by Tonya Kappes
“And you thought it was a good idea to question her about her husband having an affair with your sister who was found dead in his apartment. Now he has an alibi with that wife.” Jack’s voice was flat. Not happy.
“When you put it that way.” I bit my lip. My brows furrowed. “I’m just trying to help my sister.” I pulled out the emotional card just in case Jack had any sympathy left for me.
“Emma Lee, you know me better than that. I thought you might be at home or with Zula grieving, not traipsing off for a facial to pump someone for information. Besides, don’t you think the homicide department in Lexington has followed up on all these leads?”
“Homicide?” I asked.
“They have officially named Charlotte a murder victim.” His words stung now that her death had been confirmed a homicide, even though I already knew it.
“I wasn’t traipsing.” I hated that word. “I was investigating my Betweener client’s leads. I still have a job to do even if it is my sister.”
“Your job is to stay out of it.” Jack’s voice was stern, yet it was comforting to know he cared as much as he did. “Besides, my buddy at the police department told me that they have all the sufficient evidence that clears Sammy and Mary Katherine Hardgrove.”
“Like what?” The bitter, scorned wife’s knowledge of the affair was definitely a good reason for Mary to go crazy and I was sure she killed Charlotte. It was the only thing that made sense. Of course Charlotte could be snarky, but everyone still liked her. Everyone but a betrayed wife.
“They pulled their plane tickets, they even pulled the security footage at the Bluegrass Airport. Sure enough, Sammy and Mary Katherine were having a fight right before the security entrance around the same time the coroner said Charlotte Rae was killed. Oh my God,” Jack gasped.
“What?”
“You need to hurry back.” His voice was tight. “Zula Fae is standing in the middle of the gazebo with that megaphone of hers. Her hair is sticking up all over her head and she’s got on a white nightdress with those leather motorcycle boots she likes to wear.”
Taking a deep breath, I said, “Oh, Jack. I think Granny has gone nuts.”
I pushed the End button, immediately dialed Doc Clyde, and hit the gas pedal. I’ve had his number on speed dial since I’d been diagnosed with the “Funeral Trauma.”
Ina Claire Nell answered the phone. “Doc Clyde’s office. How can I help you?”
“Ina Claire, it’s Emma Lee. Can I talk to Doc?” I questioned in a rush. The tree lines on the side of the road were just one long line of green as the hearse zoomed down the country roads leading me back to Sleepy Hollow.
“Hmm. Let me guess, you are seeing the ghost of Sissy Phillips?” Her voice was cloaked in thick sarcasm.
“Look out your window,” I said with knots in my stomach. “It’s not me. It’s Granny.”
The squeak of a chair and the groan of exasperation came through the phone. I could picture her now getting up from behind her desk and nervously fidgeting with her blond hair she kept in an updo. When the door hinges creaked, I could visualize her walking from the patient hallway into the waiting room. With my ear pressed tight to the phone, I waited to hear her reaction.
“Ohhhh.” The gasp on the other end of the phone made my inner God, help me meter go off. Granny was worse than Jack had told me or that I’d imagined. Ina never got back on the phone. It seemed she laid it down and got so distracted by Granny that she forgot I was on there, which made me drive even faster.
There was a crowd gathered in the town square. Jack Henry, Hettie Bell and Mable Claire were all running after Granny. Granny looked like a ball of fire as she darted in and out of the crowd with the megaphone to her mouth.
I didn’t bother trying to park the hearse in Eternal Slumber’s driveway. The hearse came to an abrupt stop when it hit the curb. I flung the gear shift in Park and jumped out, leaving the door hanging open.
“One million dollars!” There wasn’t nothing wrong with Granny’s balance or reflexes. She darted between everyone’s arms, held the megaphone up to her mouth with one hand and waved some papers in the air with the other. “The inn is your reward if you have the clue or answers to who killed my granddaughter, Charlotte Rae Raines! Someone has information. No questions asked. The inn deed will be signed over to you!”
“Granny!” I screamed, flailed my arms and bounced on the balls of my feet. I tried to be polite and smile at all of our neighbors, but it was just too hard to keep the good southern girl composure Granny had always boasted about when she couldn’t do it herself. “Granny!” I screamed louder.
“Oh my God,” Jack Henry groaned and ran his hands through his hair before he darted around to grab Granny.
“Granny!” I screamed so loud I got dizzy.
She stopped. Mable Claire tackled Granny. Coins from her pockets went flying everywhere and the kids in the crowd scattered, picking up the pennies and dimes before running off.
“There will be no one million dollars.” Jack Henry tried to hush the crowd.
“Oh yes there is!” Granny could still scream with Mable sitting on top of her. Her legs reminded me of the wicked witch when the house fell on top of her. “I dee-clare, Mable, if you don’t get off of me I will knock you into next year when you do get up off me!” Granny shook her body. Mable Claire hung on for dear life.
“Granny.” I bent over with my hands on my knees, gasping for air. “Get a hold of yourself.”
A little sprig of red hair was all you could see under Mable Claire’s body. Jack Henry looked at me and my temples began to throb.
“Me?” Granny bellowed. “You are the one with the ‘Funeral Trauma.’” She grunted and finally stopped wiggling around.
“This is not helping anyone.” I cursed under a deep breath and scratched my neck. Scratching felt so good, I almost acted like a dog and thumped my foot on the ground.
“And do you know how many phone calls I’m going to get with leads that are going to go nowhere because you’ve offered the one million dollars?” Jack Henry huffed.
“This is why you need to do yoga.” Hettie Bell planted her hands on her hips and pointed between me and Granny. “For mental and physical health.”
“Oh my goodness,” Charlotte chirped from behind me. “Help her up.”
“Come on, Mable.” I grabbed her by the arm and helped her to her feet. She tugged the hem of her house dress down.
“Granny?” I grimaced when she didn’t move. She was breathing and I was sure she was assessing what had just taken place in front of all of Sleepy Hollow. Granny was a good southern woman who loved a good crazy situation but not when it involved our family, much less her.
She turned her face up to me. Something flickered in her eyes. Her mouth opened. She hooted, she snorted, she sniggered.
“I’m gonna find out who killed my granddaughter,” Granny slurred, grinned and fell back down on her face.
I waved my hand in front of my face. The stink was thick and heavy like a good bourbon. “Has Granny been drinking?” I looked up at Hettie, who was supposed to be watching Granny.
“I don’t know what she was doing in that room.” Hettie’s brows dipped in a frown. “I did exactly what the Auxiliary women told me to do.” We stood over Granny in awe. I’d never seen her drink anything heavier than her own sweet tea. “They told me to check on her a few times an hour. Let her come and go as she pleased.”
“And make sure she eats,” Mable Claire chimed in and adjusted her glasses up on her nose and planted her stout body next to Granny’s lifeless one.
“It looks like the entire Raines regime has all gone nuts.” Bea Allen Burns sashayed up and glanced down at Granny, then slid her eyes to me.
“Oh hush,” I warned her.
Granny jumped up, looking like a madwoman, cursing so much I’m sure the devil was blushing. She danced around Mable Claire with both fists in the air. “I told you that I was gonna git you.” Granny took a jab as Mable Clair
e ducked behind me. Jack rushed over and grabbed Granny, locking her in his arms. It didn’t stop her. She stomped her feet, landing them like heavy weights on Jack’s feet. He grimaced.
“Emma Lee, get a hold of your granny!” Mable Claire squealed.
“I’m sorry,” I mouthed to Jack Henry for not only Granny’s behavior but the thought of all these people trying to find leads on Charlotte’s death and calling in with dead ends that he was going to have to spend most of his time following up on.
“First, the prodigal granddaughter leaves the family for a competing funeral home, has an affair with the owner, and then gets murdered. Then there is you.” Bea Allen pointed her long bony finger at me and took a long look-see at Granny stuffed in Jack’s arms. Her accusing eyes looked up at me, her mouth spread into a thin-lipped smile. “Everyone, Burns Funeral is having a half-off sale for all pre-need arrangements for a limited time. I hope y’all take time to talk to all your friends and loved ones about their eternal resting place and come to Burns.”
A low murmur spread over the crowd.
“One million dollars and now half off funeral arrangements?” Fluggie Callahan, editor-in-chief of the Sleepy Hollow Gazette scribbled away on her notepad. “I’d like to print your sale.” She looked at Bea Allen.
I glared and thought very bad thoughts that made me think I should go see Pastor Brown. Her bony finger lifted to her ear and she did crazy circles around it.
“That’s enough, Ms. Burns.” Jack stepped up. He lifted his hands in the air. “Everyone can go home now. There is nothing here to see but a grieving family. I’m sure we have all had a moment like this.”
“Does that mean the million-dollar reward is no longer on the table?” John Howard, of all people, spoke up over the crowd. He stood in the back with Arley Burgin. After I gave him the death stare, he tapped Arley on the arm and they walked across the town square to Eternal Slumber. Jack Henry had Granny by the arms, guiding her the opposite direction to the inn.
“Don’t worry about Zula.” Hettie shot me a twisted smile.
“Oh, because you are looking after her so good?” I retorted tartly.
“Emma Lee, I’m doing the best I can. You are her granddaughter, the sister of Charlotte. Why aren’t you looking after her?” Hettie’s tone had turned chilly.
“I’m trying to figure out what happened to Charlotte. Plus, I had to go identify her and do all the things I need to do to get her body here.” Tears puddled in my eyes.
“How insensitive of me.” Hettie hugged me. “I’m so sorry. I know you and Charlotte didn’t see eye to eye, but she’s still your sister.”
“Who does she think she is?” Charlotte snarled. “She just thought she’d waltz right into town and steal our grandmother from us?”
“You have really helped out over the past couple of years. Granny thinks of you as much of a granddaughter as she does me and Charlotte.” I wanted Hettie to know how much I appreciated her and let Charlotte know how much Hettie had helped out, especially since Charlotte quit her job at Eternal Slumber and went to Hardgrove’s.
From a distance I watched Charlotte skitter up next to Granny as she and Jack Henry disappeared into the door of the inn.
Chapter 11
After the stunt Granny had pulled, I had a massive headache. I let Jack Henry get Granny settled at the inn to sleep off her drunken stupor while I went back to take a nap.
The knock at the door woke me up. I rolled to my side and looked at the clock. The ghost cat was snugged into a tiny ball on a pillow. It was seven o’clock at night and I had slept the day away. Stress did funny things to people and I was still exhausted. Mentally.
The knock got louder.
“Hey.” Jack Henry stood on the other side. The warmth in his smile was in the tone of his voice. “I let you have some space today. I figured you needed it, so I brought you dinner.” He held up a familiar brown sack.
“Chinese.” A happy sigh escaped my lips and my stomach growled. I stepped back and held the door open. “Get in here.”
“You go sit in the family room and I’ll go grab some paper plates from the kitchen.” Jack’s voice was stern. On his way down the hall, he called over my shoulder, “You wouldn’t believe how many calls I’ve had about leads and the one-million-dollar reward.”
I flipped the light on and sat on the couch, putting the sack on the coffee table. My mouth watered from the smell of the Chinese food. I pushed my bangs out of the way, giving my forehead a good scratch. I was beginning to wonder if I might be allergic to the cat, even though it’d been around a few days.
“I even got a call about some evidence in a pumpkin patch in the country.” He laughed, walking back in with a couple paper plates and two wineglasses.
“I can only imagine the calls.” I laughed, thinking about Jack tromping through a pumpkin patch.
I smiled up at him. His brows furrowed and his hands dropped with the plates and glasses by his side.
“What?” I asked.
“What happened to your face?” He bent down between my legs and took a good look. I put my hands on my face. “You have some sort of rash.”
I sprang up and ran into the hall to look in the mirror over the hallway table. The small dots trailed along my forehead, down my temple and across my chin. I rubbed my hand over my face as though I was going to rub it away.
“What are you doing?” I asked Jack who was standing behind me on his cell phone.
“I’m calling Doc Clyde.”
“I’m sure it’s stress.” I leaned closer to the mirror and continued to rub, saying to myself because Jack walked down the hall to talk, “Or the cat.”
“He said he’s on his way.” Jack held my chin in his fingers and tilted my head closer to the light to get a better look. Carefully and softly, he ran the pad of his finger along the rash. A cute puppy dog look on his face melted my heart. “Does it itch?”
“I was itching earlier in the hearse.” I remembered talking to Charlotte and having an itch.
I walked into the family room and opened the sack. I took out an egg roll and chomped down on it. With a mouthful of shredded cabbage and fried dough, I said, “It was probably that damn seaweed.”
Jack clapped his hands and I nearly dropped my precious egg roll.
“I bet you are right.” He rushed to the door when someone knocked on it. “Come on in,” I heard Jack say, inviting Doc into the apartment. “She’s in there.”
“Hey, Doc.” I waved what little bit of egg roll was left in front of me. “This rash hasn’t stopped my appetite.”
He walked over and put his little doctor bag down next to the Chinese food.
“Hmm.” He tilted his head and used an otoscope light to look at my face. He wasn’t nearly as gentle as Jack. “Yep, definitely a rash.”
“Tell me something she doesn’t already know.” Sarcasm dripped out of Charlotte’s mouth. I jerked my head toward her wondering where she’d been all this time. “He’s been with Granny all day. Gave her some sedatives and knocked her out.”
“I’m sorry about Charlotte.” Doc pulled the otoscope down and looked at me. “It’s such a shock. I gave Zula some sedatives to keep her calm. From what I understand she doesn’t want to have the funeral until your parents get here and that could take a week.”
“Thank you.” I smiled. “I think I got the rash from a seaweed facial I had this morning.”
“This is definitely not a stress rash based on the raised bumps and abrasions.” He put the scope away and took a pad and pen out of his bag. “I’m going to prescribe a low dose steroid cream.” He scribbled away. “I’m going to go back and sit with Zula. If you have any issues, just pop over there to see me or call Ina Claire for an appointment.”
“Thanks, Doc.” Jack Henry shook the doctor’s hand and led him out into the hallway.
“I want you to watch her for the ‘Funeral Trauma.’ This type of death could really do a number on her mentally,” Doc Clyde whispered.
> “I’ll be sure to do that,” Jack Henry assured him and the door closed. “So she’s here?”
“Yep.” I pointed over by the television and took the Chinese food boxes out of the bag before distributing some on our plates. “I’ll have a big ole glass of wine.”
Jack uncorked the wine and poured two very generous glassfuls.
“Unfortunately, the one thing that did pan out today was Sammy and his wife are not suspects. Apparently he was supposed to meet up with Charlotte on the vacation, and when Mary Katherine got the Visa bill, she noticed the airline’s charge on it and called the airlines only to find out his plane didn’t go anywhere near Des Moines like Sammy had told her. You could only imagine his surprise when he was through security and she was sitting at the gate with her carry-on in her grip.” Jack looked over at the space where I had pointed and where Charlotte was. “He said that he didn’t know why Charlotte was at the apartment.”
Jack made a very good point. I looked at Charlotte and she shrugged at me. I shook my head at Jack.
“I’m telling you, there is footage of him at the airport with Mary Katherine in what looks to be a very heated discussion around Charlotte’s time of death.”
“And that seals the deal.” I didn’t bother using the chopsticks. I was starving and needed to shovel it in. I took a forkful of moo-goo and pushed it in my mouth. “I guess we are going to have to go through all the files.”
“What files?” Jack Henry questioned.
“I, um, kinda stole the files from Charlotte’s office the day I trespassed.” I knew this wasn’t going to sit well with him. And after he downed the glass of wine and refilled it, I was right.
“Emma.” He sighed. “I told you that you have to let the police handle this. They need those files. And if I tell them you took them, you will go to jail. That would be no help to your sister at all.”