Lexie Starr Cozy Mysteries Boxed Set

by Jeanne Glidewell

  * * *

  Wendy and Andy arrived back at the inn just in time for supper. They were both wound up and rattling on about their day at the ranch. Andy had decided he was going to put in an offer on the place. He could line up things in Myrtle Beach and take possession of the ranch in early spring. He already had an experienced pilot interested in buying his charter flight business and he was living in a rental house, so moving out of it would pose no problem.

  "I'm delighted," I said. Stone nodded in agreement.

  "I'd go ahead and close on the ranch now, though," he said. "That way the Olsens can get moved into their assisted-living facility. I'll try to fly back for a few days each month to get some work done on the farmhouse. And I'll hire someone to take care of the livestock in the interim," Andy said. "Uncle Stone, could you drive out and look over the place now and then?"

  "Of course," Stone replied. "I'd be happy to keep an eye on the ranch for you."

  After much more discussion about the T-n-T Ranch, the subject of my stalker came back up. Both Wendy and Andy were pleased to hear Stone was now my new personal chauffeur and bodyguard, so I wouldn't be out and about alone. I didn't tell them about my disastrous visit to the nail salon.

  * * *

  Supper consisted of barbeque pork ribs, potato salad, baked beans, and dinner rolls. The Dudleys were eating with friends tonight so pork was allowed on the menu. Most of the conversation centered on the T-n-T Ranch, and my presumed stalker. Wendy had invited Detective Wyatt Johnston to join us for dinner, and he agreed with Stone on the necessity of me having company on any outing, and also about keeping the inn locked up at all times.

  Wyatt seemed a bit discouraged by the progress the investigating team was making in the murder case. There were potential suspects with possible motives and questionable alibis, but not enough evidence to press charges against anyone. The interviews were ongoing, but the investigation had almost come to a standstill.

  The footprints had matched Roxie Kane's boots, as had the single strand of hair found on the victim, but no reasonable motive could be attributed to her. A reward fund had been established for anyone who reported a tip leading to the apprehension and arrest of a suspect. So far, however, very few tips had come in, and all those had lead to dead ends.

  The rest of the evening's conversation centered around the T-n-T Ranch, and Andy's decision to put in an offer on it. Wyatt offered to help Andy in any way he could. He had friends in the Atchison Police Department, who could make extra trips out to drive by the property until Andy got moved in to the house.

  After supper, Wyatt went home, and Andy and Wendy went to a movie in St. Joseph. Stone and I watched an old classic John Wayne movie on the television. The Dudleys returned to the inn just as the old western concluded, and I locked the inn up behind them. Stone and I went to bed early. I finally fell sleep after I heard the kids come home from the movie.

  Chapter 21

  I woke up early on Saturday morning. I would be making three-egg spinach and mozzarella cheese omelets for breakfast, along with hash browns and English muffins. The potato salad was ready to go with the Dudleys to the family reunion. And I'd made an appointment for an oil change, at two o'clock at Boney's Garage. I'd been assured Joey would be performing the service on my Jeep.

  I didn't think any stalker in their right mind would be up and about at six in the morning, so I sat out on the back porch with a cup of coffee and the newspaper. The front-page news no longer centered on the death of the young college boy. The city council was feuding over whether or not the fountain in the city park needed to be replaced or merely refurbished. Funds were always tight in the small town of Rockdale. Apparently, emotions ran high on both sides of the issue.

  After I finished reading the paper and refilled my coffee cup, I sat on the porch reflecting on the list of suspects in my little notebook. Several I'd dismissed either because they had a strong alibi or because they lacked strong motives and had no passionate desire for retribution. I was still a wee bit suspicious of Walter's half-brother, Chuck Sneed. There was more to his story than met the eye, but I knew there was no way I'd get Stone to take me back out to his house. And there was no way I'd even consider going out there alone. He seemed very "stalkerish" to me.

  I would have liked the opportunity to speak with Sidney Hobbs, but only to see if she had information on any of Walter's enemies or acquaintances who might have a reason to want him dead. She was entirely too emotionally distraught to have committed the murder herself.

  I had never even considered any of the customers touring the haunted house the day of the murder as suspects. They were mostly harmless young ladies, with no connection to Walter, and small children. There was nothing remotely suspicious about any of them.

  I had removed Walter's father, Clarence, from my list, because of a lack of any real motive for him to kill his own son. He had nothing to gain and seemed sincerely anxious to have his son take over his heating and cooling business.

  Walter's mother, Melba, was another story. She seemed just crazy enough to do something completely bizarre and out of character, and then not remember doing it an hour later. She could have mistaken her son for someone who was out to get her, someone who wanted to hurt her in some way. But was she competent enough to come up with a plan of action like injecting insulin into someone to cause a low sugar reaction? I didn't really think so. I felt it would be giving Melba more credit for intelligence and cunning than she was worthy of. And I knew she couldn't have easily sneaked away from the in-home nursing staff, currently caring for her, to follow my vehicle out to the ranch.

  Roxie Kane had been reluctantly checked off my suspect list for having a near non-existent relationship with Walter, even though she had been with him just minutes before his death. Her one date was a "been there, done that, and moved on" type of thing. True, she'd been extremely upset with Walter, and she'd felt humiliated and used by him, but she really had nothing to gain by Walter's death. She didn't know Sidney well enough to crave any retribution against her either. Still, what little evidence existed pointed directly at Roxie, so I was prepared to put her back on my list if new details emerged to necessitate it.

  Walter's relationship with his sister, Sheila Talley, was still questionable to me. She obviously had differences with him, particularly regarding their mother's will and power-of-attorney status. Money could be a motive for her, and having Walter become Melba's sole heir could well be a bitter bone of contention for her. But, yet, Sheila had been sincerely moved by sorrow at the loss of her brother, and I couldn't quite visualize her carrying out such a devious and deadly deed. I guess I was still on the fence with Sheila too.

  Audrey McCoy remained on my list. She might have wanted to exact revenge on Walter for using her to make Sidney jealous, knowing she was Sidney's "archenemy." She had substantial differences with both Walter and Sidney, and wasn't afraid to voice her opinion of both in public. She made no secret of her disdain for Walter, or her dislike of Sidney.

  My main suspect at this point, however, was Melba's attorney, Sheldon Wright, of Hocraffer, Zumbrunn, Kobialka, and Wright. He had a financial motive, the crafty intelligence necessary, and the conniving personality to pull off such an act. He was far too interested in the family's financial situation, and incredibly impatient to get her paperwork done. In Melba's condition, she could be persuaded to change anything he wanted her to change. And I still couldn't fathom how anyone but Sheldon Wright could be responsible for running me down in the parking lot with his navy blue SUV. It seemed probable it was the same dark SUV that had followed Andy and Wendy to the T-n-T Ranch.

  I still wanted to talk to Walter's best friend, Joey, today at Boney's Garage while he changed my oil. Joey wasn't even on my suspect list, but I surmised if anyone knew of any enemies Walter might have had, it would be Joey. I felt both the investigating team and I could be overlooking someone as a suspect entirely.

  For example, Walter could have beaten someone out for a startin
g position on the college basketball team, and that person might have desperately wanted the position. It didn't seem to me to be worth killing someone over, but people had died for lesser reasons than a starting position on a basketball team. I'd heard of young men being killed for their tennis shoes, or jacket, or even the twenty-dollar bill in their pocket.

  But since I still believed Wright was the one who was currently stalking me, I wanted to pressure the authorities to delve further into his alibi and motives. If he was evil enough to try to harm me, he was evil enough to kill Walter, too. Had the investigators interviewed him thoroughly? Had they possibly even cleared him? Wyatt hadn't mentioned him at supper, and I'd yet to hear of any alibi he might have had for the day Walter was murdered. There wasn't anyone who could verify he was home alone at the time of Walter's death.

  Sheldon Wright was the one suspect I wanted to concentrate on, but I couldn't track him down alone, and I knew I wouldn't fare well in trying to get Stone to help me. Maybe I could talk Wyatt into interrogating him further, if he could do so without jeopardizing his job. He could question him a little more about my accident in the parking lot and about the possibility of him stalking me. We already knew he owned a navy blue SUV, which fit the description of the vehicle that had struck me.

  It was about seven-fifteen when Stone joined me on the back porch with his own cup of coffee. He made it clear he wasn't happy about me sitting out on the porch alone. I sat quietly while he read through the newspaper. When I heard other people moving around inside the inn, I went in to start preparing breakfast. Eleanor Dudley was pouring two cups of coffee, one for herself, and one for her husband, Steve.

  "Good Morning. How was dinner with your friends last night?" I asked her.

  "Very good. She served a delicious pasta with Alfredo sauce. We had a very nice visit with them. We hadn't seen them in quite a few years."

  Damn, I thought. Why hadn't I thought of serving pasta for the strict vegetarian? I made a decent Pasta Primavera. I used rigatoni and lots of fresh vegetables. Sometimes, when I wasn't cooking for vegetarians, I added chicken or shrimp to the dish. Oh well. She had survived on my casseroles all week. I smiled at her and said, "Good. I'm so glad you had a nice evening with your friends. The mustard potato salad is all ready for you to take to the Dudley family reunion this morning."

  "Thanks Lexie. I really appreciate you making it for us. And, by the way, it's the McCoy family reunion. My side of the family, not Steve's," she said.

  "McCoy? Did you say McCoy?" I asked. "McCoy is your maiden name?"

  "Yes, I grew up in Kansas City, and my aunt and uncle have always lived right here in Rockdale. They're the ones who organized the reunion."

  "I guess I just assumed it was the Dudley family holding the reunion. Do you know an Audrey McCoy?"

  "Sure. Audrey is my niece. She's my sister Norma's only child," she replied.

  "What kind of girl is Audrey? I met her the other day at a funeral, but only had the opportunity to talk briefly with her," I said.

  "She's a nice gal, but very driven and determined to have her own way," Eleanor said. "Unfortunately, she takes after her father instead of my sister. My sister is very laid back and mellow, but her husband is extremely temperamental and more than a little overbearing. It doesn't take much to set him off, and Audrey is the same way. I just mark it down to her being a little spoiled by being an only child."

  Audrey was one of the people on my list I wanted to speak with again, if for no other reason than to convince myself she couldn't have had anything to do with Walter's death. She seemed considerably pleased to have him dead, and also pleased about how badly his death had devastated Sidney. How could I use this family reunion coincidence to my advantage? I had to give it some thought while I worked around the inn.

  After I served breakfast and then cleaned up the kitchen, I performed some housekeeping chores. I dusted, vacuumed, and cleaned mirrors and windows. Once I was finished I took a coffee break in the kitchen, instead of on the porch, so as not to upset Stone again. At about nine-thirty, Eleanor came in to retrieve the potato salad.

  "Well, I better pick up the salad and get going, so Steve and I can get to the American Legion Hall by ten," she said. "That's the time the reunion begins."

  "Oh, no!" I said, with mock concern on my face. "I just thought of something. What time is lunch at the reunion?"

  "We're eating at noon. Why?"

  "I just remembered a critical ingredient I forgot to add to the potato salad," I told her.

  "What's that?"

  "Uh, er, well, um, you see, I forgot the mustard," I stammered.

  "You forgot the mustard in your mustard potato salad? That's odd. What a strange ingredient to forget. How long will it take to stir it in?" she asked.

  "Well, actually, I need to go get some at the store. I meant to do it last night and forgot. But I am going out today anyway, so why don't I just drop the salad off at the American Legion Hall at eleven-thirty. That would be much better, anyway. It will still be fresh and cool that way. Much tastier than to let it warm up to room temperature, don't you think?" I asked. "And no chance for bacteria to set in, either."

  "I imagine you're right. Are you sure it's no trouble for you?"

  Eleanor asked.

  "No trouble at all," I assured her. With any luck, I'd run into Audrey at the reunion and get a minute or two to speak to her. I felt safe in approaching her in a crowded public place such as the American Legion Hall would be today, with the family reunion taking place there.

  I wanted to ask Audrey what kind of car she drove and see what her reaction was. If she were stalking me, she would realize I was aware I was being stalked, and I was also aware that she was my stalker. It might make her think twice about continuing along that line. I could also check out the parking lot for a dark SUV with a busted-out headlamp in case she lied to me, which she was sure to do if she was guilty of first-degree murder and possibly attempted vehicular homicide. I really had no idea if the two events were connected, but thought it was likely and wanted to ask Audrey about her vehicle just in case the two incidents were related. Usually a person's reaction to an unexpected question will give them away if they lied. I was pretty adept at reading people's body language.

  Stone would never consent to me driving to the American Legion Hall by myself, but I could tell him the same story I told Eleanor, other than the part about forgetting to put mustard in my mustard potato salad. It really wouldn't be a lie, because potato salad really was best when it was cool and fresh. And nothing could put a damper on a family reunion quicker than a little salmonella on the buffet line. Stone would surely prefer to wait out in the parking lot while I took the potato salad inside. He was still under the impression it was a reunion for Steve's side of the family and not the McCoys, and there was no pressing reason to tell him otherwise.

  Mrs. Dudley agreed with my plan to drop the potato salad off right before lunch and needed to get on her way. I told her she looked terrific, and I meant it. I was glad to see she was wearing a black pantsuit that didn't emphasize her large posterior. She had gone easy on the makeup, and she was wearing black flats, not sequined high heels. She'd even had her hair styled, and she looked very elegant.

  I told Eleanor to have a good time and went to find Stone. He said he'd be happy to drive me to the American Legion Hall to drop off the Dudleys' potato salad. I hadn't mentioned the appointment at Boney's Garage, because Stone knew I'd just recently had the oil changed in my Jeep. I'd have to play this one by ear and hope it didn't land me in any trouble. However, my luck in that regard had not been good lately, and I doubted it would change any time soon.

  * * *

  As I took clean sheets out of the dryer in the laundry room at about eleven, I looked outside and was surprised to see large snowflakes coming down. I knew a strong cold front had come through early in the morning, but I hadn't expected snow this early in the season. Snow in early November in Missouri was rare, but certainly not unhear
d of.

  By eleven-fifteen, as I was stepping into Stone's car with the big bowl of potato salad, the snow was coming down at an even brisker rate. It was still melting on contact with the pavement, but was beginning to stick on the grassy areas.

  "Was this predicted?" I asked Stone.

  "Yes," he said. "The weatherman on the morning news said several inches of snow was possible, with an accumulation of an inch or so. Most of it will melt on contact with the warmer ground temperatures, but the melting snow will be turning to ice as the temperatures drop. He said to watch for slick roadways this afternoon. By tomorrow the roads should be clear, he said, as it is expected to warm up again. Wendy will need to be careful driving Andy to the airport."

  Stone drove carefully to the American Legion Hall. He let me out at the front door before pulling around to park the Corvette in the parking lot. As I walked into the large meeting room, I glanced around quickly. I spotted Eleanor on the other side of the room in the midst of a large crowd of people. They were all standing directly in front of the table full of food. She was engaged in a lively conversation with a younger couple.

  I needed to find Audrey before I went over to place the potato salad on the table, because Eleanor would see me and naturally expect me to leave right after setting the bowl down. Just as I was beginning to give up hope on finding Audrey, I saw her walk out of the ladies' restroom. I rushed over to her.

  "Hi, Audrey. It's nice to see you again," I said.