by Jenna Harte
That’s what I’d thought too.
“What was up with Marla and Junior Junior?” Lani asked.
“He does have a reputation for getting around,” Aggie shared. I cast a glance at Tracy wondering if she knew about Vivie’s relationship with him.
“Why would anyone think Vivie would want to hurt Junior Junior?” Gwen asked.
I looked over my coupons. I didn’t want to have to field this particular question.
“Why don’t you tell ‘em, Sophie, since you’re at the center of all this. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if you set Vivie up.”
“Now that’s enough Tracy. We know you’re upset about Vivie but taking it out on Sophie isn’t going to fix things.” Aggie used her stern teacher tone.
“Why do you know so much?” Gwen asked me. “I get why Lani would, since she works at the sheriff’s department.”
I rolled my eyes. “I found Marla, for one. Two, I was there when Vivie found Junior Junior. I’ve talked a little with Marla’s neighbor, Ellie Tappen. That’s it.”
“Does she have any ideas who’d kill Marla?” Aggie asked.
I shook my head. “She’s the one that told the police that Vivie was there the morning Marla was killed. Not me.” I glared at Tracy. “She says Marla mostly kept to herself. Except for Junior Junior. I guess he helped her with her garden.”
“Her garden, right.” Tracy scoffed.
“So, Marla was having a fling with Junior Junior?” Gwen asked.
“I don’t know. Vivie said he loved Marla.”
Tracy’s gaze swung to me. “When did you talk to Vivie?”
“The day you two burned her mattress.”
“That’s why the fire department was called?” Lani laughed.
“Burned her mattress? What for?” Gwen asked.
I looked at Tracy. “Why don’t you tell them.” It was mean, but my threshold for putting up with Tracy had met its max.
She looked like she was going to toss it back to me. Perhaps she thought better of it. “Randy had a friend over when Vivie was in jail.”
“Douch.” Gwen muttered.
“Hound dog,” Aggie shook her head.
Funny how none of them made a comment about a woman who’d take the place of an incarcerated wife.
Tracy looked down at her coupons.
“You know, given how she was killed, it does seem like a spur of the moment, heat of passion type of thing,” Lani said.
“So?” Gwen asked.
“So, it has to be someone who knew her or was mad or jealous of her.”
“Like who?” Aggie asked.
Lani shrugged. “Normally I’d say her husband, or I guess he’s her ex-husband.”
I remembered Ellie mentioning Junior Juniors baby mama. “What about Marjorie?”
“Why would she want Marla dead?” Gwen asked.
“She used to be with Junior Junior. She’s Tri-J’s mom.”
“That was a long time ago,” Aggie said. “Marjorie done left Junior Junior and his open zipper ways a long time ago.”
I snorted at Aggie’s depiction of the philandering landscaper.
“Any chance she was one of Randy’s women?” Aggie asked. “That would give Vivie a better motive than coupons.”
“Vivie didn’t kill Marla.” Tracy spat.
“I don’t think she did, I’m just tossing out ideas on why Vivie is considered a suspect,” Aggie explained.
“I don’t think Marla was Randy’s type,” I said. Then again, Tracy wasn’t quite his type either. She was attractive enough, although not like the woman he was usually ogling at the Booty Burgo.
“Maybe Junior Junior did it,” Gwen suggested.
“Then who attacked Junior Junior?” Lani asked.
Gwen shrugged. “We knew her best. You’d think we’d be able to solve this one.”
“Well if any of us think of anything, especially if it can help Vivie, be sure to let Sergeant Davis know.” Aggie set her coupons in a pile in the middle of the table. “Now, does anyone have any razor blade coupons? Earl is looking a little scruffy these days.”
Fortunately, everyone got the hint and we focused on exchanging our coupons. I made out pretty well. I even got a few coupons for baking goods, which would allow me to get Aunt Rose flour and other ingredients to make more pies.
Later, after we finished, I was about to get into the Brown Bomber when Tracy cornered me again.
“You’re not going to get away with this.”
“Tracy, not everything bad that happens to you and Vivie is my fault. Let it go.”
“You’re wrong. You’ve been nothing but trouble since you got back to town.”
Trouble did seem to find me. However, I wasn’t the source of their trouble. I huffed out a breath. “You can stop the fake concern over Vivie. No one is watching you right now.”
Tracy’s eyes flashed with anger. “It’s not fake.”
“If you’re so worried, why were you sleeping with her husband while she was in jail? What’s really going on here?” I began to wonder if Tracy’s lashing out at me was to handle her own guilt. She could blame me instead of dealing with the fact that she was betraying her sister. Or had been. Didn’t she say it was over between them?
“You just keep out of our business.”
“Who’s? Yours and Vivie’s or yours and Randy’s.” If looks could kill, Tracy would have murdered me right there with her laser stare. I waved a hand, realizing this conversation would never end well. “I have no interest in being in your business. If I did, I’d have told Vivie about you and Randy.”
Tracy’s eyes darted around as if she wanted to be sure no one heard me. Finally, she glared at me. “Just stay away.”
She stormed off to her car. I shook my head, confused by her actions. This was behavior I’d have expected from Vivie, not Tracy. Tracy was always the level-headed one. So, what was her deal?
I’d just arrived home when my phone rang with Lani’s ring tone.
I poked the answer button. “Hey.”
“What was the deal with Tracy tonight?” Lani got straight to the point.
“I don’t know.” I put my binder away and then sat on the rollaway bed in my room.
“She’s acting weird.”
I tucked my feet underneath me. “I guess she’s just upset about Vivie and wants to take it out on someone.”
“Yeah, but why you?”
I shrugged. “I’m Vivie’s favorite punching bag.”
“She is mean, but I feel bad for her. She’s in jail, Randy is a terrible husband and her family isn’t being very supportive.”
And her sister is . . . or was . . . sleeping with her husband. Even I started to feel sorry for her.
“There must be something we can do to help.” Lani finished.
“She has a lawyer. I think unless another suspect turns up, that’s Vivie’s best option.”
“I went to see her today. She’s keeping up a brave front, even though she’s really scared.”
I’d be too.
Lani sighed. “There just has to be someone else who killed Marla.”
“Sergeant Davis doesn’t think so.”
“It’s weird that Marla didn’t tell us about her husband. It makes me think she had other secrets.”
“Me too.” I agreed.
“We could talk to her husband. He’s coming down to talk to Davis.”
I thought Lani and I were having a conversation. Now I realized she was wanting to look into things. I thought about AJ and his desire that I stay out of it. But like Lani, I was curious about Marla and who she really was. How did Junior Junior fit in? And was Vivie just unlucky, a scapegoat, or a murderer?
“Sure.” I decided AJ couldn’t get too upset. Sergeant Scowl had already told me the husband w
asn’t the murderer.
“Oh, I gotta go. Dwayne just walked in from his shift.”
I hung up with Lani and right after a text came in from AJ.
Goodnight Warrior Princess.
How long would I get a goofy grin from little gestures like this from AJ?
Goodnight Flyboy.
Chapter Fourteen
Wednesdays were for me what Mondays are to everyone else; the first day of the workweek. Fortunately, I didn’t start work until the evening, so I had the day to get things done and psych myself up for my shift at the Booty Burgo.
That morning, the sun was out and the temperature was mild. I decided to sit on the porch to have my coffee and work on my upcoming library program. I had many activity options for covering a tale like Awilda, from pirates to Scandinavian culture and food.
I was sitting on the wicker love seat, my Awilda materials piled next to me, when the sound of a car had me looking up. My notebook nearly fell to the porch floor as Vivie’s red Mercedes parked in front of the house. Even more shocking was seeing Vivie get out of the car and make her way up the walk.
“Sophie.”
“Vivie.” I searched her face for a clue as to why she was here. All I saw was fatigue. “You’re free.”
“No thanks to you.” She plopped down in one of the resin chairs on the porch. Had she really come over to fuss at me? “Fortunately, I have a good lawyer.”
I nodded. “Good.” I frowned. “How did she get you out?”
“Something about the position of my prints on the shovel and no real proof connecting me to Marla’s murder.”
“Well, that’s good.”
She eyed me.
“Vivie, it’s not my fault. You can blame me if it makes you feel better, but I’m not the reason why this is happening to you.” Truth is, I remembered what it was like to be a suspect in murder, and as much as I didn’t like Vivie, I wouldn’t have wished that type of stress and fear on anyone.
“You haven’t helped.”
“I can’t lie to Davis.”
“He thinks I did it. I didn’t Sophie.”
“I believe you,” I said.
“Do you really?” For the first time I saw vulnerability in her eyes.
“Yes.”
“Then you have to help me.”
No, I don’t. “Why would you want my help? You blame me for getting you in trouble.”
She waved the comment away. “I know you didn’t do it on purpose.”
“I still don’t see how I can help.”
“You’ve been in this situation and you got yourself out of it. You can help me get out of this.”
“How?”
“I don’t know. What did you do when Davis thought you were a killer?”
“I tried to find the real murderer. But,” I added quickly, “I nearly got killed. It’s not the safest solution.”
“Murder is a capital offense, Sophie. I’m dead either way.” She turned away, but not before I saw her eyes fill with tears.
Crimany, now I felt sorry for her. I blew out a breath. “What do you want me to do?”
She sniffed before turning back to me. “Help me get Davis off my back. Then I can get back to my life, my kids, Randy.”
“I thought you kicked Randy out.”
“I can’t keep him out if I’m not there. Besides, we’ve talked and we’re going to try and work it out.”
“What about his most recent affair?”
“He says it’s done.”
I studied her. Vivie wasn’t one to let things go, Maybe the fear of prison or worse, execution, had her needing Randy. Vivie didn’t endear people to her so it wasn’t likely she had many friends that would help her. Heck, she was asking for my help, proof positive she didn’t have many friends.
“So, you don’t want to know who this woman was?” I blame my annoyance at Tracy for asking the question. I could have just let it go.
“Well, I’m curious of course, but at this point, it’s over and we have to move on.”
I nodded. If she didn’t want to know, I wouldn’t tell her.
She slanted her eyes at me. “Why? Do you know who it is?”
I sat back and looked out over the lawn knowing Vivie’s piercing gaze would be hard to ignore. “You and Randy have decided to move past it. That’s what’s important.”
“You do know. Tell me Sophie. Tell me the name of the skank that slept in my bed.”
I closed my eyes to gather strength and decide if I really wanted to do this. The truth was, while I didn’t feel it was essential to tell Vivie, I didn’t have a reason to keep the secret either. I didn’t owe Tracy anything. I supposed it could cause problems with Randy, but the truth was, the longer I held it, the more it kept me in their business. I didn’t like being in their business.
“Sophie. Tell me,” Vivie demanded.
“You’re not going to believe me.”
“Tell me.”
I looked her in the eyes, so she’d know I was telling her the truth. “Tracy.”
Her expression went blank. “Tracy who?”
I gave her look that said, you know who.
Realization finally dawned in her eyes. “No. She wouldn’t do that.”
I shrugged and sat back in my seat. “I told you you wouldn’t believe me.”
“She’s not even Randy’s type.”
I couldn’t disagree, but it didn’t change the fact that Randy had an affair for several months with his wife’s sister.
“How do you know?”
“I’ve suspected for most of the summer.” It was an admission that would likely get me in more hot water. “I didn’t know for sure until last week.”
“What proof do you have?”
“They told me.”
“No.” She sagged into her chair as if the air was let out of her. I would have thought she would rage. “Why would they tell you?” Her voice held no affect.
“Tracy admitted it to me and later told me to not to tell you.”
“When?” Vivie’s gaze whipped to mine. “When did you see her?”
“She told me not to tell you the day she helped you burn your mattress.”
Vivie shook her head, but I couldn’t tell if she was on the verge of exploding or crying.
“If it’s any consolation, Randy was pretty upset when you threw him out “
“He told you too?”
I shrugged. “Not in so many words. It was clear to me that Tracy told him I knew.”
She inhaled a breath and then stood. “So, are you going to help me stay out of jail?”
I wasn’t prepared for the change in topic nor her taking the news so well. “Sure.”
“Where do we start?” She set her hands on her hips, looking like she was ready to take on the world.
“I heard Marla’s husband was going to be in town, maybe we should talk to him.”
“Good. I’ll meet you at my house. Say in an hour?”
I stood. “Okay.” I cocked my head to the side, wondering what was going on in her head. “What are you going to do about Tracy and Randy?”
“It’s probably better if you don’t know.”
An hour later, I drove through the gate at Monticello Heights, glad that Vivie remembered to call the attendant to let me in. I drove to her street and parked the Brown Bomber in front of her house. Since it was a weekday, I figured her kids were in school and Randy was at his day job as an accountant.
After Vivie left that morning, I had a moment to wonder if I’d done myself a disservice by telling her about Randy and Tracy, since he was my boss at the Booty Burgo. There was nothing I could do about it now.
I knocked on Vivie’s door and she answered a few moments later. She’d changed and redone her makeup, making me wonder if she’d come to
my house straight from jail. She didn’t look crazed or ready to burn their house down. I figured everything was okay.
She held the door open. “We can take the back trail through the woods to Marla’s.”
I nodded and followed her through the hallway to her open kitchen with family room. The area was clean, cleaner than I might expect for someone with three kids. Or just having learned her sister and husband had betrayed her.
“Did anyone drop off a casserole or something for Randy and the kids why you were gone?”
Vivie’s lips pursed and her eyes narrowed. “Isn’t Randy paying you enough that you need my handouts?”
I tried not to roll my eyes. “I was thinking that bringing one to Marla’s husband would give us a good reason to be there.” In the south, death and food went hand-in-hand. If someone died, especially a wife or mother, neighbors brought food. I suspect it worked if the wife or mother was incarcerated as well.
“Oh. Yah, right.” She went to her freezer and pulled out a white covered dish. “This is probably Mrs. Nelson’s lasagna.” She headed to her French doors. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
This time I didn’t stop the eye roll, but she didn’t see it since she was going out the door. I had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t when I was trying to clear my own name either. I kept my mouth shut as I followed her over to Marla’s.
The question was, what was I doing? For one, Vivie was untrustworthy, and I could see many different ways this could turn out bad, and I’d be blamed. Then there was AJ and Sergeant Scowl’s stern warnings to stay out of Marla’s business.
The only thing I could hold on to was that Sergeant Scowl had said that Marla’s husband wasn’t a suspect, so we shouldn’t get in trouble.
I followed Vivie through her backyard to the woods. A narrow deer trail wove through the trees eventually coming to the back of Marla and Ellie’s house. We walked along the edge of Marla’s garden toward the house. There were a variety of vegetables that looked ready to pick. It made me think of Junior Junior and how he’d been tending Marla’s garden.
“Have you heard an update on Junior Junior?” I asked Vivie.
“He’s still knocked out.”
Did that mean a coma?