The Barefoot Summer(26)

“Got any new stuff on the murder? We really need a name so we can send the person who done it a thank-you card,” Victor asked Waylon.

“If they get convicted, I’ll take them a chocolate cake to whatever jail they are in once a year on their birthday,” Hattie said.

Waylon chuckled. “Y’all keep talking like that and you’ll go on my suspect list.”

“We’d have as much right to be there as these three women,” Victor told him.

“Be seein’ you.” Waylon tipped his hat and left.

Kate motioned Victor and Hattie into the kitchen. “Y’all want a glass of sweet tea?”

Victor removed his snap-bill hat, tossed it on a rocking chair, and followed her into the kitchen. “I would love one. Jamie, we’ve known Lisa since she was born, and she’ll be a good friend for Gracie. They hit it right off. Lisa lost her mother last year after a six-month battle with cancer. Her daddy is the vo-ag teacher at the school.”

“And I babysat her before she started school.” Hattie bustled about in the kitchen, helping fill glasses with ice.

Kate made a fresh pitcher of tea and set it on the table. “Victor, do you or Hattie know an Estrella Gonzales? She might have come to the cabin with Conrad recently.”

“Or maybe she lives around here,” Jamie said.

Victor pulled out a chair and slumped down into it. He downed half of his tea before he came up for air. “Never heard that name, and I know everyone in these parts. Kids get younger every year and I get older. And believe me, they ain’t all as well behaved as Gracie and Lisa.”

“It’s a different name. If I’d heard it I would remember,” Hattie answered. “And Victor, quit your complainin’. We both love to be a part of Bible school, don’t we?”

“Yep.” Victor nodded. “Who is this Estrella Gonzales?”

“All Waylon would say is that her name came up in the investigation when they talked to the florist,” Amanda said.

“You know Conrad didn’t associate with none of us. Kept to himself after Iris died.” Hattie sipped her tea. “He might have had this woman up here, but we never heard no names. Poor Iris. She’d turn over in her grave if she knew all this stuff.”

“No, she wouldn’t.” Victor laughed and pointed at the ceiling. “She’s so happy, she’s doing a jig on the golden streets right now. And I bet Darcy is dancin’ with her.”

“Darcy?” Amanda asked.

“She was Iris’s daughter who died not long after Iris,” Hattie said.

“Did Darcy have children?” Kate asked.

Hattie shook her head. “Poor little thing never married and never had kids. Iris wanted grandbabies so bad. Me and Victor tried to share ours when they came to visit, but it wasn’t the same.”

“So you and Victor have lived here your whole lives?” Kate asked.

“Yep, and been best friends since we was little kids in the church nursery. We’ve been fightin’ and tellin’ each other our secrets for over eighty years,” Hattie said proudly.

“And you never dated?” Amanda raised her eyebrows.

“Lord, no, darlin’. I wouldn’t date this old fart.”

“And I couldn’t date her. She knew too much about me. Wouldn’t be no fun in that.” Victor laughed. “Thanks for the tea, but we got to get going. Got to get my lawn mowed this afternoon. Y’all want me to ride my mower up here and take care of yours?”

“How much do you charge?” Amanda asked.

“Well now, I reckon if you’d make up another pitcher of tea and maybe if you brought out some homemade cookies that would be plenty of payment.” He grinned.

“You make the tea, I’ll bring the cookies, and we’ll have a front porch visit,” Hattie said. “Say about three o’clock?”

“Sounds great to me, but do you have to ride yours up?” Jamie asked. “Maybe there’s a mower here.”

“There’s not,” Victor said. “Conrad had it done by someone out of Seymour, but now that things have changed, I’ll be glad to take care of it for you this summer.”

“He’s got a new riding mower. One of them zero-turn things and the new ain’t wore off yet,” Hattie teased. “You know what the difference between men and boys is?”

Kate thought they were the same, especially the ones she’d met.

“What?” Amanda asked.

“The price of their toys.” Hattie giggled.





CHAPTER EIGHT

Kate almost didn’t answer the phone, hearing a ringtone she’d rather avoid. But on the fifth ring, she relented. “Hello, Mother.”

“I hate to do this to you as you are trying to get all this crap sorted out, but there’s one small project that you were working on that we can’t finish without a couple of hours of work from you. If I e-mail it, can you—”

“Yes,” Kate butted in, “I’ll take care of it.” She paused a moment. “I probably should tell you that both of his other wives showed up here the same day I did.”

“That’s horrible. Why haven’t you left?” Teresa’s voice went all high and squeaky, but by golly, not a single I told you so came out of her mouth.