Jeanne Glidewell - Lexie Starr 03 - Haunted (24 page)

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“Chuck would have stabbed him with his buck knife, shot him with that twelve-gauge in the gun rack of his truck, or just cracked him over the head with a beer bottle. Then he would have dragged Walter off into the woods and left him to die and be picked clean by buzzards like a road-killed ‘possum. Now, if that had been the M.O. of the killer, then I could believe Chuck might be responsible.”

“I see your point,” Stone said. “Chuck isn’t the cunning, scheming type at all. He’s the stick his knife right in your face type.”

Chapter 19

After supper we watched the Thursday night football game on television with the Dudleys. They told us their family reunion would be held Saturday afternoon at the American Legion Hall in Rockdale. Eleanor said it was to be a potluck affair, and asked if I knew where she could buy some decent potato salad.

I told her I made a mean mustard potato salad, and I’d be happy to prepare a large bowl of it for her to take to the reunion. It was going the extra mile like this that helped give us an excellent reputation with our guests. Word of mouth advertising had proven to be very effective in producing new customers. Stone thought I sometimes went too far in my quest to please the guests, but I would do whatever it took to help his business be successful. And Eleanor had assured me she’d reimburse me for the salad’s ingredients, so I wouldn’t be responsible for the expenses.

I fixed a bowl of popcorn for each of us during halftime. While I was in the kitchen, the phone rang, and I answered it. Wendy was on the line.

“Mom?”

“Yeah, babe? Is something wrong?” I asked.

“My car started acting up at a little club in St. Joseph. We decided to go there for a couple of drinks after dinner, and now the car is really running rough. Andy thinks it probably needs a new fuel pump. He noticed an excessive amount of exhaust fumes earlier, and he said it might also have a cylinder going bad,” Wendy said. “Andy said we could take it to Boney’s in the morning so they can have a look at it.”

“You know about Boney’s Garage?” I asked. The first time I’d been aware of its existence was when Audrey told me Walter’s best friend, Joey, worked there.

“Sure. They just changed the oil in my car a couple of days ago.”

“Did Joey Cox do the work?” I asked.

“Yeah,” she said. “Do you know Joey?”

“No, but I was told he was Walter’s best friend.”

“Oh, I didn’t know that, but I only met him the one time. He told me he’d just started his job there a few days earlier. Anyway, Andy wanted me to let you know we’d be late getting home. We’re about halfway home now. Don’t wait up for us, and don’t worry.”

“Okay. Thanks for letting us know. If the car breaks down completely, call back,” I said before hanging up. Talking with Wendy about Boney’s Garage gave me an idea. The oil in my Jeep had just been changed three weeks ago, in Shawnee, in mid-October. I’d probably only racked up 300 miles since then, so the oil obviously didn’t need to be changed. But I decided to take the Jeep in to Joey Cox anyway, right after my nail appointment. I could visit Joey while he worked on my car. I was sure Joey would be impressed with how clean my oil was, not knowing I’d just had it changed recently.

* * *

Wendy and Andy were up early, eating toasted bagels in the kitchen, when I came downstairs. The coffee was already made. I’d heard them come in just after eleven, about thirty minutes after we went to bed. I couldn’t sleep until I knew they were home, safe and sound. No matter how old your child gets, you never get over that habit.

They told me they wanted to be at Boney’s the minute they opened for business at eight. They’d promised Tom Olsen they’d be back out at the ranch in the morning, and they didn’t know how long the repair on Wendy’s car would take. They would surely be on the way to T-n-T Ranch before I was finished at the nail salon, and headed over to Boney’s for an oil change.

Stone came down a few minutes later and enjoyed a cup of coffee with everyone before Wendy and Andy left for the garage, and he headed out to work on his lawnmower. His new part had arrived in the mail on Thursday. It was a small rubber gasket that didn’t look to me like it could make a hill of beans worth of difference in how the lawnmower ran. But Stone assured me it was crucial for optimal performance of the mower, and he was anxious to see if it fit properly.

After I prepared breakfast for the Dudleys, triple-egg omelets with onion, mushrooms, and cheese, I’d go to the grocery store to pick up the ingredients I needed for Eleanor’s potato salad. Once I was back, and had them stashed away in the pantry, I’d head over to the nail salon for my three o’clock appointment. After that, I’d take the Jeep to Boney’s, and hope the kids were well on their way to the ranch, so I didn’t have to explain my sudden need for an oil change. Later in the afternoon I would fix the potato salad, so it’d be ready Saturday morning for the Dudley family reunion. I had everything planned perfectly for the day.

I hadn’t thought to ask Eleanor how many people were expected at the reunion, or how much potato salad I should make. I bought enough ingredients to feed an army, just to be on the safe side. If Stone was available when I started on the salad, I’d get him to help me peel potatoes. Peeling potatoes was one job that really didn’t appeal to me. It ranked just below vacuuming, probably wedged right between cleaning toilets and ironing.

For someone who really didn’t enjoy housework, I was doing a lot of it these days at the inn. I’d be glad when spring arrived and we hired a gal to do the housekeeping and cooking again. It wasn’t easy to find good help when they knew the job would be seasonal.

Back home, I was putting all the groceries away when my cell phone rang. It was Wendy. She was calling from Boney’s Garage.

“Hey, Mom?”

“Yes, honey?”

“Can Andy and I borrow your Jeep today? We promised the Olsens we’d be out today, so Andy can help move the cattle, and learn more about the ranch and the livestock,” Wendy said.

“Won’t they be able to fix your car?”

“Yes, but not until early afternoon,” she replied. “Joey said they’d have to special order the fuel pump because they can’t keep fuel pumps on hand for all the different vehicles made. He could order it this morning and have it on the delivery truck first thing this afternoon, he said. So we’ll leave the car with him and pick it up later on this evening.”

“Just out of curiosity, are they open on Saturdays?”

“Yes. They’re only closed on Sundays, Joey told us.”

“Well, sure, you can use the Jeep,” I said. “I can take Stone’s car to get my nails done, and I’m just planning to spend the afternoon fixing some potato salad for the Dudleys, for the family reunion they’re attending tomorrow.”

“Mmmmm, I love your potato salad, Mom. Can you make an extra batch for us to have with our supper tonight?”

“Sure, babe. Eleanor is paying for the salad, but I don’t think she’d mind. You can come pick up the Jeep whenever you want to.”

There went my plans to have Joey change my oil this afternoon. But I could go to the garage tomorrow instead. I was still plenty sore from being hit by the SUV, so a little rest in the afternoon was probably in order. I had a box of old photographs I wanted to arrange in an album, I had the potato salad to prepare, and I hadn’t had time to watch Oprah in days.

* * *

Stone peeled potatoes for me while I rounded up the other ingredients I needed for the salad. I diced a dozen boiled eggs, chopped some celery, and stirred in two large jars of mayonnaise, and a smaller jar of mustard. I was making a huge batch, most of it for the family reunion, and a smaller amount for supper tonight. It would just be the four of us here for supper, because the Dudleys were dining at a friend’s house in Overland Park, Kansas.

The Dudleys would be leaving on Sunday morning, and I was ready for them to go. I had run out of ideas for meatless suppers. I was about ready to plop a bowl of macaroni and cheese down on the table in front of Eleanor, and heat up a porkless TV dinner for Steve. I’m sure they’d be impressed. But knowing them, they wouldn’t complain. They really were a fine couple. I wish all of our guests were so easy to please.

Our next scheduled guests didn’t arrive for a week. Honeymooners from South Carolina would be here for a long weekend. My mind was already racing with ideas to make their stay special. I’d start with rose petals on their bed when they arrived, and a bottle of champagne on ice in their room. Naturally, they’d get the nicest suite, one nobody had died in. Stone gave me free reign in handling the guests. He even occasionally had great ideas of his own to contribute.

I was washing my hands in the sink when the phone rang. Stone answered the telephone, and handed it over to me. I dried my hands on a towel and took the phone. I figured it would be my daughter because she was about the only person who called me at the inn. Most of my friends rang me on my cell phone.

“Hey, Mom!” Wendy sounded anxious, worried about something. I could always tell when something was bothering her by the tone of her voice.

“Hi, Wendy! How’s your day going out at the T-n-T Ranch?”

“Good. Andy’s learning a lot, and I’m enjoying myself too.”

“Did they get your car fixed at Boney’s?” I asked.

“Yeah, I called Joey, and he said it’s running fine now,” she said. “Andy’s out in the barn with Tom, and I’m walking around the big pond with Sallie. She’s really a sweet dog. But that’s not why I called you. I wanted to tell you about something strange that happened to us this morning, on the way out here to the ranch.”

“What happened, dear?” Stone had been on his way out of the kitchen, but stopped and stepped back in. My last question had caught his attention. He waited to see what I’d find out from Wendy.

“Well, didn’t you say the vehicle that struck you in the hospital parking lot was a dark-colored SUV?”

“Yes, I did. Why?” I asked.

“There was one fitting that description that followed us all the way from Rockdale out to the ranch. I think it started tailing us from right by the Alexandria Inn, almost like it was waiting for us to leave there this morning.”

“Was the SUV navy blue, by any chance?” I asked.

“We couldn’t tell for sure, only that it was a darker color.”

“Could you see the driver?”

“No, the car never got close enough to us to even detect if it was a male or female driver, but the SUV turned every time we turned, even though it stayed quite a bit back. I’m surprised we even noticed it was following us. In fact, we weren’t sure it was actually tailing us until it pulled down the gravel road the ranch is on,” Wendy explained.

“It followed you all the way to the ranch?”

“Yes, but when we pulled into the Olsens’ driveway, the car kept going, driving right on past the ranch. The driveway is too long to see much, you know, like the exact color of the car or the gender of the driver.”

“Did you happen to notice if the left front headlight was broken out? If so, I’d be almost positive it was the same car that ran me down,” I said.

“Andy said he thought the headlight casing was intact, but he could have been mistaken. And it could have been repaired already. The driver would surely be aware the police were watching for a dark SUV with a broken headlight, and gotten it repaired as quickly as possible.”

“That’s true,” I agreed. “But why would someone follow you and Andy? You really aren’t involved with the case, except for Walter’s autopsy. It doesn’t make any sense to me.”

“Think about it, Mom,” Wendy said. “If the car never got close enough for us to identify the driver, then the driver couldn’t identify who was driving the Jeep either. I’m sure he thought he was following you. Your yellow Jeep is easy to spot. I think someone is targeting you, and I’m very concerned about it. Stone will be too. I don’t like the idea you’re being stalked. There’s no telling what this guy has in mind.”

“I can’t honestly say I like the idea of being stalked, either,” I said. “Maybe it was just a coincidence. There are a zillion dark SUVs on the road, as Sheldon Wright will tell you. Perhaps this particular one was just going in the same direction as you two were.”

“Mom, the gravel road the ranch is on dead-ends about a quarter mile past the T-n-T Ranch. After we pulled up to the farmhouse, we just sat in the Jeep and watched, and sure enough, it crossed back in front of the ranch not more than a couple of minutes later. It doesn’t sound like a coincidence to me.”