A Minute on the Lips Page 15

  Lots of people were good at hiding the truth. They could lie to a person’s face and make him swallow every word and like it, but Ray had never been that sort of man. If she had to guess, he had no idea why she was standing in front of him to talk about Jackie’s case. Her hopes plummeted.

  Andi was still feeling the effects of mishandling Ray Evans. She did her best to never make the same mistakes twice, so this time she was going to try honey instead of vinegar.

  “I’ve questioned Jackie’s first group of suspects, but I can’t find a real strong motive. I thought you—with all your experience with the troublemakers in this town—might be able to shed some light on who I should look to for general pranks involving the Country Kitchen.”

  Andi crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back against the porch railing. She waited to see if that was enough flattery to pay off. He was inspecting her face carefully.

  Finally he nodded. “You know, Andi, I don’t have the same training that you do. I didn’t make it through the FBI academy and spend years working federal cases, but I do know this town.” He straightened his shoulders and tilted his chin up, daring her to argue.

  “I’m not stupid, either.” He scratched the ears of an old hound dog that came around the corner of the house to stretch at his feet. “I think you’re here because I might have stolen those things in order to make you look bad.” He snorted. “And I wish I’d thought of that. I might’ve tried it.”

  He patted the dog again and leaned back. “But I didn’t. You and I both know I don’t need dirty tricks to win this election. And I don’t think you’re looking for pranksters.” He stood. “Now I’ve done my good deed for the day. I’ve helped the less fortunate. So if you don’t have any more questions, I think you ought to be on your way chasing down the next lead. Good news is you won’t have to do this much longer, hon. When I win, you’ll be free to find something you’re better at than bein’ sheriff.”

  Andi didn’t move from her spot on the railing. “The thing is, Ray, I only have your word. Why should I believe you? I know you want to win. And I don’t think there’s anybody in this town better suited to pull this off without a hitch. You have motive and means.” Andi shrugged. “Did you have opportunity?”

  She might have seen a gleam of respect in his eyes, but that had to be a trick of light. Andi wouldn’t swear to it and he would have denied it if she’d asked, but Ray sat back down.

  “Well, now, Andi, I wasn’t sure you had it in you, but I see you won’t take no for an answer.” He shook his head. “Maybe I should have hired you. Too bad you decided to show off that day. Seemed a little too much like your daddy.”

  Andi wrangled her eyebrows back to their normal position. They wanted to fly right off her forehead. She contented herself with a small smile and a nod. “And it’s too bad you can’t let it go. I think we’d have both been happier if you’d hired me, Ray.”

  Andi would have bet that she saw calculation in his eyes.

  “What about now? If I promise to hire you, will you drop out of the race?”

  Andi might believe he hadn’t stolen Jackie’s stuff, but she didn’t trust Ray Evans to keep his word, not one bit. She pretended as well as she could. “I’ll think about it, Ray.”

  He nodded once. “Hey, Martha, can you come out here a second?”

  His wife appeared in the doorway, and Andi could see how much Lori resembled her mother. Martha walked out of the house with an apron tied around her waist and a dish towel in her hands. She also wore a smile, and Andi wondered at it. A genuine smile from an Evans? Weird. Somehow Martha Evans had missed the “We All Hate Andi Jackson” memo posted on the refrigerator.

  “Morning, Sheriff. Everything all right?”

  “Yes, ma’am, everything’s fine,” Andi assured her.

  “Sheriff Jackson needs me to account for my whereabouts on Wednesday night, Martha. Can you tell her where I was?”

  She looked from him to Andi, and she had such an honest look of confusion Andi knew this was another dead end. “Well, we went to church and got home about eight. Then we worked on the bunk beds we got for the boys until after ten. Then we went to bed.”

  Andi wrote down a few useless notes. “And Thursday morning?”

  She laughed once. “Well, we got up about our normal time, before six. I made breakfast...and what else, Sheriff?”

  Andi smiled at Martha, who was her favorite Evans even if she had destroyed the only plausible lead Andi had. “That’s good, Martha. Thanks.”

  Martha’s smile didn’t return quickly. “You don’t think Ray broke into the diner, do you? For what possible purpose?” She was confused, and Andi knew her hold on the one positive member of the Evans family was slipping away.

  Ray snorted. “She thinks I mighta broken in and taken what I could find to cause her trouble during the election.”

  Martha looked thoughtful for a minute, then she nodded. She patted him on the shoulder. “I’d say she knows you pretty well then.” Her smile was back when she turned to Andi. “But this time he didn’t do it, Sheriff. I’ll vouch for him. He mighta taken the trophies as a prank, but he wouldn’t steal Jackie’s money, not even to give you trouble.”

  She and Andi exchanged nods, and Martha escaped the porch. Ray’s face was hard to read, but he finally said, “Good luck with the case, Andi.”

  “Thanks, Ray.” Andi stepped off the porch and hurried to her car.

  After another quick glance at the truck, Andi said, “Hey, Ray, I notice your truck’s pretty clean. Were y’all using that last week to haul the bunk beds and drive in to church?”

  He tilted his head and pulled off his cowboy hat. After a quick swipe of his brow, he pushed it back on and stood. “No, I loaned it to Lori last week. She had some car trouble and hers was in the shop. Ralph washed it for me before they picked up the boys this weekend.”

  Andi opened the door to the SUV. “All right. Thanks for your time. I do appreciate your help.”

  Ray held up a hand. “You wanna tell me why you’re asking about the truck?”

  Andi smiled, shook her head and slid into the driver’s seat. She waved once as she backed down the lane. She had to get to the Fall Festival committee meeting at eleven. She’d already attended four other interminable meetings where every possible planning option was discussed—even though they would run everything just like they had for the past twelve years—but she couldn’t miss it. She had to make sure enough people were in place for crowd control. It was the one weekend a year where the whole department worked and Andi called in all the reservists. When she reached the end of the lane, Andi considered asking Ray if he’d like to be involved but headed to town without stopping. Calling on Ray Evans wouldn’t help her get reelected.

  When she got back in the office, Andi checked her messages. She’d requested a few state police units to help with the crowds for Saturday’s parade and the chili cook-off. Her normal crew could handle the increase in accidents and petty crime, but it made her feel like everyone was more secure to have the state police present along the route. A voice mail confirmed that four units would be in town on Saturday.

  Andi also had a panicked message from Tammy regarding the debate. Since she was about to see her friend at the planning meeting, she deleted it. The last message was from her old boss in Atlanta. As always, Marcus Hightower was direct. “Call me back, Jackson.” One voice mail, four words, and he was probably already annoyed at her delay. She’d have to call him later. She was late. After a disappointing check of her cell for any texts, she walked out.

  “Hey, Lori, I’m headed over to city hall for a Fall Festival meeting. Should be back around lunchtime.”

  Lori blew a bubble. That was about all Andi could hope for.

  When she stepped onto the sidewalk, a cool breeze ruffled the bangs that refused to stay corralled in the of
ficial ponytail. Andi combed through them with her fingers as she crossed the street.

  “Morning, beautiful sheriff.” Mark handed her a cup of coffee. “I was waiting for you but you walked right on by.”

  Andi looked down at the cup in her hand and a stupid grin crossed her face. Apparently her frowning reflex had been replaced by a goofy smiling one. She wasn’t sure that was an improvement. She also couldn’t imagine not noticing him. Andi realized she’d been unconsciously looking for him ever since they said good-night on Saturday.

  “Good morning. Headed to the planning meeting?” Andi wished she had something cute and clever to call him, but she couldn’t get the words out of her mouth. Frustrated by the limits of her vocabulary, she took a long, satisfying drink of perfectly prepared coffee. Of course, it didn’t get any simpler than plain black coffee, but she was glad he knew her that well. Probably. She might have been terrified. But it was a beautiful day so she was going to go with glad.

  Mark sipped his coffee. “Got to get all the details down so I can put them in this week’s paper. I don’t expect they’ll be much different than last year’s, but I can’t imagine the fury that would rain down on me if I got them wrong.”

  Andi laughed. “Not even the full might of the sheriff’s department could protect you from that.”

  “Aww, but you’d try? That’s sweet. And a sign of real progress in our relationship.”

  Andi ducked her head, and he bumped her shoulder with his. He smiled. Andi tried to. He held out his hand, and she twisted her fingers together with his. And they went into city hall. Holding hands. She could pretty much stop trying to convince herself the whole thing was for show. At least on her part anyway.

  Tammy was gesturing furiously at Andi when she walked in, and Mark and Andi both went to sit next to her. “Girl, don’t you answer your phone anymore? I’ve been trying to get in touch with you.”

  Andi shrugged. “I was out at Ray Evans’s this morning, and I just got back. What’s the problem?”

  “I think we’ve got everything arranged for the debate. We need to start preparing as soon as possible.” Her eyes were anxious as she watched Andi for a reaction.

  Andi didn’t get the panic. She looked at Mark, and he shrugged so she said, “Okay.”

  And Tammy’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head. “I just got all the details set and realized how little time we’ve got to get you ready.”

  She was whispering, but it was still loud enough to give Andi a sharp pain in her head. “It’ll have to be enough.”

  Andi honestly didn’t see the problem. She wasn’t trying to be difficult. Sometimes Andi did try, especially when it came to Tammy’s planning, but not this time. She needed to recover Jackie’s trophies and papers, but the thought of dealing with this investigation for even a day longer than she absolutely had to filled her with despair.

  Andi tried to smile reassuringly. “We’ll be fine. I’m comfortable speaking on the issues, and we’ve got everything lined up. We’ll be ready.”

  During the meeting, Mark and Andi made notes about the times and places of the weekend’s events. And Andi was glad to escape the dreary wood-paneled conference room when it was all over. Good or bad, things changed very little in Tall Pines. The parade would start at noon. A deputy would lead the parade and the sheriff would end it. The chili cook-off would be judged at two and the winner announced before the music started at six. East Street would be blocked off for vendors from Friday evening through Sunday afternoon. And the parade route followed the same blocks of Main Street as it did every year. It was good nothing much had changed. Andi had a hard time concentrating on the conversation. She wanted to watch Mark write. And when she figured out that was the problem, Andi wanted to find a flat surface to beat her head against. She had it bad. Who knew what lunacy would overtake her if they actually went out again?

  When they made it to the lawn outside city hall, Andi took a deep breath of air that had a slight fall feeling. Mark flapped his notebook and said, “The news never sleeps. I guess it’s back to work.” He smiled down at Andi and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. He met her surprised glance with a wink. In a low tone only she could hear, he said, “Sneak attack works every time. I’ll see you tonight, right?”

  Andi swallowed and nodded. When he stepped back and waved at Tammy, Andi gulped for air and shot quick looks over both shoulders. There were plenty of people milling around but no one, with the obvious exception of Tammy, was paying them any attention. She was making obnoxious kissy faces. When Andi thought about how many times she’d restrained a snort when Tammy and Peter got too gross for public consumption, she killed Tammy with her eyes.

  When she’d had enough, Tammy laughed. “Fine. I know you’ll be swamped this week with the festival, but I’m going to leave you a list of questions I think may come up. Next week we can talk about how to answer them all in a positive manner.”

  Andi held up her hands in surrender. “Okay. I’ll be prepared.”

  Before she knew what was happening, Andi was wrapped in a Tammy hug, all squeezing arms and strawberry shampoo. Before she let go, Tammy said, “I’m happy for you! You guys are darn cute together.”

  “Don’t get too excited. We’re just working together and, you know, pretending.” Weren’t they? At least, he was. Wasn’t he? Whether they were or not, that’s what she wanted Tammy to believe. She smiled awkwardly, patted Tammy’s back and stepped away. Awkward was apparently going to be her new normal.

  Andi cleared her throat. “Uh, I better get back to work, Tammy. Drop the questions by.”

  She smiled at a disappointed-but-suspicious Tammy and turned on one heel to hurry away. It was going to be a crazy week. She needed to get everyone scheduled and to talk to the people at the city works department to make sure all the road blocks were planned and ready to go. The sheriff always kept a close eye on the vendors who rolled into town on Friday. If there was going to be any trouble, it was likely to start there. Tents and money were a dangerous mix. And there was still Jackie’s case to consider. Before the Fall Festival overwhelmed her, Andi wanted to talk to the principal at the high school and the owner of the hardware store. The sad truth was she had nothing better to go on.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  ANDI KNOCKED ON the door to the newspaper office at ten minutes until eight. And Mark took a deep breath for the first time since he’d left her in front of the courthouse. He’d been sure she’d find some reason to skip this. She was too smart for her own good sometimes. The fact that she’d shown up...well, it should mean she was as anxious to see him as he was to see her. But it might mean she was at the end of her crime-solving rope. He’d been pacing in the shadows of the newsroom for at least twenty minutes, plotting his next move in case she stood him up. He’d been so certain she would, he’d run over to Purl’s Place right before it closed to get her a gift. Then he’d have an excellent reason to track her down. He’d been glad to see that Tammy was absent. Nicole, a very nice eleventh-grader, had helped him pick out a skein. It was his newest ace in the battle to win over the sheriff.

  Even before he opened the door he could tell it had been a long day for Andi. She looked tired. Really tired. The kind of exhausted he’d moved to Tall Pines to escape.

  Mark opened the door and took her hand as she walked in. “Hey, beautiful sheriff, tough day?” The office was dark, as he liked it. It was peaceful to sit there, surrounded by his newspaper, and watch the quiet Main Street. She stopped him as he reached over to turn on the lights.

  “No, dark is good,” she muttered. “I’m certain I look like roadkill tonight. I am more tired than I ever was in Atlanta. Monitoring conversations of suspected terrorists and war criminals was so much easier than breaking up a fight between two cheerleaders.” She twisted her arm to show him her elbow. “And I have girl slap bruises. Tears, hair, hair spray and flying elbows and
not a single new lead to show for it.”

  Mark didn’t say anything. He also didn’t laugh.

  “And Howard King, hardware-store owner, is on vacation. Yes, he and the wife are on a beach in Hawaii right now. The kid running the place either played dumb really well or is actually very dumb. And either way, he was no help. That means I have to talk to Jackie. Again.” Her voice said very clearly that the idea was dismaying.

  “Ray Evans was clearly not involved, even if he is the proud owner of one dark pickup truck. His lovely wife vouches for him. It’s just been a long, disappointing day, you know?”

  He eased his hands to her shoulders and guided her to a chair in front of the window with a perfect view of the deserted Main Street. “Sit. Relax. I have just the thing to improve your mood.”

  The newspaper offices were prime real estate, perched squarely in front of the courthouse on Main Street. From her seat, she could clearly see the Country Kitchen as well as the Smokehouse, Hair Port and her office. He knew that for a fact. He spent a whole lot of time in that very spot.

  Mark held up a plate. “I have a piece of chocolate pie with your name on it and a nice cup of coffee. Want it?”

  Andi held up both hands and made “gimme” motions. She took the first bite and sighed with happiness. “Please don’t tell me you can cook chocolate pie, too. That would be almost more than I could handle at this minute, right here, feeling like I do.” Then she laughed.

  He desperately wanted more details. Feeling like she did? What did that mean? Was she talking about just being tired? Maybe she’d missed him all day yesterday as much as he’d missed her. And if that was the case, they were both doomed.

  And why wasn’t he scared to death by the idea?

  When she glanced at him, he shook his head and motioned up with his fork. “Nope, but my mom can.”