Murder at Catfish Corner: A Maggie Morgan Mystery (8 page)

Chapter Thirteen

“No, I’m not
following you, but that’s the second time you’ve accused me.” Seth smiled. “You
know, maybe it’s the other way around. Maybe you’re following me.”

Maggie did not
find him amusing. “What are you doing here?”

“The same thing
you’re doing, seeking shelter from a storm.”

“Why were you
roaming the streets when it started raining?”

Seth chuckled.
“I wouldn’t characterize my actions as roaming the streets. I was in the mood
for a sub and I thought I could beat the storm. I misjudged. As long as we’re
accusing each other of maleficence, why are you loitering in the park?”

“I’m not
loitering. I was –”

“Sleuthing?”

Maggie chewed
the inside of her lip. “As a matter of fact, I was. I met with Hazel Baker’s
sister, Stella.”

Seth walked to
the edge of the gazebo and looked toward the sky. “It’s not letting up. As long
as we’re here, do you want to talk over the case?”

That’s one
option, Maggie thought to herself as she watched the rain fall from the sky in
waves. Or, she thought, I could make a run for it. The car is only a block
away. It’s just water. My body, hair, and clothes will eventually dry. Yet, despite
her attempts to convince herself otherwise, Maggie didn’t find the prospect of
running through a torrential downpour or suffering through a wet car ride
appealing, so she said, “I could use a springboard, but that doesn’t mean I
need any attitude.”

“Attitude? I’m
the one with an attitude?” Seth laughed. “Okay. What have you got?”

Maggie shared
the highlights of her investigation, including the photos from Catfish Corner.

Seth pored over
the photos and said, “These could be something or they could be nothing.”

“Way to commit
yourself, Detective Heyward.”

“Hey, a
cigarette lighter in eastern Kentucky is not exactly rare.”

“I know. I thought
of that,” Maggie said. “But Earl David Osborne and Fallon both smoke. And from
the looks of Fallon’s eyes, she obviously invests in eye makeup. I don’t know
much about box cutters or jewelry, for that matter. I guess I could ask Edie.”

“When did she become
an expert on box cutters?”

“I was talking
about the necklace. It doesn’t look expensive to me, but what do I know about
jewelry? I don’t even wear earrings.” Maggie thumbed through the photos again.
“You’re right, though. This could be nothing. I was thinking about going back
over to Sassafras and talking to Earl David. He could tell me if his customers
lost items on a regular basis and if anyone reported anything missing around
the time of Hazel’s death.”

“That’s a good
idea.” Seth rubbed his face. “What about the brother? He looks like a viable
suspect.”

“Dennis?”

“He’s gaining a
house from Hazel’s death.”

“Dennis is, um, how
do I say this? Different.”

“Different how?”

“I thought he
had a developmental disorder.”

“Really?”

“He barely made
eye contact with me or even spoke to me. If Stella hadn’t been there, I’m not
sure he would have been able to speak.”

Seth raised his
eyebrows. “Are you sure about that? Are you sure it wasn’t an act to gain your
sympathy?”

“No, I’m not entirely
sympathetic toward him. To tell the truth, he got on my nerves.”

“And that makes
you feel guilty? Right?”

As much as it
pained Maggie, she admitted the truth to herself and to Seth. “Yes, it makes me
feel like a bad person. Irrespective of that, it couldn’t have been an act
because Sylvie Johnson knows the family and she refers to Dennis as a weirdo.”

“Weirdos commit
murder every day. In fact, most people probably think you have to be at least a
little off in order to take a life.”

“But Dennis is
weird in a passive way. If you had met him, you wouldn’t consider him a
suspect. You would consider him a victim of circumstance.”

“You can’t rule
out anybody and he’s gotten what he wanted. Of course, so has Stella.”

Maggie couldn’t
believe Seth was giving voice to her doubts. “Do you think she’s misleading
me?”

“Not
necessarily, but it’s wise of you to consider the source of your information.”

“The same could
be said of Earnest. He has an agenda, too.”

“Yes, he does.
Everyone has an agenda. Don’t forget that.”

“I won’t and as
long as I’m in Sassafras, I’ll talk to Dennis again. Maybe he’ll be more engaging
if he doesn’t have Stella prodding him. Maybe I’ll talk to Dr. Griffith, too. I
got the feeling she didn’t appreciate Stella calling her Vanessa.”

“That sounds
like a plan to me.”

Maggie noticed
the rain had slackened. “It’s looking better out there,” she said. “I think we
can venture out without worrying about melting.”

“I think you’re
right and it’s not a moment too soon. I’m starving.”

“Thanks for your
help.” Maggie made it to the bottom of the gazebo steps before turning and
asking, “Hey, Seth, do you think there’s something there? Do you think she
could have been murdered? Or am I wasting my time?”

Seth shrugged. “I
don’t know, but whether it was an accident or murder, you need to find out why
she was out there that night. You also need to keep your guard up and maintain
your distance from the suspects.”

Chapter Fourteen

After her usual
Saturday morning breakfast with her parents, Maggie headed to Sassafras with
two cans of kraut for Boone Osborne and the fervent wish for a productive and
enlightening day. She visited briefly with Boone, who gave her two jars of
honey to share with her parents, before walking to Catfish Corner. Earl David was
using a weed eater to trim the grass around the lake. When he saw her, he cut
off the machine.

“Hey,” Maggie
said. “I don’t know if you remember me.”

“I never forget
a pretty face,” Earl David said. “The lake don’t open for another half hour,
but if you’ve got your fishing gear in your car, I’ll let you sneak in.”

“No, I’m not
here to fish.” Maggie gestured toward Boone’s, “I brought your uncle some fresh
kraut. When he was at the house a couple weeks ago, he told us that his
sister-in-law has done the canning for him since his wife died, but that she
ruins every mess of kraut that she tries to can.”

Earl David
nodded. “Mom can’t can kraut to suit Uncle Boone, that’s for sure.”

“Oh, my God.”
Maggie covered her mouth with her hand. “That’s your mom? If I had known, I
wouldn’t have said anything.”

Earl David lit a
cigarette. “Don’t worry about it. She knows how he feels. Uncle Boone ain’t one
to hide his feelings. You can’t say she don’t try, though.”

“He says it’s
because she doesn’t follow the signs.” Maggie rolled her eyes. “The way I see
it, the moon has about as much to do with turning kraut brown as it does with
making biscuits rise.”

Earl David
exhaled smoke and laughed. “I like that. You’re not just pretty, you’re awful
smart, too.” He leaned against the fence and winked. “If you didn’t come out
here to fish, what did you come out here for?”

Maggie let his flirtation
pass without comment. “I wanted to ask you some more questions about Hazel
Baker’s drowning.”

“Now, I done
told you and Miss Martin everything I know about that.”

Maggie pulled copies
of the photos from her purse. “I guess you could say something’s come up and I
was wondering if any of your customers reported losing items around the time of
Hazel’s death.”

Earl David’s
forehead wrinkled in confusion. “No, why would you ask something like that?”

Maggie handed the
copies to him. “The police found these items around the lake that morning.”

Earl David took
quick successive draws from his cigarette as he looked at the photos.

“Is it
commonplace for customers to leave things at the lake?” Maggie asked.

Earl David
flicked the stub of the cigarette onto the ground and lit another one with a
blue Bic lighter. “Ah, you wouldn’t believe the stuff I find around here.
Billfolds, glasses, keys. One feller even lost his teeth. Hey, I’ve got to get
this weed eating done, but that stuff in those pictures, I ain’t never seen any
of that before.”

I didn’t ask if you had seen them, Maggie thought to herself.

When no one
answered at Dennis’ trailer, Maggie said, “Rats,” and looked around the sparse
lawn as if she expected Dennis to materialize among the dandelions. “As long as
I’m here,” she said to herself, “I’ll drive up the road and see if Fallon’s
home.”

Fallon’s shiny
new car was in the driveway, and Dennis was there, too, power washing the
house. Maggie decided to visit with Fallon until Dennis took a break from his
chore. When Fallon came to the door, Maggie was taken aback by the young
woman’s appearance. Fallon’s resemblance to a raccoon was more striking than it
had been on Maggie’s first visit. Her tanned face and blue eyes had reddened
from crying and her ample eye makeup had smeared and run.

When Maggie
asked her what had happened, Fallon resumed crying and handed Maggie a piece of
paper. Maggie read the eviction letter and winced.

“I’m sorry,
Fallon, but look on the bright side, if you find a bigger place to live, you
can get the rest of the bedroom set.”

“I can’t afford
a bigger place.” Her attempt to wipe away tears from her eyes only succeeded in
making dark tears run down her face.

“Where’s your
bathroom?” Maggie asked.

“Down the hall,”
Fallon sniffed.

Maggie walked
down the short hallway and into the bathroom. She turned on the bathroom faucet
and opened the cabinet to look for a wash cloth. She picked up a burgundy cloth
and started to close the cabinet door when a black eyeliner pencil grabbed her
attention. She stepped out of the bathroom and looked down the hall before
picking up the pencil. “It looks like the one found near Hazel’s body,” she
whispered to herself, “but it is a popular brand. There might even be one in my
bathroom.” She put the pencil in the cabinet, warmed the cloth, and returned to
the living room.

Maggie handed
the cloth to the still-sobbing Fallon. “Wash your face with this. It will make
you feel better.”

Fallon wiped her
face. “Nothing will make me feel better. I don’t know what me and Cullen are
going to do.”

“Where is
Cullen?”

“With his dad.”

“Fallon, I know
this is none of my business, but does Cullen’s dad pay child support?”

The warm wash
cloth made Fallon’s young face appear even softer. “I’ll give him that much. He
takes care of Cullen, but the mines he was working at closed down. He’s found
another job, but it don’t pay that much.”

“Between child
support and your salary, I’m sure you can find a place that’s just as good, if
not better, than this one.”

“No, this place
was perfect for us. Me and Cullen never had it so good.” She fell back onto the
sofa and smoothed the wash cloth on her brown legs. “It wasn’t supposed to work
out like this. Everything was supposed to be taken care of.”

“Taken care of? What
do you mean by that, Fallon?”

Without looking at Maggie, Fallon said, “I think I’ll take a nap.”

When Maggie
stepped outside, she didn’t hear the motor of the power washer. Deducing that
Dennis had taken a break, she followed the extension cord until she found him on
the back steps chugging a sports drink.

“That’s a good
idea,” Maggie said, pointing to the bottle of orange liquid. “It’s important to
stay hydrated on a hot, humid day like this.”

Dennis looked at
the sports drink like he had never seen it before.

“Do you mind if
I talk to you while you rest?”

He seemed
confused by her question, but nodded his head.

Although Maggie
wasn’t sure if the nod meant he did or did not mind, she sat on the bottom of
Cullen’s green slide and pulled her knees to her chest. “So, Dennis, do you like
taking care of the house?”

“I like being
outside.”

His semi-direct
answer took Maggie by surprise, but she quickly recovered. “It is nice to get
outside and work in the fresh air, especially if you spend your week inside an
office.” When Dennis failed to maintain his side of the conversation, Maggie
added, “What’s your favorite thing to do outside?”

“I like to fish.”

Finally, this
man gives me a good answer, Maggie thought to herself. “It must have been
convenient having a sister who lived beside a pay lake. Do you ever go fishing
at Catfish Corner?”

“No, Hazel
didn’t like the pay lake, so I didn’t go there. I go to the riverbank with my
cousins.”

“That sounds
like fun.”

Dennis downed
the last of the orange drink, closed the lid on the bottle, and placed it
beside him on the steps. “I went fishing with Stella’s husband when he was
living. His friend had a boat. We went out on that boat and spent whole days on
the water. Fishing and eating hamburgers.”

Maggie looked
into Dennis’ sad doughy face and said, “That sounds like fun, too. Did your
sisters go with you?”

“Sometimes. My
niece went sometimes, too. She came in for Hazel’s funeral services. She called
me the other night and said she’d have a surprise next time she comes in.” He bent
his head and stared at Maggie. “You know, you remind me of her. Of my niece.”

“I do? In what
way?”

“You’re both
really sweet girls. You care about people. You can see it in your faces.”

Maggie rested
her chin on her knees. “Thank you, Dennis.”

“Stella is there
now. At my niece’s. She asked me to go, but I couldn’t get off work and,
besides, Hazel didn’t like me going off and leaving the place unattended.”

“Hazel’s gone
now, Dennis. Can’t you do what you want?”

“I am. I want to
take care of the house.”

Maggie looked
around the yard. It was certainly in better shape than Dennis’ browning lawn.
The grass was low and green and not one dandelion or wild violet was in sight.
Of course, Maggie liked dandelions and wild violets and couldn’t understand why
people made such a fuss about ridding their lawns of what they considered weeds
and she referred to as flowers. But at least no one could say Dennis couldn’t
take care of the property. She wondered what Earnest would think of Dennis’
landscaping skills. “What about Earnest?” she suddenly asked. “Did he go out on
the boat?”

“Once, but he
said it made him queasy. He spent most of the time below deck.” Dennis smiled.
“Stella called Earnest a big baby. She told Hazel to leave her big baby at home
and come out and have some fun with us. But Hazel didn’t go with us again after
the time Earnest got queasy.”

“Did you like
Earnest?”

“He was okay. We
didn’t have much to say to each other. I liked Stella’s husband. I liked him a
lot.”

“You like Stella
a lot, too, don’t you?”

“I do. I liked
Hazel, too, but Stella is …” Dennis trailed off before adding, “When we all
lived here, when we were younger, we had a dog that had a litter of puppies. I
liked all the puppies, but there was one we named Patch. He was solid white
except for a black circle around his eye.” Dennis made a circular motion around
his right eye. “It looked like an eye patch. He was my favorite. I liked him
more than the others.” Dennis looked down. “We found him one day when we got
home from school. He had been run over.”

A lump formed in
Maggie’s throat. “I’m so sorry, Dennis.”

“It’s all right.
It was a long time ago. And it’s not like I didn’t like the other ones. I just
liked Patch more.”

“And you like
Stella more than you liked Hazel. There’s nothing wrong with that. We can’t
change how we feel about people.”

“Did Fallon tell
you that she and Cullen will be moving?”

“She did,”
Maggie said.

“I thought it
would be different.”

Maggie swallowed
and the lump in her throat disappeared. She knew it wasn’t her place to tell
Dennis that he soon would be taking possession of the house, but she did say,
“It will be different. Fallon won’t be living here.”

The faraway look in Dennis’ eyes suggested he had not heard Maggie. “I’m
going to talk to Stella. Maybe she won’t be like Hazel. Maybe she’ll listen.”

After leaving
Dennis to his power-washing duties, Maggie joined Dr. Griffith at the dairy bar.
She had intended to order a plain grilled chicken sandwich, but after her
confusing encounters with Fallon and Dennis, she switched to a footlong hot dog
and fries. She detected disappointment in Dr. Griffith’s eyes.

Maggie attempted
an explanation. “I’m usually a salad girl like you, but sometimes you have to
treat yourself.”

“Don’t feel you
need to convince me. Believe me, when it comes to health and nutrition, most of
my colleagues and I operate on a ‘do as I say, not as I do’ policy. I draw the
line at hot dogs, though. Yuck. But the only thing keeping me from inhaling a
cheeseburger is a dinner date with my husband. We’re having Italian and I have
to save room for fettuccini.” The doctor speared a cherry tomato with her fork
and changed the subject. “As I explained on the phone, I don’t understand why
you wanted to speak to me again. I don’t know how I can help.”

Maggie nibbled
on a fry and questioned her decision to order a hot dog. She didn’t know how
she could ask questions and take notes with a hot dog in her mouth and mustard
dripping down her chin, so she pushed it aside and focused on the fries. “When
I looked back on our meeting at the clinic, I started thinking that, perhaps,
you had edited your responses to my questions to protect Stella.”

A smile spread
across Dr. Griffith’s face. “How so?” she asked.

“Just that maybe
you hadn’t shared your true feelings about Hazel. Basically, I want to know
what you thought of her.”

“Basically, I
liked her. But let me go back. Since we’re being honest, I need to apologize if
I seemed to have an attitude the day you and Stella came to the clinic. I was
stressed and harried and tense. And you’re right. I didn’t want to say anything
that might bother Stella.”

“No apology
necessary.”

“As for Hazel,
I’ve known her my entire life. I spent a lot of time in my dad’s office, so I
grew up around her. And, let me tell you, she ran that office like a drill
sergeant. My dad was a good, kind-hearted man.” Dr. Griffith popped another
cherry tomato into her mouth and nodded her head. “He reminded me of Atticus
Finch from
To Kill a Mockingbird
. If a patient didn’t have the money to
pay, Dad accepted everything from fresh milk to firewood as payment. That
irritated my mother and Hazel. Dad might have been able to fight one of them,
but not both. They would gang up on him and tell him he couldn’t pay the bills
with milk.” She smiled. “They were right, but so was he. What was he supposed
to do, turn away people who needed help?”

“It sounds like
he was a good man and, as a fellow Daddy’s girl, I can definitely relate.”
Maggie reached for a fry, but couldn’t resist the temptation any longer and dug
into the hot dog. As soon as she could speak, she said, “Stella was right. This
is an amazing hot dog.”