Southern Fried

by Tonya Kappes

  I smacked my hands together.

  “When I walked into the kitchen to free Inez, I noticed they had their shoes off at the door in the same kind of metal tray that was at Rowdy’s house. No doubt they had planted the tray at his house.”

  “Right. Owen had come over to Stanley’s to talk about Rae Lynn’s wishes upon Inez’s request. She said she told him they’d come to an agreement. It was then that Inez gave him the poison in his drink and tied him up with the barbwire Stanley had stuck in the basement from their hog-raising days. They didn’t even look at his feet to realize they’d left his shoes at their house. They threw him in Myrna’s greenhouse.”

  “You have a lot of information.” I was impressed with Finn’s skills so early after the arrest.

  “Inez vomited the information. Begging for a lesser charge.” He rolled his eyes. “Of course, I told her we’d see what we could do based on the information she had and depending on her cooperation.”

  “How did Rowdy play into it?” I asked.

  “Wrong place, wrong time.” He continued, “Inez said that Stanley had come home and said you’d stopped by the cemetery and Rowdy said something about needing to talk to you. He also had told Stanley that Owen was talking out of his head about some marijuana-growing scheme. When Stanley left the cemetery, he grabbed the antifreeze and fencing along with the knife matching the one Sandy’s sister had stuck in your Jeep when you left it at S&S Auto Salvage overnight. They only wanted to scare you about Duke until Stanley saw you on the live feed on the camera. He went looking for your car and took Duke.”

  “I had thought about that feed, but I figured since Owen was done stealing, he wasn’t watching it so closely.” I gulped. “It was like everything was going downhill for Stanley and he was just going to kill anyone in his way, including my Duke.” Tears filled my eyes.

  “He was willing to kill anyone up until the crop was finished growing, because the crop he needs for Can-B isn’t fully grown. He has another couple of weeks. He figured out by Owen coming to the first plant in the first row that that was the secret to the cookbook. Only he wanted the cookbook to see for himself. They all thought it was an actual book, not a composition notebook, because Rae Lynn never let the boys see it. That’s why the real okra crop is dead and Stanley could never grow the okra.”

  I was in shock and awe listening to Finn.

  “He went back to the cemetery and shot Rowdy from far away. Rowdy was preparing a grave and fell in and he left him there. Stanley tossed Rowdy’s gun in there and Inez went to Rowdy’s house and planted a suicide note. Here we are.” He threw his hands in the air. “I’m so glad Toots called me.”

  “I’m sorry I interrupted your date.” I looked down at my fingers and they fiddled with each other.

  “Kenni.” Finn put his hand on my leg again. “You didn’t interrupt anything.” His brows furrowed.

  “Sheriff.” The veterinarian came through the door and into the waiting room.

  I jumped up, as did everyone else in the room. The silence was eerie.

  “Duke is going to be just fine.” His words were greeted with roars of cheers and claps. I felt like I’d just been given the world.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Duke came home from the hospital the next day and I took off a week of work. Finn said that he was more than happy to hold down the fort if there was any more crime. I prayed there wouldn’t be, but still put Poppa on patrol to keep an eye out.

  Duke needed me and I was going to be there for him.

  “You and me, buddy.” I rubbed his head lying on my pillow. I’d made him a bed out in the family room and the kitchen, but he only wanted to lay in my bed. “I know you jumped that mean man to save me.”

  Finn had called earlier and asked if he could come see the patient and update me on what was going on with the case. Since it had to do with illegal drugs, the Central Kentucky Drug Taskforce had come in to take over. They disposed of the crop on Stanley’s property along with Owen’s feeble attempt to grow his own crop from the stalk Poppa and I had seen him steal that night on the video.

  The doorbell rang.

  “Your friend is here.” I dragged myself out of bed. I didn’t bother looking at myself in the mirror. Finn Vincent wasn’t interested in me. He had his girl back in Chicago.

  I shuffled down the hall and opened the front door.

  Finn stood on the other side with a big bright smile on his face and a pizza box in one hand, a six-pack of beer in the other.

  “Straight from Chicago.” He held them up. The dark-haired woman I’d seen in his wallet, who he’d told me was his sister, stood next to him. “Both of them.”

  “Huh?”

  “Evelyn Vincent,” the sultry voice greeted me. She held on to a cat carrier. “Finn has been driving me nuts to get you a Chicago pizza, and when he came up a week ago, he had forgotten it on my counter when he’d heard you were in trouble.”

  “Can we come in? Or I guess we can eat it out here.” Finn balanced the box and beer with one hand while he ran the other through his hair. “Please, Cozmo is hungry.”

  “Where are my manners?” I ran my hands down my hair, instantly caring what I looked like. “Please, come in.”

  Both of them stepped into the house.

  “Cozmo, as in Sandy Godbey’s cat?” I asked and bent down to look inside.

  The cat’s green eyes sparkled from the back corner of the cage where the scared feline was trying to find a safe haven.

  “I asked Sandy after her booking if she had anyone to take Cozmo and she said that she’d let the cat out of the house and wasn’t planning on going back. Can you believe that?” He shook his head.

  “I told Finn that he should also throw animal cruelty into her file.” Evelyn brought the cage up to her face. “I’m going to take this baby back home with me,” Evelyn said to Cozmo.

  Cozmo let out a faint meow.

  “Make yourself at home while I get the patient ready for company,” I called, heading down the hall, a big grin on my face.

  “Duke,” I rushed over to the bed and whispered, “that woman whose message I erased on his machine was his sister. And she likes animals.”

  Both of these attributes of Evelyn were pluses with me.

  I picked up the clothes Katy Lee had given me that were wadded up in the corner of the bedroom and put them on. They were a little wrinkled, but available and new. I ran a brush down my honey hair and added a little lipstick.

  “You ready for company?” I asked Duke before I hurried back down the hall.

  Finn and Evelyn were sitting at the kitchen table each with a beer in their hand. Cozmo was curled up in Evelyn’s lap.

  “Sheriff, this is Evelyn.” Finn stood up like a gentleman and properly introduced her to me.

  “Kenni.” I bent down and gave her a hug. She was a little stiff, but that was how we greeted friends around here.

  “This is where he’s getting those new manners.” She giggled when I pulled back.

  “Excuse me?” I asked, a little confused. Finn grabbed me a beer and handed it to me with the top already popped off.

  “That.” Her brows lifted. There was definitely a resemblance between the siblings. Her skin was smooth and her infectious laugh added to her appeal. “When he came home, he greeted all of us with a big hug and couldn’t stop talking about your charming town which is rubbing off on him. He even said ‘y’all.’”

  “You did?” A big grin crossed my face. I couldn’t stop it.

  His lip twitched up in the corner before leading into a full smile, exposing those beautiful pearly whites.

  “He’s told me all about your sayings.” She looked at her brother with admiration.

  “The sayings.” My memory recalled the phone call he’d had a week or so ago when I thought he was making fun of us.

  “I don’
t think I’ve ever seen him so happy.” She reached over and patted him on the back.

  “Enough.” He stood up. “Let’s go see Duke.”

  “Alright.”

  I motioned for them to walk with me down the hall.

  Duke was asleep and snoring on the bed when we walked in the bedroom. All three of us looked between each other and smiled.

  “Oh, let him sleep,” Evelyn suggested. “He needs to heal. I’m sure I’ll meet him again.”

  Finn grabbed the pizza box off the counter when we walked by into the kitchen. He threw it on the table and opened the cardboard lid. “This is the real Chicago pizza I told you about.”

  I peeked inside and saw all the meats and veggies piled high with melted cheese and thick crust.

  “What kind of look is that?” he asked. I didn’t realize I gave a look. “I’ve tried all your gravy, biscuits, hot browns, and pies. Now it’s your turn.” He slapped a piece of the thick greasy pizza on a napkin and pushed it toward me.

  Evelyn didn’t waste any time. She grabbed a piece and ate it right away. She gave Cozmo a little piece of cheese when he stuck his nose up in the air. We exchanged stories about Finn for about an hour before the doorbell rang.

  “Katy Lee.” I was surprised to see my friend at the door. “Come in.”

  “I can’t.” She pointed over my shoulder. “I’m here to pick up Evelyn. She might start selling Shabby Trends in Chicago so I’m taking her to look at the clothing line and then we are headed over to Ben’s to taste your mama’s sweet potato cakes.”

  “Oh.” I was taken aback. “When did you meet Evelyn?”

  “When Finn brought her to On The Run this morning. You ready?” she asked Evelyn.

  “I am. I can’t wait to taste sweet potato cakes. But I want to say bye to Duke.” Evelyn walked back with Katy Lee to see Duke, who I was sure gave them his big droopy eyes for more loving.

  “Didn’t your mama tell you that she won the cook-off?” Katy Lee asked on her way down the hall.

  “She never mentioned it.” I was shocked since Mama seemed to tell me everything, even when I didn’t want to know it.

  I couldn’t wait to ask her about it. I thought she’d been so wrapped up in the election and making posters and pins that she’d not had any room left for other things. I was wrong. Apparently, Mama had gone to cooking.

  “He looks so good,” Katy Lee said when she came back. She looked at Finn and grinned.

  “What?” I asked between them.

  “What?” Finn asked back.

  “Nothing.” Evelyn rushed Katy Lee out the door with Cozmo and his cage in her arms. They shut it behind them.

  I looked out the front family-room window next to the door and they were already in Katy Lee’s car.

  “That was weird.” I turned around and came nose to nose with Finn.

  “Was it?” he asked. His cologne smelled so good, it made me weak in the knees.

  “Uh huh.” I slowly nodded my head.

  “My heart was stopped for the five-hour drive it took me to get here after I couldn’t get a hold of you.” I could feel his breath on my cheek. “You nearly gave me a heart attack. You and I are a team.”

  My eyes watched as he licked his lips. I couldn’t help but wonder if they tasted as good as he smelled.

  I cleared my throat to make sure I was not dreaming.

  He curled his hand around to my back and rested it around me. He pulled me close to him. His lips brushed up against mine. They were soft and longing.

  I closed my eyes as the kiss deepened. My mind was swirling with excitement.

  There was a knock at the door. Both of us took a step back.

  His smile went up to his eyes.

  “What did you forget?” I jerked the door open, sure it was Katy Lee.

  “We are walking the streets to get the word out that Lonnie Lemar is running for Sheriff and we’d appreciate your support.” Someone with a “Lonnie for Sheriff” shirt stood at the door. She had no idea who I was.

  I slammed the door in her face and turned to face Finn and Poppa, who had suddenly appeared.

  “I knew I couldn’t leave you alone with him for one minute,” Poppa scolded.

  “Want another drink?” I asked Finn, knowing Poppa wasn’t going to go away so Finn and I could pick up where we left off.

  “Sure.” Finn followed me back to the kitchen.

  “I’m going to check on Duke first.” I made a quick turn to go down the hallway.

  “I’ll go with you.” Finn followed me back.

  Duke lifted his head and let out a satisfying groan after Finn sat on one side of the bed and I sat on the other, both of us stroking my pooch.

  Our hands touched. Our eyes met. He smiled. I knew I was a goner.

  About the Author

  Tonya has written over 20 novels and 4 novellas, all of which have graced numerous bestseller lists including USA Today. Best known for stories charged with emotion and humor, and filled with flawed characters, her novels have garnered reader praise and glowing critical reviews. She lives with her husband, three teenage boys, two very spoiled schnauzers and one ex-stray cat in Kentucky.

  The Kenni Lowry Mystery Series

  by Tonya Kappes

  FIXIN’ TO DIE (#1)

  SOUTHERN FRIED (#2)

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