Stirring Up Murder

by P. D. Workman

  When Terry hung up the phone, he looked at Erin. “Are you okay?”

  “I guess… it’s been harder on me than I thought. I know Charley and I have lived completely different lives, and I’ve only had a few days to get to know her a little… but I let myself get attached to her. She’s my sister.”

  “It’s been quite a whirlwind. You haven’t really had time to sort out how you feel.”

  “Yeah.”

  “I’ll take you back to the bakery. You probably have low blood sugar too, and that doesn’t help anything.”

  “Do you think… Ward will be able to find her? Do you think she’s okay? He’s right, I should have called someone last night. But she didn’t want me to, and these Dyson guys only showed up because she had called them. It wasn’t… exactly an emergency.”

  “You could have called me. Especially when this guy approached you and tried to scare you off.”

  “I thought about it. But I just wanted to come home. If I’d called you, I would have had to wait there for hours. I wanted to get out of there as fast as I could.”

  He nodded. “Understandable.”

  Terry delivered Erin back to the bakery, with strict instructions to Vic that Erin was to sit down and have something to eat, no matter how close it was to the lunchtime rush. Vic took the direction seriously, going immediately into mother-hen mode and not even letting Erin prepare her own lunch.

  Terry looked satisfied with Vic’s compliance, but he didn’t leave to recommence his own duties immediately.

  “Is Willie around today?” he asked casually.

  “He should be,” Vic confirmed. “But he hasn’t stopped by or contacted me yet, so he might have been held up.”

  “He was out of town yesterday?”

  Vic nodded as she prepared a sandwich for Erin. “Yeah. Some emergency call.”

  “You don’t know what it was about?”

  “He doesn’t give me details.” Vic looked at Terry, her gaze stern. “And that doesn’t mean he’s up to anything he shouldn’t be. It just means he’s a private person and he likes to keep his business to himself.”

  Terry opened his mouth to answer, but Vic beat him to the punch.

  “He’s got mining claims that could be really valuable, and if word got around town about what he was taking out of which mines…”

  “So you think he was at one of his mines yesterday?”

  Vic made a face and put the sandwich in front of Erin. “No, I don’t think he was at a mine. He’s got a lot of other work he does too for other people. One of them called him and needed him.”

  “Did you see him take the call?”

  Erin was starting to get the feeling that there was something more going on than Terry just asking how Willie was doing and when he’d be back in town. Vic’s expression was suspicious.

  “Did I see him take the call? Why? He got a call. He needed to go out of town to deal with a problem. You think it’s something else? You think he’s cheating on me?”

  “No. Not at all. I was just curious. I just wondered if he seemed concerned. Or if it was just something routine. Willie’s a bit of a loner and I like to keep an eye on him. After he disappeared last year, with that knock on the head…”

  Erin saw the words hit Vic like a blow. All of the anxiety she had suffered when Willie had dropped out of sight and then when they found evidence that he had been injured flashed across her face in a microsecond. She put her hand on the counter to steady herself.

  “It’s nothing like that. If he’s away for too long and doesn’t text me, I’ll get in touch to make sure he’s okay. I was there when he got the call. It was just a job. Nothing for either of us to be worried about.”

  “He didn’t seem like he was concerned about it?”

  “No. Not at all.”

  “It seemed like it was just a routine call, not anything that was too difficult or worrisome?”

  “Right.”

  “But he said it was an emergency call?”

  “I don’t know whether he said emergency. It might have been urgent or important.”

  “So not routine, but not something that upset him.”

  Vic scowled and shook her head. “I have no idea why you’re interrogating me over this. Do you think something happened to him?”

  Terry weighed his words. Erin munched on her sandwich, knowing she had to eat before they opened up again, which would have to be soon. But she hardly tasted what she was eating and couldn’t have said what was actually in the sandwich later. She just forced it down, focused on Terry’s strange behavior.

  “It’s not so much that I’m worried about something having happened to Willie,” he said slowly. “It’s just that I know he has family connections in Moose River, and with all that’s going on there at the moment…”

  “Wait.” Vic faced Terry straight on, her expression thunderous. “Wait just one dang minute here. Family connections in Moose River? What’s going on? You think he’s one of the Dysons?”

  K9’s ears were up and he stared at Vic as if waiting to be given the word to take her down. He’d been trained to identify threats, and he obviously didn’t like Vic’s angry tone.

  “I don’t think he’s one of the Dysons.” Terry licked his lips and kept his gaze focused on Vic. “I know.”

  Erin gasped out loud. Willie? What could he possibly have to do with the Dyson clan? He’d always been kind and courteous to Erin and Vic. She knew that Terry was overly suspicious of Willie’s activities, but she’d always just figured that was jealousy.

  “He’s not!” Vic insisted.

  “His mother was a Dyson. You think I’m making this up? You wonder why Willie is such a pariah around Bald Eagle Falls? You think it’s just because he works odd jobs? People have good reason for being so suspicious of him. You’ve heard him admit to being involved in shady dealings growing up. I’m not just making this up, Victoria. He should have told you where he came from a long time ago.”

  Vic shook her head. “I don’t care. I didn’t care where he came from before, and I don’t care now. I don’t judge anyone because of the family they came from. He can’t help who he was born to or how he was raised. All he can control is the life he lives now. And you know he’s a good man!”

  Terry reached for K9, scratching his ears and the scruff of his neck, motioning for him to sit. K9 relaxed his alert posture, letting his tongue loll out in a doggie grin.

  “I’ve said before, Willie has certain skills that I would trust my life to in the right situation. But he also has a past and a present that he keeps well-hidden. He’s not open about everything he’s involved in, is he? He doesn’t tell you where he’s going or who he’s working for or what type of job he’s going out on. He keeps that all under wraps.”

  Vic swallowed as she tried to come up with an argument, but she just shook her head. “I know what kind of man he is.”

  Terry stood there silently, letting Vic think about it. Giving her some time to let it all sink in. He took a step toward the door, having gleaned everything he could from her. He still had other work to do. He looked back at Vic.

  “And is he the kind of man who would tell Erin to get out of a dangerous situation and to come home?”

  Chapter Twenty

  E

  rin and Vic looked at each other for a long moment after Terry was gone. Erin guessed they had similar expressions. Mouths open, eyes wide, skin pale. They were both shocked at the suggestion.

  It was Vic who broke the silence. “Could it have been him, Erin?”

  Erin tried to replay the one glimpse she’d had of the man through the doorway. She tried to remember the feel of his hands and the timbre of his voice. But it had all been too quick. He’d been well-disguised and he hadn’t given himself away.

  “I don’t know. I can’t rule him out. I didn’t get a good look. I just… don’t know.”

  “I can’t believe this.”

  “That Terry would accuse him?”

  “T
hat Willie didn’t tell me. Why wouldn’t he tell me his mother was a Dyson? Why didn’t he tell you, when we were talking about Charley being in the clan?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe it was just like he said, that he wanted privacy. He didn’t want to be judged by his upbringing or who his family was. He wanted to be his own person and live his own life, the way he wanted to.”

  “He could have! I wouldn’t have judged him! Heaven knows, my family ain’t no gathering of saints.”

  Erin put her plate into the sink. It was time to open up again for the lunch rush. The conversation would have to wait until a more appropriate time.

  “I’m sure he would have told you in time. He was just waiting until he was comfortable with it. He was just waiting for the right time to let you know.”

  Vic’s face looked pinched and pale as she followed Erin to the front of the bakery. Erin turned the sign to Open and unlocked the door.

  Mary Lou brought over a fresh batch of Jam Lady jams to add to their stock. The jams sure helped to sell bread, and vice versa. Erin and Vic knew the Jam Lady’s secret—that it was actually Mary Lou’s husband who made them while Mary Lou acted as the distributor and kept the maker a secret—and neither had ever breathed a word that would even hint at the truth.

  “I figured you were about due for a new shipment,” she told Erin, holding up the flat of jars. “How’s your inventory?”

  “You’re right, as usual,” Erin assured her. “Thanks.”

  Mary Lou gave Vic a frozen smile and smoothed her form-fitting blazer over her hips. “And have you heard anything from your family, my dear?”

  Vic stared at her. “Have I heard anything from my family? No. Why would I?”

  “I just thought that with all of the trouble going on, they might have stopped by to see you or gotten in touch with you by phone or email…”

  “All of what trouble?”

  Mary Lou looked from Vic to Erin and back again. “Well, I… you are from Moose River too, aren’t you?”

  Erin looked at Vic, stunned. Was everybody in on the inside track of politics and society in Moose River except for her? Vic had said nothing about being from Moose River.

  “I’m from outside Moose River,” Vic corrected icily. “My folks have never lived in town.”

  Mary Lou gave a little laugh and shook her head at this.

  “Well, outside Moose River, then. It’s all the same. I just thought that with a murder happening, and the threat of violence between the clans…” she trailed off, letting Erin and Vic complete the thought.

  “What’s she talking about?” Erin asked Vic. “Am I that dense? I don’t understand.”

  Vic stared down at the baking in the display case. “I’ll tell you later. For now…” she raised her voice so that the rest of the customers could hear her clearly. “Thanks for the jams, Mary Lou. Did you want anything from the case?”

  Mary Lou took her time looking over the baked goods on display. “Everything always looks so good here.” She smoothed her jacket again. “Of course, I can’t eat any of it, or it would go straight to my hips. But the boys would like something, I’m sure. Oh… why don’t we go with chocolate chip? Always so good with a glass of cold milk.”

  “Certainly,” Vic agreed.

  Mary Lou was looking around the store to greet the other patrons with a smile. While she always made Erin feel welcome and included with her friendly manner, she had never quite extended the same courtesy to Vic. She didn’t give her the same smile, the same thanks, the same effort at being pleasant. Erin realized that Vic was giving Mary Lou a baker’s dozen, and made a motion to stop her and remind her that Mary Lou always requested an even dozen so that the desserts would split evenly between her husband and two sons. Vic smiled and raised a brow at Erin and with an expression of mischief, slid thirteen cookies into the bag for Mary Lou.

  Erin stifled a giggle. She was tired and stressed and if she started laughing, she wouldn’t be able to stop.

  “Is there anything else?” she asked Mary Lou, calling her attention back to the transaction.

  “Oh, no. That’s all I need today.”

  They settled up the bill, and Mary Lou went on her way with the thirteen cookies. Erin shook her head at Vic. “You’re incorrigible.”

  “Mary Lou was being very kind to inquire about my family,” Vic said. “Of course I would want to do something nice for her.”

  Erin shrugged, baffled by whatever had passed between Mary Lou and Vic. There would be a story coming later, and Erin wanted to hear it.

  “Has Erin Price been take care of?” the boss demanded. “I wanted her kept out of this situation. Now she’s walking all over it like chickens scratching in a yard. For an outsider, she has certainly managed to muck things around.”

  “She’s taken care of,” the fixer assured him. “She’s been warned off, and both Terry Piper and Jack Ward are doing their best to pull her back. She’s not going to cause any more trouble.”

  “I wish I could believe that. The woman is relentless. She’s determined not to leave things alone until I’m completely ruined.”

  “It’s just coincidence. She’s not going to be a problem anymore.”

  “Better not be. And what about Charlotte? Where is she?”

  “Well…” the fixer grimaced at that. The one question he couldn’t answer. “I did get to her ahead of the Dyson gang, but not by much. Told her to get out of there and not come back. But she didn’t have time to get packed and get out before they got there.”

  “And now…? Where is she now?”

  “I’m sure we’ll turn her up before too long. She’s too important to just leave hanging. There will be too many people looking for her.”

  “That’s not an answer. Dyson got her? And did what? Is she still there or back home?”

  “She’s not home. The cops are looking for her. I haven’t found anything out yet. I’m doing my best to monitor what’s going on, but people don’t exactly trust me.”

  “You’re not particularly trustworthy.”

  The fixer snorted. “I’m a lot more trustworthy than you!”

  The boss didn’t disagree.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  S

  o explain to me what Mary Ann was going on about today,” Erin told Vic as they cleaned up, preparing to leave.

  “Oh, Erin… you don’t want to hear all about my family’s dirty laundry.”

  “Their dirty laundry? What kind of dirty laundry? And how would Mary Lou know about it?”

  “Because it’s been going on for generations. And when something has been going on for that long, word spreads, and people know.”

  “What’s been going on for generations? I’m at a definite disadvantage as a newcomer in these parts.”

  “Except you’re not, you’re part of the community too. You just… don’t know what you don’t know. If your parents had raised you here, you’d know all about it too.”

  “But they didn’t. So you’re going to have to fill me in.”

  Vic sighed. “Well… you know Victoria Webster isn’t my birth name.”

  “Of course. I know that.”

  “There’s a reason I didn’t just change my given name. Victor was my middle name, and I always liked Victoria. But I also changed my last name, from Jackson to Webster.”

  “Right. So you wouldn’t be as easy to track when you ran away.”

  Vic nodded. “But not just because my family objected to me being transgender.”

  Erin slowly washed the dishes, scrubbing them under the warm, soapy water.

  “What is it about the Jackson family, then? It’s an old name in these parts. Pretty common.”

  “Yeah. There’s lots of us around, and everyone is related to everyone else on the mountain.”

  She waited. Vic could dance around the issue all day for as long as Erin continued asking her questions. She wasn’t going to get to the crux of it until she decided it was safe to do so.

  “The Dyso
ns and the Jacksons have been rivals for a long time,” Vic said finally. “They’ve been fighting each other for generations.”

  “Like a feud?”

  Vic shrugged. “Like a feud. Or like two mafia families fighting for territory. It’s like with Romeo and Juliet, you don’t get to choose which family you’re a part of. You’re just born into it, and there you are. You have to live with it.”

  “Is that why you were so surprised to hear that Willie was a Dyson?”

  “That’s just one more curve ball. I don’t know what to say, Erin. Your sister… she’s one of the Dysons. She’s my mortal enemy. Stupid, I know, but that’s the way it’s been for years. You can’t just change that kind of thing on a whim. You can’t just say ‘Oh, she seems nice, so we’ll accept her as one of us’.”

  “So do you hate her?”

  “Me?” Vic laughed. “No, not me. How could I? She’s your sister. I can’t hate anyone who’s part of your family. But my family…? Yes. They can hate her. They’re not going to give her a chance, they’re just going to hate her.”

  “Even though she killed Bobby Dyson? Or they think she did?”

  “That’s just the way it is with a rivalry like this. Even if she killed Bobby Dyson, Charley is still a Dyson herself, so we hate her. They hate her.”

  “That’s crazy.” Erin shook her head, putting the pans on the drying rack and grabbing a few more to scrub off. “I couldn’t hate anyone without even meeting them. What about your religion? Doesn’t Christianity say you’re supposed to love everyone?”

  “Everyone but the Dysons,” Vic agreed. “They wrote that part into the Bible themselves.”

  “You can do that?”

  “No. You can’t do that. I’m joking.”

  “So… all this time… I thought you grew up on a farm shooting varmints and climbing trees. Are you telling me you hunted the Dyson family? That you learned to shoot so you could fight this feud?”

  Vic looked troubled. She set out the clean and dry cooling racks for the next day.