by Tonya Kappes
SEVENTEEN
“Exactly what happened?” Detective Hank Sharp was the first one on the scene and already assessed the storage unit before the investigators made it to the campground.
“I would offer you some coffee, but that little Keurig just takes too long.” My eyes were focused on the one cup coffee maker.
Since I’d been to Normal, everyone here drank coffee, now I think I was addicted to it too
“Mae,” He bent down between my legs and turned my chin towards him. “Are you okay? Do we need to take you to the hospital?”
“She seen a dead body. Again.” Dottie’s sarcasm brought a smile to my face. “See, a little humor is all she needs.”
Ahem, I cleared my throat and ran my hand over my face to try to focus a little more.
“I’m sorry.” My mouth was so dry. I licked my lips. “I’m so shocked that I don’t even know what to say.”
“I think you’d like to know there was a note in his pocket. He’d planned on meeting Paul here since they’d gotten it when Grady had worked here.” Hank’s warm hand was still resting on my leg. Underneath his hand, the nerves in my leg were all jumping, but I was sure it was the fact the images of Grady Cox’s dead body sitting on my summer clothes box was tattooed on my brain. “He shot himself.”
“He did?” I questioned. Hank’s eyes softened. He looked at me as if he were worried about my well-being. “Why would he do that when he has a child?”
“And a wife.” Hank pinched his lips together. “She’s on her way to ID the body. I told her to wait until he was taken to the morgue, but she’s insisted.”
“Poor, Ava. The other day we were talking about how Paul had won the campground. I had no idea it was from Mr. Randal. I left her house thinking it was Ty Randal who killed Paul.”
“You went to see the Cox’s?” His hand peeled off my leg and he stood up. “Why?”
“I had to know,” my voice trailed off and the images of Jr. flooded my mind. “His son will be so upset.”
Now I knew that I had to offer Jr. a job.
“Are you sure Grady did it?” I asked.
“He admitted it. He had written out all the details. The gun came back with his DNA on it too,” he said. “Of course the coroner will determine when and the position he shot himself.”
“I bet he stole my gun.” Dottie’s lips twisted. “I’m not in the camper all the time and I don’t lock it. For that reason too.” She shook a finger. “If they’re going to break in, no little lock is going to stop them.”
Hank and I let her ramble.
“See, it’s all over now. We can get the fundraiser over with and get Happy Trails up and running with all this behind us.” Dottie rubbed my back trying to make me feel better, but I didn’t.
“What are you thinking now?” Hank asked.
“I think that Paul has hurt so many people and families beyond the money,” I gulped. “I’m not sure how on earth I can make this right.”
“You can’t keep blaming yourself for what Paul did.” Hank searched my face. “You can’t help Grady’s actions.”
“How did he get out of jail?” I asked.
“We are still working on that. Since we have the DNA on the gun pulled from the lake that killed Paul and now with what you discovered today and a confession note, that part of the investigation will go on the back burner until all of this is wrapped up.” He sucked in a big breath and rubbed his hands together. “That being said, we pulled all your bins out and collected evidence, but we can’t let you go back into the storage unit just yet.”
“That’s no problem.” I shrugged.
“Yeah, we can take your clothes to the Laundry Club since we have book club this afternoon,” Dottie reminded me.
I’d much rather lay in my bed in the camper with the quilt over my head and let the days pass me by.
“I’ll stop by later and get your statement since you look like you need a break from all this. I suggest you go with Dottie.” He turned to her. “Can I throw the bins from her storage unit in the back of your truck?”
“Sure.” She nodded. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Yeah. Okay.” There was still a niggling suspicion that something wasn’t right. They weren’t even addressing how Paul escaped from jail and that seemed pretty big to me. I wasn’t going to argue or even think about how I could prove that right now.
Hank said they had the note from Grady and I was just going to do what Dottie said. It was time to get Happy Trails fixed up, bring in some tourists to Normal and probably sell the place.
“I’ll be right out,” I declared as I shut the door behind them when they exited my camper.
While my cell phone was charged in the back, I changed into a pair of jeans, flip flops, and a T-shirt I’d bought on the way here. I tugged my long hair into a ponytail and splashed some water on my face. No matter how many times I tried to put the images of everything Paul had done into the back of my head, they’d all mashed together like a movie that’d just play over and over again.
“Stanley,” I made a quick phone to the lawyer. He didn’t answer so I left a message. “It’s Mae West. I’m not sure if you heard, but Grady Cox confessed to killing Paul. Happy Trails isn’t as bad as I thought. Everyone here is really nice, but it’s not me. There’s been a lot that’s gone on over the past twenty-four hours. Now that Paul is dead and we know the killer, I think it’s best that Normal isn’t reminded of Paul and what he’d done to them, so I want you to go ahead and look for a buyer. Thanks, Stanley.”
I tapped the end button and held the phone close to my chest. My eyes filled with tears. The fundraiser would help bring in money to fix what was on the top of Dottie’s list and surely all the marketing Abby had been doing had to help. I’d give them the cash I had. I’d rather leave Normal, though I was getting used to all of them and their kindness, on a high note than staying around and keep reminding them of what Paul had done.
No matter how much I tried to distance myself from him and what he’d done, I was always going to be tied to the crime.
EIGHTEEN
“These are amazing.” Betts continued to go through the tubs of clothes. “Every single piece is designer label,” she gushed and separated them into piles. “I’ve seen some of them in the magazines down at the Safeway.”
“You can have all the ones you want.” I knew I’d never wear them again after I’d spent the last week in jeans and tee shirts.
“No,” Abby bent her head over the laptop she’d brought. “We are going to put them on Ebay. Just like that Girl Boss show on Netflix.” She wiggled her eyes.
“How do you know all this stuff?” I questioned her.
“Not many people come into the library. I’ve got plenty of time on my hands to learn marketing and watch Netflix. These clothes will bring in a lot of money for the fundraiser.” She clicked away. “Hashtag designer clothes, hashtag hardly worn.”
Abby got up from the chair and grabbed a couple pieces of clothes out of the pile, taking a photo of them with her cell phone.
“After these are washed and ready to ship, I’ll put make Ebay store live.” She bounced on her toes and threw the clothes back down.
“That’s hand wash cycle.” Betts jerked one of the tops from the top of the pile. “Abby, if you’re going to take photos, put the clothes back in the right pile.”
Abby walked away mocking Betts.
“When everyone is finished doing what they’re doing, I’ve got the puzzle moved and the coffee ready for book club. We need to get started because Mae and I have a lot to get done tonight at the campground since it’s been shut down all day.” Dottie looked over at me. A smile curled up one corner of her mouth when our eyes met.
I could tell she was assessing me to see if I was alright.
“I’m ready. Though I didn’t read the book.” I was ready for some coffee and ready to get out of my own head.
“I wasn’t going to bring it up, but my crystal ball told me abou
t you finding a body in your clothes.” Queenie tapped the fake electricity ball. “Mmmhhhh.” She looked down into it.
“Shut up. You’ve got that scanner going.” Abby walked over to the table, holding her book club book. “But you can tell us all about it.”
“According to the girls from church,” Betts chirped over the sound of the beeps coming from the washing machine where she was pushing buttons to start one pile of my clothes.
“You don’t need to tell us what you heard when we get to hear it from the horse’s mouth,” Queenie adjusted her yellow leggings after she stood up and walked over to the table where book club was set up.
“There’s not much to tell. I had gone to see Ava Cox and her son. She said that Grady disappeared the day Paul had escaped, which makes me think he somehow helped Paul break out.” I put my book on the table and rested my hand on it.
“None of that matters now,” Dottie confirmed. “Grady came to meet Paul at the campground and killed him. Rightfully, justified.”
“I’m not sure if anyone being murdered is justified.” Betts’s brows furrowed. “Love they neighbor.”
“Love they neighbor when they neighbor puts you in the poor house?” Dottie grimaced. “I think not.”
“I’ll teach someone with my new moves in my strike class if they try to take advantage of me.” Queenie did some sort of side-kick before she sat down. “I’m teaching strike again tonight. You need to come,” she directed her words to Dottie.
“I’ll think about it. I did like it this morning.” Dottie didn’t commit. I smiled. “Now, the heroine in our book didn’t love they neighbor at all.”
I sat there as the four of them chimed in about the romance in the book that I didn’t read about. I’d decided against any romance in my life and that meant books too. The coffee and company was good. When I looked and listened to them talk about the book, I couldn’t help but think that in just a few days how I’d made new friends when in my life a few months ago, I wouldn’t have been able to pick up a phone and call anyone that I’d call friend.
Those women competed on who had the best clothes, best face lift, hairdresser and so on. These ladies might have lively discussions, but they truly cared for each other and they let me, of all people, in their circle of friendship.
“We got us a live one!” Abby jumped up with her phone in her hand.
“What is she yammerin’ on about?” Dottie jerked up straight in her chair.
“We’ve got our first bid in our Ebay store.” Abby hurried over to the laptop and opened it. She clicked away on the keyboard. “Oh my.” She looked up at me. “You’re gonna have all the money you need to get Happy Trails up and running.”
“Isn’t it great?” Betts reached over the table and squeezed my hand. “Everything is coming together like it’s supposed to.”
“What are you talking about? Supposed to?” Queenie snapped.
“Paul’s killer has been brought to justice. You and Normal can put all of this behind us.” She beamed at me. “You are making good on your promise to give back to Normal. Opening the Happy Trails to what it used to be, is exactly what we need to move forward.”
The ladies rushed over to the computer to see what Abby was gushing about.
My stomach dropped. There was no way I could tell them that when it was all said and done, I was going to move on. Because I knew if we all took a good hard look at the situation, no matter how much I gave, me living here was just a constant reminder of what Paul had done to them.
The book club meeting was cut short with all the hubbub about the clothes and Ebay.
“I’m telling you, it’s all the hashtags and social media I’m doing.” Abby took the credit and she should’ve of. “I can’t wait to see what happens with the fundraiser. I put an ad out in the surrounding towns newspapers. An ad in RV Living, Camping Life, and the National Park Magazines.”
“Where on earth did you get the budget for that?” I questioned, thinking how much money I was going to have to pay her back and the time it’d take.
“They owed me. I give out free stuff for them all the time at the library.” Abby waved away the concern I had. “It’s me giving to you for giving to Normal.”
The ladies had a field day with the clothes. It was funny to watch because they just couldn’t believe how much in demand used fancy clothing was on the Ebay.
“I’m going to get out of here while we still have some daylight.” There were some finishing touches that the campground needed before tomorrow’s big fundraiser. “I hope the police have cleared the crime scene.”
“Surely they have.” Dottie quipped. “There wasn’t much to do but take out the body.”
“They did give you the bins.” Abby shrugged.
“It just seemed all too easy.” I gnawed on my lip and looked at my new friends. “I mean, he locked himself in my storage shed and killed himself?”
“Honey, you never know the mind of people,” Dottie stood up. “Let’s get back so we can put the finishing touches on the campground before tomorrow.”
We said our goodbyes and made sure they had their duties all laid out so when they got to the campground, they could go ahead and start working.
Dottie and I got into her pickup truck and while she paid attention to the road, I gave Jr. a call.
“I guess you heard,” his voice was somber on the other end of the phone.
“I’m sorry. I found him.” It wasn’t something I probably should’ve told the young man, but he seemed so much older than he really was. “How is your mom?”
“She’s between grieving and relieved. It’s the strangest thing,” he said. “She’s glad she doesn’t have to stay up at night wondering where he is now that she knows. But she’s trying to wrap her head around what he’d done and why, leaving us here alone.”
“How are you?” I asked.
“Dying to get out of this house. I don’t like seeing her this way.” His sadness came through the phone.
“If you do need to get away, I’d love for you to take a look at my video games at the campground in the recreation building. I probably should’ve had all this worked out, but I’m new to all this business stuff.” It was new territory for me and I was kinda liking it.
“That’d be great. I need the drive and to get my mind off things.” He sounded a little better, but I knew deep down he was grief stricken. “My mom went to the scene. Did you see her?”
“No. I let the police do their work and left. I feel so responsible.” I gulped.
“If you feel responsible over my dad, don’t. He was a grown man and he did that to himself.” His words somehow touched my soul. “You’re doing everything you can with what you’ve got to make everything right in the world. Remember that, Mae West.”
Who knew that the best advice during this entire situation would come from a teenage boy?
“I’ll be over later,” was the last thing Jr. said before hanging up.
“I can’t get over how different Happy Trails already looks,” Dottie brought me out of my own thoughts. “The sign turned out real nice.”
She drove the truck underneath the newly painted and hung sign that read HAPPY TRAILS CAMPGROUND at the entrance of the park.
“That’s fantastic.” I turned around and looked out the back window to get another look at from behind. “Thank you for staying,” I read the back.
“Henry and Ty Randal really worked hard on it over the past couple of days.” She pinched a smile. “They wanted to surprise you.”
“That they have.” I turned back around. It wasn’t until I took a long look around the campground until I grasped all the work we really had done.
The mowing, weed eating around all the buildings as well as picking up all the trash really did clean it up. Then the freshly laid sod and the new fountain in the middle of the lake added that campground feeling. The lawn chairs scattered around the water was inviting. Henry was repairing the old dock and Ty was putting in a few of the pedal bo
ats that’d been sitting next to his camper.
He looked up and caught me staring at him. Technically, I wasn’t staring so much at him as the muscles on his shirtless back. The big grin on his face made me think he knew I was staring at him.
I glared back. Only to throw him off.
The office sign had also been hung and the windows to the office looked spic and span.
“Who on earth did all this?” I asked.
“Everyone who lives here chipped in. I sent them all messages that we needed to help out too.” Dottie ceased to amaze me.
By the end of the afternoon, everything on my end was completed. The only thing we had to do in the morning was to get the desserts from the church women, the camp fires going with all the homemade camp food, the kid’s games all set up, and drinks for the Tiki bar, all of which wasn’t on my list of to-dos.
“You’ve got everything you need?” I asked Jr. after he showed up and I took him to the recreation center.
“I’ve got all my tools here.” There was a red ring around his eyes from where it looked like he’d been crying. “Thanks for getting me out of the house. Mom was crying over moving, then she was crying because we’re moving to this apartment in town where I’m going to have to sleep on the couch. Not to mention that I’m not going to the college I want.”
“She’s bringing up all the things that she’s felt and feeling. I understand.” I patted his shoulder. “You just need to give her time.”
“Yeah. That’s what the grief counselor told me.” He shrugged. “I have a customer at the BBQ Joint that has been giving me free therapy for food once a week. It’s been helpful.”
“That’s so great.” I twisted back and forth. “As you can see, I don’t have all the stuff set up yet. Those signs will be hung tomorrow. I will clean up the popcorn machine too. If you want to use that Bourbon barrel for anything, go ahead. If you aren’t doing anything tomorrow, I’d love for you to come and be in charge of the kids who are coming. I’ll pay you.”