Southern Sass and Killer Cravings

by Kate Young

  “Mr. Calhoun,” Alex greeted. “Marygene tells me you have information for me.”

  “I have information.” His gaze was intent on me.

  “It’s time we all shared info, Calhoun. People are still getting hurt. My people. If you’re willing to work with us, please come in.” I stepped aside.

  A couple of beats later, Calhoun crossed the threshold. Alex turned on the lights and shut the door behind him. The second the room was illuminated in light, I noticed the bruising around his midsection that ran down his left side.

  “That’s a nasty bruise,” Calhoun said.

  Alex waved it away. “It’s nothing.” There was something almost gloating about the way Alex glowered at Calhoun, I realized as he grabbed his shirt off the back of the couch and pulled it over his head.

  It was an odd combination. Izzy barked twice then, after a quick sniff of Calhoun’s shoes, decided he wasn’t worth her time. She curled up on the little dog bed in the living room.

  “You got a dog?” Calhoun turned his attention to me.

  “She belongs to a friend. I’ll go start a pot of coffee.” I left the two men alone. It wasn’t my place to play referee and I was tired of feeling as if it was. There was far more at stake here than the size of their, um, egos.

  When I came back with three cups of coffee on a tray, Alex was seated in the recliner and Calhoun on the couch. Alex was leaning forward as he was brought up to speed on what Calhoun had already told me earlier today.

  Alex stood. “Before you continue, I should get the sheriff on the phone. This needs to come directly from you.”

  Calhoun nodded. “Of course.”

  Alex stepped outside, closing the door behind him. “Cream and two sugars.” I placed a warm mug on the coffee table.

  “What happened today?” he asked softly and I sunk into the recliner.

  “Heather was attacked.” I wrapped my hands around the warm mug.

  “Marygene, I’m sorry. Is she going to be all right?”

  I nodded and took a sip, swallowing slowly. “She was beaten up both physically and emotionally. She’ll heal.”

  “Thank goodness for that.” He leaned forward. “I found out that—”

  I held up my hand. “Better wait for Eddie.”

  He closed his mouth.

  “All this secret keeping might have cost Heather. I don’t want it to cost anyone else I love.”

  He sat back, his eyes understanding. “Of course.”

  “Listen, I don’t want you to be angry with me.” The sympathy in his gaze immediately made me uncomfortable. “I never intended to pry, just gather information that could prove useful.”

  Oh God. My face heated up. The hair on my neck stood and so did I. “You had no right!” I stepped away.

  “Please don’t be upset.” He didn’t advance when he stood. “Your confidence is safe with me. I swear it. But, Marygene, you have nothing to be ashamed of.”

  “Shut up! Just shut up!” My whole world was crashing down on me. I’d run from that disastrous life, that man. I needed the clean slate that Peach Cove would provide me. It wasn’t that I was hiding from what I’d gone through so much anymore. Or that I felt shame in this moment. Being blindsided with my own story before I’d even confided in my close family members stirred up anxiety. I didn’t exactly blame Calhoun. He harbored no ill will toward me. He’d simply been doing his job. Despite that fact, it felt like an invasion of privacy.

  “What the hell is going on in here?” Alex rushed back into the room.

  Panting, I bolted through the kitchen and out onto the back porch. Get yourself together, Marygene. It’s over. You divorced him and he’s out of your life forever. Inhale, hold for eight seconds, exhale. Good. Again.

  Once I got myself together, I overheard the low rumble from the living room. Alex hadn’t followed me out here, and I was majorly appreciative.

  “Eddie will be here in ten,” Alex said when I came back in the room. He held out my mug to me and I took it.

  Calhoun was standing by the window. When he turned around, he opened his mouth, I assumed to apologize, but I gave my head a little shake. He let it drop. Thankfully, it seemed they both had.

  “How’s his mood?” I tested my voice before taking a sip from the mug.

  “Quiet.”

  I sighed.

  “He’ll be fine once all of this is out in the open. He’ll be mad, though, that you didn’t mention any of this today.”

  “I know. It will be better if it comes from Calhoun,” I told Alex. “He’s the one who gathered the information. It should come from him.”

  “I’ll explain it to him,” Calhoun said.

  “Calhoun, were you using Marygene for a story?”

  I jerked my head toward Alex.

  “With all the chaos on the island, it would make for a riveting piece. No?”

  Could I have possibly been so stupid that I hadn’t realized what Calhoun was doing? He had gone digging into my past. Was I the focus of the story? Calhoun had the decency to appear appalled by the notion.

  “Nothing Marygene has discussed with me has been on the record. Nor is any information I came across during my investigation.” The sincerity in both his eyes and tone gave me some peace of mind. He pushed up his glasses and pierced Alex with a glare. “Despite how you view me, Deputy Myers, I am a man of honor.”

  “Sure you are,” Alex said with an edge of sarcasm.

  “I lived through a terrible ordeal, Deputy. One I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. Yes, what initially piqued my interest was the fact Detective Thornton, a crooked cop, had been called in for the case. Someone involved obviously believed he possessed deep enough pockets to keep Thornton in line. Later, I saw a similar pain in Marygene. I didn’t want her light to be snuffed out because of some asshole’s agenda.” Calhoun was irritated.

  Alex was irritated. I had no idea how to describe my emotions. Overwhelmed would be the term I would use if I was forced to choose.

  Eddie was at my house in under eight minutes. He didn’t knock, as Calhoun had. He was dressed in uniform. A statement, I was guessing. I got up to get him a mug of coffee, but he motioned for me to sit back down. I did as commanded.

  “Mr. Calhoun. It seems you have information for me.” Direct and to the point. That was Eddie.

  I listened as Calhoun explained what he had found out about Carl. I cringed when he got to the part about Felton. “This is the part that your deputy isn’t yet privy to.”

  I stared into my mug. He didn’t say I wasn’t privy to the information. I could feel the eyes on me for a few long seconds.

  “Marygene has nothing to do with this.” Calhoun came to my defense.

  “Don’t you concern yourself with my daughter, Mr. Calhoun. You best get to your point.”

  And he did. He told them about Felton and Carl having it out. The report and arrest that had been erased from the record. I could almost see the steam emanating from both the men standing.

  “And your source would be?” Eddie said when the quiet stretched out far too long for my taste.

  “Sheriff, you are aware of the sanctity of protecting one’s sources.” Calhoun had been firm when he made the statement.

  “Uh-huh,” Eddie said. It wasn’t an “I understand” uh-huh.

  “That brings me to what I came here to discuss with Marygene.” Calhoun was a lot stronger in countenance than I gave him credit for. He wasn’t rattled under Eddie’s scrutinizing gaze, as most would be. His experience in his field was evident. He had obviously been in the hot seat more than a few times. And protect his source he would.

  “I need more coffee.” I stood and went to retrieve the pot. I was back and pouring hot mugs full before Calhoun had gotten more than a sentence in. I even brought a mug for Eddie and, this time, he accepted. It was clear I hadn’t been involved in Calhoun’s information gathering. All I had been was a sounding board.

  Calhoun opened his phone and placed it on the table. On it was the
image of a man dressed in black, a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, appearing to burn boxes of documents in a large barrel. I leaned forward as Calhoun flipped through a series of pictures. There had to be six or seven large boxes. The man was tossing file after file into the barrel.

  “Where were these taken?” Alex asked.

  “Behind the warehouse owned by Carl Ledbetter,” Eddie answered Alex’s question before Calhoun could.

  Calhoun confirmed with a nod of his head.

  “See here,” Eddie picked up the phone and zoomed in with his index finger and thumb.

  I couldn’t see it but Alex could and he seemed to agree.

  “They were taken the night Marygene was shot at,” Calhoun said. “I didn’t take them. They were sent to me anonymously. I had the source traced, with no luck. And my guy is good.”

  “We’re going to need these,” Eddie told Calhoun. And then he paused. His eyes squinted as he zoomed in more.

  “What?” I wanted to know and Alex met my gaze.

  Impatient, I got up and leaned over Alex to see the image. A burned file lay in the bottom of the barrel. Blurry and faded was the captured image of SP062379. The S had been partially burned away. The exact same type sequence that had been scribbled on the paper Mr. Ledbetter had given me. Then it hit me, “I know whose file this is.” I had everyone’s attention.

  Chapter 35

  I woke to the ringing and vibrating of my phone against the bedside table. My first thought was, I’m so glad today is my day off. It had been a long night. I hadn’t even crawled between the sheets until after four.

  My hand fumbled around on the table until I found the phone and checked the caller ID. I didn’t recognize it. To voice mail it went. After a quick peek at a still-snoozing Izzy, I rolled onto my side and pulled the covers over my head to block out the sunlight. The phone began buzzing again.

  Throwing the covers back, I snatched the phone. “Hello,” I croaked.

  Izzy’s ears perked and I swore she gave me an ah, come on glare through her cracked eyelids. I completely agreed.

  “Marygene. This is Tally Waters,” the voice on the other end informed me.

  “How did you get this number?” I asked rather coldly.

  “Rainey Lane gave it to me.” Okay, that was weird. Why Rainey Lane would even be speaking to the woman sleeping with her husband was beyond me. But not my business. “I apologize for the abrupt phone call, but I must see you.”

  I sat up to clear the cobwebs. “I thought your business was concluded. As I’m sure you’re aware, neither my sister nor I own property on the west side.”

  “It isn’t about that. Carl is missing.” She sounded a bit breathless, and the pace of her speech had increased. She was scared.

  “Wait a minute, let’s back up.” I got out of bed and stood. “What do you mean missing?”

  “I mean missing. Deputy Myers came by the apartment early this morning around six.”

  Alex must have left after I went to bed.

  “He had questions for Carl.”

  “The apartment in Savannah?”

  “That’s correct. I insisted Carl refuse to answer any questions without an attorney present.”

  They had something to hide.

  “He ignored my warnings and I left. I was angry.” Sure, angry she would be compromising the sale she promised to retain for her corporation.

  My brain was firing slower than usual. That happened without my morning cup of joe. I slogged down the stairs toward the kitchen.

  “When I came back a couple of hours later, the apartment was in disarray. Furniture was overturned, and I found blood on the floor. I couldn’t stay there.”

  The pot was already made from last night. I poured a mug and popped it into the microwave. “Did you call the police?”

  “I can’t.”

  “You believe Carl was abducted. You found evidence of a struggle and you didn’t call the police? You’re an intelligent woman, Miss Waters. Surely you see how unwise that decision was.”

  “Yes. But Carl instructed me that if anything happened to him, not to alert the authorities. Especially the Peach Cove Sheriff’s Department. I was to come directly to you. He said you would know why.” A loud honking was heard in the background. “Shit!” she shouted. “Sorry. I’m driving. Even if I went against his wishes and called them, the police won’t do anything for twenty-four hours and, by that time, it might be too late.”

  Too late? Did she believe Carl was going to add to the body count? My blood ran cold. Carl was definitely mixed up in something dangerous.

  “May I come out to your house? I’m close.”

  How could I trust Tally Waters? My silence stretched out for several seconds longer than she was comfortable with. “I’m not a bad person. A shrewd businesswoman, but I’m not a monster. This is real, Marygene. Indulge me this once, and I swear you’ll never see my face again.”

  When I finally agreed to her terms, she let out a sigh of relief before she disconnected the call.

  I stood in my kitchen in front of the microwave as I pondered the information I had just received. Perhaps Carl had double-crossed the hit man he used. Or maybe he withheld the money he promised him. The sisters hadn’t been fond of Carl. His character was in question by most who were close to him. He didn’t retain any friendships with islanders. That was incredibly suspect in my mind.

  As I walked to the fridge and got out the creamer, I kept replaying the conversation in my mind. It hadn’t been earth-shattering news that Carl didn’t trust the Peach Cove Sheriff’s Department.

  Before Eddie left last night, I swore to him I would step back. If information fell in my lap, as I insisted had happened at times—Mr. Ledbetter was the proof—I was to turn over whatever I had. I poured cream into my mug and sat it on the table. Izzy was up now and barking at the back door.

  As I took her out to do her business, I called Eddie.

  It went straight to voice mail. “Eddie, it’s me. Tally Waters phoned me with disturbing info about Carl. Call me.”

  Alex was next on my list. He answered on the second ring. “Hey, I’m sort of tied up right now. Did you need something important?”

  “Alex, did you have a conversation with Carl Ledbetter this morning?”

  “How did you know that?” He sounded tired.

  “Does Eddie know you were there? Was he with you?” I sure hoped he accompanied Alex.

  “Yes, to the first. No, to the second question.” I heard his blinker in the background. “I take it you’re still at the house?”

  “I am. It’s my day off. I told you that last night.”

  “Oh, right.”

  I jumped right into it. “Tally Waters called me. I tried calling Eddie but couldn’t get him.”

  “Yeah, he’s out of pocket for the day. New information has come to light.”

  “What new information?”

  Silence.

  “Fine, don’t tell me. I’m keeping my word to Eddie by calling. Tally said Carl is missing. When she went back to the apartment, there were signs of a struggle and she found blood.”

  More silence.

  “I hope you have witnesses seeing you leave and someone else arriving.”

  “He was perfectly fine when I left him.” Somehow, I doubted that.

  “As in not broken or bruised?” Alex’s temper got the best of him sometimes.

  “He was alive. The place was in order, and I didn’t draw any blood.”

  “It’s not me you’re going to need to convince. You better get ahold of Eddie. Things are about to get dicey again.”

  The line went dead.

  Chapter 36

  Tally Waters pulled up into my driveway ten minutes later. I was standing on the front porch dressed in cutoff jean shorts and a tank top when she emerged from the Lincoln she left running. This was the first time since her arrival to the island that I hadn’t seen her pressed and together. She was in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Her hair was up in a mes
sy bun. No makeup.

  “I brought everything Carl instructed me to.” She reached the front porch. She set a leather briefcase down in front of me.

  “What’s in the briefcase?” I didn’t pick it up.

  She made direct eye contact with me. “I honestly have no idea. Carl didn’t offer an explanation, and I didn’t ask. He and I had a common goal. That was the only thing I saw in that man. This sale was going to do wonders for my career. Now, I can say with absolute clarity that I’m sorry I ever met the man, took him up on his offer to pitch the development to my firm, and I ever set one foot on this island,” she said with sincerity.

  “Then why come back? Why not just ignore Carl’s instructions and leave?” I took a sip from my mug.

  “Because I’m not a heartless monster, that’s why.” She was clearly insulted. “He is a human being. A man I spent time with. He matters.”

  “He matters to his wife.”

  She flinched. “I deserve that. Look, I’m following through with what I committed to. And lest you think I’m here to protect my own hide and that I had something to do with Carl’s disappearance, I have a rock-solid alibi. There are at least a dozen credible witnesses to attest to the fact I was sitting in the coffee shop across the street from the apartment. The doorman saw me leave after he admitted Alex into the building. Carl was with me in the lobby when Alex showed up. They both watched me cross the street.” Okay, that did sound solid.

  She started down the stairs.

  “Miss Waters.”

  She turned.

  “I don’t think you’re a monster.” For some reason, I felt the need to tell her that.

  “Thank you for that.” She gave me a half-smile that didn’t reach her eyes. Suddenly, I felt sorry for Tally Waters. She had an emptiness about her that I now detected, not that I had much time to dwell on it. Nanny always used to say, “Child, don’t judge anyone till you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.” There was nothing in me that wanted to slip into that woman’s sneakers.

  After she left, I picked up the briefcase and went back inside. I sat at the kitchen table, staring at it for a few minutes as I luxuriated over my breakfast. A slice of cheesecake and another cup of coffee. There was no one around to judge my choice, and, honestly, I wouldn’t have cared if there had been.