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PEPPER LOOKED UP WHEN the bell over the café door jingled. She was making the second pot of coffee for the day, and from the looks of the man who entered, she would be working on pot number three very soon. Carter LeBlanc was still wearing his uniform from the day before, and it was obvious he hadn’t gotten any sleep. Pepper poured a mug and set it on the counter just as Carter collapsed onto a stool.
He drained the mug in three gulps and pushed it toward Pepper, his eyes pleading for more caffeine. She obliged, then she placed a comforting hand on his arm before she turned back to put the pot on the warmer. “Has the record label lawyer shown up yet?”
Carter snorted. “Of course. The jerk thinks he can scare me with the threat of a lawsuit when I’m almost too tired to know which way is up. Thankfully Jaxson called me last night with a heads-up, so I had Mr. Perry on call for the occasion.” Stephen “Call me Steve” Perry was a local attorney with an affinity for early-1980’s rock ballads and no fear. Pepper knew that having him on the case would help set Carter’s mind at ease.
“Can he represent both Sinful and you if there actually is a lawsuit?”
Carter shrugged. He was so tired, the caffeine he was mainlining was just barely enough to keep him from falling off the stool. “I’m not sure, but hopefully it won’t come to that. Mr. Perry is doing the lawyer thing where they pull out all the big, overpriced words and try to intimidate each other. I’ll let them have at it while I head home for a nap. Then I have to check on the tour group members and get an update from the state crime lab.” Carter yawned so wide, Pepper was afraid his attractive face might permanently freeze with the expression. But he managed to close his mouth and shake his head to wake himself before standing up to pull his wallet out of his uniform pants.
“No, no, don’t worry about that,” Pepper said. “You know your coffee is free when you’re on duty. Do you need a ride home?”
Carter shook his head. “No, I’m going to walk. It’s not that far, and the movement will do me good.”
Pepper waved as Carter left. Frowning in thought, she turned back to finish making the next pot of coffee. Things were quiet for the moment, so she wasn’t surprised when Francine sidled up to her and asked, “So, have you heard the latest?”
“About the record company threatening to sue?”
Francine waved a hand in dismissal. “No, no... everybody knows that’s not a real threat, it’s just lawyers padding their billable hours. I’m talking about some of the tour members whispering that they think Owen might have blown up the bus for the insurance money.”
Pepper tried not to react. Her first instinct was to insist that of course her old friend Owen wouldn’t do anything like that. Still, she had to remember that she hadn’t seen the guy in nearly twenty years. That was certainly long enough for him to become almost a different person. Thoughtfully, she asked, “Who is saying that?”
“Owen’s media manager Lisa.”
“Isn’t she staying with Gertie?”
Francine nodded, obviously eager to relate the story before anyone came in. “Gertie overheard her on the phone last night. We don’t know who she was talking to, but she said, ‘If Owen knows what’s good for him, he’ll take that insurance money and pay you off right away. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if he blew up the bus just to get the money because I don’t think he has any in the bank. He gives the stuff away like it grows on trees.’” Francine sighed. “I fear she did not understand the irony of her last statement. But I think—” She stopped talking when the bell rang, and both women turned to see band members Joe the drummer and Bruce the lead guitar player walk in. They both looked like they had slept in their clothes and that they would rather be anywhere other than Sinful.
Francine and Pepper exchanged a look. Pepper whispered, “Well, let’s see if these two have anything interesting to say.” She picked up a coffee pot and walked over to the two-top table in the back where Joe and Bruce had settled. Their hunched backs and whispered conversation made it apparent they didn’t want company. Pepper vowed to do her best to get them to talk.
“Good morning, boys. I’m sure you wish you weren’t stuck here, but I can promise you won’t get better food anywhere else! Coffee?” Joe and Bruce both turned up their cups and smiled weakly as she poured the coffee.
Drawing on her observations of southern social customs, Pepper attempted to get the men to talk. She had a feeling there had been many undercurrents happening on that tour bus, and she wanted to find out if anyone would drop any hints. She asked where the men were from and got short answers and strange looks. Oops, she should have googled the band’s history. Most actual fans would probably already know everyone’s life stories. Trying to cover her faux pas, she said, “So, where did you two bunk last night?”
Joe spoke first. “Deputy LeBlanc’s house. It was a little weird. He wasn’t even there most of the night. Instead he had some woman named Fortune come over—supposedly to take care of his dog, but it seemed more like she was babysitting us. I’ll tell you what, we’re ready to move on. I heard the lawyer’s here and we should be able to leave later this morning.”
Pepper allowed the surprise to show. “Really? Wow, that would be great for you. Carter didn’t say anything like that when he was here earlier, but I hope it works out for everyone and Courtney turns up alive. It would be so sad if the only memory you had of our little town was something tragic happening here.”
Bruce took his turn to speak. “Uh, yeah. Well, if Courtney is alive, I’m sure she’s far away from here by now. She’s not exactly a small-town girl.”
Pepper tried to reconcile that in her mind. Didn’t most country music people prefer small towns? “Oh. Well, then, it seems to me that Sinful would be the perfect place to hide. Who would look for a city girl in a tiny town like this?” Pepper whirled around when she heard a dish hit the floor. Her surprise was complete when she saw the librarian Fortune Morrow—who oddly enough also had mad shooting and self-defense skills—staring down at the mess of coffee and broken mug all over the floor.
When Fortune looked up, her face was red. “I’m so sorry. I went for a run this morning and I guess my hands were sweatier than I thought. The mug slipped right through when I tried to pick it up. If you’ve got a mop, I can clean this up.”
“Nonsense,” Francine said. “It could happen to anyone.” She was already working to clean up the mess. Pepper thought Fortune looked unlike her usual confident self, and she decided running in the morning—or at any time of the day—was probably a bad idea in this insane southern heat and humidity.
Having resolved to never run unless it was for her life, she turned back to the men, hoping to continue their conversation. As she tuned back in to what they were saying, she caught the tail end of Bruce’s statement, “...good riddance if you ask me.”
“Oh, she wasn’t that bad,” Joe said.
“Are you kidding me? She had Owen so snowed, he would do anything to help her get away from her ex. All she had to do was crook her finger and he would be asking what he could do for her. But the rest of us saw the real Courtney, the witch who made life miserable for Wendy and Lisa and tried to find a way into bed with both you and I at different times. I hope you didn’t fall for it, because we all know she really wanted Owen—or at least his money.” The disdain in Bruce’s voice was evident.
“Are you kidding? Owen doesn’t have any money.” Joe said.
“We know that, but she didn’t. She wasn’t around for that mess with his ex-wife. Do you think he was falling for her?” Bruce asked.
Their conversation confirmed Pepper’s long-held belief that men were far worse gossips than women. She tried not to let her smile show. The subject matter was too serious for that. Even though Owen had told her last night that there was nothing going on between him and Courtney, she listened intently to every word. If this didn’t end up being evidence, she could totally use it in one of her upcoming books.
Joe shook his head. “Nah, I don’t think so. Courtney could be a pretty nice person sometimes. I think she just got along better with men than women.”
Bruce rolled his eyes and picked up his menu, obviously ready to end that conversation. “I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for a down-home Southern breakfast. Bring on the grits!”
As the men were giving their orders, the bell jingled again and angry footsteps echoed across the floor. Pepper was beginning to wish she had eyes in the back of her head. It seemed like everything was happening behind her today. She turned to see who was behind her, but she needn’t have bothered. Band member Wendy the backup singer looked like a tornado of anger as she marched up to the table and grabbed the collar of Bruce’s shirt.
Bruce reared back in surprise, and everyone heard fabric rip. Wendy finally let go of his collar, which would never be the same again. Bruce stood up and demanded, “What the hell, Wendy? What did you do that for?”
Wendy stomped her foot as furious tears streaked down her face. “Damn you, Bruce! We had a plan! Why did you have to go and mess it up?”
Bruce’s face went completely blank. Pepper couldn’t tell if he did it on purpose, or if he really didn’t know what Wendy was talking about. “Maybe we should go somewhere quiet and you can tell me what’s going on.”
“Did you do it, Bruce? Did you blow up the bus? You were the last one to come down the steps when we got here yesterday. I didn’t really think much about it until I was being questioned by that hot Deputy LeBlanc and he asked how long we had been dating before we broke up. Why would he say that, Bruce?”
Bruce hung his head and sighed. “Wendy, he must have found something on my phone. I, um, had a text written to you yesterday that I never got around to sending.”
“It’s true? You were going to break up with me? In a text? Well, smartypants, now Deputy LeBlanc thinks I blew up the damn tour bus because I was mad at you! I can’t believe this!” Before anyone could say another word, Wendy whirled around on her four-inch heels and ran back out the front door.
Joe looked at his bandmate and asked, “Dude, why would she ask if you blew up the bus?”
Bruce shrugged and ran a hand through his hair. “How should I know? The woman can get a little nuts when she’s emotional.”
Joe thought about that for a minute before he said, “Are you sure she didn’t know you were going to break up with her? Maybe she got a little ‘nuts’ yesterday?”
Bruce dropped back down into his chair and looked at Joe in disbelief. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. Finally, he said, “I don’t see how she could have known. But she did study pyrotechnics several years ago. She definitely knows how to make things go boom. Still, where would she have gotten the explosives to blow up the bus?”
It was Joe’s turn to look embarrassed. “I had some stuff on board. I suppose someone could have taken a few things.”
“What?!” Pepper burst out before she could think. Both men looked up, suddenly realizing they weren’t alone. They looked around at the shocked faces of the other diners, who had obviously heard every word.
Joe raised his hands as if to show them he wasn’t armed. “I already told Deputy LeBlanc,” he said. “I’m not the one keeping secrets here. Bruce, man, did you tell him you were in a relationship with Wendy, or did he just find it on your phone?”
“I told him. And he saw the unsent text on my phone. But I didn’t think he’d try to use it to get information out of her,” Bruce replied bitterly.
“So, you could tell a complete stranger but not your best friend? How come you and Wendy were keeping a secret like that? We didn’t even know you were dating.”
Bruce sucked down coffee before answering. “I guess it was more serious for her than me. I thought we were just having some fun. We had some stuff in common, you know.”
“Like blowing things up?”
Pepper’s brow wrinkled. Obviously, there was more to these people than they were telling anyone. She was going to have to talk to someone who was really into country music personalities and could give her some background on the band members. She pondered the question of which person to ask, but realized her search was over before it began when Gertie and Ida Belle came through the front door. Gertie was wearing an Owen Bryce concert shirt. It was slightly faded, obviously having been laundered many times. Pepper smiled. Gertie was her girl for sure, and she moved in their direction.
“Ladies,” she greeted Ida Belle and Gertie as she filled their coffee mugs and offered menus. Both declined, instead placing their orders from memory. “I’ll get that right out to you. Are you busy later, Gertie? I think I might need help with that knitting project you gave me.” Pepper asked, trying to make it sound like an afterthought.
Gertie gave her a sharp look. She hadn’t been born yesterday. “I’m sure we can meet this afternoon. Ida Belle and I have some... research... to do this morning. Why don’t we pick you up when your shift ends?”
Pepper nodded and winked. “Sounds perfect. I’m off at two o’clock. We can compare notes on that project,” she said.
For the rest of her shift, Pepper gossiped like nobody’s business. It seemed everyone had a dirty little secret, and the residents of Sinful loved nothing better than spilling the dirt. She overheard Lavina Perdue gushing about “that adorable Bruce Daughtry, who really is a better singer than Owen.” She made sure to stay out of the way when Primrose Newton at the next table took extreme offense at the statement and invited Lavina to a throw-down out on Main Street.
Before they could come to blows, Pepper spoke up to calm the situation. “Now, now, ladies. Maybe if we can all get along while the band is in town, we can talk Owen and Bruce into singing for us. Then everyone will be happy.” The two women looked at her like she had hung the moon, Ida Belle was rolling her eyes, and Francine was muttering to herself behind the counter. Realizing she must have made an error in judgement, Pepper threw in a quick, “No promises” disclaimer and escaped to the kitchen.
Francine cornered her right away. “Just how in the world are you planning to get close enough to Owen Bryce to ask him to sing for this town? And you know how fast the rumors are gonna spread. Good for business, bad for Carter. We could very well have thousands of extra bodies in this town by tomorrow. We need to keep this entire situation as quiet as possible.”
Pepper tilted her head as she replied, “Don’t you think word is already out about what’s going on here? I saw at least thirty phones yesterday. Everyone and her sister was taking video to post on Facebook and YouTube. You know there’s nothing Carter can do about that.” She didn’t say a word about knowing Owen personally.
Francine replied, “No, but Gertie and Celia can. They’ve decreed radio silence on all social media. They’ve put out a warning that if the paparazzi shows up in Sinful while Owen Bryce is here, they will personally hunt down the culprit and make them pay.” She paused, considering the ramifications of her statement. “Huh, can’t believe those two are on the same page. But all that aside, it’s not a good idea to promise Lavina and Primrose something you might not be able to deliver on. They’ve been fighting like two cats in a fishbowl since they were teenagers. Nothing has changed in the forty years since.”
“Got it.”
###
BY THE TIME PEPPER’S shift was over, her head was full of rumors and she was almost looking forward to climbing into the backseat of Gertie’s enormous Cadillac. Just as she saw Gertie coming down Main Street to pick her up, she heard yet another disturbing piece of news from Pat McCready, a local whose family were regulars at the police station.
“Yep, Carter brought Owen, Joe, and Bruce in early this afternoon for further questioning. I was there to bail my nephew out for a trumped-up drunk and disorderly charge. Anyway, they were all sitting in chairs waiting to be questioned. Their fancy lawyer was sitting with them. That city slicker probably never expected he would have to do any real work while he was here. Tell you one thing, though—those boys aren’t going anywhere soon. Myrtle told me Carter found out they all served in the Army as explosives experts. That’s how they met. And you know how strong of a bond being in the military is. Dollars to doughnuts one of them did it and the other two knew about it.”
Right then Gertie squealed to a stop in front of Francine’s. It sounded like she needed some brake work done soon. Pepper ran out the front door and jumped into the back seat, ready to get to work. They had a job to do—clear her old friend Owen’s name.