Ax to Grind

by Tonya Kappes

  “You’ve got to be kidding me.” I flung the covers off me. I shivered from the cold air hitting my bare legs. “Come on, Duke,” I called for my lazy hound to get him to go outside.

  “A wedding is nothing to be kidding about. You know that a wedding is just as important as a funeral around here,” Mama whined on the other end of the line.

  I let out a long deep sigh.

  “Pink?” It suddenly clicked. “Even if the accusations you are throwing at me were true, which they aren’t, then I’d never pick pink as a wedding color, so you might as well get that out of your thick head.”

  I flipped on the coffee pot switch, ever so grateful that I’d prepared the coffee the night before, and opened the door for Duke to go outside and potty.

  Duke darted out the door and into the fenced-in yard, barking his head off at a poor squirrel trying to grab one of the big green walnuts that’d recently fallen from the tree. The squirrel lost out, and Duke grabbed the big round walnut like it was a ball and tossed it up in the air a couple of times before he got bored and decided to sniff around for a spot to use the bathroom.

  I shut the door behind Duke to shield my legs from frostbite and dragged a quilt off the quilt box Poppa had left there since my granny died. I pulled the quilt around my shoulders and watched Duke out the kitchen window.

  “So you and Finn aren’t a couple?” Mama asked.

  “No, Mama. Ruby Smith is wrong.” Especially now, was what I wanted to say. But I kept his disloyalty issues a secret.

  If Mama knew about Finn and Lonnie’s conversation, she’d form an all-out ban on him with all the Sweet Adelines despite the fact they all thought he was a hunk. Not that their thinking was wrong. His priorities were.

  “She said that Lonnie said that you and Finn were out front of Ben’s the night I saw you and you too were awfully chummy.” Mama’s voice suddenly sounded disappointed.

  “That’s impossible. We walked out of Ben’s, and that’s when we heard Duke bark and we found the body.” I watched Duke dart to the back of the fence and bark his head off. I opened the door and stepped out. “Duke, shh.”

  It’d be something else if dispatch called about a disturbance on Free Row and it was Duke.

  “Duke,” I called to no avail.

  “So no budding romance?” Mama just didn’t believe it.

  “Mama.” I’d about had it with her. What did she not understand? “Finn Vincent and I are not dating.” My voice escalated. “In fact, he probably won’t be around much longer.”

  I snapped my lips together in regret that I’d just said those words. But that was what Mama was good at. She could get people to talk when they didn’t want to. I’d say she was good at sending people over the edge.

  Duke darted along the fence line in a dead sprint toward the front of the house. Abruptly, he stopped at the gate with his head in the air and tail wagging. An arm reached over the fence and my eyes followed it up to its owner.

  “I won’t?” Finn asked. His stare made my heart hammer.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Mama, why don’t we meet up after your Sweet Adelines meeting at Kim’s?” I knew I had to ask Mama about the novels Beryle had written because if Poppa was right about Mama reading all of them, I might be able to narrow down who Beryle was writing about and put them on the suspect list.

  “Fine.” Mama hung up on her end.

  I clicked the phone off and ran my hand through my hair before I turned to face Finn. “What are you doing here so early?”

  He opened the gate and stepped in, but not without stopping to squat down because Duke wasn’t going to let him get any farther unless he was given the good ear scratch he knew Finn could give.

  He didn’t bother asking to be invited in, not that we did that type of thing around here. We pretty much never invited anyone over; it was acceptable to show up without calling ahead of time, and usually that was good by me. I loved drop-in company, but not Finn dropping in before I’d even brushed my teeth.

  “I couldn’t sleep after our little scuffle last night, so I went into the office and used the whiteboard that I’m so fond of. I saw where you filled in some new information too.” The corner of his lips tilted up. “I got a fax about the ax and the fingerprint results, plus some of the DNA back. I thought I’d come share it with you. And this.” He held a small evidence bag with that key Max Bogus had fished out of Cecily Hoover’s throat in one hand, leaving the other on Duke.

  The freshly brewed coffee’s scent fluttered out the crack of the back door. The light morning breeze caused a few leaves to fall off the trees and carry the awaking aroma along with it.

  “I’d like a cup of coffee.” Finn stood up and put the key in my hand. Duke darted a couple of times between Finn and me.

  “We are partners. Not loyal ones, but I have to at least work with you, so you might as well tell me so I don’t have to go to the office yet.” I jerked my head toward the house and curled the quilt in my fists, bringing the edges of the blanket tighter to my neck.

  I turned around and walked back into the house. I could hear Finn’s footsteps stalk toward me.

  “You know what?” His words had bite. “You are so hard-headed. Did you ever stop to think that I’d never take Lonnie’s offer, and that I just told you so you wouldn’t hear it from someone else? Because God knows this town runs on coffee and gossip.”

  “You’re gonna have to help yourself to the coffee while I get dressed,” I said and walked into the bathroom.

  There was no way around it. I needed Finn’s help to get the murder solved. And I hated to admit it, but he was right. I was hard-headed. Always had been. You didn’t become sheriff by being soft.

  I stared at myself in the mirror after I splashed water on my face. I dragged the towel down my face and grabbed my toothbrush to brush my teeth. I didn’t bother putting on makeup. I was on a mission to get the murder solved, and my appearance had nothing to do with it. My skills to put pieces of a puzzle together and tie evidence to Cecily and the crime scene were what was important. I brushed my long honey-blonde hair back into a ponytail and headed to my bedroom where I grabbed a fresh uniform out of my closet.

  “Reading smut now?” Finn’s voice trailed down the hall. “Crimson Hearts?”

  “Research.” So maybe a time or two I’d pictured the scantily clad couple on the front as me and Finn. He didn’t have to know that. “On Beryle Stone.”

  “Oh yeah?” He snickered.

  “I went to the library and did some research. In all of Beryle’s interviews she said the same thing about her characters. They were based on people she knew.” I might’ve paraphrased, but I didn’t have time to tell him everything. “I decided to read the novel and see if I recognized anyone. Thank God I didn’t, because Beryle has a dirty mind.” I shivered just wondering who Beryle had in mind when she wrote Crimson Hearts.

  I left my room and walked down the hall with my belt tucked under my armpit.

  “Did you figure anything out?” He suddenly got interested.

  “No, but my mama has not only read all of them, she also knows all the gossip around Cottonwood, and I’m going to take her to lunch today and pick her brain.” I stopped in the doorway of the kitchen. “Listen, about last night…” I tugged on my belt and buckled it. “We are coworkers, and what or how you keep your job after an election is your business. But while you are deputy for me, then you will do what I need you to do.”

  “Kenni, I didn’t take his offer. You didn’t want to hear anything—” he said before there was a light rap at the door. “Besides, I always do my best, regardless of my boss.”

  Mrs. Brown, my elderly neighbor, was knocking at the back door, her hair tucked up under her nightcap. She had on an overcoat, and I wasn’t sure what was under it. She had on a pair of yellow house slippers. I could see that she needed to go to Tiny Tina’s f
or a pedicure and get her heels pumiced.

  “Mrs. Brown,” I greeted her and opened the door wide. “Come in for some coffee.”

  “No. I’m here to get answers.” She looked at me and then at Finn. “That’s what I thought.” She nodded, as sure as shinola, and held out the Cottonwood Chronicle, our town paper. “It’s just like Edna Easterly to print something not true just to sell paper.”

  Duke ran over to Mrs. Brown. He loved her. She always helped me out with him when I was at work all day and he was at home. Come to think of it, everyone not only helped out with Duke, but with everything. Just like this. Mrs. Brown had come over to make sure that Finn was loyal. Finn might be right that Cottonwood ran on coffee and gossip, but we also looked after one another.

  I took the paper and read the headline. “Turmoil in Sheriff’s Office.” I turned the paper toward Finn and showed him the photo Edna decided to use. It was the one where I was nose to nose with him and the look on my face was one that shouldn’t be seen...ever.

  “I look good,” Finn joked, causing me to smile.

  “Shut up,” I murmured to Finn, feeling my anger toward him softening. Darn him for being so cute at five in the morning. I folded the paper and handed it back to Mrs. Brown. “It’s just a bit of gossip taken a bit too far,” I said to her.

  “Deputy.” Mrs. Brown gave Finn a firm look. “I hope you know that we are loyal to each other, and if there is any truth in this story, you might as hightail it out of town.”

  “I can assure you, Mrs. Brown, that I’m loyal to Sheriff Lowry, the Sheriff’s Department, and the fine citizens of Cottonwood.” Finn used his finger to criss-cross his heart. “Edna did capture a moment where the sheriff and I weren’t seeing eye to eye. I should’ve known that the sheriff was right.”

  “She is a smart one, ya know.” Mrs. Brown’s brow lifted. She looked down at Duke. “You want to come home with me?”

  He wagged his tail and jumped around as if he knew what she was saying.

  “I don’t mind. I could use the company.” Her small brown eyes looked up at me. “It’s getting a little lonely over there now that my garden has died and most of the birds I feed left for warmer weather.”

  “Duke,” I called. “You want to go with Mrs. Brown?”

  He barked.

  “Why don’t you fill us up a couple of cups of coffee to go while I get some kibble for Duke,” I said to Finn.

  “You two are like a fine-tuned automobile.” A smile curved on Mrs. Brown’s face and traveled up to her eyes, making them sparkle. “Definitely work well together. That Edna…” Mrs. Brown tsked, showing her disapproval for how Edna had acted.

  Mrs. Brown was right. Finn and I worked around each other with ease. He made his way around my kitchen as if he knew exactly where everything was while I got Duke’s food ready for the day.

  “You be a good boy.” I patted him on the head and gave the bag of kibble to Mrs. Brown.

  “You be a good girl.” She winked and walked out the door with Duke next to her.

  I headed back to the bedroom to grab my badge, phone, and bag. My heart hammered in my chest. I was going to have to find a way to get this excitement I felt being around Finn under control.

  It hit me that I was more upset about Finn’s loyalty to me as a person than as a deputy with regard to the job. Truth be told, if I did lose, which I didn’t anticipate, but if I did, there was no one I’d rather have in that office with Lonnie than Finn Vincent.

  My cell phone rang.

  “Mama,” I whispered when I saw her name scroll across. “Now what?”

  “And you said that you two aren’t an item,” she cried through the phone.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Kendrick Lowry. I’m ashamed that I had to hear that Finn Vincent spent the night at your house and Mrs. Brown saw him!”

  Yep. There were some things in a small town that I just wished didn’t happen. Gossip was one of them.

  After I assured Mama that there was nothing between Finn and me and that he was here to bring me up to date on some evidence, I finally headed back into the kitchen to find Finn with the cups ready to go.

  “I’ll meet you at the office?” I opened the back door for him.

  “Sure.” He looked confused. “Aren’t you coming?”

  “I have to do something first, but I’m going to be right behind you.” I pointed toward the hall, vague about what I needed to do.

  When I heard him start his Charger and pull out of the driveway, I walked back down the hall to my bathroom and quickly put on a little bit of makeup.

  It wouldn’t hurt to look decent while I was working alongside Finn.

  “You’re as limp as a dishrag when it comes to that boy.” Poppa ghosted himself in the front seat of the Wagoneer when I got in.

  “Oh, stop it.” I gripped the wheel and took a left onto Main Street, heading toward town and the department.

  “So what do we know?” Poppa was ready to get to work.

  “I know that we have a key Cecily swallowed, and that key has to open something,” I said. “I have to go to the Inn today and interview all the guests because I have to figure out what Kiwi heard and who went to Ruby’s Antiques and dragged that feather along with them. Finn said some DNA results came through, but he didn’t say more, so I’m assuming it’s nothing to point to a killer.” I sucked in a deep breath. “I’m guessing Paige still isn’t awake because I haven’t gotten a call.”

  “It would be good if she did wake up so she could tell us what’s going on.” Poppa’s eyes were hollow. “Maybe you need to go to the Inn and focus on that today instead of that key. Not that the key isn’t important. It might unlock answers.” Poppa smacked his knee. “Get it. Key will unlock?”

  “Yeah. Ha ha.” I rolled my eyes. “But you’re right,” I confirmed as we entered the downtown area. “I’ll go see what Finn has and send him on the goose chase with the key.” I smiled at Poppa.

  The answer had to be at the Inn, but it was too early to head over there now. I wondered if the killer was still in town. Who had made Cecily scared enough to swallow the key?

  Chapter Eighteen

  The carriage lights that dotted each side of the downtown area were still on. There were a few stragglers parking. Probably going to grab a bite to eat before they went to work and got their day started.

  I pulled down the alley behind the department and parked the Wagoneer in the sheriff’s spot right beside Finn’s Charger.

  I grabbed my coffee and got out of the Jeep.

  “Let’s see what’s been reported.” Poppa suggested heading straight to the fax machine in hopes there’d been some evidence reported over the night.

  “Good morning,” I greeted Finn and Betty.

  Both of them were looking at different papers. Finn hovered over the fax machine and Betty hovered over the Cottonwood Chronicle.

  “Oh, Kenni.” Betty tsked and smacked the paper on her desk. “Does Edna Easterly have no shame?”

  “What?” I asked.

  “You aren’t going to be happy,” Betty muttered, looking at me from under furrowed brows.

  “What?” I asked again and walked over to see the newspaper.

  Finn cleared his throat. “We didn’t read what Mrs. Brown showed us. We only looked at the photo.”

  I picked up the paper. “I guess we’ll read it now.” I snapped the pages taut.

  “The Sheriff and her deputy are at odds over the Stone Mysteries,” I read. I continued, “Is there or isn’t there a tell-all novel out there that Beryle Stone wrote before she died? That’s the hubbub around the mysterious death of Beryle Stone’s assistant, Cecily Hoover, and the attack on Cottonwood citizen Paige Lemar. Paige is the wife of Lonnie Lemar, the rival and opponent facing Sheriff Kendrick Lowry in next year’s election. Things are heating up not only in the el
ection, where campaign signs are tearing our community apart, but also internally in the sheriff’s department. ‘Yes, I asked Finn Vincent to be my deputy when I get elected back to the sheriff’s office,’ Lonnie Lemar stated when asked about the blowup between the sheriff and her deputy. ‘He is a good officer. He has a good head on his shoulders and is certainly qualified to one day become the sheriff once I’m out of my term. We have to look to the future and the safety of our community. By the looks of your photos, Sheriff Lowry is not only having a hard time keeping the peace in our community, but within her own office.’”

  With one swift move, I slammed the paper into the wastebasket next to Betty’s desk.

  “No wonder Mrs. Brown rushed over.” I’d thought it was a little strange. On second thought...she’d probably seen Finn’s car there and hurried over to get the real scoop about him and me.

  “Aw, sugar.” Betty stood up and put a hand on my back. “Don’t you worry about this silly paper. I don’t know what you and Deputy Finn were doing, but I know y’all are a good team. Now, you hold your head high and get out there and solve this murder. Prove them wrong.”

  “I know, Betty. And I appreciate your kind words, but you know how the media tries to turn the truth and make it worse than it is.” I shook my head.

  “Edna Easterly don’t have nothin’ better to do,” Betty said. “You can give an update at the council meeting tomorrow night and dismiss any rumors Edna has started.”