Read Online Dead Broke in Jarrett Creek: A Samuel Craddock Mystery (Samuel Craddock Mysteries) by Terry Shames - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Terry Shames
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every other man in town, wishing he could be in Gabe’s shoes screwing around with that little hussy.”
I hold up my hands. “Don’t look at me! That’s the last thing I need.”
“You’re the only one then.” Sandy comes by her feisty disposition honestly. Her dad, Carl Filson, always had a ready temper.
As wound up as she is, I know it’s best for me not to tangle with her. “What do your kids have to say?” Her kids are both in their thirties. Their son is a dentist who lives in Bobtail with his family. The daughter has proven to be something of scholar. She’s getting her PhD at the University of Houston.
“They think Gabe has gone off his rocker. I told them I’m ignoring him, and they should too.”
I almost laugh when she says she’s ignoring Gabe. Sandy has been stalking Gabe since they split up. She sits outside the little house he rents and follows him to his girlfriend’s place, sometimes sitting in the parking lot if Gabe takes Darla out to eat.
“I assume you at least talk to Gabe.”
She casts a critical eye at her bright-red fingernails. “Our conversations are strictly business. And if his friends had any respect for me, theirs would be, too.”
Her glare at me is so intense that I have to tamp down an impulse to take a couple of steps back.
“Well, I hope things work out.” I tip my hat and scoot out of there.
Cookie Travers gives me Jessica Reinhardt’s address and tells me she rents a house with another girl. When I arrive at the house, Jessica comes to her door barefoot, wearing baggy sweatpants and a sweatshirt. Her face is blotchy and her eyes red and weepy. Her limp hair is pushed behind her ears.
“Why do you want to talk to me?” Her voice is dull and hopeless.
“I understand that you worked for Gary Dellmore. I’m hoping you might be able to give me a little background.”
She shrugs. “Come on in.”
The living room is a girl’s lair, the coffee table strewn with fashion magazines and dirty dishes. An open box of cookies sits next to paraphernalia for doing nails. Jessica plops onto the sofa, reaches over, and closes a bottle of nail polish. The TV is turned to a soap opera, and she grabs the remote and turns it down.
“What do you want to know?”
I take a saggy armchair near her. I suspect most of the furniture is cast-offs from the girls’ families. “Tell me what Gary was like as a boss.”
Her eyes fill with tears. “I could never imagine a nicer boss. He was so wonderful.”
“Cookie Travers said you had a problem with him.”
“What? I didn’t have any problem at all! He was really sweet to me.”
“But there was a question of him harassing you?”
Outrage wipes away her pain. “That’s ridiculous! Cookie seems to think she’s my mother. Gary didn’t harass me. So what if he paid attention to me? I don’t see what the big deal was.”
“Cookie told you that your behavior wasn’t suitable for the office, though.”
Her eyes widen. “God! I can’t believe she told you that. She’s such a frustrated old maid.”
“Did you and Gary see each other outside of work?”
Her eyes are suddenly guarded. “No. I mean… like, okay, once, but nothing happened.”
She doesn’t even realize how inappropriate it was for Dellmore to see her outside work. He had at least twenty-five years on her and was married to boot. “Did he come here?”
She presses her knuckles to her mouth and nods.
“Did you invite him or did he show up?” I keep my voice gentle.
She starts to chew a nail and then grabs it away from her mouth with her other hand. “I don’t want to get Gary in trouble.”
He can’t be in any worse trouble. “He came by here?”
She nods.
“He was friendly.”
“Yes, he was so sweet.” Her lips are trembling. “I can’t believe he’s dead.”
“What did you two talk about when he was here?”
“Nothing. Work. He asked me if I was happy at work, if I liked it there. He was always interested in what I had to
I hold up my hands. “Don’t look at me! That’s the last thing I need.”
“You’re the only one then.” Sandy comes by her feisty disposition honestly. Her dad, Carl Filson, always had a ready temper.
As wound up as she is, I know it’s best for me not to tangle with her. “What do your kids have to say?” Her kids are both in their thirties. Their son is a dentist who lives in Bobtail with his family. The daughter has proven to be something of scholar. She’s getting her PhD at the University of Houston.
“They think Gabe has gone off his rocker. I told them I’m ignoring him, and they should too.”
I almost laugh when she says she’s ignoring Gabe. Sandy has been stalking Gabe since they split up. She sits outside the little house he rents and follows him to his girlfriend’s place, sometimes sitting in the parking lot if Gabe takes Darla out to eat.
“I assume you at least talk to Gabe.”
She casts a critical eye at her bright-red fingernails. “Our conversations are strictly business. And if his friends had any respect for me, theirs would be, too.”
Her glare at me is so intense that I have to tamp down an impulse to take a couple of steps back.
“Well, I hope things work out.” I tip my hat and scoot out of there.
Cookie Travers gives me Jessica Reinhardt’s address and tells me she rents a house with another girl. When I arrive at the house, Jessica comes to her door barefoot, wearing baggy sweatpants and a sweatshirt. Her face is blotchy and her eyes red and weepy. Her limp hair is pushed behind her ears.
“Why do you want to talk to me?” Her voice is dull and hopeless.
“I understand that you worked for Gary Dellmore. I’m hoping you might be able to give me a little background.”
She shrugs. “Come on in.”
The living room is a girl’s lair, the coffee table strewn with fashion magazines and dirty dishes. An open box of cookies sits next to paraphernalia for doing nails. Jessica plops onto the sofa, reaches over, and closes a bottle of nail polish. The TV is turned to a soap opera, and she grabs the remote and turns it down.
“What do you want to know?”
I take a saggy armchair near her. I suspect most of the furniture is cast-offs from the girls’ families. “Tell me what Gary was like as a boss.”
Her eyes fill with tears. “I could never imagine a nicer boss. He was so wonderful.”
“Cookie Travers said you had a problem with him.”
“What? I didn’t have any problem at all! He was really sweet to me.”
“But there was a question of him harassing you?”
Outrage wipes away her pain. “That’s ridiculous! Cookie seems to think she’s my mother. Gary didn’t harass me. So what if he paid attention to me? I don’t see what the big deal was.”
“Cookie told you that your behavior wasn’t suitable for the office, though.”
Her eyes widen. “God! I can’t believe she told you that. She’s such a frustrated old maid.”
“Did you and Gary see each other outside of work?”
Her eyes are suddenly guarded. “No. I mean… like, okay, once, but nothing happened.”
She doesn’t even realize how inappropriate it was for Dellmore to see her outside work. He had at least twenty-five years on her and was married to boot. “Did he come here?”
She presses her knuckles to her mouth and nods.
“Did you invite him or did he show up?” I keep my voice gentle.
She starts to chew a nail and then grabs it away from her mouth with her other hand. “I don’t want to get Gary in trouble.”
He can’t be in any worse trouble. “He came by here?”
She nods.
“He was friendly.”
“Yes, he was so sweet.” Her lips are trembling. “I can’t believe he’s dead.”
“What did you two talk about when he was here?”
“Nothing. Work. He asked me if I was happy at work, if I liked it there. He was always interested in what I had to
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