Wanda Nell read further while Mayrene patted her foot up and down on the floor, waiting. According to the paper, McKenna was alleged to have ignored a call to the sheriff’s department from the casinos reporting a robbery. Casino operators, seeing a robbery in progress, had activated a silent alarm that went straight to the sheriff’s department. That call had never been answered, and the thief made off with over a hundred thousand dollars. Now McKenna was wanted for questioning.
Wanda Nell let the paper fall into her lap as she turned to Mayrene. “Bobby Ray must’ve had something to do with this,” she said. “You reckon he actually robbed the casino?”
“He was sure dumb enough to try it and think he was gonna get away with it,” Mayrene said. “But it don’t sound like something he’d do. From what you told me, he’d rather sell snake oil than do something that dangerous.”
“Yeah, he wasn’t too anxious to risk a bullet hole in that handsome skin of his,” Wanda Nell said. “I can see him cheating some old widow woman out of her husband’s insurance money, or running some kind of scam, but as far as I know, he never pulled something like this.”
Mayrene shrugged. “If he thought he could get away with it, he might’ve tried it.”
“Maybe,” Wanda Nell said, staring down at the paper. “If this guy and Bobby Ray was in it together, then he could be the one that killed Bobby Ray.”
“Sounds good to me.”
Wanda Nell stood up, letting the paper fall to the floor. “I’m gonna to call the lawyer and see if he knows about this.” She strode off for the kitchen as Mayrene leaned forward to retrieve the paper.
Digging in her purse for the lawyer’s card, Wanda Nell tried not to get her hopes up. She wanted her son out of jail, and if they could prove this McKenna guy had done it, then T.J. would be free. She found the card and punched in Tuck Tucker’s cell phone number.
Her heart beat faster as she waited for Tucker to answer. “Hamilton Tucker.” His voice came through strongly. ‘Tuck, this is Wanda Nell Culpepper,” she said, the words coming out in a rush. “Have you seen the Memphis paper today? Where it tells about this guy they caught here at my place? They say he’s wanted for questioning in a casino robbery, and I bet him and Bobby Ray was in it together, and he killed Bobby Ray over the money.”
Almost breathless at this point, she paused.
“I did see that article, just a few minutes ago,” Tucker responded. “And it certainly does open up some interesting possibilities. I’ll be looking at every angle, I assure you, Wanda Nell. But we can’t jump to conclusions. Even if this David McKenna turns out to be guilty, it’s still going to take a little time to get T.J. released.”
Deflated, Wanda Nell sighed into the phone. “I guess so. I just want my son out of jail so much I was jumping ahead.” Tucker chuckled. “Perfectly understandable, Wanda Nell. I won’t let T.J. sit in that jail cell a moment longer than he has to, I promise you. Now you just relax, and let me handle this.”
Wanda Nell wasn’t sure she liked the way he said that, but she didn’t feel like she could argue with him. He was the one who was the expert, after all:
“Okay, Tuck, I will,” she said, then said good-bye. She stared at the wall for a minute or so after she had hung up the phone.
When Mayrene tapped her on the shoulder, Wanda Nell was so lost in thought that she jerked and almost banged into the counter.
“Sorry, honey,” Mayrene said as Wanda Nell turned to face her. “What did the lawyer say?”
Wanda Nell frowned. “He said not to get too excited and to let him handle it.” She shook her head. “I guess he’s right, but I just can’t stand this sitting around and not doing anything.”
“What else can you do?” Mayrene asked practically. After a moment, Wanda Nell said, “I’m gonna call Elmer Lee. I don’t see where it can hurt anything.”
“Call him for what?”
“I’m gonna ask him about this guy McKenna.”
“What good’s that gonna do?”
“I don’t know,” Wanda Nell snapped. Mayrene frowned at her tone, and Wanda Nell could’ve slapped herself. “I’m sorry, Mayrene.” She held out her hand, and Mayrene took it, smiling.
“It’s okay, honey, I know you’re under a lot of stress right now,” Mayrene said, “and if you wanna call Elmer Lee, you go right ahead.”
Wanda Nell turned back to the phone. By now she knew the sheriff’s department number by heart. She punched it in. After a couple of rings, the dispatcher answered.
“Hi, I need to speak to Elmer Lee Johnson. Tell him it’s Wanda Nell Culpepper, and it’s real important I talk to him right away.”
Wanda Nell covered the mouthpiece with her hand as she spoke to Mayrene. “She says he’s there, and she’s gonna transfer me.” She took her hand away from the mouthpiece. “Elmer Lee, it’s me, Wanda Nell.”
“What is it, Wanda Nell? I ain’t got time for any more foolishness from you.”
Elmer Lee sounded so bone-weary Wanda Nell almost felt sorry for him. If it wasn’t for that condescending tone in his voice, she would be.
“Now you listen here, Elmer Lee, as long as you got my son in that jail, and him being innocent and all, you better pay attention to what I’ve got to say.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Elmer Lee drawled, his tone even more offensive. He started to say something else, but Wanda Nell cut him off.
“I was reading in the Memphis paper about how this guy you arrested at my house was wanted by the sheriff’s department over in Greenville. About how they think he might be involved in a robbery at the casino.”
“Yes, Wanda Nell, we know all that,” Elmer Lee said, “and we don’t need the Memphis paper telling us anything about it. Stop wasting my time.”
“Hold on just a gosh-danged minute, Elmer Lee,” Wanda Nell said. “You stop getting snippy with me and listen. It seems to me that this guy and Bobby Ray was probably in on that robbery together, and knowing Bobby Ray, he probably suckered that guy over the money. And,” she finished triumphantly, “he’s the one that killed Bobby Ray.”
“Well, thank you, Miz Sherlock Holmes,” Elmer Lee said. “I reckon I’ll just put in for early retirement, and you can come on over here to the sheriff’s department and take my place.”
Wanda Nell’s hand tightened on the phone. It was all she could do not to scream at Elmer Lee.
“Well, Mr. Blind-as-a-Bat, I may not be some high-and-mighty deputy,” Wanda Nell responded, as cuttingly as she could, “but I can for damn sure see what’s right under my nose. It’s obvious to me this guy is the one. T.J. didn’t kill his daddy, or that fool Ricky, either. Stop sitting on your lardass, and prove it.”
Mayrene stared at her, aghast. Wanda Nell just rolled her eyes at her friend. She was so mad at Elmer Lee now, she didn’t care what she said to him. Mayrene tried to take the phone from her, but Wanda Nell pushed her away.
Elmer Lee was laughing so hard, Wanda Nell wished she could reach through the line and slap him upside the head.
“What the hell is so damn funny, Elmer Lee?”
It took Elmer Lee a moment to stop laughing long enough to answer her.
“You are, Wanda Nell. I just think it’s real funny how you know everything.” He laughed a little more, then suddenly his voice hardened. “Now you listen here, Wanda Nell. I don’t need you telling me how to do my job. For your information, the suspect in question has a pretty solid alibi for both murders. And I reckon that leaves T.J. right where he belongs. He’s still my best suspect.”
Wanda Nell started to protest, but Elmer Lee had slammed the phone down. Her ear rang slightly as she replaced the receiver on the cradle.
“Well?” Mayrene asked. “What did he say to you?”
Wanda Nell could feel the tears forming in her eyes. “He said the guy has a pretty solid alibi for both murders, and T.J. is still his best suspect.”
“Oh, honey,” Mayrene said, holding out her arms. Wanda Nell leaned into her, and Mayrene hugged her close, rocking her a little. Wanda Nell cried on Mayrene’s shoulder for a moment, then she pulled away. Wiping her face, she stared at Mayrene.
“You reckon he’s lying to me?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, about this guy having an alibi,” Wanda Nell said. “What if he’s just telling me that out of pure meanness?”
“I sure as heck wouldn’t put it past him,” Mayrene said, after a moment’s thought. “He seems to hate you enough to wanna upset you and get back at you for what you said to him.”
“Yeah,” Wanda Nell said. “But, I don’t know, there was just something about his voice when he said it. Even though he was real mad at me, he sounded like he really meant it.”
“If that’s the case,” Mayrene replied, “then I guess there ain’t much you can do about it.”
Wanda Nell walked over to the kitchen table and slumped into a chair. “No, I guess not.”
Mayrene came over and sat down catty-corner from her. She patted Wanda Nell’s hand. “You’re just gonna have to have some faith in that lawyer, Wanda Nell. He seems like he’s real sharp, and Blanche swears by him. I think you need to let him handle this. Let him earn his money.” Wanda Nell got up and went to the cabinet. Grabbing a couple of glasses, she asked, “Want something to drink? Maybe some caffeine’ll help me think better.”
“Sure,” Mayrene said, “I could do with something cold right about now. But you got any beer?”
“No, sorry,” Wanda Nell said. “Just milk and Coke.”
Mayrene laughed. “I don’t even know why I asked, honey. I know you don’t drink. Let me have some Coke, then.”
Wanda Nell poured out the Coke and set the glasses down on the table. She searched in another cabinet and pulled out a large, unopened bag of corn chips. “I never did have any lunch, but I don’t feel like fixing anything.” She opened the bag as she sat down. Scooping out a handful, she then pushed the bag toward Mayrene. “Help yourself.” Mayrene shook her head.
“Honey, if I have just one of those, I’ll eat the whole bag.”
Wanda Nell smiled as she crunched on some chips. After taking a long drink, she munched some more. Mayrene sat quietly, occasionally sipping at her Coke and watching Wanda Nell eat.
After she’d worked her way through about a third of the bag of chips, Wanda Nell pushed them away. “I’ve got to do something, Mayrene.”
“Like what?”
“I was just thinking, if Elmer Lee was telling me the truth, and this McKenna guy really didn’t kill Bobby Ray or Ricky, then I’ve just got to look somewhere else. Like those men that broke in here. Nobody’s ever figured out who they were, but you know what? I bet they’re from the casino.”
Mayrene pondered that for a moment. “That makes sense. They sure wouldn’t sit idly by and let somebody rip ’em off like that, without doing something about it.” She shifted uncomfortably in her chair. “But, honey, you know they say the people that run those casinos are pretty rough. Don’t nobody cross ’em and get away with it. What if it was some kinda professional hit job?”
Wanda Nell shrugged. “I’ve thought about that. But the way Bobby Ray was killed, I just don’t know. It don’t seem like the way some professional hit man would kill someone, does it?”
It was Mayrene’s turn to shrug. “I can’t see them using a plastic flamingo, if that’s what you mean.”
“Exactly,” Wanda Nell said. “Now, you’re the one that watches all those crime shows on TV. Don’t it seem to you that if it was some hit man that whacked Bobby Ray they would have just made him disappear somewhere? They surely would’ve been smart enough not to leave his body around here.”
Mayrene nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. I bet they would’ve have dumped him in the Mississippi River with some concrete shoes.”
“That whole flamingo thing is just too weird,” Wanda Nell said. She shuddered. “I’m going to pull every dang one of ’em up, and go dump ’em in the trash. I should’ve done it before now. I don’t think I can ever stand looking at ’em again.”
“I don’t blame you, honey,” Mayrene said. “And I’ll help you.”
The phone rang, and Wanda Nell half-turned in her chair. Mayrene got up to answer it.
She listened for a moment, then held the phone against her ample bosom. “It’s that Deputy Taylor, honey. You wanna talk to her?”
“I guess,” Wanda Nell said, starting to rise from her chair.
“Here she is,” Mayrene said into the phone. She handed the receiver to Wanda Nell, who sat down again.
“Hello,” she said. “What can I do for you, Deputy?”
“There’s something I thought you ought to know,” Taylor said, her voice low. “I heard about your conversation with Deputy Johnson.”
“Yeah, I’ll just bet you did,” Wanda Nell said. “He was pretty mad by the time it was over.”
“Yes, he was,” Taylor replied. “But that’s not what I’m calling about.”
Wanda Nell waited for a moment, but Taylor didn’t say anything. “I’m listening.”
“I could get in a lot of trouble for telling you this,” Taylor said, “but I think you should know that your son is really in trouble.”
“What do you mean?”
Again, the deputy hesitated, until Wanda Nell wanted to scream at her.
“I know I was the one that arrested him,” Taylor said in a rush, “but it was Deputy Johnson had me do it. I mean, he was the one that told me where to go to find out about the argument your son had with his daddy, and all that And once I found all that out, he’s the one that decided to arrest your son.”
“Okay,” Wanda Nell said. “I can understand all that, but it don’t really surprise me. Is that what you wanted to tell me?”
“That’s not all,” Taylor said. “You know that money we got from you? That this other fella was after?”
“Yeah.”
“That wasn’t near all of the money that’s missing from that robbery. It was only about ten grand or so.”
Wanda Nell drew in her breath sharply. “So you mean the rest of it’s still missing?”
“Exactly,” Taylor replied. “About ninety grand more. And Deputy Johnson is after it.”
“Well, yeah,” Wanda Nell said, puzzled. “They’ve got to find it.”
“You don’t understand,” Taylor said impatiently. “I don’t mean he’s trying to find it for the sheriff’s department. He was in on the whole thing, and he’s trying to get his hands on it so nobody else can find it.”