Leftover Dead (27 page)

“Are they both still alive?” Jack asked.

“No. Connor died some years ago, but Dewberry is still alive, as far as I know. Last I heard, he was living in the nursing home here. He has his own apartment there. His family paid a lot of money for it. As soon as he started failing, they got him out of the house and into the nursing home.”

“Doesn’t sound like a very nice family,” Wanda Nell said.

“It isn’t,” Mrs. Culpepper replied. “Atwell’s family isn’t much better, and that’s the Lord’s honest truth.” She shook her head. “I’ve never known a family yet, with that kind of money, where any one of them was happy.” Her mouth twisted in what seemed to Wanda Nell an expression of self-mockery. “Thaddeus left me a very wealthy woman when he died, thanks to his greedy, grasping ways. The happiest day of my marriage was when I buried him.” She looked at her grandson. “I’m sorry if that shocks you, T.J. I never thought I’d talk that way about him, but I can’t go on pretending any longer. Can you understand?”

“Of course, Grandmama.” From the strained sound of his voice, Wanda Nell knew T.J. was having a hard time controlling his emotions. She knew exactly how he felt.

“Don’t shed any tears over me, any of you,” Mrs. Culpepper said, her tone suddenly fierce. “I won’t have it. Save them for someone who needs them more.” She leaned forward in her chair. “I think I’d like to rest now. T.J., would you help me upstairs?”

T.J. sprang to his feet, reaching her in three strides of his long legs. He slipped one arm around her as she rose from her chair. She stood for a moment, facing Wanda Nell and Jack, who had also stood.

“You know where to look now,” she said. “I think the person you’re looking for has to be a member of one of those two families. I’ll leave it to you to figure out just who, because I have no idea which one of them could be the murderer.”

Jack held out his hand to her. She took it, and he said, “Thank you.” Mrs. Culpepper nodded as Jack released her hand.

Wanda Nell stepped forward and kissed Mrs. Culpepper on the cheek. She hoped her eyes would tell Mrs. Culpepper what her words couldn’t. Mrs. Culpepper smiled at her for a moment, then brought up a hand to caress her cheek. Wanda Nell blinked back her tears.

T.J. led his grandmother out of the room and up the stairs.

Wanda Nell and Jack sat down again, and neither of them spoke until T.J. came back some minutes later. “She’s resting,” he said. He sat down and leaned back in his chair. “I don’t know about y’all, but I’m exhausted after hearing all that.”

“Pretty extraordinary,” Jack said. “Just goes to show, you never know what someone’s life is really like.”

“Mama, you okay?” T.J. asked when Wanda Nell didn’t speak.

Wanda Nell nodded. “I’m fine. There’s just a lot I’m going to have to think about.”

“I know what you mean,” T.J. said with a grimace. “Is it too late to change my name? I sure hate knowing I’m named after that old so-and-so.” He tried to make a joke of it, but Wanda Nell could tell it was bothering him.

“Don’t think about it like that,” she urged. “He might not have been a good man, but you
are
. And that’s all that counts.”

“Thanks, Mama. I’ll have to think some more about that, I guess.” He stood. “I’d better be getting back to work. It’s getting close to lunchtime, and Tuck and I were planning to have it together.”

“Oh, Lord!” Wanda Nell jumped to her feet. “I’ve got to get to work, too, before Melvin fires me. Come on, honey.”

Jack stood. “It’s okay, love, it’s only ten after eleven, believe it or not. We’ll get you there in time.”

“I’m going to say goodbye to Belle,” T.J. said. “And I’ll tell Juliet you’re ready to go.”

“No, we’ll go, too,” Wanda Nell said. “I’d like to say goodbye to Belle myself.”

She and Jack followed T.J. out of the room and down the hall to the back of the house. The tantalizing aroma of baking cookies reached them as they drew close.

In the kitchen Belle was chattering away to Juliet, who listened raptly. Belle broke off upon seeing the newcomers. “Hello, there. Is everything okay? How is Lucretia? I do hope she didn’t wear herself out. I know this must have been hard for her, having to talk about all that. But she’s tough, always has been. Always had to be.” She shot a knowing look to Wanda Nell, Jack, and T.J.

“Grandmama’s upstairs resting,” T.J. said. “She’ll let you know if she needs something, she said.”

Belle nodded. “Oh, yes, she will. That bell she keeps by her bed will start ringing, and it won’t stop until I get myself up those stairs to find out what she wants. She calls it Belle’s bell.” She laughed. “Isn’t that sweet? Now, are y’all about to leave and take Juliet? I wish y’all would stay for lunch. It wouldn’t take me five minutes to have something ready for all of us.”

“We’d love to, Belle,” Wanda Nell said, and she meant it. Belle was a wonderful cook. “But I have to get to work, and so does T.J. If Juliet wants to stay, and you don’t mind having her, she can.”

“Of course I don’t mind. I can’t tell you how much I enjoy talking cooking with her. She picks up everything so fast. I declare, she’s going to be able to open her own restaurant before long.”

Juliet flushed at the praise. “I would like to stay, Mama, if you and Jack don’t mind.”

“It’s fine with us,” Jack said, smiling. “I can pick you up later, when you’re ready to come home.”

“We’d better get going, then.” Wanda Nell gave Belle and Juliet quick kisses, and after both the men had hugged Belle and said goodbye to Juliet, the three of them departed.

On the way to the Kountry Kitchen, Wanda Nell asked, “What are you going to do next? I don’t know much about either of those families, except I recognize the names. I don’t know that I’ve ever met any of them. Not people with that kind of money. They don’t eat at the Kountry Kitchen.”

“Probably not.” Jack grinned. “But they’re missing some mighty good food, not to mention first-rate service. Or do you save that only for me?”

Wanda Nell punched him lightly on the arm. “Behave yourself. Now what are you going to do?”

“We need to talk to someone who knows more about both families. At least, more about the younger generation of each of them. What do you think?”

“You’re right. You could go to the library or get on the computer, but you can do that later if you have to. We need to talk to someone who knows the kinds of things you can’t find in either of those places.”

“So I’m thinking Ernie Carpenter,” Jack said.

“Exactly,” Wanda Nell replied. “She’d be hurt if we didn’t include her. She’s bound to know something about these people.”

“Why don’t you call her now? We’ll be at the restaurant in about five minutes. Maybe she can come there, and we can talk after the lunch rush is over.”

Wanda Nell was already reaching for her phone. Ernie answered on the third ring.

“Hello, Wanda Nell. How are you? Anything new?”

“There certainly is.” Wanda Nell explained briefly and asked whether Ernie could come into town to confer with them.

“I certainly can.” Wanda Nell had to smile at the enthusiasm in the older woman’s voice. “I’ve managed to find out something about Howell, and I think it could be significant.”

“That’s great,” Wanda Nell said. “You are amazing.”

“I know.” Ernie chuckled. “I’ll see you about two. Will things be quiet enough by then?”

“They should be. We’ll see you then.” Wanda Nell ended the call and dropped her phone back in her purse.

“So she’s coming?” Jack asked. “What time?”

“Two,” Wanda Nell replied. “She says she’s found out something about Howell, too.”

“Even better,” Jack said. “Maybe things are really coming together.” They had reached the restaurant, and he pulled his car into a parking space around the side. The lot was filling up rapidly.

“You want to come in for some lunch?” Wanda Nell asked.

“No, I’m going home to do some work. You don’t mind?”

“Of course not.” Wanda Nell gave him a quick kiss before opening her door. “You go on home, and I’ll see you at two.”

“Will do,” Jack said. “Don’t work too hard.”

Wanda Nell watched and waved as he backed the car out and headed down the street.

Melvin looked up from the cash register when she walked in the door. “Glad you could join us,” he said, his eyebrows raised.

Wanda Nell could tell by his tone that he wasn’t annoyed, just picking at her. She grinned. “Nice to see you, too.” She went behind the counter and headed for the door into the kitchen. “I’ll be right back,” she said.

The next couple of hours passed quickly. By one-thirty the lunch crowd had thinned out to only four tables, and Wanda Nell was able to take a few minutes to have her own lunch. She finished it quickly, knowing that she shouldn’t be eating so fast, but it was hard to break the habit.

She was doing side work in preparation for the evening dinner crowd when Jack arrived a little before two. Ernie came hard on his heels, and Wanda Nell took them to a table in the back dining room. “Would y’all like something to drink?” she asked as her husband and her friend sat down.

“I’d love a cup of coffee and some of that delicious apple pie,” Ernie said. “With a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.” She sighed. “I shouldn’t, but I can’t help myself.”

“I’ll have the same,” Jack said, a twinkle in his eye. “Just so Ernie doesn’t feel so bad, of course.”

“Of course.” Wanda Nell rolled her eyes at him. “Two coffees, two apple pies. I’ll be back in a minute. Why don’t you tell Ernie what we found out?”

“Will do.” Ernie turned to Jack eagerly, and he was giving her a short version of the morning’s interview with Mrs. Culpepper as Wanda Nell walked away.

She turned in the order for the pie, but before she poured the coffee, she wanted to make sure she would have some time to spend with Ernie and Jack without interruption. Patsy was busy flirting with the one customer sitting at the counter.

“Hey, Junior,” Wanda Nell said as she approached, “mind if I borrow Patsy a minute?”

Junior Farley, one of the Kountry Kitchen’s most faithful regulars, grinned. “You know I’d do anything for you, Wanda Nell. But don’t keep her long, okay?” He winked.

Wanda Nell had to smile. Junior had sure perked up since Patsy had started to work at the restaurant. He had even lost a little weight, and it was all on account of Patsy, Wanda Nell figured. Patsy seemed interested in Junior, so it wasn’t just wishful thinking on Junior’s part.

“What’s up, Wanda Nell?” Patsy asked. She turned to Junior. “I’ll be back, honey. Don’t you wander off.”

“No, ma’am.”

Wanda Nell had moved away a few steps, and Patsy came closer. “I just need a little while to talk over something with my husband and my friend back there,” Wanda Nell explained. “You mind?”

“Course not. It’s pretty dead in here, and besides, Junior’s here to keep me company. Melvin’s probably taking a nap in his office. Go on, and if I really need you, I’ll holler.”

“Thanks.” Patsy went back to flirting with Junior, and Wanda Nell prepared the coffee and a glass of tea for herself, and retrieved the pie from the kitchen. She carried the tray to the back and set it down on the table.

Ernie accepted her piece of pie with a happy sigh. “This is so good.”

Smiling, Wanda Nell served Jack his pie and coffee and set her glass of tea on the table.

“Have you told Ernie what we found out?” Wanda Nell asked before sipping at her tea.

“We’re all up to date,” Jack said. “We were just waiting for you.” He grinned. “Ernie knows all about both families, the way we figured she would.”

“My father knew both Atwell Connor and Jackson Dewberry,” Ernie said. “He served on the hospital board with both of them.” She sniffed. “He didn’t have a very high opinion of either one of them. Too much money and not enough morals, he always said.”

“Miz Culpepper said Connor is dead, but that Dewberry is living in a nursing home here in town,” Wanda Nell said.

“Yes,” Ernie agreed. “So is Mrs. Connor. Mrs. Dewberry died a number of years ago.”

“What family do Connor and Dewberry have, besides Mrs. Connor?” Jack asked. He had his notebook out, ready to jot down names.

“Dewberry had three children,” Ernie replied. “Two sons and a daughter. The daughter was the youngest. There was a gap between her and the brothers. I believe the parents were both over forty when she was born.”

“So she’d be about my age, or a little older,” Wanda Nell said. “I don’t know her, and I don’t guess I know her brothers, either.”

“The two brothers were just ahead of me in school,” Ernie said with a smile. “So there’s no reason you should know them.”

“Did you actually know them?” Wanda Nell asked.

“Not really. Of course, everyone knew who they were. They were both very handsome, as I recall, and every mama in town wanted one of them to marry her daughter.” She laughed. “Thank the Lord my mama was smarter than that.”

“Where are they now?” Jack asked.

“The younger brother left town many years ago. I believe he went to New York. He had some ambitions of being an actor, but whether he ever achieved them, I don’t know. I certainly have never seen him in anything. He’s rarely come back.” She grinned. “The last time he did, about twenty years ago, as I recall, he caused quite a sensation. He brought his boyfriend with him. And you can imagine how that set tongues to wagging.”

Wanda Nell laughed. “I’m sure it did.”

“The people in Tullahoma didn’t know what to think,” Ernie said. “Of course, he was a Dewberry, and no one dared say anything openly.”

“What about the older brother?” Jack asked. “What does he do?”

“He lives in the Delta, running one of the plantations they still own. He does come to Tullahoma, though. He still has business interests here, and the family home is here. His sister lives here. Mousy little thing and not very attractive. She was obviously an afterthought, if not a total surprise, to her parents. All their attention went to the two boys.” She looked at Jack. “You actually know her. She teaches at the high school.”