Holly Grove Homecoming Read online

  The daily newspaper from Knoxville hadn’t arrived, but the local weekly paper lay on the edge of the porch where the paper boy had tossed it. Trooper figured after so many years away, he wouldn’t know anyone mentioned in the paper, but he liked to read while he ate so he picked the paper up and went back inside.

  He settled down at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and a bowl of cereal and spread the paper out in front of him. As he had expected, most of the names mentioned were not ones he recognized. A few surnames were familiar, but he decided that in many cases, the people mentioned were the children of his classmates. Which, darn it, made him feel more than a little old.

  Oh well, time had marched on after he’d left town. He hoped he hadn’t waited too long before coming back. Clues had a way of disappearing over time, as he’d learned too well in his job, but he wasn’t going to give up without trying.

  Come to think of it, he had an entire morning at his disposal. He really should do something toward his project. He hadn’t had time to locate an office supply store but he could borrow a few sheets from his aunt’s grocery list pad and get some sort of start.

  First he wanted to clean up his dishes and put them away. Since Myrna was volunteering at the hospital, she would likely be tired when she got home and he certainly didn’t want her facing work in the kitchen.

  Then he recalled that he needed to write a note telling his aunt that he and Carly were going out to lunch and he wasn’t quite sure when he’d be back.

  By the time he’d finished those two chores, he was far too restless to settle down making lists. Not to mention the fact that he welcomed any excuse to put off starting his investigation. Instead he decided to go for a walk before the day got too hot. After all, he’d skipped his morning run.

  He stepped back out on the porch, locked the door behind him, and jogged down the steps. Humidity was beginning to climb, and the temperature already was far too hot for even a brisk walk, so he decided a stroll down Sugar Maple Drive would suffice for today. Maybe this afternoon he could talk Carly into going back to his uncle Roy’s for a swim. If nothing else, he could point out that he needed the exercise.

  Trooper took a deep breath and rolled his shoulders as he walked down his aunt’s sidewalk toward the street. When he caught sight of her big blue trashcan sitting at the curb, he paused and looked around. The entire street was lined with trashcans, waiting for the city collectors to come by and empty them.

  “Darn it all,” he muttered under his breath. He should have recalled that this was trash collection day and gone downstairs in time to roll the container out to the curb for his aunt. After all, he’d told her he’d help with chores around the place, and here he’d fallen down on the job already.

  Although irritated with himself, he decided not to let his lapse ruin his mood, which had been excellent, based on his upcoming lunch with Carly.

  He blew his breath out in sigh and then started off in a comfortable stride. He glanced across the street, looking toward Carly’s house just in case she’d come outside for some reason, and a flicker of light called his attention to the Abbotts’ trash. Something large and silvery sat beside the bright blue trash container.

  A quick glance up and down Sugar Maple Drive assured him that he was alone, so he quickly cut across the street and slowed his pace as he approached the Abbotts’ trash. Sitting on the curb was a round galvanized washtub, a little smaller than the one he remembered seeing in Myrna’s basement. If he recalled correctly, his aunt had once soaked clothes in a similar tub before putting them in her old-fashioned wringer washer so she could complete her usual Monday-morning clothes-washing chore.

  He glanced toward the Abbotts’ living room window to make sure Marge wasn’t looking out, then quickly grabbed the tub by the handle on one side and flipped it over. The bottom was dented in several places, as though it had been hit over and over again.

  Trooper paused to glance around again, then lifted the hinged lid of the trash container and looked inside. He’d hoped to find a wooden bat or a similar object that would explain the dents in the tub, but if there was anything of that nature, Trooper wouldn’t have been able to see it. There was nothing inside except black plastic bags tied together at the top.

  A rumble and clattering from a few houses away indicated that the garbage truck was on its way. Trooper considered for a few seconds picking up the washtub and taking it back across the street but quickly abandoned the idea. Mrs. Abbott already hated him, and if she saw him making off with a piece of her trash, she might try to take a warrant out for his arrest.

  He knew she couldn’t accomplish anything, accusing him of stealing something she or Mr. Abbott had obviously thrown away, but there was no sense in strengthening her antagonism toward him.

  With a mental shrug, he continued his walk, but his mood was no longer quite so bright.

  * * *

  Marge Abbott let the dining room curtain fall back into place as Trooper Myers stopped inspecting her trash and walked on down the street. Who did he think he was, snooping in their trash container? Didn’t he know that was against the law? And him an FBI agent! She’d call the sheriff but it wouldn’t do any good. Those lowlife lawmen all stuck together. Didn’t matter if they broke the law. They protected each other.

  She might not be able to call the police, but she’d give Ralph a piece of her mind tonight when he got home. He hadn’t said a word about her going out at night with the washtub and Larry’s old bat, but last night after supper he’d chopped that bat up and this morning he’d picked up her washtub and carried it out to the curb with the trash.

  She’d wanted to say something to him. Actually, she’d wanted to scream at him, to tell him to leave her stuff alone. But she couldn’t afford to give him an excuse to start talking again about her animosity toward Trooper Myers. She didn’t appreciate him telling her that she had no cause to blame Trooper for what had happened to her beloved Larry.

  Fathers just didn’t love with the depth that mothers did. She was convinced of that. Which explained why Ralph could never understand why she wouldn’t be deterred by him getting rid of her washtub and the bat.

  No, she wasn’t through trying to make Trooper Myers miserable. Not by a long shot.

  * * *

  Carly was dressed and waiting when Trooper pulled into her driveway around eleven thirty. He was early, but so was she, so she figured both of them were looking forward to having lunch together.

  She refused to think of it as a date because she wasn’t sure it was a date, and if Trooper was merely taking her to lunch as a sort of apology (which he didn’t owe her) or maybe as a way of being neighborly, well she certainly didn’t want to come across as aggressive again.

  Not that she had any objection as a rule to taking the first step with a man, but she shouldn’t be taking any steps at all with Trooper. She mustn’t forget that she was keeping secrets from him, and if he ever learned about those secrets, whatever fondness he might feel toward her at that time could very well turn to dislike or at the very least, distrust.

  With that thought in mind, she resolved to keep her distance from him after today’s outing. She’d use her writing as a reason, and she wouldn’t be lying. She really needed to finish her current work in progress.

  Still, for all her resolve, she couldn’t prevent the tiny spike in her heart rate when she opened the door to his knock and looked into his sparkling eyes and wide smile. If he wasn’t glad to see her, he was putting on a mighty good act.

  Carly spoke first. “You’re prompt this morning.”

  “I didn’t want to keep a lovely lady waiting.” His smile widened. “Besides, I’m hungry. Aunt Myrna left me to my own devices this morning, so my breakfast amounted to a cup of coffee and a bowl of cereal.”

  Carly shot him an oh-so-sad look of sympathy. “Sounds as though someone who shall remain nameless is getting spoiled by his aunt Myrna.”

  He raised his brows. “Now I wonder which of my male cousin
s you’re maligning today. I’ll have to investigate this little mystery.”

  Carly laughed and picked up her purse. “Since you’re starving, I won’t keep you waiting.” She pulled her door key from a side pocket, stepped out onto the porch, and turned to lock the door. “Where are we going for lunch?”

  “Have you ever been to Margo’s by the Lake?” He placed his hand on Carly’s arm as they turned to head toward his car and she felt a tingle all the way to her shoulder.

  Darn it. She wished having Trooper near didn’t feel so good. She really had to make the break soon, before she became fonder of him than she already was. “No, I haven’t tried Margo’s yet, but I’ve heard it’s good. Have you eaten there already?”

  “I had coffee there yesterday with an old friend, and I was impressed with the menu. And all the food I saw looked and smelled good, so I decided to try the place for a full meal.”

  “Thanks for inviting me. This will be a new experience for me.”

  He released her arm in order to open her car door and she suddenly discovered she could breathe again. She glanced up at him and found him looking into her face. He gave her a quick wink and a grin. Obviously this plan to dump him was going to require a bit of effort on her part.

  She responded with what she hoped was a restrained smile, then slid into the car and waited for him to close the door. She fastened her seatbelt while he walked around and got in on the driver’s side. Seconds later he backed out of her drive and headed down Sugar Maple Drive.

  Carly pretended to watch the passing scenery while Trooper maneuvered through the downtown traffic before reaching the four-lane highway that led toward Monterey Lake. When traffic slowed, he glanced at her from the corner of his eye. “I think I found our noise maker this morning.”

  “You’re kidding. Who and what?” She turned away from the scenery and gave all of her attention to Trooper as he described the dented washtub he’d found lying beside the Abbotts’ trash container.

  “And you think Mrs. Abbott had been banging on that thing outside your window at night?”

  “I’m almost positive. And I suspect that Ralph discovered what she was doing and decided to get rid of the evidence.”

  “But why would she want to harass you? You didn’t have anything to do with her son’s death.” A second after the words left her mouth, Carly realized that she’d just revealed her knowledge of what had happened to Trooper’s parents. She looked at him, not sure what to expect. Would he be angry? Hurt? Surprised? To her amazement, his expression was almost totally neutral.

  “So you know about my parents. I figured you must. Anyone who has lived in Holly Grove for any amount of time would have heard about what happened. As for the reason behind Marge Abbott’s hatred of me, well, she seemed to go around the bend when Larry died, especially when the whole town thought he was a murderer. I guess I was just a handy whipping boy for her.”

  “I’ve suspected that she isn’t quite sane. I mean, she never goes out of her house and your aunt told me that Mrs. Abbott never answers her phone. She’s a very sad case, really.”

  “That’s true. Of course she wasn’t the only person who lost a loved one that afternoon, but I can see that she’d have had trouble accepting that her son was seemingly guilty of a double murder.”

  Carly couldn’t help noticing that Trooper had used the word “seemingly” when referring to Larry Abbott as a murderer. Obviously he wasn’t convinced that the truth had come out about his parents’ and Larry’s deaths, which gave her even more reason to distance herself from him.

  Just then Trooper slowed to make the right turn onto Willowby Road. He glanced at her with a smile that appeared forced. “I was pretty amazed when Tommy drove me out here yesterday. This was a dirt road surrounded by wilderness when I grew up in Holly Grove.”

  Carly welcomed the change of subject and made a point of looking out the side window. “I see what you mean. Those are certainly expensive-looking houses set back in the woods there.”

  “That they are. I’m sure the infusion of money helps the local merchants, but I miss the way this area looked when I was growing up. Willowby was an old logging road that led to a swimming hole on Monterey Lake, just about in the spot where Margo’s sits now.”

  Carly shuddered, recalling how cold the lake water in these parts could be. “Do you people not believe in nice, heated pools?”

  Trooper grinned. “Not when God has provided us with lakes that don’t require any initial expense or upkeep.” He braked and then nodded ahead toward the restaurant’s parking lot, which was less than half full. “Looks like we’ve beaten the lunch crowd.”

  “Great,” Carly responded. “Like you, I had a light breakfast and so I’m pretty hungry myself.”

  The restaurant was much like Carly had expected, with a rustic look that had been achieved through careful planning and at considerable expense. The decorating scheme worked well in Carly’s opinion. The dark wood floor, the fishnets artistically arranged on the walls, the wide expanse of windows overlooking the lake, and the various aquariums strategically placed around the dining area—all appealed to her. She felt tension draining from her shoulders as the hostess led them toward a secluded booth, reminding Carly of how long it had been since she’d dined in a nice restaurant with a handsome man.

  Best not get too relaxed though, she reminded herself. Not unless she intended to tell Trooper why she had really settled in Holly Grove.

  The thought of confiding in Trooper wasn’t one she’d considered to any extent, but perhaps she should. She decided to mull it over while they ate. To tell Trooper the truth or to completely distance herself from him—that seemed to be her options.

  And neither was at all inviting.

  Chapter 13

  The seafood at Margo’s by the Lake was just as professionally prepared as Carly had hoped. She’d ordered her scallops fried, having decided that, considering how long it had been since she’d had seafood, she could afford to splurge. Then she worried that the scallops would be greasy, but it turned out that the breading was light and didn’t compromise the flavor of the scallops.

  To make up for the fried entrée, she ordered a plain baked potato instead of fries and a house salad instead of slaw. Trooper had selected a nice white wine to complement the seafood, and by the time they’d finished eating, Carly was feeling both relaxed and mellow.

  Apparently Trooper was also feeling relaxed. He polished off his glass of wine, then smiled. “Actually, I had an ulterior motive for asking you out today.”

  “Ah.” Carly raised her brows. “Now the truth comes out. Are you going to tell me what your nefarious motive is, or must I guess?”

  “Oh, I’ll confess.” He grinned. “I need the name of an office supply store and I’m assuming that you, as a writer, would know where I could get writing supplies.”

  “What kind of writing supplies?”

  “Nothing fancy. Just a legal pad and some pens. I…” He paused and glanced around, then lowered his voice. “While I’m in Holly Grove, I plan to investigate the incident in which my parents died. I don’t think the whole truth has come out, so I’m going to be talking to some people. I want to make notes about what they say, maybe organize my thoughts on paper. But I’d prefer that no one else know what I’m doing.”

  Carly picked up her wine glass, only to discover it was empty. Drat! She hadn’t expected Trooper to confide in her. This put her in the position of either hiding her own plans or else sharing part of her intentions with Trooper.

  Unfortunately, she had no idea how he would react, but she no longer felt she had much choice. She picked up her fork and poked at the remains of a hush puppy, then glanced at Trooper, who watched her closely. It was time, she realized, to fish or cut bait. Then, amused that she’d unconsciously lapsed into thinking in fisherman lingo, she smiled to herself.

  “Care to share the joke with me?” Trooper regarded her with slightly curved lips.

  Carly’s amusement
faded. “Yes, but not here or now. Could we go someplace more private?”

  Trooper’s brows shot up. “Sounds serious. Where would you like to go?”

  “How about back to my house? We wouldn’t be interrupted there.”

  “Fine.” Trooper tossed some bills on the table. “Ready?”

  “Ready,” Carly said, pushing herself out of the booth and standing. She just wished her knees hadn’t suddenly turned so weak.

  By the time Trooper pulled into Carly’s driveway, she’d decided what she wanted to do. For better or worse, she was going to tell Trooper that she planned to write a true crime novel about the incident in which his parents had died.

  There was always a chance that he’d tell her to mind her own business. On the other hand, she really hoped he would agree to collaborate with her on the research. After all, she could truthfully say she shared his belief about the truth not having come out in regards to his parents’ deaths.

  Of course she also had knowledge she couldn’t share with him, and that worried her. She wouldn’t lie to him, not directly, but she had a feeling he wouldn’t appreciate the distinction if he ever found out she’d withheld information that would have helped him uncover the truth.

  Mentally shrugging aside her worries, she turned to Trooper when he cut the motor. “Come on in. I’ve got lots of writing supplies and I’m more than willing to share.”

  Trooper smiled. “Sounds like a deal I can’t turn down.”

  “Good. Let’s go.”

  Carly led Trooper up the stairs and into her office where she’d turned a walk-in closet into a storage space for her various supplies. She opened the door and stepped back. “Help yourself to anything that you feel would be useful to you. The legal pads are right in front of you.”

  “Thanks.” Trooper stepped into the closet and looked around. “I like what you’ve done with the plastic shelving units.”