IN FOR A PENNY (The Granny Series) (25 page)

Abby Ruth fanned out a stack of bills that made Maggie feel like one of those jackpot slot machines.

“Holy Moses! That’s thousands of dollars! I thought Sera said the money and ledger were in the other suitcase.”

Sera popped her head out in the hallway. “Everything okay… Jesus, that’s
a lot of cash. That’s not even the one I saw him put cash in.”

“Wait. Stop. I’ll cut you in,” Nash cried out. “Don’t leave me.
Serendipity. You have to help me.”

Sera turned back toward Nash. “Now you just need to settle down. Your aura is all convoluted.”

Maggie laughed. “If Sera’s aura talk doesn’t freak him out before we get back, Nash is going to be in for a heckuva night.”

She nodded toward the bag. If that thing
was filled with cash like Sera claimed, surely she could skim a little off the top for Lil’s ring. “Count out the ninety thousand that Lillian is doing time for and three thousand more.”

“Why don’t we just take it all?” Abby Ruth said. “Not like he can report it stolen.”

“It’s not Lil’s money and it’s certainly not mine.”

Abby Ruth rolled her eyes.
“Well, then how about an even one hundred thousand? They’re already in ten thousand dollar bundles.”

“Fine.”
Maybe there would be a future for her in that carriage house after all. “Leave the rest on the counter along with that darned ledger. Then come with me to the truck.”

When Maggie and Abby Ruth returned to the
condo, they each had a suitcase filled with damp rank-smelling pennies. They wheeled the bags into the bathroom to a sweating and disheveled Nash Talley.

He looked relieved to see his suitcases. “Thank you. When I split this out, I promise I’ll be fair.”

“Fair?” Abby Ruth shook her head. “Y’all should’ve let me take care of him the way I wanted to.”

He sucked in a breath as they wheeled past him.

They unzipped the bags and dumped the coins into the tub with a loud metallic thunder.

“That’s a pretty sound isn’t it?” Maggie asked.

Abby Ruth sniffed. “Sounds nice, but that scent… How would you describe it?”

“It’s stinky in here,” Sera said.

“Kind of like a sewer if you ask me,” Abby Ruth said.

“I don’t know.” Maggie sniffed the air.
“Smells green to me.”

“No,” Nash moaned.
“Nothing else green.” His stomach gurgled like a bubbling drain.

“I think we’re all set,” Maggie said with a slap to the back of her pants.

Nash lifted his head slightly and said in a dull tone, “Get it over with already.”

“It’s time. You
’re nearly done, Nash Talley, but don’t you ever do anything to Lillian Summer Fairview or anyone in Summer Shoals again. You hear me?”

The three of them slid him closer to the tub and Nash’s head whapped against the side.

“Oops,” Abby Ruth said.

They surrounded him and grabbed his arms and flailing leg.

“On three,” Maggie said. “One, two, three.” They hoisted him up and over the side of the tub, dropping him into the penny-filled fiberglass.

Maggie stood there with her arms folded, watching him shiver and wretch. 

“You know,” Sera told him, “if you did the locust pose it would help with your neck strength.”

Abby Ruth snickered. “Sure you don’t want to just shoot his ass?”

“No, I think our work here is nearly done.” Maggie reached into her pocket and pulled out four pennies. She handed one to Abby Ruth and one to Sera and held one in each of her own hands. “Heads we win, tails you lose,” she said to Nash.

Abby Ruth flipped hers into the air and let it thud onto Nash’s back.
“Heads.”

Sera did the same.
“Heads.”

“One for me,” Maggie said, flipping the coin with an expert flick of her thumb. She bent over and peered at hers.
“Heads.”

“And Nash Talley, this last one is for Lillian.” Maggie’s phone rang before she could toss the last one. She answered, “Lillian!”

“Maggie Rawls, you’ve scared the fire out of me. I told you to answer the phone when I called and—”

“Lil, we’re in the middle of something here. Later you can nag me all you want, but first I need to finish this.” Maggie held out the phone, flipped the penny in the air and watched it land on his spine.
“Four for four. Heads, we win.”

“What’s going on there?” Lillian asked.
“Maggie, if I put you in trouble, I couldn’t live with myself. All those things I said about Summer Haven being the most important thing in my life, well, that was just silly. I’ve realized friends are way more important than money or a house or—”

“Lil, hon, I’ve known that all along, but we’re kinda busy right now and—”

“Oh Lord, you found Nash!”

“Don’t worry, everything’s under control. Watch the news tomorrow and we’ll visit on Friday. Love you, Lil.”

Maggie leaned over and whispered into Nash’s ear. “Sorry. It just ain’t your day.” Then she and the others hightailed it out of the bathroom, leaving Nash in the pile of filthy coins.

“Hang on one sec,” Maggie said as she paused at the counter. She scribbled a note and left it on top of the ledger next to the stacks of money.

Abby Ruth went back into the living room and picked up the statue’s unmentionables, flipped them in the air and caught them.

Maggie gave her a wink. “It was a nice shot.
Souvenir?”

“You betcha.”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Teague had sat up nearly all night waiting for those women to show back up in Summer Shoals. Even called in a BOLO to the counties near the coast, but by four in the morning he’d given up and gone home. Whatever had landed him in Miss Lillian’s bedroom had sunk him into the hardest sleep he’d ever had, and it’d been nearly eleven o’clock when he woke up.

Still a little fuzzy-headed, he walked into the diner just before noon. Today was chicken-fried steak on the lunch plate special, and he still had the damn munchies from last night.

He scanned the place for a booth, and there they were—the three boils on his butt—sitting in a booth smiling and laughing. Smiling and laughing spelled no good with that crew.

He moseyed over. “How’s lunch today, ladies?”

The laughter died a quick death and they pokered up at his words. Now that he was closer, he could see the bags under their eyes and the fatigue weighting their shoulders. Where all had they been between last night and noon today and just what had they done?

“Mind if I join you?” Not waiting for an answer, he nudged Abby Ruth in the shoulder and she slid over to make room.

Maggie fiddled with the wedding ring she wore on her right-hand pinkie. The big center diamond glinted in the sun streaming through the front window. “Teague, about that tea—”

“What tea?” He channeled his best clueless act, and it seemed to be working.

Six eyes around the table widened and he held in his laughter. It would worry them more if they didn’t know for sure what he knew for sure.

“Where were you last night about ten o’clock?” Abby Ruth said.

“At home in bed, I imagine, since that’s where I woke up this morning. Why?”

“Oh, no reason.
I noticed you looked a little tired lately, that’s all.”

Umm-hmm.

“Turn up the noon news, will you, Dottie?” someone from across the room called out.

Dottie picked up the remote from behind the counter and pumped up the volume. A male reporter with a serious face stood in front of The Condominiums at Camelot on Hilton Head Island and rattled off the breaking story.

Everyone in the booth straightened a little, including Teague.

“Just minutes ago, a man was found facedown in his bathtub, his arms and leg restrained with duct tape. Although he claimed to be unharmed, emergency personnel took him to the hospital where he was treated for a severe allergic reaction allegedly caused by the approximately five-hundred dollars in loose change also in the tub. The man has been identified as one Nash Talley from Summer Shoals, Georgia.”

Everyone in the diner gasped and a murmur rippled through the room.

“He’s now being investigated for connection to Social Security fraud. A meticulously annotated financial ledger and a journal outlining Talley’s plan to flee the country under an assumed identity, along with thousands of dollars in cash and fine art have been confiscated as the investigation continues. We’ll be bringing you the latest updates right here on News Channel Three. Sandra, back to you.”

The buzz grew louder as the newscaster moved on to another story. But Teague’s table was silent.

“Looks like you ladies were on to something.” And sure as he was sitting here, they’d done something about it too. But what proof did he have? He couldn’t tell anyone they’d drugged him, and his only other evidence was a broken seashell. Didn’t exactly make a case. And as for Lillian Summer Fairview
vacationing
at a federal prison camp, he wasn’t going to spread that around town. That was Lillian’s business.

“Who would’ve ever guessed?” Maggie gripped her tea glass as if it might try to run away. “Wonder who will run Talley’s Funeral Home now?”

Sera and Abby Ruth fumbled for their drinks.

Teague was enjoying watching them squirm. “I guess you just never know what people are capable of, do you?” He slowly moved his gaze from one granny to the next and settled on Abby Ruth, who smiled the sweetest smile he’d ever seen on that woman.

“If you ladies would excuse me for a minute,” Teague said, “I need to step outside and make a quick call.” He scooted out of the booth and headed for the door, but he heard the frantic whispers behind him.

“Lordy goodness, do you think he knows?”

“He didn’t act suspicious and I think that tea might have even helped his sacral chakra.”

“Whatever you do,” Abby Ruth said, “
do not let that boy fool you. You underestimate him and
bam,
you could find yourself in a pile of crap faster than you can say
boo
. Caution and stealth. That’s the name of the game when it comes to Teague Castro.”

Since his back was to them, he didn’t bother to hide his broad grin. If they thought they could pull anything over on him, they were battier than a belfry.
But damned if it wouldn’t be fun to see them try.

Once outside, he pulled out his phone and hit the key to call Jenny.

“Teague, tell me you found her.”

“I found her.”

“Where, for God’s sake?”

“At the local diner.”

“Do you mean to tell me she wasn’t off somewhere getting into trouble last night?”

“All I can tell you is that she’s safe and sound in Summer Shoals today, but you should probably come see for yourself.”

She sighed and that one sound carried the weight of the world on it. “It’s not a good time with my job and Grayson and Daniel.”

“Daniel?” So help him God, if that pansy-assed ex-husband of hers was giving her problems, he would get on a plane to Boston and show him how Texans handled pains-in-the-ass.

“Yeah, he’s just, you know…”

No, he didn’t know. “I bet Grayson would love to see his grandma,” he said. “And I could take him fishing while y’all are here.”

“You’d do that?” God, the way she asked, with a layer of disbelief on her words, about punched a hole in his heart.

“Sure, I would. And hey, the holidays will be coming up before you know it so—”

“Where would we stay? I’m pretty sure there’s not enough room for us and Mom’s guns in the horse trailer.”

“Don’t you worry, we’ll figure out something.” Yeah, something like Jenny staying in his bed the whole visit. Teague shook his head, but the picture hung on.

“Okay, but I don’t know when. I need to look at my schedule, so don’t say anything to Mom yet.”

It was as if someone had just filled that hole in his heart with a blast of helium. “If I don’t hear back from you in two weeks with some kind of plan, just know I will call and I will get you down here if I have to come up there and pack your bags myself.”

Jenny laughed. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

As Teague hung up, his whole body felt looser, more relaxed than it had in a long time, even with the aid of a six-pack and a fishing pole.

When he walked back into the diner, Maggie called, “Dottie, could we have our cake now?”

Dottie hustled over to the table with a cake, three plates and forks. “Maggie, hon, you’re looking mighty fit these days. Sure you want to blow whatever diet you’re on with this here treat?”

Maggie eyed the cake like a man sinking in quicksand might look at a rope he was about to latch onto with both hands. “I think my diet can handle it.”

Dottie sliced into the cake, showing five layers—chocolate, white, pink, yellow and green. She asked Teague, “Did you want some too?”

He considered the cake sitting in the middle of the table. Five layers.
That was a special occasion cake, like for a wedding or a milestone birthday. That wasn’t an everyday lunch dessert.

“Why not?”
He looked at Sera, Abby Ruth and Maggie in turn and then smiled at Dottie. “Because apparently, these ladies have something to celebrate.”

The midday news blared from the television screen in the rec room at Walter Stiles Prison Camp, where Lillian sat hemming a pair of khaki pants for Dixie and trying desperately to remember to breathe as they waited for the afternoon news to come on. She’d already pricked her fingers more this morning than she had in her
whole blessed lifetime.

Big Martha walked in with her posse flanking her sides like giant wings. They commandeered the front table and all the chairs around it, and Big Martha shot Lillian a conspiratorial look.

Suddenly, the news anchor cut in. “We’ve got a late-breaking story from Hilton Head, South Carolina. Kevin Travis is there to tell us more.”

A young dark-haired man stood before a tall building. “Thanks, Sandra. This is Kevin Travis
here at the Condominiums at Camelot on Hilton Head Island. Just moments ago, police were forced to break down the door on an eighth floor condo after receiving an anonymous lead about a possible Social Security fraud scheme.”

Lillian leaned forward and dropped the pants to her lap, where they slid to the floor. All her talk about Summer Haven these past few weeks and Maggie had taken up Lil’s cause like a soldier rather than giving her a knock upside the head like she deserved. Not everyone had friends like that and it appeared she was making some new ones who were pretty darn fantastic too.

The screen switched from the handsome reporter to a shot of two city police officers storming a door into a home decorated in all white and littered with what looked like marble fragments.

An audible gasp escaped Lillian and she coughed to camouflage it.

The reporter continued, “Sandra, details are still coming together, but an anonymous call to the Hilton Head Island police in the early morning hours led officers to believe the owner of this condo swindled thousands of dollars from senior citizens in Georgia.”

Footage cut to a scene of Nash Talley
being escorted to an ambulance in handcuffs. Instead of his normal snappy suit and tie, he wore a grimy pink golf shirt, boat shoes and shorts that had possibly once been white. His hair stood up every which way and he appeared to be mumbling to himself in a state of confusion.

Lord
have mercy. My girls certainly took him down a notch or two. I bet he never saw that coming, but then I never saw him as the type to pull off a senior-citizen-cheating scheme either.

The reporter’s voice became more animated. “Strangely enough, the man had been restrained with duct tape and left in a bathtub full of coins. Possibly an appropriate punishment as sources are saying this man allegedly used Meals on Wheels and his family’s funeral home to gain access to unsuspecting elderly and a pipeline of federal money.”

When they spoke on the phone last night, Maggie had been so confident, so…happy. That was her Maggie. Never mess with a woman with duct tape.

Lillian glanced at Big Martha to find her smiling, a genuine smile of enjoyment, rather than her normal toothy smirk.

“Lillian, what in the world is wrong with people these days? Taking money from the elderly.” She shook her head in mock sadness, but her eyes were bright as she strolled toward Lillian. “But whoever took him down a peg did a mighty fine job of it.”

Pride bloomed in Lillian’s chest. Those were
her
girls. “Not everyone could pull off such a slick strategy. Must’ve been some smart folks with the right firepower behind them.”

“No doubt about that. Sure wish I knew some goodhearted Robin Hoods like them.” Martha leaned close to Lil and pitched her voice low. “Boy, could I tell them some stories.
Stories that might even earn ’em a little extra jingle.”

Lillian eased out of her chair, motioned for Martha to follow her from the room. “I’d surely give a penny for your thoughts.”

THE END

of this adventure