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  Someone hollered. At the kitchen door, Arlo and Cinda watched me.

  And a newcomer?

  A woman.

  The odds just got worse.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  “WHAT ARE YOU DOING OUT THERE?” called Arlo. “Come in before you catch your death.”

  I minced across the icy gravel.

  “What were you doing?” asked Cinda.

  “Checking the conditions.” I turned to the newcomer. “Did you come in from the storm?”

  She was a mysterious age, somewhere between thirty-five and fifty-five. Like Cinda, she hid it behind nicotine, tanning, and hair color. She also smelled like a distillery.

  Cinda took a deep breath. “This is Leann. Dale’s wife.”

  Leann narrowed bleary eyes. “Who’re you?”

  “Finley.”

  “You the one been seeing my man?” asked Leann.

  “No, ma’am,” I said. Evidently, Cinda had not broken the news. “I’ve stopped to wait out the storm.”

  “You look familiar.” Leann wobbled forward. “I seen you here before. I’ve got a mind for faces.”

  “No, ma’am.” I mentally crossed my fingers.

  “Where’s Dale? I’m going to kill that sumbitch.”

  “You can’t,” mumbled Cinda.

  “What’d you mean?” Leann squinted at Cinda. “You making a joke?”

  “No, Leann. You better come in and sit down.” Cinda chewed her lip. A fat tear slid down her face.

  Leann’s squint didn’t falter. “I want to see Dale.”

  I cinched my arms tighter and made no move to follow them into the restaurant. Figuring a killer was saving my own neck. His death was none of my business.

  Arlo nudged me and deposited a shot glass in my hand. “Thought you could use this.”

  “Thanks. When did Leann get here?”

  “Just showed up. How she got here is a better question.”

  I raised my brows over the bourbon.

  “Walked. From their trailer down the road. Said her car spun out and slid into a ditch. Lucky she didn’t kill herself or someone else. She’s on a bender. Doesn’t feel the cold. Guess what she brought?”

  I closed my eyes. “Don’t say a weapon.”

  “Shotgun. Mossberg.”

  I opened my eyes. “Where’s the shotgun?”

  “Put it in the freezer with Dale.”

  “So anyone can get at it.”

  “I guess so.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  HELL HAD BROKEN loose in the restaurant.

  Leann hollered for the good Lord to deliver her from this wretched life. Cinda’s reserve broke and she sobbed in tune to Leann’s cries for deliverance. Stephanie-Renee gaped like they were a sideshow act. Mr. Stephanie-Renee had helped himself to the tapper and crossed the room to play pool. Alone.

  Watching them, I deliberated my suspicions. Perhaps Dale had fallen and hit his head. Except the injury was behind his ear and he had fallen forward. But freakier things have happened.

  I excused myself to check on the money situation.

  The zippered pouch was gone. But the money was where I had left it. Divided, rolled into tubes, and inserted inside the toilet paper stacked in the utility closet.

  I had a conundrum. Someone had known about the money. I had to include Dale’s wife. She could have hidden until now. A long shot, but I didn’t trust people who appeared out of thin air.

  Or brought a gun.

  Back in the restaurant, I studied the parking lot from the front window and thought about gambling on the weather and the police.

  But some of these people were innocent. Could I leave, knowing someone else could get hurt? Was Lex right about me, wanting to redeem myself for my misspent youth?

  A Buick and a used GMC Sierra truck with new plates were also parked in front. The Buick was a rental. Both had been here when I arrived. Where was Arlo’s car?

  A scream broke my contemplation. I spun to face a growing cat fight.

  “How could you leave him in the freezer?” screeched Leann.

  “What else were we going to do?” said Cinda. “Lay him out on a pool table? We’re doing the best we can.”

  “My husband’s lying in a freezer.” Leann’s arms flapped, fanning her hysteria. “I could kill you for this.”

  “You just try.”

  Cinda had grit. But Leann had a wiry strength and a drunk’s inability to know when to stop.

  “You was seeing my Dale.” Leann circled Cinda, stumbling over her own feet. “I took care of him and I’ll fix you.”

  I cleared my throat. “You took care of Dale?”

  Leann swung toward me. “Yeah, I fixed his wagon. I know what he was up to.”

  Stephanie-Renee spoke from her elbow lean. “What was he up to?”

  I eyeballed Stephanie-Renee’s casual lean and preoccupation in Dale’s women.

  “Dale was fixing on running away with Cinda.” Leann’s voice rose. “I found the money.”

  Cinda shook her head. Tears streaked her makeup. Strong hands wrung the apron.

  “How’d you fix Dale’s wagon?” I said. “Did you take his money?”

  “His money?” Leann kept her attention on Cinda while speaking to me. “How was Dale getting money like that? That’s what I want to know.”

  That’s what I wanted to know, too. Someone was leaving Dale a nice cut in the ladies’ room. A cut from what? For what?

  Mr. Stephanie-Renee had turned from the pool table to rivet his attention on the scene. Behind us, the TV continued its traffic reports. Kenny Chesney warbled on the jukebox. Outside the wind howled.

  Leann circled Cinda like a feral cat on a field mouse. “Where’d he get that money, Cinda?”

  “Thursday is delivery day,” I said.

  Leann halted and stared at me.

  “Who’s got the GMC and the Buick in the parking lot?”

  Cinda raised her hand.

  “The Buick’s mine,” said Mr. Stephanie-Renee.

  Stephanie-Renee straightened from her bar stool slouch. “What’s going on?”

  “Dale didn’t have a heart attack or fall,” I said. “Dale was hit from behind.”

  Leann stumbled toward me. “What are you saying?”

  “We can’t know what caused his death until the autopsy. But I’d wager on the initial cause as blunt force trauma. He has a contusion behind his ear. It’ll turn purple after he thaws out.”

  “Thaws out?” cried Cinda.

  “My guess is a tire iron. That’d be handy. I doubt this place would have a rolling pin unless y’all make biscuits.” I looked at Cinda. “Do y’all make biscuits?”

  She shook her head.

  “It’s like Clue,” said Stephanie-Renee.

  “This isn’t a game.” I turned toward her husband. “What’s your name? I never got your name.”

  “Mark Denver.”

  “So you’re not married to Stephanie.”

  “Stephanie?” Mark blinked. “Do you mean Renee?”

  Stephanie slid off her stool.

  “Which is it? Stephanie or Renee? Are you a liar or a thief? According to your credit card, it’s one or the other.”

  “Hey.” Mark pushed off the pool table.

  “Y’all cool it. Stay right where you are, son.” Arlo pulled the shotgun from under the bar and laid it before him.

  Mark halted between two tables.

  Arlo looked at me. “What are you doing, Finley?”

  “Working things out.” I eased from the window. “What’d you drive, Arlo? Is that your van in the back?”

  “What’d you care where I park?”

  “Earlier you said something about my Camaro. How’d you know I drove the Camaro? ‘Cause you saw me pull up?”

  “What?” Arlo laid his hand on the rifle barrel. “I’m not getting you.”

  “That van’s been warmed up recently. But beneath, it’s dry as a bone.” I moved one step at a time, sliding toward the bar. “Are you
Dale’s Thursday delivery driver? He didn’t want cheesecake.”

  “I told you, I work at the Tru-Buy.”

  “I don’t understand what’s going on.” Leann pivoted in a lopsided circle, studying us.

  “You understand more than most, Leann. Dale wasn't just cheating you.”

  “He was cheating on Cinda, too?” Leann wobbled toward the bar and grabbed it.

  “How many times do I have to say I wasn’t seeing Dale.” Cinda’s hands drew into fists.

  Leann turned up her banshee wail. “My Dale—”

  I interrupted for everyone’s sake. “I said Dale cheated not cheated on. He was cheating his boss by not buying food from a direct wholesaler. If we looked at Dale’s inventory, the SKUs wouldn’t match the invoices. That’s collusion. How often is the owner in Florida, Cinda?”

  “He’s got a condo there.”

  “Easy job then. Owner’s not looking because no one is complaining. There’s food, but not everything on the menu is available.”

  “Liar.” Leann lunged for the gun.

  I leaped at Leann, knocking her to the ground.

  “You’re the thief,” screamed Leann. “I remember you now. You was here with that English guy. Took a few boys for all they had, didn't you? Ended in a scuffle and I kicked you both out.”

  I struggled to keep her pinned. She elbowed me in the gut and shoved a hand into my face, kicking and clawing. Like wrestling an overcooked chicken. Stringy and tough.

  “True.” I panted. “But I didn’t kill Dale. Look up. I’m not the one holding a gun on you.”

  “True.” Arlo racked the slide. “That’d be me.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  LEANN STOPPED WRESTLING and craned her neck. Kicking away, she screamed and scuttled backward. “It’s not me. It’s her. Finley.”

  “I know,” said Arlo. “Except while Dale and I were skimming his boss, Dale was skimming me, and you were skimming Dale.”

  “I didn’t steal nothing.”

  I rubbed my bruised cheek. “You think she took from the stash Dale had planted?”

  Arlo motioned with the gun. “Get up.”

  Leann and I scrambled to our feet.

  “Where’s my money, Finley?”

  “I didn’t take your money, Arlo.”

  “My money is missing.” Arlo licked his lips. “You’re a con artist?”

  “Not a con artist.” I glared at Leann. “We were hustling pool. Young guys who thought they were getting something for nothing.”

  “So you say,” said Arlo. “But you can’t throw stones, can you?”

  “I never murdered anyone. That’s a pretty big stone.”

  “We’re going to take a walk. Y’all stay here.”

  “What are you going to do with us?” The words tripped over Stephanie’s trembling lips. Mark Denver put an arm around her. She shook it off. “I want to go home. I won’t say anything.”

  “I wish I could believe you,” said Arlo. “I truly do.”

  “She won’t.” It was time for that act of redemption. Not just to save my own skin. I couldn’t let Arlo kill these people. I continued in the cockiest drawl I could muster. “Because Steph doesn’t want hubby to know where she’s been. He was supposed to fly today. She’s worried he might’ve come back before the roads got bad.”

  Stephanie’s demeanor dropped with her jaw.

  “Mark’s from up north. Where they have salt trucks. He probably comes to Atlanta on business, where he met Stephanie Renee. Y’all were headed on a long weekend to Florida?”

  Mark looked away.

  “Mark figured if the interstates were jammed, he could take the highways out of Atlanta because he’s used to driving in bad weather. What he didn’t know, Georgia’s country highways are tree-lined. They ice over quicker than the interstates because they don’t see much sun.”

  “You were on the same highway.” Mark turned stony eyes on me.

  “That’s why I’m here.” I looked at Arlo. “Mark’s got a wife back home, too. No ring, but there’s a faint line on his finger. I always check. He’s not going to say anything. Now that his weekend’s blown, he wants to get the hell out.”

  “That’s fine for them,” said Arlo. “But what about Cinda and Leann?”

  Cinda twisted her apron.

  “Leann hasn’t been taking your money. If she had, she wouldn’t have gotten drunk and thrown a fit when she found Dale’s take. Let her keep the money as recompense.”

  “He killed my man.” Leann pounded the bar. “You can’t buy me off.”

  “Then let the cops collect the money. Otherwise, you’re an accessory, Leann. After the fact, but an accessory. Unless you can hire a good attorney.”

  Leann fell silent.

  “Now Cinda,” I said. “You’re in trouble. You don’t know how long this has been going on or why. But every Thursday there’s a bag of money in the women’s toilet. You’ve made yourself available to serve early on Thursdays. And figured, like I did, the money’s dirty.”

  I shot a look at Leann. “Not literally.”

  “I didn’t say nothing.”

  “Cinda, stealing is stealing to the law. Doesn’t matter where the money comes from. You’ve been committing theft. If it’s under five hundred dollars it’s a misdemeanor. But judging Arlo’s pissed enough to wallop Dale, I’d say you’re in for a felony.”

  Cinda’s mouth open and closed.

  “Better hand it over.”

  She dug into her apron, pulled out a wad of twenties, and laid them on the counter.

  “What about the back money?” I looked at Cinda. “That truck’ll do. I guess the down payment’s from Arlo’s take. No way you can afford the Sierra on tips, even pre-owned.”

  She sniffed and dropped the keys into my hand.

  I dangled the keys before Arlo. “In conclusion, we’re all a bunch of sinners and we’re not going to rat you out. My friend Lex would say, honor among thieves.”

  Rolling his eyes, Arlo snatched the keys.

  I forced a smile and pointed toward the kitchen. My hand shook. I dropped it to my side before Arlo noticed. “I’ll show you the money and you can go. Although you should quit the Tru-Buy. I’m sure they’ll put two and two together with their missing inventory.”

  “How’d you know so much about us?” asked Leann.

  “Learned the law from my daddy and how to keep a clear head from Mother. In my previous career, my friend taught me how to read people. You’d be surprised how easy it is.”

  “Then read my mind.” Arlo pointed the gun at me.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  I LED Arlo to the freezer. I didn’t trust my shaky hands and Arlo couldn’t know I was scared shitless. “It’s in there.”

  “You hid it with Dale?”

  “I told Cinda I wanted to make sure he was really dead. It gave me the excuse to hide the money.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  “Then I’ll show you.” I grabbed the freezer door and yanked it open. “You stay out here. I’ll get the cash and bring it out.”

  “No, you don’t. I’m coming with you.”

  “Sure. Whatever you want, Arlo.”

  We stepped inside. Dale still lay sprawled. Minus the hairnet.

  “Stay there,” I said. “I hid it in the back. There’s not much room.”

  Arlo narrowed his eyes. “You’re awful helpful. Convincing those folks not to rat me out.”

  My shoulders jerked into a shrug. “I didn’t want them to get hurt.”

  “Not likely.” He waved the Mossberg at me. “I don’t trust you. You’re a sneak thief.”

  I shoved my hands in my pockets. “Not anymore. But I don’t want to deal with cops, either. As soon as you leave, I’m gone.”

  He snaked a long gaze over me. “How ‘bout we head out together. Ditch the van and take the Camaro. I’ll keep you in money.”

  Between Arlo and dead Dale, it took all my nerve not to lose that shot of bourbon all over Arlo’s fee
t. “The Camaro’s stolen. You don’t want it.”

  “Thought you didn’t con anymore.”

  “I don’t. Just repossess ex-boyfriend’s vehicles.”

  He chuckled. “You sure do have a mouth on you.”

  “Let me get your money.” I took a step, tripped over Dale’s foot, and fell against Arlo.

  “Watch it.” He held the gun over his head, while I caught my balance.

  “Sorry.” I patted Arlo, then pointed at Dale. “I hope you hid whatever you used to hit him. He must have been stocking shelves and not seen you coming.”

  “Wasn’t a tire iron. Blackjack. Always carry one. I’d eat while Dale unloaded the van. Dale'd leave my split in the bathroom. Thought it’d be safer in the gal's than the guy's. But he'd been short. He denied it. Accused me of trying to cheat him. I warned him, but he didn’t listen. Cinda showed before I could grab the money and take off, so I went out back, waited, then came in like usual.”

  “You didn’t think it’d kill him.”

  “He wasn’t any use to me dead. But I thought roughing him up might loosen his wallet. It couldn’t get out that I let him skim.”

  “You’ve had practice. Guess you don’t work at the Tru-Buy. You just rip off their deliveries.”

  Arlo shrugged. “All right, where’s the money?”

  “I hid it in the coffee.” I pointed to the Folgers on the shelf next to Dale’s head. “I’ll get it. Let me get around you.”

  I stepped into Arlo, backing him into the shelves.

  “Stay where you are.” Arlo tiptoed around Dale, pulled open the coffee lid, and peeked inside.

  “Give it a shake. They might have settled.” I stepped over Dale’s legs.

  “Stop moving around.” Arlo reached into the can and pulled out a twenty. Slapping the lid on, he smacked the top like a drum and tucked it under his arm.

  “I’ll wait here so you can get around me,” I said. “You should go first.”

  “No you don’t. Back out. Slowly.”

  “Okay, okay.” Holding up my hands, I slid backward. “Cinda didn’t take all the missing money, did she? I guess you found Dale’s stash, too.”

  Arlo flashed a look at Dale. “You heard Leann. It’s at her house.”

  “Dale was dumb enough to hide all the cash at home? With Leann always looking for liquor money?” I stopped in the freezer’s doorway. “Guess Dale was an easy mark for you. Guy like that deserves what’s coming to him.”