Sweet Tea and Secrets (14 page)

“Yes!”

The ceiling plaster speckled the blue hand-made quilt on Pearl’s bed below. Clyde barked as she slammed the ceiling one last time to make the opening big enough for her to scooch through.

She put her shirt back on, and eased through the opening. The plaster and splintered wood scraped her skin through the thin material.

All she wanted was fresh air.

She put her arms in front of her face took a deep breath and let go, falling to the mattress. The air conditioning chilled her sweat-soaked skin.

She laid there panting.

Clyde continued to bark upstairs.

“I’m down here, boy. Come on.”

After a moment, she forced herself to get up to get some much-needed water. When she got up she felt dizzy, but steadied herself until the woozy feeling passed. In the kitchen, she rinsed the insulation and plaster from her clammy arms and face with cool water, then filled an aluminum tumbler to the top with ice and tap water. She gulped the water down and refilled her cup again before going to check on Clyde.

Sometimes he doesn’t seem like such an award winning dog. Shouldn’t he come when I call. That’s pretty basic stuff.

“Enough already, Clyde,” she yelled as she stomped up the stairs. Jill stopped and stared at the door.

Strange and disquieting thoughts raced through her mind.

The door was shut tight, and Clyde couldn’t have done that the way that door was hinged. She opened the door and Clyde nearly knocked her over as he ran by her at full speed. She followed behind him all the way down the stairs and straight to the back door. She let him out and he went speeding through the back yard barking. He came back after a few minutes of sniffing and barking. Jill settled him down with a piece of ice that he tossed in the air and rolled on.

Jill went back up to check out the attic door. Not only was it closed, but the deadbolt was slid over. Even Clyde couldn’t have done that.

No accident—someone had locked the attic door and then closed the hall door behind them. But Clyde hadn’t barked until after the door slammed shut. Clyde was an award-winning companion. Surely he would have barked if a stranger had come into the house, and there wasn’t a sign of any intrusion.

Jill’s hands still shook as she dialed the sheriff’s office to report the incident. Scott Calvin would come by to check on things in about twenty minutes.

Showered and changed, she was tugging her damp hair into a quick French braid just as Scott knocked on the door.

She twisted the elastic in place as she ran to the door to let him in.

He stood there in khaki shorts, Hawaiian shirt, and an Atlanta Braves baseball cap. “Please tell me it’s your day off and this is not your attempt to revive the Magnum P.I. look.”

He stepped inside. “It’s my day off, and don’t worry. I know this shirt isn’t fashionable. Ruth pounded that into my head every time I wore it, but it’s comfortable.”

She raised her hands. “You won’t get any lectures from me.”

“Good. So what trouble are you stirring up this time?”

“Hey, it’s not me. I don’t know what’s going on.” She relayed the story to him, play-by-play right down to the fact that Clyde hadn’t made a sound.

“Hmm. You never were one to have enemies. But you’ve been gone for quite a while now. Would anybody be unhappy that you’re back? Anything going on I don’t know about?”

She became instantly aware of her surroundings and the fact she might be in real danger. “Gosh. I hope not. I don’t know. Maybe Becky? At the funeral, she made sure I knew she had her sights on Garrett, but I’m no threat to her on that. There’s only one person that doesn’t like me that I know of, and she’s miles away in Georgia, so I think that clears her.”

His brows wrinkled. “You mentioned the other day that Clyde doesn’t take to men, except Garrett. If it’s not Becky or that Georgia girl, what about Garrett?”

She folded her arms. “You know how silly that sounds, right?”
Had he read her mind?
She could tell by the way Scott was looking at her that he didn’t think that was a possibility.

“You’re the expert. You tell me.”

He shrugged. “Okay. Well. I’ll see what Becky’s been up to this morning. How can we check to make sure your Georgia person isn’t around these parts?”

“She’s not. I was talking about Annie. You know Bradley. She’s his housekeeper. Annie’s probably happy as all get out that I’m not there.”

“Alrighty, but I’m pretty sure I saw Becky’s car over at the nail salon this morning, so that’s not leaving us with much to go on. There doesn’t appear to be any sign of forced entry, or any difference from when I was here last time.”

Jill had checked it out herself earlier. She hadn’t noticed anything either.

“It wouldn’t be a bad idea if you stayed with friends until we figure out what’s going on with all this mischief.”

“I’m not leaving.”

“Why did I know you were going to say that?”

She smiled wide. “I’ve got Pearl’s independence.”

“Is that what you call it these days? I think Milly always called it being hard-headed.”

“No fair. You know us too well.”

He took a card from his wallet and scribbled his cell and home phone numbers on the back. “Here. Call me if anything happens, or you think of something. Anytime. You hear me?”

She held the card tight. It gave her a sense of power, although she prayed she wouldn’t need it. “Got it.” She walked him out to his truck. “How many cars do you have these days? Every time I see you you’re driving something different.”

“After Ruth and I broke up I had to find something to fill up all my spare time. So I turned a few wrenches on some old junkers for quick money, but I couldn’t part with all of them.”

“That’s one way to get through a heartbreak. After Garrett and I, well, I threw myself into my work. That’s a little harder to do when you’re sheriff of a town that has hardly any crime.”

“Yeah, well you coming back has been pretty good for business. Where were you back then when I needed a diversion?”

Jill waved goodbye to Scott.

She snatched her keys from the hall table and headed toward the door to do a quick ride-by. Garrett’s office was only a couple of miles from the house, but if he’d gone into town, that was a good twenty minute drive. He couldn’t have made it to town and back yet. If he was at his office, then there was a possibility the he
was
the person who left her trapped in the attic.

“Stop it,” she admonished herself. “This is nuts.” But the self-admonishments didn’t stop her from wanting to check it out.

Revving the engine of her BMW, Jill sped down the lane. Out of habit, she used the blinker as she turned left out onto the single lane road. A few new homes dotted what used to be Mr. Miller’s crop fields. He’d passed away last summer. His kids had probably sold the land for a huge profit. Too bad. Once the open land was gone, it was gone for good.

As Jill sped down the road, she wondered what she’d say to Garrett if she did find him at his office. She didn’t want to sound like she was accusing him. Although he
had
broken her heart, she couldn’t believe he’d do anything to harm her. Maybe she should let Scott handle the situation. Even if Scott and Garrett went way back, it was Scott’s job to find out who locked her in the attic. Protect and serve and all that. Who else could’ve gotten by Clyde without him barking?

She lifted her foot from the accelerator to slow the car through the tight curve that twisted back toward Route 58. At the stop sign, she thrummed her fingers on the steering wheel, waiting for a break in the traffic so she could pull across and head west. Eighteen wheelers used this road to get from Tidewater to I-95. On a summer day like today, there was even more traffic as people traveled to the mountains and south to Florida on vacation.

This intersection used to be nothing but fields. Now, a gas station sold lottery tickets on one corner, and a new auto repair business looked to be doing a pretty booming business on the other. Next to that was a small building with a peppermint-striped awning—Penny’s Candy & Soda Shoppe. The parking lot was full. Pearl had told her that Penny was going to open for business this summer. Jill made a mental note to stop in and pay her a visit before she left town.

The cotton crop across the way was full, but not yet flowering. Peanuts were planted along this road at nearly a two-to-one ratio. Probably in hopes of a good harvest this year. The last couple of years, the weather hadn’t cooperated at all. The drought had kept the crops from growing to their full potential, and the livestock farmers were feeling the pinch, too. Just when the hay had finally reached a height suitable for baling so the farmers could cut and turn it, they’d gotten that rain they’d been praying for. Unfortunately, the rain ruined what would have been mediocre hay, at best. Good planning and the right commitment couldn’t make up for Mother Nature’s idea of a joke.

Jill came up on the air strip on Route 58 and realized she’d driven right past Garrett’s office. Daydreaming always did get her in trouble. She took the next paved road and turned back around.

Leaning forward, she eyed the addresses down the right side of the busy road. A trucker came up fast behind her but she didn’t speed up. He’d just have to go around.

A large new building stood right next to the little white house that used to be Malloy’s business.

“No. Way.” She veered to the edge of the road to get a better look.

The hand-painted sign she’d had Mary Claire paint for Garrett as a Christmas gift a few years ago was gone.
Malloy Country Design and Builders
in shiny burgundy script on a professionally sandblasted sign now marked the location. An inky black, freshly-paved driveway led to the front door. No gravel drive here. The building was beautiful— a perfect blend of country and purpose. The landscaping assured her that Garrett hadn’t overlooked even the smallest detail. No surprise there.

Jill realized she’d have to pull into the parking lot to see if his truck was there. She drove up the emergency lane and turned into the lot. A light blue Toyota was parked out front. Two white trucks and a work trailer were parked on the side of the building. A tall wooden fence partitioned the front from the back. Inventory and equipment were probably stored behind it for future projects. By the look of things, Garrett had modestly understated the growth of his business over the past year.

Jill got out of her car and caught the door before it slammed, clicking it closed. She wasn’t sure why she was being so quiet, except that part of her was still considering turning around and leaving before anyone saw her. Garrett’s truck wasn’t here, but now that she was, she was finding it hard to resist checking out the place.

Custom railing of black iron and chunky wood flanked the steps to the front door. She held the rail as she took each step. It was warm from the sun. She paused with her hand on the handle of the heavy mahogany carved door. Holding her breath, she pushed the door open and stepped into the front office.

As soon as she cleared the threshold, a young dark-haired beauty shot out from behind the large desk and threw her arms around Jill’s neck, catching her completely off guard.

“Jill, I heard you were in town.”

Jill couldn’t place the face in the quick glance she got, but the bundle of energy disguised as a girl definitely recognized her. Jill tried to smile as she feigned recognition. She scanned the room for a hint at who was greeting her. No nameplate on the desk. Darn.

“You look as great as Garrett said. Aunt Milly said you were too thin, but you still look like the prettiest Pork Fest Queen we ever had to me.”

Milly?
Then it fell into place. “Elsie?”

“Yeah. I bet you didn’t recognize me with the dark hair.” She twisted a curl toward her face.

“Last time I saw you, you had bleached-blonde hair—short, spiky bleached-blonde hair.”

“That didn’t last long. Billy likes natural girls,” she explained. “Did Aunt Milly tell you about my wedding? Look at this ring. Isn’t it to die for?” She flipped her hand up in front of her face, wiggling her fingers to flash the tiny stone in the princess setting.

“Congratulations. Aunt Milly told me about you getting married. So who’s this Billy guy?”

“Billy Privet.”

Jill recalled Pearl telling her about the Privet boy going off to the service after a knee injury blew his chance to get a college football scholarship. “I didn’t know he was back. I thought he joined the Marines. Wasn’t he in San Diego, or somewhere out west?”