The Devil's Dwelling Page 4

  Mona and I stayed out of sight. We kept an eye on who was showing up at the scene.

  A large white four door Ford cruised past a few times. We were able to get the Texas license plate number. Tomorrow I’ll have Sheriff Reagan run it for me.

  Early morning hours came before the body was bagged and put in the coroners wagon. The deputies dispersed leaving a couple deputies around the perimeter of the yard guarding the crime scene.

  SIX

  Mona and I headed for Stan’s Diner, my usual hangout for a good breakfast. I took the paper someone had left on the counter, found a booth near the window and set down. Mona followed my moves. Connie, dressed in her uniform a starched blue skirt above her knees and a button down blue blouse with white collar turned up in the back and white cuffed sleeves above her elbows. Connie’s a tall skinny gal with freckles across her nose. She hates her job but has little one’s at home to feed. Connie left high school in her junior year to help out the folks with finances. She’s been working at Stan’s since the day she quit school. She tossed the menu on the table and poured us a cup of coffee.

  I opened the newspaper and started reading the front page. The headlines read: Murder on Main Street.

  I peeked over the top of the paper. “You want part of the paper?”

  “Sure, the sale section. You can pick it out easily since it‘s usually colorful.” Mona twisted in her seat as she reached for the paper.

  Connie came over to our booth removing a pencil poking out of her bun on the back of her head.

  “What’s it gonna be today? Tiffany, who’s your new friend?”

  “Connie this is Mona my partner.”

  Mona stretched her hand across the table to meet Connie’s outstretched hand.

  “Good to make your acquaintance.”

  “Same here.” Mona said.

  “Partner! You can’t get in enough trouble yourself you need a partner?” Connie laughed.

  “Just kidding, what’s it gonna be?”

  “I’ll have the usual.” I folded my menu and handed it to Connie.

  “What’s the usual?” Mona asked.

  “Pancakes and eggs.”

  “I’ll have the same.”

  Connie threw the kitchen towel over her shoulder and headed for the kitchen.

  “Same as usual, make it for two.” She yelled to the cook.

  “Tiffany, they are having a sale at Fredericks. I buy all my clothes at Frederick’s. When we get paid can you take me there? I could sure use some clothes. Maybe more ‘Bounty Hunter’ looking clothes.”

  “You got it. Maybe we can get a easy capture and get some cash soon.”

  “The sale will run for a week.” Mona said folding the sales section of the paper and putting it in her bag.

  We arrived at the office around ten. Peewee was pacing the floor. Linda had a stack of

  files on her desk.

  “Peewee is on the war path this morning.”

  Linda patted the stack of files. “We have this stack of files needing some attention.”

  Mona poured us each a cup of coffee. I opened the pastry box.

  “Jackpot, a jelly donut, strawberry, my favorite.” I wrapped a piece of waxed paper around it and took a napkin off the counter. Mona took a glazed donut and handed me a cup of coffee. I licked the red jelly from my fingers and pushed the door open with my butt. Mona caught the door with her stiletto heel, swung it back and stepped in the office behind me.

  Linda gathered up the files and brought them into Peewee’s office. She plopped them on

  Peewee’s desk. Turned and walked out of the room.

  I patted the stack of files. “What we got here? Anything, better than a murder?”

  “No, but your aren’t getting paid to solve a murder. You need to find Marty. Do you have any information on him?”

  “We are working on it. Don’t get in a huff. We can work on this stack of files while we look for Marty.”

  Peewee looked through the files and tossed one to me. Paper scattered on the floor.

  “I’ve told Linda to attach the paper to the file folder a dozen times. I can’t get good help for the front office.”

  I gathered the papers and put them in the folder and told Peewee I’d take care of it.

  Peewee rolled his stogie between his teeth. “Take care of Boomer. He was a ’no show’ for court over a week ago. He could be out at his place on Route 2.”

  “You got it, we’ll get right on it.”

  Boomer has been furnishing the guzzlers of the community with his white lightning for years. Mona and I headed for Boomer’s place a twenty mile drive out route 2. We left the main road and headed up the dirt road to Boomer’s old place. I’d been up here before looking for Boomer over a year ago and got run off from shot gun fire dancing at my butt. This time I took the dirt road that goes up behind the house to get a good look at the situation. I took the binoculars I bought at Goodwill from the glove box and took a look. His truck was backed up to the Still.

  “Mona, this may be the day he heads out to sell his brew. It looks like he’s carrying something out to the truck.”

  I handed Mona the binoculars. “Here use these you can get a better look.”

  “You might be right. He’s carrying out a big jug. Do they sell it in jugs?”

  “You bet they do. I’m going to drive down to the road and block his exit.”

  I put the Explorer in gear and it wouldn’t budge. I revved the engine and still nothing. Mona got out to take a look.

  “We are stuck.”

  “How can that be?”

  “Looks like a big hole filled with water from the last rain. You push and I’ll rev the engine.”

  I put the accelerator to the floor. The Explorer didn’t budge.

  Mud sprayed all over Mona. I looked in the side mirror. I caught a glimpse of Mona spitting mud and wiping her hands on her clothes. She shook her head in disgust.

  “We’ll have to get a board and wedge it in front of the tire for traction.” Mona said.

  We could hear Boomer’s old truck heading out.

  “Looks like we missed him. Since Boomer is gone let’s take a look around his place.”

  I grabbed my Glock from my bag and started down the hill. Loosing my footage I fell on my butt and slide down the hill through the brush, rocks and barbed wire Boomer had run around his property. My head hit a rock, stars were flickering and I was out cold. I came to my senses with Mona fanning me.

  “Wake up, wake up!” She was slapping my cheeks when I woke up.

  She sat me up. Everything was twirling around me.

  “Let me help you to your feet.”

  Mona pulled me to my feet. I held to her and staggered up the hill to the Explorer. She put me in the passenger side of the rig and buckled me in.

  Mona gathered brush from the area and put it under the stuck wheel of the Explorer.

  She jumped in the driver’s seat. Put her hands on the steering wheel. I could see she was in deep thought.

  “Wait a minute, isn’t this a four-wheel drive?”

  “I don’t remember Mr. Hood mentioning it.” My head was pounding I couldn’t remember anything Mr. Hood said.

  Mona checked out the dashboard and there it was a knob to turn to put it in four-wheel drive. She started the rig and turned the knob and gave it the gas. The Explorer revved it’s engine and out of the hole we came bounding across rocks and shrubs. We bounced across a ditch and landed on the dirt road heading for the main road.

  “We need to get to the main road before Boomer heads home. He would wonder what two women are doing on the dirt road to his place.”

  “Do I need to take you to the hospital?” Mona kept glancing over at me looking puzzled.

  “No, I’ve had worse hits on the head than this. Let’s get home and finished this job tomorrow.” Stars flickered in my head and I felt as if I was passing out.

  Mona got us to the apartment. She helped me out of the rig and together we stag
gered to the foyer. Mr. Sinclair was in the foyer dusting the cobwebs from the windows.

  “Tiffany, what happened to you? Here let me help you up the stairs.”

  “That’s okay Mr. Sinclair Mona can help me. I fell and hit my head on a rock.”

  “Don’t let her go to asleep. She might have a concussion.” Mr. Sinclair continued dusting as he gave instructions on how to care for a concussion.

  I looked over Mona’s muddy shoulder to see Sheriff Reagan enter the foyer.

  “What happened to you? You look like you’ve been in a fight with a pole cat.“

  “She fell down a hill and hit her head on a rock.” Mona was holding me up.

  “Mona, help me put her in the patrol car. She could have a concussion.”

  “That’s what I said.” Blurted out Mr. Sinclair. “You can’t be too careful.”

  They put me in the patrol car. Randy strapped me in the back seat and Mona was riding shotgun in her muddy clothes and mud streaked face.

  Sheriff Reagan was on the two-way talking to the dispatcher.

  “Let Conway Hospital know my ETA is five minutes.”

  “Ten four.”

  The hospital emergency room had a gurney waiting for me outside the double doors.

  Sheriff Reagan lifted me from the car and the orderlies helped place me on the gurney. I felt like a fool. All the commotion over me and I was sure I’d be fine when the jack hammer stop pounding in my head.

  They wheeled me in and sent me straight to X-rays. After a couple X-rays or so it seemed they wheeled me into another X-ray room. This time it was a big honking machine. Sorta looked like a barrel with a hole at each end. Soon I was on a board and they were slowly putting me in the barrel. I closed my eyes and that was the last I remember until I heard Momma crying. I didn’t open my eyes or speak but I could hear Momma going on and on. I wondered if I really wanted to open my eyes. I decided Momma wasn’t going to shut up, I might as well open my eyes and see what all the commotion over me is about.

  I tried to open my eyes the light was bright causing me to squint. First one eye and then the other opened.

  “Tiffany, Tiffany!” Momma grabbed me, my head shot off an array of gunfire. The dang jack hammer was pounding in my head again.

  “She’s awake, everyone she’s awake. Dad, call the nurse.”

  Dad ran to the door and called for the nurse. She came in and checked my vitals. I couldn’t believe everyone was making such a fuss over me.

  “I must have dozed off. I’m sorry for all the trouble.”

  ”You’ve been unconscious for two days.” The nurse told me.

  “What?

  “Yes, we’ve been very concerned with you. There was a lot of swelling on your brain.”

  Mona, came through the door.

  “I’m so glad you are okay. Sheriff Reagan saved your life. If he hadn’t taken you to the hospital you could have died.”

  “What, somebody tell me what happened.” I tried to set up in bed but the pounding sent me crashing back to my pillow.

  “The doctor will be here shortly and he will explain everything to you.”

  Daddy and Momma were thanking God for bringing me back. I didn’t understand the fuss. I hadn’t gone anywhere.

  The door swung open and in walked a handsome man in his forties with dark wavy hair cropped short around his ears.

  “Hello Ms. Turner, I’m Doctor Dillon.”

  I nodded feeling a little bewildered at all the excitement.

  “You have a concussion and there was swelling. You took quite a fall.

  “Yeah, down a dang mountain.” I blurted out.

  He continued talking and briefly explain my condition.

  “ I guess I’m one lucky girl. Thank you, Dr. Dillon.”

  “You do as your told and you might be out of here in a short while.” He closed my file and hung it at the end of my bed and excused himself as he pushed the swinging door open leaving the room.

  The next morning swelling had gone down and they released me. Mona loaded me in the Explorer and we headed for my apartment.

  The jack hammer left my head leaving a claw hammer to finish the job.

  Mr. Sinclair was out front when we arrived shuffling his feet toward the entrance of the apartment foyer to open the door for me.

  “I’m glad you are okay. Mona kept me informed on your condition. And I let everyone in the apartment complex know.” He held the door as we walked in and watched us walk up the stairs.

  “Thank you, Mr. Sinclair. I‘m gonna be just fine. You tell everyone I’m fine. Just a bump on the head” I called back down the stairs.

  SEVEN

  Boomer was in the back of the shack when we drove up. Mona went around one side of the shack and I took the other. With guns drawn we called him out.

  “Boomer, you come out with your hands up.” I yelled as I stretched to look inside the shack from the side window.

  “He’s not in there. He must have slipped out on us.”

  I put my finger to my lips and slowly walked around to another door motioning for Mona to follow. Mona kicked the door in and I jumped on Boomer’s back as he tried to run. We fell into a tub of moonshine, splashing around trying to get out of the galvanized wash tub. I gulped a mouthful of Boomer’s brew.

  “Not bad, in fact it’s pretty good.”

  “You’re dang right it’s good. The best in the county. Get off me!” He yelled trying to pull his butt out of the wash tub.

  Mona grabbed his left arm and pulled it to his back and then his right hand cuffing him. Boomer squirmed trying to free himself. Mona pulled his hands toward the back of his head.

  “Stop, you’re hurting me.” The squirming stopped and Mona dropped Boomer’s arms to a more comfortable position.

  “You should have shown up for court. Now you’ll have to do some jail time while you wait on getting bailed out.”

  “Tell you what girls, you let me go and I’ll give you a jug of my best brew.” He smiled knowing his offer wasn’t going to fly.

  We pulled Boomer to his feet and walked him to the Explorer. Mona opened the back door and gave Boomer a push with her boot. He flew to the other side of the rig hitting his head on the window. She dusted her hands, slammed the door shut and hopped in the shot gun position.

  We dropped Boomer off at the local jail. Got the paperwork signed and headed for the office.

  We walked past Linda powdering her nose as we headed straight to Peewee’s office.

  “Tiffany, I’m glad you are okay and back to work. These ‘no shows’ are stacking up and Peewee drives me crazy with his pacing.”

  “Thanks Linda. I’m fine.” I backed up to the door and pushed it open with my butt. Mona caught it and held it open and walked through.

  I pitched the file on Peewee’s desk.

  “We’ll expect a check tomorrow morning.”

  “Good work ladies. Your check will be ready first thing tomorrow. Mona you feeling alright? I‘d a visited but I don‘t like hospitals and they said you were sleeping anyway.”

  “Don’t give it a second thought. I wouldn’t have been good company.”

  We headed out the door heading for Maxine’s place.

  My phone rang. Caller ID, it was Momma.

  “You feeling good?”

  “I’m just fine Momma, feeling good, really good.”

  “Tomorrow night is BUNKO and Peggy is wondering if you can substitute. Seems Luanne can’t make it.”

  “Sure Momma, you want me to pick you up?”

  “That would be nice. I’m bringing the dessert. I hate it when Melba brings the dessert. She brings stale cookies from the day old bakery and tells the ladies she baked them herself. She such a fibber. I‘ve a mind to set her straight.”

  ‘Momma, now don’t you go getting self righteous. I’ll pick you up at seven tomorrow.”

  “You don’t be late picking me up. I don’t wanna walk in late. I’ll have to set by the Baker twins and you know how they dr
ive me crazy with their spats.”

  Della and Bella are fifty year old identical twins. They both carry the ole’ maid title. You can tell them apart by the wart on the side of Bella’s nose. I don’t know why she doesn’t get that disgusting thing cut off. She suffers from asthma and when she breaths deep her nostrils flare out and the wart stands to attention.

  The caution tape was still around Maxine’s Massage Parlor. I stopped the Explorer and asked the deputy what happened. He said some woman was murdered a few days ago.

  “Was it Maxine Martin?”

  “I don’t know. The Sheriff should have the information on the victim soon.”

  I got on the phone pushed number one. Sheriff Randy Reagan answered the phone.

  “Tiffany, what are you doing out and about?”

  “How’d you know I’m out?”

  “I have my snoops. Just kidding I’m pulling up behind you right now.”

  I jumped out of the Explorer heading back to Randy’s patrol car.

  “Do you have the murder victims identity?” I asked looking into the SUV.

  “We’re waiting for the DNA to come back since we can’t find Marty to identify the body. He’s good at eluding us.”

  “Yeah, he failed to appear in court and we are on the look out for him, too.”

  The white sedan drove by the massage parlor. I didn’t want to let them get away but didn‘t know how to get away from Sheriff Randy without him being suspicious.

  Mona jumped behind the wheel of the Explorer and yelled to me.

  “Tiffany, I forgot I have an appointment and need to be there in just a few minutes.”

  “Randy, I’ll talk to your later. I’m her wheels for now.” I put my foot on the running board and pulled myself into the Explorer.

  As soon as Mona got around the corner she put the pedal to the metal. In an effort to catch up with the white sedan. The sedan drove out of town heading toward Russellville. They took a quick sharp right turn.