The party ended not long after Red, Joe, and Dixon Vannover left. The board members welcomed me and then hurried on to other meetings. I noticed Dixie and Jacob cleaning up, and I hurried over to lend a hand.
Jacob waved me away. “There’s not much to do. Besides, you’re the guest of honor. You aren’t supposed to soil your hands with this trivial nonsense.”
“Pshaw. We’re a team.”
“There’s not much cleanup.” He grinned. “It hurt my heart to use disposable plates and plastic silverware, but . . . it sure makes life easy.”
Every piece of cake was gone. Dixie tossed the box into the trash. All of the champagne was gone too, and the empty bottles were also tossed. The plates, silverware, and napkins were chucked into the trash.
Jacob picked up the two bouquets of flowers. “Do you want me to put these in your office, or do you want to take them home?”
I thought for a moment. “My office.”
He put them on his cart. “Then I better get them in water.” Before leaving, he turned to Linda Kay. “You have another meeting in ten minutes.” Then he pushed the cart out of the room.
Linda Kay motored her scooter toward the door, and David jumped up to hold it open for her. She gave him a big smile. “I’ve got to scoot.” She waved and rolled a few feet before stopping and turning toward me. “Why don’t you take the afternoon off and enjoy your family. Tomorrow, we can talk about the specifics.”
I thanked her, and she rolled away.
I looked at Dixie, Stephanie, and David. “Thank you all for coming, but what do we do now?”
“How about we grab some lunch and figure it out,” Dixie said.
“I need to go upstairs to my office and get my purse.” I picked up my laptop. “And I need to take this back. I’ll be down in a few minutes, and we can go.”
I rushed upstairs. Jacob was quick. Both sets of flowers had been placed in beautiful crystal vases and were sitting on my desk. I stopped to sniff each and knew that I had a silly grin on my face, but I didn’t really care. I had a permanent job at a place I liked and got to work with people I liked. I snatched my purse from my desk drawer. Jacob wasn’t at his desk, and Linda Kay’s door was closed. So I hurried downstairs.
Dixie and Stephanie were waiting for me in Dixie’s Lexus. I climbed into the passenger seat and buckled up.
She pulled out of the parking lot, and that’s when I noticed David pull behind her. I turned to my friend. “Where are we going?”
“Stephanie sent a text to Joe letting the boys know we were going to Aretha Frankensteins.” She glanced in my direction. “You can’t spend time in Chattanooga without going there.” She made a quick right turn in front of a city bus and headed down an extremely narrow street with more speed than I would have deemed wise. However, Dixie never seemed to attract the attention of the police, no matter how fast she drove.
When my stomach traveled back down from my mouth, I opened my eyes and released my grip on the door. “I don’t think I’ve ever been to Aretha Frankensteins.”
“That’s on me. I have been derelict in my duties as an ambassador for Chattanooga.” She turned down what appeared to be a quiet residential street. After about two blocks, she slowed down. “There’s a spot.” She swerved and pulled into a parking space almost directly in front of a large house. The parking gods were almost always looking out for Dixie. Unfortunately, David wasn’t as lucky, and he had to circle the block.
We climbed the stone steps and walked up to the covered, wraparound porch. A creative builder had fitted a bar around the railing, and there were people sitting on barstools. Inside, the restaurant was packed; and a large bar dominated the main room, and the tables around the perimeter offered barely enough room to walk between them. The sloped ceilings and every available wall were decorated with pictures. The combination of the small interior jam-packed with people, the cluttered walls, and the noise sent me into sensory overload.
A petite woman who was extremely pregnant greeted us. “How many?”
“Six,” Dixie said. “Any tables outside?”
The hostess waddled to a side door and looked outside. Then she motioned for us to follow her.
Outside, the wraparound porch bar was crowded, and from the side I could see, there was another level with tables that were placed on a concrete pad, with a large umbrella to protect diners from the sun.
She pulled two plastic chairs from a nearby table and then left, promising that our server would soon arrive with water.
We sat and stared at the menu, which had a Halloween theme.
David smiled. “I don’t think I’ve ever been to a restaurant where they advertise that it may take quite a while to get your food.”
“What?” I asked.
David read, “Everything is prepared to order in our tiny kitchen. Please understand, waiting thirty minutes or more for your food is not uncommon. That said, thank you for coming, and enjoy.” He looked over the top of his menu and smiled. “I love the South.”
“This place is famous,” Dixie said. “I believe it was once featured on Rachael Ray’s show—you know, the one where she traveled and had to eat under some ridiculous amount, like forty dollars.”
Stephanie smiled. “Oh, I used to like that show.”
“So she came to Chattanooga and ate at Aretha Frankensteins.”
“It’s very . . . eclectic?” David said.
He looked up and waved. We all turned to see who he was waving at and caught sight of Joe and Red coming around the corner. Without even thinking about it, we automatically adjusted and skootched our seats so Red could sit next to me and Joe next to Stephanie.
“Did he confess to the murder?” Dixie asked.
“Unfortunately, he didn’t confess to anything.” Red glanced up at the waitress, who arrived and took our beverage orders. When she was gone, we turned back to Red and he continued. “He wouldn’t even admit to his name being Dixon Vannover. He spent the majority of the time whining about how his political opponents were trying to cast black marks against his character and besmirch his name.”
“Besmirch?” I said. “He actually used that word?”
“He did.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone actually say besmirch,” Joe said, laughing.
“I’m surprised Dixon Vannover knows what the word means,” Dixie said. “Beau claims he’s dumber than a bag of hammers.”
Stephanie had chosen that instant to take a sip of her coffee and nearly choked laughing. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard that saying before.”
The waitress hovered near our table, and we knew it was time to get down to business.
David asked, “What do you recommend?”
The young woman mentioned the restaurant was famous for its pancakes and waffles. She recommended the Waffle of Insane Greatness. David took her up on her recommendation. Dixie mentioned that was her favorite and ordered the same thing. Red surprised me by ordering the Slim Stack, which was two pancakes. I’d seen him eat and knew he was capable of putting back a lot more than two pancakes. I was feeling super hungry and ordered the Fat Stack, which was three pancakes. Red and Dixie gave me a look.
“What?”
“Their pancakes are large,” Red said. “Are you sure you’re up for that?”
“Is that a challenge?”
Red held up his hands, and he and Dixie exchanged a glance.
Stephanie ordered something called Elephants Gerald, which I’d noticed on the menu because it involved a Belgian waffle topped with vanilla ice cream, pecans, syrup, and cinnamon.
Once our orders were placed, the waitress took our menus and headed back to put in our orders.
“So Dixon Vannover refused to answer questions?” I asked, surprised that Red would allow him to get away with that.
“No, he answered. He just lied. He denied having a relationship with Naomi Keller. He denied having ever been in a relationship with Brittney Keller.”
Joe grinned. “At one point, he denied being in a relationship with anyone, but he must have realized how that sounded, and he backtracked and said he was married and hadn’t been involved in any relationships outside of his marriage.”
“There are plenty of people who know that isn’t true,” Dixie said. “He has to realize you’ll figure out the truth.”
Joe shrugged.
“But didn’t you tell him that his wife actually showed up at the dog show and confronted Naomi Keller in front of you?” I stared at Red. “She told us that he was having an affair with Naomi Keller and that he planned to get divorced.”
“When I told him that, he blanched and said that I must have been confused.”
“You have got to be joking.”
“When he realized that he couldn’t convince me I was wrong, he said his wife must have been confused.”
“He completely threw his wife under the bus,” Joe added.
“He claimed she was ‘high-strung’ and jealous and often got confused.” Red barely had the words out of his mouth before Dixie, Stephanie, and I were ready to pounce.
“High-strung!”
“Don’t shoot the messengers. We’re just reporting what the man said.”
“Why that slimy, bald-faced liar.” Dixie folded her arms across her chest and scowled. “I wish I had been there. I’d have grabbed that little weasel by the short hairs and helped him understand what high-strung really means.”
We glanced at Dixie until she looked up and smiled. “Sorry, but that just burns my biscuits when someone accuses a woman of being high-strung simply because she is passionate.”
“Or, in this case, honest,” Stephanie said. “It’s insulting and belittling and—”
David held up a hand. “We get it. Dixon Vannover is a liar, but they’re just relaying what happened.”
I took a deep breath and turned to Red. “David’s right. What else did he say?”
“That’s pretty much it. He denied having ‘carnal knowledge’ of both Naomi Keller and Brittney Keller.” He used air quotes to indicate the choice of words belonged to Dixon Vannover. “He also threatened to sue me, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and anyone who accused him of infidelity if this ‘pack of lies’ made its way into the newspapers.”
“I’d love to see him try,” Stephanie said. “I’d wipe the floor with him.”
Our waitress and two others, all laden with plates, made their way to our table. When the waitress placed Red’s plate in front of him, I knew I was in trouble. His two pancakes covered the entire surface of the plate and were each at least an inch tall.
When the mountain of pancakes was placed in front of me, I was blown away by their size. There was no way I would be able to make the slightest dent in those. I glanced at Red, who smiled. “I tried to warn you.”
“Oh, shut up.”
He chuckled and then switched his plate with mine. He gave me a look that asked, Is that better? I nodded and mouthed, Thank you.
Everything looked and smelled delicious. We took a break from our recaps to dig into our food.
I wasn’t able to finish even one of the two pancakes on my plate. Red fared better and managed to eat about half of the three pancakes. No one managed to eat everything, although Joe came the closest and finished three-quarters of his Belgian waffle.
When the waitress came back to check on us and to find out how we wanted our bills distributed, Dixie handed her a credit card and told her she was paying the entire bill. I was accustomed to Dixie’s generosity, but Red and Joe put up a bit of an argument.
Dixie waved away all protests. “I’m paying for this, and I don’t want any arguments. You’re all here because of me.” She glanced at David, Joe, and Stephanie and choked up. “If I wasn’t under suspicion, Red would have turned this case over to the Chattanooga Police or allowed that troll to arrest whoever he wanted.” She took her napkin and dabbed at her eyes. “Please, let me do this.”
I reached over and gave her arm a squeeze.
She pulled herself together and took a deep breath. “Besides, if you hadn’t noticed, we like to feed people in the South.”
We chuckled. When Dixie had signed her bill, I asked, “What now?”
Red glanced at his watch. “I’ve got to get back to work. I need to find out if I’m going to need to issue a warrant to get Dixon Vannover back or if his attorney wants him to voluntarily come in to make a statement.”
Stephanie was going to meet Theodore Jordan at the courthouse. Joe and Dixie had plans to go to the Greyhound rescue. I wanted to go home and change clothes. David said he was headed to Vannover campaign headquarters, which was only a block away from the Vannovers’ house. He offered to take me home so I could change, and then he’d drop me off to talk to June. That meant Dixie wouldn’t have to go out of her way. We made our way to our respective vehicles and set out to tackle our suspects. Normally, Dixie would be teaching obedience on Tuesday nights, but at last night’s meeting, we agreed to forego the class and meet for pizza at my house.
David offered to bring the car up to get me, but I needed the exercise and decided to accompany him. It was a beautiful, sunny day, and I enjoyed looking at the older homes in this neighborhood.
It didn’t take long to get home. David let Aggie, Rex, and Lucky out while I changed, which didn’t take long at all. Aggie wasn’t thrilled about the fact that we were leaving again so quickly, but when I pulled out my secret weapon, string cheese, she was attentive. I was amazed at the power a stick of string cheese had on such a little dog. One minute, she was chasing Rex around the house, but now she was sitting by my side, waiting for her cheese. I took the time to cut the cheese into small pieces. Rex and Aggie were small, so the two of them shared half a piece of cheese. Lucky was much bigger, but I didn’t want him to be bound up later, so I cut only a half piece of cheese for him too.
When I was done, Aggie and Rex raced to the bedroom and were standing in their crate, ready for their treat. After I finished, David drove to the Vannover campaign.
Dixon Vannover had rented a small retail store in a strip mall for his campaign headquarters. David turned down a side street to a gated community. Dixie had given me the address last night, so when David pulled up to the gate, he punched in the house numbers, which rang the Vannover intercom.
I recognized June Vannover’s voice. “Mrs. Vannover, it’s Lilly Echosby. We met at the dog show over the weekend. I wanted to check on you and make sure you’re okay.”
“Yes, I remember you. That’s so nice of you.” She quickly gave me directions to her house and then buzzed the gate, which opened to admit us.
David followed her directions and pulled up to a large, Georgian brick home that looked big enough to house a small army. We pulled up the circular driveway.
David gazed up at the McMansion and whistled. “You could fit my entire New York brownstone inside and still have room left over.”
The house was huge. It was a new brick house that was meant to look like an older New England Georgian that had been added onto over the years.
“It’s certainly massive.”
“Do they have a large family?” David asked.
“It’s just the two of them. I suppose they entertain a lot.” I sat and stared at the house. A shiver went down my spine.
“Do you want me to go in with you?” My son looked concerned.
“I’ll be fine. You go to the campaign headquarters and see what you can find.” I got out of the car, closed the door, and marched toward the front door.
I wasn’t intimidated by the size of the house or the gated community. Dixie didn’t live in a gated community, but her house was most likely bigger and more expensive. Yet I couldn’t deny there was something that made me uneasy.
By the time I got to the front door, it was opened by an older woman I assumed was the housekeeper. She smiled. “Mrs. Vannover is expecting you.”
I stepped into the two-story entry, which had a curved staircase leading to the second floor, hardwood floors, and a wingback chair that looked as though it had never been sat in. The housekeeper led me past a formal living room to a family room at the back of the house. The room was decorated in a monochromatic color scheme with light, almost white, carpet, walls, and furniture. The sofa where June Vannover sat was a rich dark espresso leather that looked worn but comfortable. Despite the cool color palette, the room felt warm and inviting, whether due to the bright pops of color that were placed around the room, including the bright red swag set atop the floor-to-ceiling windows, the bright pillows, and the large fireplace that June Vannover had lit despite the warm day.
“Lilly, what an . . . unexpected surprise.”
Her face, body language, and tone indicated that my unexpected visit wasn’t necessarily a welcome one. Nevertheless, I put a fake smile on my face and thought about Dixie. This was for Dixie. After a few moments of awkward smiles and silence, June caved into good manners and asked me to sit.
She was stretched out on the sofa and didn’t get up, so my seating options were limited. I chose an oversized chair placed near the opposite end of the sofa where she was sitting and perched on the edge.
Now that I was seated, my own good manners required me to start the conversation. “I was worried about you and wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“Worried? Why on earth would you worry about me?” She flashed a smile that said, Now that my rival for my husband’s affectations is dead, there’s no need to worry about me.
“You were so distressed Saturday when we talked.”
She gazed at me as though she had no recollection of who I was, what I was talking about, or what day of the week it was. June Vannover was a better actress than I gave her credit for because I was almost sure she couldn’t be as clueless as her face indicated.
The housekeeper who had shown me inside returned with a tea tray, which she placed on the coffee table near Mrs. Vannover. June swung her legs down and poured. “I love a good cup of tea. Would you care for one?”
I honestly didn’t want tea, but refusing would only end my visit sooner than I wanted. “I’d love some.”
She handed me the filled cup and poured herself another. We sat sipping tea for a few moments in silence, June Vannover probably thinking she’d successfully convinced me that she was indeed fine, without a care in the world, and me wondering how I could shock her into telling me that her husband had murdered Naomi Keller.
I placed my teacup on a coaster. “June, I’m going to assume by your attitude that now that Naomi Keller is dead, your husband has decided to stay and you feel your marriage is safe, but I can assure you—”
June Vannover leapt to her feet. “I . . . I can’t believe . . . you have no right.”
“You’re right. I have no right to come into your home and poke holes into the fake bubble of lies that you’ve chosen to surround yourself with.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You’re denying that your husband cheated.”
“Dixon is a wonderful man. He would never do anything so despicable and low.” She leaned forward and pointed her finger. “Just because you weren’t able to keep your own husband satisfied doesn’t mean that other women are in the same boat.” She glared down at me. “I won’t stand by while you make slanderous statements about Dixon intended to ruin his good name and political career.”
I felt the heat rise up my neck, but not because I cared about Albert. I was well over my late husband. If he hadn’t cheated and left me, I would have been stuck in a loveless marriage, and I might never have found happiness in Tennessee with Red. No, I was angry at the smug look on her face when she, of all people, had no right to it. “Don’t you think you should have thought about this before you drove to the dog show, where you were seen and heard screaming at Naomi Keller in front of a crowd of people, including a TBI officer?”
She blanched.
“You told me, in front of witnesses, that your husband was leaving you for Naomi Keller because she was pregnant with his child. Did you know that she wasn’t?”
If I thought her face was pale before, that was nothing to the way it looked now. She went completely white.
“Wasn’t what?” she whispered.
“Pregnant.”
She flopped down onto the sofa and stared up at me. “Are you sure?”
“According to the autopsy, she not only wasn’t pregnant, but she’d had a hysterectomy. So she couldn’t have children.”
June Vannover burst into tears. I sat down next to her and comforted her the best I could. After a few moments, she looked up. “You don’t know . . . what this means. I was so afraid, because of the baby . . . Dixon wanted children but . . . I wanted to adopt, but he didn’t want to raise someone else’s children. The doctors said it was Dixon, but then when Naomi Keller got pregnant, he said it couldn’t have been him.” She sobbed. “We had a horrible fight, and then I followed him to the dog show and—”