“There’s no need to come open my door.” I put my hand on Mac’s thigh when he went for the door handle after he pulled up in front of my house.
“You walk on up if you change your mind on the nightcap.” Mac leaned over and kissed me from the driver’s seat.
“I’m pretty sure I need to get to bed. Work comes early tomorrow.” I had made it a point to actually go to work a little later so I could go to the Sugar Creek Gap Nursing Home salon to question any of their gossip.
It might be great that Bobby Peters was no longer a suspect, but it didn’t help Iris’s case any.
“Alright. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He watched as I made it up to the door.
I nearly tripped on something. I looked down, and it was a camera bag. I picked it up and noticed there was a note attached to it.
I headed inside and flickered the front porch lights to let Mac know I was safe and sound. I heard the truck turn around and drive back down the street.
“Hey, Buster,” I greeted Buster after he first gave Rowena a sniff to see where she’d been after I let her down. She swatted at him, making him come to me faster than he wanted. But he was always up for a nice rubdown. “You want a treat?”
I felt bad not taking him, but it was hard with Clara being so little. Plus, Buster liked to roll in whatever he could find on the farm. Sometimes those smells weren’t so pleasant, and there was no time for me to give him a bath.
I flipped the lights on throughout the house and put my purse and the camera bag on the kitchen table so I could make good on my promise to Buster by giving him a treat and letting him out back so he could do his business. Plus, it kept him occupied while I opened the letter.
“So sweet,” I said to myself when I read the letter from Elton. He mentioned how he was already in town to wait for our meeting when he got the message from Revonda Gail that Iris wasn’t going to be able to meet after I’d sent her a quick text while at Sunday supper.
He also said that he wanted to give me Piddy’s camera as his way of thanking me for helping solve Piddy’s murder. He said that he didn’t want the camera to sit and not be used because he wasn’t going to take photos, and Piddy would want someone to use it.
His last sentence made me cry.
“Piddy’s heart would love for you to have this to help document Clara’s life journey through the lens,” I read out loud, and tears flowed down my face. “That’s it.” I put the letter down on the table. “I’m definitely going to the diner. I have to bring Piddy’s killer to justice.”
A knock on the door startled me. I was happy to see it was Revonda Gail.
“How was supper?” she asked and waltzed right on in the door, making herself at home.
“It was good.” My brows rose, and I shut the door behind her and followed her into my own kitchen.
“You’re lucky. I wish my mom would do that even if it is just us.” She shrugged.
“Why don’t you do it?” I asked. “I did it for a long time, and I am my parents’ daughter.”
“Something to think about.” She stared off in space as though she were noodling the idea.
“I’ve got a plan.” I told Revonda Gail I was going to walk over to the diner and see just what Stella Jane had to say and what information I could get out of her.
At least she knew where I was going, and if I didn’t make it home, then she could tell the sheriff what happened.
“Maybe I should go with you,” she suggested.
“No. I’m not sure if she’d talk openly in front of someone she didn’t know. But you can do me a favor.” I had taken out the camera and noticed some film was in it with only one photo left to take until the roll was used up. “Smile.” I pointed the lens at her and snapped a quick photo.
“Awww.” She patted her face. “I don’t have on a full face of makeup.”
“You’re still gorgeous. Besides, I thought since Elton gave me the camera, these are probably the last photos Piddy had taken. I know Gill at the General Store is still there because I saw the lights were on. He said if I took film to him on a Sunday, he’d get it back quick. Do you mind running it over to the General Store?” I popped the film out of the camera and held it out to her. “I would like to get an album made up for him so he can display some of her creative side at her funeral once Angela releases the body.”
“Yes. That’s such a nice gesture.” Revonda Gail teared up. “If one thing is for sure about coming back here, it’s the fact I live by you. You know my mom always talks about how nice you are.”
“She always spoke highly of you, too, only embellished a little about your adventures.” I gave her a smile and walked her to the door.
“So, I guess you’ll let me know when we are going to sit down and go over all the clues?” she asked and took a step outside onto the porch.
“I’m sure Iris will have nothing but details tomorrow.” I couldn’t believe that I might just wake up to a phone call from Iris in the morning saying she and Bobby Peters had rekindled. That almost made my stomach turn more than Piddy being murdered.
Rowena had already gotten in bed and Buster had come inside, so it was time for me to head out. On my way out the door, I grabbed one of the bags of duck pellets from my empty mail-carrier bag, knowing I would see my duck friend when I crossed Little Creek on my way over to Main Street.
Little Creek Road, where I lived, had Little Creek, a real running creek on the opposite side of the road from the houses. That’s why the houses were only on one side of the street.
Quack, quack.
The familiar sounds of my friend made the darkness not seem so scary.
“Hey there.” I shined my phone’s flashlight down on my duck friend when I made it to the middle of the bridge. “I know it’s not Monday morning or afternoon, but I wanted to see if you were up for a little nightly snack.” I opened the baggie and threw him a couple of handfuls of food, leaving a little in the baggie for my return trip.
His little webbed feet were paddling so fast while his bill kept tapping the water. I watched for a few seconds before I walked over the bridge that led next to the veterinarian office and down the street toward the diner.
I used my own key to let myself in and slowly crept up the steps to where the apartment was located. There were voices coming from the apartment, and I put my ear up to the door.
“I can’t believe you used everything I told you. Do you know what you’ve done?” I heard a familiar voice, but I couldn’t place it.
I leaned in a little more with my ear flat to the door.
“Now Piddy Satterly is dead, and it’s all because of your stupid book.” I closed my eyes, trying to put the woman’s voice with a face. I knew I’d heard it before, but from where?
“Listen, you agreed to help me.” That was definitely Stella Jane’s voice. “And it’s done.”
“I agreed to help you with your school’s creative writing papers, not a best-selling fiction, which is not a fiction book. What are you going to do now? I’m certainly not going to give you any more gossip from around here.” Instantly the face popped into my head.
“Dora Lee Dykes?” I must’ve said it a little too loud.