Stormi examined the piece of metal. “Well, I suppose it could have come from anything Papaw’s got around here. Either that or the aliens left it behind.”
I knew Stormi was joking. We both looked up at the scratch marks and the cracked window. Whatever it was, something was trying to look inside that window.
All of a sudden we heard footsteps rounding the corner of the building. Stormi clamped my arm and we held our breath. Then Jeb rounded the corner. We both let out a sigh of relief.
I looked at Stormi. “What’s with your family and scaring the bejeevies out of people?”
“Hey, my heart just made a mad dash for my throat. Papaw, why didn’t you let us know you were here?”
Jeb shrugged. “I live here.” He had a point. “I saw your vehicle out front so thought you might be looking around out here.”
“Jeb, look.” I motioned for Stormi to give him the piece of metal. “Does that look familiar to you?”
Jeb studied the piece of metal. “No, can’t say it does.”
“Papaw, look up at that window.” Stormi pointed to the octagon window and the scratches. “Did you know that window was cracked and what caused those scratches up there?”
Jeb stared at the side of his outbuilding. “No. I didn’t know the window was cracked.”
“So it must have happened recently then if you didn’t notice it?”
Jeb sat down on a bale of hay. “I’m just so tired. I can’t sleep because the security alarm goes off and then I hear the noises and see the lights. It’s getting to be more than I can bear.”
Jeb’s weary face and crestfallen attitude tugged at my heart. I felt so sorry for him. But we couldn’t help him until we knew what was inside those buildings.
Stormi sat down beside Jeb. “Papaw, enough is enough. You need to let us see what’s in these buildings, and then maybe we can determine who is trying to steal from you. It’s me and Tara; we would never do to you what Howie did. You have to know that.”
Jeb put his arm around Stormi’s shoulder and let out a big sigh. “I know that, I really do. It’s just that after your grandmother passed I didn’t want to look at the items that reminded me of her. We both liked to collect things…antiques, old signs, and what most people would probably refer to as junk. But they were precious to us because we found them together; maybe at auctions or sales. Sometimes we’d walk through these old outbuildings and laugh and reminisce about where we got some of that stuff.”
Jeb scuffed his boot into the dirt. “But when she died I couldn’t bear to look at our collections anymore. So I locked up the buildings and haven’t been inside any of them since.”
Stormi looked at Jeb quizzically. “You mean you haven’t even been in there since Mamaw died?”
Jeb shook his head no. “I couldn’t…and I didn’t want anyone else to go inside and disturb the items either. Denny has asked to go into the buildings many times, but I just couldn’t.”
Jeb was keeping whatever was in these buildings as homage to his late wife. I could understand the pain he might feel of going through the items himself or having other people sift through them. Like he said, to most of us the items might seem peculiar or not worth much, but to him they were priceless. Not because of any monetary value, but because he and his beloved wife had discovered them together.
Jeb stood up and poked his thumbs through his suspenders. “But I know now that the time has come to put away foolish notions and let you kids see what’s inside. Maybe you can figure out what’s going on out here with the strange noises and lights by looking inside the buildings.”
Stormi touched Jeb’s arm. “Are you sure Papaw? I had no idea how precious these items were to you.”
Jeb nodded and smiled. “It’s okay girl. There comes a time when you should let people back into certain areas of your life. And I think that time is now.”
He produced a key out of his pants pocket. “This key unlocks all the locks to the outbuildings. We might as well get started with this one.”
He stuck the key into the old rusted lock. The lock opened and Jeb opened the door. At first it was difficult to see inside as our eyes adjusted. The light from the tiny octagon window from above didn’t offer much illumination, especially with the sun setting. Jeb grabbed an old lantern from outside, lit it, and hung it on a ledge overhead. Everything inside the building was covered with tarps. Jeb began to pull them off.
Stormi waved her hand in front of her face. “It sure is dusty in here.” Inches of dust lay atop the tarps and filtered into the air as Jeb peeled them off the treasures hidden below.
From the depths emerged old hand crafted and carved furniture including bed frames, chairs and dining tables. Coca-Cola and Texaco Gas signs laid against the furniture in pristine condition. An old gas station pump sat in the corner. Other knick-knacks such as old Coke and Pepsi bottles, carnival glass, and glass milk bottles stood in a glass cabinet. We looked in wonder at the treasures, all of it in perfect condition. One item that stood out was a carousel horse. It was quite large and had evidently come from an old merry-go-round. Some pieces of paint had flecked off, but other than that it looked good. I pointed to it.
“Where did this come from Jeb?”
Jeb walked over and put his hand on the horse’s head. “Many years before you all were born, there was a carousel set up in the park. I remember riding it when I was just knee high, that’s how old it is. A great-great grandfather of the Hodges created the carousel and gave it to the town. Unfortunately it fell into disrepair. I wanted to keep a piece of it since it reminded me of happy times when I was a child. Nobody from town council minded, so I took my favorite horse here, Miss Whinny.”
“What a sweet story.” The horse had definitely seen better days, but I could tell the craftsmanship was very detailed.
Stormi picked up one of the Coke bottles. “I remember when you and Mamaw would collect Coke memorabilia. Brandon and I use to eat snacks off the coke trays when we’d come over and spend the night.”
Jeb chuckled. “I remember. You two would fight over which tray you got. We’d sit you and Brandon down on the couch and bring in a bowl of ice cream each and some popcorn on the trays so you could eat while watching television before heading to bed.”
“I loved those trays. Do you still have them?”
“Oh yes.” Jeb waved his hand in the direction of one of the other buildings. “I’m sure they’re here somewhere.”
Jeb walked to one of the other buildings as we followed behind. He slid back the tarps to expose more items, including old Indian arrowheads, Civil war canteens, and an old muzzle loader. The items were quite eclectic. An antique shop owner would go nuts here.
Stormi looked around in wonderment. “I remember a lot of this stuff from when I was a kid.”
“I’m sure you do.” Jeb picked up one of the old Civil War canteens. “You and Brandon use to play with these canteens. You two would act like you were on safari and dying from thirst.” Jeb chuckled. “Your grandmother and I would laugh at how dramatic you were. You’d lie on the ground clutching at your throat and with a raspy voice say, ‘I’m dying of thirst.”
“That’s how I always got the lead in the school plays.” Stormi definitely had a flair for the dramatic. “They knew a star when they seen one.”
“All of this is incredible Jeb.” I continued to look around in amazement at old toys, lunch boxes, and Barbie dolls still in their boxes. Old butter churns and coffee grinders sat in corners. There were so many different items.
“Papaw, we ought to see if we could rent a place downtown and put all these items in it, like a museum. That way people could see a part of history from the town…like these sculptures. This one of a round eraser came from the old Jr. High school didn’t it?”
“Yes it did.” Jeb walked over to the eraser sculpture. It was old time eraser, round with a handle on top. I never used one, but I remember seeing photos of them. The sculpture sat in the middle of the courtyard leading to the
front door of the old Jr. High. The city tore the building down years ago, but Jeb must have gotten the sculpture.
“See, like that…it’s a part of Caesars Creek’s heritage. It would be better to put these items in a museum where people can see and read about them than to keep it all buried here.” I agreed with Stormi, but it was up to Jeb.
Jeb scratched his chin. “I’m not sure. Things are moving a little too fast for me. I’d have to give it some thought.”
“I understand Papaw.” Stormi walked over and put her hand on his arm. “I know how going through all of this is stirring up memories for you.”
Jeb wiped a tear emerging from his eye. “Yes, it is. But I will give what you said some serious thought. I promise.”
“There’s no rush Jeb.” I didn’t want him to feel overwhelmed. “Just know that you do have options should you ever want to share your treasures with others.”
Jeb locked the buildings and accompanied us back to the car. “I’m glad you girls came out. I feel better now that I’ve finally opened up the buildings and had a gander inside. I always dreaded going through those items, but now that I have, it wasn’t as bad as I thought. Now if these dang noises and lights would go away, I’d be set.”
Oh yes. Those disturbances at night. Lately I started wondering if Dottie was right and Jeb was going a bit senile, but after seeing the scratches on the building and that cracked window, I wasn’t so sure.
“Papaw, do you want me to spend the night with you? I’ll catch whoever it is and punch them into next week.”
Jeb shook his head and leaned against one of the porch posts. “Naw….you go on home and be with your husband girl. I’ll be alright.”
Jeb seemed weary and I couldn’t blame him. He’d been through an emotional journey tonight. And if there was someone out there scaring an old man on his own property….well, God help them.
Chapter Ten
I took Stormi home and then decided to run by the shoppe to check on a freezer that wasn’t cooling down properly that day. After ensuring the freezer was at the right temperature and my ice cream cakes were freezing well, I heard someone yell in from the back door.
“What are you doing here? I thought you closed up early.” It was Paige and her daughter Sammi.
“I did.” I closed the freezer door. “Just wanted to check on this freezer and make sure it was still doing its job.”
I told them about Stormi and me visiting Jeb’s place and how he’d finally allowed us into the buildings and what was inside.
“That’s remarkable he had all those things stored away,” Paige replied. “I think a museum would be a great idea, if he’s willing.”
“We didn’t push him. I know it was difficult for him just to let us in. You could see the tears in his eyes as he remembered how he and Jeanette use to collect the items.”
Paige looked at the floor. “How sad…but maybe it’s good for him to finally go through this stuff. It sounds like he was dreading it, but now that it’s over, maybe he can be at peace with it.”
“Yeah, he probably would if whoever is terrifying him would stop.” It made me angry to think about it.
“So you think someone is causing the lights and noises?” Sammi asked.
I nodded. “Yes I do. We found scratches on one of the outbuildings, only they were up near the roof and a cracked window up there as well. You couldn’t reach it unless you were on a ladder. But there’s no way anyone could move an extension ladder fast enough before tripping the alarm and Jeb racing out there.”
“Well that really gets my hackles up.” I knew Paige would be just as angry as I was.
“What’s a hackle?” Sammi asked.
Paige ignored her daughter. “Someone is tormenting that poor man.”
Suddenly I remembered something. “Hey, would you guys want to accompany me on a road trip out to the Hodges estate?”
“Is anyone living there right now?” Paige asked.
“Lincoln Hodges the son is. Lizzy says he comes into the coffee shop quite a bit.”
“He owns the big black Hummer.” Sammi’s eyes got big.
“How do you know that?” Paige asked. I believe there’s a lot Sammi didn’t tell her mother.
“Oh my friends and I have seen him around town. He goes into Lizzy’s and sometimes we’ve seen him at the diner eating or picking up a to go order. In fact, he might be there now.” Sammi seemed fascinated with Lincoln.
“Why would you think that Sammi?” I gathered my bag and car keys.
“Abbey and I go there sometimes after studying at the library and get a milkshake or a plate of fries.” Oh to be young and have a speedy metabolism. “We see him there quite a bit. He eats by himself.”
Paige studied her daughter. “Do you have a crush on this Lincoln dude?”
Sammi turned red. “Noooo….”
“How old is he?” Paige’s inquisition had begun.
Sammi shrugged. “How do I know? We just see him in the diner and he stands out because of that big black Hummer he drives.” I had a feeling he stood out for more reasons than his vehicle. Good looks and money might be a couple more.
I suddenly remembered the black vehicle that had startled me pulling away from the shoppe. I only saw the back of it, but I believe it said Hummer in white letters on the rear. Interesting.
I headed for the door. “So you think he’d be there right now?”
Sammi nodded. “He might be. We could go and check it out.” Paige’s eyes narrowed.
My plan was to look around the Hodges estate for the labs, but maybe it would be better to get a gander at the man himself first.
We arrived at the Classic Diner at around 7:30. The diner was a throw back to another era, complete with framed posters on the walls of James Dean and Elvis. A jukebox sat in the corner and red booths lined the walls where we grabbed one and sat down. A long counter faced towards the kitchen and a few people sat on the stools eating their hamburgers and breaded tenderloins. This was grease heaven, and the aroma was enticing.
There were no menus. A huge board above the kitchen windows displayed the food items, which included malts, fresh made pies, and the usual hamburgers and French fries.
We looked around, but Sammi didn’t see Lincoln. A waitress came to our table.
“What can I get you girls?”
“Do you have any peanut butter pie left?” I was here so I might as well partake.
“We have two slices left.”
Paige perked up. “Bring them to this table then.”
“I’ll have a chocolate chip milkshake and an order of fries.” We looked at Sammi with envy.
“What?”
Paige gave her a pat on the hand. “One of these days you’ll be middle aged and have an inner tube around your belly like us.”
Sammi grabbed a napkin out of the holder on the table. “Not if I can help it.”
Paige nodded. “That’s what we said 16 years ago.”
The waitress was quick and we had our food within three minutes. As Paige and I chowed down on the delectable peanut butter pie with its perfect meringue topping, and Sammi gobbled her fries, we heard the ding of the front door announcing someone either entering or leaving the restaurant. Paige and Sammi were facing the door and I saw Sammi elbow her mother. Paige perked up as I heard Sammi whisper, “That’s him.”
I wanted to turn around, but Paige shook her head slightly. I heard the clip clop of shoes as someone walked down the narrow path between the stools and the booths. Suddenly the man stopped and sat at one of the red stools facing the counter. I looked over to see a tall figure with slicked back black hair. There was a long mirror hanging on the wall opposite him so I could see his face.
Lincoln Hodges was a handsome young man with chiseled features and a prominent dimple in the middle of his chin. I could see why Sammi was so captivated by him. He wore a long black trench coat that he took off and laid on the stool next to him. I was surprised to see a man of such wealth eating at a s
imple diner. I would have thought he’d rather dine at the posh restaurants in Atlanta than get a greasy burger at the local hot joint. Maybe he was more down-to-earth than we gave him credit for.
Our waitress walked over to him and said, “The usual Lincoln?”
“Yeah Patty. But make the peanut butter pie to go would you?”
“Sorry Lincoln. Just served the last of the peanut butter pie.” She motioned towards our booth. Lincoln turned around and we looked at him with guilty faces. With a full mouth and her last bite of pie Paige said, “Sorry.”
Lincoln flashed us a bright smile and turned around on the stool. “I see I’m not the only one who likes their peanut butter pie. It’s the best around.”
A Drizzle of Deception_A Cozy Mystery Page 4