“We started to take long walks on our property.” He reached back and took out a photo album from a pie safe right behind the table. He flipped it open. “She even bought a camera. Started taking pictures. She was really good at it.”
He slid the photo album over to me, and I looked at the photos on the page.
“These are really good.” I was delighted by the colors and focus. “Where is this?”
“That’s our lake on the back ten acres. She and I ended up going there a lot. She’d read, and I’d fish. She’d take photos, and I’d be napping.” He noticed I’d flipped the page to where he was sleeping. He laughed.
“Aww. That’s precious.” I started to think Piddy and Elton had made lemonade out of lemons. “You two look happy here.” I pointed to a photo of them.
“Yeah. We decided to go to Tennessee for a camera and photography show. She loved that trip. That’s where she got her new camera.” He looked over at the coat rack just inside of the back door.
There was a purse and a camera bag. The camera bag looked much nicer than the one I had.
“You should see Bernie’s photos she’s been taking. They are so good.” Revonda Gail veered off the course, and I had to rein her back in.
“Why did she get a job?” I asked.
“She said she’d heard the preservation committee had gotten a request for a bookstore from the local planning and zoning. She reads all the time, so it was actually my idea when I told her to go apply. Do you use a digital camera or 35mm?”
“35mm,” I commented and remembered what he’d said earlier about letting Piddy get a job. “You said earlier that you didn’t want Piddy to get a job, but now you said you encouraged her.”
“I know. I know I said it, but that woman reads—read.” He corrected himself and got all fidgety. “She read all the time. We drove clear over to Hazard to the bookstore there once a month. She’d load up on books. I figured she’d be able to read until her heart was content.” His voice cracked. “I’d not figured she’d get killed doing what she loved.”
“I’m sorry.” I sucked in a deep breath and tried not to tear up because he was making me so sad. It made me wonder, if I had been the one killed in a car wreck, would Richard have felt the same way?
“Me too. But.” He shook his head and took another bite of cake. “The last ten years have been good to us, and if it really weren’t for the affair, we might not’ve gotten as close as we did.”
“Wow.” Revonda Gail pushed back in her chair. “That’s a great way to look at things. But aren’t you mad as you-know-what and wanting to find the killer?”
“Of course I am, but I’m not going to go all vigilante on the whole town. Just like the sheriff said, I’ve got to give them time to do their job.” He ate the last bit of the coffee cake.
“Or do you?” Revonda Gail’s brow twitched up.
“Huh?”
“We better getting going. We have church.” I smiled in hopes Revonda Gail would get the message to keep her mouth shut. I stood up.
“I’m just saying you’ve got two of the nosiest citizens of Sugar Creek Gap right here in front of you. We want to help our friend Iris get off the suspect list, so why not join forces with us so we can figure out who killed Piddy. We are much quicker.”
“I guess we have a few minutes.” I eased back down in the chair, knowing Revonda Gail wasn’t going to let me leave just yet.
“I never really liked the law myself.” Elton grinned. “I’d like to find my wife’s killer.” He reached over and patted that shotgun.
“Great. Come by Pie in the Face tonight at seven.” Revonda Gail was making all sorts of plans without even asking me or Iris.
“I’ll be there.” He nodded.
“Write down anything you can remember throughout the day.” Revonda Gail looked as if she’d confused Elton. She began to clarify, “Like who might’ve wanted to kill her other than Iris. Why they wanted to kill her. And any memories of conversations you two might’ve had over the past however long since she was hired at the bookstore.”
“Yeah.” I nodded at Revonda Gail’s insight. “How long ago did she actually get the job?”
“She got it about two months ago and has been going to Hazard to learn how to run the register for training.” Elton was going to be able to provide us with insider information that we could use. Or at least use faster than Angela Hafley.
Revonda Gail and I got up to leave.
“Real quick.” Elton stopped us. “Just how do you think you’re going to get more information than the sheriff? She will be able to get warrants and stuff.”
“That.” I pointed to him. “It’ll take her longer to get a warrant than just me popping my head in somewhere to deliver a piece of mail and just snooping around.” I winked. “People have a way of telling me things.”
“Mm-hmm.” He smiled. “Just like you did me.”
“Exactly.” I opened up my arms. “I’m sorry about Piddy. If you need anything, I do understand.” Even though he shied away from my hug at first, he ended up giving me a few pats on the back.
“What was that emotion I saw back there when Elton was talking about Piddy dying doing what she loved?” Revonda Gail asked me after we’d gotten back on the road.
“I’m sure now that the book is out, and even before the book was written about Richard’s longtime affair.” I gripped the wheel so I could keep the feeling in my hands and not my heart as I responded to Revonda. “When Elton was telling his story, I couldn’t help but wonder how Richard would’ve reacted if I’d died instead of Richard.”
“I have no words to offer.” Revonda closed her mouth, and we sat in silence all the way back into town and while we parked in the church’s parking lot.
It wasn’t until Revonda Gail and I made our way up to the front pew where my entire family was already seated that we heard murmurs fall in place behind us.
“I told you everyone in here is going to think the world is ending because I’m here.” Revonda Gail nudged me and chuckled.
“I can’t believe my eyes!” Gertrude jumped up and threw her hands over her mouth before she threw them up in the air. “Lord, thank you for the miracle!” she screamed.
A few amens were hollered out.
Chapter 15
“What do you mean you went to see Elton about Piddy’s murder?” Gertrude’s eyes snapped to me. “Bernadette Butler, you better not be getting my daughter pulled into any of your sleuthing schemes.”
Gertrude had yelled at me and Mac from her front porch. She and Revonda Gail looked to be having lunch after church.
“What on earth is she talking about?” Mac asked and plucked a doggie poop bag from the leash to pick up Buster’s number two.
“Cut it out, Mother.” Revonda Gail’s eyes were twitching. “It’s high time you told all your gossipy friends about where I’ve really been.”
Revonda Gail was about to let it spill out before Gertrude shushed her.