by Tonya Kappes
“I need to go see Alvin Deters to see what he wants to do about the kayak lessons he was going to offer in the pond,” I said and glanced out the window across the median where Deter’s Feed-N-Seed was located, wondering if Hank had caught the person or persons who had broken into his shop. It would be a perfect excuse to pick Alvin’s brain.
“I can head over there after this. I wanted to check on him and see how he’s doing since the big robbery.” Dottie wanted to get in on the gossip.
“If I don’t have time, I’ll send you over.” It would be a great second option if I couldn’t make it there, but I really wanted to see for myself if there were any leads on the burglaries without having to ask Hank. “I think the kayak lessons are going to be popular.”
It was that time of the year when most hikers and campers spent a lot of time in the water areas of the Daniel Boone National Park. The only problem was most of them had no idea how to kayak or white water raft on their own. There were businesses in Normal that gave tours and sent them out on these excursions, but most the time tourists didn’t want to be bothered with lessons. That’s when people got into danger.
“Good afternoon,” Queenie French trilled when she grapevined into the laundromat, doing her best Jazzercise move. Her shimmery gold exercise pants glistened when the sunlight beaming through the windows caught them at just the right angle. She had on a baggy shirt with a wide neck that fell off one shoulder. It was gathered around her waist by her fanny pack. “What’s the meeting about?”
“I’m here.” Abby rushed in and appeared to be out of breath. “Just on time.”
She stood in the middle of all the ladies with a confused look on her face when she noticed Coke and Paulette.
“We didn’t kill anyone,” both of them said in unison.
“Okay.” Abby reached over to the extra mugs of coffee Betts had placed on the coffee table. “Let’s get started. I don’t have a lot of time to be away from the library.”
“Before I forget.” I took the notebook out of my bag along with my pen. “Can you do some marketing about the Happy Trails theme party?”
“Yes. I will.” She was already reaching in her pocket for her phone. It was so natural to her. She retrieved some folded papers from the other pocket. “I also have more articles about the bank robbery. And I talked to my parents.”
“Oh geesh.” Coke threw her hands up in the air.
“What? I think he did it.” Paulette glared at her. The temporary truce seemed be over. “Over the years, we didn’t have many luxuries, but if we needed quick cash, instead of saving for it, he’d come up with some excuse of how a client paid him extra for lessons. Or if a client won, they’d give him some parts of the monetary winnings.”
I wrote down everything she was saying in bullet points. I never knew what was going to come to light and what facts I could use.
“I’m not talking little money either. Once we were having some marital issues, and he whisked me off on a European vacation when Glenda was just a baby. You remember that?” she asked Dottie.
“Mmhhhmmm,” Dottie hummed behind her rolled-in lips.
“We couldn’t hardly afford diapers, but somehow we got someone to babysit for her.” Paulette snapped her fingers and pointed at me. “Agnes Swift. That’s who.”
“Hank’s granny?” I asked.
“Yep. She babysat, and I don’t know what he paid her, but she stayed at home. She might’ve been the secretary for the Normal Baptist Church or some sort of volunteer. I know she didn’t have a job that required her to be from home much.” Paulette sighed, making her shoulders lower.
“You’re close with Agnes. You should be able to ask her about it.” Dottie’s brow rose as she brought her mug to her lips.
“Here’s what we know.” I got up and started to pace in front of the gals while I read off the clues we’d gathered. “It’s rumored Jay had robbed the bank when he was a teen. It’s a fact his family couldn’t afford to pay their bills, and suddenly they owned the old train station and then lived fine for years.” I left out the fact that it was Abby’s family who had really suffered the most. “Granted, that’s when Jay started his training business, which did bring in money, but enough to buy the farm from the Fawn’s?”
“It was in bankruptcy.” Dottie made a good point. “Things are way cheap around here.”
“We know that Jay, Lee, Brooke, and Brownie hung out with you,” I told Paulette. “I have here that it was rumored Brownie had been Jay’s accomplice for the bank robbery. Where can we find Brownie?”
“He runs the Saddle Club off of Route 42,” Queenie said. “He’s been out there for years.”
“Is that the bar heading south?” I questioned, recalling seeing it a few times.
It was one of those bars one drove past and would never be caught dead in. It was a dark and scary building with one flashing sign in the window with most of the other lights out.
“They have a lot of card games and darts out there,” Dottie said. “What? I like a good game of craps or poker now and then.”
“Of course you do.” I really thought I knew Dottie well, but the more she talked, the more I realized I didn’t.
“You have no idea what I do at night. When I can’t sleep, I know Brownie has a good game going. I probably head out there a couple nights a week.” She smirked. “You think what you pay me pays my bills?”
“What bills do you have?” I asked her and continued to pace. “You don’t have a lot fee. You don’t have water or electricity or trash.” My eyes narrowed. “Seriously?”
“I have to retire sometime. Besides, it’s none of your business. I just told you where you could find him.” She crossed her arms across her chest, giving me the signal it was time to move on to the next bit of information I’d collected.
“We also know there’s a hiker or someone who has been staying in the stables. Jay didn’t like that. Also, we know Jay was going to have to move out of the stable since Coke is going to turn it into a wedding venue.”
I was about to continue, but Coke chirped up, “If you think I killed him.”
She was sending a big warning my way, so I interrupted her. “I’m only stating the facts. Besides, you were at the hoedown the whole time. I saw Jay talking to Lee there, which brings me to Lee.” I flipped the piece of paper of my notebook to read the rest. “Lee has a great business, but he’s never had a winner. The big prize. Even though he might not need the money, and the big prize doesn’t come with money, it is a goal that he’s had all his life. Apparently, Sarah Kaskle is that big ticket. If Jay isn’t around to train her, Lee sure is and has been.” I quickly told them what had happened between me and Lee, giving Coke the stink eye because both of us knew she made me leave the stables when he complained.
“What? Sarah’s parents were uncomfortable that you were in there,” she confessed.
“They were?” My jaw dropped. “I thought it was Lee. He sent you a text.”
“Nope. Sarah’s parents came to see me at my office when you and Lee were having words. I hurried down there knowing you’d been busy looking into Jay’s murder and needed to get you out of there. I have a new business to run, and you two down there fighting isn’t helping business.” She sighed. “Lee had only texted me about Jay’s death being changed to murder.”
“Okay.” I quickly wrote down how Sarah’s parents had complained. “Regardless, the facts are the facts. Lee wants the title, and Sarah is the fastest way to it.”
“He’s definitely a suspect.” Abby nodded. “He was also part of the robbery gang.”
“Robbery gang?” Paulette was good at throwing her hands in the air. “I’m part of the robbery gang, too, then.” She laughed.
“Where were you during the hoedown?” I’d forgotten to ask Paulette. “I was with Dottie when she called you from the Happy Trails office, and you were there in minutes. You were obviously in town.”
“I was, but I didn’t know Jay had been killed.” Her brows furrow
ed. “I could never hurt Jay. He’s the father of my baby.”
“He also was your ex-husband,” I reminded her, knowing exactly how I felt about my ex-now-dead-husband.
“Mae, no way.” Dottie encouraged me to move on.
“Fine. But you do want the money, and he was killed with a gun that was reported stolen five years ago. You two are the only ones who knew about the gun.” I gestured between them. “The gun that probably killed him.”
Betts, Queenie, and Abby all leaned a little more forward in their seats.
“Oh, come on. You saw the person who broke into my RV and took the gun.” She reached for her cigarette case, snapped it open, and took out a smoke.
“You saw the killer?” Paulette got excited. “This is great!” There was hope in her eyes.
“No. I didn’t see the killer. I mean—” sadness swept across her face, replacing the hope she’d just had in her eyes. “I saw a shadow of someone in there when I knew Dottie had gotten a ride from Henry to the hoedown, but then thought maybe she didn’t go with Henry. That’s why I didn’t have Ty stop.” I gulped when I realized I had mentioned Ty in front of Abby.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Abby ease back into the couch.
“Anyways, whoever stole that gun is our killer.” I felt confident in knowing this bit of information. “Hank says he’s checking into that and the hiker because the same hiker was at the campground the night before the hoedown.”
“He was?” Betts asked. “You never said anything.”
“Hank was there. He chased him off. That puts him at the scene of both crimes. I really want to find him.” I looked at Coke. “Have you seen him since Jay chased him?”
“No.” She shook her head. “But I’ve also been busy with running the motel.” She looked at Paulette. “Where do people like you hang out between towns?”
“People like me?” Paulette laughed. “You mean the free life from stuff and things?”
“You want to live a life free of stuff?” I questioned her. “You came back here to look for the money with Dottie.”
“I said stuff, not money. I have to have money to get places.” Paulette turned back to Coke. “We have a nice little set up at different parks. We don’t live like animals. We do yoga, meditations, eat off the land, and enjoy the peace of life. I’m getting arthritis and eventually will have to move into a home. I need money for that.”
“You can live with Dottie.” Abby joked, but neither Dottie nor Paulette found it funny.
“I was at the Daniel Boone National Park commune the night someone killed Jay.” She looked at Dottie. “Dottie has always been able to get in touch with me. She pays the phone bill for me to have a cell. She lets me know what’s going on in Normal.”
“No wonder you need more money.” I raised my brows at Dottie. “I thought I knew everything about you.”
I wrote down a few things while Paulette continued to plead her case of why she wanted the robbery money, if there was any. I still wasn’t convinced there’d been a robbery. It was probably just an old wives tale like most of the stories around here.
“Then we have your daughter.” I flipped the page to Glenda. “She is a silent partner at the Old Train Station Motel.”
“Not now.” Coke grumbled when everyone shot her looks of shock. “It’s not like I have all the money in the world either. Like Dottie and Paulette, I’ve got to think about my retirement, and this was a great opportunity.”
“Listen, you two might be getting old, but I’m not.” Dottie jumped up and did a couple jazzercise moves, making all of us laugh and breaking the seriousness of the atmosphere. “Go on, Mae. Finish this up.”
“You honestly don’t think Glenda has anything to do with Jay’s death?” I asked Paulette instead of suggesting Paulette killed him. “Glenda has been in town a couple of days, and if she and Jay had a fight, she could’ve done it. I mean, did she know about the gun?”
The look between Dottie and Paulette didn’t go unnoticed. “What?” My eyes shifted between them. “What are you hiding?”
“Glenda did catch us when we were in the stable stealing the gun.” Dottie gnawed on her lip. “But I don’t think she saw we took a gun. She just saw us in the tack cabinet. She was visiting and was going to say goodbye to Rosa.”
“That’s another thing. Rosa was Glenda’s horse, and if she found out Jay had given it to Coke to sweeten his deal…” I looked over at the gasping Paulette.
“He gave you Rosa?” Paulette jumped up. “He had no right to do that! Rosa is Glenda’s! She won several titles with Rosa! You thief!”
Paulette darted out of the Laundry Club, helping me put Glenda right at the top of the list of suspects.
SEVENTEEN
Hank’s family house was a modest farm house. Nothing fancy. A family room with a wood-burning stove, a small kitchen with a round table, a bathroom off the kitchen, and a long hallway with doors along each side, which I assumed led to the bedrooms. Hank’s sister, Ellis, was sitting at the table in the kitchen when we arrived. She had one leg propped up on the seat, leaning over painting her toenails.
Ellis was a little taller than me. She was a model. Her blond hair was pulled up into a ponytail, like she normally wore it. She had on a pair of shorts that showed off a nice tan on her long legs. The tank top was tucked into the shorts, showing off her slim body.
“You two are just in time for homemade pizza.” Hank’s mom rubbed her hands on a tea towel before she hurried over to hug us. “Where’s Chester and Fifi?”
“We left them back at Mae’s.” Hank hugged his mom. The stress I’d seen on his face when we’ve come to visit before had lessened the more we’d come.
Hank and his mom had really been trying to work on the rift between them. Especially since Agnes had called out his parents for taking care of Ellis and leaving him to fend for himself for years.
“How’s beauty school, Ellis?” Hank asked about her new career choice.
After they moved back to Normal full time, his parents had really cut Ellis off. They had spent most of her life following her dream to be a famous actress and model at no cost. Ellis had taken a lot of it for granted and was used to getting anything she wanted.
When they’d first come back to Normal, Ellis thought she could just hook Hank up with Natalie and definitely tried. No matter that Hank and I were dating. It was the first time she’d not gotten her way since she moved back. Now that her parents have put their foot down, they seemed happier and interested in Hank.
“I’m never going to get use to painting someone else’s nails.” Images of Ellis doing someone else’s mani-pedis did make me smile. “Did mom tell you I moved into the trailer?”
“You did?” I blurted out. “I mean…”
“I know what you mean, Mae.” A shadow of annoyance came across her face. “But I’ve fixed it up. Want to see?” She fanned her hand over her painted toes.
“We will after supper. Mae and I are going to hike to the overlook if we’ve got time before the pizza is ready.” Hank looked at me and smiled.
“You two lovebirds.” His mom gushed. “Go on. Be back in twenty minutes. Your dad will be back from picking up Agnes, and the pizza will be ready.”
It was interesting how she referred to her own mother by name instead of calling her mom.
“Gross. You two are gross.” Ellis changed feet and shook the polish.
Hank grabbed my hand and tugged me out of the kitchen door. We were about halfway through the yard and the trail that led to his favorite spot in the entire Daniel Boone National Park before he stopped and looked at me with his piercing green eyes.
“Finally.” He pulled me to him. His heart beat was so loud inside of his chest. His nose was shoved in the crook of my neck. He inhaled. “You smell so good.”
“Are you okay?” I asked and held him just as tight.
“I’ve missed you so much.” He pulled his head away and looked down at me with half closed eyes. “We really need to
have some time away. Me and you.” He bent down and kissed me.
“Twenty minutes!” his mom yelled out the open kitchen window.
Both of us laughed and took that as a hint to hurry to the overlook and back.
Hank was like a little boy, jumping over the branches that’d fallen and careful not to step on any blooms left over from the spring. With summer came a whole new crop of Kentucky wildflowers and ferns, making the overlook even more gorgeous than the last time we were here. Hank had made it to the overlook before me. He was already sitting on the big rock formation with his leg dangling over.
“I’ll never get sick of this view.” I gasped at the big canyon with a waterfall that was surrounded by lush Kentucky ferns, moss, and limestone. The flowers and trees were in full bloom. The pops of purples, reds, and whites was nature’s way of painting the beautiful park.
I sat down next to him. We sat in silence for a few minutes.
“I’ll never get sick of this view.” He gazed at me and leaned in, kissing me.
“You’re such a romantic tonight.” The butterflies in my stomach fluttered all over, making me light headed.
“I want you to know that you’ve never got to worry about anything. That’s why you don’t need to snoop, and I’m feeling bad about getting on you earlier,” he said.
“Oh.” The butterflies took a nose dive. “You are trying to make sure I stay in line with what you’d said earlier. That’s what this is about?” I asked and pushed myself up to stand.
“Where are you going?” he asked and looked back at me.
“I’m going back to the house. I don’t need you reminding me that my personality isn’t something you agree with when it comes to your profession.” I stumbled over a branch but found my footing and continued to head to the trail.
“Don’t do this, Mae.” His voice was closer to me, and I didn’t have to turn around to know he was following me. “I went to Deter’s, and I saw you and the ladies in the laundromat. I also saw Paulette Russel run out. I dragged her down to the station for questioning, and she told me all your little theories. It’s gossip.” He put a hand on my shoulder.