Page 42 of Diamonds in the Mud

“Right,” I agreed. “Time?”

“Oh, about oneish.” He shrugged. “Maybe closer to one-thirty.”

“What made you call this one in?” I asked.

Junior shrugged. “Just a feeling. Right here.” He tapped his gut. “We were heading out for our hunt, packing up first thing that morning.” He frowned into his mug. “The screams kept playing in my head. Something just wasn’t right. So I called. Figured it wouldn’t do no harm.”

“You were right to call,” I told him. “You didn’t by chance see a car in the drive?”

Junior shook his head. “No car. Heard what sounded like a bike sometime in the night before though.”

“A… motorcycle?” I asked, jotting down the note. “What time?”

Both men looked at one another and shrugged.

“Before the screams?” I asked.

Junior nodded. “I guess about an hour before.”

I made a note. “And after the screams?”

“After that, it was quiet till we left. I guess right before you arrived and found...” He dropped off.

I nodded. “Anything else you can remember about that night or morning?” I asked. Both men shook their heads. “Happen to know when Mr. Taylor left?”

“Sure, early evening. Watched that stupid-looking pink car pull out around six.” Sr. chuckled. “No man should be caught driving a pink car.”

Both men laughed then sobered as they glanced over to the pink car still in the driveway.

“We know how hard it is, losing someone,” Senior said with a sigh. “Speaking of which, how’s your ma doing? Chemo can be really tough. My Louisa, she was a fighter.” He shook his head.

“She’s… holding up,” I offered, remembering only then that breast cancer had been the cause of his wife’s death.

My gut twisted and my heart did a little jump that felt like I’d need paddles to get it started beating normally again.

“Next time you see her, give her our best,” Senior added.

“Thank you,” I said, standing up, unable to bear any more talk about Edith’s journey. “If you think of anything else, let me know.”

“Will do,” they both said at once.

As I drove back to town, I watched my rearview mirror for the sedan. It surprised me that they had lost interest in following me at first, but then I realized they probably knew exactly where I had been heading. There wasn’t much out on the county road that led to the Bobbys’ place and the Taylor’s plantation.

Since it was on my list and I still had a few hours before lunch, I dropped by the city building, hoping to get a meeting with Jackson Pennington. The man had been busy the few times I’d tried to get an interview with him. Maybe today he’d have time?

When I stepped into the man’s office, which sat across the hallway from the mayor’s now empty office, the differences were immediately obvious.

The mayor’s office was filled with pinks, lace doilies, and what some would consider cheap and tacky items. Jackson Pennington obviously liked the finer things in life.

Rich warm hues mixed with dark woods. Expensive-looking furniture, rugs, and artwork filled the massive space. No doubt everything inside belonged to Pennington himself. Gemsville didn’t have the kind of money to purchase so much as the rug she was currently standing on.

It was interesting that the man’s office was at least twice the size of the mayor’s. He must have removed a few walls to extend the space to the size it was. How had this been allowed? Why?

Emma Boudreaux sat at the front desk, watching me walk in behind the heavy glass doors.

“He’s in a meeting,” Emma said before I had even made it halfway across the large circular rug.

“Good, then you’ll have time to answer a few of my questions until he’s free,” I said with a smile.