“Well, if you insist on going, I’m going with you. After all, you’re doing this for me. The least I can do is help.” Dee Dee wore the look she would don when she was dead set on doing something. I didn’t even try to talk her out of it. My problem was to figure out how to keep Nana from joining us.
Dee Dee smoothed the bed covers. “I called Sarah to see how things were at the shop. She told me not to worry, business couldn’t be better. And she was fine working alone. I hope when I reach her age I can be as active as she is.”
We sat and discussed what we had learned from talking with Miranda and Sueleigh. Both of us were in a lighter mood with the news that Sheriff Wheeler had another person of interest. In a few minutes, Nana emerged from the bathroom wearing a nightie that had surely been ordered from Victoria’s Secret.
Something was definitely going on with Nana. What would cause this gray-haired little lady to become so flirtatious lately? I had many memories of my spunky great-aunt, but flirting shamelessly was not one of them. Now the sexy nightie? I would have to keep a watch on her.
Even though it wasn’t quite dark, Nana and Dee Dee had settled down to sleep. I turned off the big light and used my book light to read from one of the Dahlonega research books I’d brought from home.
Harv had asked me to look for a murder that took place during the original gold rush days and, after looking at several books, I found an unsolved murder I thought would make a good article.
In the early 1930s, a farmer named Donnie Haygood lived and worked the land that had been handed down through generations of his family. His great-grandfather, Micah Haygood, had won the acreage in the Cherokee Land Lottery. Micah hoped to find gold, but was unsuccessful. The spread became a working farm, and the Haygoods spent their spare time looking for gold.
Tired of working his farm, Donnie decided to sell and move into town, hoping to offer his children a better life. He promised the property to a buyer, but before the transaction took place, Donnie discovered gold and backed out of the deal.
A few days later he was found dead behind the assayer’s office.
I screwed my lips and tried to remember if I’d seen or heard anything about this at the gold museum. I yawned and set the light and the book down, unable to keep my eyes open any longer.
It seemed I’d just laid down when my eyes opened to light peeping through the curtains. Propped up on one elbow, I craned my neck to see the alarm clock. The lighted face of the clock showed it was nearly seven. I seriously considered turning over and going back to sleep. In my dazed, half-awake, half-asleep state, my dream of a handsome cowboy tempted me to resume snoozing.
But sleeping in was not a luxury I could afford. Important interviews waited. I wanted to interview Tommy Hawkins as soon as possible. I willed myself to jump up and rush around with enthusiasm, but I couldn’t. Cowgirl up! It took several minutes before I could force my tired body from the bed.
It wasn’t easy maneuvering around Dee Dee’s cot. I stumbled, bumped into her bed, and fell over on a wadded up body.
“What the ….” Dee Dee shot up like a jack-in-the-box.
I held my sore knee. “I’m sorry, Dee Dee.”
“Are you okay?” She asked with concern in her voice, and rubbed sleep from her eyes.
“Yeah, I’m all right.” I held my painful knee. “I hit my knee. I tried to be quiet.”
“Need me to do anything?” She spoke in a sleep-slurred voice.
“No. Go back to sleep. I’m going to get a shower. We’ve got a lot to accomplish today.”
She rolled over, covered up, and started snoring.
Another head popped up on the other bed, reminding me of a bobble-head doll. “What’s going on over there?”
Nana! “Nothing, Nana, everything’s fine. You can go back to sleep.”
She did, and right quick, two of my favorite people in the world snored in unison.
When I flipped on the bathroom light, a big black spider fled the scene. I looked around for any other creepy, crawly creatures sharing quarters with the spider. Coast clear! I turned on the water as warm as I could stand it.
Several minutes of warm water relaxed my tight muscles. I toweled off and dressed as quietly as possible. I applied a double dose of make-up to cover the dark bags that had sprung up, literally overnight.
I would need all the help I could get this day if I were to charm a story out of the likes of the Hawkins clan!
Chapter Twenty-One
When I exited the bathroom, I noticed Dee Dee rummaging in her suitcase for something to wear.
“Oh, you’re up.”
“Of course I’m up. Who could sleep when someone careens into her bed with the force of a tidal wave?”
She must have seen the look of surprise on my face, grinned, and said, “Just kidding! I thought I’d lighten the mood a little.”
“I wouldn’t try to lighten the mood too often. I’m on my last nerve, and it’s frayed.” With my nervous energy, I was pretty sure I could hand-power a light bulb.
I changed the subject to safer ground. “What do you think about a light breakfast so we can get an early start?”
“That sounds good.” Dee Dee leaned over and whispered “What about Nana? Is she going with us?”
“No way! I’ve been bouncing around ideas. I’m sending her on an important mission. It should keep her busy until we get back.”
“What are you girls talking about?” Nana piped up.
“I told Dee Dee I need your help this morning. I have an important errand for you to run while Dee Dee and I go interview someone for my article.”
She sat up. “Sure, doll. I’ll do anything I can to help. Remember, that’s why I’m here.” She grinned from ear to ear. “What do you need me to do?”
Dee Dee made her way to the bathroom while Nana and I continued our conversation. “I took some pictures to go along with my article, and they need to be printed right away. Harv wants to see them as soon as possible. Do you think you can find a store that will print them in an hour or two? Just check out the merchants on the square; I don’t want you going any further.”
If all went as planned, getting the pictures printed should keep Nana busy and out of trouble until we returned.
“Well, yes. I can do that. But why can’t I go with you and Dee Dee?” she pouted. “I can take care of the pictures when we get back.”
Shoot, this wasn’t going as easy as I’d hoped. Think quick Trixie.
“It might be noon by the time we get back. There’s a corner drugstore that opens at ten. Ask the clerk if she can put them on a computer disc as well as print them, and then I can send them to Harv as soon as I get back. I really need your help with this.” I said a quick prayer for her compliancy. Harv didn’t need the pictures right away, but I needed to keep Nana busy and safe.
“I guess you’re right dear. That Harv sure can be a nasty person, though. You’d think a burr was stuck up under his saddle the way he grumbles all the time.”
I couldn’t help laughing. Anyone who didn’t know Harv personally could easily come to that conclusion.
Minutes later we walked out the door. Dee Dee and I had dressed in jeans and long sleeve shirts and Nana had on another of her jogging ensembles. You could call us the three Musketeers.
Someone had laid out a continental breakfast of pastries and coffee in the lobby for those who didn’t want to eat in the dining room. We chatted with Joyce while we ate sticky buns and drank steaming hot coffee. I filled her in on our plan to visit the Hawkins’ place.
“You’d better watch your backs if you are determined to go out there,” she warned. “By the way, did you get a chance to talk with Miranda yesterday?