Murder & Mayhem in Goose Pimple Junction (7 page)

[ 
June
2010  ]

Tess slept for only six hours before she got up, got dressed, and made a batch of muffins to take to Lou. She walked into the bookstore shortly after it opened. There were already several customers in the store plus one who followed her in. She noticed his cowboy boots right before she noticed the red Chuck Taylor sneakers on a pair of skinny, hairy legs inside the store.

The
tennis shoes belonged to the skinniest teenager Tess had ever seen. She thought,
He's so skinny he probably has to run around in the shower just to get wet.

When
they’d gone out for tea after the book reading, Lou had told her there was another part-time employee who mostly kept the shelves stocked and in order and carted around the heavy boxes for her.

He
was dressed in khaki cargo shorts and a t-shirt imprinted with the words, “I put ketchup on my ketchup.” Tess tried to suppress her smile at his t-shirt but failed. She wasn’t sure which was funnier: his name, the way he looked, or his t-shirt.

“
You must be . . . Pickle.” She’d never forget his name, that was for sure, but she’d have a hard time calling someone “Pickle,” even though Lou assured her everyone called him by his nickname.

“
Yes’m. Can I hep you?” He had a thick southern accent and a friendly smile.

“
I’m Tess Tremaine, I think we’re co-workers now. Lou hired me yesterday.”

Comprehension
rose on his face. He wiped his hands on the side of his shorts and stuck out a hand in greeting. Pickle looked to be fifteen or sixteen-years-old with blond, almost white, hair and a cowlick at the top of his head. He had big brown eyes and freckles across his nose. Tess shook his hand, thinking he was polite but shy. After an awkward silence she asked, “Is the boss around?”

Just
then, Lou came out of the office. “Tessie!” She had on the brightest yellow blouse Tess had ever seen and lime green pants. Her hair was particularly bouffant, and her rouge and lipstick were bright and freshly applied, highlighting, instead of disguising, her many wrinkles.

She
took one look at the pineapple muffins and said, “Well I’ll be. You are definitely hired, honey. What a sweet thing for you to do. Now come on back and we’ll have us a chat. Peekal, mind the register,” she called over her shoulder.

“
What’s Pickle’s real name?” Tess whispered, walking alongside of Lou.

“
His given name is Dylan.”

“
How did he get the name Pickle?”

Lou
looked up at the ceiling like she was pulling an answer from the air and finally said, “I think it was his daddy who first called him that on account a the name
Dyl
an remindin’ him of dill pickles. I think his mama liked the name Dylan, his daddy didn’t, they had a coin toss, and he lost. He never took to it, though, and started callin’ him ‘Peekal.’ I guess it just sorta stuck. He’s a hard worker, but dumber ‘n a bag of hammers, so I’d rather not leave him out there by himself for long. Let’s go over some things right quick.”

They
sat in Lou’s office discussing what Tess’s duties would be, how much time she wanted to put in at the store, and filling out paperwork. After everything was ironed out, Lou sat back. “I didn’t get a chance to ask ya last night—how’re you takin’ to the house?”

“
Oh, I love it, Lou. I absolutely love it. I love the character of the house—the arched doors, the exposed brick walls, and the hardwood floors. And I love the covered wraparound porch. The house just needs a little redecorating, which I’ll do mostly myself.”

“
Lands sake, child, tell me about it. Like I told you the other day, the people had it before you didn’t have a lick a sense. It broke my heart to see what they did to it.”

The
front bell jingled, signaling that someone had come into the store. Lou leaned back in her chair so she could peer around the corner of the office door and see out into the store. 

“
Looks like the place is fillin’ up. We best rescue Peekal. Come on, I’ll give ya a crash course on the register, and then I’m puttin’ you to work.”

They
started for the front desk. As they walked, Tess said, “I wanted to ask you about something, Lou. I’ve been stripping wallpaper off the master bedroom walls, and it's a real job. But last night I . . . “ She turned and stopped abruptly, just in time to keep from running into a customer.

“
Mornin’ Buck, hireyew?” Lou asked the man. He was a tall, nice-looking man, wearing a suit and tie and a forced smile. Tess remembered seeing him around town a few times in the weeks she had been here.

“
Oh, I’m fair to middlin’.” He looked to be in his late forties or early fifties and was studying Tess. “Mornin’, ma’am.”

“
Have you two met?” Lou looked from Tess to the mayor.

“
We’ve howdied, but we ain’t shook yet,” Buck drawled.
Tess smiled, remembering Jack introducing himself that way.
It must be the Goose Pimple equivalent of “Nice to meet you.”

“
Buck, this is Tess Tremaine, she bought the house on Walnut, and I scooped her up to hep me around this old place. Tessie, this here is Buck Lyle, our esteemed may'r.”

“
Mare?” Tess asked.

“
Ma-ar,” Lou said, trying to enunciate.

“
I’m the
may-or,”
Buck explained. “I am pleased to make your
acquaintance, ma’am. How’re you takin’ to our fair town so far?”

“
I’m glad to meet you, too. I love it here. The people, the town, and the house.”

“
The house on Walnut . . . You mean she bought your old family place, Lou?”

“
Yessiree.”

“
That old York fella that you bought it from, Miss Tess, he was two bricks shy of a full load . . . “ He looked around to see if anyone else was listening and then he added, “…and his woman was purty as a punkin, but half as smart.”

“
Oh, Buck, now hush. They ain’t around here ta defend themselves. You mind yer p’s and q’s.”

“
I know it, I know it.” He mimed zipping his lips.

“
What brings you in this mornin’, Buck?” Lou asked. “I mean, May'r.”

“
I’m on my way over to John Ed’s for a meetin’, but I thought
I’d shoot in here real quick and get a birthday present for Aunt Olivia. She likes that purty stationery you carry, and Lord knows she goes through it faster ‘n all get out. That woman writes thank you notes for her thank you notes.” He shook his head in disbelief as he headed
toward the stationery section. “Nice meetin’ ya, Ms. Tess,” he called over his
shoulder, giving her a wink.

Lou
turned to Tess. “I thought he’d never quit bumpin’ his gums. Now what was it you were sayin'?”

“
Oh. Yes. Well, last night I was peeling the wallpaper off of the
master bedroom walls, and I found a key that had fallen into the floor register. It had a label attached that said, 'trunk,' and I wondered if it might belong to your family. It's a thin, copper key, and looks pretty old.”

Lou’s
face went white underneath her bright rouge. “Ya don’t say,” she mumbled, pulling Tess behind the counter. Tess noticed she suddenly wouldn’t look her in the eye and began to shuffle papers around on the desk.

“
Seeing that it was your family's house, I thought maybe you'd have an idea of what it belonged to . . . “ Tess let her sentence taper off when she saw the strained look on Lou's face.

“
Lou, is everything all right?”

“
Huh? Oh, yeah, honey, everythin’s just fine and dandy. There was actually an old trunk in our attic that we could never find the key to. But we were able to get another one. I 'preshade you tellin' me 'bout it, but why don't you keep it? Make it yer good luck charm or sumpthin'. I’d just as soon not think about that trunk.”

* * *

Lou finished Tess’s orientation of the bookstore, and Tess worked for the rest of the day. She was so tired at five-thirty when she left the store she didn’t see Jack standing across the street.

“
Howdy, Tess Tremaine. Lou didn’t work ya too hard today, did she?” Jack broke into stride with Tess.

“
Not at all, Jack. I told you I’m not afraid of a little work. I’m just a little tired.”

“
And did you have a good first day at the bookstore?”

“
I did. Besides getting my bearings, I got quite a lesson in Southern speak. People in this town sure do use a lot of words and a lot of syllables to describe an otherwise simple notion.”

“
I think you’ll find Lou as colorful as she is kind-hearted. She’s a fixture around here. I don’t know what we’d do without her. Who else did you meet?”

“
Well, I met the mayor. He seemed nice.” Tess gave Jack a sideways glance.

“
Ah. The mayor.” Jack sounded annoyed.

“
What does that mean?”

“
Well, just ‘tween you and me… he's got the personality of a dishrag. And he’s highfalutin, on account of comin’ from a long line of Goose Pimple residents. Thinks he owns the town.”

“
Ah,” Tess mimicked.

Her
exhaustion caused them to walk at a slow pace. When they were a block away from her house she wondered why Jack was still walking with her.

“
Um . . . Jack . . . do you mind if I ask where you’re going?”

“
You mean you forgot you invited me to dinner?” he said with a straight face.

Tess
looked up at him, surprised, but Jack couldn’t hold his smile. His face gave him away. “I’m just kiddin'.” He shrugged his shoulder.
“I need some exercise. You don’t mind if I walk with you, do you?
I promise I won’t impose myself on you for dinner.”

“
I don’t think you could call the pace we’re walking ‘exercise’.”

“
Okay, I’m out for a nice early evenin’ stroll…” Jack amended,
“ . . . an amble . . . a mosey . . . a saunter. Any of those meet with your
approval?” he teased.

As
they reached 117 Walnut Avenue, a puzzled look came over her face when she looked at the front of her house.

“
What’s the matter?” he asked, when they stopped on the sidewalk.

“
The curtains.” She stared at the house, perplexed.

“
What about the curtains?” Jack followed her up the front walk, confused.

“
They’re closed. I never close those curtains.” Tess’s face was full of worry.

“
Are you sure?” Jack asked, as Tess unlocked the front door.

“
Of course I’m sure. Don’t you think I would know if I closed my curtains or not?”

“
Okay, okay, simmer down. Let me go in and look around first. Stay here on the porch.”

She
started to follow him inside, but he held up one finger and said, “Stay.”

“
I am not a dog, Jack. I can go in my own house if I want to.”

Jack
went in first, but Tess followed him, gasping when she saw the living room. Suddenly there was a noise in the kitchen, and Jack went down the hall in a flash. By the time Tess stumbled into the kitchen it was empty with the back door wide open. She looked around the room, thinking how she had left it in perfect order. Turning in a circle, rooted to one spot, she looked in horror at the destruction. Drawers were pulled out and overturned, cabinets were wide open, papers that had been stashed in a drawer were all over the floor, along with utensils, measuring cups, ice cream scoops, tea towels . . . practically everything in her kitchen was now on the floor. Jack came in through the back door, breathing hard. He bent at the waist and rested his hands just above his knees, trying to catch his breath.

“
Jack, what in the world…”

“
Tess, I saw a flash of somethin', or someone, I guess, but he got away. He's long gone into the woods now. We need to call Chief Price. He doesn’t have a large police force, but maybe they can fan out and try to catch the guy.” While he was calling the police chief, Tess went to the other rooms of the house. Every one of them was in total destruction; even the mattresses were overturned. She stood in the doorway of her bedroom in shock at what had happened to her little haven, when Jack came up behind her.

“
Is anything missin’?”

“
How would I know?” she answered faintly. “How could I possibly tell in this mess?”