Oh Holy Fright (Pecan Bayou Book 8)

by Teresa Trent

  “Good. We have a patrol car about a block up, and Boyle is in his unmarked car right across the street. Hopefully, they won’t see him.”

  “I’m surprised Boyle didn’t ask for Christmas off. He must have family somewhere,” Maggie said.

  “If he does, he isn’t acknowledging them. No. I gave him a subscription to a movie streaming service, and it sounds like he’s spent most of this week watching old movies. That is, when he isn’t waxing that old car of his while listening to KNUT, the home of Central Texas country music.”

  Boyle loved to listen to that old twangy country music, and I just had to hope that Waylon and Willie were not wailing in the car that night.

  Danny had invited Wanda over for the evening. Her mother was now out of the hospital and, amazingly, she approved of this little get-together, which also meant she was starting to approve of our family after we’d rescued her on Christmas Eve.

  Danny’s had given me a bright-orange whistle for Christmas, and he insisted that I wear it tonight. “You catch bad guys, Betsy. I want you to have a whistle so you can call me to protect you.”

  It was the sweetest gift I had ever received, and even though it didn’t match the shimmering black top and pants I had chosen, I wore the whistle with pride.

  Still stinging from Tiffany’s rejection, Tyler now kept his distance from Danny. When he came into the kitchen for a fresh bowl of chips, I touched his arm. “How are you tonight, Tyler?”

  He looked at me as if I were the most insensitive person in the world. “Tiffany’s going out with Ben Armstrong, the forward on the basketball team, and I’m alone on New Year’s Eve with nobody to kiss. How do you think I feel, Betsy?”

  It was clear that he had not forgiven us for siding with Danny on this issue. He was alone and lonely. It didn’t help that Danny was having a jolly time with Wanda.

  My father stepped in. “You know, son, sometimes things seem unfair. Real unfair. But after taking some time, you realize the situation wasn’t exactly what you thought it was. If this young lady can’t handle being around members of our family, whether they have a gigantic wart on their nose or a developmental disability, then maybe she isn’t right for you. Have you thought about that?”

  “Sure. Whatever, Grandpa,” Tyler grunted. My father’s wisdom didn’t even make a dent in the wall Tyler had put up. He was seventeen and full of hormones. The dream girl he had envisioned spending the holidays with had just dumped him like yesterday’s trash.

  “Hey, Tyler, come here,” Danny called from the next room. He was patting an empty section on the couch next to him. Wanda was on the other side, involved in a video game. Danny turned to Wanda. “You need to see Tyler play this game. He can beat everyone.”

  Tyler stiffened at the suggestion, ignoring Danny.

  Leo moved closer to Tyler. “Danny asked you to come and sit by him. Don’t be rude. Go and sit by him. He wants to show you off to his new girlfriend. He’s paying you a compliment.”

  “Really? Oh goody. I don’t think so.” Tyler went out the front door to sit on Maggie’s porch swing.

  “We really need to do something about that boy,” Dad said.

  “We’re open to suggestions,” I offered. Suddenly the walkie-talkie my father had placed on the table earlier in the evening crackled.

  “Judd, the fox is in the henhouse,” Boyle’s voice came across the line.

  “Come back?”

  “The eagle has landed.”

  “What the hell is he talking about?”

  “Boyle’s brain’s been pickled by too many old movies. He’s trying to tell you that the burglars are at Betsy’s house,” Rocky said.

  “Oh. Why can’t he just put it in regular English?” He pushed the button on the walkie-talkie and spoke into it. “Confirmed. I’m on my way over there. Let everyone else know.”

  “Attention all units. The New Year’s baby is on his way.”

  Dad picked up the walkie-talkie one more time to speak to his creative coworker. “Shut the hell up.”

  Rocky gave him a sideways smile at his own stylized radio chatter.

  Dad was halfway out the door when I called after him. “Can I come with you?”

  He turned around and looked at me quizzically. “Excuse me? This is clearly police business, not a two-bit ride-along. Besides that, what would Boyle say if I brought my daughter to a crime scene?”

  To my surprise, Rocky stood up to defend me. “She has to be there as a member of the press. She will also be bringing her incredibly intelligent editor.” Rocky threw his napkin onto the table and took me by the elbow.

  Leo stood up in an effort to stop us. “Betsy, you cannot go to an active crime scene. It’s too dangerous.”

  Rocky leaned over. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep her safe.”

  In truth, I figured Rocky was hoping I would keep him safe, but I wasn’t going to bring that up.

  I gave Leo a quick kiss. “Don’t worry. I’ll stay away from the action. I just want to talk to Michelle when it’s all over.”

  “If it is Michelle. Aren’t we all making a giant assumption? Betsy, we talked about this. It tears me up every time you do tag along with something like this. At least let me go with you,” Leo said.

  “Nothing doing,” Maggie piped up. “At least one parent needs to stay with these children.”

  Rocky started patting his pants pockets. “If it makes you feel any better, we’re going to have to stop by the Gazette office. I left my phone there, and if there is any video footage to get, I certainly want to get it. I’ve seen the kind of video your wife takes and, well, let’s just say it leaves something to be desired.”

  That little piece of news seemed to calm down my husband, and he sighed. “Great. Show up really late after the action is over. Meanwhile, I’ll be here taking care of our children.”

  That last comment really hurt, but I was thankful he was going to let me go.

  When we got to the newspaper office, Rocky swore as he looked under piles of papers and in every corner for his phone.

  “Damn. I was sure I left it here.”

  “Are you sure you didn’t leave it in the car? Sometimes I forget mine on the charger.”

  Rocky tossed me his keys. “Fine. You go look under the seat. Meanwhile, I’ll search for it on Nick’s desk.” Rocky’s son, Nick, had been noticeably absent over the holiday. He was still pursuing his romance with Suzy and had chosen to spend Christmas with her at her parents’ house. I could tell Rocky missed having his son around, but we were all pleased that Nick had found someone to share his life with. Chances were we’d see a spring wedding.

  When I went out to Rocky’s car parked in front of the Gazette building, I glanced over at Crazy Eddie. The lights were on. The unconventional store had been open on Christmas Eve, and now it seemed to be open on New Year’s Eve. It had only been a week earlier that Zach and I stood in line for that disappointing trip through their aisles. A light flickered on in Crazy Eddie, and even though I was supposed to be looking for Rocky’s phone, something told me to take a quick walk over there to make sure his store wasn’t being burglarized, too. A burglar wouldn’t find more than stacks of boxes, but I wasn’t sure just what was in those boxes. If they’d sold everything on Christmas Eve, what would they have to pack up?

  The front door was open when I walked over, and I could hear a man and woman speaking inside. “That was just too close to call,” she said. The cops were crawling all over that neighborhood. We didn’t even get inside. Vincent isn’t going to like this.”

  “It was a setup. She’s that nosy cop’s daughter, you dumb cow. You should have known better. It was just too easy.”

  I recognized the voice of Crazy Eddie. So, he had been in on the burglaries all along. I thought about the sign-up form that was supposedly the waiting list for his Christmas Eve sale. It asked customers if they would be home on Christmas Eve for deliveries. It was such a simple question but revealed so much to a would-be burglar. I didn’t know who
Vincent was, but I had to assume an operation as big as this had several more members.

  The woman continued, “Most of the stuff is in the truck anyway, right?”

  That was Michelle Baldwin.

  “This town’s been nothing but bad for us. And now you got us into this mess. As soon as we’re done here, you’re finished. I hate this place and these stupid people butting into each other’s business.”

  Michelle was in on it, Crazy Eddie was in on it, and—judging from the number of burglaries that occurred on Christmas Eve—they had to have at least one other accomplice. It was a masterful scheme, and I could suddenly see how Eddie might have thought it up. Who would have guessed a kid like that would be a criminal mastermind? The merchandise set out for the big Christmas Eve sale could have been stolen goods from burglaries they had performed in other cities. He’d said he was a wanderer. Rob one town and set up the next with the stolen goods as bait.

  “What do you mean? You’re cutting me loose? After all I’ve done for you?” Michelle’s voice was verging on hysterics. Then I heard the sound of a body hitting the wall.

  “Shut up. You’re nothing but a useless, pathetic druggie.” I heard a slap, and Michelle let out a scream.

  He was hurting her.

  “I know what you did!” she screamed.

  “You don’t know anything.”

  “Killing an old man because he wouldn’t let you mail your crap. I know. What kind of monster are you?”

  “Shut up!” he shouted again.

  I had to get help. I stepped forward, but in the dark of the night I didn’t see the discarded water bottle left over from the Christmas Eve line. It crunched under my foot, echoing into the store.

  “What was that?”

  I wasn’t sure if this was the time to run or just try not to move. I was about to run when Eddie suddenly stepped out of the store, surprising me.

  “How long have you been standing there?”

  “Not long. You won’t believe this, but somebody is trying to burglarize my home right now. I’m here with my newspaper editor, and we were going to cover the story, but he lost his phone,” I rattled on, realizing I sounded a little crazy.

  Michelle stepped out of the store behind Eddie, her face bright red on the side where she had been hit. “If it isn’t the Happy Hinter. What a surprise. And yet, it’s not such a big surprise. You’ve had your hand in this all along.” Michelle twitched a bit, and in the dim rays of the streetlight, she didn’t look healthy. She had been a beautiful young woman once, but her drug habit and Eddie’s right hand had left blotches on her face. Her thin arms hung from her body.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I had to find a way to get away from these two.

  “So, you just happened to be out here on the street listening to us talking in the store.”

  “I didn’t hear a thing,” I reassured them. “I promise I didn’t hear a thing.”

  Michelle turned to Eddie. “She obviously knows what we’ve been doing. I guess you won’t be keeping your little secret much longer. We have to get rid of her.”

  Before I could come up with an excuse to get out of there, Crazy Eddie pulled a gun from the back of his waistband. It was a .38—the same caliber of gun that killed Joe Nelson. What I couldn’t figure out was why he would want to shoot Joe.

  “Why are you holding a gun on me? I was just walking down the street.”

  “Cut the crap. We know exactly what you were doing. You were out here playing amateur detective on us. You going to write all this up in that weekly rag you put out?”

  “No. Not at all. My column is mostly about helpful hints. You know, things that help the average family around the house.” I sold my column like never before, and it sounded absolutely insane coming out of me.

  Crazy Eddie wiggled the gun again. “You think I’m not afraid to shoot you? It wouldn’t be my first time. You are way out of your league, lady.”

  “Your first time being Joe Nelson?” I quickly put in.

  Eddie sneered. “Yeah, right. What would I want with an old man who wears stupid reindeers on his sweater? Try again, wannabe cop.”

  “I know Joe was shot with a .38. Now you’re standing there with that .38. I also know that his killer was not particularly tall. The police immediately assumed it was my aunt, who is only five feet tall. Now I think it was you. How did you know what he was wearing when he was shot? That wasn’t in the paper. But the thing that gets me most of all is why—why would you kill Joe? He was one of the nicest people in town. What’s in it for you to kill our choir director?”

  He raised his gun, a silent viciousness in his eyes. He no longer looked like the enterprising kid with a pop-up Christmas store. He looked like a cold-blooded killer.

  “He was tampering with the mail. I paid good money to mail those letters, and he was going into all the old ladies’ mailboxes at night and taking out our flyers. You see, I believe in expanding my horizons. I wasn’t only mailing out flyers for Crazy Eddie. I have PO boxes all over the state. Send money for cancer research. Send money to help our veterans. Send a few bucks for that cute kid in a wheelchair. It’s amazing what you can get printed for an extra hundred bucks. Old ladies send in cash, checks. Hell, one even sent me a pair of mittens for a sick kid. I worked town to town and got out before the locals caught on to me. Pecan Bayou was my latest, and having Michelle here, I thought it was a shoe-in, but that old guy kept taking out our offers. I had expenses to pay, man. When Joe Nelson cut into our bottom line, it was war, but I was the only one with a gun. Before you go and think I’m some kind of a monster, I tried to reason with him. You know what he said?”

  “What?”

  “He said he was going to report me as soon as the police department opened the next day. I had to get him before he got me. You can understand that? Survival of the fittest. When he fell down, I laughed.”

  “How did you know it was him?”

  “I didn’t. I just knew something was happening. When the news hit about your creeper, I decided to keep an eye out for him. I figured it was just some pervert, but it didn’t take me long to figure out he was stealing mail.”

  “So, you shot him? That’s how you solved the problem?”

  Michelle shifted from one foot to the other. “Do it. Kill her. If we stay any longer, they’re going to arrest us.”

  I had stepped into the fray to save her, but she didn’t mind killing me. That was gratitude for you.

  “What about your mother? Are you just going to leave her again? Do you know how much your Christmas card hurt her when she read it and found the only thing you wanted was a handout? It broke her heart.”

  Michelle shifted backward as if I had stabbed her. “Why is that any of your business? I’ve been dead to my mother for years. So, what if I disappear again? It won’t hurt her. She has her life. She’s better off without me.”

  I shook my head. “That’s where you’re wrong. Your mother misses you terribly. That’s why she got into a fight with Joe Nelson. She thought Joe was hiding your letter. It turned out Joe didn’t want you hurting your mother any longer. And now your friend Eddie, here, killed the dearest friend she ever had. How does that make you feel?”

  “No more,” she said, cutting me off. She wrapped her arms around her thin waist and began to bob back and forth. “No more. No more. No more. Shoot her.”

  Eddie didn’t move, so she grabbed his arm and took the gun. When he tried to regain control, the gun went off. The bullet whizzed right over my head. I took that moment as my escape. As I ran down the street toward the Gazette office, I felt the bright-orange whistle Danny had given me bouncing off my chest. I put it to my lips and blew with all my might. Another shot rang out, narrowly missing me. I continued to blow on the whistle as Rocky came out of the newspaper office.

  “What the hell—”

  I ran past him and shut the door.

  “It was Crazy Eddie. Crazy Eddie shot Joe. Michelle is in on it too. Michelle’s
the burglar, but they’re involved in so much more.”

  Rocky held up a hand. “Hold on. Let me get some paper so I can write all this down.”

  “Rocky! We need to call the police. Michelle almost killed me. Forget about the story—just call the police.”

  “Right. Cops first. Then I want a full statement. Don’t spare any details.”

  The sound of a truck revving up brought our conversation to a halt. Eddie and Michelle were getting away, and there was nothing we could do about it.

  Chapter 28

  “We have to stop them.” Jumping into Rocky’s car, we followed the white panel truck as it careened through an almost empty Pecan Bayou. Most of the police department was sitting at my house trying to catch a burglar. I speed-dialed my father, and as soon as he was on the phone, I filled him in.

  “What road are you on?”

  “Main Street for about another block. We’re heading out of town toward San Antonio.”

  “Stay on their tail,” my father said. Before I could hang up, a bullet whizzed by our heads.

  “What was that?” My father asked, still on the line.

  “They’re shooting at us.”

  “Keep your head down. Who’s driving?”

  “Rocky, of course. I’m talking to you on the phone.” I was shocked he didn’t think I remembered all his safety rules while behind the wheel. Having an emotional phone conversation could get you into a wreck. Of course, the way things were happening at this moment, getting into a wreck was the least of our problems.

  “Woohoo!” yelled Rocky. “This is the best story of the year, and I’m in on it. I love hanging out with you, Betsy. The abilities of helpful hints columnists are highly underrated.”

  Rocky careened around the corner. Following the white panel truck closely, I noticed it tilted slightly on the turns. It had to be weighed down with the stolen Christmas gifts. When the van tried to execute another turn, I thought it would ditch itself, but it managed to stay upright. We went around another corner and across Pecan Bayou Bridge heading toward the high school. Another shot, this time better aimed, took out Rocky’s windshield and zinged to the back windshield. It was a great shot, and if it had been placed an inch more to the right or left, it would’ve hit one of us. As we passed the high school and headed toward the old hospital, a squad car skidded in front of the white panel truck, causing it to veer to the right. This time the heavily loaded truck went over.