Death in Dahlonega (A Trixie Montgomery Cozy Mystery Book 1)

by Deborah Malone

  I opened the door.

  “Hi, Ms. Montgomery.” Leroy pushed his head around the door so he could see who was in the room. “Just wondered how y’all are doing and if there’s anything you need. Hi there, Sueleigh.”

  She gave him a little wave.

  “We’re doing just fine, Leroy. Thanks for asking. Now if you don’t mind, we’re kind of busy right now.” I held the door firmly to keep him from coming in any further.

  “Well, all right, but be sure and let me know if there’s anything I can get y’all.”

  “We sure will.” I pushed the door closed with a click and bolted the lock, and rolled my shoulders. That guy still gave me the willies.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  I know the Haygood story. I read about it last night.” I plopped down and bid Sueleigh continue.

  She nodded. “Local mystery, you know. But, here’s the part that no one knew. Donnie Haygood decided not to sell the land to ole’ man Tatum. Tatum already knew that the land held gold when he offered to buy it. Donnie had discovered gold right before he signed the papers. That’s when he decided to back out of the deal.”

  I wondered what connection this story had to John Tatum’s murder, but kept quiet.

  “This made ole’ man Tatum madder than a wasp with an infected stinger. He wrote in the letter that he had killed Donnie. Can you believe it? John’s grandfather a murderer.”

  We shook our heads back and forth.

  “They never caught the murderer,” I offered, remembering the story.

  “Where did you read about this murder Trixie?” Dee Dee asked.

  “I was researching old murder cases for an article. The Haygood case was one that I read about.”

  I crossed my arms, looking to Sueleigh. “This solves the murder of Donnie Haygood, but what about John?”

  “After he killed Donnie, he bought the land from his widow. He acted like he was doing her a favor so she could move into town and get work. He admitted he gave her a pittance for her land, but nowhere near what it was worth. Shortly after the purchase, he ‘discovered’ gold on the property. The Tatum Empire was built with blood money. I’d have loved to see John’s face when Daddy showed him that letter.” Tears glinted in the corner of her eyes.

  “Wow, unbelievable.” Dee Dee said, the weight of the solved mystery obviously sinking in. “So when your daddy found the letter, he saw the chance to blackmail John?”

  “Yes, and it worked. John was willing to pay any amount to keep the information under wraps. He didn’t want anyone to know that his grandfather was a cold-blooded murderer. He didn’t want anything to dirty the Tatum name. Not even an illegitimate daughter.” The tears flowed down her cheeks.

  “It still doesn’t prove your daddy’s innocence,” I said. “If anything, this could be used against him.”

  “That’s what the sheriff said. But Daddy said that was plum crazy. He was getting a lot of money from him, so why would he want to mess up the money flow? He’d been meeting John every Friday at the museum where he gave the money to Daddy. That day, John never showed up. When it got close to closing time, Daddy left.”

  My mind drifted back to the day I interviewed Teresa. Tourists roamed from room to room at the museum. I tried to remember if I’d seen Frank in the stream of faces.

  “Daddy didn’t kill John. I just know he didn’t. Please, you’ve got to help me. Since you’re already looking for the real killer you can clear Dee Dee and Daddy at the same time. Please!” She closed her hands together and placed them under her chin as if she were praying.

  I looked to Dee Dee and Nana for help. Their response: silence.

  “I’m not sure I’m the right person to ask, Sueleigh. I’m not qualified to help your father. You need a professional.” That was not the only reason I hesitated; I swallowed my guilt feelings. No way would I clear Frank if it aimed the spotlight back on Dee Dee. We’d come too far and had tasted freedom.

  “Why didn’t your father tell the sheriff this story?” Nana asked.

  “He did. Sheriff Wheeler said because Daddy used the letter to blackmail John, it made him look guilty. He called it incriminating evidence. Daddy confessed to blackmailing John, but he never confessed to killing him.” Her eyes still glistened with tears.

  My esteem for the Sheriff went down another notch, and I was beginning to feel like I might cry any minute, too.

  “Sheriff Wheeler must have built his hunky body by jumping to conclusions,” I snorted, to a trio of their nervous laughter. “If he jumped to conclusions with Dee Dee, he could have jumped to conclusions with Sueleigh’s father, as well.”

  Jump, jump, jump - brain fog clouded my mind, and I felt on the edge of hysteria at the hopeful look on her face.

  “Look Sueleigh, why don’t you get something to eat? It’s way past lunchtime, and we’ll all feel better if we have something to eat. I can think better on a full stomach.”

  “Are you going to help?” Sueleigh asked. Her face brightened with expectation.

  “Let me see what I can do. I’ll go over this with Dee Dee and see if we can come up with any ideas. In the meantime, ask your father if he can think of any evidence that might clear him. I’m afraid it doesn’t look good.”

  Tears welled up again in her swollen eyes and poured down her mascara-streaked face. Way to go, Trixie.

  I got up and walked Sueleigh to the door. “I’ll try to think of something. Leave your number with me, and I’ll contact you as soon as I have any new information.” She handed me her business card: Sueleigh Dalton, Beauty Consultant for Creative Cosmetics. Why was I not surprised?

  It was late afternoon by the time we went to eat lunch at one of the little sandwich shops. The crowd was thinning out. Most of the tourists had headed home, tomorrow a workday. The vendors were pulling up stakes and getting their materials together, moving slowly, weary and ready to close up shop.

  “Trix.” Dee Dee shook my arm, “Your turn to order!” I looked up at the waitress. She impatiently flicked her pencil against her pad, waiting on me. I didn’t have much of an appetite, but I had to eat something.

  “Give me the same thing she ordered,” I said as I pointed to Dee Dee.

  “Okey, dokey,” the waitress said. “That’ll be two corned beef with sauerkraut.” She turned and hurried away.

  I hate corned beef with sauerkraut. “Wait, Miss!” I shouted to get her attention.

  She whirled around and put her hands on her hips.

  “Just give me a chicken salad sandwich,” I sheepishly shrugged, knowing my distraction was starting to get the better of me.

  Between bites, we discussed Sueleigh’s dilemma. Nana wanted to help her; Dee Dee was wary. I couldn’t blame her. I’d be, too, if I were in her sneakers.

  Would I hurt Dee Dee if I helped Frank Dalton? Could I possibly help both of them at the same time if another killer was on the loose? And if that were the case, would I be putting all three of us in danger?

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Exhausted from a trying day, we turned in early. If the ghosts of the old miners could talk, they would have definitely been complaining about the three women who could out-snore a man any ole day.

  I slept fitfully, my sleep haunted by dreams. Sometime during the night, I sat up, wide-awake. An idea popped into my mind like someone had opened my head and planted it there: I believed the murder of Donnie Haygood somehow tied in to the murder of John Tatum. I tossed and turned the rest of the night as I waited with anticipation for morning.

  I thought it was still night when I heard Nana and Dee Dee talking. I sat up and rubbed the sleep from my eyes.

  “Hey. Thought you’d never wake up,” Dee Dee said.

  Nana chimed in, “Good morning, Sleeping Beauty. I’m glad you’ve decided to join the world of the living.”

  “Good morning, Nana,” I managed to reply between yawns.

  “Where do we start digging?” Nana asked.

  “Digging for what, Nana?” I asked in
return.

  “Don’t play coy with me, Missy. You know what I’m talking about. Where do we begin to look for John’s real killer so we can get poor Mr. Dalton out of jail?” Nana failed to mention that “poor Mr. Dalton” had gotten in jail by blackmailing Tatum.

  “I’m still thinking. Why don’t you and Dee Dee go and get us some doughnuts and coffee for breakfast? I’ll get cleaned up while you’re gone.”

  “Why don’t we wait on you while you get ready?” Dee Dee asked. “Then we can all go together.”

  When Nana turned her back towards us I winked at Dee Dee, started rubbing my eye, and pointed at Nana.

  “Trixie, have you got something in your eye? It looks like you can’t keep it open,” Dee Dee said.

  “Yes, I think I do. Why don’t you come in the bathroom and help me get it out?” We squeezed in the bathroom and I shut the door.

  “Let me see,” Dee Dee said. She was an inch from my face, pulling down my lower lid. “Hold still, if you want my help.”

  “I don’t have anything in my eye except my eyeball. I was trying to get your attention,” I hissed. “I need you to keep Nana busy this morning while I go over to the courthouse and look up some information. I have a hunch, but I don’t want to say anything until I find out for sure.”

  Thirty minutes later, Dee Dee pushed Nana out the door to set out on their mission of taking more photographs.

  I grabbed the phone and called Sueleigh to meet me at the courthouse. I dressed, threw on my sweater, grabbed my bag and hurried out the door.

  The Gold Rush Days over, Dahlonega now resembled a ghost town. Hardly anyone wandered around the square. I took my car to the courthouse; it was just too far to walk with my aching knee.

  I was in the deed room when Sueleigh finally arrived in a whirlwind of turned heads. A lone clerk stood behind the counter. Tables and chairs occupied the front of the room. Several people sat around the tables.

  “Hi. I’m Trixie Montgomery and this is Sueleigh—”

  “I know who she is. How can I help you?” The clerk’s nostrils flared with distaste. In small towns, gossip spreads like weeds in a garden, and Dahlonega apparently was no different.

  We acquired the material we needed and started the task of finding dirt on the real killer. Within an hour we hit pay dirt!

  I made copies of the information and stuffed a stack of pages in my bag. Excitement welled within me and my heart raced at a fair clip. I couldn’t wait to share my news back at the inn. Sueleigh and I were halfway down the courthouse steps when my phone rang.

  “Trix, you’ve got to come as quick as possible. Something’s wrong with Nana.” Dee Dee sounded upset.

  “What’s wrong? Do I need to call 911?”

  Sueleigh sidled up closer to hear the conversation.

  “No! I mean, I don’t think so. She, ah just got short-winded walking back to the room and wants you to come as soon as you can. She looks a little pale.”

  “I’m leaving now. I should be there in a few minutes.” I punched the cell phone off and frowned.

  I was worried about Nana, but something still didn’t add up. Nana was fine this morning, and most of the time she had more energy than me and Dee Dee combined.

  “Who’s sick?” Sueleigh asked.

  I filled her in.

  “I have a friend who’s an EMT. I can call him. It’s the least I can do for you.”

  “I think we’ll be okay,” I said, although I wasn’t sure. Something wasn’t right. “Thank you though.”

  Her frown indicated she didn’t believe me. I didn’t believe me either, but I wasn’t sure why. I thanked her for her help, and hurried back to the inn.

  As I fumbled with the key, I listened for voices, but heard nothing. “Dee Dee? Nana?” I pushed the door open. A hand grabbed my arm and pulled me inside. The door shut behind me with a solid thud.

  “Well, lookie who’s here. Little Ms. Butt-in-sky.”

  I turned around to see who Leroy was talking about. Then it dawned on me. I was Little Ms. Butt-in-sky.

  I heard Dee Dee’s whimpering before I saw her. “I’m so sorry, Trix. He made me do it. He had a gun and said he’d shoot Nana if I didn’t call you.”

  “And I take everything back I said about him being a nice, young man,” Nana said, glaring daggers at Leroy. If they had been real, Leroy would have be a dead man. Nana and Dee Dee were sitting on one of the beds, their hands and feet bound by duct tape. Bad enough my best friend was trussed up like this, but an elderly woman?

  “Nana, are you okay?”

  “Of course I’m okay, but if I get my hands on that scallywag, he’ll wish he’d never been born. I—”

  Leroy pointed the gun at Nana. “Shut up, old woman. You’re annoying me. I think you’ll be the first to go.”

  My anger grew, lessening the affect of my fear. “Leroy, are you sure you want to do this?”

  Duh, I guess he did, or he wouldn’t be here, Trixie.

  “You’re dang right. It’s your entire fault I had to take it this far.”

  “And why would that be?”

  Dee Dee rolled her eyes. I knew what she was thinking: Why can’t Trixie ever keep her mouth shut? She could be right. My mouth had gotten me in trouble more times than I wanted to remember.

  “Sit!” He didn’t have to tell me more than once. I went over and sat by Nana. I gave her arm a reassuring squeeze.

  “Keep your hands to yourself,” Leroy growled.

  Nana stuck her tongue out at him.

  “Why don’t you just let us go?” I suggested. “It’ll be a lot easier on you if you let us go now.”

  “No way. You know too much, and I ain’t goin’ to jail for murder.”

  “You?” Dee Dee asked. “You killed John Tatum?” The cat was out of the bag now. We were in deep. The best thing I could hope for was a confession from Leroy. If we got out of this alive, I imagined it would come in handy. If not, then maybe someone would find it. I snuck my hand into my sweater pocket.

  “Did you, Leroy?” I spoke a little too loudly, but I didn’t want him to hear me switch on the mini tape recorder.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  I don’t guess it’ll hurt to tell you. You won’t have a chance to pass it on.” His sinister laugh sent a chill up my spine. “Yes, I killed him. I would’ve gotten away with it, too, if you hadn’t stuck your big, fat nose where it didn’t belong.”

  “Your friend was the perfect scapegoat.” He emitted a spine-chilling laugh as he directed an evil glare in Dee Dee’s direction. “She was dumb enough to pull out the pickaxe and get her fingerprints all over the murder weapon.”

  “Takes a dummy to know one,” Nana pointed out.

  I heard a deep intake of breath from Dee Dee. I didn’t know if it was indignation from being called stupid or because of Nana’s brassiness.

  Leroy continued blabbing, ignoring Nana’s comment. “The sheriff obliged me by making her the main suspect.”

  “Then you,” he turned towards me as he continued. “You had to ask questions around town, playing Little Miss Private Investigator.”

  I sat a bit taller, though my heart was still pounded.

  Leroy was on a roll. “I followed you to find out what you were up to. It paid off yesterday when I saw Sueleigh go into your room. I figured something was going on. When she came out I offered her a shoulder to cry on and us being the good friends we are, she spilled her guts. You couldn’t leave well enough alone, could you?”

  “Well…”

  “Shut up.” He shoved me and I fell back, striking my head hard enough against the wall to see stars.

  “Hey, who do you think you’re telling to shut up?” Nana put in her two cents worth.

  “I’m telling you to shut up old lady.”

  Nobody tells Nana to shut up and gets away with it. Well, he definitely wouldn’t have gotten away with it if he wasn’t pointing a gun at her.

  “Uh, just a minute, Leroy. What made you think we found out you
killed Tatum?” I dared to ask, hoping he’d continue.

  “I wasn’t sure until this mornin’. My buddy over at the courthouse called and told me what you were up to. I’d come too far for you to mess up my plan. If you’d left things alone, your friend could’ve been free. Stupid females.”

  “What do you think I learned at the courthouse?” I hoped he didn’t know everything. What I had found out could put all of us in danger, but if I were going to get a full confession and motive on tape, I needed to keep him talking.

  “Why don’t you tell me, Ms. Know-It-All?”

  I figured I might as well. We had nothing to lose—except our lives. Before I could start, a knock at the door interrupted me. Thank God, somebody was going to save us. A rush of relief flowed through me.

  “Leroy?”

  Joyce! Thank heaven.

  “Come on in.” He ordered.

  Joyce entered and looked around to take in the situation, but I could tell by the look on her face that she offered no salvation.

  “Ms. Montgomery was just going to tell us what she found out at the courthouse this morning,” Leroy sneered.

  “Joyce! Why?” I blinked back tears, realizing now that she was just as deep in this as her nephew. “I hoped you weren’t involved. Surely there’s nothing worth taking someone’s life for.” The look she gave me should have turned me to stone.

  “What do you know? Who are you to tell me what a life is worth? You think you know the whole story. You don’t.”

  “I know your maiden name is Haygood, isn’t it?” I was gambling with our lives by antagonizing her, but it was important to get her to admit her part. Out loud.

  “Isn’t that the man Sueleigh was telling us about?” Dee Dee asked. “How’d you figure that out?”

  “I remembered seeing a certificate on the wall of Joyce’s office when Leroy took me in to get change. The full name was Joyce Haygood Johnston.” I studied Joyce’s face.

  “You’re right Trixie, Haygood is my maiden name. The gold Joshua Tatum found on my grandparent’s land should have been ours. After Grandpa died, Tatum coerced Grandmother into selling him the land and moving into town.”