I had some leftover hamburger patties from grilling with Carter a couple nights before so I popped a bun in the toaster and set a patty to heat in the microwave while I munched on potato chips. Soon, I was at the table with my burger and making notes on my laptop about the case. I’d gotten halfway through the meal and not quite that far into the notes when I heard my front door open and Carter call out.
“Don’t shoot,” he yelled.
“Are you coming to arrest me?” I asked.
“No.”
“Then I won’t shoot.”
I closed my laptop and a couple seconds later, he walked into the kitchen and took a seat across from me. He eyed my burger, then gave me a once-over.
“You look half asleep,” he said. “Too much assaulting ranchers today? Or were you the alien on the moped?”
“Too much wine and even more of Nora’s conversation combined with the hot tub,” I said and hopped up from my seat.
I ran into my office to retrieve some papers off my printer and handed them to Carter.
“See?” I said. “I’ve been doing some research.”
He flipped through the papers, frowning. “These are all sales ads for hot tubs. You were serious about that?”
“Heck yeah. I feel like I had a deep tissue massage all over my body but no one had to touch me to get it.”
He shook his head. “I don’t know why you continue to surprise me, but you do.”
“Don’t pretend like you wouldn’t love a sit in a hot tub after a day like today.”
“I suppose I would. I’m just not braving Nora’s house to do it.”
“Yeah, I found it a bit rough and it wouldn’t work for you at all given that Nora is always on the prowl—for men and a high.”
“I don’t need that visual. I’m still trying to forget that mud and the pig farmer comment.”
“I would have thought you’d be more concerned about her drug stash from Amsterdam.”
“Not in this case.”
I laughed. “Well, I’m calling a couple of these places to see if they have displays I can see. Then I’m going to check them out and have one put right behind the house.”
“Why not toward the bayou where you can get the breeze and watch moonlight on the water?”
“I could do that, but I’m planning on hot-tubbing naked. It’s a pretty big backyard to cross.”
“Then behind the house it is. That way you only have to worry about Ronald showing up.”
I waved a hand in dismissal. “He won’t be interested if I’m not wearing clothes. I’m pretty sure that’s all he notices about people. So anyway—tell me about this situation at the butcher shop. Someone stole a moped?”
He nodded. “It was Liam’s moped that he kept behind the shop. Someone wearing an ET mask grabbed a bunch of boudin links off the farmer’s truck and took off on the moped.”
“I gotta tell you, that sounds like kids.”
“Or someone who acts like a kid. They also blew up the dumpster behind the strip mall. Does that sound like kids?”
“This is southern Louisiana. Gertie’s not the only person who carries more dynamite than chewing gum. Probably half the fishermen on the lake have a stash.”
“Don’t remind me.”
“Anyway, why does any of that matter? Is Liam a suspect in the Headless Horseman thing? I mean, I don’t know the guy, but Ida Belle and Gertie filled me in on his story before we got there to deliver the casserole and I have to say, while he was polite and appreciated the food, he didn’t even look remotely bothered that his father was dead. Actually, he was more annoyed than anything since apparently someone from your office questioned him.”
“I questioned him myself,” he said. “And yeah, the chip on his shoulder was definitely there, but I have a hard time holding it against the guy. Still, everyone’s a suspect until they’re not.”
“Who else are you looking at?”
“I just said everyone until they’re not. You know I’m not going to discuss it with you.”
I sighed. “Fine. But you could save me from my boredom. I need something to do.”
“I thought you were working that disability case for the insurance company.”
“That took all of one day. That idiot went fishing, put a new roof on his shed, and then played football in his backyard with his buddies.”
Carter frowned. “Wasn’t that the guy who claimed he couldn’t walk?”
“That’s the one.”
“Maybe you should expand your territory more.”
“Nah. I don’t need much business to pay basics. And I don’t want to get into city crime. It’s all so mundane. No one ever sends a headless dead man riding a horse through a festival in New Orleans. Seriously, though, why would someone do that? I know, I know, your case and all that, but come on, Carter, that’s really weird. Even for Sinful.”
He nodded. “I agree. And honestly, I can’t see the point.”
“I would say maybe it’s just a crazy person but this is Sinful so that doesn’t narrow things down much.”
“I know.”
“Well, since you’re here, do you want something to eat? I have some more burgers.”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
I tossed another bun in the toaster and patty in the microwave and retrieved him a bottled water as he was still officially working.
“Are you working the festival again tonight or are you on detective duty?” I asked.
“I’m working the festival. I tried to recruit some backup from neighboring towns but anyone close enough to cover is running shorthanded. Hey, maybe that’s something for you to consider. I know Mudbug is hiring a deputy.”
“Hard pass. I got out of government work for a reason. I don’t like the oversight.”
“You also don’t like following the law.”
“There you go. It’s not a good fit.”
I put the burger together and slid it in front of him before sitting back down.
“What was your take on him—Gil, I mean. And I’m not getting into your investigation. I just wondered what a guy’s perspective is given the description I’ve gotten. You can’t blame me for being interested. He did ride headless through the festival. And it sounds like that wasn’t necessarily the biggest eyebrow-raising event he was involved in.”
Carter took a bite and thought while he chewed. “I didn’t like him much. He was one of those guys who was always talking just a little louder than necessary. He’d walk right up in the middle of anyone’s conversation and just start talking over them until everyone else shut up and had to listen to him. And obviously, the situation with Liam’s girlfriend didn’t get him many fans.”
“But Ida Belle said he did well with the insurance sales.”
“Oh, he was a natural salesman. When he was in insurance mode, he could convince even the cheapest of people that they had to have insurance right then or their entire life was going to fall apart.”
“A bit dramatic, which stands to reason, I guess. Ida Belle and Gertie told me about his acting thing.”