The Saucy Lucy Murders (36 page)

“He hung up, didn’t he?”

“Yes. He’s sending more money, which I do need in light of recent happenings, and to pay you back for this call that probably cost an arm and a leg. But he doesn’t give a damn about his mother.”

“That’s Cousin Bruce for you. Don’t count on him changing.”

“Whatever,” Lexie said. “In the meantime, we have a job to do, so we’d better start making plans.”

“What do we do first?” Lucy asked.

“Create a list of everyone in this town we know and what possible reasons they might have to hate me.”

“We’re going to be at this for days.” Lucy pulled a pad of paper and pencil from a magazine rack. “We have a population of 1,200. Actually, 1,201 if you count the Greensboro’s new baby.”

A sudden thought occurred to Lexie. “We also need to make a trip up to the Ice Queen Resort.”

“You’re going to drag me to a gambling den?” Lucy templed her hands in prayer and looked heavenward. “God forgive me—why must we go there?”

Lexie ignored Sister Lucy’s goody-two-shoes repentance speech. “I forgot to tell anyone this. But on the day Jack died, I found a gambling chip from the
casino at his feet. I believe the killer dropped it.”

“Maybe the killer’s a gambler.”

“Or maybe they work up there. Either way, it’s a good place to start looking.”

S
OMEONE ONCE SAID THAT IF THE WIND ISN’T
blowing, you’re probably not in Wyoming. Well, it was blowing and howling like a banshee when Lexie and Lucy went to clean the First Community Church of the Lamb of God later that morning. Good old Wyoming, Lexie thought wryly, combing her fingers through her mussed ginger curls as they walked through the front doors.

Women were fools to try and have decent hair styles around here. Gusts ripped through fashionable styles like nothing, leaving them in a shambles. No one should ever waste money on big hair in Moose Creek Junction. It wasn’t worth it. How amazing Winkie Hightower had done so well as a hair stylist. Lexie figured folks at least liked to maintain the illusion they were getting their tresses dressed.

Lexie looked around the church, half expecting the roof to cave in while she studied the simple lobby furniture and the portraits of Jesus on the walls. It
smelled the same as when her father had presided over the congregation—like dust balls and perspiration.

Beyond an arched doorway was the chapel area with a raised dais and the pulpit where her father had given many a sermon. Lexie remembered as a little girl squirming through morning church services every Sunday. Back then, she’d have rather had all her teeth pulled, one by one, than sit through those sessions. She still felt the same way.

“What’s wrong?” Lucy asked. “You look like you just saw a ghost.”

“I did,” Lexie shot back, hiking up the pants on the too-large green sweat suit she’d borrowed from Lucy. “Me. At eight. What a geek.”

“You did have some bad teeth,” Lucy said. “Thank goodness for braces.”

Lexie rolled her eyes at Lucy. “Not everyone was born perfect like you.”

“You’re just jealous.”

Laughing, the sisters retrieved cleaning supplies from a closet in the deacon’s room and set to work. While they cleaned, they discussed the townspeople and possible murder suspects among them. They bantered ideas back and forth and discussed minor details. Before long, the grilling process was even more tiring than the housework. Their conversation had covered nearly everyone in Moose Creek Junction by the time they’d finished vacuuming, scrubbing, mopping, and dusting.

Lexie wiped the back of her hand across her
damp forehead. She and Lucy had gone over everything until the chapel, lobby, the classrooms, and the little kitchen were spic and span. Jesus would have been proud. Hopefully, the hypocrites who came every Sunday to wash away their sins would think it was good enough, too.

“Where do we start?” Lucy rubbed a little harder on one of the wooden chapel pews with her polishing cloth, then stood back to inspect her handiwork.

“Start?” Lexie blew hot hair through her teeth. “Aren’t we about done?”

Lucy met her gaze. “I mean with your investigation. We flubbed it up the last time. How are we going to do it better?”

“We’ve reviewed a whole town of suspects, now we need to focus on the most likely ones.”

“How?”

Lexie sat down and tapped her fingers on the polished wood. She curled her toes in the too-large sneakers she’d also borrowed from Lucy. “First off, someone murders Hugh, then Henry, and finally Jack. Why?”

“You said Henry smelled awful,” Lucy mused.

“I don’t think that’s enough motive for someone to want to murder him.”

“What about Violet? Maybe she was still upset about their divorce.”

“Gabe believes the same person who killed Henry also killed Hugh and Jack. Violet wouldn’t have a reason to murder any of them.”

“Does Detective Stevenson think the same person who killed your dates also ran over Elton? By the way, have you heard how he’s doing?”

“Eva told me Elton’s recovering nicely. Gabe thinks it was the murderer who ran over Elton.”

Lucy lifted a brow. “How come you know so much about what Detective Stevenson thinks? You two seeing each other behind my back?”

“Knock it off, Luce. He mentioned his theory to me when we were in jail.”

“Oh.”

Lexie wanted to take the heat off her love life before Lucy started in again so she said, “Does Otis have any theories?”

“Not really.”

“I bet he’s too busy getting ready for the election this month. Right?”

Lucy shrugged. “I won’t speak ill of my husband. It’s uncharitable.”

“I am right. Oh, well. I guess if I had a decent husband like Otis, even if he was a goober, I’d want to stand up for him, too. But I can’t even keep a steady date …” Lexie snapped her fingers. “That’s it!”

“What?” Lucy’s eyes opened wide.

“The murdered guys were all dating me.”

“What about Elton? You weren’t dating him. He was far too young for you, for Pete’s sake.”

“Gee, thanks, sis.”

“I’m just trying to be practical.”

“I know, I know. But back to Elton … My idea
falls apart with him. Regardless, it’s all we’ve got to go on.”

“Someone’s killing your dates. A jealous woman?”

“Or a jealous man,” Lexie added. “Whoever attacked me at the tavern was big and strong. Someone in man’s boots nearly found me hiding in the cellar at Jack’s cabin the day he was killed.”

“What about Dan?”

“Believe me, I’ve considered that,” Lexie said. “I think Dan’s too busy with dizzy Davina and the baby.”

“That’s right. I forgot the current Mrs. Lightfoot is a new mommy. How lucky for Dan. Changing dirty diapers and doing midnight feedings at his age, for Pete’s sake.”

“The Undertaker? Get his hands dirty or lose sleep?” Lexie chuckled. “No, he’ll have her doing all the hard work.”

Lucy removed her apron and sat down beside Lexie, her housedress with the big splashy orange flowers settling around her. “Did you or Dan have any enemies while you were in California? Someone who would be angry enough to come all the way up here to cause you trouble?”

“Not that I know of.”

“I don’t like this detective business,” Lucy said. “It gives me a headache.”

“Me, too,” Lexie agreed. “I keep thinking about the gambling chip from the Ice Queen Resort I found by Jack’s body. I’m convinced our killer has
a gambling problem.”

“Folks around here say Henry spent plenty of money up there. Probably lots of people around town go up there to gamble.”

“Aunt Gladys told me the old gal who got her booted at the Sunrise Center, Alice Leone, is Carma Leone’s aunt. She worked up at the Ice Queen for years as a cocktail waitress. She still lives in a trailer up in Snow Village and only comes to Moose Creek Junction to visit Carma once in a while and go to the grocery store.”

“Hmm, interesting. I seem to remember Carma mentioning at church that she had an aunt. I didn’t realize she lived up there.”

Lexie’s mind was bursting with ideas. “Remember the dark tinted car I told you about that hit my truck the night Whitehead was killed and has been skulking around my house? It’s a fancy sports model, probably way too expensive for anyone around here to afford. A lucky gambler could buy it. Or they might have even won it.”

“Definitely possible,” Lucy said.

“I think we need to take a trip up the mountain. Especially while Aunt Gladys is at the hospital. When she comes back, I won’t be able to get away.”

“If I just take off, Otis will suspect we’re up to something.”

Lexie paced in the oversized sneakers, the gears in her brain spinning. She didn’t have a very high opinion of her brother-in-law, but she didn’t need to
start a family feud. “We won’t tell him we’re going to the Ice Queen. We’ll say we’re going to attend the Christian retreat in Burns Valley for the weekend. What’s it called?”

“Revelation Camp.”

“Tell Otis I’ve been so stressed I need some time away.”

“Where do we get the money for this little expedition, Lex? Otis keeps the checkbook locked up tight and you’re not in the best financial position.”

Lexie grinned. “Bruce is wiring me more hush money to keep Aunt Gladys, remember? We’ll have plenty for a field trip up to the Ice Queen Resort.”

Lexie and Lucy spent the rest of the day preparing for their mission. First, Lexie needed some clothes since no one was allowed in her house until the fire inspector had done his report. That might be a few more days and until then, she couldn’t keep borrowing Lucy’s clothes.

When they’d finished cleaning the church, they drove downtown to the Loose Goose Emporium where clothing was of the L.L. Bean kind. Lexie said, “Hi,” to Bertie, who was busy stocking some of her shelves with cans of string beans and peas. She nodded to Violet who sent angry looks her way, but thankfully didn’t cause another scene.

Wanting to get underway up the mountain as
soon as possible, Lexie quickly scooped up a couple of pairs of jeans and some plaid flannel shirts, hiking boots, and thick cotton socks. The next item she snagged was a heavy down jacket with red flannel lining and a pair of mittens.

There was still no sign of storms even though they were a couple of weeks into November. The drought had other things on its mind and had changed the weather patterns. By now, they should be knee deep in snow. Still, the weather in Wyoming had always been unpredictable. Folks claimed there were only two seasons: snow and wind. Blink and the weather could change.

After Lexie had changed into a pair of her new jeans and a flannel shirt, Lucy drove them past the Victorian and sat parked across the street for a while, staring at the charred kitchen area jutting out into the dead brown yard. “Who in heaven’s name would start a fire in someone’s home? It’s purely evil.” Lucy shook her head. “I’m glad the fire department arrived in time to keep the entire house from burning down.”

“I know.” Lexie’s insides twisted. “A lot of Castleton ancestors would have been rolling over in their graves if the house had gone up in flames. That Victorian is kind of a family heirloom, you know?”

Lucy nodded. “Remember how Grandmother Castleton used to fuss over those roses by the porch? And Mother … Her favorites were the tiger lilies. How she babied them. This place was Dad’s pride
and joy, along with his congregation.” Lucy wiped a stray tear with the back of her hand.

“I miss them all, too.” Lexie patted Lucy’s shoulder. “Sometimes I wish we could go back in time to when we were kids and the grownups took care of everything.”

“Wouldn’t it be great?”

“If Dad were here now, he’d probably stand up at his pulpit one Sunday and give a lesson about the commandment, ‘thou shalt not kill’. If the murderer was in the audience, he or she would feel so guilty they’d stand up and confess.”

Lucy smiled.

“We may not be as commanding as Dad, but we’ll get to the bottom of this mystery, Lucy, if it’s the last thing we do.”

“For Pete’s sake, I don’t want it to be the last thing
I
do.” Lucy’s eyes flared with concern. “Don’t talk like that.”

Lexie stared heavenward. “It’s just a figure of speech, Luce. You don’t need to get your support hose in a twist.”

Lucy clutched her orange-flowered abdomen when her stomach growled. “Meanwhile, I’m starving.”

“Let’s go grab something to eat.”

Lexie and Lucy bought wrapped sandwiches and sodas from a vending machine at the Conoco gas station. Lexie wrinkled her nose at the taste: cardboard and rubber. No wonder people had eagerly welcomed her soup and sandwich café. This stuff
was rotgut. It sufficed to silence the stomach growls while they prepared for their mission.

The next stop was the bank where Lexie collected Cousin Bruce’s donation to the cause and deposited it in her account. She would have much preferred Bruce come home and take care of his mother. That wasn’t likely to happen any time soon. Since she was in no financial position to pretend she didn’t need the cash, she decided she would spend it wisely and try to make Aunt Gladys happy.

Lucy was surprised at the large amount he’d wired, but Lexie wasn’t. How much did it cost to ease a guilty conscience these days?