by Tonya Kappes
“What am I missing?” I gnawed on the situation.
“I’m going to go look around.” Poppa ghosted away.
“I hope you find something,” I whispered under my breath.
“We are missing this side panel and where this murder started,” Finn said with a long sigh.
“Did you see any emergency kit?” I asked and got back out of the car.
I reached down into my bag and got my camera out so I could take pictures of the seat and took my measuring tape out for some accurate measurements.
“There’s nothing in here.” Finn walked around and took the gloves off. “What about any fingerprints?” He leaned into the passenger side when I moved to write down the measurements.
“See any?” I asked.
“No. I’m afraid the grit in the river water must’ve acted like sandpaper like we thought.” The glow of his flashlight circled inside of the SUV before he twisted around and shined it in my face.
“At least we got some information about how tall the killer might be.” I looked at Finn’s chilled eyes.
“What if she took the pills and was awake just enough to undo her seatbelt, push her seat back, drive the car enough in the water to carry it and pass out. Then she drowned.” Finn was looking at all angles which he should’ve. But I was looking at my facts.
Poppa.
Chapter Ten
“I’m so glad you were still able to come.” Preacher Bobby had greeted me at the doors of the undercroft.
“I don’t leave for Chicago for a few days. I’d never miss this,” I assured him and tried to switch hats from sheriff to volunteer. More times than not, this was a difficult task for me.
“I’m talking about taking time out of the investigation for Leighann Graves.” His chin fell to his chest. “Bless her young soul.”
My eyes darted back and forth wondering if I was supposed to let out a big amen, hallelujah, or a nod. I chose none of those and pinched a smile when he looked back up.
“I went by to see the Graves and they sure are having a real hard time and questioning God.” Preacher Bobby rocked back on those black, preacher, thick-sole shoes and folded his hands in front of him. “I know I’m getting ahead of myself by a couple of weeks, but I sure do hope to see you more during Sunday service. It’s been brought to my attention that you won’t be at the annual tree lighting, caroling, and sleigh rides this year.” He lifted his hands in the air and whispered something as he looked up to the sky.
“I’m super excited about Finn’s parents’ tradition on Christmas eve. They go to a bar and tie one on before Santa comes.” I winked, elbowed him and walked in the undercroft.
“Oh Kendrick Lowry, I never can tell when you’re pulling my leg.” He laughed behind me. “I’ll see you in the new year,” he called out.
I stuck my hand in the air and wiggled my finger as I continued to walk through the undercroft and followed the sounds of the bell choir.
“I’m not joking about this one,” I confirmed about the Vincent’s bar tradition.
Finn did tell me that they all went to a local pub, put down a couple of pints before they came home to do a sort of white elephant exchange. It was pretty exciting to get to see a new tradition.
There were a few minutes between the time I got there and the time the doors opened for supper, so I headed up the back steps of the undercroft to the foyer of the church that led into the sanctuary. The three Christmas trees lit up on the stage in front of where the congregation sits literally took my breath away. The trees were so full this year and I wondered where they’d purchased them. It kinda made me envious that I didn’t get a tree, though I wasn’t leaving until the day before Christmas Eve. Maybe I’d rethink getting one. At least I could enjoy it while I was here.
The poinsettia plants were strategically placed around the steps leading up to the stage where the bells were set up going down the center. The bell choir, which consisted of most of the Sweet Adeline’s, was very special to Cottonwood and the church. There were bells of different shapes and sizes, each one of them making a different tone when played. Mama stood behind Lynn Bishop and appeared to be instructing her on how to handle the bell.
Lynn was the newest addition to the choir and I wasn’t sure why she was holding Mama’s bell. It was a job that Mama took very seriously.
“I’ll never get tired of listening to the sweet sounds of those bells.” Poppa appeared next to me, making me jump.
I glanced around to see if anyone saw me.
“Oh, I forgot.” He made the motion that he had an imagery bell in his hand. “Ding, ding.” He let out his boisterous laugh that was one thing I truly missed.
He was being a smart-alec. I’d once asked him to try and somehow announce himself before he just appeared because it freaked me out. Then he decided it was best to ding himself in like Clarence from the movie It’s a Wonderful Life.
“You are far from an angel,” I joked back to him underneath my breath. To me he was the only angel, but I didn’t tell him that. His head was already big enough.
“Why doesn’t your Mama have on her white gloves?” He asked a very good question.
The bells were very sensitive and had to be tuned every year. It was something that was set in the budget of the church because they had to be sent off for tuning. Each member of the bell choir had to wear gloves to be able to handle them with care. Mama was a stickler. Her gloves were washed after every practice and performance and to see her up there without the gloves and standing behind Lynn made me very curious.
“I swear it’s you going away for Christmas that’s put her in a funk and she just can’t get out of it. I hope you’re happy.” Poppa ghosted up to Mama after he’d decided to skin me a new one.
When he placed a hand on her shoulder, I saw her look up and smile. I wasn’t sure if she felt him or it was the sweet sounds of the bells, but I took much more comfort in thinking she felt her father’s presence.
She looked over at me and had that wonderful grin on her face. I returned it. She walked down the steps with her Southern ease and grace.
“Are you getting in your concert since you won’t be here to hear the real thing?” She asked, referring to the Christmas tree lighting ceremony that ended with a bell choir performance and good food. “It’s going to be real pretty too at the fairgrounds.” She nodded.
This year the tree lighting and festivities, like Mama’s pageant, were going to be the same night down at the fairgrounds.
“I’m here to do volunteering for the food shelter tonight and I couldn’t stand not to come up here and watch you when I heard the bells.” It was a very fond memory of my Mama dragging me to bell choir practice with her when I was a child.
It was the traditions that we Southern women loved the most and it was starting to sink in my gut that I was going to miss out on that, but quickly turned that thought into Finn and his family traditions. What was one year? No big deal. At least that’s what I told myself.
“Your Poppa loved to hear the bell choir.” She shivered. “I swear every time I pick up that bell, I feel him.”
“Why aren’t you playing your bells?” I questioned and ignored the fact that Poppa was still standing there and how much so Mama was right.
“I can’t be crowned Snow Queen and come play the bells in the same night.” She did that wave thing with her hand. I pushed it down. “My nails have got to have plenty of time to dry before I take the crown...er...participate in Snow Queen. Those gloves fit so tight, I just can’t risk it.”
“That’s disturbing.” I sucked in a deep breath.
“Anyways, since I’ll be moving around the tree lighting talking to everyone, I figured I better step down this year and let Lynn get the hang of it.” She looked up at Lynn and squinted when she planted a fake smile across her face. “Bless her pea-pickin’ heart. She just ain’t got n
o rhythm.”
“At least she’s trying.” I assured her. “And you’ve got a few days until the event, so I’m sure she’ll be practicing until then.”
“Hhmmm.” Mama rolled her eyes. “I’m not so sure about that. Them youngins’ of hers are so excited about Christmas, she said they haven’t slept a wink. Of course, Vernon’s not. He told her that he was the one who had to go to work in the morning and how she got to stay at home and take a nap.” Mama’s nostrils flared. “You know what I’da told your daddy if he said that to me?”
“No, and I don’t want to know.” My dad was a saint and I just knew there was a crown filled with jewels in heaven with his name on it because Vivian Sims Lowry was one hard woman to deal with.
“I’m gonna tell you anyways, because this is a life lesson for you.” She poked me in the arm with her finger nail. I rubbed out the pain and prepared myself to just let whatever it was she had to say roll right on over me.
“Mama, you stop that carryin’ on, you hear me?” I swallowed. “Daddy never had the nerve to try and tell you what to do.”
“That’s because I laid down the law when we were dating.” She gave me the good ole, hard Baptist nod. “With you going away and all for Christmas, you apparently haven’t laid down the law with Finn.”
“Mama, that’s enough,” I warned. “Or I’ll be gone every year at Christmas.”
“You’re gonna miss me when I’m dead and gone.” Her eyes snapped at me. “And regret doing me this way.”
“I love you and you know that.” I gave her a hug even though she was pouting. “Anyways, I better let you get back to your teaching.”
“Toodles.” Mama waved and headed back up to the stage. She did a few nods and smiles at Lynn before I headed back down to the undercroft where all the volunteers had started to gather around who else...Betty Murphy.
Out of the corner of her eye, Betty noticed I’d come into the room and she quickly straightened up and shut her mouth.
Everyone turned to see me and scattered in all sorts of directions. I swear it was the uniform. If I’d put on street clothes, they would’ve stood there and gossiped just like they do when we have our weekly Euchre girl’s night out. It was the same when I went to talk to someone about a case. I guarantee that if I went to see Juanita Liberty tomorrow without the uniform on, she’d be a lot more forthcoming and it was truly something for me to think about.
“I’m thinking y’all weren’t talking about the upcoming weather?” I asked Betty.
“Heck no. You know what we were talking about. I told you about it before I left work.” She and I both walked over to get the tablecloths, so we could put them on each table. It was sorta our job each year. For some reason, they’d stuck us on the committee that set the tables and cleaned up. I’d much rather been serving the food, but that job was given to the women of the church who do a little ministering to the homeless.
“Did you hear anything I should know about?” I asked, referring to any gossip.
“Well, I’d heard, hearsay,” hearsay was a nice way of saying gossip. “Angela Durst had taken Leighann under her wings over the last couple of months. In fact, when Leighann and Manuel had come in here to get a warm meal a few weeks ago, Angela was curious to why they were there and Leighann told her everything about how her daddy had kicked them out. Sean Graves abused her. Now everyone in here thinks he’s a killer.”
“Is that right?” I asked and tugged on the edge of my side of the table cloth while she tugged on her side before we slipped it on the first table.
“Mmmhhh,” she ho-hummed. “What do you think about that?” Her jaw dropped. “You already knew about that, didn’t you?”
I tapped my five-star sheriff’s badge on my pocket.
“I wasn’t elected for my good looks,” I joked because I never wore my hair out of my ponytail or wore makeup during the day.
“My stars.” She gasped. “Are you telling me that when I go to work in the mornin’, Sean Graves is going to be sitting in our cell?”
“Did I say that?” I asked. “Now that’s how rumors get started.”
“You didn’t say it and I’ve worked with you long enough to read you a little better than you want me to.” Her face shifted to the side and she looked over at me out of the corner of her eye.
“I can’t believe that Angela Durst didn’t know about it since she’s Sean’s secretary and all,” I said knowing that I really needed to put Angela at the top of my list to talk to.
“What if Angela said something to Sean that next day and he laid into Leighann for saying something about their home life?” Poppa appeared next to us.
I avoided his stare since I knew everyone was looking at me. I had to play it cool.
“You and I both know that something fishy happened.” She grabbed another table cloth and handed an edge to me.
Over the next few minutes we did our little ritual of putting on the table cloths together. It wasn’t until we went our separate ways where she did the napkins while I did the cups that I got lost into my train of thought.
Poppa followed me around, giving little tidbits of information and how I needed to question anyone and everyone.
“While you and Finn were playing detective, I went down to the river.” Apparently, that’s where Poppa ghosted off to while I was at S&S Auto. “I walked along the banks.”
“Walked?” I questioned him and looked down at his feet. “More like swept?”
“It is quicker,” he assured me. “You know that Sterling Stinnett has a lot of stuff down there.”
“It’s cold out. He’s got to be staying at the shelter.” I’d bent down and acted like I was picking something off the floor, so no one would hear or see me talking to what they’d think was myself. “I hate to admit it, but it’s too cold out there for a frog, much less a person.”
“Sterling still goes and checks on his stuff. I saw him. He might’ve heard something.” Poppa wagged his thick finger at me. “No stone unturned. Haven’t I told you that before?”
“On more than one occasion.” I stood back up and looked over at Betty. “I learned that motto from you,” I said to him with some pride.
Had Angela really taken in Leighann? I wondered why Manuel didn’t follow suit. Where was that car panel? I couldn’t help but wonder what that fight was about this time last night at the Christmas dance.
These were all sorts of questions that I needed answered and the only way to do it was to go and talk to Angela. Making another little visit to Manuel wouldn’t hurt either.
As if God himself gave me a sign, because we were in his holy house, Sterling Stinnett was the first to walk into the undercroft doors. His eyes met mine and I could tell he had something to say.
“Give me an extra helping of mashed potatoes,” I told Viola White who was on mashed potato duty.
“As long as you vote for me for Snow Queen.” Her eyes drew down her nose. Her hand lifted to pat the fur stole neatly draped over her shoulders. The circular diamond pin held the ends together.
“It’s for Sterling,” I said flatly and looked at her fur. “Now don’t you go playing Mama’s games,” I warned her in a loud voice so Mama would hear. “Nothing good can come from that.”
“Hush your mouth, Kendrick Lowry.” Mama took a spoonful of green beans and put them on my plate. “You can vote for Viola. It’s not going to help her none.”
“Mmhhhmmm,” Viola’s lips pinched. “We’ll see.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Mama dropped the serving spoon in the tray of green beans. “You better back up your words, Viola White.”
“Ain’t we pickin’ our peaches before they’re all fuzzed up?” Viola was getting all sorts of sassy with Mama. She scooped up another spoon of mashed potatoes and served them on top of the others she put on my plate.
“Ladies, this is no way fo
r a future Snow Queen to act. Especially in the Lord’s house.” I simply used their guilt techniques on them. “God don’t like ugly.”
“You sure are right.” Mama’s shoulders straightened. She picked up the serving spoon and went back to the line that’d now formed out the door.
Two things Southern women loved: God and food. We were right here amongst both and I used them against the pair who took their heritage more than most.
I turned around with my tray to see if I could find Sterling.
I didn’t have to look around too much. Sterling was already through the line and sitting alone at a table up front.
“Hey, Sterling,” I greeted him and sat down, putting the plate on the table.
“Sheriff.” He nodded and sopped up what was left of the gravy with his biscuit. “Getting cold out there.”
“It sure is.” I pushed my plate towards him.
His face jerked upwards.
“I’m not hungry,” I said building up to my questioning. “I’ve got this murder investigation on my mind and just not able to really eat.”
I never understood why Sterling had chosen to live the life he did. He was talented in many construction type jobs and never was at a lack of job offers. He just chose to not have a house or any sort of living quarters. As long as he wasn’t a menace to Cottonwood, he didn’t bother me any.
“I know that you’re the unofficial eyes and ears of Cottonwood and you’ve really given me some great information over the years in a lot of my investigations.” I wanted to stroke his ego a little while he stuffed his face. It was true. He blended in so much that he’d become part of the landscape. People never really noticed he was around.
“I’d heard you found that girl down at the river.” He folded the turkey slice in half and stuffed it in his mouth.
“I’m thinking it was right around where you hang out. Though I know it was cold that night and I’m sure you weren’t there, but if you did hear something that I might need to know, you know where to find me.” I stood up. “I hope you have a very Merry Christmas.”