“Sure. Sorry I couldn’t be of help.”
You hit pay dirt, girl. Wait till Mrs. Grimshaw hears what you have to tell her. I put the keys in the ignition and buzzed off.
Chapter 39
I happened to fall a little short of my destination after leaving Doc Taylor’s all because of a teeny cliché. The gas tank registered empty. The fault lay with me, of course. I had been too busy to notice, but it also didn’t help that the supply symbols for the Topaz were hard to read on a sunny day. Thankfully, help was only a cell phone away. I opened the glove compartment and dug it out. “Crap.” The phone’s battery was depleted, and I had no way to recharge it. That’s what you get, Mary, for telling your aunt you’re going to start exercising. Now, you’ll have to hoof it.
As soon as I climbed out of the car, I tried to put the hood up so people would know I had car trouble. But no matter how much I pushed and shoved, the hood would not release.
“Having s bit of car trouble, lady?”
I glanced at the car that had just pulled up alongside of me. Great. I wasn’t planning on running into him today. Stay calm, Mary. Russell doesn’t know you’ve got something on him.
“Oh, hi, Clint. Yeah, I ran out of gas and was just trying to put the hood up before I hiked over to Reed’s and asked for help.”
The man gave me an easy-care smile. “Must be your day to help out at the Bar X again, huh?”
“Yup,” I lied, “and I’m running late.” I looked down at my clothes now. They were too nice to be working in the barn. How do I explain what I’m wearing? “Reed’s got me helping out in the kitchen today. He’s throwing a whopper of a shindig this weekend.”
“Oh, what’s the celebration?”
“I don’t know. He didn’t elaborate. Just said he needed extra help.”
“Well, let me get that hood up for you, and then I’ll drop you off.”
I swiped the sweat from my forehead. “Thanks. That’d be great.”
Clint backed his car up behind me now and left it running. Then he got out and strolled over to the front of the Topaz. “Give me a little room here, okay?”
I swiftly moved aside, inhaling his intoxicating cologne as I did so. You’ve got it bad, Mary. I don’t know what you’re going to do if this guy turns out to be working for the mafia or something just as sinister.
Clint laid his hands on the hood now, yanked on something, and presto the hood flew up.
“Nice job.”
“Glad you think so.” He pulled his dirty hands away from the car and brushed them on his stylish jeans. “Come on. We better get going. You don’t want to make your boss mad.”
*****
“You were lucky to run out of gas close to the Bar X,” my client said as we drove off his property and headed towards the home where Sally Sullivan was raised. “Afternoon temperatures in the summer can be a bear.”
“That’s for sure,” I agreed. “The heat was a killer just hiking those four blocks.”
“You know what I can’t understand, Mary,” my aunt said as she stared at me. “You aren’t all sweaty like you usually get when you’ve been outside in the heat for a while. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you look like you just stepped out of an air-conditioned room.”
“I do feel comfy,” I whispered. “It must be that new deodorant I started using the other day.”
“So, Mary, have you given any thought to what you want to ask Sally’s mother when we get there?” Reed asked.
“A little,” I replied as I leaned over my aunt a bit. “I think the rest will come naturally. Once she starts talking, I’m hoping it will lead somewhere. I just don’t want to tire the poor woman out.” Now, I positioned my body tightly against the seat again leaving my aunt with room to spare.
She took advantage of the situation and tapped our driver on the arm. “Reed, when do you plan to share your surprise with Mary?”
“What surprise?” I queried.
The owner of the Bar X took his eyes off the road briefly to glance our way. “It’s Zoe’s idea actually. I’m throwing a party at the ranch this weekend to raise money for Mrs. Sullivan. Hopefully, we’ll make enough to cover some of Sally’s funeral expenses. I’ve heard they can be quite costly.”
“Wow.” How prophetic is that? Here I thought I was making up a big fat lie for Clint and it ends up being true. “That’s very generous, Reed, especially with you just losing Angel.”
“It’s the least I could do. Besides, we horse people are known to be very generous when it comes to donating to a good cause.”
My aunt waved her hands in front of her. “I knew you’d love my idea, Mary. That’s why I told Reed we’d like to help him. We don’t have any plans for this weekend, or do we?”
I didn’t want Reed and my aunt to know about my bowling date with Clint on Sunday evening, so I nonchalantly asked, “Which day? Saturday or Sunday?”
“Saturday,” Reed and my aunt replied in unison.
“Perfect. That day is wide open.”
Twenty minutes later, Reed turned off the main highway. We had reached Fish Lake in Oakdale. According to the directions Mrs. Sullivan gave me, she resided just around the bend from Louie’s Bait and Tackle shop which came into view now as Reed progressed along the lake frontage road.
“There it is, Reed,” I announced dryly. “See the little white clapboard cottage-style cabin tucked in among the pines?”
“I do now. I’m glad you gals came with. I would’ve driven right past the place.”
Aunt Zoe spoke up now. “It’s a cute yard. I half expect Bambi to prance across the lawn looking for his friends, Flower and Thumper.”
I felt the same way, but I wasn’t going to admit it. “Oh, I’m sure there are plenty of deer, skunks and rabbits when no one’s poking around.”
“Don’t forget snakes,” added Reed.
The three of us stepped out of Reed’s truck now and paraded up a gravel path leading to the front of the house where Mrs. Sullivan, pale as a ghost, sat in a lawn chair positioned on the narrow wooden landing at the top of the steps. “I’d ask you inside,” she said weakly, “but since Sally died there’s been no one here to pick up after me.” She pointed to the right side of the house now and continued, “There’s lawn chairs in the shed if you’d like to sit.”
“No, thank you,” the three of us replied.
I moved in closer. “We just have a few things to discuss, and then we’ll be on our way.”
“I’m so sorry for your loss, Mrs. Sullivan,” Reed said now as he took over, “Sally was such a sweet gal. I looked forward to her visits at the Bar X.”
Mrs. Sullivan grabbed a Kleenex from her pants pocket and dabbed her nose. “She spoke very highly of you too, Mr. Griffin. I just wish she hadn’t been caring for me, so she could’ve spent more time with Cinnamon. I don’t know what I’m going to do with the horse.”
Reed sat down on the edge of the landing now. “We can discuss Cinnamon in a bit, okay?”
“All right,” the woman replied as she brushed tears off her cheeks.
“I know Sally was pretty upset about Cinnamon being diagnosed with laminitis,” I said. “Did she share anything concerning that with you?”
Missus Sullivan shook her head. “No, not that I recall. She probably didn’t want me to worry. You see, I grew up around horses as a child, and I know what kind of damage laminitis can cause.” She shook her head again. “I still don’t understand whatever possessed her to drive back to the Bar X that night.”
“Could she have been meeting someone?” I asked.
Mrs. Sullivan’s thin eyebrows arched severely. “You mean a guy?” I nodded. “With school, the horse, and caring for me, she didn’t have time for anything else.”
Well, that didn’t get you anywhere, Mary. I tried anoth
er topic now. “Has anyone else spoken with you about Sally’s death besides the police, neighbors, and family?”
Sally’s mother thought for a moment. “A few classmates, and there was a message from a man who was interested in purchasing Cinnamon. He didn’t leave his name or say how he knew about the horse.”
Reed bent his head foreword and shook it, signifying he wasn’t the one who contacted her. Could it have been Doc Taylor?”
“I suppose you didn’t happen to save the message about the horse?”
Sally’s mom dropped the damp Kleenex in her lap now. “No. I just thought they’d call back since they didn’t leave a number.”
Aunt Zoe couldn’t stand being on the outer fringes collecting dust any longer. “Do you think you’d recognize his voice if you heard it again?”
“Maybe,” Mrs. Sullivan replied before reaching for a glass of water sitting on a table next to her, “I don’t get that many calls.”
Aunt Zoe turned to me. “You’ve got that tape recorder, Mary.”
I shared a smile. Thankfully, I knew exactly where my aunt was going with her sly comment. With a plan in mind now, I quickly ushered my aunt off the landing, so Reed could talk to Mrs. Sullivan privately. Whatever he discussed with her was none of our business. I was only hired to find out why the horses were going over the fence. If Reed wanted to share later, so be it.
Chapter 40
The minute we arrived home, I dashed off to the computer and sent a picture of the metal object I found at the Bar X to the U of M Equine Center. I was positive they’d recognize the item. Then I discarded my dress clothes, replaced them with shorts, tank top and scruffy tennis shoes and marched to the kitchen to retrieve the mutt’s leash. I had another mission in mind before the day ended, and no one, meaning my aunt, was going to stop me. Thankfully, Gracie was the excuse I needed to get out of the apartment. We were definitely going to take a walk, but we would meander over to Mrs. Grimshaw’s first. I wanted to bring her up-to-date and, hopefully, glean sage advice to boot.
“You can unhook Gracie’s leash now, Mary,” the nonagenarian said as soon as Gracie and I stepped into her apartment. “She’s used to my place.”
“Thanks. I was just trying to figure out how long I could restrain her.”
“Pretty bird. Pretty bird.”
Gracie’s ears peaked, but she stayed by my feet.
“Who is that, Gracie?” Margaret asked. “Is that your buddy, Petey?” Now the elderly woman pointed down the hallway. “Go see what he wants.” The mutt obeyed and dashed out of the living room.
“I know it’s impolite to not give someone notice before stopping by,” I said, “but I didn’t want Aunt Zoe interfering.”
The Italian-born woman clapped her hands. “Ah, you’ve come to discuss your case. Well, don’t you ever fret about showing up unannounced on my doorstep, Mary. Matt did it all the time.” Now she said, “Would you like some ice tea? I was just getting myself a glass.”
“No, thank you. I have to stay away from liquids.” I took a seat in an aged rocker now.
Margaret’s eyebrows suddenly shot up. “You do? In this heat?”
“Oh, I don’t mean all the time, just when I take the mutt for a walk. There’s no place I can leave her if I have to, you know, stop some place.”
“I never thought about that since I have a parrot.” Margaret went to pour herself a glass of ice tea and then returned to where I sat in the living room. Once she was situated, I began to bend her ear.
“What a day I’ve had,” I said as I pushed loose strands of hair off my face. “I’ve been chasing information all over town, and I’ve got tons to sift through. It all began with Sergeant Murchinak this morning. He wanted me to see what the real Clint Russell is supposed to look like. Guess what? The guy I’ve been talking to doesn’t fit the bill, and I still have a date with him on Sunday night.” Some hair fell over my face again, and I pushed it aside. “Then, this afternoon, Doc Taylor, the veterinarian my client uses, told me he had no idea what that piece of metal was. He did let it slip though that he’s seen Reed Griffin’s wife within this past year. According to Terry from the Bar X, she’s been gone two years.” I paused now.
“My, you certainly have a real mess to muddle through.”
“That’s not all,” I added. “My last stop, in Oakdale, produced even more info.”
Margaret started to drink her tea but changed her mind. “Who did you see there?”
“Mrs. Sullivan.”
“The deceased girl’s mother?”
“Yes. Reed and Aunt Zoe went with me. I needed to ask her a few questions, and Reed wanted to talk to her about Sally’s horse.”
“So, what did she have to say?” My neighbor greedily inquired.
I inched forward on her couch. “Some man left a message saying he was interested in buying her dead daughter’s horse.”
“Well, that would certainly help with the bills.”
“The strange thing is,” I continued, “the obituary never mentioned the horse, and the caller never left his name or number.”
“Hmm?” Margaret finished her tea now and set the glass back down on a scenic coaster residing on her light-maple coffee table. “That is odd. How do you plan to follow up on the call?”
I rubbed my hands together. “You’re not going to believe this, but Aunt Zoe actually came up with the perfect plan. She thinks if I innocently record voices of those involved at the stable, Sally’s mother might recognize who left the message.”
“I guess it’s worth a try. Just be careful.”
Gracie wandered back into the living room now and began to whine.
“It’s okay, girl. We’re almost finished.”
“Mary, what do you plan to do about Mr. Russell? He could be an outlaw?”
“I’m thinking I’d better call in the big guns.”
“Who might that be?” my neighbor asked.
“Matt.”
“Of course.”
I stood now and hooked the dog’s leash to her collar. “Come on, Gracie. It’s time to say goodbye.”
“Wuff.Wuff.”
Chapter 41
My head was spinning out of control, and the only way I could think of to solve the problem at 3:00 a.m. was to get up and head to the kitchen. Of course, when I got there, I was greeted by a singular Post-It note message written in my handwriting and plastered to the fridge door. Mary, remember you promised to start your diet today. I immediately tore it off the fridge and tossed it in the wastebasket like worn-out sandals. My motto is what you can’t see you can’t feel guilty about. Now, I swung the fridge door open and stared at the contents within. “Hmm.” What looked yummy enough to devour at this time of night?
Before I could decide, Aunt Zoe waltzed in wearing a knee-length silk nightie past its prime that would put the original meaning of chartreuse to shame. True to form, her face was again painted with that putrid looking African concoction, and her head was covered with those crazy juice-can size rollers that always look like they’re ready to explode. “Couldn’t sleep either, huh, Mary?
“Nope.”
“Why don’t you open that Marshmallow Graham Cracker ice cream we bought the other day. I’m dying to try it.”
I slapped my leg. “I can’t believe I forgot we had that.” I yanked the freezer door open, pulled out the ice cream and set it on the counter and then gathered spoons and bowls. “How many scoops would you like, Auntie?” I asked without turning around.
“Two. No, make that three.”
I scooped out the desired amount of ice cream for her, and then I gave myself the same portion plus a little extra. I know what you’re thinking, but don’t worry. I packed down my ice cream so tight, Aunt Zoe would never be the wiser. Besides, where was it written gaining weight while pigging out on
a dairy product’s a crime? It’s not like eating a double burger and fries. I brought our bowls to the table, and set my aunt’s in front of her. “So, why did you get up?” I finally thought to ask. “I hope it wasn’t because of me.”
My aunt’s ice cream-laden spoon stopped just before entering her open lips. “My waking up had nothing to do with you. I’m worried about Reed. He’s keeping his thoughts on Angel’s death all bottled up, and that’s not healthy. If he doesn’t talk about it soon, I’m afraid he might do something drastic.”
I had eaten too much ice cream all at once, and now I had brain freeze. “Like what?”
Aunt Zoe set her spoon in her bowl. “That’s just it. I haven’t a clue. I wish . . .”
“Wish what?”
“I knew the secret of getting him to open up. We just haven’t been together long enough for him to feel he can trust me yet.” Now, she stirred her ice cream round and round like she was trying to make a shake. “I bet he’d spill his guts to that woman who split on him.”
“You’re referring to his wife,” I stated before devouring the last bite of evidence that proved my dieting vow had been broken and then some. When the cool cream had slid through my esophagus, I continued. “A very intriguing person. I didn’t tell you what the latest scoop was on her, did I? Doc Taylor said he saw her this past year, but Terry stated she’d been gone two years. If I were you, Auntie, I’d get the story straight from the horse’s mouth the next time you speak with him.”
“Mary, you don’t think Reed’s been lying to me, do you?”
“No, but then again you really don’t know that much about him.”
Aunt Zoe braced her elbows on the table and rested her bowed head in her hands. “You must think I’m a foolish old woman, Mary, but is it so wrong to think I can find another man to love me?”
I reached out and put my arm around her shoulders. “Of course not, Auntie, everyone deserves happiness no matter how old they are.”
My roommate lifted her head now and dropped her hands in her lap. “You really mean that, Mary?”
Death at the Bar X Ranch Page 23