Deadly Secrets (32 page)

“Good!” Kelly nodded and turned his attention to Cam.

The barman was antsy as a cricket on a hot griddle and Kelly figured it was time to put him out of his misery. “Why don’t you grab a couple longnecks out of the cooler and come take a load off. I want to talk to both you and Bubba and I reckon you’d appreciate an update on your own situation.”

“Coming right up.” Cam practically danced over to the cooler.

Kelly leaned back in the booth and flexed his shoulder blades. He hoped he was doing the right thing about Frank. He had an idea how to handle the situation but he’d have to see what Bubba thought.

Cam
slid into the booth and pushed a bottle across the table. “So what’s up?” He fixed his anxious brown eyes on Kelly’s face.

“Gus has talked to the DA,” Kelly’s face relaxed into a weary smile. “They’ve decided not to press the burglary charge.”

Cam
dropped his arms on the table. “You don’t know what a load that takes off me,” he said. “I’ve been heaving my guts out every time I thought about those charges.”

“I know. It’s been a rotten time for all of us but now that it’s over maybe we can get back to some semblance of normalcy.”

Cam
nodded and heaved a sigh. “So where does that leaves things with Frank?”

“I take it he talked.”

“Oh, yeah. The little weasel took the money all right.”

“How’d you manage to sweat it out of him?”

Cam
’s grin was almost back to normal. “I invited him over to the house and fed him a couple dozen beers, then I laid it on thick about how he’d set himself up for a murder charge. Before I finished, I had him bawling like a baby.”

“Was I right about his inheritance?”

“Yep. It was just like you figured. Frank was livid when he found out he wasn’t even mentioned in his sister’s will. He’d been expecting at least twenty grand. I think he’d already ordered the boat on his expectations.

“So when he overheard Anna telling me she’d put the fish camp money in her stash, it must’ve seemed made to order. He already knew her hiding place, so all he had to do was wait ’til she started in on the whiskey, then go help himself.”

“How’d he come to know about her hiding place?”

Cam
shrugged. “Snooping as usual. I guess he heard her mention it to Bubba one night and first chance he got, he snuck into her cabin and checked it out.”

“Did he tell you when he took the money?”

“Yeah, it was while I was up on the bridge with Anna. He already had the box open when he heard our voices up on the bridge. He figured we were on our way over to the cabin, so he dropped everything and hightailed it over to his boat.”

“Little bastard,” Kelly said.

“I know. I’ve already told him how much I appreciate his telling the cops about my fight with Anna. The son of a bitch was hoping they’d hang the robbery on me along with the murder.”

“Hi, guys.” Bubba strode in the door and called out a greeting. “What’s up?” he asked, after he’d shuffled over to their table.”

“You feeling okay?” Kelly slid into the booth to make room.

“Aw, sure!” Bubba reached up and touched the bandage that still covered the spot on his head where Krystal had whacked him with the board. “It’s lucky she hit me on the head though. Otherwise, she might’ve done some serious damage.”

Kelly grinned and clapped the little guy on the back. “We were just having a talk about Frank,” he said, once Bubba had settled into the booth. “Cam says he’s already told you about Frank taking Anna’s money.”

“Yeah! I’m not sure what we ought to do, though. It goes against my grain to turn anybody over to the cops—even a snake like Frank.”

“I figured as much,” Kelly said. “That’s what gave me this idea I’ve been mulling around.”

“What idea is that?”

Kelly turned his head to include Cam in the conversation.

Then, with both their attention fixed, he turned back to Bubba.

“Now that Krystal’s dead, you’ll inherit under the terms of Anna’s will, so the bulk of her estate, after a few bequests are paid off, belongs to you.”

“So does that mean I can let Frank keep his stupid boat if I want to?” Bubba asked.

“Technically, yes.” Kelly said. “He’s guilty of theft and we ought to turn him in but I’ve got an idea that might appeal to you.”

“I’m all ears.” Bubba grinned and grabbed his ear.

“Seems to me it isn’t right for Frank to get away with ripping off Anna’s money but I agree with you, jail’s not the answer,” Kelly said. “So what I’ve been thinking is how about if you tell Frank you’ll let him slide on the theft provided he donates both the boat and his services to the Indian Creek Boy Scouts.”

Cam
’s black eyes popped. Unable to contain himself, he threw back his head and laughed.

“Hot damn!” Bubba yelped. “Frank’ll be so busy with them kids, he won’t have no time left to poke his nose into other folks’ business.”

Kelly grinned. “I kinda figured you’d cotton to that one.”

“This calls for a beer,” Cam stood up. “You ready for another one, Bubba?”

“You’re damn right I am. I just wish Anna was here. She’d laugh her ass off at this plan of yours.”

“Hey!” Kelly said. “Who’s to say she’s not looking down on us right now.”

Bubba’s eyes misted with tears. “I sure do miss the old gal.”

“Let’s have a toast.” Cam set a tray of longnecks on the table and picked one up. The others did the same and all three bottles clinked mid-air. “Anna!” They shouted in unison.

The End

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jude’s Indian Creek Texas mysteries
DEADLY SECRETS
and
DEADLY BETRAYAL
have been highly acclaimed by readers and reviewers alike.

Texas Mystery Author Elizabeth Dearl
says “Welcome to the world of Indian Creek, Texas, where you'll meet some of the most amazing characters to ever grace the pages of fiction. Kelly McWinter, a retired cop who has sought out a simpler life in Indian Creek while trying to put a personal tragedy behind him. Kelly's dog, Jake, a German Shepherd who has fought some battles of his own and is still the best partner a man could ever hope for. Anna Davis, an old woman hiding from her past whose secrets come back to haunt her. Ms. Pittman writes with charm and style, drawing you into this small Texas community so vividly that you'll swear you've been there. By the time you reach the end of this incredible novel, you'll already be wanting more.”

Mystery Maven,
Marilyn Miller gave Deadly Secrets a rating of 5 out of 5 Stars.  “If you like an entertaining mystery that will confound you until the very end, Deadly Secrets
is for you. I highly recommend it and look forward to more from this talented storyteller”

Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine, Christine Speakman gave Deadly Betrayal a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5,  Ms. Speakman said, “We first met Kelly McWinter in “Deadly Secrets” a quick quirky mystery that worked.  In Deadly Betrayal Kelly McWinter is still the loyal friend and easy-going guy and Ms. Pittman is still writing stories that work.

Fallen Angel Reviews
– Deadly Secrets is a mystifying tale with several twists and turns and an ending that surprised me. This book has an old-fashioned detective story feel to it that is charming and complements the small town atmosphere ... the story had a good flow, with well fleshed out characters and I would look forward to reading more suspense from this author.

NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Thank you for purchasing and reading this BOOKS WE LOVE eBook. We hope you have enjoyed your reading experience. BOOKS WE LOVE and the author would very much appreciate you returning to the online retailer where you purchased this book and leaving a review for the author.   
Best Regards and Happy Reading, Jamie and Jude

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