“I wish I could be there with him, but the airline warned me that it was up to the storm when flights would be running to your area again.”
“I’ll keep you updated and as soon as your dad wakes, I’ll arrange FaceTime so you can talk with him.”
“Thanks, Pepper. I’m so grateful my dad has such good friends. It helps me worry a little less.”
I decided to stop by and see if Amy was all set for the storm. I figured Beau intended to spend it with her. I parked in front of Amy’s house and saw Vera peeking out the window. Of course, I had to wave. The curtain fluttered closed without an acknowledgment.
I got an idea and went and knocked on her door.
“I was straightening my curtains,” Vera said in way of a greeting.
I took a page from Amy’s book and played nice. “That’s why your curtains hang so beautifully in your windows.”
Vera smiled. “Why thank you, Pepper.”
“I was wondering if by chance you knew of a teenage girl back around the time of the Carson murder named Deanna Wilkins?”
Vera rolled her eyes and shook her head. “A good for nothing.”
“You knew her?” I asked, surprised, thinking it was a long shot, though Vera was a type of town crier, delivering all sorts of news… more like gossip.
“Met her once and once was enough for me. I was with a friend of mine from Barnsville when she warned her to stay away from her boyfriend and Deanna laughed right in my friend’s face. Told her that it wasn’t her fault that my friend wasn’t woman enough to hold on to her boyfriend. Well, he wasn’t man enough to hold on to Deanna. She dropped him like a hot potato after the bit of money ran out that he had inherited from his aunt. He came crying back to my friend and thank God she had the common sense not to take him back. I knew it wouldn’t last. Deanna was looking for a guy with money. A man who would give her everything she wanted, and she wanted everything. She bragged about how she was going to leave this backwater town and go to New York City. I believe she did just that and it was good riddance to bad rubbish if you ask me. Why do you ask?” Vera nodded slowly as if something just dawned on her. “It’s Deanna’s bones in that grave, isn’t it?”
I had to give it to the woman. She caught on quickly. But it wasn’t something my dad wanted anyone to know yet. So how did I get the town gossip to hold her tongue?
“If they are her bones your dad should talk to the mayor. He had a fling with Deanna until the money he had saved for his car ran out. By the way, your mom’s got my vote for mayor. James Barrett is nothing more than a pompous as…” Vera smiled. “We’ll be a curse-free town with your mom as mayor. Can’t wait to see her interview with Gail Fergus.”
I couldn’t hide my surprise. My mom worked fast.
“You didn’t know? It was just announced on the local news. It’s planned for next week.”
“I need to ask something of you, Vera,” I said, knowing it was probably useless, but I had to try.
“You don’t want me to mention that the bones could possibly belong to Deanna,” Vera said. “Got it in your head to set a trap for the mayor, don’t you?”
That was as good excuse as any. “You got it.”
“Go get him, girl. The pompous—” Vera grinned. “Deserves it.”
I walked over to Amy’s and used my key in case she was in a phone meeting.
She was standing in the living room.
Excited to share the news, I blurted out, “I know who the female bones belong to. Her name is Deanna Wilkins.”
Her dad entered the room just then, a generous smile on his face.
“Hi, Pepper,” he said.
I wondered how he got here since I hadn’t seen his car outside.
“He’s leaving before the big storm hits and stopped to say goodbye,” Amy explained since I couldn’t hide my surprise at him being there.
I was glad to see that she didn’t look a bit upset. She really had come to accept him for who he was or actually who he wasn’t. He wasn’t a good dad.
In a way of a greeting, I said, “I didn’t see your car parked outside.”
“Marsh will be here soon with it. Gave me some trouble this morning and Marsh was nice enough to look at it right away since I have to leave earlier than planned. Thankfully, it was nothing major. How wonderful that the bones have been identified. Hopefully, it will help solve the crime.”
“It is a break in the case,” I said, “and sometimes that’s all that’s needed.”