J Stanley - The Battered Body

They all chewed thoughtfully on their sandwiches as they tried to imagine Russ DuPont somehow discovering that his grandmother’s recipes had made another woman extremely wealthy.

“Our hypothesis makes sense,” Lucy determined. “If Paulette did make off with the recipes, it would certainly explain why she never returned to Natchez. Still, without a confession from Russ, our theories are circumstantial.”

“And there’s no sign of Russ right now,” James pointed out. “Do you think he’ll go back to the goat farm, or is he done exacting his revenge and is now on the run?”

Gillian drew in a frightened breath. “Is Chloe in danger?”

Lucy considered the question. “As the next beneficiary of Paulette’s estate, she may be.” Her blue eyes gleamed. “But if Russ is following the Diva’s money trail, it would mean that he won’t leave town-that he’s merely lying low someplace until he can get at Chloe. We’ve called dozens of hotels, but none of them have Russ DuPont registered as a guest. Still, he could be checked in anywhere under a false name.”

“I’ll tell you one thing.” Bennett balled up his trash and scrutinized the crushed foil in his hand. “Aunt Wheezie ain’t gonna be much help fending off an angry boy bent on murder.”

“Don’t worry,” Lucy assured them. “Chase’s death lit a fire under Sheriff Huckabee. With all the media attention zeroing in on Quincy’s Gap because of Murphy’s damn book, he doesn’t want to look inept. He’s got two deputies keeping an eye on Wheezie and Chloe. Someone’s watching them round the clock.”

“Uh, that book !” Lindy spat out the word.

“Would someone please tell me what happens at the end?” James pleaded. “I know it’s off subject, but everywhere I go someone mentions the ‘shocking ending.’ Would someone just put me out of my misery?”

Lindy shook her head in refusal, but Lucy gave her friend a crooked smile. “Don’t worry, Lind. I know Murphy’s written it so that I get shot in the face in the final chapter. Donovan’s read the section aloud in the station at least six times by now.”

“She kills your character?” James was aghast. Only the danger of his last meatball falling from its cushion of bread was able to distract him from such a shocking announcement. “That’s so-”

“Nasty, cruel, vindictive, abusive, and childish!” Gillian supplied him with several apt adjectives. “I’ve pretty much summed up all our characters right there!”

“I thought you weren’t going to read it?” James remarked in accusation.

Gillian toyed with a tendril of hair. “I gave in to the temptation presented by my ego. And I regret it too. We should always be wary of giving in to our desire to see ourselves painted in a flattering light.”

“My character doesn’t die!” Lucy shouted. “I’m just a bit disfigured, that’s all,” she added caustically. When James and Gillian again began to splutter in indignation, she crossly gesticulated at the pair of them. “Hello! We’ve got a murder case to talk about! Can we just forget about that dumb book and…,” she trailed off, but James noticed that her eyes had darted toward Eliot’s scrapbook at that moment.

“What are our options?” Lindy inquired innocently. “If Chloe’s being guarded until she returns to Florida, there’s nothing we can do. Short of sneakin’ her away from her surveillance crew and leavin’ her in a place where Russ is sure to come for her, our hands are tied.”

James imagined Chloe standing on the edge of the cliff from which her brother had been pushed, and he shivered. “Russ must’ve written Chase a note to entice him to the overlook earlier than everyone else. You didn’t find any evidence of that?” When Lucy shook her head, he sighed. “Then this guy has to be caught in the act. We need to have some kind of private affair-a reason to keep Chloe and Wheezie around a little longer.”

Bennett stroked his mustache. “Yeah man, some kind of get-together? If there’s a bunch of folks around, Russ might feel like he can slip in and try to get to Chloe. And if Milla bought goat’s milk goodies from this guy, she’d be able to recognize him in a pinch. She could whisper in Lucy’s ear, and our favorite deputy would take him down!” He smacked his fist against his palm and then turned to James. “Got it! Is there gonna be a funeral for Chase?”

“Not here,” James answered. “The ‘merry’ widow phoned Milla and said that she felt that the father of her children should be buried near where they live. Personally, I think she wants to dance on Chase’s grave, but Milla wanted the girls to be able to visit Chase, much like she wanted to visit Paulette.”

“If there’s no need for a mourning ceremony,” Gillian grinned, “why not host a surprise party instead? I believe you are quite close to a couple who have recently exchanged commitment vows. Right, James?”

“A party for my parents!” he exclaimed. “To celebrate their wedding! That’s a brilliant idea, Gillian!” His face fell. “Except for the fact that I’m totally penniless.”

Lindy made a dismissive sound over his despair. “This is Quincy’s Gap, James!” She leapt up, grabbed her purse from the hallway, and pulled a pocket calendar from within. “Yes. I believe Wednesday would be a lovely evening for the supper club to host a surprise wedding reception in honor of Jackson and Camilla Henry. Does everyone agree?”

“We do!” James’s friends shouted in unison and, still laughing at their response, they returned to their painting duties. Ideas and party plans were batted about as brushes and rollers covered the walls with warm hues.

At one point, Lindy came into the kitchen for more paint. Brandishing her cell phone at James, she said, “You stay out of your son’s room until I’m done. I’m going to create the ultimate Curious George bedroom for him and call in a few favors from our friends and neighbors. We teachers are all blessed with the ability to multitask.”

As she disappeared down the hall, James slung his arm around Bennett. “If Luis doesn’t get down on one knee pretty soon, I’m going to have to take a baseball bat to his leg.”

“Well,” Bennett mumbled pensively, “that would get him down on his knees. But Lindy didn’t say she was lookin’ for a proposal. What she wants is for him to show the rest of the world he’s her man. In public.”

“Like you did on national television?” James teased.

“I’m gonna pretend you didn’t say that,” Bennett growled. “And no, that’s not what I’m sayin’. I do believe a good old-fashioned kiss would do the trick.”

“In front of a group of people, such as the throng we’re going to gather together for our surprise party?” James inquired.

Bennett winked at him. “I couldn’t think of a better time for that man to lay one on Lindy. We’ll just have to help that happen, now, won’t we?”

“Yes, we will.” James dipped his brush into a bucket of primer. “But I’ll bring my baseball bat. Just in case.”

James and his parents attended church the next morning and, after a quick lunch of chicken tortilla soup and a salad of mixed greens, went their separate ways until suppertime. James wanted to stock his kitchen at 27 Hickory Hill Lane with food. He also wanted to arrange his new pots and pans, dishes, and eating utensils so that his family wouldn’t be forced to eat off the remainder of his animal-shaped paper plates.