1 Murder on Sugar Creek (14 page)

“Somebody’s always watching.”

Bug sniffed and directed a hard
stare toward Maggie. “What are you getting out of this?”

“Hopefully, the truth.” With Jenny
on her mind, Maggie continued, “Listen, Mr. Damron, although unfortunate, the
situation at the nursing home is water under the bridge at this point. For all
I know, the statutes of limitations have expired on those crimes. The lottery
racket is more recent, but, well, I don’t know if the authorities could make a
case out of those crimes, either. As for me, I’m most concerned about finding
out who killed Mac.”

“Well, I’ll be a son of a gun. You
know that Mullins kid. I remember it now. Him and your brother used to sell
eggs to me and my mommy. You’ve stirred up all this for him? That druggie and
murderer?”

“The police released Kevin. The
ballistic tests were inconclusive.”

“That don’t mean nothing.”

Maggie wasn’t about to debate Bug
on the subject of Kevin’s presumed guilt. “Mr. Damron, you and Mac had
participated in schemes and you were the one who found Mac’s body.”

 “What are you trying to say?”

Maggie could feel dampness forming
underneath her armpits. “Maybe you were tired of cheating innocent people out
of their winnings or maybe you wanted a bigger share or maybe you found out Mac
had something on the side that didn’t include you. Maybe you cut the feed from
the security cameras so there wouldn’t be video evidence of the murder.” Bug’s
narrowed eyes and heavy breathing conspired to frighten Maggie, who, in the
hope of calming him down, added, “Or maybe you just saw something that morning.”

“Let me tell you something, little miss.
If those people who came into the store were too dumb to read a lottery ticket,
then they deserved to lose what was never theirs to begin with. That money went
toward a boat and fishing gear and I’m just sorry I didn’t have the chance to
make more cause a boat don’t come cheap. As for the security cameras, I don’t
know what you’re talking about. Mac never even turned those cameras on. And I
did see something that morning. I saw Mac laying behind the counter with blood
oozing from his chest. He didn’t die immediately. Did you know that? He was
still gurgling when I got there. I called 9-1-1, but it was too late.” Bug’s
mouth quivered. “That’s what I saw and I don’t appreciate you suggesting otherwise.
Now go on. Get out of my house and don’t come back.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

Maggie downed two Tylenol with a
swig of water and rested her head on a kitchen cabinet. “I need a massage, but
I’ll settle for a long, luxurious bath,” she said to a captive Barnaby.

She also wanted to expunge the
day’s events from her mind, but she knew that wish wouldn’t come true. Dottie
had seemed almost happy to unload her burdens, but Bug certainly didn’t seem
content with her. She turned her back to the cabinet and faced her kitchen.

“Those could have been tears of
guilt. Not for stealing the lottery money. That obviously didn’t bother him. He
could have wanted a bigger cut that Mac wouldn’t give to him. That could be why
he became so enraged. Not because I questioned his morals, but because I spoke
the truth. And with so many lies, why should I believe he didn’t know the
cameras worked? What’s with those cameras anyway? Why weren’t they working the
day Mac was killed? But let’s not forget Corey. Dottie stole to protect him,
but would she murder someone in cold blood for him?” She bent down and
scratched Barnaby’s ears. “What do you think?”

Before Barnaby could pant, the
phone rang. It was Maggie’s mom.

“Hi, Mom.”

“Could you come over here?”

“Is something wrong?”

“No.”

“Then can it wait until tomorrow?
I’m really tired and I just want to take a bath and go to bed.”

“No, it can’t
wait.”

Maggie’s parents were waiting for
her at the kitchen table. Robert sat with his arms folded and his eyes downcast
while Lena pressed the folds of a wash cloth with her hands. The spectacle
caused Maggie to flashback to a fall evening nineteen years earlier. On that
night, she had earned their disapproval by attending a football game without
permission. As she pulled out the chair opposite Lena, she wondered what had
caused such displeasure this time.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

Lena never missed an opportunity to
behave dramatically and this was no exception. “That’s what we’d like to know.”

“Mom, could you just tell me? I’m
really tired.”

“Dottie Elswick called me.” When
Maggie let her body fall against the chair, Lena said, “No wonder you’re so
tired. I guess all that investigating you’ve been doing is wearing you out.”

“Mom, I don’t know what she said –”

“What were you thinking?” Maggie had
hoped Lena would lead the interrogation and that she could avoid Robert during
this confrontation, but his question quickly extinguished that optimism. “You
could have gotten hurt.”

“She could still get hurt.”

“I think you’re overreacting.”
Maggie squeezed one of the plastic grapes that adorned the fruit bowl. “Why did
Dottie call you?”

“Because she couldn’t get up with
you. God only knows what kind of trouble you got into when you left her.”

“I’m not in trouble.” Maggie closed
her eyes and counted to ten. “Why was she trying to reach me?”

“She wanted to make sure you didn’t
tell nobody about her grandson stealing that money.”

Maggie’s eyes flew open. “She told
you about that?”

“Eventually, she did. At first, she
asked to leave you a message. I could tell she was upset so I said, ‘Dottie are
you all right? Are you crying?’ She was crying and, after she quit, she told me
about her grandson and the lottery tickets.” Lena looked at Robert. “I was
right about that one. I told you something fishy was going on. Ain’t nobody
that lucky.”

Robert furrowed his bushy eyebrows.
“That’s in the past. I quit buying lottery tickets there a long time ago.”

Lena jutted her head toward him.
“How long ago? Was it before or after Mac got killed and they closed the
store?”

On a normal occasion, her parents’
bickering would have annoyed Maggie. But she hoped they’d concentrate on each
other and forget about her. Her hopes were once again crushed.

Lena pivoted her head in Maggie’s
direction. “The first time you talked to her, you was just pumping her for
information. Right?”

Maggie nodded.

“I don’t –” Robert shook his head.

“I was trying to help Kevin.”

“Kevin?” Lena all but screamed.
“What’s he ever done for you?”

“We’ve been over this before. He
was Mark’s friend and I think he might be innocent.”

Lena widened her eyes and pointed a
finger at Maggie. “There you have it. You think he ‘might’ be innocent.”

Robert tapped the table with his
forefinger. “Why couldn’t you let the police handle it?”

“They’re not working fast enough,”
Maggie answered. “Sure, they released Kevin. Meanwhile, they’re still trying to
pin this on him and everyone thinks he’s guilty.”

“Maybe,” Lena emphasized the word,
“he is guilty.”

“Or maybe he’s not.”

Robert’s comment caused Lena to glare at him and ask, “Whose side are you on?”

“Lena, this ain’t even about Kevin.
This is about Maggie getting involved in something that she had no business getting
involved in.”

“Who says I had no right?” Maggie
asked. “You’re the ones who taught me to stand up for what I believe in.”

“Don’t try to blame this one on
us,” Lena said.

“I’m not blaming this on anyone and
I understand your concern. That’s why I didn’t tell you.”

“If you left us in the dark, did
you think that would keep you safe?”

“No, Mom.”

“Does this have anything to do with
the night your dog left the yard?” Robert asked.

Maggie gritted her teeth. “He
didn’t leave the yard. Someone forced him out of the house and out of the yard.
And, yes, I think Barnaby’s disappearance is linked to Mac’s murder. A question
I asked or something I put in the paper struck too close to home for somebody.”

“What was that?”

Maggie held up her hands. “I don’t
know. If I could answer that question, I would know who killed Mac and
kidnapped Barnaby.”

“And you went back into that house
knowing that somebody had been there? And you kept asking questions knowing
that somebody had been in your house and took your dog? How dumb are you?”

“I’m not dumb, Mom. I had a
security system installed.”

“Does that feller you’re seeing
know about this?” Robert asked.

Maggie shifted in her chair. “No.
He knew that Barnaby was actually missing. I know what you two were thinking,
but we did not hallucinate.”

“It would have been better if you
had,” Lena said.

“What about Seth? He know about
this?”

Maggie squeezed a grape so hard it
popped off its plastic vine. “Yeah.”

“You wouldn’t tell your boyfriend,
but you told your ex-boyfriend?” Lena asked.

“No, Edie told Seth and, before you
ask, Edie and Ben know. They didn’t approve and that’s why Edie called Seth.”

“At least somebody was using her
head,” Lena said.

“Is that why Seth was out here
looking around?” Robert asked.

“Yeah.”

“I don’t know what to think,” Lena said. “Who else have you been talking to? Who else can I expect a call from?”

“Nobody else is going to call you.”

“You didn’t answer the first question.”

“I’ve talked to Bug, Carla Honaker,
Mac’s ex-wife, Rhonda, Kevin, and Sylvie Johnson.”

“Sylvie? Why her?” Lena’s voice rose with the pronunciation of each syllable. “You barely remembered her.”

“I remembered her, Mom, and you
told me about Mac stealing from his insurance clients and that Sylvie was one
of those clients. That’s why I approached her.”

“I’m going to get her,” Lena slammed a fist onto the table.

“Mom, I’m not a child. Sylvie can’t
tell me what to do and neither can you and Daddy.”

Lena’s eyes watered. “If that’s how
you feel then go ahead and do what you want. Just make your funeral
arrangements and pick out the dress you want to wear during your services.”

“Lena. There’s no need for that.” Robert
shot Lena a look of exasperation before asking Maggie, “Did Bug say he helped
Mac with that bit with the lottery tickets?”

Maggie nodded and thought to
herself, that’s not all he admitted to.

“That surprises me. Not about Mac.
I wouldn’t have put nothing by him, but I wouldn’t have expected it from Bug.”

Lena blew her nose. “I would have. I
always knew Bug and Mac were up to no good. That’s another thing I was right
about.”

“Here’s something I’m right about,”
Robert pointed a forefinger at Maggie. “Little girl, you’re staying here
tonight.”

“Really, Daddy? The only difference
between last night and tonight is that now you all know what’s going on.”

“That’s all I need to know.” Robert
extended both hands out as if he were an umpire calling a runner safe. “I’m
speaking now and I’m telling you you’re staying.”

“What about Barnaby?” Maggie was
sure this would break the deal.

“He can stay in the utility room,” Lena said. “We’ll close the door so he can’t get out.”

Maggie looked from parent to
parent. She knew better than to argue. She recognized defeat when she saw it.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Maggie bolted
upright in bed the next morning at a quarter after six. Her heart racing, she panicked
in the unfamiliar room. The sound of her dad’s voice only served to confuse her
and she wondered why he was at her house. When her mom’s kitchen radio roared
to life, Maggie relaxed and lay back in the bed she had occupied for more than
twenty years. She had forgotten that her early-bird parents rose the same time
every day, even on Saturday. She had also forgotten how loud they could be. She
rolled onto her side and pulled a pillow over her head to block out the noise.
No luck. Between the intrusive radio and her parents’ noisy conversation, she
knew there would be no more sleep for her. She threw the pillow across the bed
and said, “That’s it. If I want to return to my peaceful house, I have to solve
this murder.”

After breakfast, Maggie and Barnaby
walked the short distance between Robert and Lena’s house and their own. Maggie
was there only long enough to shower and make a phone call. Then, she dashed to
her car before her parents could see her leaving. Once she reached the mouth of
Caldonia Road, she turned right and headed toward Little Elm Fork. As she
pulled into the Mullins’ driveway, she noticed Kevin eyeing her car. He made no
move to turn off the tiller, not even when Maggie exited the car.

Failure to obtain at least nine
hours of sleep per night produced irritability in Maggie not present when she
enjoyed a full-night’s rest. Each row Kevin completed with the tiller increased
her crankiness. When he finished his chore and joined her on the porch, Maggie gave
him a piece of her ill-tempered mind.

“I’ve been sitting here for
thirteen minutes, Kevin. Don’t you think it was rude to keep me waiting?”

Kevin shrugged both shoulders. “It’s
the end of the season and Dad asked me to till the garden before the weather
turns bad.”

Maggie jumped from the swing and
peered at the sky. “There’s not a cloud in the sky. I don’t think it’s going to
blow in a storm within the next hour. You had time.”

Kevin spat a sip of water onto the
ground. “So did you. Remember, I didn’t ask you to come up here. You’re the one
that called me.”

Maggie counted to ten, but this
time, the exercise didn’t work. “You ingrate,” she yelled. “After all I’ve done
for you –”

“Ain’t nobody but Dad ever done a
thing for me,” Kevin huffed.

“I’ve been trying to clear your
name, Kevin.”

“You wrote a few articles that
praised the great Mac Honaker. Big deal. How’s that supposed to help me?”

“It’s certainly not helped me. I
had to install a security system because someone broke into my house and stole
my dog. Of course, you might already know about that. After all, Caldonia Road is just over the hill from here.”

“What are you trying to say?”

Maggie pointed to the hill. “I’m
saying it would be easy for you to hike up the hill and watch my house. You
live here. It wouldn’t raise suspicions and you hiked over to our place
hundreds of times when you were younger. You could have watched and made sure I
was gone and then lured my dog away. You could have waited in the barn until I
went looking for him and then put him back in the yard.”

“You mean somebody did that?
Somebody took your dog?”

Although Kevin seemed surprised by
her words, Maggie’s true crime stories had taught her that some people possess
a natural ability to lie without detection. “They sure did. They broke into my
house and took him.”

“And you think I would do something
like that to you?”

“Why not? You sure were mad after
the columns ran and you’ve been rude to me both times I’ve come to the cabin.”

“Both times? Oh, yeah,” Kevin leaned
against the porch railing. “I was mad at you. I thought you were just one more
person that’s disappointed me.”

“Life is full of disappointments,
Kevin. You have to learn how to deal with them.”

“You mean, deal with them without
drugs? Well, I am. I’m still clean.”

“Good.”

“Listen, I’m sorry if I was rude
the other time.”

“You were.”

“And I’m sorry for making you wait
today. What did you want to talk about?” When Maggie crossed her arms, Kevin
asked, “Is it too cold for you out here? Do you want to go inside?”

After the ordeal with Bug, Maggie
had learned her lesson about disappearing inside murder suspects’ houses. “No,
this is fine. Kevin, I need to know how you got the money to pay Ray Short.”

Kevin moved away from the railing
and toward Maggie. “How many times do I have to tell everybody? I stole weed
eaters.”

“How many times do I need to tell
you that until you come clean, the police will assume you’re guilty?” Kevin
slid down the porch post and Maggie joined him on the floor. “I’m not the
police, Kevin. You can tell me what happened.”

After what seemed like minutes to
Maggie, but was actually only seconds, Kevin said, “I got it from Dad.”

“Then why didn’t you just say so?”

Kevin frowned. “Why do you think?”

“Oh, you stole it.”

“You know, no matter what I did, no
matter how bad it got, no matter how bad I needed to get high, I swore I’d
never steal from him. And I didn’t.” Kevin crossed one foot over the other. “But
I stole some scrap metal and the guy I sold it to ripped me off. I couldn’t
exactly turn him in, so that left me broke. I had another idea for quick cash,
but that fell through, too. I knew Ray meant business. I knew he wasn’t going
to sell me no more until I came good on my debt and nobody else would give me
credit.” Kevin removed the fraying UK ball cap from his head and held it in his
hands. “That’s when I got the quarters.”

“Quarters?”

“Yeah, Dad collects quarters in
those old yellow sugar cans. They’re the ones that look like those plastic
coffee cans. He has a whole bunch of them. One day after he left for work, I
went into his closet and took one. I thought about selling the quarters to a
store for cash, but they wasn’t nobody I could trust, so I took a chance and
went to the bank. I was afraid they’d call the cops, but that boy just took the
can and came back with over two hundred and sixty dollars in cash. I thought
Dad might have counted the cans, so I put some old screws and nails in the one
I took and put it behind the others.”

Maggie remembered Mac’s scheme with
the change from the vending machines and laughed.

“What’s so funny?” Kevin asked. 

“Nothing. Isn’t keeping all that
money lying around courting danger? Anybody could break in and steal the cans.”

“I tried to tell him. I told him I
was a thief so I ought to know, but he wouldn’t listen. Dad is too trusting.”
Kevin laughed. “Or maybe he thought any self-respecting thief would think I had
already taken everything of value out of the house. I’m better than a security
system and a lot cheaper, too.”

Maggie giggled. “Won’t he
eventually notice that there are nails and screws where quarters should be?”

“Yeah, I was afraid of that, but I
hope to fix it before he finds them. I’ve got a job delivering firewood. It
ain’t nothing spectacular, but it’s a job. I should be able to put the money
back before he notices. I’m almost there.”

“Congratulations on the job, Kevin.
I had no idea.”

“You won’t tell him, will you?
About the quarters?”

“Goodness, no, but maybe you should
tell the police.”

Kevin shook his head. “Not
happening.”

“Kevin, if it represents the
difference between freedom and jail, I hope you’ll reconsider.”

Maggie heard a clock chiming in the
house, which reminded her to check the time. “I have somewhere else to be,
Kevin.”

Once they had
picked themselves off the porch, Kevin said, “Thanks for all your help. And you
have to know that I wouldn’t break in and steal your dog. That’s messed up.”

A quarter of a mile from the
Mullins cabin, Maggie pulled up behind a truck hauling a trailer out of the
hollow.

“Of course,” she clenched the
steering wheel. “It’s just like when I was a kid. Whenever we had plans to do
something fun and exciting like going to the dam for a cookout, somebody would
buy a trailer or decide to move and block the road.”

The truck needed to navigate its
way over a bridge and around a curve on the one-lane road, so Maggie shut off the
car’s ignition. Just as she had done dozens of times before, she reviewed the
details of her investigation. Yet, even after the conversation with Kevin, she
didn’t feel closer to the truth.

“Kevin gave a credible explanation
of how he got the money, but he won’t tell the police and he doesn’t want his
dad to know. Is that because he doesn’t want to disappoint him or because the
quarters never existed? And Kevin was wearing a baseball cap. Come to think of
it, he always wears a cap, but around here, so do most males, young and
otherwise. Daddy wears one and so does Bug. And what about him? Sure, Mac’s
death put an end to the lottery scam, but if he lied once, he’ll lie again and
I can’t rule him out.”

The truck inched around the bridge
and Maggie started the car and coasted a bit before coming to another stop. “What
about Rhonda? Although she didn’t outright lie, she intimated that she hadn’t
seen Mac since she left her job, but Sylvie’s friend said Mac visited her
apartment regularly. Why lie about that? Were they having an affair? Could she
have killed him during a jealous rage?” Maggie pounded the steering wheel. “Oh,
I need to talk to her. Maybe I can pop in after lunch with Luke.

“And I can’t forget Dottie. It’s a
good sign that she spilled her guts to Mom. That doesn’t sound like the actions
of a guilty woman, but then there’s Corey. He stole from Mac and, allegedly,
Dottie’s sister and he wears a ball cap.”

Just then, a jogger sprinted past
Maggie’s car. “There’s another young man in a ball cap,” she said. When the
jogger crossed the road and ran through a field to avoid the truck and trailer,
Maggie saw that it wasn’t a young man. It was Carla Honaker.