Decluttered and Dead

by Carolyn Ridder Aspenson

  I gripped the steering wheel, but my hands, sweaty with fear, struggled to stay in place. She was right. Not one hundred percent right, but pretty darn close. “Caroline, you could have come to me, and to Belle, too. Just because we don’t talk everyday doesn’t mean we aren’t your friends.” Besides, I wanted to add, but I didn’t, that it took two people to be friends, and Caroline hadn’t made a whole lot of effort either.

  She smirked, but her eyes stayed cold and flat. I’d never seen her so angry. “I doubt that. You’re too busy being little Miss Realtor and following that ex-boyfriend of yours around like a lost puppy. You don’t have time for anything else. Speaking of puppies, I feel sorry for that one you got. He deserves a family that will give him some attention.”

  I swallowed back the venom pooling inside my mouth. I could take some slamming, but she’d gone too far. “It takes two to maintain a relationship, and I don’t recall you putting a whole lot of effort into it either.”

  “I guess I didn’t see the point since you’d made your feelings clear years ago.” She tugged on her purse strap and wrapped it around her fist.

  “Well, I’m here now. So, why don’t you tell me what’s going on? What’s this plan you’re talking about?”

  “It doesn’t matter. What’s done is done. Heather’s dead, and I don’t have to act like I care anymore. Now maybe William can focus on me again instead of sneaking around with her.” She opened her mouth, pushed her tongue forward between her teeth and then pulled it back and breathed out. “Like that was even sneaking around anyway. Practically the whole town saw them together. Even you did. Don’t think I didn’t catch what you were trying to do at the sheriff’s office before. I’m not stupid.”

  “I never said you were.”

  “So, why didn’t you come to me then? Why didn’t you tell me you saw them together? If you were my friend like you say you are, you should have done that.”

  “I didn’t want to say anything unless I knew for sure. I’ve been trying to find out what’s going on. I even confronted Heather, and she basically threatened me and said to mind my own business. That’s why Belle got salty with William. You know how she gets.”

  Caroline’s face softened. “So, you told Belle?”

  I pulled into the private drive for her home on the farm and shut off my car. “She saw them together, too. We both had the same thought as you, and we wanted to know the truth.” I didn’t tell her our reason, though.

  “Did you confront William? Did he tell you anything?”

  “No, we didn’t. We haven’t had the opportunity.”

  She leaned back in the seat. Her body, tense and tight, loosened. “I don’t know what to believe.”

  I leaned toward her, took her hand in mine. “Honey, I will tell you this. When he brought you into class today, you were a hot mess.”

  She raised her eyes to me and sighed. “I know. I’m sorry.”

  I shook my head. “No, that’s okay. That’s not what I’m trying to say. My point is, William was genuinely worried about you. It was obvious. The concern in his eyes. You know how his eyes get all crinkly when he gets stressed? You used to talk about that in college. Said it happened during finals all the time, right?”

  She nodded.

  “He had that. He didn’t want to leave you, but I could tell he didn’t have a choice. I know he loves you. I don’t think he was cheating on you with Heather, honey.”

  “You don’t?” She bit her lip.

  “A cheater doesn’t worry about the person he’s cheating on, not like that. That man loves you like crazy.”

  She clutched her chest. “Oh heavens, what is wrong with me? He does love me, doesn’t he? And you’re right. I have been a hot mess. I don’t know what’s going on. My emotions have been all over the place lately.” She flung her arms around me and cried. “And look at what I’ve done to you. I’m a horrible friend.”

  I cried, too. “It takes two to maintain a friendship, remember? I haven’t been that great of a friend, but I promise I will be better.”

  We talked for a few more minutes, and as she walked to her front porch, I sat in my car, more confused than I was before. Caroline’s emotions went from one extreme to the other in a matter of minutes. Was that the sign of a killer or just a lost and confused wife?

  I needed a minute to collect my thoughts, or more to disengage from them and relax. Instead of driving back to town, I drove into the parking lot of Abernathy Farms.

  Fall season was just weeks away, and the corn for the maze was already fully grown and waiting for the design to be plowed in. The main sign said the design plan would be revealed on October first and had a burnt orange and hunter green count down sign next to it. The sign brought me back to my childhood and the excitement I felt knowing I’d be traversing through that maze soon and wondering what the design would be.

  I’d grown up finding my way through the various mazes at Abernathy farm every season, from the Georgia Falcons logo to the Atlanta Braves logo and their World Series win, to my favorite, the Atlanta Aquarium. The memories flooded my mind, and I let the tears flow with the sadness of knowing Savannah and Heather, no matter what their sins, would never experience those wonderful memories again.

  A harsh, loud knock vibrating on my window brought me back to reality. “Hey. You okay?”

  I jerked to attention. “Oh, William.” I’d left my car running, so I rolled down the window. “Yes, I’m fine. Just reliving old memories.”

  He kind of shook and nodded his head at the same time. “Must be tough for you right now.”

  “Very.”

  “It’s been hard on Caroline, too. That’s why my mom gave her those pills. Help calm her nerves and all.”

  “Are they still Xanax?” I asked. When I realized that question might have come off leading, I covered my tracks. “I’m wondering if maybe I should talk to my doctor about anti-anxiety meds or something? This whole situation has really been hard on me.”

  “I’m not sure. I think she gave her something different this time. My mom has a pharmacy of stuff in her bathroom. It’s sad. She had trouble sleeping, and she said she’s got a few prescriptions for sleeping pills, but I’m not sure which one she gave Caroline.

  He rubbed his chin. “I hope it’s not what’s causing her to act the way she’s been. Let me ask my mom what it was. Now I’m curious.”

  I nodded. “What do you mean, about the way she’s been acting?”

  He tapped into his cell phone, and as he did, he talked. I was impressed. I certainly couldn’t do both.

  “I think so, but I’m not sure. I told her she should go to the doctor, but you can imagine how well that went. She’s just so moody lately, and I can’t do anything right.”

  I waited, hoping for the right moment to ask him about Heather and Savannah.

  “Hey, listen, I owe you an apology for how I behaved the other day,” he said.

  I raised an eyebrow.

  “You know, when you saw me with Heather.” His phone buzzed and he checked it. “Oh, it’s Ambien.”

  I thanked him and then said, “You were a real jerk, so I’ll have to think about accepting your apology.”

  “Okay. I deserve that.”

  I didn’t break eye contact, but didn’t speak, either.

  “It wasn’t what you think, Lily. I promise.”

  “What do you think I think, William?”

  He held his palms up. “Come on. We both know what you think.”

  “Well, Heather certainly didn’t deny it, so are you going to?”

  “What? Are you serious?”

  “She didn’t admit to it either, but she didn’t really have to. The way she threatened me made it pretty obvious something was going on between the two of you.”

  He blinked. “What? Heather threatened you? I swear Lily, that wasn’t because of me. There was nothing going on between us, I promise.”

  “I’m not the only one that’s seen you together, William. Belle has, and acco
rding to Caroline, other people have, too.”

  “Did…did…when did she say that?”

  “Just a little bit ago.”

  He twisted around and glanced at his house, and then turned back to me. “It’s not what it looks like.” He swiped his hand over the top of his head. “This is bad. Real bad.”

  “She also thinks you were with Savannah in college, and I have to admit, I think you might have been, too. I have it from a good source you were.”

  He spread his legs apart and crammed his hands in his pockets. “Let me guess, Austin Emmerson is your source. Am I right?”

  I didn’t deny it.

  “He’s telling you what he thinks happened, not the truth. Yes, Savannah wanted to get with me, but no, it never happened. She had some crazy idea that she loved me, thought she could convince me to dump Caroline for her and that we’d get married and move to Atlanta together. I told her it wasn’t going to happen. I never planned to leave the farm, and I never wanted anyone but Caroline.”

  When I didn’t say anything, he added, “Austin couldn’t stand me. You know that. And the reason was because he knew he was second choice to me, so instead of making it about him, he had to make me the bad guy.”

  Austin had a big ego, and I could see him feeling that way. I’d also watched William with Caroline during college, and even during high school. He’d been enamored with her then, and just that morning, the love still showed in his eyes.

  Either William was telling the truth, or he was an incredible liar. “I don’t even care so much about what happened with Savannah, but if you weren’t cheating on Caroline with Heather, why have you been spending so much time with her?”

  “Our anniversary is coming up. I asked Heather to paint a portrait of me and Caroline for a present. It was supposed to be a surprise. I gave her my wedding album, and we went to the different places in town that had meaning for us. That’s why everyone’s seen us together.”

  I nodded. “First Baptist Church.”

  “Where we got married. And the bridge is where I proposed to her, remember?”

  I did remember.

  “And you caught us coming back from the old barn last time. That’s where…” He smiled. “well, I won’t tell you what happened there.”

  I laughed. “I think I probably heard that story.”

  “I was paying Heather a lot of money for that painting, too. Enough to buy herself one of those condos on the Redbecker property.”

  “Caroline mentioned that.”

  “I need to talk to her. This has got to be why she’s been acting so crazy.” He leaned on my car window frame. “Thanks for telling me. I appreciate it.”

  “William, I don’t know if you’re telling me the truth or not, but someone told me something recently, and I’d like to share it with you.”

  “Okay.”

  “Secrets are never really secret. Especially in a small town.”

  As he rushed through the parking lot toward the field to his house, I sat back in my seat, even more confused than before. Both of my possible suspects gave me reasons to remove them from my list, while at the same time hinted to reasons their spouse should stay on it, front and center.

  Chapter 12

  I decided to wait until I got back to the office to call Dylan. I knew he’d pitch a fit about my conversations with both Caroline and William, but they weren’t my fault, and I needed to get my thoughts in order to prepare for our discussion. I did send him a text to let him know I was okay and that I’d call him in a bit.

  When I got to the office, the front door and what windows could be opened were, and Belle had a scarf wrapped around her mouth and nose. The foul odor assaulted my nasal passages before I even made it inside.

  I covered my mouth with my shirt. “What is that God awful stink?”

  Belle tossed me a scarf from her desk. “The Bramblett County sewage system, and it stinks to high heaven.”

  “Yes, it does. What’s going on?” I wrapped the scarf around my face, but that didn’t stop me from gagging. “Goodness, this is horrible. It smells like—”

  “Like the gates of Hades opened up and every demon used our office as their toilet?”

  “I wasn’t going to be that descriptive but sure.”

  “Trust me, I’m a lady. If I wasn’t, my adjectives would have been a lot more colorful.”

  “Have you called anyone?”

  “No, I didn’t think it was bad enough. Yes, I’ve called the plumber, but I think he got here, took a whiff, and took off running.” She wrapped her laptop cord into a ball and placed it into her bag.

  Ellie Jean walked in. “Oh, Lord. That stench could drive a maggot off a gut wagon.” She held her nose. “Smells like you ladies got yourselves a burst sewage pipe. Have you checked your toilet?”

  I glanced at Belle.

  Her eyes shifted between the bathroom and me. “You’re crazy if you think I’m going in there.”

  “Seriously?” I marched toward the back of the office, the rancid funk growing stronger the closer I got to the bathroom. When I opened the door, I gagged, shut the door, and ran back to the front of the office. “Oh, dear God. We definitely need that plumber, fast.”

  Dylan and Matthew walked in just then. Dylan, waving his hand near his nose, and Matthew pinching his shut with his thumb and forefinger.

  “Whoever did that needs to see a doctor,” Matthew said.

  Belle laughed. Ellie Jean rolled her eyes, and Dylan and I tried hard to not laugh.

  “Ladies, you cannot work here,” Ellie Jean said. “Get your things. You’re coming back to the library. You can work in the conference room.”

  Belle grabbed her bag, tossed the strap over her shoulder and headed toward the door. “Thanks, Ellie Jean. You’re the best.”

  Dylan smiled at me. “You’re going too, I assume?”

  I nodded. “Definitely. Just need to grab a few things.” I pulled some files from my cabinet, grabbed a few notebooks, and stuffed it all into my bag. “Thank you, Ellie Jean, your timing is perfect.”

  “Oh, sweetie, I was just taking a break and thought I’d stop by to set that appointment to discuss putting my house on the market, but I can’t let you work under these conditions.”

  Dylan tipped his hat to her. “That’s awful kind of you, Ms. Pruitt.”

  “Oh, now Sheriff, you don’t have to be so formal. You can call me Ellie Jean like these two.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  I laughed. “I’ll be there in a bit. Can we talk when I get there? I don’t want you standing around here any longer than you have to, but I’d like to wait for the plumber.”

  “That’s fine, sweetie. I’m going to grab me some sweet tea at Millie’s and head on back. You get there when you can, and I’ll have the conference room all ready for you.”

  “Thank you.”

  Belle and Matthew headed out, to where I wasn’t sure, but I told her I’d wait for the plumber since she’d already suffered through the stink long enough.

  Dylan used Belle’s scarf to cover his face. I mentioned how it was quite fashionable on him. The pinks blended well with the browns in his uniform.

  “Thank you. Our security guys are delayed. They’ll be here in a few hours. Sorry about that.”

  “No, it’s okay. I wouldn’t want them working here with this smell anyway. It might kill them.”

  “I should send them a text and tell them to bring their Hazmat suits just in case.”

  “You’re funny.”

  “So, how’d it go with Caroline?”

  I detailed our conversation, and he wasn’t upset like I thought he’d be. In fact, he was proud of how I’d handled it. “I’m glad you two worked things out, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still be cautious.”

  “I was honestly taken aback by the things she said at first. She’s so bitter and so angry, and then the next minute she’s crying and apologizing.”

  “Angry enough to murder two people?”

&n
bsp; “I honestly don’t know.” My eyes watered but not because of the subject of our conversation, because of the smell. “One minute I think it’s possible, but then I think no, it can’t be. I mean, she’s been taking Ambien so clearly she’s not sleeping, and God only knows what that’s doing to her.”

  “How do you know it’s Ambien she’s taking?”

  “I saw William, too. He told me. I guess his mom has a huge prescription collection, and they’ve been giving Caroline stuff because she’s been struggling lately. First it was Xanax, but she hasn’t been sleeping, so they gave her Ambien.”

  “So, it’s not Caroline’s prescription?”

  “Nope. Why?”

  “Because the preliminary reports say Ambien was the drug found in Heather’s stomach.”

  “Oh, no.” I leaned back onto my desk. “But wait. If Caroline’s taking her mother-in-law’s prescription, then wouldn’t that mean that she’s getting it from—”

  “William.”

  “Oh, thank God.”

  He raised his eyebrow. “Um?”

  “That means Caroline didn’t kill my friends.” Then it hit me. “Or that she did.”

  “There you go.”

  “I’m so confused.”

  “I know it’s confusing.”

  “It is, but there’s more to it than that.”

  He pressed his lips together. “Care to share?”

  I filled him in on my entire conversation with William and specifically, what I said about secrets in a small town.

  “Lily, you can’t be going around trying to get people to talk like that. The more involved you are, the more you’re putting yourself at risk.”

  “These are my friends. I can’t not be involved.” I paused when a tall man in a gray uniform walked in carrying a tool box.

  “Oh, I smell a sewage issue goin’ on here. Where’s the pot? I’ll take me a look.”

  I pointed toward the back. “That way.”

  He dipped his head. “Thank you, ma’am.” As he passed me, he handed me his card. “Names Bobby Graves. Taking over for the local plumber. Can’t remember his name now, but uh, I’m here in his place. Why don’t you go on and get yourself a coffee or something? From the smell a things ‘round here, my guess is this is going to take a while.” He nodded to Dylan. “Sheriff.”