Jeanne Glidewell - Lexie Starr 04 - With This Ring

by Jeanne Glidewell

  The entire congregation was now standing on tiptoes, their mouths agape, trying to get a look at what was going on atop the chancel, behind the raised platform the pastor had been preaching from. I glanced over at the middle left section and caught the shocked expressions on Stone and Wendy’s faces. I watched them slide into the outer aisle and sprint to the chancel.

  It probably goes without saying, but Stone and Wendy were not very happy with me. Stone looked disgusted, and Wendy was practically livid. I tried to explain to them I’d noticed Paula on my way to the restroom and had only approached her to offer condolences and to comfort her. For some reason they didn’t believe expressing sympathy had been my sole intent.

  We left the church service early that Sunday. Wendy left out of embarrassment, I’m sure. It wasn’t the first time she’d wanted to be anyone’s child but mine. Stone and I left to head straight for the emergency room at the Wheatfield Memorial Hospital in St. Joseph, where they put an Ace bandage on my sprained left wrist and given me a prescription for a pain reliever called Vicodin. They instructed me to keep ice on the sprain the first couple of days, in order to minimize the swelling, and advised me to keep it elevated as much as possible. They also gave me an injection to lessen the pain immediately. I was sure this day could not get any worse.

  Once again, I was wrong.

  Chapter 6

  Lunchtime found us back in the kitchen at Alexandria Inn. I was feeling a bit groggy from the pain medicine they’d given me at the hospital. A shot of morphine and a Vicodin had definitely relieved the pain I’d been experiencing, but it had also left me with an out-of-body sensation. I felt like I was riding the ceiling fan and looking down at myself sitting at the kitchen table. It was an eerie feeling I didn’t welcome. I had a strong urge to dust the tops of the blades of the ceiling fan too, something which hadn’t been done since the inn opened for business. Out of sight, out of mind.

  Very little had been said on the car ride home from the hospital. I don’t think Stone trusted himself to discuss the incident with me while it was still fresh in his mind. He seemed to be mulling over important decisions, which made me slightly uneasy. With the wedding so close at hand, I didn’t want him dwelling too long on my good and bad qualities. I was not sure the good traits would win in a serious comparison. At the moment I couldn’t think of one admirable trait I had that would make anyone in his right mind want to marry me. My only hope was that Stone wasn’t in his right mind at the moment.

  Stone was busy making a couple of turkey sandwiches for us to eat for lunch, while I sat silently in the chair. I had unwrapped the Ace bandage and was holding a Ziploc bag full of chipped ice on my wrist, as instructed.

  Stone put away the bread and mustard, and tossed a few Fritos on each plate, poured himself a glass of iced tea and me a cup of coffee, and set everything down on the table. He finally took a seat and reached over to grasp my right hand with both of his.

  “Are you ready yet to discuss what happened this morning?” He asked. “I am extremely sorry you were injured, but when I agreed to be involved in this investigation with you, you told me you wouldn’t try anything even remotely dangerous. I thought I could trust you, so I took you at your word, Lexie.”

  “I know. And I meant it, Stone. But how can walking behind a curtain seem like something dangerous for me, or anyone else, to do—even remotely?”

  “I’ll concede that point, Lexie, but didn’t it seem, even to you, like an inappropriate time to question Thurman’s daughter? Her father was being honored for his years of service at the church. Did you not think Paula would be more interested with what Reverend Bob was saying than listening to your words of condolence?”

  “I only wanted to offer a quick word of sympathy and then proceed to the restroom,” I said. “It wasn’t like I was keeping Paula from listening to the sermon. She was behind the stage making phone calls. She didn’t act one bit interested in what Reverend Bob was saying about her father.”

  “Need I read between the lines?” Stone asked.

  “Don’t you think it’s a bit odd? I’m just saying—”

  “Let’s just get through the funeral before we start interrogating and pointing fingers at family members. Okay? We’ve got the visitation tomorrow night. You need to take another Vicodin and go lie down. I’m going back to St. Joseph, to the Home Depot, to have some paint mixed. I’d like to paint over those hideous orange walls in suites three and five before our wedding guests arrive. I thought a pale green would look nice in those rooms.”

  It sounded to me as if Stone was not seriously considering a postponement of the wedding ceremony. Did he think the murder case would be solved by Saturday, or did he really not care what anyone else thought? I felt a great deal of relief that he was carrying on as if nothing had happened to upset our plans.

  * * *

  I took the pain pill, as Stone had suggested, in case my wrist began to throb again. But I found I couldn’t rest. I was too antsy and keyed up to take a nap. I started thinking about what I’d heard Paula say on the phone. This might be the only chance I’d get to talk with Steiner’s oldest son, Teddy, if he wasn’t out and about when I got to the motel. Speaking to all of Steiner’s children at the funeral was probably highly inappropriate, but might also prove difficult, if not impossible, and Teddy was the one I had the most doubts about. He appeared to have a strong motive, and a lifestyle lacking in morals and convictions, unless you were talking about the legal kind.

  The Sands Motel was just a few blocks away. Maybe I could run over there for a few minutes and be back before Stone returned from Home Depot. Stone probably wouldn’t approve of my plan. Something told me he’d find me going over to a known drug addict’s motel room, a bit loopy from the pain medicine and totally alone, more hazardous than me walking behind a curtain at church.

  The Sands was one of only three or four small motels in town. I’ve noticed in my travels across the country, it seemed as if every little town had a Sands Motel, even if, like Rockdale, Missouri, it was located nearly a thousand miles from the beach. I wondered for a moment why that was so. The Sands Motel sounded to me like something out of a horror flick. Kind of like the Bates Motel in Psycho.

  Well, I didn’t have time to dwell on an insignificant matter such as the overabundance of Sands Motels if I was going to get to the lodging facility and back home in quick order. As I jumped to my feet, I felt a bit dizzy and had to sit back down on the edge of the bed for a few seconds. Vertigo, I told myself.

  When I stood up again, I found the dizziness had abated, so I hurried down the steps, grabbed the car keys and my purse, and rushed out to my car. I didn’t waste any time driving to the motel, where I parked my car along the curb and then walked into the front office. A young lady behind the counter was just hanging up the phone as I entered.

  I greeted the front desk clerk and explained to her I was Teddy’s aunt and had been sent over to pick up some papers we needed to give to the funeral home concerning some burial plots my brother, Thurman Steiner, had purchased years earlier. I’d forgotten to ask anyone what room Teddy was in, and could she please look it up for me. To my relief she was more than happy to help.

  “He’s in room two eleven. I remember checking him in,” the clerk told me. “I’m sorry about the loss of your brother. It was a shock to everyone in town. I didn’t know him but my aunt and uncle have gone to his church for years.”

  I agreed with her that the murder of my “brother” was a massive shock and thanked her for her help. As I turned away from the desk, I stumbled a bit and shook my head, trying to clear the fog that had settled over me temporarily. It was then I realized I’d probably taken the Vicodin earlier than I should have. I was suppose to wait four hours after they’d given me one in the emergency room, and it had been less than two when I’d swallowed the second one. I reacted strongly to pain medication as it was, and I could only tolerate a couple of different kinds, certainly nothing with codeine or sulfa in it. But I was al
ready here so I’d have to tough it out and try to keep my head as clear as possible.

  “Are you okay?” I heard the young clerk ask from behind me.

  “I’m fine,” I replied, without turning around. “I’m just upset about my brother’s death, you know.”

  “Yes, I understand. Take care now.”

  Next to the front office door was a set of steps leading up to the second floor of the motel. I went up the stairs and turned right, walking straight ahead until I came to room two eleven. While I gathered my wits, I thought about what I might ask Teddy. But before I could knock, the door jerked open and a man, close to my own age, nearly fell out onto the walkway.

  I caught him as best I could with an Ace bandage on my left wrist. He was clearly inebriated or strung out on drugs, even more than I, myself, was. He grabbed hold of my right shoulder and I helped him back into the room, settling him down on the king-sized bed in the room. I recognized him as the gentleman I’d seen with Paula and Steiner’s other children at the Rockdale Baptist Church during the morning service. But Teddy obviously didn’t recognize me as the deranged woman who’d interrupted the sermon by crashing through the curtains down onto the chancel. Fortunately, he’d probably been already well on his way to becoming looped out of his gourd at that time.

  “I don’t need maid service,” he said, slurring his words and thrashing his arms as he tried to wriggle himself up into an upright position. I didn’t know which one of us was in the most imminent danger of passing out. I had to concentrate to make out his next words. “I need to get out of here. Right now!”

  “I’m not a maid,” I told him. Obviously the “Thurman’s sister” story was not going to work, no matter how stoned Teddy was, so I thought for a minute before continuing. “I’m with the county. They send out a counselor to help grief-stricken people deal with their emotions after a murder is committed. It’s like when a high-school student is killed in a car wreck and counselors are sent to the school.”

  “Oh, okay,” he said. He was so out of it, I realized I could have told him I actually was his aunt, or even the center for the Boston Celtics, and he would have believed me. “What do you want? I’m pretty busy right now.”

  “I just want to speak with you a few minutes, to discuss your feelings and emotions about the death of your father. It won’t take long. I’ve been sent to help you cope with your loss. It’s what I do. Now why don’t you sit up on the edge of the bed while I set in the chair, and then we can chat.”

  “I can’t chat now. I’ve got to get out of here.” His slurred words were barely coherent.

  Before I could ask him why, two burly men, one black and one white, each with an array of tattoos and body piercings, came through the door that I’d intentionally left open. The larger of the two, the black guy, brushed me aside as if I were an annoying gnat, and grasped Teddy by the collar of his black leather jacket. “Were you and your girlfriend getting ready to go somewhere? I figured a low-life like you would try to sneak out without paying your debt. I’m here to pick up the money you owe, and you better cough it up right now!”

  “I ain’t got the money yet. But I’ll get it soon. I swear on my mama’s grave,” Teddy whined. He looked terrified, which convinced me I ought to be terrified too.

  I was thinking I’d stumbled into a drug deal gone bad and decided it was time to go back to the inn. I was headed for the door, when the other brute put his arm out to block my path. “You ain’t going anywhere, sister. Your boyfriend here owes my boss, Harley, and Harley sent us to collect. Nobody gets away with stiffing Harley! Ain’t that right, Rocky?”

  “You got that right, Spike!” Rocky, the black goon replied.

  Now I was getting scared. I was also feeling light-headed again, like I might faint, and was wishing I’d never left my bed. These guys were serious. Then I thought maybe I could pay off the debt and keep myself from getting hurt. I had a couple hundred dollars in my purse. I always carried around a little spare cash for emergencies. This was most definitely an emergency. “I’ve got two hundred dollars with me. How much does he owe?”

  “Ten grand, lady,” the white guy said.

  Wow! My two hundred bucks wasn’t going to impress them much. Ten grand bought a lot of drugs, I thought. No wonder Teddy was so strung out.

  “Oh, I see,” I said. “Never mind then. Won’t Harley give him a few days to come up with the drug money? Teddy said he’d have it soon. He swore on his mama’s grave. You heard him.”

  “Drug money?” The black guy asked. “Watcha talking about lady? Harley ain’t no drug dealer, he’s a bookie. Your moron boyfriend here owes him for some bad bets he placed on a horse race last week. We followed him here from Topeka, and we ain’t going home empty-handed. Harley will have our heads on a platter if we do.”

  “Listen sir,” I said, with more fear than respect. I was scared spitless and I was also beginning to feel a little “cougar-ish” with these fellows thinking I might be dating Teddy. “I can certainly understand why Harley would want his money. But I’m not this dude’s girlfriend. I’m just a grief-counselor. Teddy’s father was recently killed, and he’s got the funeral and all to deal with. Can’t you cut him some slack just this once? I’m certain he’ll get you paid off as soon as he gets his father buried. Like Teddy, I’d swear on his mama’s grave.”

  “I’m sorry his old man is dead, but a debt is a debt. His old man placed a few bad bets in his life too. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, lady. If you ain’t got the cash, you shouldn’t place the bet.” He turned his attention back to Teddy, who seemed to have sobered up significantly in the last few minutes. He was cowering up next to the headboard now, his hands in front of his face as if to ward off blows.

  “The funeral is Tuesday, guys,” Teddy said. “I promise I’ll have the money by the end of the week. I’ll deliver it on Friday, to Harley myself if I have to.”

  “Well, we’ll see. I’ll talk to Harley and see what he says. We’ll be back later on tonight, and you’d better be here. Don’t even think about skipping town or we’ll be right on your ass. Hear?” The bigger guy said. “And you won’t like what happens to you if we have to chase you down.”

  Teddy nodded. His huge sigh of relief was audible, as he released his death grip on the headboard. The two thugs left, slamming the motel door behind them.

  I turned back to look at a massively relieved Teddy. “Will you really be able to pay Harley off by Friday?” I asked.

  “I hope so, but probably not. It depends on how soon the money comes through.”

  “Swell. Well, Teddy, you’ve at least got a reprieve. You can hopefully get through your father’s funeral before those two beat the snot out of you.”

  “I’ll be lucky if that’s all they do. And, hey, thanks lady,” Teddy said. “I owe you one. But listen, I really don’t need a grief counselor. I’m doing okay. Well, other than dealing with those two dudes. Really, I’m fine, so you can go ahead and leave now.”

  I was all for that idea. I was no longer interested in speaking with him anyway. I just wanted to get the hell out of there before someone else barged into the room. I’d learned quite a bit without talking to him much. He had gambling debts he was desperate to pay. How desperate was he? I wondered. Did the fact that he stood to inherit from his father have anything to do with Steiner’s death? Was that the money he hoped would come through by Friday?

  Could Pastor Steiner have also had unpaid gambling debts? Did a bookie have a score to settle with the pastor? I knew stiffing a bookie could prove deadly, or at the very least extremely painful. But with the pastor now dead, how would a bookie ever get repaid what was owed him? I still couldn’t picture Pastor Steiner gambling or having any dealings with a bookie, but Teddy had not argued the case when the goon had insinuated both Teddy and his father were clients of Harley’s.

  “Okay, fine,” I told Teddy. “I really need to get home anyway. I may need to put on clean underwear after that little experience.”


  I nearly ran down to my car, suddenly feeling light-headed again as I opened the driver’s side door. I managed to get home, but was having trouble concentrating on my driving. I’m not sure how many children I ran over in school crosswalks, but I tried as hard as I could to keep my eyes and my thoughts on the road. I was seeing two of everything. I felt like I was playing a video game, dodging oncoming cars the whole way home. It couldn’t have taken more than three minutes to get to the inn, but it seemed like a half-hour. I was relieved to see Stone’s truck was still gone when I arrived.

  I could smell the aroma of coffee as I stepped into the kitchen. I saw there was still a cup or two left in the carafe. Old coffee was better than no coffee, and I didn’t have the patience to wait for a fresh pot to brew. I needed something to calm me down and settle my mind, which was whirling off in a dozen different directions all at once. Even though coffee was billed as a stimulant, it always seemed to have a soothing effect on me. Well, at least the first five or six cups did. After that it was iffy.

  My hands were shaking, and I was still breathing heavily. Just as I finished pouring a cup out of the carafe, I felt another wave of dizziness hit me. I reached out to steady myself with my right hand when my legs gave out beneath me and I crashed down on my left side. This time, with my second bad fall of the day, I not only felt something snap in my wrist, I heard it too. The last thing I remembered thinking was thank God I made it home before this happened or there would have been hell to pay!

  * * *

  The next thing I knew I was staring up into Stone’s blue eyes. He had a very worried expression on his face. “Lexie? Can you hear me? Lexie, what happened? Are you okay?”

  When I was clear-headed enough to talk, I told him I’d gotten dizzy and lost my balance and instinctively tried to stop my fall with the left land, which now hurt even worse than it had earlier. “I think it was the last pain pill I took. I don’t handle pain medication very well. I shouldn’t have taken it so soon after taking the first one.”