Killer Green Tomatoes

by Lynn Cahoon

  “No, I’m fine. I just didn’t sleep very well last night. What about loaded scrambled eggs over country potato hash for breakfast?”

  Mrs. Potter sank back into her chair. “I was going to hard boil eggs with toast. You win.”

  “After breakfast, though, I need to run into town for some groceries. Do you mind?”

  Mrs. Potter opened the paper that the carrier had started delivering to Angie’s place last week when he was told about the temporary move. “I’ll be fine. Sometimes I think you worry as much as Erica.”

  “Can I bring something back for you? Maybe fresh milk and bread since you’ll be having visitors?”

  “That’s a lovely offer.” She grabbed a piece of paper from the middle of the table. “I’ll make you a short list. And I’ve got cash in my purse.”

  “I’m going to feed Precious and Mabel, then I’ll be back in to start breakfast.” Angie filled her cup again and headed outside to the barn. As usual, her hen was out in the yard, hanging around the water faucet. Angie refilled Mabel’s water dish, then threw out corn for her. As Angie entered the barn, Precious ran to the gate and bleated. Angie gave the goat a rub on the top of her head, and then filled her feed dish.

  Glancing out the barn window to make sure Mrs. Potter hadn’t followed her, she dialed Sheriff Brown’s cell. What did that say about her that she knew his cell by heart? Getting voice mail, she left a quick message. “Have you heard anything about Erica? Call me.”

  Tucking her phone back into her pants, she headed inside to cook and make small talk about anything but Mrs. Potter’s granddaughter. Later that morning, she was almost done with the shopping. Mrs. Potter’s few items had turned out to be a half page of things, but Angie didn’t mind. It gave her time to think through what had happened the last week. As she turned the corner, she ran into another cart. “Sorry, wasn’t paying attention.”

  Katherine Elliot smirked at her. “I thought I recognized you. Miss Grace from high school. I can tell you haven’t changed any.”

  “And apparently, neither have you.” Angie went to go around the cart and Katherine blocked her.

  “So what’s it to you if I slept with Javier? From what I heard at church, you already have two men on the line. Why do you want a third?”

  “I don’t have two men on the line. I’m dating one.” She stared at Katherine. “Just one, Ian McNeal. Who told you I was dating someone else?”

  “It’s a small town. You can’t go running around with Estebe and think that people aren’t going to notice.” Katherine smiled, and Angie was reminded of how mean she’d been as a teenager. “Although I wouldn’t mind going a round or two with Estebe if he’s as good as his cousin was. Maybe you could introduce me once you’re done with him?”

  “Again, I’m not dating him.” And two, I wouldn’t introduce you to a stray dog on the street. She said this last part silently because she really didn’t want to get in a fight with Katie Huff from high school, even if she was all grown up in this shallow woman’s body. “So you took Javier to that empty apartment.”

  “Friend of mine’s place. I’m watering her plants.”

  Angie didn’t think Katherine had any friends, but she let that one go. “I guess Sheriff Brown talked to you.”

  “Allen and I go way back. He’s such a sweetheart.” She glanced at her watch. “Oops, I’ve got to go. It’s been great catching up with you, but I have a pedicure in ten minutes. Don’t want to be too late, they might try to give away my slot.”

  Angie watched as Katherine rammed her cart into Angie’s, then pushed through to the dairy section. When she reached the edge of the aisle she turned back. “I can’t say it was nice to see you again. I’d like to hope our paths won’t cross for another ten years.”

  And then she was gone, and Angie was left with all the things she wanted to say. Like how much of a jerk Katie, no, Katherine was and how she’d grown up just fine even though Katie and her gang had tormented her for years. She took a deep breath. This was the downside of living in a small town. Everyone knew your history and your dirty laundry. But if Missy Stockwell didn’t stop telling people that Angie was two-timing Ian with Estebe, well, she would have to do something about it.

  Angie was still fuming as she loaded the bags of groceries in her car. Even the checker’s sunny banter hadn’t gotten her out of the bad mood. As soon as she started the car, her phone rang. “What?”

  “Wow, did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed or what?” Felicia sounded almost gleeful.

  “Sorry. I just had a run-in with my high school nemesis. I really would have loved it if the girl had gained a few pounds and wore sweats to the store, but no, she looks like she’s had work done on the top part of her and she was dressed in what I’m pretty sure was Marc Jacobs. Who wears designer clothes to grocery shop?” Angie started the car to turn on the air conditioner, but didn’t pull out of her parking spot.

  “Hmm, I think she might have some image issues if she’s that dressed up before ten and not at the day job. Unless she’s a salesperson. Maybe that’s why she was so dressed up?”

  Angie could hear Felicia’s pondering about the reason Katherine looked like a big boss in some corporate office, but really, Angie didn’t care. She blew out a breath. Staying away from the girl had worked as a teenager; she’d just have to implement that strategy now as well. Which would get her out of attending Ian’s Sunday school class. She really liked sleeping in on Sunday since closing the restaurant on Saturday night took every ounce of energy she had. “Anyway, why did you call? I’ve got groceries in the car, so I need to get going.”

  “You won’t believe who I met last night.”

  Now Angie did pull out of the parking spot. “Okay, you can tell me while I’m driving home.”

  “Actually, I think you’ll want to hear this directly from me. Besides, I videotaped our conversation. You need to see this.”

  “You what? Isn’t that illegal?” Angie turned the car right out of the parking lot and drove past the road that would have taken her home. Maybe this investigation thing was getting too dicey. If Felicia got arrested for taping a conversation, she’d never forgive herself for starting her down this path.

  “Not when the other person knows about it.” She sighed, and Angie knew she was testing Felicia’s patience. “Just come by my apartment. I’ll leave the back door unlocked for you.”

  Angie started to answer but realized Felicia had already hung up on her. This was serious. One, her friend was frustrated with her over a minuscule comment and two, she never just hung up. She glanced in the rearview mirror at the bags of food. The only good thing was she didn’t have any ice cream in the bags and she’d repacked the frozen and refrigerated items together in a cooler bag she kept in the back of the SUV for bigger trips to the warehouse store in Boise.

  She parked the car, hitting the fob to remote lock it, and jogged up the few stairs to the back door. As promised, it was unlocked, but as soon as she went inside, she locked it again. With a murder just down the alleyway, Angie wanted to make sure that her friend was safe in the building.

  Felicia was waiting for her at the top of the stairs. “This will only take a few minutes, I promise.”

  Angie followed her into the apartment and Felicia waved her to the couch. “I’m sorry I’m a grump. That girl always knew just how to push my buttons.”

  “Don’t let her in your head. You’re a strong, capable woman. Don’t let the past overwhelm that.” Felicia fiddled with her phone and then pushed a button on the screen. “Watch this.”

  “Hi, Felicia’s friend! I’m Thomas Post, and I understand you’ve seen one of my productions as Jerry Reno. Or at least you’ve been looking for my alter ego.” He grinned at someone off screen.

  “Is this for real?” Angie lifted her gaze to meet Felicia’s.

  She nodded. “It’s real all right. Keep watch
ing. What he says next is crazy but makes a weird sort of sense.”

  Turning back to the video, Angie focused on Thomas’s message.

  “Anyway, I’m sorry to hear about Heather. She was a sweet girl. Easy to get to know, but man, was she hung up on that Javier guy. I guess the person who hired me to seduce her wanted her to know there were other fish in the sea.” He shrugged and glanced at what Angie assumed was Felicia holding the camera.

  “Go on,” the unseen Felicia, who must have been positioned in front of the guy, prodded.

  “Okay, sorry, I’ll try to make this short. I’ve had a couple of beers so I’m a little buzzed. Anyway, my agent got a call about this gig and gave me a picture of Heather. She told me where to find her and to flirt with her. I didn’t have to actually do anything, let’s get that straight. I don’t have sex for money, unless someone’s paying big film money. Then I would.” He giggled.

  “Actors,” Angie muttered.

  “All I was supposed to do was make her think there was a chance between us. And it was easy since that jerk had taken off with some blonde moments before. I saw my chance, jumped in, and we had a great time. I had to leave at midnight since I had an open casting the next morning, but we exchanged numbers—well, I gave her Jerry’s fake number. And then I left.”

  “And she was still in the bar then?”

  “Yep. Alive and well. You can ask anyone at the bar. Well, maybe the bartender. By that time, people were getting a little sloppy.” He grinned. “And the next morning, I nailed the audition. I’m heading up to Vancouver in the morning to shoot a pilot. It’s just a made-for-television thing, but you gotta start somewhere Wish me luck.”

  The video ended and Angie handed the phone back to Felicia. “Jerry Reno was hired to flirt with Heather?”

  “And get this, his agent got the booking from an online request. He was paid standard actor fees and the funds were dropped off in cash at his agent’s office. The secretary thought it was a video packet when it showed up on her desk. She claims she went to the bathroom and it was there when she came back.”

  “And no one thought this was weird?” Angie shook her head. “Why would someone hire a guy to be nice to Heather?”

  “Actually, the way the instructions were written, he was supposed to get between her and Javier, one way or the other. Since he’d already taken off with Katherine, all Thomas had to be was a shoulder to cry on.” Felicia glanced at her phone and tossed it gently on the coffee table. “He was at the Foothills Bar last night when I met a friend for drinks. He says if he gets this television thing, he’s dumping the local show, by the way. I know you were dying to know that piece of industry gossip.”

  “How long did you have to be nice to him in order to get that statement?” Angie could see her friend had been annoyed with the guy.

  “Too long. My friend took off after the first round of drinks. Man, that guy likes to talk about himself.” She adjusted a pillow on the chair where she sat. “I don’t get it. What’s the point?”

  “To help Heather realize she deserved better than Javier?” All of a sudden, Angie knew who might have hired Thomas. “That sounds like something a friend would do.”

  “Definitely. I’d do something that stupid if I thought you weren’t thinking straight.” Felicia narrowed her eyes. “Wait, you know who it was that hired him?”

  Angie nodded. “I do, and so do you. I just don’t know why.”

  Chapter 18

  Angie tried to call Hope on the way home, but she only got voice mail. “Call me when you get this. I need to talk to you.”

  She hoped the sternness in her voice would get the young woman to call, sooner rather than later. Sheriff Brown had been looking at Thomas Post as a possible suspect when really, all he was doing was giving Heather some time and a boost in her self-esteem. “At least she died happy,” Angie said as she pulled into the driveway.

  An unknown car sat near the door, and as she got out of her car, a woman came out of the house with a box. “You must be Angie. So good to meet you. I can’t believe I’ve never really talked to you in all the years Donald and I have been married.”

  “What’s going on?” The woman clearly knew who Angie was, but Angie didn’t have a clue.

  “Oh, we’re just moving Harriet back across the street. We have at least five hours before Erica’s plane lands, so we might as well put the time to good use rather than sitting at the airport fretting.” The woman put the box into the trunk. “You don’t remember me, do you? I’m Robin, Donald’s wife? Erica’s mother?”

  Memories flooded back to Angie as she stared at the woman. “I didn’t recognize you. What has it been? Five, maybe ten years?”

  “I don’t think I’ve seen you since you went off to college. Your Nona was always bragging about how well you were doing in California. And now you have your own place here in town.” Robin reached out and pulled Angie into a hug. “Thank you so much for taking care of Harriet. I was so worried that she’d be beside herself when she found out about Erica. And then to find out she didn’t know, that was such a blessing.”

  “You didn’t tell her, did you?” Angie’s eyes widened. Mrs. Potter was going to be really, really mad at her if they’d told her everything.

  Robin glanced at the door. “We didn’t mean to, but Donald was so upset, and when he got the call from Sheriff Brown, well, he just broke down in front of her. So we had to explain.”

  “I would have thought that you would have respected me enough not to hide something like this from me, Angela Turner.” Mrs. Potter stood at the kitchen door staring at her. “I’m truly disappointed in you.”

  “Mrs. Potter, we didn’t know what was going on, and I didn’t want to worry you.” Angie took a couple of steps toward her, but Mrs. Potter’s icy stare stopped her from climbing the steps to the porch.

  “I’m neither an invalid nor a child.” She moved toward the car. “You should have let me deal with my feelings on my own. Thank you for the place to stay. I’ll be going home now.”

  Angie could hear the goodbye in her words. She didn’t know if her neighbor would ever forgive her. She watched as Robin helped Mrs. Potter into their car.

  Robin paused before she got into the front seat and looked up apologetically. “I’m sure Erica will be glad to see you when we get her home. Her flight is coming in around seven tonight. I know you must have been worried about her. I’d explain, but Mother seems to be in a hurry.”

  “Thanks for letting me know that Erica’s okay and coming home.” Angie stood on the porch as the car made the short trip across the street. Mrs. Potter didn’t look back; instead, she marched right into the house as soon as the car stopped. Dom whined deep in his throat. “I know, boy. I messed up on this one.”

  She stepped off the stairs and went to the barn to feed Precious and Mabel. After the chores were done, she sank down on her knees next to the goat’s pen and petted her. Dom lay down next to her and put his head in her lap. This was her family. A dog that full grown would be as big as a barrel, a goat that loved eating her way through random items that wound up in her pen, and a hen named Mabel who judged every move Angie made.

  Her phone rang. She answered without looking at the screen. “Yep?”

  “Angie? Are you okay?” Hope’s voice echoed in the big, empty barn.

  She stood and brushed the straw off her butt. “I’m fine. You just caught me in the middle of a pity party. I’m glad you called back. Why don’t you meet me for dinner tonight? I need to talk to you.”

  “Sure, but we could just do it now.” Hope’s voice quavered.

  “No, let’s talk at dinner.” Angie started walking toward the house. “What about seven at the Farmer’s Pig in Meridian? I’ve always wanted to try that place out.”

  “One of the culinary students in my pastry class last semester is interning there. I’d love to go.” Hope paused
for a beat, and Angie wondered if they’d gotten disconnected. “Are you sure you’re okay, though?”

  “Fit as a fiddle.” Angie threw one last glace at Mrs. Potter’s house across the road as she went inside to shower and get ready.

  * * * *

  Angie sat on a bench in front of the restaurant waiting for Hope to arrive. She was ten minutes early, and the smells coming from the restaurant behind her were making her mouth water. The place was known for its barbecue and down-home Southern cooking, right in the banana belt of Idaho.

  Hope walked down the sidewalk toward her. She was dressed in a floral sundress with her hair pulled back into a ponytail. She looked younger than her years, but Angie saw the concern in her eyes as she greeted her. Angie knew, without a doubt, that Hope thought she was here to be fired.

  Angie gave her a quick hug to try to ease her fears. The way Hope had stiffened up, Angie thought she might have just made it worse. “Let’s go eat. I’m starving.”

  The hostess quickly seated them, and they had dinner rolls and butter in front of them in what seemed like seconds. Angie glanced around. “Felicia should come here. Their service is amazing.”

  Water glasses were set and filled and a server in a white button-down shirt and black pants handed them two menus. “Our specials today are the rib eye steak—Idaho grown beef—and a loaded Idaho spud to go with it. Of course, you can substitute any of our other sides. And we have a trout from the Marsing farm, pan fried with freshly cut French fries. Take your time and let me know if you have questions. Can I get you something to drink besides water?”

  Angie ordered a glass of wine, but when she looked at Hope, the girl shook her head. “Iced tea, please.”

  When the server left the table, Angie focused on her menu. “Do you drink, Hope?”

  “Not a lot. We sometimes have wine with dinner at home, but I’ve got a lot to do tonight after dinner. I picked up my books and syllabus from school today. I need to get a head start on the homework if I’m going to be able to keep up.”