by Tonya Kappes
I pulled the car to the side of the road.
“Good. You’re here. Don’t look down at the walkie-talkie.” Spencer’s voice came through loud and clear. “Roxy, I want you to turn off the car and give the keys to Stephen.”
I did what he told me to do.
“Stephen, get out of the car, unlock the trunk, take out the bag, and do exactly what I told you to do. We are about four minutes early, but I’m sure they are here.” Spencer gave step by step instructions.
“What does that mean?” Stephen questioned.
“Don’t talk,” Spencer scolded him. “Get out of the car, get the bag, and go back to the car like we discussed. Roxy, I want you to keep your hands on the wheel so the kidnapper doesn’t think you’re going to pull anything funny, like a gun or something.”
While Stephen got out of the car, I continued to keep my foot on the brake and my hands glued to the wheel like Spencer had told me. Even though the day was gorgeous and the sun was shining, I had butterflies knocking around in my stomach, almost making me sick. My mouth was dried, and I tried to lick my lips. I swallowed hard to try to get the dryness out of my mouth, but I was too nervous to even do that.
I gripped the wheel harder to prevent any visible shaking. I stopped breathing. My jaw tensed as I watched Stephen walk across the road and place the bag with all that money next to the yield sign in the middle of the grass at the fork in the road.
Once he put the bag down and started back toward the car, my lungs filled with air, and I was able to take a big gulp. Now what? I wondered and didn’t look at Stephen when he got back in.
“That was good.” Spencer tried to assure Stephen, but he was sweating so much that it’d come through his shirt. “We are going to wait until we get a text from them.”
Spencer had taken Stephen’s phone from day one.
Stephen and I sat there watching the sun move in the sky toward dusk. When the sun ducked behind the trees, I knew it was around five p.m. and wondered how much longer we were going to sit there since it was obvious the kidnapper wasn’t coming.
A few seconds later, Spencer had appeared out of nowhere and walked up to the car.
“The kidnapper hasn’t even tried to contact us.” He held Stephen’s phone out. “I don’t think they are coming.”
While he talked to us, the plainclothes officer went and retrieved the black bag full of cash, taking it wherever they were parked.
A long, audible groan escaped a grieving Stephen Lemon, followed up by sobs. He was truly upset for a man that I might’ve suspected played a role in the kidnapping of his wife.
“Stephen, it’s not the end.” Spencer tried to talk Stephen off the ledge, but the animalistic cries got louder and louder as the color on his face grayed. “Let’s go see the doctor.”
Spencer waved over the other officer, and they helped Stephen out of the car.
“What’s going on?” I was confused.
“I think he needs to see a doctor for some anxiety medication. He’s in no shape to answer any of the questions you and I discussed earlier.” I knew he was talking about the bankruptcy. “Why don’t you head on back home. If he tells me anything or asks for you, I’ll call you.”
The next thing I knew, an ambulance had pulled up and put Stephen in the back.
“Where are you, Daisy Lemon?” I asked. And from my rearview mirror, I watched the red lights on top of the ambulance twirl and whirl until it turned the bend, taking Stephen to get some much-needed help.
ELEVEN
The late-afternoon sun was always the warmest during the spring season. During the morning, it was still chilly, but the afternoons were hot, and nightfall went back to chilly. Soon it would be warm all day before we headed into the tourist season, but I was worried that with all the national attention, this year’s tourists were going to be slim pickings.
Especially if we didn’t find Daisy.
I’d rolled down the windows on my way drive back to my little cabin. I needed the fresh air to get my senses back to me. With deep, long breaths and the wind whipping around me, I’d driven a little faster than I should’ve, but I wanted to go home, where I knew Patrick was waiting and ready to take me to Rodney’s house.
“Why do you have to get into these things?” Patrick asked after I told him everything about the unsuccessful money drop to the kidnapper. “Why don’t you just tell Spencer about Rodney’s truck and let him go for himself?”
“Because I’m representing Stephen, and from what I told you, it sure does seem like he’s the number one suspect, especially now that the drop didn’t happen. Though he was so distraught.” I sucked a deep breath and gave Pepper and Sassy a treat before we headed back out the door to get into Patrick’s truck.
They had no idea why they were not going with us, so I gave them an extra treat out of guilt.
“Spencer is spending so much time on trying to nail Stephen that his focus isn’t on other people. That’s why I want to follow up on Aunt Maxi’s lead.” I buckled the seat belt and flipped through my phone to see if I’d missed Aunt Maxi’s call or text. Nothing.
“It doesn’t make sense.” Patrick tapped the steering wheel. It was more of a thump than a tap. He was annoyed by my actions, but he never questioned me. “I’ve known Rodney and Vanessa all my life.”
I turned on the radio to stop the tension between us. The song caught my attention.
“Is that…?” I reached over and turned up the volume. “Oh my goodness,” I gasped and looked over at Patrick. “That’s Aunt Maxi’s and Mom’s CD.”
“Is it really?” Patrick smiled and twisted his head a little to the side as if he were trying to hear.
It was a catchy tune about friends and good times on the lake. For sure, they were talking about adventures in Honey Springs. I grabbed my phone and dialed Aunt Maxi.
“Aunt Maxi, you aren’t going to believe this,” I said into her answering machine when she didn’t answer. “Your CD is being played on the local radio station!” I squealed into the phone. “Where are you? You’ve disappeared on me today,” I joked and hung up.
“That’s a fancy tune by our very own Southern Women’s Club.” The DJ made it sound like it was a winner. “You can grab your CD from the Bean Hive Coffeehouse located in the center of the boardwalk down on Lake Honey Springs.”
“Did you know about selling the CDs?” Patrick laughed and turned down a gravel road and took a quick left into a grassy piece of land where a run-down trailer was sitting.
The trailer’s siding was falling off. There used to be a screened front door on it, but it was tossed out in the yard. There were pieces of broken furniture strewn all about. They might be poor, but they sure could clean up. That didn’t have anything to do with money, I thought but kept my mouth shut. Patrick was already sensitive to the subject.
“I had no idea.” I pointed to the trailer. “Is that their house?”
“Yes. I told you they were poor.” He pushed the gearshift up in Park and turned the ignition off. “It doesn’t look like Rodney’s home. His truck is gone.”
About that time, a very pregnant Vanessa swung the door open. She had a mason jar in her hand. She took a swig and looked at us.
“Hey, Vanessa.” Patrick had opened the door and put his foot on the sideboard of his truck. He’d put his arm over the door and rested on his armpit, yelling at her over the top of his truck. “Is Rodney around?”
“Nah. You got a job for him?” she asked.
“I just wanted to talk to him about something,” Patrick said, being vague. “Do you know where he is?”
“He went hunting for some squirrel for supper.” She shifted her eyes from Patrick to me. There was no smile on her face. It made me sad to think this should be the happiest of times for them, making me grateful for the life I’d been given and wondering why I needed to stick my nose into Daisy’s disappearance. “Been gone all day. I expect him back shortly.”
“Let’s go,” I told Patrick.
“You need anything?” Patrick asked Vanessa.
“Nope.” She shook her head; her pride was written on her face. “We are fine. I’ll tell Rodney you’re looking for him.” She took a couple of steps back into the trailer and shut the door.
“I know where his hunting cabin is.” Patrick started the truck up and threw the gearshift into reverse. “We can show up there.”
“Never mind.” I shook my head. “Seeing her made me grateful for what I’ve got, and I need to tell Stephen that I’m not going to represent him. I need to pick one occupation.”
Patrick stopped the truck and looked at me before he put the shifter in Drive.
“What is it with you?” He looked at me. “Why aren’t you just happy?”
“I don’t like to see injustice in the world. It’s not that I’m not happy, but this is more personal for both of us. My coffeehouse that I’ve built up is being slandered in the media, and though it doesn’t seem to be hurting business, who in their right mind wants to vacation in a town where there’ve been murders and now a kidnapping?” I asked him. “But I do love my life.” I reached out to touch him. “I love you. I want go home for the night.”
“The hunting cabin is on our way back. I want to be sure Rodney hasn’t gotten himself in trouble over needing money,” Patrick said and gripped the wheel, turning onto the country road heading back toward the lake. “You’ve got me doubting him now.”
“Now who’s the one who’s curious?” I asked.
“If I don’t follow through on your hunch, later tonight, you’ll be questioning yourself, and we’ll be right back in the truck, looking for Rodney.” Patrick knew me better than I wanted to admit. “It’s cute how you think you can change, but I love you exactly the way you are.”
I sucked in a deep breath and inwardly smiled. He was such a good man. That was why I loved how he saw the good in people. We balanced each other out.
I quickly texted Mom about how I’d heard their song on the radio, and before I knew it, Patrick had parked on the side of a road he’d turned down. Mom had texted me back with a bunch of happy emoji faces, you know, the ones with the heart eyes and some thumbs-up. She also texted that she had several houses to show to people who were interested in the area because of the Daisy Lemon news. She also texted that she felt like they were being nosy, but she was going to show them houses just in case. She followed up with how busy she was and said she probably wouldn’t be seeing me in the next few days.
“Back through those trees is a little path that leads you to Rodney’s cabin.” Patrick pointed into a bunch of overgrown brush that was filled with some dead branches and branches with new buds on them. “I’ve not been back here since we were in high school.” There was a smile on his face as he remembered some fond memories.
“Oh yeah?” I asked, encouraging him to tell me some as we got out of the truck.
“We really thought we were tough, coming out here with our rifles and a six-pack of beer we’d steal from our parents.” He laughed. “We never shot a thing. Too softhearted.”
“That’s why I love you.” I smiled, taking his hand as we walked toward the woods.
Patrick was right. There was a worn-down path just beyond the thick tree line. There were colorful wildflowers in purple, yellow, orange, and white blanketing each side of the trail. It was beautiful. The sweet smell of honeysuckle drifted in and out of my nose as a slight wind blew across my face. The thick woods covered us, leaving the hot sun above the trees.
After a three-minute walk, there was a clearing and a little one-room-looking cabin in the distance. There were so many of these types of cabins all over Lake Honey Springs.
They were quiet and secluded, making them perfect spots to get away. That was how the cabin rentals and Lake Honey Springs had become a very popular vacation destination. It was especially nice for a couple’s retreat or honeymoon. Leave all the noise of the outside world out. That was how life was in here, and I loved it.
“Patrick?” The male voice scared me to death.
I jumped around and grabbed Patrick.
Rodney Crenshaw was standing in the wooded area next to the cabin, coming from the opposite direction of us. He had a shotgun in his hand and a few squirrels, which had seen better days, flung over his shoulder, all tied together with string. “What are you doing here?” He gripped his gun.
“I came to see you and see if you’re okay.” I felt Patrick’s arm tense up under my grip.
“I told you yesterday I was good.” Rodney took a few steps closer.
There was a faint sound coming from the cabin that caught my attention.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Rodney give a side-glance in that direction.
“What’s in the cabin?” Patrick asked Rodney.
“Who’s in the cabin?” I asked more specifically.
“No one.” Rodney took both hands and gripped the gun, though not pointing it at us.
“Roxy!” I heard someone scream.
“Aunt Maxi?” I didn’t bother looking at Rodney. I darted off toward the cabin.
“Wait!” Rodney screamed at me.
But it all seemed to be in slow motion and an out-of-body experience. I watched my hand reach for the cabin door and shove it open. As soon as I stepped in, I saw Daisy Lemon on the floor with blood pouring out of her chest and Aunt Maxi passed out next to her with blood dripping out of her side and her photos all over the floor.
Aunt Maxi was barely breathing.
Suddenly, I remembered Aunt Maxi had said she would kill to get an interview with Daisy.
TWELVE
“What made you come here?” Spencer had already gotten the ambulance here to take Aunt Maxi to the small emergency room in Honey Springs, where she would await transport by helicopter to a bigger facility in Lexington.
She’d suffered a bullet wound to her abdomen that was going to require surgery. She was in critical condition and must’ve used all her strength to yell for me when she’d heard me outside of the cabin.
Poor Daisy. She’d been killed.
As much as I would like to have said Rodney Crenshaw was guilty, he sure did seem to be in shock, even before the police had gotten there. Patrick had grabbed his gun from him and tied him up with Rodney’s own squirrel rope.
“You said that you have a photo of Rodney’s truck?” Spencer seemed so confused. There were officers shuffling in and out of the cabin. They’d yet to remove Daisy’s body.
I looked over at Rodney. He was sitting up against a trunk of a tree with his hands hog-tied behind his back and those dead squirrels dangling around him.
“Yes.” I remembered the photo was in my back pocket. I reached around, pulled it out, and handed it to Spencer.
“How do you think Maxine showed up here?” he asked.
“When we were at the coffeehouse, she noticed the truck, and that’s when she took off.” I recalled how I’d turned around to talk to her, Crissy, and Bunny, and she was gone. “I’d been calling her all day and texting her, but she never answered me.”
“Sir, Rodney claims he took Daisy for Mr. Lemon for a few hundred dollars. But he was only doing it for a couple of hours, until Mr. Lemon’s fake ransom played out. Rodney was to take Daisy back to the lake, where she was going to find her way back.” One of the officers had come over to talk to Spencer.
“Are you okay?” Spencer asked me.
“I’m fine as long as I know Aunt Maxi is okay.” I gulped back my tears.
“I’ll be right back.” Spencer looked over at Patrick and waved him over. “I didn’t want to leave her alone. She seems to be a little in shock.”
“I’ve got her.” Patrick put his arm around me and pulled me into his strong arms, where I knew I was safe.
I could feel my body relax and began to take the deep breaths that sent good clean country air to my brain, making it function again.
“He said Lemon paid him to take Daisy?” I questioned what the officer had said to Spencer. I glanc
ed up at Patrick and pulled away a little. “Rodney did kidnap Daisy. He told the officers he was hired by Stephen Lemon.”
“Which means the information the police had turned up about the bankruptcy was true,” Patrick said.
“Yeah, but how did Aunt Maxi get here?” I asked.
“I don’t know.” While we stood there waiting to be released, Patrick kissed the top of my head and patted me like he wanted me to get some rest. “Maybe she knew the truck was Rodney’s and figured she’d check out the lead like you did.”
The dead silence of the woods, which normally calmed my soul, was feeding me eerie sounds and created goose bumps along my body. Every little breaking twig, chirping cricket, and even the glow of each lightning bug had a faint sound. Even Patrick’s heartbeat sounded like a gong.
All the silence had stopped when the sound of squeaking wheels came through the clearing from the woods. The coroner was pushing the church cart across the path and into the cabin. Spencer had changed his plans. Instead of talking to Rodney, he followed the coroner into the cabin.
I squeezed my eyes closed and tried to erase the images of Daisy lying on the ground. When I heard footsteps come out of the cabin, I opened my eyes. Spencer had come out and walked over to Rodney.
I could hear Rodney telling his story. “She kept telling me to not take her back, and I didn’t want to listen to her. I kept telling her that I was going to return her to her husband, but she told me to leave her here. She pulled out a CD of those Southern women and asked me to take it to the local radio station with a handwritten note from her. I told her I’d be back with food. I went to town and took the CD. I left it there. I came back with the squirrels, and that’s when I ran into those two.” He was obviously talking about Patrick and me. “I have no clue how Maxine Bloom got here. I have no idea who shot them. I never once shot them. As far as I knew, I was taking her back to the pretend drop-off when I heard from Stephen.”