Up Shute Creek: Rose Gardner Investigation #4

by Denise Grover Swank

  The older woman getting a perm nodded her head. “She’s right.”

  “Then maybe you can help us,” Neely Kate said, apparently feeling better about this line of questioning.

  “I know about her,” she said with a small nod.

  “What exactly does that mean?” Neely Kate asked. “You’ve never spoken to her?”

  “I’ve talked to her a few times, but my little sister knew her. They graduated together.”

  “And what does your sister think about her?” I asked. I knew we couldn’t necessarily trust her answer since it was hearsay, but it might point us in a direction to ask more questions.

  “Becca says she’s quiet. She’s tight with that waitress down at the Sunshine Café, Nina Maxwell.” She’d moved on to her client’s next finger, barely paying attention. I couldn’t help noticing the nails she’d filed since we’d arrived were drastically different lengths.

  “Did Becca like Sarah and Nina?” I asked. “Did they get along?”

  “Nina and Becca butted heads a lot, but she got along with Sarah.”

  “Do you think we could talk to your sister?” I asked. “Ask her a few questions about Sarah?”

  “Yeah, she’s at home. Let me text her.” Olivia put down her nail file and picked up her phone. After a minute of tapping and responding, she said, “She’s walkin’ over now.”

  “I hope we didn’t interrupt anything,” I said. “We could have gone to her.”

  Olivia waved her hand in dismissal. “Becca’s goin’ stir-crazy. She’s dyin’ to get out of the house. Besides, we only live a couple of blocks over.”

  “Do y’all know anything about Stewie Frasier or Digger Malone?” I asked.

  Olivia’s brows shot up. “You’re lookin’ into those two?”

  “Digger was Sarah’s boyfriend until she broke up with him a few weeks ago,” I said.

  She released a low whistle as she picked up her client’s other hand. “Those boys have always been nothin’ but trouble. I can’t believe Sarah was with him.”

  “What kind of trouble?” Neely Kate asked.

  “Tearin’ up shit. Drinkin’.”

  “Drugs?” Neely Kate asked.

  “I hear they’re dealin’,” Olivia said with a smug look.

  “What exactly are they dealin’?” Neely Kate asked in a near whisper.

  “Meth. Pot. Oxy.”

  “Wow,” Neely Kate said. “They’re busy boys.”

  She shrugged. “That Stewie’s got ambitions.”

  Just like Nina had insinuated.

  I heard a clatter of plastic on the floor and realized Imogene and her client had been watching us so intently that Imogene had dropped a roller. She picked it up and noticed the last few rods she’d put in were all catawampus. She started to unroll them, then turned her client’s chair away from the mirror so she couldn’t see it. Not that the client seemed to mind. She’d been craning her neck to watch us.

  Olivia’s client stared up at us with wild eyes, completely oblivious to the fact her nails were now vastly different lengths.

  “Do you know how to contact them to make a buy?” Neely Kate asked after a couple of seconds.

  “They don’t care much for people hittin’ them up at the tire store—that’s where they work—but they hang out at Tiggy’s every night after work. And they have a number you can text to arrange a buy.” Olivia gave her client a sweet smile. “Not that I’ve ever contacted them. It’s just what I’ve heard.”

  “Of course, dear,” her client said.

  “Do you know how long they’ve been dealin’?” I asked.

  Her mouth twisted to the side. “Maybe six months. Could be longer, but six months ago was the first time I caught wind of it.”

  I nodded, then leaned my arm on the table in front of me. “You said they liked to tear up things. Does that include fightin’?”

  “They used to fight more before they started dealin’. Now they pretty much behave themselves at Tiggy’s.”

  “The owner doesn’t care that they’re all underage?” I asked, realizing Sarah and Nina were both under twenty-one. Their boyfriends could be older, sure, but Nina had said they’d spent plenty of time there as a group.

  “He don’t care. He’s made some kind of deal with the Sugar Branch police. They don’t bust him for minors drinkin’ at his establishment, and he pays them insurance money.”

  “How do you know that?” Neely Kate asked, sounding incredulous.

  Olivia’s upper lip curled up as she gave her head a tiny shake. “Everyone knows it. It ain’t no secret.”

  Did Joe know? I doubted it, but surely he could do something. “I heard y’all voted for a police department because you were ticked at the sheriff’s department. Was it really all that bad?”

  “It wasn’t bad for everyone, mostly for the drug dealers. And for all the people gettin’ all those DUIs. I’ve heard there’s a guy who lives around here who was worried about the sheriff bustin’ him, so he encouraged the town to get a police department,” Olivia said. “But that’s all rumors and such. Officially the city council voted them in and is payin’ part of their salary with a grant.”

  I couldn’t help wondering if the grant was a bribe from Denny Carmichael.

  “A lot of people like the two new police officers,” Imogene’s client said. “They’re givin’ tickets to people who aren’t from Sugar Branch so we’ll start making some money.”

  “But it would take a lot of money for you to come out ahead since you’re payin’ their salaries too,” Neely Kate said, then added, “But then I guess they have that grant to help.”

  Olivia picked up a bottle of bright red nail polish and started painting her client’s nails. “They’re already makin’ loads of money. We love ’em.”

  “That’s right,” Imogene said, her head bobbing. “We love ’em.”

  The woman in the curlers nodded her agreement too, but the one who was getting a manicure remained silent.

  “Flem Horton must be doin’ pretty well,” Imogene said. “He’s drivin’ a brand-new truck.”

  Just how big was that grant? Small towns had notoriously small budgets for paying their law enforcement.

  The door opened and in walked a woman who was the spitting image of Olivia, only with lighter hair. She held a swaddled baby in her arms.

  “Hey, Becca,” Olivia said, leaning around her client to see her sister. “These are the girls askin’ about Sarah and Nina.”

  “Hey,” Becca said, trying to maneuver the mammoth diaper bag slung over her shoulder through the door.

  Neely Kate hurried over and held the door for her, her eyes on the baby. “Your baby is beautiful.”

  Becca tilted the baby upright so Neely Kate could get a better view. “Her name’s Hayley. Would you like to hold her?”

  Neely Kate’s eyes lit up as though someone had offered to give her a million dollars as Becca placed the baby in her arms.

  “How old is she?” Neely Kate asked, her gaze locked on the baby’s face.

  “Five weeks, and boy, am I tired of stayin’ home with her. I could use a conversation that doesn’t revolve around co-sleepin’ and cracked nipples, know what I mean?” She pulled out the chair next to me and sat down. “What do you want to know?”

  “You’re a sweet girl,” Neely Kate cooed to the baby.

  A quick glance confirmed she was so smitten with the baby that I was on my own with this one. Not that I minded.

  “How long have you known Sarah?” I asked.

  “Since we were little kids.”

  “You met at school?” I asked.

  She nodded. “And one year we were on the same softball team.”

  “Did you two get along?”

  “Sure,” she said. “We didn’t not get along, but I had no beef with her or her with me, although Nina was another thing.”

  “How long ago did you start having issues with Nina?”

  “We never got along much, but it wasn’t until hi
gh school that we really started having problems. Nina had a chip on her shoulder the size of Mount Rushmore.”

  “Did it slowly build over time or just appear one day?”

  “Like I said, she was always a surly girl, but one day she became impossible. She quit school about six months later.”

  I frowned, wondering if I had a right to volunteer Nina’s personal information, but I decided to do it anyway. “That was probably when her mother died.”

  Becca got a faraway look. “Oh… I think you’re right.” She cringed. “I never really put it together.”

  “But Sarah kept going to school after Nina quit,” I said. “Did she behave any differently?”

  She shook her head. “No. Sarah wasn’t popular, but she wasn’t bullied either. She just went to school and minded her own business.”

  “Did she hang out with anyone else after Nina quit?”

  “Not really.”

  Her high school experience sounded a lot like my own, only I hadn’t had a Nina waiting for me when I got home. I’d had my sister. Sarah must have been incredibly lonely.

  “Do you know Stewie Frasier and Digger Malone?” I asked.

  She rolled her eyes. “I know Nina is living with Stewie.”

  “And Digger was seeing Sarah. Did they go to school with y’all?”

  “Yeah, Digger moved to town his sophomore year. He and Stewie became joined at the hip. Stewie started seein’ Nina our sophomore year.”

  “What grade were Digger and Stewie?”

  “They were seniors when we were sophomores. Nina quit school and moved in with him our junior year.”

  “But Sarah wasn’t datin’ Digger?”

  She snort-laughed. “No. Digger was into the popular girls. Sarah didn’t fit that qualification.”

  “But he started dating her around the time y’all graduated,” I said. “She was datin’ him up until the week before she disappeared.”

  Becca chewed on her bottom lip. “Huh.” Then she turned her gaze on me. “Are you sure he was datin’ her? Because I saw him with Karen Peasly just a month ago.”

  My brow shot up. “You’re certain it was a month ago? Not two weeks ago?”

  “Yeah. I’m sure. I had to run into the Walgreens to get more diapers, and he and Karen were together. She kept giggling so much that I looked at what he had in his hands.” She lowered her chin. “A jumbo box of condoms. And they made it very clear they planned to use them ASAP.”

  So Digger had been cheating on Sarah? “Do you happen to know where we might find Karen Peasly?”

  “Why?” she asked in a wary tone. “You want to talk to her?” She shook her head. “If Sarah was seein’ Digger, I don’t want Karen to know I was the one who told you.”

  “You couldn’t have been the only person who saw them together,” I said. “And your name will never come up.”

  She pressed her lips together. “She works at the grocery store up on the corner of Grand and Monroe. If I find out you went draggin’ my name into it…”

  “I promise. I won’t. There’s no reason to tell her.”

  Becca nodded. “Okay then. Is there anything else?”

  “Do you know if anyone disliked Sarah?”

  “You mean from school?”

  “From anywhere.”

  Becca was silent for several seconds, then said, “I don’t think anyone felt much of one way or the other about her.”

  That sounded incredibly sad, but I took comfort in the fact that Levi had shown her kindness. “Thanks, Becca.”

  “There’s one more thing,” Neely Kate said, her gaze still on the baby. “What do y’all know about Emmitt Lincoln?”

  “Emmitt Lincoln?” Olivia asked in surprise. “What does he have to do with Sarah?”

  “Nothin’, as far as we know,” Neely Kate said, finally glancing up. “But Sugar Branch is pretty small, so two missin’ people in a matter of a week or two seems odd.”

  “Emmitt’s likely layin’ low,” Olivia said. “Whenever he thinks the police or sheriff might be lookin’ for him, he hides out… usually at his cabin on Shute Creek.”

  I blinked in surprise. “Emmitt has a cabin on Shute Creek? How close is it to the recreation area on County Road 85?”

  “Not close at all,” Becca said. “It’s on the other side of the creek.”

  “Does he actually own it?” I asked. “Or does it belong to someone else?”

  Olivia gave me a look that suggested my question was ridiculous. “It was his grandpa’s, but he’s long gone.”

  “So his grandfather left it to him in his will?” I asked.

  Olivia’s eyes narrowed. “I guess so…”

  “Where does Emmitt work that allows him to take off like that?” Neely Kate asked.

  “And what’s he doin’ that he regularly hides from the law?” I asked.

  “Emmitt doesn’t have a real job. He’s a drug supplier,” Becca said matter-of-factly.

  “A dealer?” I asked.

  “No, more like he supplies the dealers.”

  “Do you know who he works for?” I asked.

  Olivia gave me a hard stare. “You need to stay out of Emmitt Lincoln’s affairs.”

  “We have no interest in getting involved in Emmitt Lincoln’s affairs,” Neely Kate said. “We’re just tryin’ to see if there’s a connection.”

  “Between Emmitt Lincoln and mousy Sarah Freestone?” Becca asked in disbelief. “Not a chance.”

  Only I wasn’t so sure. Digger sold drugs, which came from Denny, and it was pretty likely Emmitt was the middleman between Digger and Denny. What if Sarah had gotten caught in the middle somehow? But how did that explain her falling into money? It made me wonder if she’d stolen Digger’s money after all.

  I glanced up at Neely Kate with a raised eyebrow, asking her if she had more questions.

  The way she held on to the baby made me think she needed more time, but would it help or hurt her to hold the baby longer? In the end it was her decision, and my job as her best friend was to support her.

  So I spent the next five minutes asking nonsense questions about the town and the people before finally circling back around to the new police force. “I’ve heard there are a few people who aren’t fans of the police officers.”

  Olivia made a face. “They’re probably just sore because they are on the wrong side of the law.”

  “Forgive me for possibly overreachin’,” I said carefully, “but a few of the people you mentioned who like them could also be considered on the wrong side of the law.”

  Like that bar.

  “The squeaky wheel gets the grease,” Olivia said. “Know what I mean?”

  I frowned. I suspected I did. Payoffs, which she’d already alluded to with the bar, but it sounded like it was much more widespread than I thought.

  We really needed to call Joe.

  Or better yet, Mason. He needed a good distraction.

  Chapter 23

  I couldn’t think of any more questions to stall, and Neely Kate had lost interest in the conversation minutes ago. Olivia was finishing with her manicure client, who had remained silent the entire time, and had a new client waiting. But her current client was staring at her hands in disbelief, and it wasn’t hard to figure out why. Not only were her nails different lengths, but some of her nails weren’t even completely painted. To my surprise, she handed Olivia a few bills without complaining.

  “Well, thank y’all for your time,” I said, getting to my feet.

  Neely Kate’s gaze darted to me for a second before she shifted her attention back to the baby in her arms. I saw the pain in her eyes as she gave the baby a soft smile. Then she handed her back to her mother. “Thanks for lettin’ me hold her.”

  “Thanks for takin’ her,” Becca said. “Her daddy bowed out months ago, so it’s just her and me all day while Olivia’s at work. I needed to talk to some other adults.”

  Neely Kate gave her a smile, but I could tell it was forced. “Sure, no problem.�
� Then she turned to Olivia. “Thanks for helpin’ with our investigation.”

  She turned and went out to the sidewalk while the manicure client was getting her change. I was about to walk out before I remembered the paper in my pocket.

  “Imogene?” I asked as I turned to the hairdresser, who was rinsing out her bowl in the sink.

  “Yeah?” she said, glancing over her shoulder.

  “Molly at the Sunshine Café asked us to give this to you.” I held out the folded paper, but her hands were still wet, so I put it on the ledge over the sink.

  Imogene’s body stiffened and she stared at the partially open piece of paper before glaring at me. “She gave that to you?”

  “We’d intended to come by yesterday afternoon, but you were closed before we could make it over. I hope we didn’t cause any harm.”

  Her face froze with a smile as fake as a three-dollar bill. “No harm done. Thank you for playin’ messenger.”

  “No problem.” I glanced around the room, trying to hide the fact that her response had unnerved me. “Thanks again for your help.”

  The bell on the door clanged as I walked out and headed toward the car. I needed to tell Neely Kate about Imogene’s reaction.

  When I was almost to the car, I heard the faint ding of the bell behind me and a woman called out, “Excuse me!”

  Reluctantly, I turned around to face her, surprised to see Olivia’s manicure client. I stopped and waited for her to catch up to me. We were standing in front of the insurance office again, out of sight from the florist and the beauty shop. So long as the insurance saleswoman didn’t rush out in excitement, our conversation would be private.

  “Can I help you?” I asked.

  “I think I might be able to help you,” she said, then lowered her voice. “I know Emmitt Lincoln’s mother.”

  I sucked in a breath of surprise. “Oh?”

  Fear filled her eyes. “That boy is nothing but trouble. You need to steer clear of him.”

  “Why is he trouble?” I asked, then shot an imploring look at Neely Kate. She took the hint and got out of the car.

  “She knows Emmitt Lincoln’s mother,” I said quietly as soon as Neely Kate reached us.