Southern Sass and Killer Cravings

by Kate Young

  The two men had known each other their whole lives. It was like brother being forced to turn on brother. I hated this! I didn’t wait for Sam to park. I leaped out of the truck when he slowed down to go around the corner and ran full speed toward the department.

  Felton Powell grabbed me, his meaty hands gripping my rib cage a little too tightly as he held my back against his pudgy midsection. “Just let them do their job, Marygene. None of us like this, but it’s out of our hands now.”

  I stared up at Felton. Rays of sunshine reflected off his shiny bald head. I found this momentarily distracting.

  “I thought she was just a person of interest. What changed since yesterday?” I forced out through a dry throat.

  “Evidence was recovered from her hard drive,” Felton whispered in my ear and walked me around the corner and out of sight. “We found a bill of sale for arsenic in Jena Lynn’s name, bought with her credit card.”

  I stared at him, attempting to process the information. “Okay. Maybe she bought it to kill pests,” I mumbled almost incoherently.

  “She bought it from some shady online site. If she needed it for rodents or something, she would have gone to the hardware store in town.” Felton turned to leave.

  Has everyone gone insane? I grabbed his upper arm.

  He glared down his nose at me.

  “If the item was bought online, anyone could have gotten her credit card information and used that to frame her.”

  “I’ve got to go. I’ve said too much already.” Felton left me standing in the alley.

  The cement held me as tightly as if it were quicksand. I forced myself to move, lifting my head and squaring my shoulders as I marched up the department steps. Someone had to answer for this.

  The phone was wedged against Eddie’s ear when I barged into his office. He motioned for me to sit, then his finger went to his lips. I obeyed. He was discussing something about legal fees. When the conversation concluded, he opened with, “Your cell phone went straight to voice mail.” He had tried to call me and give me a heads-up.

  “It’s dead. Sam came by and woke me up.” I relayed what I understood via Felton then lifted my palms. “That detective can’t possibly believe Jena Lynn did this.”

  “Felton shouldn’t have told you anything.” He gave me a loaded stare that I read loud and clear. Eddie would protect his deputy and I respected that.

  “I was mistaken. He didn’t tell me anything,” I said.

  Then he confirmed what Felton had told me was accurate. “The evidence against her is, in my opinion, circumstantial. She has no motive.”

  I felt better hearing that.

  “However, she is going to be charged.”

  “She can’t be. We have to do something,” I shrieked.

  “Calm down. I put a call in to an attorney I know in Savannah. He owes me a favor and I called in to collect. This was done before you, Sam, or Jena Lynn were interviewed. Alex was on standby to barge into either of the rooms during the interrogation if necessary. He was instructed to notify Detective Thornton that your attorney was on his way and you would be waiting for him before you answered any more questions.” Eddie was doing his best to look out for us all, yet Jena Lynn was still going to be charged.

  “He should already be here. He was parking when we hung up.” Eddie ran both hands through his graying blond hair. He had the shadow of a beard and his uniform wasn’t pressed.

  “We need to tear this island apart and find the person responsible before anything goes to trial.”

  “And you know I will,” Eddie reassured me. “This case is going to have to be handled delicately.”

  Sam flew into the office and slammed the door. “Did y’all see that Jena Lynn is getting booked? That attorney out there said you called him and he’s saying that it’s okay. How can that be okay?” Sam was swinging his arms, his hands fisted.

  “I did call him, son. Let the man do his job.”

  Sam snorted and began swearing a blue streak.

  “Now calm down, both of you. I have more bad news.”

  Terrific.

  “Detective Thornton is petitioning the court to keep the diner closed a while longer.”

  “Why?” I asked while Sam said, “They can’t do that!”

  “It’s been presented as a safety precaution for the island’s residents. Since Jena Lynn has no obvious motive, they’re making a case that perhaps she was targeting more than just Joseph Ledbetter.”

  That detective was trying to nail my sister and bankrupt our entire family in the process! Sam was livid. I was more focused on what he hadn’t said. If they were making the case that Jena Lynn had acted alone, they should allow the rest of us to reopen the diner since she was in custody. They weren’t, and that spoke volumes to me.

  It was obvious when Eddie confirmed I was putting the pieces together. “Both of you go home.” His face closed when I opened my mouth to protest. He wouldn’t be indulging my brother or me any further. “This department is going to be under major scrutiny. We just don’t have murder cases ’round here.”

  He was right. I understood that, but this was Jena Lynn we were talking about.

  “You’re her sister and I’m your father,” he put his hand on my shoulder. “They’re going to be scrutinizing my every move. Now, I don’t think we’re going to be overrun by staties or anything, especially with all those riots going on in the city.”

  Atlanta had issues with droves of people protesting after a trial surrounding a police officer that didn’t go the way the people thought it should. They’d shut down major intersections and expressways. It was a mess, and I grieved for those affected.

  Sam grumbled and groaned but, in the end, we both knew Eddie wouldn’t budge. Plus, he was correct. Our presence in the precinct would only worsen matters for my sister. I left the office, shoulder to shoulder with my brother. Well, my shoulder to his rib cage, but my head was held high. I made Eddie swear to let me know about the bail hearing the second he found out the court date. That attorney he called in the favor from better be extremely good. My insides were so twisted up, I didn’t know what to do.

  Sam and I parted ways after we left the sheriff’s department. For all I knew, the detective suspected he and I were both in on it, or at least had prior knowledge, but there was no sense worrying Sam with this suspicion. Especially when there wasn’t a darn thing he could do about it.

  The Peach had been cordoned off with new yellow police tape this morning. The sunlight danced on the polyethylene plastic in a taunting way. A holy anger welled up within my gut at the sight. This place had been built and run by the blood, sweat, and tears of my family for a hundred years. I had to do something. I couldn’t just sit by and allow the diner to remain closed or my sister to go down for the crime. Jena Lynn would get her precious diner back, even if it killed me.

  Moisture beaded on my forehead and between my shoulder blades, and I still couldn’t move from this spot. It was a muggy morning. One of those on the island where salt from the Atlantic stuck to your skin and made it itch. Your hair was always wet with perspiration around your neckline, ears, and forehead. A storm could be brewing over the ocean and make landfall at any time. Or it could simply change directions and move around us. That was what this felt like emotionally too. That life as we knew it hung in the balance, victims of this violent situational storm.

  A few pedestrians passed by, avoiding eye contact. I heard whispers behind me.

  I fought the urge to shout, “My sister is innocent!”

  “Marygene.” Felton put a hand on my shoulder. “Eddie sent me out here. Why don’t you let me take you home?” He awkwardly wrapped his arm around my shoulders. He always was a real unusual guy when it came to girls. He stepped away.

  “Okay. Thanks, Felton.” The moment’s awkwardness made me uneasy.

  “Sorry.” He stared down at me, his expression unreadable.

  “There’s nothing to apologize for.”

  “I guess.”r />
  Poor guy always had it hard growing up. The rumors surrounding his mama weren’t pretty. His daddy hadn’t been an upstanding member of the community either. I was proud of how well Felton had overcome his trials.

  “This is hard on everyone.”

  He rubbed his bald head. “Yeah. We finally got Zach to calm down. He wouldn’t go home, though. Alex is talking him off the ledge. That’s why he didn’t come out here. He wanted to.” He made direct eye contact with me. Was that supposed to make me feel better? “My car is this way.” He pointed down the block.

  We walked in silence. I was having an internal strategy session on how to effectively convince Felton to help me get to the bottom of this. Especially since the consequences could be steep if the detective got wind of his involvement. Felton could lose his badge. Eddie would be furious with me if he knew I was even contemplating recruiting his deputy. If he said no, there was always Alex. They both knew Jena Lynn. Her innocence surely wasn’t up for debate.

  “I can’t believe Marygene Brown—well, I guess it’s Hutchinson now—hasn’t aged a day.” He held open the passenger side door.

  I slid into the car. “It’s Brown. I never changed it. But, that’s nice of you to say. Although, the last couple of days I feel like I’ve aged ten years.”

  He reached over and patted my shoulder.

  “The divorce close to being final?” He pulled around the square.

  “That’s what my lawyer keeps saying.” I sighed. “But, if it doesn’t, I may become a widow really soon.” I crossed my fingers, making a joke to try and lighten the mood. It wasn’t until the last word left my lips that I realized how inappropriate it had been under the current circumstances.

  I was relieved when he laughed.

  Chapter 9

  “I guess this wasn’t the homecoming you imagined,” Felton said as he wrapped both fists around the steering wheel. That was the understatement of the century. “Heather said you are living at your mama’s old place?”

  “Yeah, on Cloverdale.” I turned in my seat to face him. “So, what brought you back to the island?”

  He glanced my way before focusing back on the road. “Well, you know, life in Savannah didn’t exactly work out as I planned.”

  Nothing ever does. “I know Heather is glad you’re back.”

  He rubbed the top of his head. Nervous habit? It was new.

  “What made you shave it?”

  “Huh?”

  “Your head. I was curious why you decided to shave it all off?”

  He took a left out of the square. “Oh.” His laugh sounded forced. “I have the Powell hairline. The result was inevitable, so I just went with it.”

  “Well, it suits you.”

  “Sorry you’re having to deal with all of this,” he said with obvious sincerity.

  “It’s mostly Jena Lynn who’s having to deal. Surely Eddie will be able to get her out of it.” I prayed that was true. Talking about this felt surreal.

  The rest of the way we rode in silence, with only the sound of the scanner continually reminding me of the mess my sister was in. When Felton pulled down the long driveway, I let out a heavy sigh. My arms and legs felt like they weighed a ton. All of this was taking its toll.

  “Want to come in for a glass of tea?” Even though life was unraveling at the seams, he’d gone out of his way to take me home, so the least I could do was have him in for a glass of iced tea. Southern hospitality didn’t wane during a crisis.

  “I’ll take a cup of coffee if you have it. Just give me five minutes to make a phone call and I’ll be in.”

  I nodded and opened the car door. The smell of rain was in the air, and the dark sky was filled with heavy clouds. That storm might happen after all.

  Four large suitcases and several large boxes sat on the front porch. A note was taped to the first box.

  Mary,

  I had the housekeeper pack all your clothing and basic items she believed you would need. See, I can compromise. I do hope we can reach an agreement before we both become financially destitute.

  Peter

  Obviously that secretary hadn’t relayed my request to end this. Not having the bandwidth to deal with this now, I rolled the bags into the foyer. Then I shoved the boxes in beside them.

  The house felt emptier than usual. I glanced up at the stupid family photo on the wall, my sister beaming back at me. Jena Lynn must be beside herself. Then a thought hit me. It could have been me who made the cake. Not in a million years would it have occurred to me that the sugar could have been tampered with. Honestly, I would have rather it been me instead of my poor sister. Could it be possible that someone was simply targeting my sister or the diner? No, that didn’t make sense. Think, Marygene, think.

  I shuddered at the thought that Jena Lynn could have sampled the frosting. If she had, it could have killed her. Who knew how much was too much?

  I plodded into the kitchen. Jena Lynn had left her notebook on the table the last time she was here. I closed it and moved it onto the large hutch Mama had kept all her porcelain knickknacks in. The little clown holding a balloon while petting a puppy began to rock. Spooked, I leaped backward, gawking as the Precious Moments figurine next to it fell forward, clanging against the glass.

  Was I crazy or had those things just moved on their own? “Seriously, Mama. These parlor tricks are beneath you.” I slowly spun around in a circle, “If you know who is behind this, tell me.” Nothing. “Help me, dammit!”

  Still nothing.

  A trinket fell forward against the glass. My tone was unsteady. “Fine. If you’re not here to help, then leave!” It would be just like her to cause trouble when Jena Lynn and I were getting along so well. Why would she come by and caution me and then disappear? She was useless. In the kitchen, I grabbed a santoku knife from the knife block and raised it toward the ceiling. “If you’re here and refuse to show yourself, to help me save Jena Lynn, then I swear to all that’s holy, I will stab myself just so I can die and cross over and beat the ever-loving fool out of you!”

  When nothing happened, no lights flickered, a pot didn’t come flying off the rack toward me, I was satisfied that if she received the message, I’d effectively scared her off for now.

  I had the coffee scooped into the filter and was filling the pot with water when the screen door clanged shut. Water sloshed over the top of the coffee maker. Get a grip, Marygene.

  Felton strolled into the kitchen and parked himself at the table without a word.

  “Coffee should be ready in just a minute.” I made sure my tone was even.

  “Thanks.” He folded his large hands on the table. There was a tan line where a wedding ring would be. Heather hadn’t mentioned he was recently divorced. Not that it was a big deal or anything, but the information could be useful. Finding the common denominator was my specialty.

  I poured him a cup of coffee and set it on the table in front of him.

  “I spoke with the sheriff. He wanted to make sure you got home okay. He said he’d come by and check on you later.”

  To get the scrap of paper, I assumed.

  “You guys getting along better these days?”

  No sense in letting him in on our family business. “You take cream and sugar?” I placed a plate of pastries I had individually wrapped in cellophane, a habit of mine, in front of him. I bake when I am stressed—eat too.

  He hesitated for a moment, and I snorted in disgust, took a turnover, and bit into it. Then he reached out, grabbed one, and devoured it in two bites, flakes of buttery pastry left on his lips. “Black’s fine.”

  Apparently, he had his doubts about me. I was beginning to become annoyed with Felton.

  Taking a seat across from him, I watched him chew, swallow, and take a sip from the mug. When Felton caught me staring, he quickly glanced away. What motivated Felton? It sure would be advantageous to us if we had someone other than Eddie on the inside helping us with this case. But did I want someone who had doubts about my siste
r’s innocence?

  “So . . .” I began.

  “I can’t talk with you about the specifics of the case. Please don’t ask me to. You should know better, with your dad being the sheriff and all.”

  In my humble opinion, I deemed his response a little snippy and uncalled for.

  “I wasn’t going to ask anything inappropriate,” I muttered, hiding my growing agitation. He’d been so forthcoming earlier. Eddie must have issued a warning. I should have known better than to divulge my source. “You divorced?”

  A few years back, his grandmother had told Jena Lynn he’d been engaged to a woman with means whose father was some big-shot attorney in Savannah. Felton had been working for him after he received his degree in criminal justice.

  He took another sip from the mug and set it on the table. “Divorced.”

  “Sorry to hear that. It can be difficult having to start all over again.”

  He shrugged, not elaborating further.

  “Heather seems really happy.”

  “She’s been helpful to me.”

  I was sure that would make Heather happy. “Hey, I want you to know I’m here for you, if you need to talk. Coming back to the island couldn’t have been easy for you.”

  His jaw clenched. Uh-oh. “I left the past where it belongs. I have every right to be back here. Same as you.”

  “I didn’t mean that.”

  Felton was touchy about his past. I never should have gone there.

  “I just meant, with the divorce and all.” I pushed the plate of pastries closer to him. “The department is already investigating other possibilities, right? Surely you guys have some leads.”

  He made a face, showing me his distaste for my inability to respect his earlier request. “Marygene, please,” he said softly and scooted his chair uncomfortably close to mine. “I like you. I always have.” He reached out and took my hands. “This is hard on you. I get that. But I have a job to do and I plan on doing it.”

  What was he getting at? Did he believe Jena Lynn was guilty? Did he think I was involved? I was so taken aback by his statement, I was momentarily at a loss for words.