1 Murder on Sugar Creek Read online

  “How do you know Dottie?”

  “The same way I know you. I know everybody on Sugar Creek. The question is, how come you don’t know them?”

  Maggie ignored Sylvie’s question. “What do you know about her?”

  “Dottie’s a good woman. Maybe too good. Her husband has had a few odd jobs here and there, but he ain’t never held down a job longer than a week and that girl of theirs was so sorry they took her boy from her. Dottie has raised him and she’s still raising him even though he’s grown. That boy’s so lazy he wouldn’t turn his hand to strike at a snake. He don’t work or go to college, but he drives a nice, shiny new vehicle. When he ain’t running up and down the road in that, he’s gunning that motorcycle or terrorizing the neighbors on that four-wheeler. I don’t know how Dottie is going to support him now. Maybe whoever buys the store from Mac’s wife will hire her.”

  At the mention of Carla, Maggie remembered the news Ben had shared regarding her finances. “Do you know Carla Honaker?”

  “Not well. I did some sewing for her and I sold her a quilt. I was surprised when she contacted me, but I realized she didn’t have no idea what Mac had done. She seems nice enough, but, well I guess you would call her a little snobby, but she was respectful to me.”

  “What did you think of them as a couple?”

  “It’s funny that you would ask that. I didn’t shed no tears when Mac died, but I’d still describe him as friendly and outgoing and common. Carla ain’t none of those things and I think she is out of place here on Sugar Creek. She never belonged in a community such as this. Of course, I get the impression that Jasper ain’t big enough for her, either. She and Mac didn’t seem to match, but other people had other opinions. My neighbor, she’s since passed, cleaned for them. She knew how I felt about Mac, but we agreed to disagree cause she said he was good to her. She also said he adored Carla. I’ll never forget her telling me that Mac was always bringing her flowers and leaving little gifts around the house for her. She asked Mac about it and he said he’d always remember the way Carla supported him when he decided to build the store. He said other wives would have complained and fretted over the money. Not Carla. He said nobody had ever believed in him the way she did. That shocked me cause you didn’t see them together much. He was always with that big ole boring Bug.”

  Maggie laughed. “Don’t hold back. Tell me how you really feel about him.”

  “He’s always seemed like he was just there. Like he was Mac’s shadow or something.”

  Maggie had to admit that, other than his fits of crying, Bug didn’t leave much of an impression. “Did you know Mac’s first wife?”

  “I knew of her cause of him and his family, but she wasn’t from Sugar Creek.” Sylvie cocked her head again. “I can’t remember exactly where she was from, but she went to school with him so it had to be somewhere nearby. I remember her mostly from when she worked at Walmart. I used to get her to slice baloney for me. She seemed nice enough. Not snooty like Carla. Mac’s mommy and daddy loved her.”

  Maggie forced herself to quit daydreaming about a fried baloney and mustard sandwich. “What happened between her and Mac?”

  “I don’t rightly know.” Before Sylvie’s pronouncement could impact Maggie, she added, “But I heard there was other women.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. You hear everything, and I find that one hard to believe cause Mac, well, he was always kind of sloppy. I couldn’t believe it when he snatched a woman like Carla.” Her eyes widened and she blinked several times. “But I’ve never been able to understand what attracts people to each other. And I remember Mac when he was younger and I guess he was good looking enough and he did have a good personality. Maybe I’m just prejudiced against him cause he stole from me, but I wouldn’t have had an affair with him. If I was going to cheat, it would be with somebody like Conway.”

  “Conway? Twitty?”

  Sylvie nodded. “Now, that was a good-looking man. And he could sing, too. But Mac? I never seen it.”

  Maggie recalled that, when she stopped at his store for a water or a tea, Mac always seemed to be wearing a gray or blue T-shirt stained with food, so she had to agree with Sylvie.

  “You know, his first wife never remarried. They say she never got over him.” Sylvie eyed Maggie. “Can you believe that?”

  That evening, Maggie popped into the home improvement store. As she roamed the aisles, she ran into Kevin’s dad, Randy.

  “Hey, how’s Kevin?” she asked.

  “As good as can be expected. Listen, he told me about coming to the newspaper office, and I told him he shouldn’t have done that. You can only do so much.”

  “Thank you. But, well, I don’t want to get Kevin’s hopes up and maybe you shouldn’t mention this to him, but after the columns ran, a reader contacted me. It looks like somebody else might have had a motive to murder Mac.”

  As Maggie spoke, she had no idea someone in the next aisle was eavesdropping on her conversation.

  Chapter Twelve

  When Maggie mentioned that the local theater troupe planned to put on a murder mystery dinner show, she hadn’t expected Luke to express interest in attending. In fact, she had talked the theater’s manager into comping one ticket for her on opening night and she had purchased another ticket for her mom. That way, she could review the show for the paper and enjoy a night out with fellow mystery fan, Lena, without violating Joe’s ethics policy. When Luke asked her to go to the dinner and show with him, she didn’t know what to say.

  “Wow, this is unexpected,” she finally said.

  After she explained the situation to Luke, he offered to return the tickets.

  “Don’t be silly,” Maggie reasoned. “It’s an audience participation show, so the culprit will be different each night. I think it will be fun to see two different endings.”

  The evening she attended the show with Lena, Maggie enjoyed potato soup, chicken, green beans, bread, and strawberry cheesecake and witnessed the handyman confess to the murder of the gardener. During her viewing with Luke, Maggie opted for cheesy broccoli soup, pork loin, potatoes, bread, and chocolate cheesecake and watched the maid own up to offing the gardener. During the drive from the theater to her house, Maggie detailed the differences for Luke.

  “The acting was better tonight than on opening night, but the actors were probably more relaxed. Overall, I think it ran more smoothly tonight, but that could be because I knew what to expect. Anyway, I’m glad I got the opportunity to see two versions of the show. Thank you so much, Luke.”

  “You don’t have to thank me, Maggie. I enjoy spending time with you,” Luke said as he pulled the car into Maggie’s driveway.

  “I feel the same way.”

  “Good. Because I think we should make this official.”

  “Official?” his comment caught Maggie by surprise.

  “Yeah, you know, we should officially start dating. If that’s something you want to do.”

  “Oh, yeah.” Maggie giggled. “You threw me with that ‘official’ line. I thought you were proposing.”

  Luke laughed. “I can see why that would throw you, but as much as I like you, I don’t think we’re ready for that step.”

  Maggie fished her keys from her purse. “Hey, you want to come in for a while?”

  “Sure.”

  As they walked to her front door, Maggie cautioned Luke. “Barnaby tries to jump on me as soon as I open the door, so you have to be quick.”

  But when Maggie opened her door, Barnaby did not greet them. Shaking, she immediately closed the door and said, “Something’s wrong. He’s always here.”

  “Maybe he’s asleep,” Luke suggested. “Let’s open the door and call for him.”

  Maggie followed his advice, but Barnaby did not respond to her command.

  She closed the door and said, “Either there’s something wrong with him or somebody is in there.”

  “Let’s not overreact,” Luke said. “I’ll go in there and have a l
ook around.”

  “No,” Maggie blocked him from entering the house. “If he’s hurt or sick, I need to be the one who finds him.”

  Luke squeezed Maggie’s shoulder and said, “We’ll go together.”

  They eased into the house and Maggie turned on the overhead living room light. She saw nothing amiss and called Barnaby’s name again before moving on to the kitchen with Luke in tow. When they found nothing out of the ordinary, they checked the laundry room before heading down the hallway toward the bedrooms. They turned on the lights and inspected each room, including the closets and under the beds. With their search complete, a still-shaking Maggie slid down her bedroom wall, brought her knees to her chest, clasped her hands around her shins, and sobbed. “Where is he?”

  “Hey, he’s got to be around here somewhere,” Luke squatted beside Maggie. “I’ll bet he’s in the back yard.”

  “How did he get there? He can’t open the door,” she pleaded.

  “Maybe your dad came over here for something and let him out.”

  Maggie’s heart raced as she considered the possibility. “You think so?”

  “I’ll bet that’s what happened.” Luke stood and held out his hand to Maggie. “Let’s go check.”

  Maggie ran to the back door, turned on the outdoor light, stepped outside, and called Barnaby’s name. The only noise she heard was the hum of her heat pump.

  “He’s gone.”

  “Look,” Luke pointed to the fence. “The gate is open.”

  “I never leave that gate open. Never. And Daddy wouldn’t open it and leave him out here alone.”

  With that, Maggie made way for her parents’ house. As soon as she opened the door for her, Lena said, “You’re as pale as a ghost. What’s wrong?”

  “Barnaby’s gone. Have you or Daddy seen him?”

  “Come inside. Hello, Luke, how are you?” Once Lena dispensed with the pleasantries, she said, “You mean to tell me that dog is gone?”

  “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. We came home and he’s not in the house. He’s not in the back yard, either, and the gate is open.” Robert had joined them in the kitchen. “Did you go over there tonight, Daddy? Did you let him out?”

  “Why, no. Are you sure he ain’t there?”

  “Yes, Daddy. We would have noticed a dog.”

  “We looked everywhere, Mr. Morgan.”

  “Well, I just don’t know how a dog could have opened the door –”

  “And the gate,” Maggie added.

  “– and walked out of the house and yard,” Robert continued

  “You had a horse once that opened the door to the barn,” Lena reminded Robert.

  “But he opened the door by pulling a chain with his enormous teeth.” Maggie clenched her fists and rocked on her heels as she spoke.

  “Now, Maggie, you need to calm down,” Robert advised.

  “My dog is gone and, like you said, he couldn’t have walked out without help.”

  “Well, let me get my shoes on and we’ll go back over there and have a look around.”

  “No, Daddy. I’m calling the police.”

  Robert held up his hand. “Just wait. It’s dark. Maybe you all missed something that I’ll see. I have more experience tracking animals than you do.”

  After Robert pulled on his boots, he accompanied Maggie and Luke to Maggie’s back yard where they found Barnaby scratching at the back door.

  “I told you he’d be here,” Robert said as Maggie ran to her dog.

  Luke nodded toward the fence. “The gate is closed. It was open before.”

  Maggie was grateful Luke had been with her when she came home to an empty house. Not only had he provided the emotional support she needed when she realized Barnaby was missing, he had also backed up her claims.

  “I think you all just imagined that the gate to the fence was open,” Robert declared.

  “How did we imagine that we didn’t see Barnaby, Daddy?” Maggie petted the dog as he lay in her lap.

  “He could have been asleep.”

  “With all due respect, Mr. Morgan, Maggie called for the dog repeatedly. We checked every inch of every room and he was not in the house or the yard and the gate was open.”

  “That would mean somebody had to let him out of the house. How would they get in without knocking down a door or breaking a window?” Lena asked.

  “Sometimes I forget to lock the back door,” Maggie admitted.

  Lena lifted her head and looked to the ceiling. “With the crime rate as high as it is, you go off and leave the door unlocked? And, just the other day, a gray Jeep came out here and turned. And I don’t know anybody up here that drives a gray Jeep.”

  “Mom, the crime rate is not high at all. The TV news and the newspapers would have you believe that because they, well we, accentuate the negative because it sells papers and grabs ratings. But we actually live in a safe community.”

  “Well, it can’t be too safe if somebody’s breaking into your house.” Lena paused. “Did you check to see if anything was gone?”

  “I didn’t notice anything missing, but I didn’t open every drawer. The fireproof safe is still here. I don’t own expensive jewelry or keep cash lying around.”

  “Why would someone break into your house just to let your dog out? That don’t make sense.”

  Maggie suspected she knew why, but she didn’t answer Robert.

  “All I know is that if somebody was in this house, you’re not staying here,” Lena commanded. “You’re spending the night with your daddy and me.”

  “Will you let Barnaby stay there, too?” Maggie asked.

  “You know the answer to that question,” Lena answered.

  “You know we don’t allow dogs in the house,” Robert agreed.

  “I’m not leaving him.” Maggie continued stroking Barnaby’s hair.

  “Now, Maggie.”

  “I’ll stay here with her,” Luke offered as he looked to Robert. “I’ll sleep on the couch or in the extra bedroom.”

  “You don’t have to do that, Luke,” Maggie reasoned.

  “I know, but I want to.”

  Maggie found it hard to concentrate in the days following Barnaby’s brief disappearance. Her parents remained unconvinced that Barnaby had even gone missing, but Maggie knew the truth. Even if she hadn’t experienced the fear, Barnaby’s behavior that night and the following day would have alerted her to a change in his situation. He paced in circles and clung to her more than normal. When she went to the bathroom, he stood outside the door and whimpered. She broke with tradition and let him sleep in her room. When she took him outside to use the bathroom, he refused to go into the back yard without her.

  “Somebody forced him outside and out of the yard,” Maggie told Luke the morning after the ordeal. “They probably pulled him by the collar.”

  “Wouldn’t his barking have alerted your parents?” Luke asked as he feasted on the pancake breakfast Maggie had prepared for him.

  “Barnaby never barks.” When Luke responded with a skeptical look, Maggie continued, “I’ve heard him bark only two or three times. He’s a good dog.”

  Luke downed a glass of orange juice. “Speaking of good dogs, I need to get home to mine. My neighbor took him for a walk last night, but it’s about time for another trip outdoors. Will you be all right?”

  “Yeah,” Maggie lied. “Thanks for staying the night and for supporting me.”

  Maggie wasn’t all right. She couldn’t sleep for fear the perpetrator would return and she worried about Barnaby when she was away from the house. She called her parents several times a day and asked them to check on him. Although she tried to expunge all visions of an unknown intruder sneaking around her house, the images kept returning to her mind as did the thought that the incident was linked to her inquiries about Mac Honaker.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The phone on her desk rang, causing Maggie to jump. When she recognized the number scrolling across the display, she relaxed and picke
d up the receiver.

  “Why didn’t you tell me about the Barnaby kidnapping?” Edie demanded of Maggie as soon as the latter answered the phone. “Is that why you’ve been skipping out on the gym? Is it because you want to get home and check on him? Or is it because you’re avoiding me?”

  Maggie looked around the office. Except for her, the newsroom was empty and she didn’t think her voice would carry loud enough to garner attention from the receptionist or the lone advertising sales clerk who loitered by the copier.

  “Did Luke tell you?”

  “No, he told Ben who told me. Ben said Luke spent one night with you and offered to spend another. Anything you want to tell me?”

  “Nope, there’s nothing to tell. He slept on the couch, I slept in my bed, and Barnaby slept on the floor beside the bed.”

  “That’s disappointing, but you were probably upset.”

  “That’s why you called me?”

  “No, I called to check on you and to ask why I had to hear it from Ben. Are you okay?”

  “It’s getting better. It was really scary, Edie.”

  “I know, Pumpkin. I know how much you love that dog. To think that somebody was in your house without your permission. They invaded the sanctity of your home. But I still don’t understand why you didn’t tell me.”

  “I didn’t want to alarm you.”

  “Hey, that’s what friends are for. What do you think happened? Why would somebody do this?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Are you sure about that?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Maggie, it seems like somebody was trying to send you a message.”

  “What kind of message?” Maggie feigned ignorance, but she understood Edie’s suggestion.

  “It’s simple. If they had wanted to hurt you, they would have killed him. Or you. But they didn’t. They wanted to scare you.”

  “Who would do that?”

  “Maybe somebody connected to the Mac Honaker murder. You have been snooping around. Maybe you found out something that somebody didn’t want you to know.”