Sintown Chronicles I: Behind Closed Doors (51 page)

“I prefer to stand, and we are not all friends here.” She tried to wet her lips but her tongue was too dry to help. She eyed Jan as she moved around the desk towards her. “Rita, I like you. I like you a lot. Hell, I love you, damn it.” She knew Jan was now behind her. “You offered me a job with an office right beside yours and I accepted it. I was excited. It was the best thing that ever happened to me. Then your lover showed up and turned everything around."

Jan pressed her body against Betty's back, reached around and firmly grasped Betty's breasts while licking the nape of her neck.

“I'm
your
lover too, now,” she cooed.

Betty's knees buckled, her mind stalled, but she jerked away from Jan's grasp and fired an open palm at Jan's unprotected cheek.

“Keep your fucking hands off of me, bitch,” Betty screeched.

A male voice interrupted. “Excuse us, ladies. There was nobody in the outer office. My name is Detective Brownstone and this is Detective Johansson.” Both men displayed their badges.

“What the hell do you want?” Jan spat out. “Can't you see we're having a private meeting."

Expressionless, Detective Brownstone looked at Jan and said, “Mrs. Holder, we have reason to believe that your husband's death may not have been an accident. We'd like for you to come with us to the station and answer a few questions."

“That's Mrs. Holder,” Jan said jerking her head towards Rita.

“Oh?” replied the detective. He studied Rita's cotton white face and returned his eyes to Jan. “And you are..."

“My name is Janine Patrick. I am Mrs. Holder's administrative assistant."

Detective Johansson studied the unfolded artist's drawing he had removed from his jacket pocket. “Mrs. Holder,” he said as he approached Rita with hand extended, “I'm Dick Johansson."

Rita stood to shake his hand.

“Damn,” he said under his breath when he saw how short she was.

“Ms Patrick,” said Brownstone, “I think you better come with us too."

“I'm not going anywhere,” Jan erupted, backing towards the office door.

The detective grabbed her arm and pulled it behind her. “In that case,” he said snapping on handcuffs, “you are under arrest for the murders of Max Holder and his pilot, Ralph Kennedy. You have the right..."

Rita fainted.

“The FAA investigation found that someone tampered with the plane,” Betty explained to Bo as they ate a Kentucky Fried Chicken picnic in the shade of the huge walnut tree behind the doublewide. “They quickly zeroed in on a mechanic who admitted being hired by a woman to do it. The Charlotte police guessed the woman was Rita, since she inherited the business and was the beneficiary of his life insurance policy, but they had a full description and artists’ drawing of the suspect. When Rita stood up and they saw how short she is, they knew immediately it couldn't have been her."

“You went to the police station with them?"

“Yes, but they didn't keep Rita long. I took her to her new home and tried to comfort her."

“I'll bet you did,” Bo said, visualizing Rita's delicious body.

“That's all I did. It was hardly the time for sex."

“What happened to Jan?"

“They put her in jail, but Bo, I don't think she did it."

“I told you last night that she practically confessed to me at Dot's Diner. Why do you think she's innocent?"

“Because even though she's the right height, she doesn't look anything like the woman in the artist's drawing."

Bo stuffed half a biscuit into his mouth. “How did Rita take it? Was she pretty broken up?” he mumbled with his mouth full.

“No, she wasn't. She was surprised and shocked, of course, but she didn't seem to be extremely distressed after we left the police station. I think the fact that Max was murdered caused her initial reaction."

“Maybe it just hasn't hit her yet."

“Maybe. Now that I think about it, she actually seemed relieved that Jan was behind bars. Isn't that strange?"

Just as they settled into bed, the telephone rang.

“Who would be calling at this hour?” Betty wondered aloud as Bo picked up the receiver.

“Bo, is that you?"

“Hello, Rita. Betty told me about..."

She cut him short. “I think I may love you too—you
and
Betty. Jan had a hold over all of us, but I think Betty broke it today. However, Jan did have one good idea. Please let your hair grow out, and grow a beard. Now let me speak to Betty."

Bo rubbed the stubble on his chin and grinned as he passed the instrument to his wife.

Big Willie chewed furiously on his unlit cigar, rolling it from side to side in his mouth as he paced the room. He was not comfortable with the way Louise took command. She was on the telephone calling Sarasue. He did not like being a passive eavesdropper.

“Sarasue, this is Louise Donaldson, Big Willie's wife. Are you still expecting Big Willie to help you?"

What was Sarasue's reaction? Big Willie wondered and he said, loud enough for both Louise and Sarasue to hear, “I'm gonna listen in on the extension phone.” He went to the bedroom and lifted the receiver.

“Yes, Sarasue, I know about the game you and Willie were playing on the Internet. I have read your messages and his. Willie has also told me about the problem you have run into. You can say it's none of my business if you want to, but girl, I'm making it my business. You can listen to what I have to say or go to hell. Frankly, I don't care which choice you make."

“Mrs. Donaldson, you caught me by surprise. I didn't have any idea that Big Willie would ... you know ... bring you into this. Yes, I need help and I am listening."

“Willie told you that he might be making a move. Well, he has made his decision. He has taken a job as the course superintendent for a new golf complex in the little community of Dot, just northeast of Charlotte. We'll be moving there next week. The house we have bought is a dream come true and is fully wheelchair compatible. I'm not going to need much help personally, but I do plan to go to work after we get settled in, so I suppose we could use a housekeeper."

“Thank you, Mrs. Donaldson. I really appreciate it."

“Please call me Louise, and you have nothing to thank me for yet. I didn't offer you a job. I just mentioned it as one possibility. I found two job listings in the classified section of the
Dot Courier
that may interest you. One is for a housekeeper and babysitter for a woman named Rita Holder who runs an advertising agency. The other ad is for a waitress at Dot's Diner."

“Louise, I don't know anything about the restaurant job, but I'm a good housekeeper."

“Dot's Diner is, at present, the only restaurant in town. Willie and I ate there several times and we talked with the owner about the job. She is willing to train you. You would be working nights. She used to close her diner at five o'clock, but the town's population is growing so fast that there is now a demand that she stay open later. That's why she needs more help."

“Wouldn't it make more sense for me to work for you since I will be staying with you and Big Willie?"

“Girl, I didn't say anything about you staying with us. There is no way I will have you living in my house. There are four efficiency apartments for rent on the third floor of the Dollar Building down there. The agent rented the furnished apartment the day we spoke with him, but the unfurnished are still available. The building is right next to Dot's Diner."

“I have furniture, of course. How big are these apartments?"

“Not large at all. They have a nice sized combination living room, dining room and kitchen, one small bedroom, a larger bedroom and one full bath."

“I ... I guess you should go ahead and rent one of the apartments for me and tell the woman at the diner I'll take the job."

“What's wrong with you, woman? I didn't take you to raise. Get off that self-pity bus and truck on down to Dot and look after these things yourself."

“How do I get there. I mean, I have a car, but I need directions."

“Big Willie will e-mail you the directions in a few minutes. There's one other thing. If you still have any interest in working for us, I want to meet you at my home in Winston tomorrow at noon. You can make it your first stop on your way to Dot. Do you have any questions?"

“I ... I can't think of anything, except I will need directions to your house in Winston also. I'll see you tomorrow, Louise, and I do thank you. I know this has been hard on you."

Big Willie returned to the den. “I can't be here tomorrow to meet her. It's my last week, but I do still work at Tanglewood you know. And what's this about you working after we move to Dot?"

“You don't need to be here to meet with Sarasue, but because it is your last week at Tanglewood, you can do anything you want. What are they going to do, fire you?"

He laughed with her. “Okay, but what's this about you working?"

“You're not as smart as I am, Big Willie. You don't know how to read deleted e-mail messages."

“Maybe I'm just not as big a snoop as you are,” he grinned, depositing the remainder of the well-chewed cigar in the trashcan.

“I've been carrying on a little affair by e-mail myself with Matt Dilson. For about a year now he's been confined to a wheelchair. He used to be the sheriff of Mecklenburg County and was severely injured in an automobile accident. He says everybody will feel sorry for me, but not all the sympathy in the world will help. Matt is the one who advised me to find a job, and he even offered me one."

“Matt's a nice guy. He's one of the first people from Dot I met and will be my boss. What will you be doing in this job he offered you?"

“What was I doing when you met me in Pinehurst?"

“You were grilling burgers at the clubhouse snack shop."

“They have a clubhouse snack bar in Dot, too. Only this time I'll be running the joint,” she said with a big smile on her face.

Willie smiled back at her, but then looked perplexed. “How are you going to go to the bathroom and stuff?"

“Well, first I slip down my panties, then I sit on the commode..."

“That's not what I meant and you know it."

They both laughed. “It's a totally new facility down there, Willie. Everything is handicapped accessible, including the toilets."

“I hate to bother you on your last day at Tanglewood, Betty."

“Hello, Rita,” Betty said as she cradled the telephone between her shoulder and cheek. “Boy, we've been busy this morning. I think half of the people in Winston-Salem decided to come to the park today.” Betty shifted the telephone from one ear to the other and made change for a customer.

“I won't take but a minute of your time. Are you and Bo still planning to move to Dot tomorrow?"

“We're both excited about it. Well, at least I am. I have just a little more packing to do. It sure makes things easier by not owning any furniture."

“Betty, a couple of things have come up that I think I should tell you. First, I hired a housekeeper yesterday. The lady's name is Sarasue Anderson. She knows Bo's boss, Big Willie."

“Hey, that's great, Rita."

“Yeah, but you're not going to like the rest of my news. Jan is back."

“Oh, God, Rita. This screws everything up."

“Not if we stick together."

“What happened?"

“The police couldn't hold her. She says she is innocent. They put her in a lineup with other tall women, and the mechanic couldn't pick her out. The police now think the guy made the whole thing up, including his description of the tall woman. They are now checking into the possibility that the guy's wife and Max were having an affair and the mechanic was getting even."

“You gave Jan her job back, didn't you?"

“No, I didn't."

“What?"

“When you stood up to her the other day, it gave me courage. I told Jan I was happy that she was not guilty of murdering Max, but that it was over between us—that I am not going to let her control my life any longer."

“How'd she take it?"

“She raised holy hell,” Rita laughed. “But I stuck to my resolve. In fact, I was proud of myself. I felt like I regained control of my life. I have you—and Bo—to thank for that."

“Maybe she'll go back to Charlotte, or wherever she came from, and get out of our lives forever."

“I wish, but that isn't what she did. She took a job as a waitress at Dot's Diner and rented one of the efficiency apartments. She'll be your neighbor. Betty, if we stick together she can't hurt us. I know Bo will help us. He was the first to stand up to her."

“Oh, God. I dread telling Bo about this. He hates her with a passion. The truth is, he is afraid of her and doesn't trust himself around her."

“Betty, there's more good news. The men are painting your office right now. I ordered the furniture we agreed on and Office Depot is delivering it tomorrow."

“The thing about Jan took the wind out of my sail, Rita, but you just put it back. I can't wait to see what the office looks like."

“Willie, I can't bear to watch,” Louise said, her eyes beginning to water."

“Now honey,” he replied, patting her hand. “We hired the best movers available. They're working fast but they're being careful."

“They're going to break every piece of my china,” she complained. “Why do I have to be in this wheelchair? I should have at least packed the china myself."

“Take it easy, Sweetie. If they break anything, we'll replace it with their money. They're insured."

“We can't replace the china. That pattern hasn't been made in years."

“Hey,” he shouted at one of the workers. “Keep your hands off my computer. I'll take care of that myself. Damn, how many times do I have to tell you guys?"

“Take it easy, Willie, you old hypocrite,” she mocked. “If they break it we can replace it with their money. They're insured."

“Maybe we'd better get out of here,” he grumbled. “If we leave now, we'll arrive in Dot just in time to get one of those scrumptious country style steak lunches at Dot's Diner."

“That's just what you need,” she grinned, patting his protruding stomach, “a quart of thick milk gravy spread over steak and mashed potatoes. But we can't leave until the movers do, Willie. We need to lock everything up."