appointment.”
“That’s fine. Tell Randy the checkup is free. Don’t want to charge you if no need to.”
“Thank you, Billy Joe. It’s good to see you’re not affected by all the notoriety this movie is causing. Everyone else is just up in arms over it.”
A dull red flush crept up his neck to stain his face. “It don’t have nothing to do with me. Just a bunch of made-up stories about stuff that never happened.”
Gaynelle nodded. “I’m glad you aren’t letting all the gossip bother you. Dixie Lee’s book has certainly stirred up a lot of people.”
Billy Joe’s right eye twitched. “Dixie Lee Forsythe just better be careful. I hear there’s more than one person in this town who wouldn’t mind seeing her run out on a rail.”
“I’m sure there isn’t. And I’m sure the police would look quite unkindly on anyone who tried to harm Dixie Lee, no matter what they think of her. But I seriously doubt it will come to that.”
“And I’m pretty sure it will. She’s wrote a lot of stupid things about some folks, and she might think she’s smart enough to cover it up, but I’ve heard people know who she means. She just better watch her step, is what I say.”
“Yes, I certainly hope she does. Thank you, Billy Joe.”
Once we were back in the car I said, “He’s the one. I’m sure he’s the one sending those letters.”
“It wouldn’t surprise me at all,” Gaynelle agreed.
Seated behind the wheel, Rayna turned to look at us and said, “Should we bother talking to the other two suspects?”
“Yes,” said Gaynelle. “If for no other reason than to rule them out completely.”
Within ten minutes we found ourselves on Chulahoma Road in front of Maybelle Greer’s house. It’s a nice house set back off the street in a wide yard, with a neat picket fence running across the front and a big bay window overlooking the garden. For a moment we sat in the car and discussed our strategy. Since I didn’t know Maybelle, Rayna thought I should be the one to talk to her.
“After all, Trinket, you were already gone when all that happened. She may not recognize you and feel freer to talk about everything.”
“If she hasn’t heard of me by now, she doesn’t read the newspapers or watch TV,” I said. “We’ve been notorious lately, if you’ll recall. And Trinket Truevine is not the most common name. I’ve been told it’s fairly memorable.”
“That’s very true,” agreed Gaynelle. “Maybe we should just announce ourselves and see where it goes from there.”
So that’s what we did. At first I think Maybelle was more curious than anything. After all, why would three people she barely knew show up on her doorstep for no reason? And of course, she’d heard about the book and the movie.
Maybelle’s short gray hair was stylish, and she wore a black velvet lounging outfit suitable for an afternoon by a cozy fire. Her house was furnished comfortably, family photographs set atop tables and hung on the walls, and she seemed very much at ease. A small smile played at the corners of her mouth as she regarded us with obvious amusement.
“Is that why you’re here?” Maybelle arched her brows, looking from me to Gaynelle and then to Rayna. “Because of that old feud with Dixie Lee? Good lord. That was so long ago I can’t even remember why it mattered back then. We were young.”
“Have you read the book?” I asked.
“From cover to cover. Dixie Lee certainly didn’t leave out many scandals.”
“So it doesn’t bother you that she’d write all about your dating her ex-husband? Or her dating your father?”
“Honey, we live in a small town. Everyone knows everything sooner or later. If you don’t get talked about, then you’re not doing anything worth being talked about, so you might as well just sit life out on a bench somewhere. I’ve moved on since then. I don’t dwell in the past, and if Dixie Lee can write about ancient history and make a little money off it, then more
“That’s fine. Tell Randy the checkup is free. Don’t want to charge you if no need to.”
“Thank you, Billy Joe. It’s good to see you’re not affected by all the notoriety this movie is causing. Everyone else is just up in arms over it.”
A dull red flush crept up his neck to stain his face. “It don’t have nothing to do with me. Just a bunch of made-up stories about stuff that never happened.”
Gaynelle nodded. “I’m glad you aren’t letting all the gossip bother you. Dixie Lee’s book has certainly stirred up a lot of people.”
Billy Joe’s right eye twitched. “Dixie Lee Forsythe just better be careful. I hear there’s more than one person in this town who wouldn’t mind seeing her run out on a rail.”
“I’m sure there isn’t. And I’m sure the police would look quite unkindly on anyone who tried to harm Dixie Lee, no matter what they think of her. But I seriously doubt it will come to that.”
“And I’m pretty sure it will. She’s wrote a lot of stupid things about some folks, and she might think she’s smart enough to cover it up, but I’ve heard people know who she means. She just better watch her step, is what I say.”
“Yes, I certainly hope she does. Thank you, Billy Joe.”
Once we were back in the car I said, “He’s the one. I’m sure he’s the one sending those letters.”
“It wouldn’t surprise me at all,” Gaynelle agreed.
Seated behind the wheel, Rayna turned to look at us and said, “Should we bother talking to the other two suspects?”
“Yes,” said Gaynelle. “If for no other reason than to rule them out completely.”
Within ten minutes we found ourselves on Chulahoma Road in front of Maybelle Greer’s house. It’s a nice house set back off the street in a wide yard, with a neat picket fence running across the front and a big bay window overlooking the garden. For a moment we sat in the car and discussed our strategy. Since I didn’t know Maybelle, Rayna thought I should be the one to talk to her.
“After all, Trinket, you were already gone when all that happened. She may not recognize you and feel freer to talk about everything.”
“If she hasn’t heard of me by now, she doesn’t read the newspapers or watch TV,” I said. “We’ve been notorious lately, if you’ll recall. And Trinket Truevine is not the most common name. I’ve been told it’s fairly memorable.”
“That’s very true,” agreed Gaynelle. “Maybe we should just announce ourselves and see where it goes from there.”
So that’s what we did. At first I think Maybelle was more curious than anything. After all, why would three people she barely knew show up on her doorstep for no reason? And of course, she’d heard about the book and the movie.
Maybelle’s short gray hair was stylish, and she wore a black velvet lounging outfit suitable for an afternoon by a cozy fire. Her house was furnished comfortably, family photographs set atop tables and hung on the walls, and she seemed very much at ease. A small smile played at the corners of her mouth as she regarded us with obvious amusement.
“Is that why you’re here?” Maybelle arched her brows, looking from me to Gaynelle and then to Rayna. “Because of that old feud with Dixie Lee? Good lord. That was so long ago I can’t even remember why it mattered back then. We were young.”
“Have you read the book?” I asked.
“From cover to cover. Dixie Lee certainly didn’t leave out many scandals.”
“So it doesn’t bother you that she’d write all about your dating her ex-husband? Or her dating your father?”
“Honey, we live in a small town. Everyone knows everything sooner or later. If you don’t get talked about, then you’re not doing anything worth being talked about, so you might as well just sit life out on a bench somewhere. I’ve moved on since then. I don’t dwell in the past, and if Dixie Lee can write about ancient history and make a little money off it, then more
Similar Books
