TEN

The diner was actually really cute. Just like the rest of the shops in Normal, it was cozy and very southern, small townish. It was shot-gun style with a long counter down one side with the kitchen and working guts behind it and a row of red-sparkly leather booths along the other side that butted up to a long row of windows.

The smell of grease, bacon, beef, and cinnamon filled the air along with the sounds of chatter and utensils hitting the plates. I looked around and the only seat not taken was at the counter. It just so happened to be located right in front of a pie stand.

 I stepped up on the platform where all the single chairs along the counter were bolted down and slid up on the red-sparkly leather which was the same sparkly leather on the benches. I swiveled the chair seat around with my hands folded on top of the counter.

“Hiya.” Trudy Bull was standing in front of me with an apron tied around her waist, a pen stuck behind her ear. The diner logo, a coffee cup with steam curling out the top, was embroidered on the front. “What do you want to eat?” She tapped the top of the pie stand with her pen. “Or you can go straight for a slice of apple pie. Best around.”

Now it made sense why Queenie told Trudy people didn’t want to smell mildew while she was serving food.

“First, tell me what’s good?” I asked and plucked a menu from between the salt and pepper shakers.

“Everything. Now.” She leaned over and whispered, “I wouldn’t have said that about six months ago because our head chef wasn’t here then, but now.” She put her lips together and kissed the tips of her fingers in an Italian sort of way. “The new chef makes the grease taste good.”

“I’ll have whatever you think is good.” I picked up the menu and put it back where I’d found it. “What happened six months ago?”

“The chef’s dad, who was the chef and owner,” she flip flopped her hand. “had a heart attack. Apparently, it was about that guy they found in the lake over at the trailer park.”

“RV Park,” I corrected her. “I live there. It’s RVs and campers.” She gave me an odd look. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you there.”

“It’s because you haven’t, Trudy.” Ty Randal appeared in the window between the diner and the kitchen. “She’s the new owner of Happy Trails. Or should I say the owner all along.”

“The own…ooooooo,” her lips formed a dramatic O. “You mean that you’re Mae West.”

“And how did you hear about me?” I asked. “As far as I know, I’m just the nice lady that helped you figure out the dryers at The Laundry Club.”

She smiled but it quickly faded when Ty hit the dingy bell.

“Table six up!” He yelled extra loud. The entire diner fell silent.

“I knew I was going to like you when I heard your name.” She winked. “One order of campfire hash coming right up.” She jerked her head to gesture towards Ty. “He’s how I know who you are.”

Trudy moved out of the way, exposing the pass-through window. Ty was still staring at me. He whipped the towel off his shoulder and disappeared, only to reappear through the swinging kitchen door at the far side of the counter. He hurried past the counter and found his way between me and the customer next to me.

“Sorry, Dan.” He nudged Dan and took his ticket. “Supper’s on me tonight. You’ve got to move or go, but I need this seat.”

“Here’s your hat and what’s your hurry, Ty,” Dan said with some sarcasm as he stood and picked up his bowl of soup.

“Why are you here? I told you I’ll have your money.” Ty sat down next to me, his knees touching my seat and keeping me from swiveling it away. “There’s no need to harass me at work like your ex. I told him and now I’m going to tell you,” his voice trailed off. He ran his hand down his face before his chest rose in a big inhale.

“What did you tell my ex?” I was curious.

“Listen,” he jerked my chair around so I faced him. He got so close to me that I could smell a mix of a musk cologne and grease. I’m not going to lie, it was a nice smell and his blue eyes were what I attributed the flip in my stomach to. “I won’t have you come in here again or I’ll call Hank Sharp.”

“Are you telling me that Hank Sharp hasn’t come in here to ask you about Paul’s death?” I wondered, but knew I was putting a little voice in his head.

“I’m not telling you anything. I don’t know you. I don’t need to tell you anything. All you need to know is that I’m going to have your money to you and I’m looking for a new place for me and the boys.” He planted his hands on the counter. “If you’ll excuse me now,” he said in a huff, “ and get out of my diner.”

“One campfire hash,” Trudy started to say and put down the plate that looked so good, but Ty jerked it out of her hands.

“She’s leaving,” he told Trudy and took the plate, disappearing with it back into the kitchen from where he’d come.

There was no sense in trying to stay somewhere where I was obviously not welcome. True, I didn’t go in there to eat, but to get some information. I wasn’t looking forward to a walk back to the campground. It was that weird time of the late afternoon, almost night,where it was still light out until around nine thirty in the evening. Since it was only 6 p.m., the sun was still out and the only place that looked to be open was the bank.

There was no better time to look into a line of credit and come to do what I was going to do with some of the cash from Paul’s sock drawer.

The bank wasn’t exactly what I’d pictured it to be. . .a regular bank. Nope. Normal Trust Co. had one teller window and one office. There was a small table in the middle where there were some extra deposit and withdrawl slips like a regular bank would have but on a very small scale.

“Is that a real Gucci?” The lady behind the only teller desk looked at my purse. She pushed up on her elbows to lean over the counter and get a better look.

“It is.” It was one gift that I’d smuggled out of the pile of items the FBI had seized. My designer bag days were over for now and I had this one last one to cling to.

“Hmm.” She gave me the side-eye. “I’ve never seen a real one. Only the ones in the magazine down at the Safeway.”

“Safeway?” I asked.

“The grocery store.” She straightened her posture and pulled back her shoulders. “How can I help you?” She looked at her watch. “And make it quick because I’ve got three minutes until six according to my watch and I don’t care what I’m in the middle of, it just stops.”

“Is someone here to talk to me about a line of credit?” I pointed to the desk.

“Mr. Deters!” She yelled towards the open bank vault that was next to her desk.

“Deters?” I questioned. “Any relation to Alvin Deters?” I asked.

“You can’t get any more relation than the real guy.” Alvin walked out of the vault. “Mrs. West, I figured you’d been here earlier, but Ann said I didn’t have any visitors other than my wife. She brings me lunch every day at the store so I can come over here in the afternoon to work my banking hours.”

“I should’ve known.” I brushed my hand through my hair, my fingers got hung in the curls. “You are the bank manager?”

“That’s right and that’s why I told you to come to the bank.” He pinched a tight smile and used his pointer finger to push the tip of his cowboy hat up a smidgen. “But as you can see, it’s closing time and we’ve only got about forty seconds to do some business.”

“Fine. I’m going to make an anonymous deposit.” I dug down into my purse and pulled out a stack of hundred-dollar bills. “Ann,” I looked at the name plate on top of the counter. “Ann Rose, do you know Dottie Swaggert?”

“I do,” she said but her eyes were focused on the hundreds.

“Can you please deposit this into her account?” I asked.

“Where’d that money come from?” Alvin demanded to know. “Don’t take that if that’s blood money.”

My cell phone rang. I tried to keep my breathing and hands steady when I saw it was Grady Cox, Paul’s longtime friend and one of the investors on the list that I’d mentioned to Hank. I sent it to voicemail and slipped my phone into my pocket. I’d call him back when I was ready to talk to him. I’m sure he just wanted me to know what he thought of Paul. He wouldn’t be the first person to have called me.

“It’s not blood money. I did have a life before I was married, and this is mine.” So I might’ve told a little white lie but it was for the good of helping someone out. They didn’t need to know. I just wanted to do something right. “I told you earlier that I was going to make it right with people in Normal. Dottie practically worked for free the past couple of years and I don’t want her to do that anymore now that I’m the new owner.”

“I thought you said that you didn’t have anything to put down for a line of credit to fix up the park?” He asked with suspicion in his eyes.

“I have a little money that I want to use to help others, but that doesn’t concern you. It appears that we only have about fifteen seconds.” I pushed the hundreds towards Ann. “If you don’t mind.”

Ann slide a look over to Alvin who gave her a nod. I stood there waiting for the transaction to be completed and took the teller receipt.

“Thank you, Ann.” I forced a grin and twirled around on my toes as I mentally prepared myself for the walking journey I was about to embark on.

Not that I didn’t like walking, I did. I didn’t like the fact that I didn’t have transportation, other than the camper. I felt good and happy that I’d given Dottie some money. It definitely wasn’t enough, but it was a start. The sun was shining down on my face. I wasn’t in my ideal living situation but I couldn’t complain. I had a roof over my head, a few new friends, and food. I wasn’t going to let a little thing like not having all the cash I needed to fix up the campground, or the fact that I was going to have to walk miles and miles out of town, get me down. After all, I had a purpose since coming to Normal. I had to fix the campground up and also help get Dottie off the hook.

I was careful to hug the pavement at the edge of the road. I’d heard awful tales and seen terrible news reports about people getting hit and that was something I didn’t want to do, so when I heard a car coming, I took a step off the pavement and into the grass to wait for it to pass.

Only the car didn’t pass, it pulled over. I’d recognize that black car anywhere. Instead of giving Hank Sharp the time, I walked right past him.

“You don’t want a ride?” I heard him holler out the window. “I’m going to the campground.”

My continued walking apparently didn’t give him the hint, because he drove his car slowly next to me, giving me that charming southern smile with the passenger side window rolled down.

“I know you’re upset with me.” He appeared to be enjoying this.

“What gave you that impression?” I asked.

“I don’t know, your lack of stopping and keeping walking when I could give you a ride or maybe because you didn’t answer me. Just a guess though.” He stopped and put his car in park.

When I heard his door shut, I stopped walking and turned around to find him jogging up to me.

“If you aren’t going to stop, I’ll just come to you.” He picked up the pace when I picked up the pace.

“I’m taking a walk.” I shrugged and continued to look forward. “You know, exercise.”

“Funny because I hear that you’ve been snooping around the diner.” He was relentless.

“I think it’s funny that you feel like you need to keep tabs on me.” I stopped and looked at him. “Is that legal?” I pointed to his car. “Because I don’t think so and I can call a citizens arrest.”

“Been watching Andy Griffin?” He laughed.

“Who?” I questioned.

“You don’t know what the Andy Griffin Show is?” His brows furrowed.

“Listen, I just want to do my walk, so if you don’t mind.” I turned and started to walk.

“I think I’ve got the killer of your husband.” His words brought me to a screeching halt. I turned back around. “I thought that’d get your attention.” This time his smile was like the cat that caught the canary. “Now can I drive you back to the trailer park?”

“RV park,” I corrected him and walked back towards him and then past him. “Only because I’m curious.”

“Curiosity always got the cat.” He laughed, and I could hear his footsteps behind me.

“You love this little cat and mouse game between us, don’t you?” I glared at him from the passenger side and over the hood.

“Technically, I don’t know who killed your husband.” he said once he got into the car. “I just wanted to get you in the car, so you’d not walk on this road. It can be dangerous.”

“Ex.” I grabbed the door handle to jump out. His hand was much quicker on the lock. I jerked myself back in the seat.

“I’m pretty quick. You should see me draw my gun.” He laughed and put the car in drive.

“This is kidnapping,” I informed him and put the seatbelt on.

“No. it’s saving your life. People drive on those curvy roads like the Indy 500. You do know what that is right?” He sped up.

“Of course, I do.” I folded my arms. I might be stuck in his car for a few minutes, but I certainly didn’t have to talk to him.

“I checked out Grady Cox and I can’t seem to find him.” He kept his eyes and hands on the wheel. “I went to his house today. His wife said that she filed a missing persons report. You know when that day was?”

“How would I know?” I asked and took out my phone.

“Take a guess,” he teased.

“I don’t want to take a guess.” I rolled down the window to get a bit of air. The thought that Grady had called me while he was missing made my stomach nauseas.

“The same day your husband was killed.” He flipped the blinker on to turn into the campgrounds and the tick was like a gong in my ear.

“He called me today.” I held my phone out. “He didn’t leave a message.”

“When did he call you?” Hank asked and stopped his car in front of Dottie’s camper.

“He called me less than an hour ago. I’d gone to the bank to try and get a line of credit to help fix this place up but didn’t realize Alvin Deters was also the bank manager.” I shook my head and started to laugh. “I’m beginning to think that luck just isn’t with me.”

“Are you sure he didn’t leave a message?” he asked.

“Here.” I held it out to him again. “Look for yourself.”

“He’s not been at home according to his wife. She did file a report because I went over to their police department.” He turned the car off and the door locks popped up.

“Maybe she’s lying and he killed Paul. She knew it and filed a report to show that he was missing, when in reality he isn’t.” I thought it sounded good, then he blew it out of the water.

“Why would she do that if he was guilty? Wouldn’t he just stay and act as if nothing happened, and not have her file a report that would bring attention to him?” He did that smile thing. “Leave the detective work to me and I’ll leave picking up all those weeds around the lake up to you.”

“Funny,” I said with a sarcastic tone.

“I hear that you and Dottie have become friends since you’ve been here.” His southern tone was velvet, yet edged with steel.

“She’s been very kind and helpful.” I shrugged. “Is that against the law around here?”

“No, but she was seen with Paul the afternoon before he floated up to the top of the lake. “The two of you in cahoots? You might not’ve been in town, but she sure was. And the gun we found in the Happy Trails lake was registered to Dottie”

“Really?” The shock of hearing this sent an icy fear through me. I’d generally been a good judge of character in the past and I’d thought Paul had just been that good at fooling me, but apparently my instincts about people were off. Way off.

“Oh, that’s good.” He wagged his finger at me. “Great poker face.”

“She told me she hadn’t seen him in forever.” I gulped and wondered if that old saying about keeping your enemies closer was what she was doing with me. The fact was that I didn’t know her, and it would be easy for her to cover up anything. All these people drip with southern charm, which makes it hard to distinguish anything real. “And no. We aren’t in cahoots. Are you sure it wasn’t just gossip because a lot of that goes on around here.”

“They are on the video of the bank. I’m going to have her bank records subpoenaed and see if there’s any sort of weird transactions on her account.” His words alarmed me.

“I just put money in her account without her knowing.” Nervously, I ran my hands through my hair. “I was just. . .”

“Why? How much?” His brows formed a “V” as he stared at me.

“Just a thousand to help get her by. She told me that Paul hadn’t paid her well and any money she did have, she used to pay off some of the lots fees that the campers owed. I only wanted to help her,” my voice trailed off.

“You have one thousand dollars to give away, Mae West?” His jaw softened. He shot me a twisted smile. “I thought you were broke. How much more money do you have?”

“I don’t have much and it’s none of your business. I’m not a suspect, so it’s none of your business,” my voice was rough with anxiety.

Now he was making me think Dottie Swaggert did have something to do with Paul’s murder.

“Now that you told me that, it’s possible you knew Dottie before this little act you’ve put on here. After all,” his tone hardened ruthlessly, “You are an actress, right Mae West?”

“Whatever,” I said sarcastically and jerked the car door open.

“What are you two doing?” Dottie asked after both of us had gotten out of the car.

“I’ve come to get an official statement from you or if you want to come to the station, I can take you down and bring you back.” He tapped the top of the car with his hand.

“Nope. I’ve got nothing to hide. You’re more than welcome to come in and I’ll answer anything you want to know.” Dottie waved him in.

It was my cue to go. The weeds that I’d not noticed before he pointed them out were worse than I thought. After I’d gotten my file and purse into the camper, I threw on a pair of shorts and T-shirt. There was no time like the present to pick those weeds because I wasn’t getting any sort of loan to help me hire anyone. I needed the exercise and get what Hank had told me about Dottie and Paul on that tape out of my head for the time being. Maybe all the talk about exercise being good for stress was something I needed to explore, because I was stressed out to say the least.

The lake was still green and murky. I reminded myself to take on one project at a time. The weeds had to be pulled in order for people to stand around the lake. That was where I was going to start. About fifteen minutes into the tedious task, a few more of the campers had come outside and began to pick weeds with me. Before I knew it, the entire campground, minus Dottie Swaggert, was around the lake helping me pull up the weeds.

“See what a little team work can do,” Henry said with a big black bag filled with weeds in his hands.

Both of us stood there looking over the lake at the campers. They were all talking and laughing, getting ready for the nightly supper. I’d never lived in a community where everyone took care of everyone else.

My eyes welled with tears as the joy of kindness flittered inside of my heart. There was no amount of money or the big mansion I had once had that would make me want to go back to the life I’d been living.

“Are you okay?” Henry asked.

“I’m fine. More than fine. I thought I was living the life I wanted.” I gulped. “I was so wrong.”

“Normal ain’t much, but we do have some good folks around these parts.” Henry shook his head and left me with my feelings.

“Normal will be much.” I tugged my shoulders back. If a little bit of weeding made the place look this much better, I could only imagine what a little more elbow grease would do. “I promise you that,” I whispered to myself.

That night, I sat down at the table with a small plate of food from all the firepits that’d gathered around the lake and started to make a list in my RV files about the murder. There were some murmurs about Paul’s death and even a rumor or two about the national news coming to town for some sort of press conference the next day.

Dottie and Henry had both been victims of Paul’s. According to Dottie, Hank said that the FBI thought that someone in the park knew he was there. I wrote their names on a piece of paper as well as Ty Randal.

Under Dottie’s name I wrote the word motive and started to make a list under it.

“She invested and lost her savings to Paul’s scheme. She felt sorry for Paul initially. She wasn’t getting paid. She was paying lot fees for the campers and got angry when she realized she wasn’t going to get that money or her investment back. When Paul showed up,” I hesitated because I was stumped to why they’d be seen in town together. That was something I was going to have to explore further, but for now I finished my list. “she got angry and shot him.”

Then I wrote down that I needed to know if she had a gun or a license. The only way I knew to do that was to snoop in her camper. When was that going to happen? She was always outside smoking and watching everyone.

I moved on to Henry. His list of motives were that Paul had stolen his two thousand dollars. Henry didn’t seem like the killing type. He was helpful and kind. There just wasn’t a clear motive, but he remained on the list.

Then there was Ty. He seemed to have the biggest motive, to me. I began to wonder where he’d moved back from. According to the local gossip, he had a career and life outside of Normal. It was Paul’s fault that the family diner was going to go under and he blamed Paul for his father’s heart attack. I quickly wrote those things down because those were major life altering things that could make Ty go over the edge. I saw how he reacted when I came into the diner and I hadn’t done a thing to him. I can only imagine what happened when he saw Paul.

I snapped my fingers.

“That’s it.” I quickly wrote, “The diner is across from the bank. He saw Paul talking to Dottie. He followed Paul or maybe talked to Paul. Either way, somehow he got Paul back to the campground and shot him.”

So, all of this was speculation. I knew that I had to get into Dottie’s and Ty’s campers to look for clues. That’s how they did it in the movies. I wouldn’t be considered a burglar since I owned the lots their campers sat on, would I.?

“Nah.” I talked myself into my way of thinking and sat back in the kitchen chair to get a look. “This looks like a good start.” I stretched my arms over my head with a big yawn.