I laughed. “I’ll be there in a bit. Can we talk when I get there? I don’t want you standing around here any longer than you have to, but I’d like to wait for the plumber.”
“That’s fine, sweetie. I’m going to grab me some sweet tea at Millie’s and head on back. You get there when you can, and I’ll have the conference room all ready for you.”
“Thank you.”
Belle and Matthew headed out, to where I wasn’t sure, but I told her I’d wait for the plumber since she’d already suffered through the stink long enough.
Dylan used Belle’s scarf to cover his face. I mentioned how it was quite fashionable on him. The pinks blended well with the browns in his uniform.
“Thank you. Our security guys are delayed. They’ll be here in a few hours. Sorry about that.”
“No, it’s okay. I wouldn’t want them working here with this smell anyway. It might kill them.”
“I should send them a text and tell them to bring their Hazmat suits just in case.”
“You’re funny.”
“So, how’d it go with Caroline?”
I detailed our conversation, and he wasn’t upset like I thought he’d be. In fact, he was proud of how I’d handled it. “I’m glad you two worked things out, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still be cautious.”
“I was honestly taken aback by the things she said at first. She’s so bitter and so angry, and then the next minute she’s crying and apologizing.”
“Angry enough to murder two people?”
“I honestly don’t know.” My eyes watered but not because of the subject of our conversation, because of the smell. “One minute I think it’s possible, but then I think no, it can’t be. I mean, she’s been taking Ambien so clearly she’s not sleeping, and God only knows what that’s doing to her.”
“How do you know it’s Ambien she’s taking?”
“I saw William, too. He told me. I guess his mom has a huge prescription collection, and they’ve been giving Caroline stuff because she’s been struggling lately. First it was Xanax, but she hasn’t been sleeping, so they gave her Ambien.”
“So, it’s not Caroline’s prescription?”
“Nope. Why?”
“Because the preliminary reports say Ambien was the drug found in Heather’s stomach.”
“Oh, no.” I leaned back onto my desk. “But wait. If Caroline’s taking her mother-in-law’s prescription, then wouldn’t that mean that she’s getting it from—”
“William.”
“Oh, thank God.”
He raised his eyebrow. “Um?”
“That means Caroline didn’t kill my friends.” Then it hit me. “Or that she did.”
“There you go.”
“I’m so confused.”
“I know it’s confusing.”
“It is, but there’s more to it than that.”
He pressed his lips together. “Care to share?”
I filled him in on my entire conversation with William and specifically, what I said about secrets in a small town.
“Lily, you can’t be going around trying to get people to talk like that. The more involved you are, the more you’re putting yourself at risk.”
“These are my friends. I can’t not be involved.” I paused when a tall man in a gray uniform walked in carrying a tool box.
“Oh, I smell a sewage issue goin’ on here. Where’s the pot? I’ll take me a look.”
I pointed toward the back. “That way.”
He dipped his head. “Thank you, ma’am.” As he passed me, he handed me his card. “Names Bobby Graves. Taking over for the local plumber. Can’t remember his name now, but uh, I’m here in his place. Why don’t you go on and get yourself a coffee or something? From the smell a things ‘round here, my guess is this is going to take a while.” He nodded to Dylan. “Sheriff.”
Dylan nodded back. “Mr. Graves.”
I thanked him, gave him my card and asked him to call once he knew what needed to be done. I also gave him the number for our landlord whose office was next door.
“I’ll assess the situation and get with you in a bit. Don’t you worry yourself none. It’ll be fine I’m sure,” he said.
I hoped he was as sure as he sounded.
“Let me drive you to the library,” Dylan said.
“I have my car. I can drive.”
“I’d like to talk more about William.”
The thing was, I didn’t. I’d already told him the entire conversation, and I’d reached my done level. I needed to hit the gym—something I hadn’t done in forever—and cycle out some of the stress building up inside me or it was going to explode. “I’m not even going to the library yet. I’m going to the gym first. I need to destress before I go crazy.”
“Okay. Let me know when you’re back at the library.”
“Can’t your deputy on my tail tell you?”
He glared at me. “Just send me a text or something, okay?”
I nodded as he climbed into his car.
* * *
An hour and a half later I still hadn’t heard from the substitute plumber, so I left a message for the office landlord and headed over to the library. Ellie Jean had been worried, and I apologized for not letting her know I’d gone to exercise.
“Oh sweetie, I understand. You’ve been under so much stress lately. Look at you, you’re a hot mess.”
I thought I’d pulled myself together okay after the spin class, but apparently not.
“How about I get you set up in the conference room again, and then I’ll just run over to Millie’s right quick and get you a sweet tea and a scone or something to hold you over until supper.”
I had to admit, being catered to was heavenly. “Thank you, Ellie Jean, that would be lovely.”
“It’s no problem at all.”
“Hey, has Belle been here yet?”
Ellie Jean turned before leaving the conference room. “Oh yes. She and that deputy were here, but they left to run some errands, she said. Told me to tell you she’d be back in later in the afternoon and not to worry.” She waved as she left.
“Thank you.” I unpacked my bag and set myself up in the familiar room. I checked my emails and followed up on a few client issues, handled some housekeeping details and then sat there and replayed the last few days over and over in my head.
First Savannah then Heather, both with connections far and deep. Add myself and Belle as potential victims and I had no idea what to think, but take us out of the picture, and the story wasn’t too detailed, the possible killers only a few.
I played the game. Why would someone want the four of us dead? And could Caroline be added as a fifth? What in our pasts could justify our deaths so many years later?
I couldn’t think of anything, not one single thing. Sure, I wasn’t perfect, far from it, actually, but I couldn’t recall ever doing anything to intentionally hurt anyone, or ever being involved in anything that made me guilty by association. And Belle? No, she wasn’t perfect either, but the same went for her. Both of us were raised by strong parents that lived life by a certain set of rules, and we’d lived by those rules, too. I couldn’t say the same for certain about Heather, Savannah, or even Caroline, but that didn’t mean they deserved to die.
Nobody deserved to be murdered.
I worried, for the most part, that my conversation with William put me at more risk than anything I might have done in my past. I’d told him I suspected him of sleeping with both Savannah and Heather, and even though he denied both, if they were true, he knew I suspected it. Then I had to make it worse for myself by telling him secrets got around in Bramblett County. So, basically, I threw myself under the bus. And Belle, too, since she also saw him with Heather.
I called Belle to let her know what I’d done, but her phone went straight to voicemail, so I sent her a text message, and she didn’t respond. I called her again and left her a message. “Belle, call me as soon as you get this, please.”
Ellie Jean
came in with a to-go cup of sweet tea and a bag with a treat from Millie’s. “Here you go sweetie. This ought to do you right until you can get home and get something in your stomach.”
At first I just sipped the sweet tea, but I ended up guzzling half of it down. I hadn’t realized how thirsty I was. “Thank you. I guess I needed this.”
“Oh, sweetie, you definitely needed it. When you have a chance, I’d like to bring you by my place to show you what I’ve done to get it ready to list with you and Belle. I mentioned it to her, and she said she’d be able to come by after work today. Will that work for you? I can have my assistant close the library if necessary.”
I had hoped to start working with new clients after everything settled down, but it appeared Ellie Jean wasn’t interested in waiting, and I probably could use the distraction. “What time does it close? I’ll probably only work until six, but I have to get Bo at doggy daycare.” I yawned. “I could probably meet you at your place around sevenish?”
“That would be wonderful. The library closes at six tonight, so I’ll run home and clean up a bit and meet you there.”
“Okay.”
“You know where I live, right?”
“I sure do.”
“Well then, I best be getting some things done before I head out,” she said.
I finished the scone and the last of the sweet tea a few minutes after Ellie Jean left. I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes. The days since Savannah’s murder had taken their toll. I was give slap out. Just completely exhausted, I needed to sleep like the dead.
I tried calling Belle one more time, but she still didn’t answer. I yawned again. I really needed a cup of coffee. The sugar and caffeine in the tea weren’t enough. I knew Ellie Jean had coffee somewhere in the library, so I headed out to the main area and bumped right into William. I hit him so hard, I nearly fell over.
“Hey, steady there, Lilybit.” He held me up. “You okay?”
“Yes, I’m…I’m just really tired.” I found my balance. “What’re you doing here?”
He held a vanilla file folder up. “Making copies. Our printer is broken, and it just didn’t feel right going to Savannah’s parent’s company, even though they don’t own it anymore. So, I’m here, using the copier.”
“For free?”
“No, we have an agreement with the board. You know my dad’s on it, right?
I yawned again. What was wrong with me? “Yes, I think Ellie Jean mentioned that the other day.”
“We can use the printers and computers here whenever we want. Computers are free, but we get a bill for the printing at the end of the month.”
“Oh, got it.” William’s face blurred. I didn’t feel well.
“Let’s just hope the flyers are okay. The Armstrong’s usually make them, but I did it myself this time.” He pulled one out of the folder. “Can you let me know what you think?”
I glanced at the flyer, and even though I was exhausted, and the flyer seemed a little blurry, I recognized the font immediately. It was the one on the note left on Savannah’s door. The same one Dylan said was used to type Hannah’s fake suicide note, and the one on the note left at my house. “Did you say you made this? On your computer?”
“Yes, I made it, but not on my computer. I made it here, at the library. On the rental computers. Easier to print that way.”
“May I have one?”
“Of the flyers? Sure.” He handed me one.
“Thanks. Hey, I hate to rush off, but I need to go.” I struggled to keep my balance.
He grabbed my arm. “You sure you’re okay? Let me help you. Where you going?”
I didn’t want his help. The flyer. The pills. It all made sense. He killed them. He killed Heather and Savannah. I yanked my arm from his grip. “No, I’m…I’m okay.” I lost my balance and steadied myself against the front desk. “I…I’m fine.” I found my way back to the conference room and called Dylan, but it went straight to voicemail.
The last thing I remember was whispering Dylan’s name into my phone.
Chapter 13
I woke up in a cold, dark room, sitting in a chair with my legs and hands tied tightly behind my back. I wiggled both my feet and hands but neither budged.
“If you would have minded your own business, the two of you wouldn’t be here right now. I never had a problem with you two, and I hate that I’m going to have to kill you.”
“Ellie Jean? Where’s William?”
“Oh, don’t you go and worry about that boy. He’ll be fine. The lump on his head’ll hurt for a bit, but I’m sure his momma’s got something in that cabinet of hers to fix him right up.” She laughed. “You ought to be worried about you and your friend here though, not anyone else.”
“Belle? Are you here?”
I’m here, Lily. I’m okay.”
“Oh my gosh,” I cried. “I was wrong, Belle. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay, Lily. This isn’t your fault.”
Ellie Jean laughed. “Oh, sweetie, it most certainly is. If she’d just kept her nose out of it all, neither of you would be in this predicament, and come to think of it, neither would I. But here we are, and now I have to clean up this mess.”
I needed to hear it from her. “Did you kill them? Did you kill Savannah and Heather, Ellie Jean?”
“Bless your sweet little heart, of course I did. A momma’s got to do what she can to protect her baby, and that’s what I did.”
“What? Why? I don’t understand.” If she planned to kill me, I planned to die knowing why.
“You know why, Lily. They bullied my daughter, and that Savannah stole the competition cheerleading spot from her, and then Heather took her boyfriend, that handsome young man, Austin Emmerson.”
“Austin? Faith didn’t even know him,” Belle said.
“Oh, she sure did. She went to church camp with him in high school, and they dated that entire summer after your senior year. Until he broke up with her for that floozy, that is.”
“I had no idea,” I said.
“No, you wouldn’t have, because Faith wasn’t important to any of you. You didn’t even notice her, did you? She always said you were nice to her, but I told her just because you didn’t bully her didn’t mean you were being nice. She needed to learn the difference.”
“So, you killed Savannah and Heather because of cheerleading and a guy?” Belle asked.
“A mother’s love knows no limits.” She sighed. “Well, at first I was just going to frame Heather for Savannah’s murder, but I decided she played a big part in my daughter’s misfortune, too, so I killed her.” The matter-of-fact tone of her voice sent shivers up and down my spine.
“When I saw Savannah, and I heard how upset everyone was that she was back in town, and I saw Caroline pitch her fit at Millie’s, and I saw Austin while on my nightly walk the night before your class started, I just knew I had to do something. I figured it was the perfect time. I called Faith and told her Savannah was back in town, and she filled me in on what had happened between you girls, so I made me the perfect little plan. And that’s exactly what it was, perfect.” She laughed, a wicked, snicker-like sound.
“How did Faith know what happened at Georgia?”
“Honey, there are no secrets in Bramblett County.”
I seriously hated that expression. “You don’t need to keep Belle here, Ellie Jean. You can let her go. It’s me that you want anyway. I’m the one that’s been asking questions. I’m the one that’s been trying to find out who killed Savannah and Heather.”
“That’s not true,” Belle said. “I’ve been trying, too. Don’t let her fool you, Ellie Jean. I’m as responsible for this as Lily.”
“Oh, heavens, look at you two, protecting each other like best girlfriends should. Why, if my Faith would have had a friend like that, we might not be in this mess now, would we?”
I stomped my feet on the ground, hoping the sound would help me guess where we were, but it didn’t. I tried to focus, but my eyes j
ust couldn’t adjust to the dark. Ellie Jean had drugged me, and though the drugs had worn off some, I still felt them working through my system. My vision wasn’t quite clear, and my head was surrounded by a thin fog.
I focused all of my energy on the area around me. I could see outlines of things, but nothing clear enough to determine anything familiar. Maybe shelving, but I wasn’t sure. A stock room? I calmed my breathing and inhaled through my nose. Cleaning products. I smelled cleaning products. A storage closet maybe? In the library? “Where are we?” I yelled loud enough to see if my voice echoed, hoping to determine the size of the room.
Ellie Jean laughed.
I yelled again. “Where are we, Ellie Jean?” No echo. The room was small, so it had to be some kind of storage room.
“We’re at the library, silly. What did you think I’d do, drag you out of here after drugging you? I’m getting on in years, I don’t want to throw my back out. Lord knows it was hard enough having to take care of Savannah the way I did.”
“Care to explain exactly what that was? If you’re going to kill us, you could at least let us die knowing how this whole thing went down.”
I heard the anger in Belle’s voice, and I silently wished for her to calm down. The last thing we needed was for Ellie Jean to get angry and react.
“Oh, sweetie, it was like the Lord sent me a sign and told me what I needed to do.”
“I don’t think the Lord told you to murder two people,” Belle said.
“You don’t know how the Lord speaks to me.”
“Belle, don’t,” I begged.
“When you girls had your first day of class, and Heather walked in with that red jacket, I remembered seeing Austin the night before in one just like that. I knew I’d have to get me one of those to make it look like Heather or Austin killed Savannah, but I didn’t think one would drop in my lap the way it did.
When the girls started in on their cat fight, Heather took hers off and threw it over her chair. Do you remember that? You probably don’t. You all were so busy trying to keep everyone calm.” She laughed. “I was there, but no one paid me one bit of attention. I just walked over to Heather’s seat and swiped that jacket right off the back of the chair and scooted right out of the conference room without anyone noticing. Later that afternoon I went to the craft store and picked me up a small tube of that red paint she couldn’t stop talking about so I could put it all over the house. The sticky notes though, those were a bonus. I didn’t realize you’d have those there, and they were the perfect place to add a little artistic touch, a way to frame the artist.” She laughed again. “I’m proud of that.”
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