Leftover Dead

Table of Contents

 

 

“Down the mean streets of Tullahoma, Mississippi, one waitress must go. Wanda Nell Culpepper, armed only with a deep sense of right and wrong and her own flaming temper, must protect her three children and her precarious financial situation against powerful enemies . . . A down-home treat.”—Charlaine Harris

 

“If you like rural Southern culture, or just need a break from the bustle of the big city, you should stop in at the Kountry Kitchen for some coffee. I’m sure we’ll be stopping back next time we’re passing through.”

—
Gumshoe Review

 

“Wanda Nell Culpepper is a steel magnolia to cherish. This heartwarming mystery will win legions of fans.”

—Carolyn Hart

 

“A solid regional amateur-sleuth tale that uses the backdrop of the rural South to provide a fine who-done-it . . . Jimmie Ruth Evans provides a wonderful Mississippi mystery that stars a fabulous protagonist, a delightful eccentric support cast that brings Tullahoma—especially the diner and the trailer park—alive, and a surprising final peck.”

—
Midwest Book Review

 

“The Southern cozy at its best . . . delightfully constructed, carefully plotted, and written with sparkle and warmth.”

—
ReviewingTheEvidence.com

FLAMINGO FATALE
MURDER OVER EASY
BEST SERVED COLD
BRING YOUR OWN POISON
LEFTOVER DEAD

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

 

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: The recipes contained in this book are to be followed exactly as written. The publisher is not responsible for your specific health or allergy needs that may require medical supervision. The publisher is not responsible for any adverse reactions to the recipes contained in this book.

 

LEFTOVER DEAD

 

A Berkley Prime Crime Book / published by arrangement with the author

 

PRINTING HISTORY
Berkley Prime Crime mass-market edition / January 2009

Copyright © 2009 by Dean James.

 

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

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375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

 

eISBN: 9781101397084

 

BERKLEY® PRIME CRIME
Berkley Prime Crime Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
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BERKLEY® PRIME CRIME and the PRIME CRIME logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

 

 

My editor, Michelle Vega, and my agent, Nancy Yost, helped make a very difficult year easier to get through, and I thank them for their support and understanding. It means more than you can ever know. Carolyn Haines is also there, whenever I need a shoulder to lean on. Tejas Englesmith, Julie Wray Her-man, and Patricia Orr are always ready with encouragement and support when I need it. My amazing boss, Leah Krevit, has made the day job a joy, and I can’t thank her enough for the opportunities she’s given me.

Wanda Nell yawned and stretched, enjoying the luxury of a Saturday morning spent in bed. Now that she had only one job, working the lunch and dinner shifts Monday through Friday and every other Saturday at the Kountry Kitchen, she had more time to relax and pamper herself a bit. She turned on her side and reached for Jack, wanting to snuggle, but his side of the bed was empty.

Disappointed, Wanda Nell rolled over and peered at the clock on the nightstand. Nearly nine o’clock. Jack should be back soon. She sat up, pushing the covers aside. She stretched again before getting out of bed and padding barefoot into the bathroom. She splashed some cold water on her face, and as she wiped the moisture away, she caught sight of the ring on her left hand.

“Good morning, Mrs. Pemberton,” she said, her voice soft. She smiled at her reflection in the mirror. She and Jack had been married for six weeks now, and most mornings, she wanted to pinch herself to make sure it wasn’t a dream.

A few minutes later, housecoat securely fastened and house shoes on, she went down the hall to the kitchen. The trailer was quiet around her. Jack had left over an hour ago, headed for the high school where he taught, to make use of the track. He had started running again, determined to shed some of the pounds he had gained over the past year or so from all the meals he had eaten at the Kountry Kitchen.

Juliet, almost sixteen now, had spent the night with one of her friends and wouldn’t be home until sometime that afternoon. Ever since the wedding Juliet had been spending Friday nights away from home, with her best friend, with her grandmother, or with her sister, Miranda, and her new husband, Teddy. Wanda Nell appreciated Juliet’s thoughtfulness, allowing her and Jack some time completely alone on the weekends.

Miranda and Teddy had been married two weeks before Wanda Nell and Jack, and ever since Miranda and her son, Lavon, had moved out, Wanda Nell had missed them. The good Lord only knew how aggravating Miranda often was, and how many battles Wanda Nell had waged trying to get her older daughter to do the simplest of household chores. Wanda Nell didn’t miss that part, but she did miss seeing her grandson every morning and listening to his lively and imaginative conversations, usually directed at his stuffed rabbit.

Sighing, Wanda Nell grabbed the cereal box out of the cabinet, found a clean bowl and spoon, and set them all on the kitchen table before getting the milk from the fridge. She ate her breakfast slowly, thinking about the day ahead. School would be starting in a few weeks, and before Jack got snowed under with grading papers and dealing with his students, she wanted him to have some time to relax and have fun. He had been talking about writing another book, and Wanda Nell was proud of his accomplishments. He had published two moderately successful true crime books, and now he was itching to start another one.

Wanda Nell didn’t want him pushing himself too hard, between teaching high school English and researching and writing a new book, but she had begun to realize how important writing was to her new husband. Because it was so important, she would do whatever she needed to do in order to support him.

She was rinsing out her bowl in the sink when she heard the front door of the trailer open. “I’m up, honey. In the kitchen,” she called out.

Before she finished drying the bowl, she felt strong arms slip around her waist and warm lips brush the side of her neck.

She leaned back against her husband for a moment, luxuriating in the feeling. “Mmm, you sure do smell good.” She turned in his arms and looked up into his face.

Jack’s eyes glowed behind the lenses of his rimless glasses. His brown hair was still slightly damp from the shower he had taken at school. “I didn’t want to come back all hot and sweaty,” he murmured. His lips sought hers, and they kissed for a while.

Wanda Nell finally pulled away, more than a little breathless. “Where did you learn to kiss like that? Just what kind of loose woman did you date before you met me?” She pretended to be annoyed.

“All it takes is the right inspiration,” Jack said with a wicked grin. “I never even wanted to kiss a woman like that until I met you, love.”

Laughing, Wanda Nell pushed against his chest. “It’s lucky for you I like having you around, otherwise I wouldn’t put up with that kind of talk.”

“We don’t
have
to talk.” Jack pulled her closer. “If you know what I mean.”

Wanda Nell agreed.

Sometime later, once again in the kitchen, Wanda Nell scrambled eggs while Jack made toast. They grinned at each other when they sat down at the table to eat. Neither spoke until they had finished, and Jack got up from the table to fetch two glasses and a pitcher of orange juice from the fridge.

After filling the glasses, he sat down and raised his glass. “To marriage.”

Wanda Nell lifted her own glass and touched it to her husband’s. “Amen to that. I never thought I’d see the day when I’d get married again.”

“I’m glad you did. Otherwise, I might have had to kidnap you and run off with you somewhere till I could talk you into it.”

Shaking her head at his nonsense, Wanda Nell tried to suppress a smile. At some point they would get over this giddiness and goofiness, but for now, they were both determined to enjoy every single second of being newlyweds.

“How was your run?”

“Good. My knees are holding up, and I’m up to three miles now. At this rate, I should be pretty comfortable with five miles a day by the time school starts next month.”

“I probably ought to be out there with you,” Wanda Nell said, thinking ruefully of her thighs. “I could stand to lose a few pounds, too.”