. Judy glanced at Maggie. Another knock at the door rang out.
Maggie shrugged her shoulders and mouthed, “I don’t know who it is.”
“Just be quiet,” Judy whispered as she moved closer to the wall. I prayed whoever was at the door would look in the window and see us. Maybe they’d come to the back door and see Maggie with the old shotgun pointed at us. I knew in spite of praying, Kent wouldn’t know we were here, though. That fantasy was out the window.
“Judy, I know you’re in there,” the male voice called out.
Another deafening pound.
“You owe me money and I’ll get it one way or another. You remember what I did to Don.”
“Damn,” Judy cursed.
“Mom, what are we going to do? It’s Dwight. He’ll come in here and hurt us.”
“I’ll take care of him. You watch these two.” Judy disappeared down the hall. The front door creaked as she opened it.
“You got the stuff?” the man asked before I assumed Judy shut the door on their conversation.
This was our chance. The only one we’d get. Commandeering the gun from Maggie was the only way out. Claire Ann’s gaze met mine. I motioned my head toward Maggie and a look of recognition flashed in her eyes.
“Maggie, weren’t you dating Cliff Skaggs?”
A small smiled crossed Maggie’s lips and she nodded.
“Well, I just saw him at the fair with Vicky Harwood. They were like this.” She crossed her index and middle finger.
Claire Ann was obviously crazy. Making Maggie angrier was not what I had in mind.
“What?” Maggie yelled.
“Uh-huh. You might want to ask him what the hell he’s doing.”
Where was Claire Ann going with this plan? I looked at Maggie and she lowered the gun. Her stance relaxed. Did Claire Ann know what her reaction would be?
Maggie moved closer to Claire Ann. “Exactly what were they doing?” The gun was still in her grasp, but she barely had a hold on it.
Chapter Thirty-Two
As Claire Ann explained the situation—I wasn’t even sure she’d seen Cliff Skaggs—I eased from my chair. Maggie was engrossed in the conversation so I inched my way across the room, slipping up behind her. I had to hurry because Judy would be back any moment. I should have taken some kind of self-defense class; I’d always thought about, but thinking and doing were two different things.
How was I going to fight this woman? If only I had something to clobber her with. I glanced around and the only thing I spotted was an old leather boot—just one boot. It wasn’t much of a weapon, but at least it was something. I grabbed it and with all my strength hit Maggie over the head. She yelped and dropped the gun, then clutched her head. Claire Ann pounced and grabbed the gun, pointing it at Maggie. She let out a gasp when she saw it pointed in her direction.
I hurried over beside Claire Ann. “What do we do now?”
Before she could answer, Judy bounded back into the room. She stopped in her tracks. “What in the hell is going on in here?”
“Mom, I’m sorry.” Her bottom lip quivered.
Judy’s eyes widened as she stared down the barrel of her own gun. “Nice try, but it’s not loaded.”
“Oh, yeah?” Claire Ann pulled the trigger and blasted a hole in the wall opposite Judy.
I stumbled backward. Talk about when the going gets tough. I hadn’t known Claire Ann had it in her. Maggie shuffled over to her mother’s side.
“You bitches will pay for this. I’ll finish you off just like I did Nancy.”
“Oh, shut your trap,” Claire Ann snapped.
“Were you responsible for dragging me into the woods?” I asked.
Judy didn’t answer but Maggie looked down.
“That was you? I thought it was a man.” Wow, she was strong.
Maggie scowled.
“You really did kill Nancy, didn’t you? You took the candlestick from my house to make it look like I did it, didn’t you? I can’t believe you’re so evil. Were you planning on killing me too?” I asked.
She smiled, but didn’t answer. “You shouldn’t leave your doors unlocked. You never know if your neighbor might be a killer.” She cackled and Maggie joined in. “Sure, I slipped into your house looking for a weapon. I knew Nancy was going to be at my home soon. I lured her over to your yard and finished her off.” Her callous words made my stomach turn. “The stupid naïve look on her face made it too easy to kill her. She threatened to go to the police. If our drug network was discovered and they found out it was because of me, I’d be dead. So she had to go before I did.”
Judy was a cold and evil monster. Just looking at her made my stomach turn.
“You’ll never get away with it now,” I said.
Judy scoffed. “I wouldn’t be so sure if I were you. You may have the upper hand now, but I have ways of getting revenge.”
My stomach twisted again. I thought of poor Nancy and how the monster in front of me had taken her life so heartlessly. A chill ran up my spine when I realized how devoid Judy was of compassion. She would probably get a huge thrill out of killing us. I had no doubt that she would hold a grudge, especially for something as big as this. Claire Ann stood still and confident, though. In spite of Judy’s threat, she didn’t falter.
Judy continued. “When you least expect it. That’s when I’ll get you.” She laughed. “I’ve met some stupid people before, but you really take the cake.”
“Claire Ann?” Kent’s voice sounded from the hall. My eyes widened when I looked at Claire Ann. I couldn’t believe he’d found us. “We’re coming in. We need you to put the gun down. Judy and Maggie aren’t going anywhere.”
The next couple of minutes went by in a blur. We were escorted to my yard by a couple of officers while police emerged with Judy and her daughter in handcuffs.
“I deserved that house!” she hissed as they walked by.
They loaded them into the back of a cruiser. I wondered what would happen to her house. I hoped she didn’t have any other daughters to take it over. Living next door to one nutjob was enough.
Claire Ann and I sat on my back porch watching the chaos as men in hazmat suits cleared the shed.
“So you think you’ll come back to work at the store?” Claire Ann asked.
“You don’t waste any time, do you? What makes you think he’ll want me?”
“Charlie said so, remember.” Claire
Ann lifted the bag of ice from her swollen ankle.
“If things changed and settled down,” I said.
“Things will change now.” She pointed to the police cruiser where Judy and Maggie sat.
“I hope you’re right. But you know, I don’t know if I can go back. I want to work on making the hotel a success and the newspaper column and the buildings. Things will be tight, and if I can’t make it, I’ll certainly consider it if offered, but for now…”
“You’ll make it. If anyone can, you can.”
I wrapped my arms around her. “Thank you.”
“Stop with the mushy stuff. Enough. Go talk to Kent. I think he needs to talk to you.” She winked.
“I’m not liking your devilish smile.”
“Just go.” She gestured her hands.
“If he needs me, he knows where to find me. By the way, how did you know Maggie would react like that when you told her about Cliff Skaggs?”
“That would be almost any woman’s reaction.”
“I guess so.” I shrugged.
***
I had another guest the next morning—this one non-paying, but at least I knew she’d eat my continental breakfast. Neither one of us had wanted to be alone after what had happened. The house next door was a crime scene and I wasn’t sure what would happen to it, but I was sure of what would happen to Judy. I was glad justice would be served for Nancy.
I was pulling the freshly baked muffins from the oven when the shuffle of feet caught my attention.
“Hey there,” Claire Ann said.
“Good morning. How’d you sleep?” I asked while pouring a glass of orange juice.
“Like a baby.” She plopped down at the breakfast nook table.
“How’s the ankle?” I pointed toward her foot.
“Much better.” She took a sip from her glass.
“The other guest didn’t disturb you?”
“I didn’t hear a peep out of him. Thanks for letting me borrow the pajamas and slippers.”
“Not a problem.”
