by Cathy Tully
The room was dim, and Billy shoved the boxes off with a heave of the handle. Susannah peered in behind him, taking stock of the unit, but her spying was cut short as he swiftly exited, shoving the door closed behind him. He hustled back to Marcie, who poked her head in from the alley.
“I’m coming,” he said, oblivious to Susannah, who rushed ahead of the hand truck, which moments before had held forty-pound boxes of chicken wings. It nipped at her heels.
“Billy,” Marcie barked.
“I said, I’m coming.”
Susannah backed away.
“Watch out for Susannah.”
Billy stopped in his tracks, his face flushed, glaring at Marcie. He gave Susannah a sidelong glance, as if seeing her for the first time. “I’m so sorry, Doc.” He picked up the bottom of his apron and wiped his face with it. “I’m rushing, trying to get this done.”
“Well, stop rushing,” Marcie snapped, “and pay attention to what you’re doing. I didn’t open the restaurant early so we could get sued.”
Billy inclined the hand truck toward Marcie, who stepped back, nodding an apology to Susannah.
“No problem,” Susannah said, returning Marcie’s nod and hightailing it out of the kitchen. She didn’t know how the couple could run a business together. Billy had always seemed like an easygoing guy, but he was clearly agitated. Marcie could be so demanding and unpleasant that it had to be hell working with her. According to Zach, they had disagreements in front of him, and this morning Billy was so frantic to get the boxes stowed that he practically ran Susannah down with a hand truck.
Bitsy sidled up to her, licking butter off her finger. “Why you looking so deep in thought?”
Susannah explained what Zach had told her about the freezer arrangement and what she had seen. “Something’s not right.”
“I’ll tell you what’s not right,” Bitsy said, glancing into the kitchen. “Running your man like he was a pack animal. It’s no wonder he ran off to another woman’s freezer.”
Using the other freezer simply didn’t make sense. Why would a businessperson do such an illogical thing? She would have to find the time to speak to Tomás. Maybe he would have some answers about that. And there was still the question of whether he was stealing. That wasn’t something she could ask him point blank.
Susannah started when Marcie called the meeting to order with a bang of the gavel. The Independence Day Festival was only a few days off, and she was not surprised that Bitsy got her wish of running a peach pie-eating contest.
Bitsy stood and twirled with delight, bowing to the room. Marcie’s green eyes darkened as she gave Bitsy a scathing look. Bitsy sat and muttered to Susannah, “It’s never too early to get the stink eye from that woman.”
Susannah nodded. Her gaze had not left the kitchen as Billy loitered in the rear of the building, putting away the delivery items and tidying up. As last-minute details were finalized and the meeting adjourned, Susannah was weighted with a list of people she still needed to see. Time was ticking away, and the more information she collected, the more questions she had.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
“Steady, Ginger!”
Susannah sat perched atop a horse, thighs quivering, feet locked into the stirrups. A drop of sweat trickled down her back despite the coolness of the morning. An incident of vandalism at the stable had prompted her decision to return for riding lessons, but concern for Tina and anticipation of a meeting with Dolores clouded her thoughts and added to her anxiety.
She had contacted Dolores, impatient to uncover the details about Anita’s health and medication use. She needed facts to build a logical case and not rely on what Detective Withers would view as a far-fetched story. However, that plan would have to wait, as Dolores was busy at school and not available until Thursday afternoon.
She grasped the reins and shivered.
The image of Tina lying in the hospital haunted her. Susannah knew in her gut that whoever had poisoned Anita was responsible for Tina’s medical crisis, but the doctors had denied any connection. They had diagnosed Tina with a heart arrhythmia, which caused a severe drop in blood pressure. There was also concern that her kidneys were under stress because of her pregnancy, and she remained in the hospital under observation. Keith had not left her side, and everyone was grateful that the arrhythmia had not affected the baby.
She could not let Tina down, and she fought to silence the voices in her head, which told her she was inept and lacked investigative experience. She had to solve this case before more people were hurt.
She turned her attention back to her lesson and Destiny, who had replaced Hayle as her guide and teacher. Fiona had given Hayle time off to purchase new tires since her car had been one of several vandalized. Randy thought the attack was the work of teenaged mischief-makers and not connected to Anita’s murder, but Susannah was not so sure. And now, she had her rear clamped into this saddle to make sure her fondness for Fiona didn’t influence her judgment. She had to wonder if Fiona could be the connection to the murderer. Had she missed a clue when she was here last? She was determined to find out.
The horse shifted, and she squeezed her knees, undaunted. As she had hoped, only when she got a leg up to mount the animal did she feel any dizziness. She glanced down. Practicing perfect posture was the easy part. Hiding her anxiety from Destiny was not.
Destiny took the reins from her but could not hide the pity in her eyes. “Dr. Shine,” she said, leading the horse around the ring, “you need to relax and go with the movement. Ginger is our most gentle horse. In fact, the other day I noticed how careful he is around the barn cat.”
Susannah smiled. She was no cat. She was a big, quivering mess, and the horse knew it. For the next fifteen minutes, Destiny coaxed Susannah around the ring with promises of a quick lesson and a painless dismount. Susannah visualized a hot latte as her reward, like the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. She even envisioned an act of ultimate self-sacrifice: she would give Ginger a nice, crunchy apple.
Fiona exited the barn, leading a large gelding. He was bigger than Ginger and he strode, tossing his head. He lifted one hoof, and Susannah blanched. The movement looked like an equine gang sign.
“This is Shadow,” Fiona said, as if the two-ton beast could have a comic book name imposed on him.
Susannah’s hands quivered, but she camouflaged the movement by grasping the horn of the saddle. Ginger lifted his chin and shook his head, exposing his large teeth. Step off, he seemed to say to Shadow, this gelatinous human is mine. Susannah sighed.
“Ginger likes you,” Fiona observed, nodding at Destiny, who threw the reins up over Ginger’s head. They slid down his neck, and Susannah grabbed them with a confidence she didn’t feel. I guess I have to fake it till I make it. Ginger stomped a foot in agreement.
“Destiny tells me you’ve done well on Ginger.” She gave Shadow a gentle swat with the reins.
Susannah gaped at Destiny. “Well, I—”
“You’re doin’ fine. Let’s walk. We can talk in private.”
“I have to get back to the office.” All thoughts of crime-solving had evaporated.
“Nonsense. It’s a beautiful morning. You want to learn to ride, don’t ya?”
Susannah said nothing, ashamed of how much she wanted to be at her desk sipping coffee and eating a warm muffin.
Fiona led Ginger outside a gate. The entrance to the Long Branch Stable was a dirt road, abutted on both sides by a wooden fence. The fence’s large planks, painted dark brown to match the trim on the barn, gave the stable a tidy, well-kept look. The campus had a neat, rustic feel to it, and Susannah understood why Fiona loved it so much. The air was still and quiet, and there was a fullness to the day that was different here. The paddock they occupied was used to groom and saddle the horses. It was separated from an even larger arena where show horses trained in jumping. The jumping ring held the typical obstacles a competition horse must face, like fences, bales of hay, and pools of water. Susannah praye
d that Ginger didn’t have hopes of flying over fences.
“I read about Tina Cawthorn on Facebook,” said Fiona. “How is she doing?”
“She’s still in the hospital. The doctors say she’s stable.”
“I hope she gets better.”
“Thank you.” Susannah took a breath. She didn’t want to get derailed. “I’m here because I wanted to ask about the vandalism. I know the police don’t think it’s related to Anita’s death, but I’m curious. What do you think?”
“I’m not sure what to think. I have to admit, I felt some relief after Anita died. While she was alive, there was no guarantee that she wouldn’t get a bug up her bum and cause me trouble just for spite.” She patted Shadow’s side. “But now I’m wondering if it was all for naught.”
Susannah watched her, curious. Fiona stared off into the distance. Why was she relieved that Anita was dead? Could this mean she was involved with Anita’s death? “What was all for naught?”
“All the worrying I did. But who knows? Maybe she already let it slip about us, and someone wants me to know they don’t agree with my lifestyle.” She regarded Susannah. “Other than that, I can’t make heads nor tails of it. Why would someone come all the way out here to slash tires unless they had a personal reason?”
Susannah had to agree. The Long Branch Stable was far enough off the beaten path that no one would happen upon it by chance. It had to be personal, and that made her think it was connected to Anita’s death. The problem was figuring out how. “Fiona, what kind of car did Anita drive?”
“She had a Toyota. Why do you ask?”
“Colin told me he saw her get into a dark blue sedan.”
Fiona shrugged. “She never drove a sedan that I saw. She had a red two-door. A Solara, I think. It was older, but she loved it because it was a convertible.”
Susannah tried to picture it. She must have seen it in the parking lot of the Cantina, but she drew a blank. “Did she ever mention her suspicion that Tomás was stealing from her?”
“No. Who told you he was stealing?” She tugged on the reins, holding Shadow steady. “I think I would have heard about that.”
“Olivia mentioned it. She said Anita had an inventory problem.”
Fiona shrugged. “Maybe it was just an error. Believe me, if it was on Anita’s mind, she would have been ranting about it.”
Susannah said nothing. Perhaps it had been some kind of counting error. She wasn’t sure it mattered anymore. Since Dolores was inheriting the restaurant, how would Tomás benefit by killing Anita? Could he have killed Anita over some missing liquor? “Did Anita talk about any other relationships?”
“No, I’ve been over this a hundred times in my head. She never mentioned any other lovers, male or female. She always complained about how busy she was. Made herself out to be a martyr for her daughter’s sake.” She patted Shadow’s side again and sighed. “I teased her about it, but I suppose it was true.”
They sat for a moment, and Fiona glanced at her watch. “It’s only eight thirty. How about a quick ride? I promise to have you back at the barn before nine.”
Susannah agreed with a half-hearted thumbs-up. Ginger swished his tail.
Fiona directed Shadow down the path. Ginger tagged along, up a small but steep hill that crested into a field that was delineated only by a barbed wire fence. It went off into the distance toward a line of towering evergreens. Fiona rode closely alongside Ginger and tested Susannah on the basics of equine handling. Once her trembling subsided, Susannah proved an adequate student, and Fiona gave her a smile and then said, “Okay, we’re going to pick up the pace.”
Fiona kicked her heels against Shadow’s side, and he began to trot. Ginger followed along. Susannah bounced hard against the saddle, trying to keep pace as they flew across the fields, the horses’ hooves churning up dust along with clods of yellow grass. The air was pleasant against her face, and the terror that had risen up in her throat turned to exhilaration. She could no longer see the stable, and they passed a row of cedars that stood as neatly as if someone had planted a strip of Christmas trees. Nearing the trees, Shadow slowed and Ginger emulated him. Fiona led Shadow into the shade of the soaring cedars. The humid air smelled of decaying leaves and needles and felt a few degrees cooler. A small trail opened up, and Fiona walked the beasts into the woods, which stretched out behind several houses. Soon they arrived at a small brook. She dismounted and led Shadow to the water. Susannah followed suit and walked alongside Ginger.
“See, that wasn’t so bad. The boys got some exercise, and your blood is pumping.”
Susannah had to agree. “I didn’t realize that anyone lives back here.” She motioned in the direction of the houses she had seen.
“Ya, I don’t own this. My land ends at the tree line.” She pointed in the direction they had been riding. “Except for right behind the barn, I don’t own any of the forested land.” She tilted her head in the opposite direction. “I own fifty acres on the other side of the stable, but this riding is easy and flat. Good for beginners.”
“I appreciate that.”
Ginger placed one leg in front of the other and bowed his head, putting his lips to the stream. Susannah admired his coloring and his gentle bearing. She gave him a tentative pat on the side. “Your neighbors don’t mind them using the stream?”
“Not at all. All this land originally belonged to one family. The owner divided it into parcels years ago so that a niece could build the stable. From what I understand, the homes were built later, and the woods were a kind of shared property. When I bought the stable, they assured me that I could bring the horses in anytime. I try not to take advantage because I have so much acreage. Like I said, it’s an enjoyable ride for a novice.”
Before Susannah could ask another question, she was jolted by a cold wet spray that hit her face. She blinked back drops of muddy water and backed away from the creek. Shadow was in the creek, splashing at the water with a pawing motion, showering the bank and churning up the mud. Fiona gave him a tug on the reins and led him out of the stream. Susannah signaled Ginger, but he continued to drink, unperturbed.
“Uh—” Susannah watched Fiona walk down the path and yanked harder on Ginger’s reins. He looked at her, unimpressed. “I thought we were friends?”
He lifted his head and stepped toward her. Now how will I get back on? She had watched Fiona mount, but she struggled to hold the animal steady. The trees around her began to spin as she threw her leg over his back. Wobbling in the saddle, she gripped the reins, closed her eyes and inhaled, willing the vertigo away. When she opened her eyes, the trees remained stationary. She gave Ginger a kick, grateful that Fiona hadn’t been there to see this display of weakness. She exited the trees upright.
“Are you okay? What took you so long?”
“Oh, Ginger here was a tad thirsty.”
Out of the shade, long tufts of yellow grass grew in disorderly patches between crooked pines and bent cedar trees. The horses chewed on the grasses. Immediately behind them, a row of crepe myrtles formed a line of demarcation between wild untidiness and a groomed yard. Trimmed so that their bare spindly trunks upheld bushy bright pink foliage, they reminded Susannah of bubble gum–colored ice cream cones enticing her in the Georgia sun.
“Ready to head back?”
Strains of “Girl on Fire,” Bitsy’s ringtone, shattered the cool morning air. Susannah yanked her phone from her back pocket to silence it, but not before Shadow pranced away, swinging his head to and fro.
“Stop the music!”
Susannah sent the call to voicemail, staring as Fiona calmed the fidgeting gelding.
“He doesn’t like loud noises.”
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize.”
“I should have asked you to mute your phone.” She shook her head, patting the animal. “But I never get a signal out here.”
Fiona got Shadow under control, and they retraced their route. Susannah felt as though she had been atop Ginger for days and
was pleased to dismount and reacclimate to solid land. Fiona had been right. It wasn’t yet nine, but she felt energized and ready to face her day.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Susannah’s good mood vanished when her Jeep rounded the corner on Piney Grove Road and she spied Detective Withers’s car sitting in her office parking lot.
“Ow!” she cried out as she ground her foot on the brake and simultaneously bit her lip so hard she tasted blood.
The insufferable detective nodded at her, and she considered an escape but decided a confrontation with the woman was inevitable. Susannah grabbed her phone as she parked, sending a quick text to Bitsy: 911! Come quick. With Tina in the hospital and Larraine spending all her free time at Tina’s bedside, she would have no witness unless Bitsy arrived soon.
Detective Withers exited her car and slouched across the parking lot, her hands in her pockets, the morning sun highlighting the few strands of untamed hair that blew about her face. Susannah rolled down the window, one hand clamped onto her phone.
“You’re here early, Doctor,” the detective greeted Susannah, making something innocent sound nefarious. “Getting ready for another day?
“That’s what I do,” Susannah replied lamely. She felt embarrassed using the pat response she and Bitsy shared. It didn’t sound nearly as witty when staring down the countenance of her enemy.
“Mm-hmm,” she said, “I’ve heard about the things you do.” She ran her finger across the hood of the Jeep, leaving a thin curved line in the dust. “You seem to make appearances where some questionable things have happened. You visited Colin Rogers’s auto body shop just after his building was vandalized, then you trot over to the stable just around the time several cars had their tires slashed.” She inhaled and deliberately rubbed her thumb and forefinger together, letting the dirt drop back onto the hood of the Jeep. “Not to mention the more serious crimes that have occurred right here.” She swiped her hands together and came closer to Susannah, narrowing her eyes as she leaned in. “I’m watching you, Doctor. It won’t be long before you trip yourself up, running to and fro, trying to cover your tracks.”