“She said her publisher sent a lawyer in the middle of the night, and apparently the lawyer did a number on them down there at the sheriff’s station.” Mom laughed. “Them big-city lawyers. . .” She shook her head and continued, “but she did say they were going to have to pull her book from stores. But they have gotten her on a flight out of here this morning, so I think she’s packing her bags.”
“What does that mean for Elsbeth?” My brows knitted.
“Honey, I’m not sure. I know you’ve got a big heart, but you’re just gonna have to let this one play out in the court system.” She patted my hand.
“Bernie, so glad you are here.” Gill Tillett had walked up behind me. “I was going to drop this off with your mom in case I missed you at the store.” He handed me an envelope of photos. “I had my guy hurry them up after Revonda Gail told me you were making an album for Elton. That’s mighty kind of you, Bernie.”
“It’s nothing. Did you get a chance to see them?” I asked and slipped them into my mail- carrier bag. I wanted to go see Stella Jane before she snuck out of here.
“Nah. He just dropped them off. I wanted to be sure you got them, and I knew you’d see your mama and them.” He took the to-go cup of coffee Mom offered him. “Thank you for the coffee, but I gotta go.”
Gill hurried off.
“He’s a nice man. I sure hope Drucilla is doing well in school.” Mom said it like she’d heard differently, but I didn’t want to know about it.
“I’m going to take my coffee upstairs.” I picked it up. “I’ll be back. If not, call Angela,” I half joked.
The stairs were a bit creakier today, or so it seemed. Maybe my nerve endings were on high alert, who knew, but I felt anxious as I took each step.
“I thought I heard someone coming up the steps.” Stella Jane had stuck her head out of the apartment door. “I was hoping it wasn’t my ride to the airport because I’m not ready.”
I followed her inside where it looked like she was packing.
She went back to folding the stack of clothes on the bed and putting them in the suitcase. She came across a copy of Beyond Boundaries. She laughed and then opened the cover.
“Who knew all of the ruckus one little southern girl could make?” She shrugged and showed me the inscription on the inside. “Do you know Mary Ester Pitts?”
“I do.” I saw the book had been autographed to Mary Ester and took a drink of my coffee.
“She came in the bookstore the other night. She said her mom helps out with Elsbeth, and I just couldn’t leave without giving her a copy.” She closed the cover. “Do you mind giving it to her?”
“I sure don’t.” I took the book and put it in my mail-carrier bag. “I’m sorry your book is getting unpublished.” I felt bad for her, but she did publish material that though not illegal, was immoral in our eyes around these parts.
“It’s fine. Being an author isn’t what it’s cracked up to be. The travel, endless bags, living out of bags.” She wanted me to believe she’d given up on her dream, but the fact was Sugar Creek Gap was her first tour stop. She was just blowing smoke. “I do want you to know that I don’t know who killed Piddy, but someone did, so watch your back.”
“Stella. . .”
“Don’t. I know you’re going to say the evidence points to me, and you’re right. It does. But I can swear on Elsbeth and my love for her that I didn’t do it. I’d never do anything that would jeopardize Elsbeth’s health. But this just might kill her.” She snorted and shook her head. “The one thing I thought was going to pay for her to live has practically put her in the grave.”
There was a knock on the door.
“I’m here to pick up Stella Jane Clark.” The man in the black suit and cap must’ve been the fancy limo driver the publisher had sent to fetch the girl.
“Yeah. That’s me.” Stella zipped up the suitcase and hoisted it off the bed. “I’ll see ya in court.”
And just like that, she was out of Sugar Creek Gap until the trial for Piddy’s murder was scheduled.
Chapter 19
“Now go on and take these home. You can have them for dessert tonight and invite Mac over.” Mom handed me a box of hand pies. “You can tell him you made them. The way to a man’s—”
I interrupted, “Heart is through his stomach.” I smiled and immediately thought about what Gertrude had said about second chances, which made me rethink my stand on it after what Stella Jane had done to Piddy Satterly.
There were no second chances for that offense.
The last stop I’d yet to make was at the courthouse. Our courthouse was located right behind the mill wheel and now the bookstore.
There were the offices of the elected officers, clerks’ offices, PVA, and much more. Most of the lawyers in town even rented office space there.
Everyone in the courthouse was busy as usual. It was easy for me to slip in and out without being noticed. I walked up the steps to Tim Crouse’s law office to get in some extra steps. I did whatever I could to stay somewhat in shape since Iris and I had missed our yoga class this week.
Not that I’d missed it, really. I just hadn’t made it.
“It’s the right of the people. How can we do any remodeling with Bobby Peters’s high prices?” Mary Ester was standing in the office when I walked in. She glanced at me. “Hi, Bernie.” She smiled.
“How are you?” I could feel the tension between her and Tim.
Tim sighed and glanced at me.
“We can revisit this later.” She obviously didn’t want to continue her conversation with me in the room, though it had to be about some sort of preservation committee business.
Poor Tim. He probably loved and hated how he was the only attorney people used in Sugar Creek Gap. He was always busy.
“Oh! I’ve got something for you.” I remembered the book Stella Jane had given me to give her and pulled it out of my mail-carrier bag. “Stella Jane asked me to give this to you before she took that jet right on out of here.”
“She’s gone?” Mary Ester snarled, and her mouth opened. “The sheriff just let her walk away?”
“I guess they will bring her back.” I shrugged. “I didn’t ask about that.”
“You generally ask about everything else. What’s the difference?” She opened the book, and the envelope of photos fell out.
The photos scattered all over the floor.
“Gosh.” I bent down and started to pick up the photos, as did Tim and Mary Ester. “That must’ve gotten caught in your book.” I knew Mary Ester was mad about whatever she was there to see Tim about, and her snide comments were taken out on me. “What did Stella say in her autograph?” I asked to get the heat taken off me.
“Just thanks for the coffee.” She turned it around and showed it to me.
“That’s nice.” I took the photos from Tim and jerked the edges when I noticed he’d not let go.
“Is this you?” He pulled back the stack he’d picked up off the floor.
“Me?” I asked. “I don’t think so. These are from Piddy Satterly’s camera. She was actually a good photographer, and Elton gave me her camera because I was looking into her murder for him, but since they took Stella Jane into custody and are moving forward with her as Piddy’s killer, I guess I better give him the camera back.” I shrugged. “Either way, I thought I’d get the film in the camera developed and make him a photo album of her last photos.”