Ten-Gallon Tensions in Texas: A Kate on Vacation Mystery (The Kate on Vacation Mysteries Book 3) (2 page)

The two oldest Bolton offspring–fourteen-year-old Jimmy, Jr. and thirteen-year-old Frankie–were unusually subdued. They sat stiffly in their chairs, picking at their food, and also casting nervous glances at their father.

Only Sherry, younger than Frankie by two and a half years, seemed oblivious to the undercurrents around the table. She and Edie had their heads together, whispering and giggling.

Their granny smiled indulgently at them. Then she said in a too cheerful voice, “So what’s the game plan for tomorrow, Skip?”

“I figured we’d take a stroll ’round town in the mornin’. See what all’s changed.”

Kate hid a smile. Already Skip’s slight Texas accent was becoming more pronounced, after only a few hours back in his home state.

“Then if you don’t mind babysittin’, Mama, I’d like to take my lady out to lunch at the swankiest restaurant in town.”

“They built a new restaurant?” Kate asked.

Suzanne let out a soft snort. “Nope, Bradley’s Steakhouse is still the best we got.”

~~~~~~~~

Kate had to admit it was the best steak she’d ever eaten.

“Local beef,” Skip said beside her. Her hand was tucked into the crook of his elbow as they strolled along Main Street after lunch.

She smacked him lightly on his forearm with her free hand. “Will you stop reading my mind?”

He tilted his head, as if he were considering the request. Then he shook his head slightly. “Nah.”

She snickered. “Hey, why are there hitching posts? Do some people around here actually ride horses for transportation?”

“Those are for the tourists,” Skip said.

She gave him a mock innocent look. “They tie tourists to them?”

He chuckled. “No. There’s a big Cowboy Festival here in early November. We should come for it one year. The kids would get a kick out of it. Main Street is closed off to cars and some people do ride their horses into town. They’ve got a mock bank robbery, and stage coach rides, and a rodeo on Saturday afternoon.”

“You’re right. The kids would love it. That many horses in one place would make Edie swoon. But it’s during the school year.”

“It’d be worth it even if we can only come for a long weekend.”

Kate was a little surprised. They’d only been to Beauford to visit a couple of times since they’d married, and then they’d mostly stuck close to her mother-in-law’s house. The fact that Skip was showing her around and that he wanted to come for the festival were good signs that he might finally be making his peace with his hometown.

But then her frugality kicked in. “That’s a lot of money for airfare for a two or three-day visit.”

“Come on. We can afford it.”

She looked around at the mixture of buildings on the street, some modern concrete and steel, and others quaint older structures of weathered brick, stucco or wood siding. A few were even made of rough-hewn logs. Most of them were painted in warm colors ranging from beige to terra cotta to red. Their arched facades showed the Spanish influence in the local architecture.

Skip’s voice pulled her back to their conversation. “We should come next year.”

She shook her head, still bothered by the expense.

“You gotta stop thinkin’ like a poor working stiff, Kate. I own a thriving business and you’re the hottest psychotherapist in Towson.”

She gave him a sideways glance. “Hottest, huh? Exactly how do you mean that?”

He grinned at her. “Any way you wanna take it, darlin’.”

She laughed softly as he led her across a side street. On the opposite corner stood a large sign–
Bolton Cars, Sales and Service.
“That’s Jimmy’s dealership?”

“Yup,” Skip said. “Thought we’d stop by and say hi.”

“Are you going to try to talk to him?”

“Not here. Too much risk of being overheard. But maybe I can get him to meet me for a cup of coffee after work.”

Kate nodded. They walked along the sidewalk until they reached the huge, roller-supported gate in the shiny new chainlink fence. It was rolled back to create a spacious opening, but the fence still conveyed an unfriendly, stay-out message.

As they entered the dealership’s building, Jimmy spotted them through the glass partition between his office and the sales floor. He rose from his desk and came out of the office, hand extended to shake Skip’s. He wasn’t a particularly tall man but Kate noted that, when sober, he carried himself well. His posture spoke of confidence and enthusiasm for life. She had to wonder how much of his demeanor was habit, when things were going so wrong.

Jimmy kissed her on the cheek and ushered them into his office. They’d no sooner taken the offered seats in front of his desk than a lean man in greasy coveralls and cowboy boots entered the office.

“’Fraid we got more trouble, Jimmy.”

Skip stood and stuck out his hand. “How the hell are you, Bobby Joe?”

The man wiped his hand on his coveralls, then gave Skip’s hand a hearty pump. “I’ve been better. Good to see ya, Canfield.”

Skip gestured toward Kate. “This is my wife. Kate meet Bobby Joe Bradley.”

Kate rose and shook the man’s hand. “Bradley as in steakhouse,” she said with a smile. The man certainly resembled the willowy blonde whom Skip had introduced to her earlier as Joellen Bradley.

“Yes, ma’am, but I can’t boil water without scorchin’ it, so I’m happy that my sister was willin’ to take over the restaurant when our daddy passed.”

“What’s the new trouble, Bobby Joe?” Jimmy asked.

Kate turned back to her brother-in-law. He sagged in his desk chair, his confident posture gone.

“We got Ben Hawthorne’s pick-up in for an oil change and a safety check ’cause his wife was s’posed to take it to visit her sister in Dallas tomorrow. I looked it over good, then I took it for a test drive. Engine started actin’ funny so I turned around. It died two blocks back–”

The phone jangled on the desk. Jimmy ignored it as he stood up. “What’s wrong with it?”

A second ring. Jimmy snatched up the receiver. “Bolton Cars.”

His face lost some of its ruddy color as he listened. “Yes, ma’am, we’ll send the tow truck out right away.” A pause. “I don’t know, Cindy, but we’ll find out. You sit tight. Our man’ll be there real soon.” He hung up. “Cindy Fowler’s car left her stranded halfway home from here.”

Bobby Joe shook his head. “I’m not surprised.”

“What?” Jimmy said.

His chief mechanic didn’t answer, just jerked his head toward the door. They followed him across one end of the showroom and down a short hallway to a door marked
Service
. Bobby Joe shoved it open and kept moving through a small waiting area and out into a service bay.

He gestured toward a tan pickup truck on a lift. “Ben’s truck. Fuel lines and the pump are all clogged up.” He hit the control on the lift and the truck slowly descended to the ground. He opened the driver’s door and flipped the lever to open the gas cap cover.

Both Skip and Jimmy crowded around it.

“What?” Kate couldn’t see past the wall created by the men’s backs.

“Sugar,” Skip said, “all around the cap.”

“I’ll bet my next paycheck that Ms. Fowler’s car has got the same problem.” Bobby Joe waved in the direction of the lot. “The men are checkin’ the other cars.”

Jimmy said nothing as he stared at the side of the truck. After a moment, he turned and headed back inside the building.

“Doesn’t sugar ruin the engine?” Kate said.

“Nah,” Bobby Joe said. “That’s a myth. It just gums up the fuel system somethin’ fierce, and it can ruin the fuel pump if you don’t catch it in time.” He blew out air. “Guess I’d better get the tow truck out there to rescue Ms. Fowler.” He walked away.

Kate looked up into her husband’s face. “If Sam Beauford’s doing this, wouldn’t he know that sugar doesn’t do all that much harm?”

Skip frowned. “Maybe this was all the harm he wanted to do, this time.” He took her arm. “Come on.”

When they returned to Jimmy’s office, he was hanging up the telephone. “I got Ben mollified. Told him we’d found some problems with the fuel system so we’d give him a loaner for his wife to take on her trip while we get it fixed for him. Hopefully this won’t get out about the sugar. If folks think their cars are gonna be sabotaged, nobody’ll bring them in here for repairs.”

In a small town, keeping the sugar a secret seemed unlikely. Kate sank back down on one of the visitors’ chairs. “What are you going to do?” she asked her brother-in-law.

Jimmy opened a desk drawer and pulled out a flask. “Right now, I’m gonna have me a drink.”

Skip, still standing in the doorway, pointed to the flask. “That really isn’t helpin’ matters.”

“Butt out, Skip.” He lifted the flask to his lips.

Skip was next to the desk in one long stride. He snatched the flask out of Jimmy’s hand. “I will not butt out. You’re married to my sister and the father of my niece and nephews, and I’m not gonna let you make a bad situation worse by turnin’ into a drunk.”

Jimmy grabbed the flask back and transferred it to his other hand, holding it out of Skip’s reach. He actually grinned at his brother-in-law. “Too late. I’m already a drunk.”

Bobby Joe stepped into the open doorway, a grease-streaked, orange Texas Longhorns baseball cap in his hand. “Uh, boss, you might want to put that away for now. The customers.”

Kate turned and looked through the plate glass behind her. A young couple stood next to a sedan on the showroom floor. They were trying not to stare, but their eyes kept flicking back toward the office. A salesman was valiantly attempting to distract them by pointing out the features of the car.

Kate swiveled back around. Jimmy had lowered the flask below the top of the desk, but he still held onto it like a drowning man clinging to a life preserver.

“I think whoever it was,” Bobby Joe said, “they only hit the cars that had been left overnight in the service area. Our cars out front seem to be okay. But I’m having the guys flush their tanks to be on the safe side.”

“How many cars were damaged?” Jimmy said.

“Just Hawthorne’s truck and Ms. Fowler’s car, it looks like. The cars that are in the bays probably weren’t driven far enough for the sugar to make it into the fuel system. I’ll go over ’em real careful, but I think they’ll be okay.”

“Let’s keep this to ourselves, Bobby Joe. We don’t need this gettin’ around town.”

The mechanic nodded and left the office.

“Come on, Jimmy,” Skip said. “Put the flask away and come have a cup of coffee with me. Let’s sort out the best way to handle this.”

Jimmy stood up. He capped the flask and slipped it into his pants pocket. Then he opened his desk drawer again and pulled out a handgun. Lifting his suit jacket off the back of his chair, he dropped the gun into an outside pocket. It made a significant bulge.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going with that?” Skip said.

Jimmy shrugged into the jacket. “To the dog pound.” He shoved past his brother-in-law and out the door.

Skip blew out air and rubbed the back of his neck. “Should I follow him?”

The question startled Kate. Her husband was not one to ask advice on something like that. He’d just do it. But on the other hand, she was glad he
had
asked the question.

“That might not be a good idea,” she answered. “The mood he’s in right now, if you give him a hard time, he may shoot you.”

CHAPTER THREE

They were once again having an early dinner since the reunion’s meet-and-greet started at seven. Kate was dispatched by her mother-in-law to call everyone to the table. In the living room, Suzanne sat at one end of the sofa in stony silence, pretending to watch the news on the TV. Her husband was slouched at the other end, his eyelids at half-mast.

Kate decided to come back to them once she had the kids headed toward the bathrooms to wash their hands.

Neither had moved much when she returned. “Dinner’s ready.”

“Not hungry,” Jimmy mumbled.

Suzanne shot him a glare and rose from the sofa.

“Not going to that stupid thing tonight neither.” Jimmy’s voice was belligerent.

“Suit yourself.” Suzanne marched toward the kitchen.

As they ate, everyone pretended that nothing was wrong. But they all knew it was a lie. Even Sherry seemed worried tonight. She kept glancing at her father’s empty seat, then her gaze would flick toward the doorway to the living room.

“Eat your supper, Sherry,” her mother snapped.

‘Yes, ma’am.” The girl poked her fork at her green beans.

“Damn it,” Suzanne blurted out. “I’ve been looking forward to this weekend for months.”

Her mother narrowed her eyes at her but didn’t say anything.

“Sorry, Mama.”

Skip swiped his napkin across his lips, then dropped it next to his half empty plate. “Suze, you’re goin’ with Kate and me.” He rose and looked down at Kate. “I’m gonna take Jimmy home first.” It was a statement but she read the question on his face. Again she was a little shocked by his lack of conviction.

Is he asking if that’s okay with me, or if it’s the right thing to do?

Suzanne tilted her head to look up at her big brother. She opened her mouth.

Kate, sitting next to her, put a hand on her arm. “There’s no reason why you can’t at least try to have a good time tonight.”

Suzanne nodded mutely, her eyes filling with tears.

“I’ll take him home in your car and then meet you gals at the community center.” Skip headed for the living room to collect his charge.

“Come on,” Kate said to her sister-in-law. “Let’s fix our makeup and then go party.”

Suzanne gave her a feeble smile. She rose from the table and walked to her mother’s chair. Leaning down, she wrapped her arms around the woman’s broad shoulders from behind. “Thanks, Mama, for watching the kids.”

The older woman made a scoffing noise in her throat. “Ain’t exactly a hardship.”

~~~~~~~~

Skip stood just inside the community center’s entranceway, a woman on each arm, and watched Sam Beauford saunter in their direction. He was a big man, tall and broad, the star of the football team back in high school. But now the muscle had turned mostly to fat and his paunch threatened to bust loose the buttons on his fancy embroidered Western shirt.