Hell hath no cookie, p.8
Hell Hath No Cookie, page 8
Rita felt her heart break. “Rhonda, I’m not far from your location. I can be to you within the next hour, okay?”
“I would like that very much,” Rhonda promised Rita. “I know Abigail would enjoy more company. She’s a lonely woman.” Rhonda wiped her tear away. “Before you leave Appleton, maybe you can snoop around and see what came of Hoyt Alton? Maybe the rat is still around. The SUV he was driving sure took a deep nosedive into that flooded ditch.”
Rita looked up at the bright Krispy Creme sign and watched the light radiating off the sign drift into the cold rain. “Maybe—”
“Or maybe you can pretend to be me?” Rhonda asked as a quick idea struck her mind. “Call Chief Mayberry, pretend to be me, and ask a few sensible questions. If you strike out, call Sheriff Polar.”
Rita spotted Billy exiting the Krispy Creme building carrying more than just a couple of lemon donuts. It looked as if he were carrying enough donuts to feed an army. “Oh my,” she gasped.
“What?” Rhonda asked.
“Here comes Billy with…donuts…lots and lots of donuts from the looks of it,” Rita explained.
Billy hurried to his truck, pulled open the driver’s side door, and smiled at Rita. “They had a special going on,” he declared, nearly bouncing out of his boots. “If I buy a dozen donuts, I get a dozen free. All I had to do was sign up for what’s called a rewards something-or-other. Real nice little gal helped me sign up.”
“Billy…there are…” Rita counted the boxes Billy was holding. “Four dozen donuts?”
“Why sure.” Billy beamed and handed Rita all the donuts. “A fella would be silly to pass up a good offer. Besides, that nice little gal gave Chester here a dozen lemon donuts…wasn’t supposed to, though,” Billy snickered. He jumped into the truck and patted Chester’s head. “Now you cheer up, you hear?” Chester lifted his head and looked at Billy with his droopy eyes. “Oh…grump.”
Rita rolled her eyes. “Tell Abigail that we’re bringing dessert, Rhonda.”
Rhonda closed her eyes. She wanted to smile at Billy’s silliness but felt her heart breaking. What if Zach did leave Clovedale Falls? So much for love. “I’ll tell her,” she promised, putting on a brave voice. “In the meantime, see if you can find out anything about Hoyt Alton.”
“I will,” Rita assured her sister, looking at Billy staring at the boxes of donuts with hungry, happy eyes. “Uh…what kind of donuts did you get?” she dared to ask.
“All different sorts,” Billy replied. “Fresh and hot, too.”
Rita grinned. Billy sure was something. “Rhonda, I’ll check around and see what I can dig up. I’ll call you when Billy and I leave Appleton.”
“Rita?”
“Yes?”
“I’m glad you and Billy got turned around. It’ll be nice to drive to Grayston together,” Rhonda said. “Now that we have more answers, maybe it’s better that way, too.”
“You bet it is,” Rita promised Rhonda, reading her sister’s voice. “Keep your chin up, okay? Everything will work out, you’ll see.”
“Sure, sis.” Rhonda sighed, said goodbye, and walked back into the living room. Zach offered her a gentle smile but didn’t say a word. Rhonda didn’t say a word, either.
Billy thought Sheriff Polar was a nut. Now, for Billy to admit something like that was rare. He always attempted to find the good in folks—look deep inside and pull out a likeable music chord. Sheriff Polar didn’t have a likable musical chord. “You seem to have a lot of friends, Ms. Knight,” he said, assuming Rita was Rhonda. “Where is your other friend?”
“Oh, he’s around,” Rita said, forcing her voice to sound pleasant. She quickly walked her eyes around the same Chick-fil-A Rhonda and Zach had eaten at earlier. The restaurant was empty except for a fat sheriff who had a hankering for a late-night snack. Rita was a little shocked when she and Billy had decided to grab a bite to eat at the restaurant before it closed and found the sheriff sitting at a back table feeding his face. “This is my friend Billy Northfield.”
Sheriff Polar studied Billy. Billy studied him back. Two dogs—one a grand German Shepherd and the other a mangy mutt—staring each other down. Sheriff Polar looked away first. “What brings you back to my county?”
“A black SUV,” Rita explained and asked if she could sit down. Sheriff Polar nodded his head, as if allowing Rita to sit with him was a real treat. Billy remained standing. “A black SUV nearly ran me off the road when I left town. If I’m not mistaken, the SUV ran—”
“Chuck Wallard pulled a black SUV out of a flooded ditch earlier,” Sheriff Polar rudely interrupted Rita. He grabbed a handful of waffle fries, gobbled the fries down, and then went for a coffee. “Fella who owned the SUV wasn’t hurt, and Chuck helped him get on his way.”
Rita glanced up at Billy, who rolled his eyes. “I’ll go order us some food before this here place closes up,” he said and wandered off before he punched Sheriff Polar in the nose.
“Sheriff,” Rita said, “the black SUV was a vehicle in question. Why didn’t you—”
“Chuck Wallard didn’t report the incident to me until later,” Sheriff Polar informed Rita and waved a dismissive hand at her. “Chuck said the driver checked out, and that’s good enough for me.” Sheriff Polar took some coffee down like he was a king. “I can’t go around pulling over every black SUV in the county, Ms. Knight. I’m a lawman, not a car dealer.”
“You’re a jerk,” Rita popped out before she could control her mouth.
“What did you say?” Sheriff Polar asked, slowly lowering his coffee. He stared at Rita with ratty eyes. “Did you call me a jerk?”
“I sure did,” Rita snapped. “You should have investigated the driver.” Rita stood up. “What more can I expect from…the likes of you?”
“Now just a minute—”
“Oh, go shove it in your ear,” Rita growled and walked up to the front counter. Sheriff Polar stared after Rita with furious eyes, but what could he do? That wasn’t the first time a woman had called him a jerk, and it wouldn’t be the last. So he made a childish face at her, grabbed his coffee, and walked out into the cold rain like a pouting rat. “What an idiot,” Rita complained to Billy.
Billy nodded. “Yep.”
A tall, thin teenager who worked the closing shift also nodded. “My dad can’t stand that guy,” he said in a low voice. “Most people in Appleton can’t stand him.” The teenager shook his head. “This is a small town, and if you’re connected to a well-known family, you have it made.”
“That’s the problem with small towns, young fella,” Billy said. He removed his baseball cap, rubbed his forehead, and then glanced up at the menu. “I think I’ll have…that there chicken strip meal…make that two. And before you go to asking, I’ll exchange my drink for a coffee if that’s okay?”
The teenager smiled. He could tell Billy was really cool. “We’re closing in ten minutes,” he said, keeping his voice low. “There’s still a lot of coffee left. New guy messed up and made a fresh pot right before you walked in. I’ll give you all the coffee you can take.”
“Well, ain’t that mighty nice.” Billy beamed at the kid and then smiled at Rita like a proud rooster. “All the coffee I want…bunches of donuts. Except for that sheriff, this is a pretty nice little town with some mighty fine people in it.”
Rita couldn’t help but smile. “I’ll have a chicken sandwich meal with a coffee, please.”
The teenager lowered his head and motioned for Billy to lean over. Billy looked around to make sure no watching eyes were looking and then leaned down to participate in a private meeting. “We have plenty of good food left. New guy…he seems to think that we need to cook for an army right before closing. The morning manager will fuss up a storm if he finds out. Do me a favor and take the food off my hands, okay…just pay for two meals and take the rest of the food for free.”
“How much food are we talking about, son?” Billy whispered.
“About ten sandwiches, a mountain of chicken strips and nuggets…load of fries…and some soup.” The teenager leaned closer to Billy. “The new guy is my cousin. I don’t want him to get into trouble.”
“Yeah, I see your problem,” Billy whispered and rubbed his chin. “Can I have some extra sauces?”
“All you want.”
Billy discreetly lifted his eyes and nodded. “Bag up the food,” he whispered. “While you’re doing that, I’ll be right back.” Billy hurried out into the rain, leaving Rita confused, and returned a few minutes later with three dozen donuts—leaving Chester’s lemon donuts in his truck, of course. The teenager spotted Billy and walked over to him. “Even trade,” Billy said with a smile and handed the kid all the donuts. “You and your friends have some donuts…on the house.”
The teenager grinned. “Buy a dozen get a dozen free?” he asked Billy. Billy proudly nodded his head. “My friend Paula works at Krispy Creme. She could sell dirt to a worm.”
“Well…donuts taste better than dirt,” Billy chuckled and slapped the kid on his arm. “Now, how about that food, huh? My stomach sure is growling.”
The teenager grinned at Billy. The man sure was cool. Most adults Billy’s age were duds—people who acted like kids his age were stupid. But Billy was different. Billy treated decent people like they wanted to be treated, and that meant something. “Food is almost ready.”
“That’s my boy.” Billy smiled, rubbed his hands together, and looked into Rita’s confused face. “Food is almost ready,” he said in an excited voice.
“Should I even ask?” Rita asked Billy and pointed at the donuts.
“Just a little trading is all.” Billy grinned.
“Just a little trading is all?” Rita asked and sighed. “I need to use the little girls’ room. I’ll be right back.” Rita wandered off to the bathroom and called Rhonda. “We’re at the Chick-fil-A. Sheriff Polar was present.”
Rhonda took a sip of delicious coffee and smiled at Abigail as the woman left the dining room. “And?”
“A man named Chuck Wallard pulled Hoyt Alton’s SUV out of the flooded ditch.”
“Uh-oh,” Rhonda groaned, not liking the tone in Rita’s voice.
“You said it,” Rita replied in a disgusted voice. “Hoyt Alton was sent on his merry little way. I’m sure the guy is in Grayston by now.”
“Or maybe hiding out in Abigail’s little town?” Rhonda suggested. “He could have seen Wilbur hauling my car into town and decided to investigate.” Rhonda glanced at Zach’s empty chair. Zach had decided he needed to use the bathroom. The dining room was empty. “I’ll have Abigail call her cousin and do some checking.”
Rita leaned back against the bathroom wall. “That might be a good idea,” she said and then let a sweet giggle leave her mouth. “Billy is out front preparing to take a mountain of leftover food back to his truck. He’s so silly.”
Rhonda kept her eyes on Zach’s empty chair. “I wish I could say the same for Zach,” she sighed. “Any word from Brad yet about Aunt Lula’s financial records?”
“Not yet.” Rita leaned up, walked over to the bathroom sink, and looked into the mirror. She looked very beautiful with her hair in a ponytail—yet, she felt a little older than normal. “Sometimes I miss being twenty-one.”
“Sometimes?”
“All the time,” Rita confessed and checked her lovely eyes. “When I was twenty-one, I could run for twenty-four hours without blinking an eye. Now I’m ready for bed after the ten o’clock news. Billy doesn’t seem to be that way. Right now, he seems as chippy as mourning dove.”
“Billy is the exception,” Rhonda informed Rita, feeling ready for some sleep herself. The heavy falling rain wasn’t helping. “Are you still driving my way tonight?”
“If it’s okay, I think I’ll reserve a hotel room, sis,” Rita told Rhonda. “I want a hot shower more than I want sleep right now. Besides, it is late and I’m sure your friend will be ready for bed soon. Also—”
“Just in case Hoyt Alton is around, you don’t want to put all your eggs into one basket, right?”
“Well, we didn’t exactly handle the murder case at the Clovedale Falls Retirement Home like a couple of professionals. And don’t get me started on Vermont…what a circus that was. We have a chance to handle this case with professional gloves on and I don’t want to mess up.”
Rhonda took a sip of her coffee. “Oh, we didn’t do so bad, sis,” she said. “The Clovedale Falls Retirement Home Case wasn’t…well, we came out eating green grass instead of weeds. And Vermont…so what if we tried to break the rules and help save a little town? We still came out okay…kinda…”
“We always come out kinda okay,” Rita pointed out and then shook her head. “Murder is never nice and neat…so I suppose ‘kinda’ coming out okay is better than coming out dead.”
“Yep,” Rhonda agreed. She grew silent for a few seconds. “I’m worried about Zach.”
“Worried he might leave Clovedale Falls?”
“Yes,” Rhonda admitted, feeling her heart break again. “Maybe Zach and I aren’t meant to ever become a couple? I mean, he was the type of lawyer you and I would have slugged. We come from two different worlds.”
“People change, Rhonda,” Rita pointed out. “It seems to me—and Billy—that Zach is a decent man. After all, he did stay with you at the hospital in Kansas after you fell out of the back of that truck.”
“I know there’s goodness in Zach,” Rhonda told Rita, “but there’s also a lot…a whole lot…of pride that’s wanting to jump back in the fast lane. Zach has a lot to prove, Rita.”
“Zach has a lot to prove to Zach,” Rita pointed out. “Failing isn’t part of Zach’s vocabulary. Zach is the type of man who has to be in control.”
“And he’s lost control of his life.” Rhonda put down her coffee. “Maybe that’s what he needs, too.”
“What do you mean?”
“Zach needs to lose control in order to rebuild his life the right way,” Rhonda explained. “Of course, I don’t think he’ll ever understand that. I don’t think the guy will ever get it through his mind that letting go in order to start all over again isn’t such a bad thing. That’s what we did, sis. We retired from the force, moved to Clovedale Falls, and opened a bakery. And look at us? We’re happy.”
“Are you saying Zach doesn’t know how to be happy?”
“I’m saying Zach is a dog that still wants to growl at his ex-wife for putting a knife in his back. Until he takes that knife away and gets back on his horse, he’ll never be happy.” Rhonda sighed. “I guess I can’t blame the guy for being bitter.”
“No, I guess you can’t,” Rita agreed. “Rhonda, there comes a point, though, when a person has to let go and rebuild. If Zach isn’t willing to take those steps, maybe…he isn’t the guy for you.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Rhonda said and fought back a single tear. “I care for Zach, Rita, I really do. But it does seem like he’s a world apart from where I want…and need…to be.” Rhonda opened her eyes and studied the empty dining room. “Well, back to business. Drive my way when you open your eyes for some coffee tomorrow.”
“I’ll meet up with you at Abigail’s,” Rita promised. “Are you going to be okay tonight?”
“Oh sure…love comes and love goes for this gal,” Rhonda said, putting on a brave face. “And who knows, maybe Mr. Right might float into Clovedale Falls someday and sweep me off my feet. A girl can dream.”
“I wish you didn’t have to dream,” Rita told her sister, feeling her own heart break. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay…bright and early.”
“Bright and early,” Rhonda said and forced a smile to her face. “Night, sis.”
“Good night.” Rita ended the call and left the bathroom just in time to see Billy hauling three gigantic bags full of food out to his truck. His friend the teenager was walking behind him balancing three drink carriers holding hot coffee. “I don’t think I’ll be hungry,” Rita sighed as she stepped outside.
As Rita walked out into the rain, Rhonda took a sip of her coffee and looked around the dining room again. “Sure is—” she began to whisper but stopped when Zach appeared. “Oh, hello,” she said.
Zach put a finger over his mouth. “Max is sitting next to the front door with his fur up…someone is outside.” Rhonda bent down, took her gun out of the ankle holster, and eased into the living room with Zach. Sure enough, Max was standing next to the front door with his fur standing straight up. “Look at him sniffing around,” Zach whispered.
Rhonda studied Max’s behavior. “Go cover the back door,” she whispered to Zach. “Keep Abigail in the living room.”
“What are you going to do?” Zach whispered back.
Rhonda studied Max even more. “I’m going to open the front door and let Max have a field day,” she explained. “I’ll be right behind him. Who knows, maybe we might catch us a killer tonight.”
Zach stared at Rhonda. He wasn’t keen on the idea of letting the woman run out into the dark rain alone. After all, he was falling deeply in love and didn’t want to lose the woman he hoped to marry someday. Of course, Rhonda wasn’t aware of Zach’s feelings. “I’m going out with you.”
Rhonda looked at Zach and saw something in the man’s eyes that terrified her. “Okay, cowboy.” She smiled, drew in a deep breath, and opened the front door.
Chapter Six
Rhonda crept out onto the front porch and studied the dark rain with her gun at the ready. As she did, Max took off through the front door like a bolt of lightning and charged off into the darkness like a raging army tank.
“Let’s go!” Rhonda stormed off after Max, nearly slipping on the front porch steps and tumbling down into a mud puddle. Zach caught her arm at the last second. “Whew…thanks,” Rhonda gasped as the cold rain struck her face. She threw her eyes around and listened for Max. “He’s over there! Come on!” Rhonda burst off toward the side of the farmhouse, turned the corner, and spotted a wet barn standing like a shadowy silhouette in the distance. Max was at the barn barking up a storm. “Let’s go!”
