Love and Suspicion Read online

  Deputy Vic Stonebrooke agreed to work the morning shift, and stay on patrol until one of the part-time deputies came to take Rod’s shift. Deputy Wayne Griffin tried to talk Otis into making the picnic his retirement party as well, but Otis had other plans. Even so, it was to be Wayne’s last town picnic before he left the sheriff’s department. Wayne came early to help set up too, and was especially happy to greet the farmers, with a smile and a handshake, that he had watched over for so many years.

  When Sheriff Pierce and his wife arrived, Otis unfolded two comfortable lawn chairs, seated his wife, greeted several people, and then looked around. He frowned, pulled his cellphone out, and called Rod.

  “On my way,” said Rod.

  “You better be,” the sheriff said in a teasing tone of voice. “There are a couple of young ladies here who’ve heard you’re single.”

  Rod puffed his cheeks. “This job is more dangerous than I thought.”

  The Sheriff laughed and hung up.

  By the time a sleepy Rod showed up and set his bag of chips on one of the tables, he guessed there were already a hundred people there, all chatting and laughing – hopefully not at him. He soon spotted the sheriff and went to greet him. Rod tipped his hat to Mrs. Lois Pierce. Seated next to Lois on an equally comfortable lawn chair was Earl Woodbury.

  Otis said, “Of course, you know Mr. Woodbury.”

  “Mr. Woodbury,” Rod said. He didn’t expect it, but Earl offered to shake his hand and Rod gladly accepted. Hopefully, the handshake would imply Earl did not resent being arrested. “How are you feeling these days?” Rod asked. Earl only nodded.

  By then, Otis was tugging on Rod’s shirt sleeve, urging him to follow him. The sheriff proceeded to introduce the young deputy to a young married couple with two small children, and then an elderly couple. Rod tried to remember all the names when the introductions kept coming, but Otis hardly gave him time to make note of one before he introduced the next.

  “Where’s Millie?” Rod asked after yet another introduction.

  “It’s her year to dispatch for both the county and the police force. I’ll be sending you over with a plate of food later.”

  “My pleasure.”

  “She’s married,” the Sheriff said.

  Rod grinned. “I know, that’s why I like her.” When the sheriff was otherwise detained, Rod tried to spot Nancy. Apparently she had not arrived yet and if she didn’t come soon, she and Willie would have to park far away, and would have quite a distance to walk up the dirt road. There were more people to meet, but he couldn’t help keeping an eye out for the two people he wanted to see most.

  BEN PICKED TIFFANY up right on time, and because she was going anyway, he offered to give Beverly a ride. “Where’s Earl?” he asked as he relieved Beverly of a large, square pan filled with scalloped potatoes.

  “He left early this morning,” she answered. “One of the boys have probably picked him up by now.”

  “I’ll swing by the bench just in case.” Ben carefully set Beverly’s casserole on the bed of his pickup next to three large containers, and then helped her into the back seat.

  “The beans smell wonderful as always,” said Beverly.

  “They better,” Ben teased. “They’ve been slow cooking for twelve hours.” He closed the back door and then opened the passenger door for Tiffany. After Tiffany was seated, Ben closed the door, walked around the truck, got in the driver’s seat, and then started the engine.

  “Didn’t you promise to give me the secret recipe?” Beverly asked.

  “Last one to ask for the recipe offered five thousand for it. How much you got?” Ben put his arm over the seat so he could see as he backed up, and winked at Beverly.

  “Five thousand for a recipe?” Tiffany asked. “They must be some beans.”

  “They are,” Beverly answered. “Some say it’s the only reason they come to the picnic.” She suddenly snickered. “What do you think Gloria will wear this year?”

  Ben grinned as he proceeded to drive toward town. “That’s the other reason everyone comes to the picnic.”

  “I bet it’s see-through,” said Beverly, “That girl sure does like to show off her body.”

  “I hope not,” said Ben. “You know how mad Michael gets when the boys start ogling her.”

  “Who’s Gloria?” Tiffany asked.

  Beverly answered, “Michael’s only daughter, thank goodness.”

  “That we know of,” Ben muttered.

  “How old is she?” Tiffany asked.

  “Fifteen?” Beverly guessed.

  “Let’s see,” Ben started, “Alex is twenty-six and she was born ten years later, so she must be...”

  “Alex is twenty-six?” a surprised Tiffany asked.

  “Twenty-six going on thirteen,” Ben scoffed. “He still lives at home and draws an undeserved paycheck from Earl which he spends on cars and entertainment.”

  “Wow. Anything else I should know?” Tiffany asked. “That reminds me. I can’t wait to get a good look at Crazy Eddie.”

  “Don’t get your hopes up.” Ben turned down Main Street, slowed until he was sure Earl wasn’t still sitting on his bench, and then took the street that led to the turnoff to the lake. “He’ll be there, but not where anyone can see him. He normally parks his truck in the bushes and just watches.”

  “He doesn’t come to get something to eat?” Tiffany asked.

  Beverly answered, “No, his ex-wife takes him a plate. I don’t know why; she hates him with a passion.”

  “Or loves him with a passion,” Ben said. “I’ve never seen her with anyone else, and his truck is parked at her house more often than not.”

  Beverly moaned. “I need to get out more.”

  Instead of parking behind the last car on the road to the lake, Ben drove right up to the front.

  Deputy Rod Keller recognized Tiffany as soon as she got out of Ben’s truck, and went to greet both she and Ben. While Tiffany introduced Rod to Beverly, Ben handed him her pan of potatoes.

  “Where shall I set this?” Rod asked Beverly.

  “Any table will do.” After he walked away, Beverly leaned closer to Tiffany. “I agree; the deputy is very handsome.” She sighed, “If only I were younger, a lot younger come to think of it.” With that, she was off to talk to someone she spotted in the crowd.

  The arrival of Ben’s beans had everyone else’s attention. Rod was amazed when several men rushed to the back of Ben’s truck and proceeded to carry three 40 quart pots to the reserved empty space on the first table. Immediately thereafter, a local police officer lifted the lid, smelled the tempting aroma, and then replaced the lid. He turned his back to the pots, folded his arms and took up his usual position as bean-guard. It made everyone smile and Rod that much more curious. He set Beverly’s casserole down, wandered over and made the mistake of attempting to lift one of the lids.

  “Not on your life,” the cop warned. “No one gets one single bean until it’s time and I’m first.”

  He looked dead serious, so Rod simply shrugged and walked away. By then, the sheriff was eager to introduce him to two sisters. From the grin on the sheriff’s face, it was easy to guess these were the two interested in Rod’s marital status. Rod politely greeted both Mary and Celeste, and found Mary the more pleasant of the two. Celeste asked a long stream of cop questions. Mercifully, the Sheriff rescued him and took him to meet some of the others.

  Still standing next to Ben near the tailgate of his truck, Tiffany watched Rod and the sheriff for a few seconds, but when there was a noticeable buzz in the crowd, she looked to see what had their attention. To no one’s surprise, Michael drove his expensive car to the front of the line, found just enough room and parked at an angle beside Ben’s truck.

  “We’re blocked in,” Ben whispered. He nodded to both Michael and his son Alex, as the two of them got out and walked away.

  “Looks like it.” Tiffany looked at a dozen faces, decided she wouldn’t actually know Jerry Terrell if she saw
him, and then smiled when she realized Earl was watching her. That’s when she discovered something she found a little odd. Several of the men were wearing identical brown vests and one of them was a deputy.

  “It’s a club some of the farmers belong to,” Ben explained. “They get together once a month to talk about the crops. Deputy Griffin was made an honorary member years ago.”

  “I see.” As they strolled from place to place meeting people, she listened to Ben promise the beans were much better than last year. During a moment without someone new to meet, she turned to Ben and rolled her eyes. “Nobody’s beans are that good.”

  He whispered, “Don’t tell them, okay?”

  Her first glimpse of Blue Falls Lake was both beautiful and inspiring, but there was one problem. “The waterfall is not blue?”

  “It turns blue when the sun starts to set,” Ben answered.

  “That, I must see.”

  He smiled. “I was hoping you would say that.”

  It was not what he said, but the way he said it that made Tiffany’s heart flutter. In an effort to keep him from seeing, she turned her attention to the people. The crowd had grown considerably larger just since they arrived. The smell of roasted corn already filled the air and was beginning to mix with the hundreds of hamburgers and hotdogs cooking on the grills. People laughed, children played, mothers tried to keep track of little ones, and fathers could be heard boasting about this thing or that. Michael seemed to simply disappear into the crowd, and if Jerry Terrell had arrived, Tiffany wasn’t hearing the same kind of buzz.

  Beverly was talking to Tiffany’s boss, Mariam Eggelston. The next person Tiffany noticed was Alex Woodbury. How could she not, he was looking right at her. If she hadn’t already been annoyed by the way Alex behaved at the baseball game, she might have been captivated by his good looks. He indeed looked a lot like Michael, and even more like Earl must have looked at that age. Her appraisal of Alex was short-lived though, when Ben took her elbow and guided her toward someone he wanted her to meet.

  “Mom, this is Tiffany. She’s working for...”

  “Mariam. I already heard.” Nora Coulter smiled and then said. “Gloria is here.”

  Ben frowned and reached for Tiffany’s hand. “Pretend you like me, okay?”

  Tiffany was a little confused until she spotted Gloria Woodbury. The girl was wearing the shortest skirt Tiffany had ever seen and a halter top that was at least a full size too small. Gloria’s eyes sparkled when she noticed Ben, but when she saw him holding Tiffany’s hand, she began to openly pout.

  “You definitely need protection,” Tiffany whispered.

  Ben exhaled, “You have no idea.”

  “Yes, well,” said Ben’s mom, “the last thing I want for my son is to have Michael for a father-in-law.” Just then, Michael caught sight of his daughter and headed straight for her. “Here it comes,” said Nora.

  As soon as she saw the rage on Michael’s face as he wove his way through the crowd to his daughter, Tiffany moved a little closer to Ben. When he reached her, Michael grabbed Gloria by the arm and hauled her, kicking and screaming, toward his car. He yelled, she screamed, and everyone else just stood and watched. Michael insisted, in no uncertain terms, that she get in his car. After she did, he closed the door and then pointed his finger at Gloria the whole time he walked around to the driver’s side. She didn’t move a muscle, and soon Michael got in, and slammed the door.

  Somehow, Michael managed to avoid hitting Ben’s truck when he back up, slammed on the breaks, threw his car into forward, and then raced down the road kicking up a dust cloud behind him.

  Ben let out his held breath and so did Tiffany. “Will he hurt her?” she asked.

  “He wouldn’t dare,” said a woman she had yet to meet.

  “Tiffany, this is Andrea, Gloria’s mother.”

  “It is nice to meet you,” said Tiffany.

  “Don’t worry dear, I threatened to shoot Michael if he so much as laid a hand on Gloria.” Andrea giggled. “He believes me too.”

  “That’s a relief,” Tiffany breathed. “He looked mad enough to kill her.”

  Ben let go of her hand and nodded toward a group of people. “Those two blondes are Michael’s first and third wives.”

  “Which one is Birdie?” Tiffany asked.

  “Birdie never comes to any of the town’s social events,” Andrea answered. “It’s her way of snubbing the women who don’t approve of her affair with Michael.”

  Tiffany was surprised. “You know about that?”

  “Everyone knows.” When Pamela motioned Andrea over, she nodded. “Have you met Birdie yet?”

  Tiffany shook her head. “Not yet.”

  “You’ll like her when you do. We like her. She’s the best friend in the world to have when you’re Michael’s ex-wife.”

  After Andrea was gone Tiffany looked puzzled. “What do you suppose she means? How can the mistress be the wife’s best friend?”

  Ben shrugged. “Beats me.” He nodded toward a tall man with dark hair standing next to a woman near the soda tubs. “That’s Jerry Terrell and his wife.”

  “Really? I wondered what he looked like in person. All I’ve seen are the videos and they mostly show Michael.”

  Ben added, “His wife will do all she can to keep him from getting into an argument with Michael, but Jerry is as bullheaded as Michael.”

  “That’s true,” said Ben’s mom. “Things have been heating up for nearly a year. Just look at how everyone watches Michael and Jerry. They are expecting them to actually fight this year.”

  “Promise to protect me if they do?” Tiffany asked.

  “I promise to move you out of the line of fire long before that.” As soon as his mother drifted away, he began to introduce Tiffany to several friends closer to his age.

  At last, Rod spotted Nancy and Willie walking up the road. She was carrying a heavy homemade ice cream maker, so he went to help. The moment Willie spotted him, he ran into the deputy’s arms.

  “Hey bud, how are you?”

  “Fine.”

  Rod set the boy down and took the ice cream maker out of Nancy’s hand. “You should have called me when you got here; I would have...”

  “And let you miss it when Michael and Jerry start to argue? No way.”

  “Good point.” He took Willie’s hand and walked them to the dessert table. “How’s your arm?”

  “Better, thanks to you.” She waited while he set the ice cream maker on the table, and then turned just in time to see Ben coming toward them. “Oh look, it’s the bean guy,” she said.

  Ben touched his cheek to Nancy’s. “I have a name, you know.”

  “Do you? I never knew that.” Nancy winked at Tiffany. “Who’s this?”

  “This is Tiffany Clark. Careful or she’ll tell you one of her famous stories.”

  “I am intrigued.”

  “Nancy makes the best ice cream in the world,” He told Rod. “What flavor did you make this year?”

  Nancy answered, “Your favorite. I made it just for you.”

  Ben playfully licked his lips and then turned to make the announcement others in the crowd had been waiting to hear, “CHERRY!”

  When some of the people shouted their approval and applauded, it made Nancy blush. “He does that to me every year,” she told Rod.

  Seated next to his wife, Otis spotted the way Rod was looking at Nancy. “So that’s what Millie is up to. She’s matchmaking again. Hope it works out better this time than last time.”

  Tiffany couldn’t get enough of watching all the fascinating crowd. People come in all different shapes and sizes, with some having physical marks of distinction and others not. Ben put Willie on his shoulders so the boy could get a better look around and continued to talk to Nancy and Rod. That gave Tiffany more time just to observe. She might have expected some animosity between Beverly and Mariam Eggelston since they both worked for Earl at one time or another, but the two of them seemed delighted to be in each o
ther’s company. “The informant,” Tiffany muttered.

  “What?” Ben wanted to know.

  “Oh nothing.” Tiffany found Deputy Rod Keller more fascinating than most and although he found a place for Nancy and Willie to sit at the last empty picnic table, he was all business when it came to keeping an eye out for trouble. Rod seemed to be studiously sizing people up the way she liked to do, but then all officers did that. Her detective father did. That’s where she picked up the habit. Her dad always said you can learn a lot by the way people hold themselves, dress, and either do or don’t openly express their emotions.

  Just now Rod was watching Beverly and Mariam. Tiffany felt sorry for her boss. How awful it must be to be considered a suspect all these years. On the other hand, Mariam could have moved away, although it might have made her look even more guilty. Tiffany wondered what she would do in the same situation, and decided she could ponder that later.

  By the time Michael came back, the crowd had grown even larger adding a multitude of card tables and chairs. Gloria was not with him and word of it seemed to shoot through the crowd faster than an eagle spreads its wings. Michael ignored their whispers and went to stand at the far end of the clearing, where by then Alex had drifted to as well. Tiffany immediately looked to see where his ex-wives were. All three were staring at Michael, who could not have looked more uncomfortable. Everyone else seemed to be looking at the way Jerry Terrell was laughing at Michael’s discomfort. Fortunately, Michael pretended not to notice, but the wrinkles in his brow had decidedly deepened.

  Rod noticed a particular man as soon as he started to approach him.

  “You’ll be coming around to talk to me soon anyway,” he said. “I’m Tom Connor, foreman over at the Tile Company.”

  Rod shook Tom’s hand. The man looked to be around Earl Woodbury’s age, although he had obviously put on a lot more weight than Earl. “You still work there, Mr. Connor?”

  Tom lowered his voice. “I keep an eye on things for Earl, if you know what I mean.”

  “Do you remember the people Earl fired right before the kidnapping? I believe there were three of them?”