Chapter Twenty-Three

 

Finally, after a couple of tense hours, Kelly was allowed to visit Bubba in his hospital room. The doctors had already assured him both Bubba and Penny would be fine given a couple of days to rest from their ordeal. When Kelly returned to the lobby he found Gus waiting with Stella.

"Did you find her?" Kelly asked and sank wearily into one of the chairs.

Gus nodded. "She's dead," he said.

Kelly's head jerked up in surprise. "How come?"

Gus shook his head. "We found her hanging from one of the beams. Looks like she went back into the stall after you'd left, took the rope she'd tied you and Penny with, wrapped it around her neck and tied it to the beam. Then she climbed up on the counter and jumped off."

"What a damn shame nobody figured out how twisted she was before it ever came to something like this."

"I know," Gus said. "I've just been telling Stella, there's nothing either one of you could've done to change the outcome. She got lost a long time ago and by the time anybody realized how bad she was, it was already way too late."

There wasn’t much to say after that. Stella drove Kelly out to Indian Creek and when he offered a bed for the night, she thanked him for his offer but said she needed to get back home. There were still things that had to be dealt with concerning both Krystal and Andrew and she wouldn't be able to sleep in any event.

Kelly gave her a hug and promised to visit in the future. After she pulled out of the yard, he went into the cabin and fell onto his bed. He didn’t bother to undress.

* * *

Two days later, after a long, dark session of soul-searching, Kelly was back at the Hideaway, ready to tie up the last loose end surrounding the death of his old friend, Anna.

"You okay?" Cam called across the room.

Kelly’d been staring blankly at the ceiling and shifted his attention to Cam. "Yeah, fine. How about giving Bubba a call and asking him to come over here and join us?"

"Sure thing!" Cam reached for the phone. He turned back to Kelly after he hung up. "He’ll be right over."

"Good!" Kelly nodded and turned his attention to Cam.

The barman was antsy as a cricket on a hot griddle and Kelly figured it was time to put him out of his misery. "Why don't you grab a couple longnecks out of the cooler and come take a load off. I want to talk to both you and Bubba and I reckon you'd appreciate an update on your own situation."

"Coming right up." Cam practically danced over to the cooler.

Kelly leaned back in the booth and flexed his shoulder blades. He hoped he was doing the right thing about Frank. He had an idea how to handle the situation but he'd have to see what Bubba thought.

Cam slid into the booth and pushed a bottle across the table. "So what's up?" He fixed his anxious brown eyes on Kelly's face.

"Gus has talked to the DA," Kelly's face relaxed into a weary smile. "They've decided not to press the burglary charge."

Cam dropped his arms on the table. "You don't know what a load that takes off me," he said. "I've been heaving my guts out every time I thought about those charges."

"I know. It's been a rotten time for all of us but now that it's over maybe we can get back to some semblance of normalcy."

Cam nodded and heaved a sigh. "So where does that leaves things with Frank?"

"I take it he talked."

"Oh, yeah. The little weasel took the money all right."

"How'd you manage to sweat it out of him?"

Cam's grin was almost back to normal. "I invited him over to the house and fed him a couple dozen beers, then I laid it on thick about how he'd set himself up for a murder charge. Before I finished, I had him bawling like a baby."

"Was I right about his inheritance?"

"Yep. It was just like you figured. Frank was livid when he found out he wasn't even mentioned in his sister's will. He'd been expecting at least twenty grand. I think he'd already ordered the boat on his expectations. So when he overheard Anna telling me she'd put the fish camp money in her stash, it must've seemed made to order. He already knew her hiding place, so all he had to do was wait 'til she started in on the whiskey, then go help himself."

"How'd he know about her hiding place?"

Cam shrugged. "Snooping as usual. I guess he heard her mention it to Bubba one night and first chance he got, he snuck into her cabin and checked it out."

"Did he tell you when he took the money?"

"Yeah, it was while I was up on the bridge with Anna. He already had the box open when he heard our voices up on the bridge. He figured we were on our way over to the cabin, so he dropped everything and high-tailed it over to his boat."

"Little bastard," Kelly said.

"I know. I've already told him how much I appreciate his telling the cops about my fight with Anna. The son of a bitch was hoping they'd hang the robbery on me along with the murder."

"Hi, guys." Bubba strode in the door and called out a greeting. "What's up?" he asked, after he'd shuffled over to their table."

"You feeling okay?" Kelly slid into the booth to make room.

"Aw, sure!" Bubba reached up and touched the bandage covering the spot on his head where Krystal had whacked him with the board. "It's lucky she hit me on the head though. Otherwise, she might've done some serious damage."

Kelly grinned and clapped the little guy on the back. "We were just having a talk about Frank," he said, once Bubba had settled into the booth. "Cam says he's already told you about Frank taking Anna's money."

"Yeah! I'm not sure what we ought to do, though. It goes against my grain to turn anybody over to the cops. Even a snake like Frank."

"I figured as much," Kelly said. "That's what gave me this idea I've been mulling around."

"What idea is that?"

Kelly turned his head to include Cam in the conversation.

Then, with both their attention fixed, he turned back to Bubba.

"Now that Krystal's dead, you'll inherit under the terms of Anna's will, so the bulk of her estate, after a few bequests are paid off, belongs to you."

"So does that mean I can let Frank keep his stupid boat if I want to?" Bubba asked.

"Technically, yes." Kelly said. "He's guilty of theft and we ought to turn him in but I've got an idea that might appeal to you."

"I'm all ears." Bubba grinned and grabbed his ear.

"Seems to me it isn't right for Frank to get away with ripping off Anna's money but I agree with you, jail's not the answer," Kelly said. "So what I've been thinking is how about if you tell Frank you'll let him slide on the theft provided he donates both the boat and his services to the Indian Creek Boy Scouts."

Cam's black eyes popped. Unable to contain himself, he threw back his head and laughed.

"Hot damn!" Bubba yelped. "Frank'll be so busy with them kids, he won't have no time left to poke his nose into other folks' business."

Kelly grinned. "I kinda figured you'd cotton to that one."

"This calls for a beer," Cam stood up. "You ready for another one, Bubba?"

"You're damn right I am. I just wish Anna was here. She'd laugh her ass off at this plan of yours."

"Hey!" Kelly said. "Who's to say she's not looking down on us right now."

Bubba's eyes misted with tears. "I sure do miss the old gal."

"Let's have a toast." Cam set a tray of longnecks on the table and picked one up. The others did the same and all three bottles clinked mid-air.

"To Anna!"

 

The End