She moved up a notch in my book as the horse’s hooves clip-clopped along the street. People pointed and waved. Kids begged their parents for a ride.
It dawned on me; Sueleigh had grown used to the finger pointing for all sorts of different reasons. No matter what the circumstances, this woman had been wronged. Through it all, she had protected her unborn child.
Sueleigh continued. “After that, I stopped contacting him. I didn’t want anything to do with that man. I have a beautiful little girl, and I’ve been raising her myself, with some help from my parents. They were furious with John. Daddy wanted me to take him to court and make him pay child support. I thought about it, but knowing John’s temper, I decided to let it go. I didn’t want his money anyway.”
Her voice dropped several levels. “There’s other ways besides money to make someone pay.” She looked straight ahead and concentrated on turning the horse down a lane.
Whether it was by bribery or murder, I suddenly believed she’d made him pay, and dearly at that.
Chapter Eighteen
I’m sorry about your misfortune. I’ve been told John touched a lot of people’s lives, but not always for the best.” I spied the Visitor’s Center approaching and knew the ride was ending, and I’d almost forgotten the magazine interview. “Sueleigh, can we take another lap around? I want to ask you a few more questions. Uh, about the carriage rides.”
“If there’s no one waiting. You want more information about the horses? We train our own you know. My father has trained carriage horses for people all over the United States.”
“Uh, yeah, that’s interesting.” I scribbled so she’d think I really cared about the horses, and glanced over my shoulder. DeeDee’s fingers were steepled in prayer, her eyes closed and lips moving. I shouted to get her attention and made a circle with my hand indicating we were going another round. She gave me a little wave. “Uh, Sueleigh. Can you think of anything else that might help clear my friend’s name?”
“Nope, I can’t tell you anything else that would help.” She smiled thin and even, more like a sneer under her carefully placed façade.
I could see continuing this line of questioning was pointless. Sueleigh had given me enough to confirm she had as much a reason to want Tatum dead as anyone. And, she’d added two more suspects to my list. John certainly didn’t hold a special place in her parents’ hearts, either.
“One more question. I’m looking for Tommy Hawkins. Do you know where he lives?” I thought those Tammy Faye eyes would pop right out of her head.
“Everybody knows Tommy Hawkins. Look, you don’t want to go out there. He’s crazy. He used to go around town, drunk as a skunk, telling anyone who’d listen he was going to kill John for shooting his brother.” Sueleigh pulled back on the reins at the stop, and the carriage slowed to a halt.
“I heard as much. I need to talk with him, though. It sounds like he had every reason to want John dead. Don’t you agree?”
She bobbed her head in agreement, catching my bait. “Yeah, sure. But that doesn’t mean you need to go out there. You’re asking for trouble if you do.”
“Please tell me where ‘there’ is. If it were your friend in trouble, wouldn’t you want to help her?” I must have hit a chord on her heartstrings because I could see her expression soften.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you. The Hawkins’ are the meanest folks in these parts. Everyone says they run a still back up in the woods behind their house. They’ve made it clear they don’t want anyone snooping around their property.” Her blue-shadowed eyes widened as she spoke. “Are you familiar with Amicalola Falls?”
I nodded my head yes.
“That’s the road you’ll take. Go five miles out of town until you see the sign. Take a right, and go another ten miles or so and you’ll see the entrance, but don’t turn in. You’re going to go past the entrance and down the road another three or four miles.” She gestured each turn with her hands.
I jotted down the directions in haste. I hoped I’d be able to read them when the time came. Outside the carriage, I had Dee Dee take a few shots of Sueleigh, posing with her horse.
By the time we said good-bye, you’d have thought we were best friends. It didn’t seem to dawn on her that I had asked her questions that could implicate her in a murder. Maybe she wasn’t “the brightest bulb in the room,” but I’d taken a liking to this girl and hoped she didn’t have anything to do with Tatum’s murder.
Dee Dee and I were beat, emotionally and physically, and I needed to get back to the inn and check on Nana. “Come on, assistant.” I hobbled a few steps and Dee Dee took my elbow to help steady me. “Let’s go see what trouble Nana’s cooked up.”
When I limped into the room, Nana sat up sharply.
“Missy, what’s wrong with you? Is your knee acting up again? If it were me, I wouldn’t wait to have surgery.”
“It’s not your knee they’re going to cut open, Nana.” I clipped, and regretted it. She was right, though. I had put it off much too long. My job required a lot of walking, so the condition wasn’t going to get any better as time went by. I made a mental note to consult with the orthopedic surgeon when we got back home. Sooner than later I hoped.
Nana sat on a cot surrounded by an empty pizza box and a big bottle of Coke she’d had for lunch, and practically thrummed with the sugar coursing through her veins. “Well, do you see anything different?”
I assumed she was talking about the roll-away and not the food.
In the crowded room, the extra bed made it impossible to go to the bathroom without turning sideways. The small area had become a breeding ground for stubbed toes and bumped knees.
“And who will be sleeping on the cot, may I ask?”
Nana spoke up. “I don’t mind sleeping on it. I’m tough.”
Dee Dee glanced at me with raised eyebrows, then turned to Nana. “Nana! Don’t be silly. I’ll be glad to.”
“Oh, good grief. I was kidding!” I sank down on the cot, squeaks filling the room, wires poking my backside. “Can’t you guys take a little humor?”
“You most certainly will not. Your knee is killing you. I won’t have you tossing and turning all night. You’ll keep us awake,” Dee Dee winked. She stood with her hands on her hips, looking as if she could take on the world. Who was I to argue? She needed a little control in her life. Since my knee hurt, it was a win-win situation.
“Ladies, let’s save this for later. I’m hungry, and they’re serving dinner now. You don’t want to miss it, do you? Just let me get my pocketbook.”
Dee Dee and I grabbed our purses, too, and together we maneuvered out of the door.
Chapter Nineteen
The dining room held a menagerie of people. The sights and sounds transported me back to Granny Morgan’s where my family would meet for weekly Sunday dinners. The dark oak floors of the dining room shone like polished glass. Off-white wainscoting complimented the flowered wallpaper. Country blue molding and chair rails tied everything together like a photo in Southern Living magazine.
High ceilings, painted to match the wainscot, were accented with heavy oak beams and chandeliers that hung over each large family style table. The smell of frying chicken and freshly baked biscuits swirled around me like ghosts from a time gone by.