Decluttered and Dead

by Carolyn Ridder Aspenson

  He half smiled and then reached out his hand. “May I see the note, please?”

  I handed it to him.

  He unfolded the note and read it, then he glared at me. “I told you to stay out of it.”

  I returned his scowl. “I haven’t done anything.”

  He tossed the note on the table behind my couch. “Well, the killer thinks you have, and now you’re in danger. I knew this would happen. I knew it.”

  “I’m in danger because it’s the third body in just about as many months that I’ve either found or been a part of finding. That’s why the killer thinks I’m involved.”

  He contemplated that for a second. “The point is, you’re not safe. You’re going to need protection.”

  “I’ve got Bo.”

  Dylan sized up the monster-sized puppy chasing his tail in the corner of the room and laughed. “Bo is a great dog, but he’s not protection.”

  I stepped to the side to block his view. “He is, too.”

  “I’ll get a deputy to keep an eye on your tomorrow, but for tonight, I’m staying with you.”

  My eyes lifted to his. “You don’t—no. You can’t do that. We broke up. That’s not appropriate.”

  “I didn’t realize we’d officially broken up, but I stayed here before when we weren’t dating, so what’s the difference now?”

  I stuffed my hands into my pockets. “It’s just different, Dylan. I can stay at Belle’s.”

  “With Bo?” He laughed again. “You really think that’s a good idea?”

  I glanced over at my pup who’d stopped chasing his tail to chew on the corner of my brick fireplace instead. “She’s had him there before.”

  “Is that good for his teeth?”

  I doubted it, but I had a feeling the fireplace would suffer more damage. “Bo, no.”

  Bo’s big puppy eyes drooped, and he whined like I’d just ruined his life.

  “That’s not good for you.”

  “I’ll sleep on the couch if for no other reason than to make sure your big lug of a mutt here doesn’t chip a tooth on a brick.”

  “He sleeps with me, so you don’t have to worry about that.” I didn’t argue. Arguing with Dylan was like arguing with my mom when she’d made a decision about something. It just wasn’t worth it. Besides, even though I would never admit it to him, I felt safe knowing he was there with me.

  The couch was easier access to whatever might happen, he said, and I agreed. I set up the sheets and blankets for him, and we sat and talked about the case—sort of—over iced tea, before going to bed. It was civil and almost normal.

  “I ran into Austin Emmerson at the gas station.”

  “Let me guess, he told you he didn’t kill his wife.”

  “Yes.”

  “And you believe him.”

  “Yes.”

  He leaned his head back on my couch. “Lily, you know that’s what every guilty person says, right?”

  I nodded. “This is different though.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Come on, that’s what he wants you to think. What sob story did he tell you? Wait. Let me guess. He loved her. He would have done anything for her. That kind of thing?”

  If I wasn’t a proper southern lady, I would have tossed my iced tea on him. Okay, so I also didn’t want to ruin my couch, but also, I was a proper southern lady. “He said Savannah only married him for his money.”

  “Well, I can see that.”

  “I know, and she did say she left him because he couldn’t man up to his parents about their finances, that she was tired of having to go to them for money all the time because he spent it all on…” I hesitated, trying to find an appropriate way to phrase it. “On paid pleasure.”

  He shifted his head toward me, and I blushed. “You mean he paid for sex?”

  My face heated up like an oven.

  He smiled. “You’re cute when you’re embarrassed.”

  I smiled without intending to. “Stop it, you know I hate talking about that stuff.”

  He placed his hand on my knee and squeezed. “Yes, I know. It’s adorable.”

  I wanted to either melt or crawl into a hole and hide. I couldn’t decide which. “Seriously though, he said he never did that, that she was the one that spent all their money, and when she went to his parents for more, I guess they’d had enough and just stopped giving it to them all together, so she left.”

  “When the money tree died, she hit the road?”

  “According to him. He said she told him she’d married him for his money, and that if she’d wanted to marry for love, she would have married Billy.”

  “Billy?” He sat up. “You mean William Abernathy?”

  I nodded. “Apparently the rumor is true. Austin said William and Savannah were together over a year.”

  “And nobody knew?”

  “Everyone suspected something, but no one knew for sure.”

  “If they were in love, why didn’t he just break up with Caroline for Savannah?”

  “Austin didn’t say William loved Savannah. He said she loved him.”

  “Interesting.”

  “I know. It adds a whole additional layer to this, don’t you think? Now Caroline looks more serious in the suspect department.”

  He drained the last of his iced tea, made a slight gulping sound as he swallowed it down and set the glass on the coaster on my coffee table. “Actually, it looks a lot worse for William than it does for Caroline.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Because I saw William earlier today, and you know what he was wearing?”

  “A red hoodie.”

  “Bingo.”

  * * *

  The next morning, I searched my closet and pulled out three red hoodies and threw them on my kitchen table so Dylan would see them when he finished in the shower. Half the people in Bramblett County that went to college went to the University of Georgia, and the university colors were red and black. College football was also the biggest sport in the south, and people that didn’t attend the University of Georgia were also big supporters, so given those two factors alone, one had to assume that more than three quarters of the county owned a red jacket or hoodie of some sort. That, I intended to prove to Dylan, couldn’t be the primary piece of evidence when considering someone a suspect.

  I handed Dylan a hot cup of coffee. He took a sip, saw the hoodies and held one in his hand. “They’re nice, but I don’t think they’re my size.”

  “That’s not the point.”

  “I know the point, and I’m not saying that’s the only reason to consider William.”

  “Then what are the other reasons?”

  “If Savannah and William did have a relationship, and William had kept it secret all this time, then all of a sudden, Savannah’s back in town, it’s possible William got scared. Maybe he thought she would tell Caroline the truth? Maybe she threatened to, and he felt he had to stop her? Who knows. My point is, there’s more to this situation than either of us know, and it’s my job to figure it out.”

  I nodded. “I understand.”

  “And I need you to do me a favor, okay?”

  “I’ll try.”

  “I need you to keep the note you received private. I don’t want it making the rounds around town, okay?”

  “Okay.” I conceded to the right decision. “You were right, by the way. I’m glad you stayed here last night. It did make me feel better. Thank you.”

  He stepped toward me and surprisingly, I didn’t back away, even when he kissed my forehead. “I don’t want anything to happen to you, Little Bean. I’m staying here tonight, too.”

  “Really, it’s okay. I can stay at Belle’s.”

  “You can’t tonight. She’s going to Atlanta with Matt, so you’re stuck with me for at least one more night.”

  He offered to take Bo to doggy daycare, and I accepted the offer. I needed to pick up the class breakfast items and coffee from Millie’s, and Dylan helping just made things easier for me.

&nbs
p; He offered to drive me to Millie’s, but I wanted to walk instead. Nearly obsessed with gaining steps on my electronic pedometer, I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to make my seventeen thousand steps a day goal. I hadn’t gone to a spin class in over two weeks and hitting that step goal was the next best thing.

  I took the short cut to Millie’s and walked past the side road that led to the deserted barn again. It was rush hour, and even though Bramblett County was small, we still had a fair amount of traffic, enough to make me have to wait and use the cross walk to cross. Ahead of me was a woman with long red hair and a man that looked a lot like William. When they turned toward each other, I noticed the scruffy beard and short brown hair of the man, and I knew right then it was definitely him.

  I stopped and tried to hide behind the light post, even though the thing was half my size. They hadn’t noticed me, but not because I was a stellar private investigator, because they were too involved with each other at that moment to pay attention.

  I wouldn’t describe their moment as intimate, but I couldn’t say it was platonic either. There was something going on, I just didn’t know what. Caroline and I may not have stayed all that close over the years, but I still considered her a friend, more so than Heather must have, and I wasn’t going to let the two of them do whatever it was they were doing, not in front of me anyway.

  I gathered my nerve and pushed forward and away from the security of the light post and walked toward them. When they finally did see me, I was only a few feet away. “Hey y’all.” I waved my hand high over my head and smiled so big my face hurt. “Whatcha doin’ out here together so early in the morning?” I laid on the sweet southern girl charm so thick you could taste the sugar oozing from me all the way on the south side of Hartsfield Jackson Airport.

  Heather flipped her hair and combed her fingers gently through it. “Oh, hey.”

  William nodded and then stuffed his hands in his pockets. He did not look pleased.

  “Now Billy,” I used his college name on purpose. “What’s wrong? Did Chevy stop making trucks or something?” I winked. “You’re not going to have to go and buy yourself a Ford now, are you?”

  “You’re funny, Lilybit.” He nodded at Heather. “We’ll catch up later. I got to run.”

  She smiled. “Okay, see you soon.”

  “Well, he’s as happy as a pig in mud, isn’t he?”

  Heather scowled.

  “Oh my. I see someone peed in your cornflakes this morning, didn’t they?”

  She pressed her lips together. “Why are you always so happy? Are you faking it or is that just how you are?”

  I ignored the comment and crooked my finger for her to follow. “I need to get the scones for class. Come on. I’ll buy you a latte.”

  She huffed but followed.

  We picked up the order, and she sipped the latte on the short walk to the library.

  “So, why don’t you tell me what’s going on with you and William?”

  She avoided making eye contact. “There’s nothing going on with me and William. Why would you say something like that?”

  “Come on Heather. I wasn’t born yesterday. I saw you two at the bridge, and things looked pretty comfy a little bit ago between you guys, so let’s be real here, okay?”

  She stopped next to the library entrance and a row of garbage cans and in a condescending tone, said, “Bless your heart. You think just because you had a little fling with the county sheriff and you were involved in that old biddy’s murder you have the right to go sticking your nose into everyone else’s business?”

  “I never said that.”

  “Oh honey, you don’t have to. You wear it on your sleeve. I mean, just look at yourself, all prim and proper and not one single hair out of place. Who do you think you are, Nancy Drew?” She sipped her drink, the one I purchased. “Let me tell you something, Lily Sprayberry. If you’re not careful, that little nose of yours might just get you in some serious trouble. The kind you might not be able to get out of. You understand?” She dropped the cup into one of the garbage cans. “I don’t think I’ll finish your little class after all. I only joined because I felt sorry for you anyway.”

  Chapter 6

  “She what? How dare her.” Belle’s nostrils flared.

  “I know.”

  “Well, if she thinks she’s getting a refund, she’s got another thing coming.”

  Ellie Jean stepped up to the side of the front desk and coughed. “Are you two all right?”

  I straightened my blouse. “Oh, yes, ma’am. We’re fine.”

  “Right as rain, Ms. Pruitt,” Belle smiled.

  “Do you need help with all that?”

  Belle had a box of things from the office, and I had my usual bag and the goodies from Millie’s. “You know what, that would be wonderful.” I placed Millie’s bags on the counter. “Would you mind helping with those? If you haven’t eaten yet, you’re welcome to a scone or two and some coffee from the tumbler. “We’ll definitely have extra today.”

  “And the rest of the week,” Belle interjected.

  “Oh? Why is that?”

  “Heather isn’t going to be participating any longer.”

  Ellie Jean nodded. “Well, God bless her, she’s missing out on a world of knowledge then, isn’t she?”

  Belle smiled. “Yes, ma’am. She is, and thank you for saying that.”

  Ellie Jean returned the smile. “I always liked you two. You were always kind to me and my daughter, Faith. Now the others, they weren’t so. Why, my poor Faith used to come home crying from the things those girls would do to her.”

  Faith didn’t run in our social circle, but I’d always liked her. She was a little on the shy side, and she’d been a great cheerleader, making the football squad but never quite passing the final try outs for the competition squad, though that wasn’t because she wasn’t good enough. Savannah’s parents donated the printing services for the school’s extracurricular activities, and the principal made it a point of making sure Savannah got what she wanted when she wanted it. It wasn’t fair, but printing wasn’t cheap, and the principal had a budget.

  “I know Savannah wasn’t all that nice to her, but I really liked your daughter.”

  “I liked her, too,” Belle said.

  “And I know she liked both of you.” She carried the bag of scones into the conference room. “I would love a cup of that coffee. The coffee here tastes like liquid tar.”

  Belle grimaced. “Ew.”

  “I think they buy it on purpose. Keeps people from staying here too long.”

  “But I thought you’d want to have people hang out in the library?” I asked.

  “Oh, I do, of course. It’s the board that doesn’t. They want them to check out the books and leave.” She leaned in toward us. “And I’ll tell you a secret. They don’t even want them to return them on time anymore. They make a pretty penny on the late fees, let me tell you.” She nodded. “Why, I could buy myself a fancy car with those late fees if they went to my pocketbook.”

  Belle pressed her hand to her chest. “Heavens, I think I might have an overdue book from high school. I can’t even imagine what the fees are on that thing.”

  Ellie Jean winked at her. “Don’t you worry that pretty little head of yours. I have a feeling those late fees won’t matter much longer.”

  She let out a heavy sigh. “Oh, thank you Ms. Pruitt. You just relieved a world of stress for me.”

  I poured Ellie Jean a cup of coffee and handed it to her. “Thank you so much for helping. I appreciate it.”

  “You’re welcome dear. If you need anything else, why, you just come get me, okay?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  She scooted out just as Henrietta and Bonnie came rushing in.

  “Did you hear the news?” Bonnie asked.

  “Oh, you’ve just got to cancel class today. We can’t miss the excitement down at the station,” Henrietta said.

  “What news? What excitement?” Belle asked.


  “Why, I can’t believe you two don’t know, what with the fact that you’re both dating our men in blue and all,” Bonnie said.

  “Bonnie, for Heaven’s sake, they wear brown, not blue. You need to get your eyes checked.”

  Bonnie swatted her friend’s arm. “I know that. It’s an expression.”

  “Well, it’s a dumb expression, and it makes you sound dumb, too.”

  Bonnie’s back stiffened. “A lot of things you say make you sound dumb, but I don’t say nothing to you about it, and don’t call me dumb.”

  “Dumb, dumb, dumb.”

  Bonnie snarled at her friend.

  “Ladies, can you please tell us what’s going on?”

  Henrietta plucked a scone from the bag and talked after she bit into it. “Rumor has it your man has gone and arrested him a suspect in that floozy’s murder. The rich husband from the city.”

  Bonnie had poured herself a cup of coffee and held it in her hand with her little pinky sticking out. “I don’t think he did it. You might could tell him that too, next time you see him.”

  “He’s arrested Austin Emmerson?”

  Henrietta nodded. “He sure has, and contrary to what this old bat says, I think he’s got the killer. It’s always the spouse. Don’t any of you watch crime TV shows?”

  Belle pointed at me. “She does.”

  I nudged her shoulder with mine. “Where did you hear this?” Dylan hadn’t mentioned anything to me earlier.

  “Old Man Goodson just told us. Said Billy Ray stopped him on his way to the station and told him,” Bonnie said.

  That didn’t make sense. Just a while ago he’d told me he considered William Abernathy and possibly even Caroline suspects, so why would he go ahead and arrest Austin? He must have found additional evidence. Evidence he hadn’t told me about.

  “Did he happen to say why Dylan decided to arrest Austin Emmerson?”

  “Because he did it,” Henrietta said. “What other reason does he need?”

  I squeezed my hands into fists. “No, that’s not what I mean. I mean did he say if the sheriff’s office found new evidence or something?”