Beauty Shop Tales

by Beth Pattillo

  “I still don’t understand why in the world you took such an interest in me. I’m nobody special.”

  “I beg to differ.” Now Kate could smile through her tears. “You’re a remarkably courageous woman. But if it hadn’t been for the notice in the paper about your house being for sale—”

  “You were interested in my house? That’s right . . . I forgot the parsonage was next door. Don’t you like the parsonage? It’s nicer than my old place.”

  “I was actually thinking about your house on the church’s behalf. With the Hamilton Springs Hotel on the other side of the church property, I thought we should look into purchasing it.”

  “For what purpose?” Mavis looked intrigued.

  “I’m not sure, really. But something about the house called to me.”

  Mavis looked at Kate for a long moment. “I’ve been trying to think of a way to show my appreciation, Kate. And now I think I’ve found it.”

  “I’m sorry?”

  “The house. It’s yours. Or the church’s, rather. You take it and do some good with it. It served me well, but I can never come back to Copper Mill. It would please me to think of you using it for a good purpose.”

  “Are you sure? That’s quite generous, but I’m sure you need the proceeds for getting established wherever you go.”

  Mavis leaned back in her chair. “Actually, it turns out that my son, Kevin, has built a successful Internet company in the past few years. He can provide me with everything I need.”

  “I’m so glad.” Mavis deserved all the happiness and security she could get after everything she’d been through. “Still, you should take more time to think this over.”

  “I’ve had nothing but time to think since I left Copper Mill. I’ll tell my attorney what to do. He’ll have Gail Carson turn over the keys, and he can let me know how you’re getting on too. Keep me updated.”

  “If you’re certain.” Kate couldn’t believe the woman’s generosity. “It’s an answer to prayer.”

  Renee harrumphed. “The church will still have to find the money for the upkeep, utilities, that sort of thing.”

  “We’ll manage. Thank you again, Mavis. I’ll be a good steward of your gift.”

  Mavis reached over and laid her arthritic fingers against Kate’s cheek. “I know you will, my dear. Anyone who would go out of her way for a stranger like you did for me, well, that’s a woman you can trust.”

  Kate blushed, pleased at the flattery but also keenly aware of how many corners she’d cut in the trust department with her husband and Sheriff Roberts.

  “Now, Kevin’s waiting.” Mavis rose from her chair, and Kate did too.

  They hugged.

  “Thank you again, Kate.”

  Then she turned to Renee. “And thank you too, Renee, for keeping my secret so well.”

  “Just doing my Christian duty.” Renee’s words were gruff, but she looked pleased at the compliment.

  “Yes, well, that’s a lot more than most people do these days. Good-bye.”

  With a lift of her hand and a small wave, Mavis turned and left the room. The door had closed behind her before Kate realized she still had a million questions she’d wanted to ask.

  “I forgot to ask her what made her leave Copper Mill in the first place,” Kate said to Renee.

  “You didn’t believe that stuff about her running off with Agnes Kelly’s husband?” Renee sniffed.

  “No.” Kate looked at her watch again, eager to get started on the road home. “That’s one beauty shop tale I didn’t find convincing.”

  “That’s too bad.” Renee looked disappointed.

  “Why is that?”

  “Because I started that rumor. To cover Mavis’ tracks.”

  Kate laughed. She had to give Renee credit, even if she didn’t quite agree with her methods. Besides, Kate had used local gossip to serve her own ends, just as Renee had.

  “You know, Rydell kept talking about his informant in Copper Mill. Do you think there really was one? Or was he just putting us on?” Now that Kate had time to think, there were still a few missing pieces that concerned her.

  “He got that address where Mavis’ son was staying from somewhere.” Renee’s eyes narrowed.

  “Does it matter now, though? Rydell’s informant might not have had sinister intentions.”

  “But somebody knew where Kevin Baxter was. Doesn’t that strike you as odd? Who do you think was keeping the secret?”

  Kate couldn’t imagine anyone she knew willingly trying to harm Mavis Baxter or her son. “I have no idea. I guess we’ll never know. As long as Kevin and Mavis are safe, that’s all that matters.”

  The door to the interview room opened again, and this time it was the officer who had taken their statements.

  “Ladies, if you’ll just read these over and sign them.” He laid the papers on the table in front of each of them. “Then you can be on your way. We called Sheriff Roberts awhile ago, and he’s on his way to pick you up.”

  Home to Copper Mill. The prospect sounded wonderful, but the more Kate thought about the anonymous informant, the more worried she became. Perhaps the person’s role had been innocent or well intentioned, but it was also possible that a snake still lurked in their tiny corner of Eden.

  Apparently the matter of Mavis Bixby wasn’t quite as finished as she’d thought.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Renee had taken Kisses to find a patch of grass before they started for Copper Mill. The last person Kate saw as they stood outside the police station as she was waiting for Sheriff Roberts to arrive was Kevin Baxter. He looked as scruffy as ever, but he also looked younger, more his true age.

  “Mrs.Hanlon? Wait. I wanted to say thank you.”

  Kate took his proffered hand but waved aside his gratitude. “I’m just glad I could help.”

  Kate’s conscience weighed heavily on her. She’d judged this young man based on the things people in Copper Mill had told her, superficial things like the fact he wore a leather jacket and had body piercings. If she’d learned a lesson about taking advantage of other people’s trust, she’d also learned another lesson about jumping to conclusions.

  “I’m just glad everything turned out okay,” Kate said. “I wasn’t sure it would for a while.”

  “You and me both. I’m glad you didn’t listen to me.”

  “Sorry?” Kate was confused.

  Now Kevin ducked his head and examined the tops of his combat boots. “Those anonymous phone calls. The ones warning you to quit asking questions about my mom. Those were from me.”

  That piece of the puzzle clicked neatly into place, and relief washed over Kate. “I just assumed it had been Johnny Rydell or one of his associates.”

  “No, ma’am. It was me. I heard you were asking questions around town about my mom, and I knew Rydell was out of prison. I was afraid you’d find out where she was and lead Rydell right to her.”

  Kate grimaced. “I’m sorry if I put both of you in more danger. But how did you know I’d been asking questions?”

  “Sarah Blake, over at the library in Pine Ridge. She helped you that day when you’d been to the courthouse. Plus, she’d heard some stuff from her Aunt Rosalie, who works for Sheriff Roberts. She helped me when I first started looking for my mom, and we’ve kept in touch.”

  Kate shook her head. “The small-town grapevine is amazing.”

  “It wasn’t you, though, that led Rydell to us,” Kevin added.

  “No? Who was it?” She looked at him. “His informant? The one he mentioned? I don’t suppose you happen to know who that was.” The idea that there was still an unknown player in the drama made Kate uneasy.

  “No, but I’d sure like to find out.” His expression grew clouded. “Someone in Copper Mill was no friend to my mother.”

  “I suppose we’ll never know. I doubt Rydell will ever tell anyone.”

  Kate heard the skittering of Kisses’ toenails on the sidewalk and turned to see Renee and the dog approaching.
/>
  “Take care of your mother,” Kate told Kevin. “I’ll still worry about the two of you and keep you in my prayers.”

  “We’ll do the same for you.”

  “Will you be able to keep your company?” She hoped that the young man wouldn’t lose any more than he had already.

  “Yes. That’s the beauty of the Internet. I can sell Bibles from anywhere in the world.”

  Kate blanched. “You’re a Bible salesman?”

  “Distribution to nontraditional markets. Truck stops. Car washes. Even ballparks. You’d be surprised where people feel the need to pick up a copy of the Scriptures.”

  Kate had to laugh. “No doubt. Good for you.”

  Kevin’s answering smile had a teasing edge to it. “I guess I’m living proof of that old adage about a book and its cover.”

  “Yes, you are. Thank goodness.”

  Kate shook his hand again, and he pulled her closer for a brief manly hug. It reminded her so much of how her own son hugged her that moisture stung her eyes.

  “I’m glad we met, Kevin.”

  “Me too.” He waved and turned to saunter back into the police station. “Tell your husband I said thanks.”

  “For what?”

  “For bringing such a great lady to Copper Mill.”

  Kate was warmed by the compliment until she saw the sheriff’s car approaching out of the corner of her eye. She sighed and braced herself for what she was sure would prove to be a very long ride home.

  PAUL WAS RUNNING LATE returning from his volunteer duty at the hospital in Pine Ridge, so Kate had set out some leftover meatloaf to reheat and was boiling potatoes to mash when she heard his pickup truck come up the driveway. She nervously wiped her hands on the dishtowel slung over her shoulder and smoothed her hair.

  “Kate!” He came through the door from the garage in a burst of energy. “Are you okay?” He was flushed, and his hair stood up as if he’d run his fingers through it. “I just ran into Renee Lambert at the Mercantile on my way home.”

  Kate groaned. “I’m fine, Paul. Truly. I’m sure Renee made it out to be much more dire than it was.”

  “More dire than you being held hostage at gunpoint by a mobster?”

  Kate felt her cheeks flame. “Well . . .”

  “I don’t know whether to hug you or yell at you.”

  “Well, if you can’t choose, could you do them in that order?”

  “Aw, Kate.” He pulled her into his arms. “You are the most exasperating—”

  “Shh. You can scold me later.” Suddenly her knees were weak and her hands were trembling. “Right now, I think I need to fall apart.”

  All the fear and worry she’d pushed aside so she could get through the events of the day came pouring back, washing over her like a creek full of melting snow.

  “I’m just so glad you’re okay.” His arms tightened around her. Kate had never been more grateful for her husband. “I could have lost—”

  “No.” She leaned back and put a finger over Paul’s lips. “I’m not going anywhere. Johnny Rydell or no.”

  “Who?”

  Kate sighed. “Dinner will have to wait. Right now I have a lot of explaining to do. But you have to listen first and not interrupt until I’m done.”

  As it turned out, Kate could only get so far into her story before Paul couldn’t help but interject. “I can’t believe you lied to me.”

  They had retreated to the sofa in the living room, Kate curled up in one corner, and Paul sitting on the middle cushion.

  “It wasn’t a lie, exactly. It was more of an omission.”

  Paul looked at her with wary eyes, disbelieving. “Did you really just say that?” He sank against the back cushion.

  “If a U.S. marshal asked you to lie to me as a matter of life and death, would you do it?”

  “Yes, well, he wasn’t exactly a marshal now, was he?”

  “I didn’t know that at the time.”

  “Did you ever ask to see his badge? Ever press him for credentials of any kind?”

  She felt a flush rise up her neck and cover her cheeks. “Not exactly.”

  “I think that’s a pretty straightforward question. Either you asked him or you didn’t.”

  “He sort of flashed his badge that first time I met him. He knew so much about the case . . . Said he’d read the letter I—”

  She stopped abruptly, wary of opening yet another can of worms. Obviously Rydell had never seen Mavis’ letter to her son. No doubt it was resting in a filing cabinet somewhere in a real U.S. Marshals office.

  “And Renee never seemed to have any doubts about his authenticity,” she added hurriedly, “so it never occurred to me to—”

  “Yes, but it would have occurred to me, Kate. If you’d told me to begin with.”

  “Just like that time you told me you were going to a preaching seminar, and it turned out to be a fishing trip with the Ministers Association?”

  Now it was Paul’s turn to look chagrined. “That’s different.”

  “In what way?”

  “That wasn’t as important as this.”

  “So small lies are okay, but medium-sized ones aren’t?”

  “No.” He scowled, but she could also see the corners of his mouth beginning to tilt upward in a self-deprecating smile. “Just promise me you won’t do this anymore.”

  “Which part?”

  “All of it. Keeping secrets. Going off with people you don’t know.”

  Kate was quiet for a long moment. “How about if I promise to do better next time?” She looked into his eyes, silently beseeching him to understand. “Because the truth is, I wouldn’t change a thing. Mavis and Kevin have a chance to lead normal lives, or at least seminormal ones, and Johnny Rydell won’t be getting out of prison for a long time. I can’t regret that, Paul.”

  And then it was his turn to sigh. “I know.” He rubbed the bridge of his nose with his forefinger. “Who would have thought moving from San Antonio to Copper Mill would turn you into a middle-aged Nancy Drew?”

  She picked up a throw pillow, ready to swat him with it, when she saw the teasing laughter in his eyes. “Very funny, Reverend Hanlon.”

  “Sorry. Couldn’t help myself.” But then his expression sobered. “I hope we will agree, though, that from now on we need to be honest with each other. Even if we have to keep things in confidence from other people, we should trust each other with the important stuff.”

  Kate shifted toward him. “We always have,” she murmured, and then she kissed his cheek. “We just forgot for a little while. Let’s chalk it up to a case of spring fever.”

  “Agreed.” He returned her kiss. “Now, what’s for supper?”

  “Oh! The meat loaf!”

  She leaped from the couch and dashed for the kitchen, where the smoky smell of burning beef permeated the air. Paul followed close on her heels. Kate yanked the pans from the oven and dropped them clattering on the stovetop. She looked at the blackened chunks in dismay.

  “How about the Country Diner?” Paul suggested, glancing at his watch. “We’ve got time before you have to be at choir practice.”

  Kate paused. “I won’t make you eat this meat loaf on one condition.”

  Paul looked at her, curiosity in his eyes. “What’s that?”

  “You let me help you with your chili.”

  There was a long pause. “I’m sorry, Kate. But this is something I have to do myself.”

  “But what about the lecture you just gave me about working together, et cetera, et cetera. Or does that just apply to my end of the bargain?”

  Paul grimaced. “Why does it matter so much to you to help me?”

  “Why are you so resistant to letting me?”

  They stood there for a long minute, equally frustrated, and then Kate threw up her hands. “Fine. Do it your way.” She grabbed his arm and steered him toward the door. “I’m too hungry to argue with you anymore.”

  Paul opened the door for her, and she stepped outside. She
waited on the porch while he locked up. Even after thirty years of marriage, she sometimes wondered if she’d ever understand men.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  On the Saturday morning of the chili cook-off, Kate once again headed for her regular appointment at Betty’s Beauty Parlor. News of her adventure in Chattanooga had spread throughout Copper Mill, mostly thanks to Renee Lambert’s enthusiastic retellings of their ordeal. The phone at the parsonage had rung so often that Kate had begun to dread the familiar sound. She’d tried to thank people for their concern but not fall into gossip over the events that had transpired—a more tiring task than she would have thought.

  Kate entered the beauty shop ready to fend off more of the same questions she’d been hearing for the past several days. She’d almost been tempted to print up a Frequently Asked Questions flyer and hand it out as she went about her errands in town. But since the largest number of people inquired out of concern for her well-being, she patiently answered questions even as she tried to deflect their praise.

  “There’s one of our heroines now,” Betty trilled as Kate came through the door. “Well done, Kate.”

  The women in the shop broke into spontaneous applause. Kate blushed and waved away their cheers.

  “Ladies, ladies. I just came in to get my hair done.” She smiled, pleased with their support but ready to let the events of the past few weeks fade away sooner rather than later.

  “We want to hear all about it,” Martha Sinclair chirped from her post on a bench by the door. Her curls were tighter than usual, which meant she must have had a perm that morning.

  “There’s not much to tell, really.”

  “That’s not what Renee said when she was in here earlier!” Dot Bagley brandished a magazine at Kate. “But we want to hear your part of the story as well. Did you really wrestle that fake U.S. marshal to the ground?”

  Kate imagined that the beauty shop tale of what had happened in Chattanooga would soon include weapons of mass destruction, industrial espionage, and a SWAT team.

  “Ladies, I’m afraid it wasn’t quite as exciting as you think. Frightening, yes. But fortunately it ended well for everyone concerned.”