Southern Sass and a Battered Bride Read online

  My eyes went wide.

  “I know. She didn’t make the best impression in the year she lived here. I mean, surely there are those that must’ve liked her. Alex obviously saw something good in her. You know me, I don’t like to talk bad about anyone, and I think it’s dreadful what happened to the girl. On her wedding day, no less. But she could’ve done well to take a lesson in manners and etiquette. To be so pretty, some ugly things came out of her mouth. And you know what mama used to say.”

  “ ‘Ugly words shouldn’t come out of pretty mouths. No matter how much paint you put on the barn, the ugly taints the whole structure,’ ” we said in unison.

  CHAPTER 9

  Betsy and I took our time leaving. We chatted with a few customers and made pleasantries with our regulars before I grabbed a box of turtle brownies to go. We took a stroll around Cove Square. The brick square where most of the businesses in town were situated, including the Peach, was filled with pedestrians at all hours, from shoppers to diners and those enjoying the bluegrass bands that set up on the corners to play. Tourists were snapping pictures around the fountain recently added near the dog park area. Everything appeared to be business as usual. To the casual observer, today looked like any other.

  Poppy Davis, my brother’s girlfriend and the owner of the Beauty Spot, sidled up next to me. “Oh, Marygene.” She squeezed me with all her might, my sore ribs protested, and I squeaked. “Sorry. I’m just so glad you’re okay.”

  Poppy was a petite five-foot-nothing with ever-changing hair and gorgeous big brown eyes. Today she had mahogany brown hair pulled up in a messy bun.

  “Thanks, Poppy. We were lucky, for sure.”

  She kept her voice barely above a whisper when she pulled me off to the side. We were on the sidewalk across the street from the giant glimmering peach sign above the diner. “Have you noticed how no one is too torn up about Lucy?”

  I nodded. “It’s surprising.”

  “It is.”

  Betsy joined us from where she’d been doing some snooping of her own around town.

  Poppy gave her a quick hug and expressed her well wishes before continuing. “What’s really odd, y’all, is the gossip at the salon. You know how I get a lot of seniors early in the mornings. The ones who are usually the most caring about town issues and drop off the get-well baskets from the church.”

  Betsy and I waited while Poppy paused to allow a group of tourists to pass by.

  “Well,” Poppy began conspiratorially, “they’re getting baskets together for you and Betsy. A lot of ‘poor things’ were shared about y’all. They made up a bereavement basket for Alex too, but the consensus seemed to be no one was all that concerned about Lucy or her body’s whereabouts.”

  I found this information on the seniors a tad shocking. “That is odd.”

  Poppy bobbed her head. “This is the real kicker and the reason I came out to chat with y’all when I saw y’all out here. That strange man, the one who drove up on his Harley during the ceremony—”

  Betsy and I nodded eagerly to show we weren’t only following along but also anxious for her to get to the point.

  Poppy’s eyes were lit with intrigue. “Well, Trixie said she saw Lucy talking to him outside one morning before work a few weeks ago and asked about him. At first, Lucy acted like she didn’t know him, and Trixie let it drop.” Poppy stepped a little closer. “Then when she took Lucy home one evening after work ’cause her car broke down and Alex couldn’t get off work, the biker was waiting for her in her driveway. Lucy got all jittery. And when Trixie was leaving, in the rearview mirror she saw him grab and kiss her.”

  Oh my God!

  “How did she explain that?” Betsy asked, red faced.

  “Well, Lucy had to come clean then. She said he was her ex and was upset when they broke it off. She said it was definitely over and swore Trixie to secrecy.” Poppy was a wealth of information.

  Betsy huffed. “I bet she didn’t say a word to Alex, ’cause he would have lost it at the wedding when the guy rolled up the way he did.”

  She was probably right about that. Alex had jealously issues to the nth degree. I patted Betsy’s shoulder to try and calm her down and faced Poppy. “Did Trixie see him again? Could she describe him?”

  “She might’ve.” Poppy’s shoulders rose and fell. “I’m not sure she can describe him very well. She said he always kept his distance and wore those wraparound sunglasses, a biker jacket, and a skull bandanna. Like a sexy man of mystery. And Trixie said when she kept pestering Lucy about him, Lucy wigged out and shouted at her to drop it.”

  I’m sure Trixie conveyed her concerns to Eddie. Though he’d not mentioned it when he told me about the biker.

  “He always wore a biker jacket in this heat?” Betsy turned her nose up. “Idiot would surely attract attention in that getup.”

  “Right?” Poppy held up a hand toward her assistant, who’d just walked out of the Beauty Spot and waved in our direction. Poppy signaled she’d be right there by holding up her index finger. “Trixie thinks he’s the one responsible. You know, some shady love triangle.”

  Gotta love the gossip at the Beauty Spot. And Trixie might be on to something. I also wondered if the man of mystery knew how to make a bomb. “Hey, Poppy, how’d Trixie seem to be holding up?”

  Poppy’s light brown eyes lit up. She loved being the bearer of juicy gossip. “She seemed fine when she came in to have her nails done. She wanted something with color instead of the French manicure she got for the wedding. She enjoyed the attention since she’d been the maid of honor and all. She made the comment that she and Lucy weren’t all that close. They’d had lunch a few times at work and she took her home a few times, but that’s it. She was shocked when Lucy asked her to be in her wedding, and the maid of honor no less. She said she got a gorgeous dress out of it and Lucy paid for her highlights and manicure, so it’d been a good deal.”

  “Wow.”

  “I know, right. I have to go. See y’all.” Poppy darted back across the street.

  “We should probably find out what we can about the biker. I wonder if anyone else noticed him hanging around anywhere.” Betsy spotted Meemaw and Aunt Vi walking toward Bonnie’s Boutique. “I’m going to do some recon with Meemaw and Aunt Vi. I’ll be all sneaky-like, but don’t worry, I won’t go mouthing off about the biker being Lucy’s ex. With Alex losing it, I don’t want to cause nobody to get out the straitjackets.”

  “Good thinking. I’m going to run by and have a chat with Teddy, then I’m going home to take a nap. You should too.”

  Betsy saluted me and went to catch up with her family. With Poppy’s news, I was more eager to have a word with Teddy. I felt uneasy with the idea that some motorcycle madman could still be lurking on our island, and I wanted to see if he could shed some light on the situation.

  After I conversed with a few more well-wishers, who happened to be diner regulars milling around the square, I proceeded toward my car in a hurry, a little concerned about the effects of the heat on the box of turtle brownies. My hand was on the car door when I heard my name being called. I turned to see Paul trotting over. We embraced the second he reached me.

  “You are quite literally my hero.” I grinned at him when he released me.

  His face flushed under the praise. “I did what anyone would do. I’m just thankful I was there.” He rubbed a hand over his thinning scalp.

  “Betsy thanks you too.”

  His face creased in a large grin, making him look years younger. “Oh, I know. She caught me on the way over here and gave me a bear hug. I think she cracked a few ribs. She proceeded to tell me my scarecrow nickname was more of a term of endearment than anything else. It took her a few minutes to realize I hadn’t the foggiest idea what she was referring to.”

  We both laughed and I searched his face. “How are you? I tried to call you when I got home from the hospital.” I’d been really surprised he hadn’t dropped by or stopped by my house. I left him a message while at t
he hospital. I did know how when you’re involved in the accident, especially as the most important witness, you could be tied up for days with the police.

  “My phone was left in the van and, as you know, it was impounded by the police. I came by the hospital after you were discharged and then by your house. Your dad was leaving and said you needed your rest. He told me he’d tell you I stopped by.” Paul’s scowled. It must have been clear by my expression that none of those things transpired. “He didn’t though.”

  I shook my head. Eddie had a lot on his mind. He certainly deserved a pass.

  “They’re supposed to release my personal effects today. I was planning to go by the sheriff’s office now, pick them up, and see if they’ve found any leads. I really need my phone back.”

  “It’s certainly been a rough few days for all of us.” I tucked my hair behind my ears and glanced around the square.

  Betsy was right about one thing. We worried too much about insignificant things and failed to appreciate the beauty of our island.

  “Marygene? You okay?” Paul tenderly stroked my arm with his fingertips and I smiled. “You zoned out there.”

  “Yeah, just grateful to be here. If you’d been a few minutes behind us, Betsy and I might not be here.”

  “Yeah, I get it. The sheriff is taking the position our incidences were to be used as a disruption of some kind. What kind of person does that?” Poor Paul. He had no prior experience with trauma, it seemed.

  “There are some real sickos in the world.” I opened my car door.

  “Where are you off to? I was hoping you’d want to accompany me to the sheriff’s department.”

  “Actually, I’ve got an errand to run.” I leaned in, started the engine, and put the box of brownies onto the passenger’s seat. The heat would ruin them if left out too long.

  Paul’s lips were pursed and his hands were resting on his narrow hips.

  “Listen, I can appreciate how unnerving all of this is for you. Eddie will be in touch when and if he deems it necessary or if he believes you’re in danger. You’re going to be all right.”

  “Aren’t I supposed to be comforting you with those words?” He glanced away.

  I reached out and took his hand. “I’m running over to have a chat with Teddy. You want to join me?”

  “Yeah, I think I do.”

  * * *

  Ten minutes later, Paul and I were going up the steps of the two-story redbrick Gaskin Funeral Home. The funeral parlor had belonged to the Gaskin family since the first Georgia red-clay brick was laid. The front door was framed with large white columns to match the trim. Theodore Gaskin, “Teddy” to all those who grew up with him, had taken over the business after his father had been diagnosed with stage one lung cancer. Now his time was split between funeral director and coroner.

  “He might be working on a body.” Paul appeared uneasy as the sickly sweet smell of flowers and air freshener accosted us.

  “Maybe, but he’s usually in his office this time of day making calls. It’s this way.” We took a left and traveled down the narrow hallway on the threadbare burgundy runner. The dark cherrywood-paneled walls of the old funeral home gleamed. I knocked softly on the closed door.

  The second I heard him grumble something, I popped my head inside. “Hi, Teddy. You got a minute?”

  Teddy shut his laptop and motioned to the chairs in front of his desk. Paul and I went inside. “You know Paul, right?”

  Teddy stood and extended his hand. “I’m not sure I’ve had the pleasure. Theodore Gaskin.” Teddy had a wiry build and little brown eyes, with inky-black hair and mocha skin. He wore little round glasses that sat at the end of his pointy nose when he worked, which he had to constantly push up.

  “Paul Fowler.” The two thin men shook hands.

  I placed the brownies on the large mahogany desk in front of him. “Turtle brownies, your favorite.” I perched on the leather chair opposite the desk. Paul sank down in the chair next to mine.

  “Thank you. You sure you should be exerting yourself after your accident?” Teddy pushed the box to the corner of his desk. His demeanor was vastly different from what I was accustomed to. His easygoing personality was replaced by a cautious, more solemn one. Attributing the change to Paul’s presence, I realized my tactical error. Teddy probably felt ambushed.

  “Thanks for the concern. I’m okay.” A fact, though my head had begun to ache a bit and my muscles were more than a little sore.

  “Teddy, when you went to help Lucy—”

  Teddy cut me off. “We shouldn’t be discussing this.”

  “I’m not delving into state secrets. You initially said you couldn’t find a pulse. I heard you’re backpedaling on that now. If Lucy isn’t dead, then we have an abduction on our hands and a town in danger.” Honestly, we might be in danger either way.

  The cords in Teddy’s thin neck were visible. “The woman didn’t have a pulse. Alex kept pressuring me to be positive and, under duress, I might have given him hope. I deal with the deceased day in and day out. But a pulse check isn’t a job requirement. I don’t know how she vanished in the ten minutes I turned my back.”

  “Is that customary? For you to leave a body unattended?” Paul asked tersely.

  Teddy held Paul’s attention unwavering. “Nothing about what happened at the wedding was customary.”

  Recognizing my lapse in judgment at bringing Paul along, I rushed to intervene. I should have known better. “It’s awful the ambulance was so late. Maybe they could have revived her with that machine.”

  Teddy shook his head. “Contrary to what you’ve seen in movies, it doesn’t work that way. A defibrillator is useful when the heartbeat of the patient is erratic, or out of rhythm, if you will. Not to bring the deceased back from the dead.”

  I propped my elbow on the arm of the chair and massaged my forehead with my thumb and index finger. If Teddy was right, Lucy had died and there wasn’t anything left to say. Some maniac killed her and displayed her body for all to see. Then the lunatic attempted to pull another theatrical stunt by killing Betsy, Paul, and me. What kind of crazy monster must we be dealing with? Then there was the issue that Mama hadn’t believed her to be deceased. Could Teddy have been wrong? Perhaps? He was a fallible human, after all. Which led me to wonder what in the world would be keeping Mama away? Then we had the issue with our residents. No one seemed to be the least bit bothered by what happened to Lucy. Something mighty unusual was taking place on our island. Again. I was beginning to wonder if Peach Cove was cursed. The cursed island of Peach Cove. Wouldn’t that bring the tourists? Ugh.

  Paul spoke up. “I’m new to small island life and local hometown police procedures, and, with what happened to the bride, followed by Marygene’s accident, which could’ve ended catastrophically, I wondered if I could ask you a couple of questions about procedure and protocol.”

  Teddy and I both sat stunned for a brief second.

  Teddy managed to pull himself together before I did. “Mr. Fowler, if you have questions regarding law enforcement, you’re speaking to the wrong man. Besides, I’m not sure what Marygene’s brake malfunction has to do with Lucy Carmichael.”

  “You don’t think the suspicious death of a newly wedded bride, who was then laid out openly by some sicko, and the tampering and attempted bombing with both my and Marygene’s company vehicles, are linked?” Paul’s tone wobbled slightly.

  Teddy’s eyes went wide as saucers as he sat forward. Clearly, he had no knowledge about the tampering. “Attempted bombing?”

  “Indeed. I got Marygene and Betsy out of the van before it detonated. For some reason, the bomb under my van malfunctioned.” Paul surprised me by tracing a cross, beginning with his forehead and then across his body with his right hand. I’d never seen him do that before. It wasn’t something Baptists did. There was much I didn’t know about Paul Fowler.

  “I had no idea.” Teddy deflated against the back of the high-back executive-style chair. He stared off in though
t. “God, Marygene. Does your dad have any idea who’s responsible?”

  “That’s what I want to know.” Paul pushed the chair back when he became upright. “He won’t discuss it with me. Doesn’t have the time or the manpower, I suspect.”

  I slanted my eyes toward Paul with a glare I hoped he read as I didn’t appreciate his comment or his mistrust in my father’s ability.

  I abruptly stood. “Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to speak with us.”

  Teddy nodded and rose, keeping his eyes narrowed as he appraised Paul with what appeared to be great scrutiny.

  As we started to leave, Teddy gently grabbed my arm. “Hey, can you hang back a second?”

  I met Teddy’s dark gaze. “Sure.”

  “I’ll wait for you outside.” Paul closed the door behind him.

  “What is it?”

  Teddy sat on the edge of his desk. “During the chaos, I might not have paid close enough attention to the crime scene. I mean”—Teddy folded his arms—“I didn’t know it was a crime scene and went in to try and help the woman. But I think I saw an injection mark on her upper thigh.”

  “Injection mark?”

  Teddy nodded. “At first, I didn’t think anything of it, but, after she disappeared and with this new information about the attempt on your life, I don’t know. Without an autopsy I can never be positive. Still, it’s possible the murder weapon could have been a drug.”

  “Who would do that? And why would they come after Paul and me?”

  Teddy shook his head. “What does Alex say?”

  I closed my eyes for a few seconds. “He isn’t talking to me. I mean, I get he’s hurting and all. He, um, sort of lashed out at Betsy and me.”

  “He’s angry and distraught, as anyone in his situation would be.” Teddy pushed his glasses up on his nose. “He’s probably lashing out at everyone.”

  “Yeah, he probably is. I think he’s also dealing with a little guilt as well. He came to me the night before the wedding visibly upset. I’m not so sure all was bliss in their union, and maybe they argued or something.”