2 A Deadly Beef

by Jessica Beck

  "Now what?" I asked as we headed back out onto the highway. I looked behind us, and there were obvious muddy tire-tracks coming from the direction of where we’d nearly gotten stuck, but the road itself wasn’t all that pristine, so I hoped that no one noticed them.

  "I’m not entirely sure what we should do next," Moose said.

  "We could try to find Penny and Jan," I suggested.

  "No, let’s leave them both alone, at least for now. If Penny was telling us the truth, we need to give them some distance to work things out."

  "Then what does that leave us to do?"

  "We could always go back to the diner until we think of something else. I’ll tell you what. I’m going to get on the phone when we get back to The Charming Moose and ask a few old friends about Wally Bain. Maybe they’ll be able to come up with another lead we can follow."

  "It’s worth a shot," I said, "but we have to hit the carwash along the way. Your truck is a mess."

  "I don’t know; I kind of like it. The mud just gives it character, don’t you think?" Moose asked.

  "I refuse to answer that question one way or the other, but do we really want anyone to know that it was us driving through the woods on that poor excuse for a road? If we wash your truck, and do it fast, anybody who sees those tracks will just think that it was kids out joyriding instead of us trying to get back to Wally’s farm."

  "I see your point," Moose acknowledged. "Besides, Martha won’t be pleased if I park it in front of our place covered in mud like it is now."

  After we washed the truck, a job that took both of us, my grandfather and I headed back to the diner.

  To my delight, Rebecca Davis, attorney and friend extraordinaire, was there waiting for me at The Charming Moose.

  "Hey, stranger," she said when I walked in the door. "Do you have time for a quick glass of tea and a little chat?"

  I glanced at Moose to be sure he was fine with me stealing a few minutes from our investigation, and he nodded.

  "That sounds great to me," I said. "Let me get us a couple of slices of pie, too."

  She smiled at the suggestion. "Make mine apple, and you’ve got yourself a deal."

  I grabbed us two slices of Mom’s best crumb crust apple pie along with a pair of forks, slid them onto the table, and then fetched two glasses of sweet iced tea.

  As I settled in across from her, she grinned at me as she asked, "Victoria, what was that about?"

  "What are you talking about?" I’d opted for a piece of apple pie myself, having had my share of pumpkin recently, though I never would have admitted it in front of Greg. He believed that pumpkin treats should be enjoyed year round, even though he hated baking the pies.

  "Since when did you have to ask Moose for permission to take a break? I thought you ran this place now."

  "I do," I said. "I should have known that you’d catch that." I leaned forward and lowered my voice as I continued, "Moose and I are digging into Wally Bain’s murder. Don’t even act surprised, Rebecca. I’m sure you’ve already heard some of the rumors floating around town that we were looking into it. After all, by now everybody must know about our confrontation with Wally the day before he died."

  "Are you talking about the story that you pushed him to the floor of the diner, and then Moose and Greg started pummeling him?"

  I was honestly shocked by the escalation of the truth into something unrecognizable. "Is it really all that bad?"

  "I’m afraid that it is. Actually, that’s why I came by. You need to do some damage control, Victoria."

  "I don’t know what else we can do but try to catch the killer ourselves," I admitted. "It’s the only way I can think of that we can clear ourselves from suspicion."

  "You need to do more than that," she said. "I don’t have to tell you that these rumors tend to take on a life of their own. I’ve defended you all that I can, but you know how people can be. Folks tend to believe the worst in cases like this."

  "Well, I suppose we could take out an ad in the paper proclaiming our innocence," I suggested with more than a hint of sarcasm. "Do you have any better ideas?"

  "I wish I did," she said as she stabbed a bite of pie and ate it. "I was sort of hoping that with the combined powers of our brain trust, we might be able to come up with something useful together."

  As we ate, Rebecca and I tried to think of anything that might help, but we weren’t successful. As she finished her pie and pushed the plate away, my best friend said, "If you could find a way to ingratiate yourself with Jan Bain, it might help your cause." She paused, and then offered me a broad smile. "I’ve got an idea. Why don’t you offer to help her clean out the house? It must be a wreck."

  "Moose and I both tried," I said, "but she wasn’t interested in our help. I’ll tell you, that woman’s changed since she left town. She’s extremely cold, and pretty closed off. The funny thing is that I don’t remember her being that way at all when she left town."

  "The big city can do that to you," Rebecca said with a sigh. "Well, I suppose that the only other thing I can suggest is that you and your grandfather keep doing what you’re doing, but when you’re not digging into Wally’s murder, you need to be here at the diner, showing your smiling face to the public."

  "Is it really that important?"

  Rebecca nodded. "If you’re off somewhere else, no matter how altruistic the reason, it will look as though you are in hiding, but if you’re here every day at the register where you belong, folks will start discounting the things they’re hearing from some of the town’s worst gossips. At least that’s my theory."

  "It’s not that I disagree with you, but I can’t be two places at once," I said, "as handy as that might be."

  "Could you possibly let Moose handle the investigation by himself for the next few days?" she asked, and then we both started laughing at the suggestion.

  "As competent as my grandfather is at many things, subtlety and subterfuge aren’t two areas of his expertise."

  "Hey, you know that I’m a big fan of the man, but I’m not about to disagree with you."

  "So, the gist of this conversation is that I should keep on doing exactly what I’ve been doing up to now," I said with a smile.

  "That about sums it up. Victoria, I know that I don’t have to tell you that the quicker you find Wally Bain’s killer, the better it is for you and your family, even if it means you have to push things a little."

  "Would you care to be any more specific?" I asked.

  "Not if I want to keep my good standing with the court," she replied. "Remember, if there’s anything I can do within the limited scope of my ability to help you, don’t hesitate calling. I will tell you one thing. When this is all over, the two of us need to go out and have a little fun. What do you say? Greg has his poker, but our shopping time is getting shortchanged by your investigation. Maybe we can go crazy and spend the night in Charlotte or Asheville. We could have a girl’s mad day away from all of our responsibilities in Jasper Fork. What do you say?"

  "It sounds like heaven, actually. I just hope we can do it sooner rather than later." I took a last sip of my tea, and then I noticed a glint in her eye. "Rebecca, is there something else you’re not telling me?"

  "What do you mean?" she asked, the intensity deepening even more.

  "I don’t know what it is," I said, "but I have a hunch that you’re keeping something from me."

  Rebecca shrugged, and then I could see her trying to fight a smile as she said, "I don’t want to make too big a deal of it, especially not yet, but I met somebody recently."

  "What’s his name?" I asked eagerly. Rebecca had experienced some notoriously bad luck with men in the past, and I continued to hope that someday she’d find someone as perfect for her as Greg was for me.

  "I’m not ready to share any more than that just yet. Let’s give it some time."

  "You’re being extraordinarily cautious about sharing information," I said with a slight smile.

  "Sorry, but you know better than anyo
ne else that I’ve built my hopes up too many times over the years. For now, let’s just wait and see what develops."

  "It’s a deal," I said. "It sounds promising, though."

  Rebecca just grinned as she stood, but it was answer enough for me.

  This could be promising.

  After Rebecca left, I took our dirty dishes to the back.

  Greg looked up from the grill and said, "Rebecca practically skipped out of here just now. What’s going on with that woman?"

  "She might have met someone new," I said, grinning.

  "Good for her," Greg said, turning his attention back to his grill without another thought about what I’d just said. For once, I was glad of the man’s complete lack of curiosity about things outside of his narrow circle of interest. One of our friends had once had a baby, and Greg had taken the telephone call announcing the arrival. As I’d quizzed him about the name, sex, and weight of the babe, all he could say was, "I didn’t think to ask." I had to call the new father back myself to get any real information at all.

  Men.

  I loved my husband dearly, but sometimes he drove me absolutely crazy.

  To be fair, I was pretty sure that if he were ever cornered and asked, he’d most likely say the same thing about me.

  I suppose that was one of the things that made our marriage so much fun.

  Despite our differences, Greg was just right for me, and I always loved it when he told me that he felt the same way about me.

  Mom’s Potato and Carrot Soup

  This is something great to serve the year round, but we especially love this meal on cool, chilly days when the wind outside is howling and the temperature is falling. It’s one of the joys of comfort food, and this one is on my list of fall-back recipes that my family embraces. This soup is easy to make, very inexpensive, and goes great with toast, crackers, or any hard bread you’d like to serve with it.

  Ingredients

  2 russet baking potatoes, diced, or 8-12 new potatoes, whole (we like Yukon Gold, but red are great, too)

  4 large carrots, peeled and chopped, or 10-12 baby carrots, whole

  2 cups water (to boil potatoes and carrots)

  1 onion, medium, diced

  4 Tablespoons Butter

  4 Tablespoons Flour, all purpose

  1 cup Milk (we use 2% or 1%)

  2 Dashes Salt

  2 Dashes Pepper

  Parmesan cheese, grated, to taste

  Directions

  In a medium pot, cook the potatoes and carrots in two cups of water. After bringing the pot to a boil, simmer on Low heat for 10-12 minutes, or until a butter knife pierces the vegetables easily. While the veggies are cooking, in another pot, melt the butter, then sauté the diced onion on Medium heat until the onion is softened. Turn off the heat, and then add the flour, stirring until it’s incorporated. Add ¼ cup of milk to the onion/flour mix and stir until that’s incorporated as well. Next, add the rest of the milk and turn the heat on High, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. This will occur just before the mixture comes to a full boil, and I usually turn off the heat as the bubbles first appear in the sauce. Remove from heat and cover. Most likely the veggies will be ready now, so after they are cooked, drain them using a sieve, reserving two cups of the liquid. Once the veggies are drained, add them to the pot holding your sauce and stir. Coat the veggies with the sauce, and then add approximately 1/2 to 1 cup of the reserved cooking water and stir that in as well. This can be modified to match the level of soupiness you desire, and sometimes I add more milk to the mix earlier and skip this step entirely for a more chowder-like consistency. This soup can sit for up to 90 minutes before serving, but it’s good as soon as the veggies are incorporated into the sauce and everything’s mixed in together. Top each bowl with grated Parmesan cheese, and enjoy!

  Chapter 7

  I was still chatting with Greg in the kitchen a few minutes later when Moose came rushing in. "Grab your jacket, Victoria. We need to go, and I mean right now."

  I pulled my jacket from the hook, and as I put it on, I asked my grandfather, "Where are we going in such a hurry?"

  "I just got a call from Gracie Winslow at the hospital. Ron Watkins has been in an accident."

  "Did something happen to him on Sally’s farm?" I asked.

  "No, that’s the strange part. Gracie said that he was at Wally’s doing something for Jan, as a favor. She didn’t have much time for details, but she said if we wanted a chance to talk to Ron, this might be our last opportunity."

  "Let’s go," I said. Gracie had been my babysitter once upon a time, and I was surprised that she’d called my grandfather instead of me, but he had a way about him that made folks want to confide in him, and in a small part, I had it, too.

  Moose drove faster than he should have, but I still worried that we wouldn’t make it in time. What on earth had Ron been doing there that could get him so seriously hurt? I knew that farm work was one of the most dangerous professions there was, but it was still a shock hearing about Ron.

  A question was still churning in the back of my mind, so I asked Moose as he drove, hoping that it wouldn’t distract him from the road. "Why do you think Gracie called you?"

  "She heard we were digging into Wally’s murder," Moose said.

  "How did she happen to hear that?" I asked.

  "I ran into her last night," he said.

  This was getting interesting. "Was Martha with you at the time?"

  He shook his head. "No, I was on a walk around the neighborhood by myself, and Gracie was out walking her dog. We chatted for not more than thirty seconds before Hubert caught a scent, and she was gone."

  When we got to the emergency room, I was surprised to find Sheriff Croft waiting in the hallway outside.

  "What are you two doing here?" he asked. It was pretty clear that he wasn’t all that happy to see us. "I just found out about what happened to Watkins ten minutes ago."

  "You know how it is. It’s a small town. Word gets around," Moose said. "How is Ron doing?"

  "He’s still unconscious," the sheriff said. "He was working in the barn and something fell on him from the loft. According to the doctor, he took a pretty nasty blow to the head."

  "You must believe that it was intentional," I said, "or you wouldn’t be here."

  "I’m not sure if it was an accident or not until I talk to him first. I have a hunch Ron knows more than he’s been telling me. I figured that if I gave him a little time, he’d come clean with me, but I’m afraid that might have been a mistake."

  "Do you think someone might have been trying to shut him up?" I asked.

  "It’s possible," the sheriff said.

  I was about to ask him something else when his radio came to life. Sheriff Croft stepped away so he could have the conversation in private, so I asked Moose, "What do you make of it? Was this an accident, or was someone trying to keep Ron quiet?"

  "I wish I knew," Moose said as he ran a hand through his hair. "You said Ron came by the diner this morning, right?"

  I nodded as I explained, "It was pretty clear that he wanted to tell me something, but when Sheriff Croft showed up unexpectedly, Ron left the diner abruptly. The sheriff followed him out in the parking lot, but when he came back in, he was alone. I guess Ron got antsy and took off."

  "We need to get in there and talk to him, Victoria," Moose said.

  "As soon as he regains consciousness, we will," I assured him. "Until then, though, there’s nothing we can do."

  The sheriff came back into the waiting room and rejoined us. "I’m not happy about it, but I’m going to have to leave. There’s been a hit-and-run in Laurel Landing, and they need me there. Are you two going to hang around here?"

  "For a while, at least," I said. "Is there something we can do for you?"

  "Yeah, there is. I’ll give them orders to let you in if Ron wakes up before I get back, but there’s one condition you have to agree to first, or the deal’s off."

  "We’ll do anything
," I said.

  Moose frowned. "Hang on a second, Victoria. Let’s hear what the man has to say first before we agree to anything."

  "Moose, you shouldn’t have a problem with this," the sheriff said. "If Watkins wakes up, I need to know everything he tells you, and I mean everything. There’s no holding out on me. Do you both understand?"

  "We can do that," Moose said.

  "Good. I’ve got to run. Let me know if anything happens."

  "We will," I said as the sheriff hurried out the door.

  "You were being pretty cautious a second ago, weren’t you?" I asked my grandfather.

  "I’ve learned over the years never to make any promises that I can’t keep," Moose said.

  "I just hope we get the chance to talk to Ron," I said. "Until then, all we can do is wait."

  It was nearly an hour later when Gracie Winslow came out of the emergency room area and headed straight for us. Gracie was in her late forties now, but she still looked much like the teenaged girl she’d once been. Though her black hair was now cut short in a bob and she’d added a few wrinkles that hadn’t been there before, I could still see the girl in her who had babysat me so long ago.

  "You two can see him now, but just for a minute or two."

  "Thanks for calling us, Gracie," I said.

  "You’re welcome. Last night Moose told me that you two were digging into what happened to Wally, so I thought you’d want to know about this." Gracie hugged me quickly, and then added, "I wish I had better news for you. Ron’s in some real trouble right now."

  "Is it really that bad?"

  "Honestly, between us, it’s hard to say. I never would have let you two back into the ER, even with the sheriff’s instructions, but Ron insists that he needs to see you, and he’s getting more agitated by the second that he can’t."

  "Why does he want to see me about?" Moose asked.

  "He doesn’t, at least not specifically, but he’s been asking for Victoria since he woke up," she said.

  I wasn’t sure how I felt about that, but there was no time to consider it. "Lead the way, then."