Oven Baked Secrets (Eugeena Patterson Mysteries Book 2) (9 page)

I woke up around nine o’clock on Thursday morning, which I thought was pretty late. Being a school teacher with five o’ clock in the morning wake-up calls had been my life so long it seemed almost criminal to stay in the bed long past the sun rising. It was a cold morning so for once I had the good sense to snuggle down under the covers and stay put in the bed for a while longer.

Porgy eyed me from his doggy bed. I can’t believe I finally broke down and bought the round furry bed, but it was a compromise that allowed him to sleep in the bedroom. The deal was he had his own bed and he was not allowed on mine. “I will get up soon. Can you hang for a few more minutes?”

Porgy lifted his head and barked.

I would not accept anyone telling me that dog didn’t know what I was saying.

I took a deep breath as I tried to process yesterday’s information overload.  I could not stop thinking about young August and young Louise.  I know they grew up together, but in that time period, why did they become so careless? I guess I couldn’t judge. Young love and naïveté struck mostly everyone as a teenager and when hormones raged at their worst. In this case, the heartache that had been left had everlasting effects for generations.

While I didn’t care for William, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him losing his life. He was a spoiled only child and very ungrateful, but his life seemed to be turning around for him before it was cut short. In yesterday’s revelations, his murder almost got swept to the side. If William was going to stay in Charleston, I wondered if he was going to take the proceeds from selling his mother’s home to buy a more lavish residence.

In his pursuit of living well, where had he slipped up? To me, it felt like William encountered and unknowingly enticed his killer. How and why, I had no clue.

I really needed to see how Louise was doing. I didn’t want to be told once again by Ms. Saunders that Louise couldn’t accept visitors.

I knew if anyone could tell me Louise’s state of mind, Pat could tell me what was really going on.  Plus I knew Pat wanted to tell me something?  I should have returned her messages from both Monday and Wednesday, but so much had happened.

When I called Pat her phone rang and rang, but never went to voicemail.
Mmm, that’s weird.
 I would try again later. Maybe we could finally stop playing phone tag with each other.

With that thought, I climbed out of the bed with Porgy yapping at my feet. After finally getting dressed, I decided to do something I had put off for at least two weeks now. When the cold weather came in I stopped my morning walk. I decided to snap a leash on Porgy and for a change we would walk. The morning’s fall air was brisk, requiring the need for a jacket, but the sun was bright in the sky. Porgy was a little thing, but he had a bit of strength on him as he pulled me along towards the sidewalk.

I’m not sure if Porgy was reading my mind, but we didn’t get too far before we stopped, right in front of Louise’s house. The yellow crime scene tape was still around the front door. If I could have snuck a peek in the house, I would have. Instead I walked over to where William’s car sat, now without its owner. As I moved closer, I noticed that there were temporary plates on the car. William had purchased this car less than three weeks ago. The new purchase didn’t startle me as much as the car dealership name.

Chuck Nelson Buick of Charleston.

Chuck Nelson. That was one of the names Aunt Esther mentioned yesterday.  Now that I thought of it, one of the most annoying local commercials was who I believed was Chuck Nelson’s son looking as shady as a salesman could look spouting all the deals he had for those looking for a car.
Credit or no credit
.

Porgy didn’t seem bothered that I was preoccupied with the car and nosed his way in the grass next to it.  I leaned over and peeked into the car.

Since William’s father and Chuck Nelson were really good friends, I wondered if William received some type of deal on this car. It was very nice and luxurious, not at all like the pickup trucks I’ve seen William driving over the years.

I had discovered some interesting aspects to Louise’s life, but her deceased son was a character all his own. I looked at the back of the car and realized there were tire tracks in the driveway.

I bet that sports car left those tire tracks when its owner wheeled out of the driveway on Sunday.  I bent down like I was some forensic scientist to study the tracks closer. Surely the detective had this as a clue. From what I’ve seen on TV they can match these down to the types of tires that can be found on vehicles.

“Eugeena, what are you up to? Are you okay?”

I straightened up and almost screamed.  I placed my hands on my chest to hopefully calm my heart. “Good morning, Amos. I didn’t hear you walking up behind me?”

Amos was dressed with a jacket, which I figured was over a pair of overalls. He did, at least, seem to have a variety of overalls. These were dark gray.  He raised an eyebrow. “I would imagine not. If you’re going to be snooping, you should also remain alert.”

“Snooping? Oh you don’t know the half of what I found out yet and I can tell you I haven’t been snooping. People have been dropping information on me without me even having to ask for it.”

“You don’t say? I thought you were going to let the police handle it.”

“Well, who’s to say—,” Porgy for some reason decided to run around my legs at that moment. I grabbed the leash before he totally tied me up. “Come here, little dog. You and I don’t need to be tangled.” After I managed to get the leash from around my legs, I looked at Amos. “You may not believe me, but I tried my best to stay out of this little situation, but it has grown over the past two days. I’m thinking the good Lord must want me to know something because people are seeking me out with information.”

Amos laughed. “Is that so?”

I walked around to the back of the car and looked back at the temporary plate. “You see this name on this plate.”

Amos eyed me. “Chuck Nelson.”

“Keep that name in your mind, because after I tell you what all I’ve found out, your mind is going to be as blown as mine. Right now, I need two of us on this.  You had breakfast yet? If not, I will clue you in.”

A few moments later, I had cheese grits bubbling on the stove. I have always been a lover of cheese though I’ve changed my eating habits. This morning felt like as good a time as any to eat comfort food. By the time I finished talking; Amos sat looking wide-eyed over his empty bowl.

“Wow! You’re not kidding. You basically dug up a cold case.”

“You’re right. But does one murder really have to do anything with the other murder?”

“I don’t think so. I’m pretty sure the only connection there is this Jocelyn Miller and her mother.”

“I kind of agree with you, but it’s almost like Jocelyn showing up has pulled back secrets that have been hidden for many years.  I can see why Detective Wilkes wants to start by looking at Jocelyn, but my concern is William. I’ve never seen him driving a brand new car like that.  Him walking around dressed like something out of Esquire is highly suspicious to me.”

“I agree with you on that. Detective work is pretty tricky. You definitely need to focus on the victim and track their timeframe, but then we always want to understand what would motivate someone to kill. Finding the motive is high on Detective Wilkes’ priority list.”

“I’m still not seeing how she is finding any motive.  Even if Louise was to accept her long lost daughter and her family, she would have been able to provide William and her daughter with money. Louise may look homely when she wants to, but she was and has always been well off financially.”

“Not everyone sees it that way. When you have been in the business of solving crimes you’re trained to see people at their worst. Sometimes it’s smarter to think of what’s the worst a person could do rather than thinking what’s not possible. Anyone can commit a crime when pushed by their circumstances. Do you know how well off Jocelyn’s mother is right now? Why is Jocelyn looking now?”

I waved at Amos. “Okay, okay, I see your point. I’ve talked to Jocelyn and I believe she’s sincere or a really good actress. Plus, Jocelyn drives a bright red car. It looked nothing like that car, what you say could have been a Mustang. Can’t Detective Wilkes have those tire threads tracked?”

Amos shook his head. “My, my woman, maybe you ought to have been a detective because you certainly have been bitten by the bug.”

“I’m just naturally curious. I really felt bad for Jocelyn last night. I’m sensitive that time is being wasted in the wrong direction.”

“Speaking of time, have you had time to talk to Louise?”

I shook my head. “I haven’t and I want to, but it appears she’s hasn’t been handling William’s death very well.  At least that’s what the Hillcrest Manor director told me.”

I smiled as another thought started to creep in. “You wouldn’t be too busy this afternoon, Amos? I kind of like that car that William purchased.”

Amos eyed me and then a slow grin stretched across his face. “Nope. I don’t have anything planned at all.”

Now that put a smile on my face. I may have been bitten by this detective stuff, but I had sense enough to call on an experienced detective to help me.

I certainly couldn’t have asked for a better partner in crime.

Amos talked me into getting a good night’s sleep and heading over to Chuck Nelson’s dealership mid-morning on Friday.  I couldn’t believe it was already the end of the week.

Amos decided he would drive us to the dealership, which suited me just fine. I didn’t often get to be a passenger.  Unfortunately, I had to catch myself from admiring Amos’ side profile long enough to remember to confirm with him what we were doing. “Tell me the truth, are you sure you don’t think this is silly idea? I mean you’re just coming so I won’t get myself into trouble, aren’t you?”

Amos raised an eyebrow. “If I didn’t come with you, you would have found a way to get out here and ask questions. That got you in trouble this past summer. Are you having second thoughts now?”

I shook my head. “No. I’m really interested in finding out if this James Nelson was close friends with William since their fathers were friends.”

Amos nodded. “Let me guess, I bet you really want access to James’ father, Chuck Nelson, to ask about a crime that happened fifty years ago.”

“I’m not expecting a confession from a man in his seventies, but I would love to see his face to see if there’s a hint of guilt.”

Amos reminded, “Let’s concentrate on what we can gather now. Remember, we’re not here to investigate a cold case. Peace to August Manning’s soul, but we do want to find out information about William.”

I wasn’t sure what we would find, but Amos thought it was best for us to start a conversation under the illusion of purchasing a car.  Apparently, I wasn’t the only one seeking adventure as a retiree. Amos has been retired at least a year before me, and I’ve always wondered if he just spent his time in the yard or fiddling around with woodwork in his shack.

As Amos pulled into the parking lot, I noticed there were two men standing outside talking. I suspected they were both salesmen since they were dressed in suits. I’m pretty sure I wasn’t imagining the look in their eyes. They were primed and ready to pounce on new prey.

After Amos parked his car, I hesitated for a moment before opening the door. I wanted to observe the salesmen from the passenger mirror.  One of the men had already started walking towards to us. “This is going to be interesting.”

Amos grinned. “Let’s see if they can talk us into buying a car.” He climbed out of the driver’s side.

“Mmm. I’m fine with my car.”  I opened the car door and stepped out very slow. I haven’t been to a car dealership in a decade. I went with Ralph to purchase a car with only intentions of picking out the color and features I wanted. My Toyota Camry was at 200,000 miles, but it remained in good condition due to my continuing to stick to a car maintenance schedule after Ralph’s death.

As the salesman drew closer, I recognized his face and was very much convinced God had set up this divine meeting. James Nelson walked purposely towards us with his hand wrapped around his red tie as if he wanted to keep it from flying back in his face.

I commented to Amos. “He looks just the way he looks on those commercials.”

Amos crossed his arms. “How else should he look, Eugeena?”

“I don’t know.  I was expecting him to be a lot taller.”

Amos grunted something.

James approached us with a grin that revealed straight white teeth that had to come from braces. The way he stretched his mouth reminded me of a clown’s mouth without all the makeup. “Howdy folks, are you here looking for a brand new car? We have quite the special going on now.”  He stretched his arm to guide our eyes across the parking lot. “The special has been going on all month. Great deal because we need to move all of these cars by the end of the year.”

I wondered if William received the special when he purchased his car a few weeks ago.

James held out his hand like he was escorting us on a grand tour. “Shall I show you and your husband around?”

I don’t know who started coughing first. It was like something was in the air giving me a coughing fit and Amos too. I wanted to correct the salesman, but he’d already started walking. I looked over at Amos who shrugged and followed the salesman.

What? Isn’t Amos going to correct him?

For those next few minutes, we covered the parking lot before we stopped in front of a row of Buick Lacrosses. I did see why William liked the car, although it still felt like a departure from his usual vehicles over the years.

James beamed. “So folks what do you think of this Lacrosse? It’s a beauty isn’t it?”

Amos answered, “Looks like a winner.”

I was ready to move this conversation along. “Can we take a test drive?”

I thought to myself if James smiled any harder, his jawbone would shatter. “I will get the keys.”

Amos was looking at me with one eyebrow raised. “A test drive? We didn’t talk about that, Eugeena.”

I shrugged. “How else are we supposed to ask questions? You do the driving.”

Amos started to protest, but I stopped him.

“You assured me neither one of us will be leaving this parking lot with a car payment.” I winked at him and turned away to see James bounding back towards us.

He asked, “Are you ready to take this baby for a spin?”

“Sure, let’s do this.” Amos took the keys and climbed into the driver’s seat, while I opened the back door and sat in the back.

James asked, “Ma’am, are you sure you don’t want to sit up front with your husband?”

I closed the back door and then snapped my seatbelt in place. I peered at James. “He’s

not
my husband.”

“Oh.” James’s smile faltered a bit, but kept looking cheerful as he glanced back and forth from me to Amos.

Amos started the car. “Let’s go. Mr. Nelson, we’re waiting on you.”

“Yes, sure.” James jumped in the passenger seat. “Let’s take a right at the end of the driveway.”

Amos maneuvered the steering wheel, guiding us out of the parking lot. I thought Amos looked like he enjoyed the car.

“So, uh, folks what made you interested in this car?” James asked.

 Bingo.
I spoke up for the back seat. “I actually told Amos about the car. My neighbor has one of these cars. Or I should say he had one like it.”

James turned around, appearing puzzled. “Did you say had? He got rid of it for another car?”

“Oh no. He just isn’t able to drive the car anymore.”

James looked at Amos and then back at me. “Accident?”

I shrugged. “He died.”

“Oh.”

Thank goodness, the man finally dropped that crazy grin.

I leaned forward as much as the back seatbelt would let me. “I was admiring his car and noticed he bought it from your dealership maybe two weeks ago. I would have never imagined William driving such a luxurious car.”

Amos peered at me via the rearview mirror. His eyes held questions as to where I was going with the questions.

James seemed to be interested. “Did you say your friend’s name was William?”

I responded, “He wasn’t so much a friend. Now his mother is a dear friend of mine. Do you know Louise Hopkins?”

James seemed lost for words. He recovered and told Amos, “Why don’t you take the exit to I-26. You will find this ride is real smooth on the highway.”

I had to give James credit for keeping in salesman mode, although I could tell he was disturbed that I brought up William.

“Mr. Nelson, did you know William? I’m sorry if you didn’t know he died.”

James loosened the tie’s knot. “I heard. Yes, William and I grew up together. It’s very sad to hear what happened to him.”

I decided to keep talking, not really sure why, but there was no need to waste the test drive as Amos eased down the ramp into I-26 traffic. “It’s a shame. William was really getting his head together, investing in some startup company here in Charleston, buying a luxury car and the last time I saw him, he looked like some GQ model. I just feel so bad for his mother, you know with him being her only child.”

James looked over his shoulder. “I feel bad for him too. He was here a few weeks ago. I hadn’t seen him that excited about being in Charleston in a long time. He talked about finally doing something to make his dad proud.”

I asked, “Was he talking about his company?  I never imagined William was the business type.”

James rubbed his hands through his hair.  “He wasn’t. I told him to slow it down and be sure he really studied his investment.”

James spoke to Amos. “Sorry we got off topic there. How do you like the car? You can take that exit so we can head back and talk more.”

Amos nodded.

I wanted to continue to ride. I had a lot more questions. “Do you know what kind of company? I didn’t know we had so many technology companies here in Charleston?”

James’s smile returned, “Oh, yes, Charleston is one of the top ten fastest growing cities for software and technology companies. William told me his company was developing healthcare apps. You know, they are all the new rage now.”

Really?
That was interesting and also the last type of business I expected William to be involved in.

Amos drove us back to the parking lot and stopped in front of the door.

I asked James, “So, William was planning to stay in Charleston? I wondered why he was selling his mother’s house.”

“The Charleston Digital Corridor is a big draw here for tech companies. I believe he preferred staying downtown. He was staying in one of those fancy hotels. The Belmont, I think.”

After we all climbed out of the car, James plastered on that huge smile and asked Amos, “So what do you think?”

I answered, “That William sure hit pay dirt.”

James’ smile slipped from his face. “I was talking about the car. But you’re right, I guess he did. Funny how he struck it rich. Of course, I’ve always heard his mother came from money. At least that’s what my dad used to say.”

Amos grabbed my elbow. “Thanks for the test drive. That sure is a nice car. I think I will sleep on it. Eugeena, we should head back.”

James almost whined. “Wait, you liked the car, right? I’m sure I can work out a deal for you.”

Amos was guiding me back towards his car, but I still had a few questions. I turned around. “You know you said you grew up with William.  So you knew Bill Hopkins? I mean your families are friends.”

James frowned. “My dad and William’s dad grew up together. He was actually closer to William’s mom. I believe if Bill Hopkins hadn’t married her, my dad would have. Of course, I’m glad he didn’t or I and my siblings wouldn’t be here.  That would be a shame.”

Louise and Chuck
. “That’s so interesting. How’s Chuck Nelson doing these days, I mean with his son running the business?”

He glanced at me briefly. I believe I saw bit of annoyance flash in his eyes. It could have been because he had his salesman eyes on new prey. A much younger couple, probably married, was walking towards us and appeared to have money to spend. I sensed James didn’t really want to talk about his dad, but he answered.

“My dad’s not doing too well these days. Alzheimer’s.  It was really nice chatting with you folks. Mr. Jones, here’s my card. I hope to hear from you soon.” With a wink, James plastered on that megawatt smile and took off across the parking lot.

Amos opened the passenger car door for me. I couldn’t wait until he went around to the driver’s side and climbed in. I commented, “What do you think? This is quite the triangle or circle. There’s Bill and Louise. August and Louise. Now Chuck and Louise. I’ve seen photos of Louise when she was younger and I know she was quite a pretty woman, but who would have guessed she had it going on like that?”

Amos nodded. “Sounds like August was her first love, but he lost out worse than the other two.”

I shook my head. “I’m not seeing Bill being one to hurt August, but then again Jocelyn said he was the one who ran her mother away from seeing Louise.”

“He could have been trying to protect Louise.”

“From what? How did Bill win Louise over instead of Chuck?”

Now that I thought back to past conversations with Louise, she told me she married Bill because he was familiar and a comfort to her after her disastrous first marriage. They were all in their early twenties. It was possible Chuck was already married, but I wondered how he let Louise get away. How did Bill and Chuck manage to remain friends when both men had an interest in Louise?

I believe August ultimately won Louise’s heart first, which made his death even more tragic.