“Anything can happen when money’s involved. Remember that next time, okay?”
“I will.”
He asked me to reiterate what happened, so I went over it again. Billy Ray Brownlee had fixed Junior right up with a Band-Aid and sweet tea, but Dylan kept him on Myrtle’s couch for questioning. I stuck around to listen.
“If you were here to do lawn work, why’d you come inside?” Dylan asked.
He walked into the kitchen and pointed to the empty thermos on the counter. “It’s hot out. I wanted to refill my water jug.”
“About how long were you inside?”
“Two, maybe three minutes before I was attacked.”
“Did you know anyone was in the house?”
“Not at first, but I heard some pounding noises upstairs. Figured it was Jesse, so I just ignored it. Got some ice, and the next thing I know, I’m on the ground, and Lily over there is calling you.”
“You didn’t see who hit you?”
“No, sir, but I’m guessing it was Jesse.”
“What makes you think that?”
Junior stared at him. “Known him all my life. Know what he’ll do, and how he’ll do it.”
“Did he say anything to you?”
“No, sir.”
“Did you hear him come into the room?”
“No, sir, but I had the water on, and I was washing my hands, so I wasn’t really paying attention. Like I said, I figured it was Jesse looking for the money is all, so I wasn’t really concerned.”
“But why not?” I asked.
Dylan raised his eyebrow at me.
“I saw Jesse tell Junior to stay off the property. He was pretty upset, too.” I made eye contact with Junior. “I guess I’m wondering why you didn’t take that seriously.”
Junior laughed. “Jesse don’t scare me. Besides, I made a promise to Mrs. Redbecker, and that trust is paying me to do a job, so I got to do it.”
“What happened between you and Jesse? You two used to be so close?”
Junior rubbed the back of his head. “A lot of nothing, really. He just wasn’t the same after his ma and pa died. Couldn’t get himself right and that got between us. Got between a lot of stuff in his life I guess, so we kind of parted ways.”
I peered out the kitchen window. Someone had dug holes throughout half the backyard. “Junior, is that your handy work out there?”
He shook his head. “Safe to say that’s Jesse looking for the money.”
“So, you know about the money, too?” Dylan asked.
“Most everyone knows about the money,” Junior said.
“What are you doing on the property now?” I asked.
“Just finishing up on the River Birch tree work I told Mrs. Redbecker I’d do for her.”
I scanned the backyard further.
“Tell me what you know about the money,” Dylan said.
“Don’t know much. Just that Old Boone Pickett stashed it somewhere on the property. Might even be in the house. Don’t know for sure.”
“But you believe there is money possibly buried somewhere on the property?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Or you believe there’s a chance it’s hidden inside the house somewhere?”
“Yes, sir. Way I was told, Boone Pickett didn’t say one way or another if it was inside or out, so Jesse’s probably wanting to tear everything apart looking for it.”
Dylan acknowledged him with a nod. “He ever ask you to help him find the money?”
“No, sir.”
“He ever come out and say he wanted to try and find it himself?”
“No, sir. We never talked much about it, really.”
“Why do you think he’s looking for it now?”
“Guessing the bank’s looking to foreclose on that garage of his if he don’t catch up on the payments.”
“You think he’s behind on a business loan?” I asked.
“That’s what I hear. Something about taking out a loan against the garage for a business deal gone bad. Don’t know the details, but it sounds like something Jesse would do.”
Dylan used his cell phone to take photos of the kitchen. “I think that’s it for now, Junior. I’ll let you know if I’ve got any more questions, but I think it’s best you stay clear of the property until the investigation is over.”
Junior shrugged. “If that’s what I got to do, then I guess it’s all right.”
“It’s what you’ve got to do,” Dylan said.
“It’s probably best,” I said.
“You planning on arresting Jesse?” Junior asked.
“For what?”
“For attacking me.”
“But you said you didn’t see him come at you, so you can’t be sure it was him.”
Junior shook his head. “No, sir, but don’t know who else would do it.”
Dylan tilted his head at me. “Did you get a good look at the perpetrator?”
I shook my head. “Not really. All I saw was a big blur of black sweats running away.”
“Can you guess height and weight maybe?”
I closed my eyes and tried to focus on the image but nothing came up. “I can’t. I’m sorry. It’s all just a big blur.” How did people remember that kind of stuff in the heat of the moment?
“You can press charges Junior, but it’ll be your word against his, and I’m not sure a judge won’t drop them once he goes up for bail.”
Junior dropped his chin to his chest and exhaled. “Aw man, it ain’t worth it.” He’d been sitting at the kitchen table and stood. “I just want to get home and have myself a beer.”
We maneuvered our way to the front door and walked Junior outside. He asked if he could gather his stuff, and Dylan helped him load his pickup with his push mower, a few shovels and a couple of rakes. He climbed in the car and before he drove off, Dylan grabbed a shovel leaning against the window just inside Myrtle’s front door. “You forgot one,” he yelled to Junior.
Junior flipped around in his seat. “Oh, that ain’t mine.”
It was the same shovel propped up against the window on the day I discovered Myrtle dead.
Chapter 4
Belle and I sat at a table outside of Millie’s enjoying our sweet tea and talking girl talk. “You are just destined to be in the middle of this thing, aren’t you?”
“Apparently so, though not because I choose to be.”
She twisted her phone toward me. “I think I’m getting this. Hit play.”
I angled the phone so the sun wouldn’t blind the screen from my view and hit the play button. A sweet little beige puppy yelped into the camera. “Oh, my goodness, it’s adorable.” The puppy bounced and barked—or at least attempted to bark but it sounded more like a cough—its floppy ears flapping as it spoke, until the video ended. “Are you really getting it?”
“For you. I’m getting it for you.”
I handed her back her cell. “You are not.”
“I’m not kidding. You’re going to need something to keep you company throughout your old maid years.”
“I’m twenty-six. I’m nowhere near the old maid years.”
“They start at twenty-eight.” She sipped her tea. “The dog is two months. He’s a Boxer mix. I checked, and they live about twelve years, so he’ll be around to get you through the worst part, but you’ll have to find another dog for the rest of it. Or, maybe you can get a cat then. Whatever works.”
“You’re funny.”
She stared at me with absolutely no expression on her face whatsoever.
“Stop that.”
“Where’s your phone?”
“Why?”
She held out her hand and wiggled her fingers at me, palm up. “Where’s your phone? Give it to me.”
“No.”
“Come on.” She wiggled her fingers again. “Give it to me.”
“No,” I said with more intensity.
“Fine. If you don’t want to call Dylan and dump this garbage between the two of you, the
n I’m getting you the dog. I don’t want my best friend being alone the rest of her life. I am far too pretty and smart to have an old maid for a best friend. That will ruin my rep.”
I laughed. “Ah, now the truth comes out. This is all about you.”
She giggled. “No, it’s about you. And the puppy. I love that puppy.” She hit play on the video again. “I mean seriously, look at that face. How adorable is that?”
“He really is adorable. Why don’t you get him?”
“My landlord doesn’t allow pets.”
“I know an excellent realtor.”
“Well, howdy you two. I was fixin’ to call you today, Miss Lily.” Odell Luna walked up behind Belle. I was grateful for his interrupting the puppy conversation. The last thing I needed was the responsibility of a puppy.
“Hello to you too, Mr. Luna,” Belle said.
“Hi, Odell. What were you planning to call me about?”
“I’ve decided I’m going to go ahead and put my property up for sale. Figured I’d entertain those big builders who keep calling me about them condos. Thought I’d talk with you about signing a contract. I don’t know much about that stuff but I trust you do.”
Just then my cell phone rang. I checked the caller ID and showed it to Belle. “It’s the Historical Society.” I smiled at Odell. “Odell, I need to take this. Can you give me just one minute? Belle can give you a few quick details on how we can get started with the sales process.”
“I sure can,” Belle said.
I stepped away to answer my phone as Sonny Waddell marched up, his chest thrust out and arms swinging. His flared nostrils pushed air out so loudly I heard it above the ring of my phone. He headed straight for Odell Luna. I motioned for Belle to run for cover, but her eyes locked onto Sonny’s approach and wouldn’t detach.
The man was about to blow and I knew it would be ugly.
“What kind of crazy are you doing, Odell?” Sonny’s voice boomed right into Odell’s face.
I stepped back a bit and covered my phone’s mic to drown out Sonny’s yelling. “This is Lily Sprayberry.”
“Ms. Sprayberry, this is Clara Smith from the Georgia Historical Society. I’m calling to let you know I should have something to you on that property by tomorrow morning. I’m sorry for the delay, but I’ve had to do a more detailed search than I expected.”
I’d only half heard her, mesmerized by the verbal altercation happening between the two old men. “Oh, I…that’s okay. I understand.”
“Thank you. I’ll either be calling you tomorrow, or I’ll send you something via email.”
“Okay, I appreciate it. Thank you so much for letting me know.” We disconnected, and I stepped through the gathering crowd to separate the two men, bumping into Grace Jeffers in the process.
“Sonny, Odell.” I wormed my way in between the two. “Enough. You’re both acting like kindergarteners. Goodness, this is not proper behavior now, is it?”
Sonny’s face remained blood red, and a vein running up the middle of his forehead throbbed. “He’s trying to force me to sell my property by ganging up with you and that dead woman’s trust, that’s what he’s doing. Thinks he can get more for his land if I sell mine along with y’all, but I ain’t doing it.” He poked his finger toward my chest. “And I’m getting what’s rightfully mine no matter who ends up buying that old bat’s property.”
I flinched. “Sonny, nobody is trying to make you do anything—”
He interrupted me. His voice louder, his eyes, cold and hard, glaring at me. “Don’t think I don’t know what’s going on here. This ain’t no Hatfield and McCoy feud. The Waddell’s ain’t never going to make up with the Pickett’s, I can dang gum guarantee that.”
Selling the land to the builder might end the reason for the feud, but the bitterness attached to it wouldn’t stop until the remaining Pickett’s and Waddell’s died, and since Jesse wasn’t married, and Sonny’s children had moved away years ago, that could happen sooner than Sonny realized.
Jesse Pickett had horrible timing—or perfect timing, depending on who you asked—bursting into the mix and shoving poor old Odell Luna aside at that very moment. “There ain’t no feud to be making up about, old man. That property don’t belong to your family and it never did.”
“Oh, this is getting good,” Belle said. She’d finally pushed herself up from the chair and moved over near the crowd.
I shook my head. “Belle.”
She bit her lip. “Sorry.”
Sonny’s height didn’t match the younger man’s, but he outweighed him by at least an average sized Pit Bull. He balled his hands into fists and held them up near his chest. “Come on boy, how ‘bout we settle this now?”
“Oh, dear Lord,” I stepped in between the two. “Come on already, Sonny. Stop it. You’re too old to be acting like this.” I grabbed his bicep—which was pretty solid for a man his age—and did my best to direct him to the seat I’d been in earlier, but he wouldn’t budge.
“Leave me alone,” he yelled. He pulled his arm loose. “And don’t you go and touch me. You’re part of the reason this is happening. You young people think you can change things around here. Think you can make it all big and fancy like the city, but ain’t nobody all that interested in that. Some of us like it the way it is. You want to sell them big city condominiums, then you go and move to Atlanta and sell them there and leave us alone.” He shook his finger at me. “Make sure that property don’t sell or else.”
“That property belongs to me, and I’m not selling it, no matter what Lily here says,” Jesse said.
“You know darn good and well part of that property belongs to the Waddell family, and if I have to put you in a grave next to your aunt to get it, then that’s what I’ll do.”
The crowd responded with shocked oh’s and ah’s.
“And here we go,” Belle said.
“Belle, please.”
She held her hands up, palms facing me. “Sorry.”
“Gentlemen, this is not the time or place for this discussion.” I angled myself toward the growing crowd, my eyes making contact with Junior Goodson immediately. He offered me a slight nod.
Jesse laughed. “Well look at little Lilybit. Her boyfriend’s the sheriff now, so she thinks she’s got some authority here in town.” His lips formed a thin, straight line and his eyebrows furrowed together, the number eleven forming between them.
I stood straight, doing my best to keep my voice steady as I spoke. “He’s not my boyfriend.”
He leaned his head toward me and laughed, a slow, soft laugh. “Right. You think you can tell us what to do now that your big boyfriend is back in town.” He stepped into my personal space, forcing me to back up into one of Millie’s tables. “Thing is Lilybit, I don’t care who your boyfriend is. You don’t got no authority over me.”
“But I do.”
The sound of Dylan’s voice gave me the touch of confidence I needed. I smiled just as Jesse’s cocky snarl warped into a worried frown. His shoulders sunk as he slowly pivoted toward Dylan.
“We’re just having a discussion here, Sheriff.”
Dylan squeezed my hand. “You okay?”
I nodded.
“Looks like this conversation is over,” Dylan said.
Jesse pointed at Sonny. “You going to arrest him?”
“For what?”
“He threatened me.”
Dylan sought my eyes for confirmation.
“Things got a little heated between the men. They might need some time to cool off.”
Millie barged through her café door. “I called you to come get them all and throw them in the slammer for disturbing the peace.” She wrapped an arm around me. “Except for sweet Lilybit here. She was just trying to keep them from killing each other.”
Dylan glanced at Belle. “You agree with Millie?”
“About the men or Lily?” She laughed.
As did Dylan.
“I don’t remember what was said exactly, but the
re’s a lot of animosity between the three of them.”
Dylan placed his hands on his side, dipped his head, shook it and sighed. When he raised it, his frustration was obvious. “All this training to handle a good old boy bar fight in the middle of town.”
“Pretty much,” Belle said.
“And a murder,” I added.
“Come on boys,” Dylan said, pointing to Odell, Sonny and Jesse. “You’re coming with me.”
* * *
After the crowd dispersed, Millie gave me and Belle free scones and fresh sweet teas. She chatted with us for a bit, trying, I assumed, to get some dirt on the debacle, but we stayed tight-lipped, offering just the occasional adjective and exclamation when necessary. Being in the center of the drama was bad enough but being a business in the center of the drama could destroy our business, and neither of us wanted that to happen.
Millie finally gave up, and Belle and I had an opportunity to speak freely.
She let her arms fall to her sides and sank down in her seat. “Wow. Small town life sure isn’t what it used to be, is it?”
“Not a bit.”
“I honestly thought there was going to be a beat down between Jesse and Sonny, and my money would have been on the old man.”
I shifted in my seat. “I was thinking.”
“About?”
“About the note at my house. I don’t think Jesse left it.”
“Okay. Who do you think did then?”
“Sonny Waddell.”
“Because of today?”
I nodded. “Yes, but it’s more than that. It’s something he said.”
She stared at me. “Well, what did he say.”
“Oh, he said, make sure that property don’t sell or else.”
“Okay, well, he doesn’t want the property to sell because he thinks part of it belongs to him. We both know that.”
“That’s not it.”
“Then what is it?”
“That’s exactly what the note at my house said.”
Deal Gone Dead Page 7
