Laid Out and Candle Lit (7 page)

Ridge made a notation, then flipped a few pages back in his notebook, strictly an investigative tactic to break the rhythm of questioning. Give the suspect time to think about his previous answers and worry about the next one. “Can you think of anyone who would want to hurt her or you?”

Carl pulled his brows together, straightening in his chair. “I thought the motive was robbery. The jewelry she had missing was quite valuable. I didn’t think it had anything to do with her or me personally.”

Ridge shuffled some papers on the desk. “I’m not ruling it out. I’m covering all angles. So, can you think of anyone?”

“Marlene didn’t have a lot of friends, but I don’t know of anyone who disliked her to the point of murder.”

Ridge focused on a piece of paper he’d pulled from the pile. “In your initial statement, you said you went to bed shortly after your wife’s call. Do you sleep so soundly you didn’t wake up during the night and realize she wasn’t in bed?”

Carl showed no expression on his face, but he nervously tapped his foot and broke into a sweat. “Correct. I didn’t know until the next morning.”

Ridge pushed back from the desk and stood up. “That’s all I have today, but I may have more questions for you later. If you should think of anything that would be helpful, please call.”

Ridge rubbed the back of his neck and took a deep breath as Carl Weston left. The man was lying. He knew it. He felt it in his gut and his gut was never wrong. But, how the hell was he gonna prove it?

CHAPTER EIGHT

R
ayann pulled on her slim fit, size four jeans, and easily zipped and buttoned them. Next, she slipped the Sweet Thangs tee-shirt over her seamless padded bra which added a full cup size to her small breasts. She smiled and thought of how Dwayne described them.
Perfect . . . you’re perfect.
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, gathered her long blonde hair into a ponytail and wrapped it with a rubber band.

She leaned in close to the mirror, widened her big green eyes and studied her face. She was happier than she’d been in a long time. In the last ten years, she’d made some serious errors in judgment. First, labeling Dwayne as having no ambition, just because he didn’t want to do anything but live in Brownsboro and work for the police department. Second, getting a teaching degree. Last but not least, falling for a smooth-talking man who turned out to be evil personified.

She picked up a hairbrush and drew the bristles through her ponytail, untangling the strands. Finally she’d realized her mistakes. Dwayne didn’t lack ambition. He was simply a man who knew what he wanted. Teaching would be the perfect job for her if not for the students. And lastly, good looks and sophistication meant nothing without a heart.

As she left, she grabbed a bottle of fruit juice from the fridge, hiked her purse over her shoulder, and picked up her keys. By the time she got to her car, the humidity had plastered her tee-shirt tight against her. She opened the car door, slipped behind the wheel, and cranked the engine. Swinging out of the drive, she headed to Sweet Thangs knowing the ladies would be waiting for a full report.

On her way in, she paused and read the funeral notice on the door, then twirled around and went in humming. “Good morning, ladies,” she sang out. “Oh, my Lord. What is that heavenly smell?”

At the sound of her voice, Tizzy, Sugarpie, and Pattiecake stopped what they were doing and made a beeline out of the kitchen. They rushed around the counter to meet her, and Tizzy was the first to speak. “Sugarpie’s working on a new recipe. But never mind that. Were you humming?”

“Oh Lord. She was humming, all right.” Pattiecake said, placing her hands on her hips. “Wouldn’t you say she was humming, Sugarpie?”

All three ladies surrounded her and pushed her into a chair. “Oh no you don’t. You’re not gettin’ off easy,” Tizzy said. “We want every little detail. It’s taken you forever to make a move on that man, and we all have a vested interest. Without our encouragement and margaritas, you’d still be dying to get into his pants. So now that you have, we wanna know everything.” Tizzy tugged at her arm. “Spill, girl. On a scale of one to ten. Kissing?”

Rayann covered her mouth with both hands, rolled her eyes, let her hands drop to her chest, and crossed them. “Oh . . . My . . . Lord! It was the best sex I’ve ever had that didn’t involve batteries.”

They all broke into loud laughter, whooping, hollering, and jumping up and down. Once they were able to regain control, Sugarpie leaned down. “Well, sweetie, if there’s anything about him you need to change, now’s the time. Don’t wait. You’ve got to tell him what you like. We spend a third of our lives in bed, and if you’re in there with someone not doing everything the way you like, it’s gonna seem like a whole lot longer.”

Pattiecake chimed in. “She’s right.” She cut her eyes over at Sugarpie. “Do you remember
Hide‘n‘seek
Wendell?”

Pattiecake sat down and leaned in close. “When we were in high school, Shirley Jean Culpepper was dating Wendell Taylor. They’d been going together forever. Wendell broke up with her and told a few stories about their sex-capades. Shirley was so-o-o-o mad. She told us when they were “doing it” just as he would reach his moment of bliss, so to speak, he would scream
Here I come, ready or not!”

They all erupted into laughter again. “So we started calling him Hide n’ seek Wendell. We’re saying, if Bubba’s got any bad habits in bed, you need to nip ’em in the bud.”

Rayann smiled and took her bottom lip between her teeth. “Well, he was a little quick to pull the trigger the first time, but as the night went on, he got that under control.” She leaned forward toward Tizzy. “I’m telling you, the man is unbelievable. What he lacks in social graces, he makes up for in the bedroom. He is so gentle, so sweet, so eager to please me . . . I honestly can’t get enough of him. Last night, I turned that man every way but loose. I’ll tell y’all a little secret. I’m gonna marry him.”

Tizzy gasped. “You are?” Did you tell him you love him?”

Sugarpie shook her head. “Oh no, girl. You didn’t use the L word your first time.”

“Yes I did, and you know what? He loves me, too. So, I’ll give him a little time, but if he doesn’t propose, I’ll ask him. One way or the other, I’m gonna marry Dwayne Tatum. You’re right, Tizzy. Life’s too short.”

Tizzy twisted her mouth around. “That’s it? No clues as to how love’s gonna look? No tall, dark, and handsome? No white horse?” Tizzy slumped. “Crap, Rayann. It could be talking about a stray dog looking for a home.”

“I’m still trying to get the flavor exactly right for the Chocolate Coconut Pecan Pie. I’ve got three of ‘em cooling. Thought we could give ’em a taste test. Y’all sit down. I’ll bring out some samples.”

Sugarpie disappeared into the kitchen, and quickly returned with a tray full of pie and placed the three samples in front of them. “This one is made with Almond extract. Number two is with Vanilla and the last one is with both extracts and of course they all have my secret ingredient.” She explained.

Tizzy and Rayann took a bite, closed their eyes, moved the pie around in their mouths to cover every taste bud, then swallowed. Tizzy smacked her lips. “Delicious, but I don’t want to judge until I’ve tried them all. Let us have some water to cleanse our palates.” She and Rayann sloshed the water around as if tasting fine wine and moved to the next bite.

Rayann smiled. “This one is yummy, too, but I’m still not sure.”

Moving to number three, Rayann sat up straight, placed her hand flat against her chest, closed her eyes and gasped. “Oh my Lord. I may have an orgasm.”

Pattiecake and Sugarpie leaned forward laughing. “Okay, looks like we have a winner,” Sugarpie said. “Tizzy, what do you think?”

Tizzy raised her hands and stammered. “It’s wonderful. Delicious. It is orgasmic. Maybe we should call it Orgasm Pie!”

Pattiecake and Sugarpie bent over laughing, holding onto each other. “I’m not sure we could get away with that,” Pattiecake said. “We’re already pushing the envelope with the
Better than Sex Cupcakes.”

Rayann nodded. “You’re right. That might be too much. I think we should put it on the menu as Chocolate Coconut Pecan Pie and describe it as
so good it’ll make you come . . . back for more!”

Sugarpie tried to straighten up and crossed her legs. “Lor-dee. I may pee my pants.”

Once the moment passed and things settled down, Rayann pointed to the front door. “I read the funeral notice for Mr. Ledbetter listing
two
services. What’s that about? Do they think it’s gonna take two funerals to preach him into heaven?”

Pattiecake shook her head. “Poor Billy Jack. You know his family is split. One half doesn’t speak to the other half, so they’re having a service for both halves, to avoid another funeral in the family, if you know what I mean. They even had two visitations.” She gave a whispered laugh. “I heard he’s being buried in a new pair of overalls with a package of chewing tobacco in one pocket and a pint of whiskey in the other. Oh, by the way, Tizzy. I want you to run a couple of cakes up to the church. They’re gonna feed the family afterwards.”

Sugarpie nodded, “Pattiecake and I are going to both services. It’ll be worth the trip to see those two sons of his,
Buttcut and Booger.
At the last funeral those boys attended, they brought a cooler of beer. The first service is at ten and the second one at two. We think you girls can handle things for an hour each time. If not, just lock up and put a note on the door,” she said, “And if y’all don’t mind, would you deliver some muffins out at the Philpot place? Frank died last night. We’d like for them to have some baked goods for breakfast in the morning.”

Pattiecake twisted her face into a frown. “This may be a big funeral week. First, Billy Jack Ledbetter, now Frank Philpot, and I heard Melba Jane Treadwell is circling the drain.”

CHAPTER NINE

T
hey swung by Tizzy’s, picked up Gracie, and headed out toward the Philpot’s place with four dozen muffins. Frank Philpot’s family lived out in the boonies down a dirt road about six miles out of town. When they turned into the drive, the sun had set and stars were beginning to appear in the night sky. With no help from streetlights, evening in the country came earlier and seemed darker than in town.

Rayann unbuckled, opened her car door, and quickly closed it. “Do you smell that?” she asked.

“Yeah, it’s a skunk,” Tizzy said.

Rayann’s eyes got big and she fidgeted in her seat. “I don’t like skunks. I’m afraid of skunks. I’m more afraid of skunks than I am of vampires.”

Tizzy tilted her head and rolled her eyes. “That’s logical, since skunks are real and vampires aren’t.”

“You don’t understand.” Rayann frowned, her eyes wide, her lips thinned into a tight line. “If vampires
were
real, I’d still be more afraid of skunks.” Rayann squeezed her eyes shut. “Vampires can turn you and you’ll live forever and be young forever. Skunks, on the other hand can make you stink, bite you and give you rabies. And besides, from what I hear, vampire sex is off the charts.”

“It’s the truth, Tizzy. You need some. You need some bad. You’re cranky. You’re even crankier now I’m getting some and you’re not.”

“Okay, I tell you what,” Tizzy said. “If a bampire shows up, I’ll have six with him. Now, can we just take the muffins in?”

“No, I don’t want to get out of the car. A skunk is somewhere close. What if it’s rabid? What if it bites us? We’d have to get those awful shots. I don’t like shots. I‘m afraid of needles,” she said, pleading her case.

Tizzy did another eye roll. “Let me get this straight. You wouldn’t mind a vampire sinking his long sharp fangs deep into your neck and sucking out all your blood, but you’re afraid a skunk might bite you? This is only my opinion, but I think you can outrun a skunk. I don’t think they move real fast.”