by Tonya Kappes
When this second time came around, I knew it had to be in his cards if he had another chance. Plus, if we had a future, I did want Jo Francis to like me somewhat. That’s when I’d encouraged Jack Henry to take the job, and we’d do the long-distance thing. It wasn’t too bad, though my selfish self really wanted him with me… all the time.
“I’m not too worried about my job. I’m worried about you.” He looked up at me with those deep brown eyes, making my heart melt down into my toes. “I’ve put the address in a database. It’ll give me some history.”
He glanced next to my computer while he waited for the three dots rolling across the monitor to pop up the results. He picked up the piece of paper from the bank. “What’s this?”
“Nothing. I’m a little late on this month’s payment, but it’ll be fine.” I gulped, knowing I just left it there like it was going to take care of itself. “I’ll take care of it today. With everything going on, I haven’t had time to take it there.”
I took it from him and put it in another pile, trying to cover up the real reason I’d not paid it. It was all going to be okay. I knew as soon as we got this Debbie Dually murder wrapped up, the clients who left, like the Clarks, would come back to Eternal Slumber for their final resting arrangements. The Clarks were on my list to go see since I was no longer a suspect. At least, I didn’t think I was.
The computer beeped, and the results popped up. A photo of a man and all of his statistics came up. The sound of jingles told me Debbie was on her way.
“That’s Kent Luebe.” Debbie appeared behind Jack Henry. “He’s a bad man.”
“Did he know you were taping him?” I asked her and decided not to even bring up earlier, when she ghosted away.
“No.” She put her nose in the smoke of the incense. “I don’t understand why I can’t remember everything, but I feel like you’re getting close.”
There was a knock at the office door. Debbie ghosted away.
“What’s going on here?” Sheriff Trevor O’Neil stood at the door. His eyes shifted between me and Jack Henry. “I saw your patrol car out there and thought I’d stop in to tell you personally how sorry I am they put you on leave.”
His eyes darted to the computer monitor. I quickly hit the off key to turn it off but not the computer.
“Yeah, well, you could’ve handled it a little differently.” Jack Henry wasn’t pleased and didn’t make it any more pleasant for Trevor. “If that’s all you wanted, then you can go.”
“Just so you know, Mervin Dually and Deborah Holt checked out. They had alibis with witnesses, and there wasn’t any trace of cyanide.” Trevor shook his head. “In fact, the two went right over to the courthouse after we let them go and applied for a marriage license. Said they were going to get hitched as soon as he had a death certificate for Debbie.”
“That was fast,” Debbie said as she swept back into the room. “He was never one to be alone.”
I gulped and tried not to look her way.
“That was fast.” I sighed and turned back around so Trevor would get the hint that I wasn’t going to give him the time of day
“Emma Lee.” Trevor cleared his throat. I turned back around to face him. “I know you or someone with you already went to the psychic convention so if you found out anything about the case, I suggest you tell me. I can’t nab you on the murder, yet.” He paused. “But if I find out you had some information, you can be arrested.”
“Thanks, Trevor.” Jack Henry stood up.
The two men stood solid as oak trees as they stared across the room at each other before Jack Henry went back to the chair and sat down with his back to Trevor.
Trevor let himself out.
“He’s a jerk,” I said to Jack Henry and flipped the monitor back on.
“It looks like our man Kent has been in a little trouble before, and I can stop by for a little visit to make sure he’s kept his nose clean.” Jack Henry was sly. “I can also throw it in there about Debbie.”
“Great. I’ll grab my bag.” I started to go over to the credenza to gather my things to go with him, but he grabbed my wrist.
“I think I need to do this alone.” Jack Henry’s grip told me he meant business.
“But I have to see for myself. If Debbie shows up, I can ask him questions and her questions to ask him.” This was how the Betweener gig worked.
“You heard Trevor.” Jack Henry’s voice was stern. “He said that if he finds out you’ve withheld any information, you’ll be arrested. It’s a matter of time before they get through all of Debbie’s client list and figure out this guy had a beef with her after they talk to Natalia.”
“Now what?” I asked with a little annoyance in my voice when there was a slight knock at the door. I figured it was Trevor. “Mr. Peabody, come in.”
Mr. Peabody was standing at the door with his briefcase in his hand.
“I’ve come with some good news.” There was a little giddyup in his step. “I took Zula Fae out for coffee, and we had a good time. Sort of a second date.”
Was that his good news? I didn’t dare burst his bubble and tell him that I already knew.
“I’m a bit worried about Doc Clyde.” Mr. Peabody sat down in a chair and made himself comfortable. I didn’t say a word about Doc Clyde stopping me on the street. “He’s been sending her flowers and chocolates.” Mr. Peabody’s brows furrowed. “How can I compete with all that?”
“Didn’t you two bake?” I asked about the advice I’d already given him.
“We did.” He nodded. “I learned how to make apple popovers.”
“Her recipe?” I asked when I thought he was going to teach her to make his recipes, and he confirmed. “You need to tell her that you’re making your recipes so she can see you have your own skills in the kitchen.”
Jack Henry continued to look around on the computer.
“I’ll do that.” He got up and headed to the door. “Oh, before I forget and the reason I stopped by.” He paused and dug down into his briefcase. “You’re no longer a suspect in the death of Debbie Dually, but they did tell me to let you know they are serious about charges if you are keeping anything from them about the investigation. I’ve got your statement here.”
“Thank you for stopping by. I really appreciate all you have done for me.” I walked over and took the papers he dug out. “I’ll be sure to put in a good word for Granny.”
He nodded a couple of times and went on his way.
“It’s official.” I read the papers as I walked back to Jack Henry.
“And this is why I’m insisting you don’t come with me.” His face was still and his eyes sharp. “I’m already on leave, and I can handle what they say to me or throw at me because I know ways around it.”
“But…” I started to protest and met with a look that told me he was not going to budge. “Fine.”
Chapter Sixteen
In no way, shape, or form was I happy about Jack Henry going to visit my lead in the case without me, but I also knew I had other people to see like Bea Allen Burns, go to the bank, and stop by the Clarks to see if they’d change their minds about changing their preneed arrangements from Burns.
I quickly updated my notes about Debbie’s murder and marked two of the three suspects off, Mervin Dually and Deborah Holt, leaving Kent Luebe as my last resort.
“Emma Lee,” Debbie said my name from the corner of the room. “You’ve got company.” She made her way to the door before anyone was there and fanned the smoke around the edges as though she was cleansing the person before they walked in, making me a little anxious.
Jo Francis Ross, Jack Henry’s mom, was suddenly standing at the office door.
She had on leopard flats, a white button-down tucked into a pair of skinny black pants, and a large silver beaded scarf tied around her neck. Her dark hair cascaded down her shoulders, long and straight with a full body that made me envious.
Jo Francis had on the latest trends. She was the cool mom when we were growing up
. Cool as in having the svelte mom body with the clothes to match. The creepy funeral home girl’s mom, my mom, was not a trendsetter in fashion nor career choice, and Jo Francis didn’t see my career as a great one either.
“Emma Lee, I’ve come to talk to you.” She entered without me agreeing to have the time, but I did take a little pleasure in the dog hair on her pants.
She had two labs, Bolt and Rocky, who she adored, so I knew if she loved animals, she wasn’t all that bad. Plus, she loved Jack Henry with every fiber of her being, which made her so protective, and I did appreciate how much she cared for him, though it was at my expense sometimes.
“It’ll only take a minute.” She stopped right in front of my desk and clasped her hands in front of her. Her purse dangled from her bent elbow. “I understand you’re once again in a little pickle.” She raised her perfect brows.
“Any charges against me were dropped.” I reached behind me next to the computer to get the paper Mr. Peabody had dropped off.
“No. I’m not talking about that.” She unsnapped the purse and took something out, unfolding it. “Though I did hear about that too.” She rolled her eyes, which told me she was holding back and Jack Henry had probably threatened her somehow. “I was at Higher Grounds and heard a little chatter from that awful Bea Allen Burns.”
I groaned.
“I have to accept the fact my son is and will always be in your favor even though you’ve seen a little trouble.” She had such a hard time complimenting me, but I’d take what I could get from her. “And that granny of yours.” She tugged her lips closed as if she needed to stop herself from flapping her mouth. She simply stuck the piece of paper in my face. “This should help.”
“Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars?” I blinked at the check she was holding in her hand. “What is this?”
“Bea Allen was telling that awful Beulah Paige something about Eternal Slumber being in financial trouble and soon Burns would be the only funeral home in Sleepy Hollow.” She jutted the check in front of me like she wanted me to take it. “I’m not sure what your future is with my son, but I know he’d want us to help you.”
The Rosses had money. Jack Henry grew up far different from me. He’d had a luxurious life, which horses and tobacco farming offered. Jo Francis had been an interior decorator for years and made good money from that.
“I can’t.” I resisted the urge to jump up and grab her into a big bear hug. This was the first time she seemed to have accepted me, albeit through money, but it was her way. “Does Jack Henry know?”
“He doesn’t know that I’m giving you money if that’s what you’re asking.” Her lashes flew up, and her eyes narrowed. “You haven’t told him about your financial issues, have you?”
She placed the check on the desk when she realized my little secret.
“No.” I looked at the check and couldn’t help but think how much that would help.
“Then,” she brushed her hands together. “This will be our little secret.”
“I can’t,” I protested, pushing the check back toward her and shaking my head. “I’m not sure if I’ll be able to pay you back. Like ever.”
“You’ll pay her back,” Debbie Dually said and appeared next to Jo Francis. “She is a secret keeper, and you can trust her. She’s a loyal mother, and loyalty is important to her.”
“You don’t ever have to pay me back in cash.” I wasn’t sure what she was trying to say, but there was some meaning in her words, and I didn’t know what that was… yet. She pushed it back toward me.
In cash? What did that mean? I didn’t ask.
“Are you sure?” I asked, somewhat confused and conflicted.
“Don’t push me. Take the money. Pay off the loan and treat my son well.” She turned, and like one of her horses, she trotted out of the office.
Chapter Seventeen
The check was hot in my hand, and I was nervous just holding it. I’d never seen so much money in my life. I wished I could say I was so excited about the money Jo Francis had given me to get out of my financial business problem, but I was so stinking mad at Bea Allen Burns telling everyone in town about my issues that I wanted to get the check in the bank and start collecting back the clients that she stole.
There was no time like the present. It was killing me waiting for Jack Henry to text me what was going on, and if I’d gotten the time correct, he’d probably just drove into the Lexington city limits. There was plenty of time to head to the bank and make a few house visits to the Clarks, the Fenwicks, and Pastor Brown.
I knew Pastor Brown would be at the Normal Baptist Church, and it was along Main Street, so I decided to take a walk down there to see him and enjoy what was left of the bright sunny morning, since there was a gray cloud off in the distance, making me think rain was coming.
The sound of a moped whizzed behind me and started to slow. Before I turned around, I knew it was Granny. She slowed down beside me as I walked on the sidewalk going to the church.
The edges of her red hair stuck out from the leather skullcap motorcycle helmet, and her eyes were magnified from behind the driving goggles.
“Where are you going?” she asked me.
“I need to go see Pastor Brown about coming back to Eternal Slumber,” I told her over the moped exhaust that sounded like it’d seen better days. “Mr. Peabody sure was good at getting me off those charges.”
“I think I’m gonna tell him to get lost.” Granny’s toes barely hit the ground when she brought the moped to a stop. She turned it off and guided it to the curb, where she apparently wanted to keep talking to me.
“He’s such a nice man,” I whined, and for a split second, I thought about telling her about how crazy Doc Clyde seemed when he stopped me and how sweet Mr. Peabody was when he came to see me, then stopped myself as I truly listened to what Granny wanted.
“Him and Clyde are driving me bonkers. I don’t know what these two think they’re gonna get from me. I just want to be taken to supper a time or two during the month, nothing more than that.” She shook a crooked finger at me. “They want someone to do their laundry, cleaning, and wait on them hand and foot, and Zula Fae Raines Payne ain’t doing that for no man.”
I loved how she referred to herself in third person.
“You can take a lesson from her.” Debbie Dually had joined us.
I laughed. If Debbie only knew exactly how Granny really was about my life.
“Uh-oh.” Granny snapped her finger in my face before she threw the palm of her hand on my forehead. “You got the trauma? I see that look in your eye.”
“No, Granny.” I inhaled deeply. “I’m fine. I was trying to wrap my head around you having men issues and what advice I could give you, but I’m at a loss for words.”
“She’s not going to have time for a man.” Debbie Dually swished the feather around Granny, surrounding Granny in smoke.
I tried not to chuckle. If Granny knew that Debbie was doing this ritual to her and reading her, Granny would’ve had a fit and marched right on down to Pastor Brown for a full-body baptism.
“She’s got a future ahead of her that will give her the power she needs to take care of so many people.” Had Debbie’s ghost lost her mind? Didn’t she realize Granny was elderly and just fine running the Inn? “Her time will be limited to those close to her, and it’s not fair to start a relationship that will need to be nurtured. They will only get hurt.”
“Maybe you don’t need anyone right now.” I had to ask Debbie what she meant, so telling Granny her instincts were right was the plan. “We need to spend more time together.”
“I’d love that, but I’ve got myself to take of right now. I’m headed to Girl’s Best Friend to get some touch-up.” She patted the skullcap when she talked about her hair color. “For some reason I’m feeling like I need to be ready for something. Something bigger.” It was like she knew what Debbie had said. “Honey, you could use a little something.” Her eyes drew up and down my body before she turned
the key of the moped on and twisted the throttle, taking off in a rush.
“What was that about?” John Howard Lloyd scared me to death when he walked out of the alley between Eternal Slumber and Pose and Relax Yoga Studio. “Zula looked to be in a hurry.”
“John Howard, you scared me to death.” I smiled. “You know Granny. She’s always off getting into trouble somehow. “
Debbie took one look at John Howard and ghosted away, sending a slight chill along my legs.
“You okay, Emma Lee? If you’re not, you let me know.” John Howard had been acting awfully peculiar lately. Was the odd-job lifestyle getting to him? Was he getting ill?
“I’m doing fine. Are you?” I asked him.
“Just fine. It looks like it’s about to storm.” He glanced up to the sky.
“It does, so I better hurry up if I’m going to get my errands done. I’m going to stop by to see Pastor Brown, the Fenwicks, and the Clarks to see if they will come back to Eternal Slumber for all their burial needs now that I’m no longer a suspect.” I pointed to him. “Gotta keep you and I employed.”
“About that,” John Howard started to say, but we got interrupted by the opening of the door at Pose and Relax.
“Emma Lee.” Pastor Brown walked out with a yoga mat under his arm. “John Howard,” he greeted us.
Shock and awe came over me. It was the first time I’d ever seen Pastor Brown in a pair of shorts and a T-shirt instead of his usual brown suit that was too small and hit at his wristbones. His thinning black hair wasn’t combed over but slicked back.
“Oh my, hello.” Mable Claire waddled out behind him. She still had on her usual jogger outfit and jiggled like she normally did. “Here you go, kids.” She dug down in her pocket and handed me and John Howard a dime each. “Pastor, you ready to go?”
Mable Claire tucked her hand in Pastor Brown’s elbow.
“You don’t have to call me Pastor since…” He wasn’t very good at whispering.