Corpse in the Crystal Ball (14 page)

“Thanks,” I said, and meant it. “I’m curious. What is it about Detective Stone that you dislike so much?”

“The way he treated my neighbor. Poor little Abby. Oh, he didn’t do anything to her, and he wasn’t mean to her like that horrible floozy. He just ignored her, and somehow that
was worse. It broke her heart. She reminds me of myself, having to go it alone and all. And now because of him, she’s gone. She was the only one in town who ever gave me the time of day.”

“What do you mean gone?”

“The other day down at Gretta’s Mini-Mart when that floozy made Abby feel really small, Abby came home crying. She stopped by to tell me she was going out of town for a few days, and she asked me to look after her place.”

“Did she say where she was going?”

“Nope, and I didn’t ask. She don’t have no family in town, neither. She might be an odd duck, but she’s my friend. She just said she had something to do that should have been done a while ago, and she looked like she was on a mission. I told her to get at it, then, and get her done. She told me she planned to. Then she left, and I haven’t seen her since.”

“Do you have any idea what thing she had to do?”

“Nope again, and I didn’t ask. I ain’t the nosy type. Not like some of them gossips we got in town. It’s rude. My mama done raised me right. And that’s that.” The old lady nodded her head and wrinkled her brow as she stared off in the distance. “Though I can’t imagine what on earth little Abby needed that chicken wire for.”

“Chicken wire?”

“I might be old, but I know chicken wire when I see it, and that’s exactly what she had in that hardware bag on her front seat.”

Isabel Gonzales was strangled with an object that looked like it might have been a corded wire of some sort, and that murder weapon was missing. Abigail Brook left town with what appeared to be chicken wire on the day of Isabel’s
murder. Maybe she’d done something to the wire to leave that kind of mark. It was a long shot, but it might be possible. I’d been wrong in involving Mitch. He was too close to this case and would only complicate matters. I didn’t need him.

I had a clue.

“Thank you so much for your time, Mrs.…?”

“Pots. Mimi Pots.”

“It was great meeting you, and for the record, Miss Brook isn’t the only one in town who’s friendly.” I squeezed her hand. “Drop by my place at any time. The door is always open.”

“You’re a good girl.” Mimi looked pleased.

“I try.” Unfortunately, it had nothing to do with how my mama raised me. I gave all the credit to Granny Gert.

I headed back to my car, opened the door quietly, slid inside, and then slammed the door. Mitch jerked upright, looking around a bit wildly. “I’m sorry. Did I wake you, Sleeping Beauty?”

He scrubbed his face with his palms. “What do you expect? You kept me up all night. Did you find out anything?”

“Not really. She just confirmed that Abigail left town on the day of the murder and hasn’t been back since, but she has no idea where she went.” I wasn’t about to tell him about the chicken wire. He’d never back off if he knew we had a lead.

“Well, that was a waste of time.”

“Maybe you should go home and take a nap. Like I said, I’ve got this.”

“Maybe you should—” His phone rang. He frowned, glanced at the caller ID, and then quickly answered. “What’s wrong? Okay, I’ll be right there.” He disconnected. “You’re
right. A nap sounds good. I’ll check in with you later.” He hopped out of my car and disappeared into the woods without another word, any thoughts of helping me all but forgotten.

I’d seen the caller ID. I knew exactly who had just called.

Selena Gonzales.

I didn’t have to worry about ditching the detective—he’d just ditched me!

“I can’t believe he ditched me! Completely ditched me the second she called,” I said to Jo as I pulled my bug into Gary’s Hardware later that morning.

“Isn’t that why I’m here? You said Fuller took the day off because it was the weekend, and you didn’t want Mitch anywhere near this case so he won’t get into trouble.”

“Yes, I’m just whining, okay? I had planned to ditch Mitch. Not the other way around,” I grumbled.

“You’re jealous of Selena? They’re just friends, and she’s going through a lot. Didn’t you specifically tell Mitch to take care of her? Besides, isn’t her sister’s funeral today? And how come you’re not going?”

“I just can’t. It’s a small ceremony. Besides, Mitch has Selena to comfort. I would just be in the way. I know he had to leave, I just didn’t like the
way
he left is all. Ugh. I know, I’m being stupid. I just can’t help it. He makes me crazy.”

“And what does Kevin make you? He’s a really nice guy, you know. Where does he fit into this scenario?”

I sighed. “I have no idea. It’s all so confusing and such a mess. I don’t know what to do.”

“I do. Let’s take your mind off your love life and go talk
to Gary. See if he knows where Abigail Brook went or what she planned to do with that wire.”

“Works for me.”

We got out of my bug and entered Gary’s Hardware Store. The place was neat and clean and masculine. Various shades of grays and blacks graced the walls and floor, with logical and efficient rows of big-boy toys and tools. No theme necessary.

Gary was a tall, skinny man with tightly curled brown hair. He was in his forties. A nice man who was always around to lend a hand, though recently, he walked with a limp. He’d fallen off a ladder and messed up his hip after helping clean the church gutters.

“Morning, ladies.” Gary saluted us as we walked through his front door.

I smiled and Jo said, “Hey there, big guy. You’re looking good. How’s the hip?”

Jo was a charmer, which was why most everyone in town adored her.

Gary flushed, then stood a little straighter. “It’s getting better. You need help with anything at all down at Smokey Jo’s or anywhere, you just let me know.”

“Why thank you, darlin’. You can be sure I’ll take you up on that.”

I heard a grunt from behind us. No way. I whirled around, but the grunt didn’t belong to one stubborn detective. It belonged to one very large Sasquatch of a man.

Carpenter Cole West.

Cole was a hulk of a man, even bigger than Mitch, with a five o’clock shadow, a buzz cut, tattoos, and muscles to spare. His wife had been killed in a motorcycle accident a
year and a half ago and he was the driver, so he’d pretty much pulled away from the entire town. He and his wife had been regulars at Jo’s, and after the accident, Jo had been his biggest supporter until he rejected her comfort and refused to get on with his life.

He eventually pulled away from her, too, by being about the only regular to visit the Song Bird—a Japanese karaoke bar on the outskirts of town—rather than Smokey Jo’s. She’d never let him hear the end of it, or forgiven him.

Jo had finally met her match in Cole.

“What are you grunting about, Meathead? Shouldn’t you be off singing a song or pounding nails or something?” Jo faced Cole with crossed arms and a raised burgundy brow.

He put his hands on his hips and leaned into her, making the voluptuous Amazon actually look small. “You’re just jealous because you can’t sing any better than your friend here.” He jerked his head in my direction.

“Cute,” I said with a smile, trying to diffuse the situation before Jo could fire off some scathing comeback. “How’ve you been, Cole?”

Gary picked up on my cue and thankfully directed Jo to another section of the store where he kept her deep in conversation. Hopefully, Jo was confirming that Abigail Brook had indeed bought chicken wire here and was seeing if she had said anything about what she planned to use it for and where she was headed.

Meanwhile, Cole looked at me and relaxed his shoulders slightly. “Fine. You?”

Oh, great. He conversed about as well as Detective Grumpy Pants. “I’ve been better.”

“I heard. Got yourself involved in another murder case.”

“Sort of, but I’m not a suspect this time. I’m just helping out.”

“That’s good. Did you find that lady’s killer yet? Wherever she was going, she was in a hurry.”

Well, now. That piqued my interest. How on earth did he know Isabel? “What makes you say that?”

“Her room was a mess.”

I blinked. “Her room? When did you see her room?” I asked a bit defensively on Jo’s behalf.

“The night the woman died. Why?” He looked at me a bit strangely.

I forced my voice to remain calm. “Do you mind if I ask what you were doing in her room?”

“My job.” He shrugged. “Patching the wall.”

“Wait a minute. I’m confused. I thought Chuck Webb patched the wall he punched a hole in on the night Isabel Gonzales was murdered. Room fifty-six B.”

Now Cole was the one to look confused. “Who told you that?”

“Webb himself.”

“Then he’s lying. He might have bought the patch kit from Gary, but I was the one who patched the hole. Ask his front-desk clerk, Johnny Burrows. He’ll tell you I was there.”

“I already did. He confirmed Webb’s story.”

Cole grunted again. “That doesn’t surprise me. Johnny is an intern, going to school for hotel management. He’d say anything to keep his job, and Webb knows it.”

“Thanks for your help, Cole,” I said quickly when I saw Jo walking our way.

“Anytime.” He nodded once and then headed up to the cash register to check out with Gary.

Jo gave Cole a nasty look as she passed by him to join me, and he just chuckled.

“Any luck?” I asked her.

“Abigail definitely bought chicken wire, but Gary has no idea why or where she went. He’s more interested in asking me out than answering my questions. How about you? Any luck with Meathead?”

“Gee, aren’t you the pot calling the kettle, and all that?” I smirked.

“What are you talking about?” She scowled.

“You’re no different than I am. You’ve got it bad for the hunky carpenter. You just refuse to admit it or the fact that you’ve finally met your match.”

“You’re crazy.” She waved me off.

“Ditto,” I threw back at her.

“Whatever. On to more important matters. Did you learn any new information?”

“Actually, yes.”

She blinked. “Really? I’m shocked. What on earth could the big lug possibly have to offer?”

“Oh, just that he was in Isabel Gonzales’s hotel room.”

A quick flash of shock and anger passed over Jo’s face, but then she masked it, trying to appear bored by inspecting her nails. She couldn’t fool me as she asked, “And?”

“And all he did was patch the hole in her wall,” I replied gently.

Jo tried to hide it, but I could see her relief. “Which means?” she questioned.

“Chuck Webb is a liar,” I said with vindication. I knew there was something off about him. This proved I was right.

“How so?”

“He doesn’t have an alibi, and he is most definitely still a murder suspect.”

“So what are you going to do about it?”

“I say it’s time to ‘check in’ at the Divinity Hotel.”

Saturday afternoon Jo and I went to see Johnny Burrows at the Divinity Hotel. He was spiffing up the Art Deco decor in the lobby when we entered. It was obviously a quiet night.

“Evening, ma’am.” He nodded, looking excited over having something to do. “Something I can do for you?”

“Well, darlin’, that depends. What services are you offering?” Jo asked on a wink.

Johnny just blinked. Poor boy looked like a deer in the headlights.

“Actually, yes,” I said, stepping in front of an incorrigible Jo. “I’m here to straighten a few facts out about the night Isabel Gonzales died.”

He frowned, his excitement waning quickly. “Really? I thought I already answered your questions regarding that evening.”

“You did. However, some new information has come to my attention.”

A flash of alarm crossed his features. “N-New information?”

“Yes. It appears we somehow have our facts wrong.”

“W-We do?”

“Yes, darlin’. We do at that.” Jo stepped forward and ran her fingertip down Johnny’s chest, and his Adam’s apple bobbed once hard.

“Apparently, Cole West patched the wall in Isabel Gonzales’s room on the night she died,” I explained.

“B-But Mr. Webb bought the patch kit from the hardware store. I saw it myself.”

“That’s right,” Jo interjected. “Except he never showed up on the night of the murder. He hired Cole to do the work for him. Isn’t that right, John-boy?”

He looked at her, then looked at me, then stammered, “I-I-I don’t want to lose my job.”

“Johnny,” Chuck Webb boomed as he stepped out of his office. “What is going on out here?”

Johnny’s face paled, and he just stared at Webb, gaping like a helpless fish out of water.

“Johnny didn’t do anything wrong, Mr. Webb.” I stepped in front of Johnny. “You did. We ran into Cole West this morning at Gary’s Hardware.”

Now it was Chuck’s turn to pale.

“Cat got your tongue, sugar?” Jo purred.

Chuck cleared his throat. “What does that have to do with me?”

“Everything, since your alibi on the night Isabel Gonzales
was murdered is that you were patching the wall in her hotel room. Only that’s funny, since Cole said he was the one to patch the wall that night.” I leveled a hard stare at him. “Care to tell us where you really were that night?”