Murder is on the Clock

by Fran Rizer

  “I was thinking maybe a mermaid or A-line style,” I said. “Do you happen to know her size?”

  “She was a six when she left, but that was two years ago and she wasn’t pregnant then.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’ll find out from Odell.” I turned to walk away, and she called me back again.

  “Just make sure it’s a nice dress, Miss Parrish. I want her to look pretty.”

  “I promise you, Mrs. Caldwell, Betty Jo will look beautiful.” I had no idea how difficult it would be to fulfil that promise.

  12:00 MIDNIGHT

  I looked at the clock, it was past midnight When rockin’ Bob Seger gave me a fright All the way home, I worried about Bill and my car while feeling my heart and mind fill with sorrow and pain for poor Mrs. Crawford. How terrible that her granddaughter had been missing two years only to lose her to murder when she was headed home.

  I was also worried sick about Bill—a grown man who’d run off voluntarily, not a child who disappeared one day on her way to school.

  When I pulled into my driveway, seeing Jane’s place dark with no lights on was disconcerting. She’d gone from Rizzie’s to Miss Ellen’s after the rehearsal dinner, but it was strange to be home without Jane either visiting me or next door. Since she broke her engagement with my brother Frankie, she rarely went anywhere except to the Publix Grocery Store with me.

  Big Boy still slept by the recliner where Otis and I had left him. I nudged the dog just enough to wake him and led him into my bedroom. When he was a puppy, Big Boy liked to climb in my bed, but I’d had to break him of that habit when he grew so large there wasn’t any room left for me. He settled down on the rug beside the bed, and before I’d changed into my nightgown, I heard him snoring.

  I liked to shower at night but decided to skip it until the next morning. I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and tucked myself under the cool sheets with my phone on the bedside table in case Bill called again or Daddy phoned to say they’d found him. Even with the air-conditioning, a thin sheet was the only covering I wanted. I’ve been like that since I was a child and had taken lots of teasing about being “hot-blooded” before I even knew what that meant.

  Expecting sleep to come slowly, I was surprised when Bob Seger blasted from my bedside table and I saw that it was four in the morning.

  Saturday

  4:00 A.M.

  Aha! Avoided a Chapter Thirteen one more time But I just can’t think of another line to rhyme1 My heart pounded as I grabbed my cell phone and gasped, “Hello,” thinking the call was from Daddy or one of The Boys to tell me about Bill.

  No response, so I said it again, “Hello.”

  In that split second, my emotions bounced—went from sky-high that Bill was home safe to the depths of Hades that something had happened to him.

  _______________

  1 My very first ever footnote in one of my books. I’ve never written a Chapter 13, and I have no intention of starting now. I’m not superstitious, but I do believe thirteen is unlucky.

  “Miss Parrish?” The voice was electronically distorted, but I understood the words perfectly. “Tell Roxanne that she can’t hide from me. I know she’s spending the night somewhere else, just like I always know where she is and what she’s doing.” He paused. “Do you understand me?”

  “Who is this?”

  “You don’t need to know my name. Just give my message to Roxanne.” The sound of laughter through the electronic distortion creeped me out.

  “Who is this?” I repeated.

  “One of Roxanne’s friends,” was the answer. “Remind her that I know who she really is and where she lives.” More maniacal laughter. “Tell her I’ll see her soon.”

  A dial tone replaced his voice. I’d expected him to try to engage me in more conversation, but I was happy not to hear his spine-chilling words anymore. I sat there in bed considering what to do. I didn’t want to run out the door. The caller could be in my yard, even on my porch. How would one of Roxanne’s callers know me and my cell number?

  Just then, Big Boy awoke. He yawned really big before leaving the room. I followed him thinking perhaps he smelled someone else in the apartment, but that wasn’t his problem at all. He went straight to the back door and scratched the floor. This meant he needed to go out for bathroom business, but I was scared to open the door for fear the caller was standing there and would force his way inside.

  Big Boy squirmed and did the doggie version of what I’d thought of as the “tee tee dance” when I taught kindergarten. Finally I opened the door barely wide enough for the dog to squeeze through into the fenced backyard. It took only seconds for me to slam and lock the door.

  No way to go back to sleep then. I considered making more coffee but changed back to herbal tea. I was too wired for caffeine. I took my cup to the couch, picked up a pen and notepad from the coffee table, and began a list of what I had to do that Saturday because I needed to be at the church by eleven-thirty for the wedding.

  Call Daddy Get latest news about Bill

  Call Jane Tell her about phone call Pick her up from Miss Ellen’s

  Call Odell Ask Betty Jo’s dress size

  Belle’s Beautiful Brides

  Maid of honor dress Wedding dress for Betty Jo

  Take dress to Middleton’s

  Rent car Yes, I know my lists always resemble outlines. When I do it that way, I’m more organized. It was too early to begin doing those things, so I headed to the shower. After that, I spent more time than usual on my hair. I figured I might not have time to do it for the wedding later. Instead of a ponytail, I pulled it into an upsweep with side bangs. Having to go by Middleton’s meant being dressed appropriately for work, so I put on one of my black dresses, black stockings, and low-heeled black shoes. That’s pretty much what I wear to work every day.

  After scrounging around for breakfast food, I wound up eating the rest of the Moon Pies I’d left on the coffee table the night before. Daddy has always been an early riser and I couldn’t bear waiting any longer. Still chewing on Moon Pie, I phoned him.

  “What?” came his abrupt answer.

  “Daddy, it’s me. Did I wake you?”

  “Sorry, Calamine. I didn’t check the caller ID. No, you

  didn’t wake me. I’ve been out all night in the rain and I’m still looking for Bill with no luck. No telling how far away he is by now. I tried to raise you kids right, and I’d think he’d have better sense than to run from the law. The longer he’s gone, the worse it looks.” He coughed. “Calamine, you don’t think your brother had anything to do with killing that man, do you?”

  Even if I’d believed Bill murdered someone, which I did not, I wouldn’t have said so to Daddy.

  “No,” I assured him. “I think the most Bill is guilty of is stupidity, thinking with the wrong head as my brothers used to say.”

  Mistake! Daddy refuses to see me as an adult. He won’t let me drink beer in his presence, and I swear he believes I’m still a virgin even though I’m over thirty years old and was married for a few years.

  “Calamine! I will not have you saying things like that.”

  “You laugh when The Boys say that kind of stuff.”

  “In case you’ve forgotten, you’re not one of the boys!” In a bare second, his voice went from scolding to placating. “Sorry, Calamine. The pressure has got to me, and Bill has messed up my schedule. I’d planned to spend the night barbecuing not tromping around in the rain.”

  I couldn’t resist. I said, “Wouldn’t the rain have ruined your plan to barbecue for the reception?”

  “It’s never stopped me before. You know perfectly well that I cover the meat with metal sheets if it rains. I might have got a little wet, but not like I did searching the woods all night.” I heard him yawn. “I’m headed over to Gastric Gullah for coffee. Someone told me you’re driving one of Middleton’s limousines. Meet me and I’ll buy you breakfast.”

  I’d just finished my second Moon Pie, but I sensed that the inv
itation was as much that he wanted to see me as that he wanted to be sure I had breakfast.

  “Is Rizzie open yet?”

  “She called a few minutes ago to see if we’d heard from Bill. Said she couldn’t sleep and was headed over there if any of us wanted coffee or food.”

  “I’ll be there shortly,” I said and disconnected.

  7:00 A.M.

  I looked at the clock at seven in the morning I’d waited too long to see this day dawning Anyone who didn’t know better would have thought there was a Parrish family reunion at Gastric Gullah Grill that morning. John, Jim, Eric, Mike, and Frankie sat on one side of Daddy. They’d shoved two tables together, and Miss Ellen, Molly, and a very sleepy-looking Jane sat on the other side. When I sat down beside Jane, Tyrone brought me a cup of coffee and said, “Sorry about your car, Callie.”

  “Thanks, Ty,” I said. “I am, too.”

  “Glad you could join us, Calamine,” Daddy said. He looked older and more haggard than I’d ever seen him. “I have an announcement to make, but first, let me tell you that nobody’s had any luck finding Bill. The old moped that was in my shed is missing, and I fear that Bill is far away by now.” He cleared his throat. “In fact, I hope he’s somewhere safe. With that storm last night, I don’t like thinking he may be lying out in the woods injured.” He smiled at Miss Ellen.

  “Due to the unfortunate circumstances that have come up, Ellen and I have decided to postpone the wedding.”

  Jane, Molly, and I all caught our breath in unison. Miss Ellen continued smiling. After a silent few minutes, I asked, “Until when?”

  “Until this mess is all cleared up or one month, whichever comes first,” Miss Ellen said. “As soon as we eat, I’ll go home and start calling the people who were invited. Jane has agreed to help me.” She looked at me. “Did you bring the maid-of-honor dress for me to see?”

  “The gown was ruined when someone wrecked the Mustang. I’ll pick out another one this morning and be ready whenever you reschedule.”

  Although we hadn’t placed any orders, Rizzie and one of her servers began putting plates in front of each of us. They were all the same: scrambled eggs, cheese grits, and country ham with redeye gravy. Tyrone placed several baskets of homemade biscuits on the tables.

  “I wanted pancakes,” Frankie whined.

  “Then order pancakes,” Daddy said. “I’m picking up the tab so I ordered what I would have cooked at home if we were all at the house.”

  “If I add pancakes, do I have to pay for them?” Frankie asked.

  “Yes,” Daddy said, but he was grinning, so I didn’t know if he meant it or not.

  When I went to the restroom, Miss Ellen followed me. “Calamine,” she said as soon as the door closed, “has Jane told you about the telephone calls she’s been receiving?”

  “She not only told me, but I got one last night. I’m going to talk to Sheriff Harmon about it.”

  “Do you think she’s over-reacting?”

  “I wish I did, but I don’t. Can she stay at your house until I’m ready to go home? I have some errands and since the wedding is postponed, I’ll be needed at Middleton’s for a while after that.”

  “No problem at all. In fact, I think that’s a wonderful idea.”

  When I finished eating, I asked everyone to let me know if anything new happened. As I got into the limousine, thunder rumbled in the distance. By the time I reached Belle’s Beautiful Brides, another storm had rolled in and rain beat on the roof. Thinking it might slack off, I decided to wait in the car and called Odell.

  “Callie, I’m glad to hear from you. Can you believe that on this, the day of your father’s wedding, we’re so overwhelmed?”

  “The wedding’s postponed. I’ll be there shortly. I need the dress size for Betty Jo Caldwell.”

  “According to the charts, she’s a size twelve.”

  “Are you sure? Mrs. Caldwell said she was a six when she left.”

  “She was a child then. She’s a pregnant woman now.”

  “Okay, I’ll be there as soon as I have the gown.”

  The saleslady from the day before was busy with another customer, so Belle herself asked if she could help me. I explained that I needed a suitable dress for me to serve as an attendant in my future stepmother’s wedding and a wedding gown. The maid-of-honor dress was easy. They had one in pale orchid made like the teal I’d bought the day before.

  “Now, I’d like to see a wedding dress in a size twelve,” I said.

  “I’ll look, but most of the sample dresses are size ten or smaller. With the popular lace-up corset back, we can adjust them enough for brides to see how they’ll look. After the selection, we order whatever they’ve chosen in the correct size. Let me pull some for you to try. Delivery takes from six weeks to six months.”

  “You don’t understand,” I protested. “I need to take the dress with me.”

  “I won’t have many size twelve wedding gowns in stock.”

  “But I need it today.”

  “There’s nothing I can do. If you need the dress for pictures, you can buy it and carry it to the photo shoot. You don’t have to lace it for frontal shots. So long as it comes back absolutely clean, I’ll take it back and order the size you need.”

  “You don’t understand. I can’t bring it back. I work at Middleton’s Mortuary. The girl is being buried in the dress on Wednesday. There’s no time to order one.”

  Shock or disbelief? I couldn’t exactly read Belle’s expression, but she began pulling dresses from the racks. I’d lost weight after my divorce, so the samples would fit me and I could try them on. Now a new problem surfaced. Betty Jo had died of gunshot wounds. Where had she been shot? By far, most of the current styles a young woman would like showed more skin than I thought Mrs. Caldwell would want anyway and I’d rather cover bullet wounds with fabric than makeup.

  Good grief! I’m not overly modest. I wear shorts and bikinis in the summertime but now I’d rejected a dress chosen by a lady in her sixties for me to wear as her maidof-honor, and I was looking for something that covered more skin for a fifteen-year-old.

  I tried on a dress that reminded me of my own wedding gown—sweetheart neckline, A-line skirt, and long sleeves. It looked great in the mirror, but Belle commented, “This is a size eight, and I don’t have it laced tight in the back. No way it’s gonna do for a size twelve.”

  The situation boiled down to three size twelves—all strapless—one a mermaid, one princess with a gigantic skirt, and one fit and flare. None had sleeves though Miss Belle showed me a lace bolero with short cap sleeves that could be worn over the gowns. I remembered a day that I’d been erasing from my mind since I moved back to St. Mary—my own wedding day.

  I got dressed, thanked Miss Belle, and told her, “I’ll probably be back.”

  “Do you want me to hold the orchid dress?” she asked.

  “I’d almost forgotten it,” I said. “This is the third dress I’ve bought for Daddy and Miss Ellen’s wedding, and I definitely want it.”

  I paid for the dress with a credit card (mine, not Middleton’s), and she zipped it into the same kind of garment bag the teal one had been in before my car was wrecked. Not willing to take any chances of this one being damaged, I drove to my apartment and put it safely in the spare bedroom closet before calling Daddy’s cell.

  “Where are you?” I asked him.

  “Right where you left me,” he answered. “Ellen, Molly, and Jane have gone to start calling everyone. I’m having another cup of coffee with John and Mike.”

  “Where’s Frankie?”

  “Said he was going home and hit the sack. I think we’ll all need some rest and regrouping before we get much else done.”

  “What about Jim and Eric?”

  “They headed to the motel for showers. They’ll probably get naps, too.”

  “Daddy, are you okay with Jim?” I made myself ask that question.

  “I don’t know what you mean.” He didn’t answer it.
r />   “Do you remember me hanging a garment bag in your closet a few years ago?” I then asked.

  “Yep. It’s still there, but I don’t know why you’d want it now. Did that fellow from Florida ever get up here? You can tell him there’s no hurry now, and you don’t need to get any ideas about what’s in my closet and that man anyway. He’s not dependable. Leaves you waiting around for him too much.”

  “That’s because of his businesses, Daddy,” I defended J. T. In my heart, I felt the same way about him, but I didn’t like Daddy pointing it out to me. “Don’t worry. I’m not planning a sudden wedding, but if I did, I assure you I’d buy a new dress.”

  Daddy laughed—a good sound considering how old and tired he’d looked at breakfast. “I’m not quite up-to-date on etiquette. I bought your first wedding dress. Who buys the second?”

  “We’ll talk about that when the time comes,” I said. “I’m going to your house and look at my dress.”

  “Calamine, I don’t think I’ll ever understand women.” He laughed softly. “Except for Ellen. She doesn’t confuse me nearly as much as you do sometimes.”

  I spent a few minutes petting Big Boy, filled his outside water and food dishes, and put him in the back yard.

  If Frankie was napping, he wasn’t doing it at the homeplace. No one was there. I let myself in, went directly to Daddy’s closet, and shoved his clothes over. It was at the very end of the space—a garment bag from David’s Bridals in Columbia. I pulled it out and unzipped it. The fabric hadn’t discolored, and aside from wrinkles, it looked like it had when I gave it to Daddy to store for me after I picked it up from the dry cleaners when Donnie and I returned from our honeymoon.

  I checked the tag in the back. Sure enough, the dress was a size twelve. I smiled when I remembered that I hadn’t discovered inflatable bras back then. Half a box of Kleenex and I had filled out the bodice of that dress quite well.