J Stanley - The Battered Body

Make the cake as directed on the box. Spoon the batter into a greased and floured 12-cup bundt pan. (Willow prefers PAM Baking cooking spray.)

Prepare the praline icing: Bring the first three ingredients to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly. Boil for 1 minute. Remove the mixture from the heat. Whisk in the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla until smooth. Stir gently 3 to 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to cool and thicken. Spoon it immediately over the cake.

Top cake with Candied Pecans. If you have extra, put them in the freezer and snack on them for the next three weeks.

Lucy broke eye contact with James and flew for the door leading out of the fellowship hall. As she moved, James saw her reach into her purse for her radio. By the time she brought the device to her lips, Deputy Truett was already reacting. He had noticed her abrupt departure and was following closely on her heels.

Milla and Jackson had left their table in order to say goodnight to their guests. Several women, who were both Milla’s friends and members of the church, were collecting the heavy-duty plastic dinner plates and taking them into the kitchen to be rinsed and placed in the recycling bin.

James found that he was frozen into a state of inaction. He had no idea what to do, and there was such a sudden flurry of movement in the room that he couldn’t concentrate enough to come up with a plan. Between the guests making preparations to leave, the women cleaning up, the removal of the food trays, and the music pulsing in the background, the cacophony prevented him from having a single intelligent thought.

“Think! Think!” he muttered under his breath. “I’m sure the deputies have the outside covered, but what if Chloe’s still somewhere in the building? We need to split up and search. Yes! Splitting up is key.”

Hustling toward Chloe’s seat, James noticed that her purse still hung from the back of her chair. Aunt Wheezie was standing by the punch table, ladling herself a serving of the spiked version. James noted that the old woman did not seem disturbed, but he’d need to ask her if she knew where Chloe went before he went running around the rest of the church. He picked up Chloe’s bag and headed toward Wheezie, but Lindy and Luis jumped out of their chairs and blocked his path.

“This has been the best party ever!” Lindy beamed and took her man’s hand in her own. “Luis and I-”

“Listen!” James interrupted crisply. “Chloe’s gone. Can you check both restrooms? If she’s not there, try every closet, every door, every pew in this building.”

“Oh, Lord!” Lindy’s hands flew to her cheeks. “I completely forgot about her! When we were dancing I just…”

James touched her arm. “We were all distracted, but hurry up now.”

Gillian and Bennett were observant enough to know something was amiss. They intercepted James, and Gillian reached out and took Chloe’s purse from his hands. She inspected the contents and frowned.

“Her wallet’s in here and the keys to her rental car,” Gillian’s lips formed a thin line of worry. “What would have coaxed her from the room without her purse? Women rarely leave their valuables unattended, even in a place of worship.” Her eyes traveled toward the kitchen. “There’s a back door off the kitchen, right?”

“But Donovan can see that exit from his car,” James replied argumentatively. “She couldn’t have been taken that way. Keep Chloe’s bag for me. I’m going to talk to Wheezie. Maybe she knows something.”

“We’ll check out that back exit,” Bennett grabbed Gillian by the elbow. “With all this snow, Chloe would’ve left a trail of footprints even Dummy Donovan could follow.”

People tried to stop James on his way to the punch table to congratulate him on a wonderful party, but he only cast brief smiles their way and did not pause to speak or shake hands with anyone. He left a wake of bewildered guests as he traversed the room.

Wheezie was placidly refilling her cup by the time he finally reached her. When she turned to look at James, he saw a mad glint to her eyes that sent a shiver up his neck. She knew about Chloe, he was certain of it. She knew and didn’t seem to care.

“Aunt Wheezie. Are you okay?” he asked, studying her carefully.

“’Course. Why wouldn’t I be? It’s such a nice party and I love balloons. And cupcakes. Yummy.”

And punch¸ James thought ungraciously. “Have you seen Chloe?”

The old woman shrugged and used the ladle to push around the orange slices floating on the surface of the crimson punch. “Nope. I’m sure she’s around and about.”

“She left her purse on her chair and the party’s breaking up,” he pointed out impatiently. “We should find her so you two can head back to the hotel. You both have early flights tomorrow, right?”

Wheezie moved to take a sip of punch, but before her lips closed around the rim, James could have sworn he saw them form a grin. “Up with the rooster. Cock-a-doodle-do!”

“How are you going to get to the airport?” James inquired flatly, though anger was flaring within him. “Is Russ DuPont going to drive you? Or will the two of you forget about flying and just take his car back to Natchez?”

“Oh! Smart boy!” Wheezie replied with a crooked smile and poked him on the chest.

Repelled by her yellow teeth, which were partially stained pink by punch, James backed away from her a fraction. “You’ve been involved all along,” he whispered in mounting horror. “You and Russ have worked together from day one, haven’t you?”

Wheezie sipped her punch and hummed “Itsy Bitsy Spider.”

James recalled the old woman’s warped eulogy at Paulette’s memorial service. “You weren’t kidding about dancing on your sister’s grave. You were never honestly interested in forgiveness. Your visit was all about revenge, and you got it.” Wheezie’s face was impassive. “And Russ DuPont got his too, didn’t he? Did you know his grandmother?”

“Sure did. Delightful woman. Poor as a church mouse when she passed.” She held out a glass of punch to James, and he reached for it without being aware that he did so. “Patty wrecked that whole family, same as she ruined ours. But it’s all done now. All done!” She clinked her cup against James’s and some punch sloshed onto her white blouse, blemishing the fabric with red.

Spurred by a righteous fury, James ripped the cup from her hand and tossed it on the table. “Where is Chloe, Wheezie?”

“In heaven maybe,” the old woman answered. “Or maybe not. Don’t really know the girl.”

“And you?” he hissed at her. “People are never too old to go to prison. You could make things better for yourself if you help me save her! She did nothing to you, Wheezie,” he pleaded. “She’s an innocent.”

“That dirty money would’ve turned her into Patty sooner or later. Look at that miserable son of hers. Breakin’ the hearts of his wife and kids. Patty’s bad blood flowed in him and in the daughter. Now the girl’ll go to the Lord without bein’ tainted.”

“And how will you and Russ go to Him?” James snarled, pointing at the cross in the nearest stained glass window.

“I reckon we’ve suffered enough and the wrongs done against us will show up in heaven’s book. There’s bound to be a scale to measure such things.” Wheezie picked up her glass again. “Reckon I’ll know soon enough anyhow. See, dear boy, that nasty, nasty cancer runs in our family. Daddy had it in his lungs, Mama had it in her womb, and I’ve got it up here.” She tapped the side of her head and issued another twisted smile. “Not much longer left for me now. They can put me in a cell, a hospital bed, down a hole… it don’t matter. My hourglass is runnin’ dry.”