“Don’t you know that we hug around here,” I repeated everything I’ve been hearing.
“Goodness gracious. Mae West, I think we’ve started to rub off on you,” she teased.
“I just think you have.” I couldn’t stop the smile from growing ear to ear. “What do you say we head over to my storage unit. I think there’s some clothes in there I can sell or find someone to buy. I’ve gotta find some extra cash to pay someone to get those video games up and running along with this computer.”
“Sounds good.” She walked over to the wall where there were some hooks. “Here are the keys we need. I’ve got them all labeled on this little round piece of cardboard on the tag, so any of us can find what we need.”
When we walked outside, Alvin was walking around.
“There you are.” He pointed to me and we met in the middle. Buck down at the Tough Nickel sent over some lawn chairs and a couple Adirondack chairs along with a couple of bourbon barrels and a popcorn machine for a donation. He said he got some in for the shop, but they are used and he figured you could use them around the lake.” Alvin pointed to his pick-up truck. The white chairs were stacked up and looked like they were about to tumble right on out of there.
“That’s great.” It took everything I had not to cry. “Alvin, thank you so much. First the lake, the fish, the sod and now this. I’m so grateful. You’re kindness has really touched me.”
“Your dedication to this community has really made up for what your husband has done. The good preacher and Betts is right. You were just as much a victim as we were.” He didn’t have those hard-facial features I was used to seeing when he talked to me before. There’d really been a shift. “I’m sorry I didn’t see that the day I met you.”
I knew it was hard for him to apologize, so I let it slip on through the wind.
“You’ve got to come in here and see the new office Dottie fixed up,” I encouraged him to come in.
“I’d love to, but I’ve got to get down to the bank. I’ve spent too many afternoons off.” He declined my offer. “Next time I see you, we’ll have us a cocktail underneath that palm tree over there.”
“I hope it makes it until then.” We both looked over at the blow up palm trees Henry had spaces apart around the lake and used rope and stacks to keep them from blowing over.
“Everything looks great and from what I hear, all the social media you’re doing is getting the word out. I’m gonna put these chairs out and then I’m gone.” He waved and headed back to his truck.
“Come on,” Dottie waved me over. “You’re burnin’ daylight.”
The storage units were right behind the new office and it didn’t take long for us to get there. I took the opportunity to put a call into Grady Jr.
“Hi, Jr, it’s Mae West,” I greeted him after he answered the phone. “I wanted to know if you wanted to do a couple of jobs for me.”
After explaining to him what I needed, he was more than happy to come by later in the day after his shift at the BBQ diner and we hung up.
“Here you go.” Dottie handed me the small key to the storage unit. “You’ll just put the key in the lock, turn and pull up on the handle. Like a garage door.”
I did exactly what she said. When the sun poured into the storage unit it exposed everything in it.
“What in the name of. . .” Dottie started to walk into the unit.
“Dottie stop!” I screamed and took out my cell phone, dialing 9-1-1.
Dottie’s face was snow white, her mouth was gaped open and was rendered speechless.
“Yes, my name Mae West and I’m at the Happy Trails Campground.” I swallowed to try to get some saliva in my mouth. “I just opened up my storage unit and there’s a dead body in it.”
SEVENTEEN
“Exactly what happened?” Detective Hank Sharp was the first one on the scene and already assessed the storage unit before the investigators made it to the campground.
“I would offer you some coffee, but that little Keurig just takes too long.” My eyes were focused on the one cup coffee maker.
Since I’d been to Normal, everyone here drank coffee, now I think I was addicted to it too
“Mae,” He bent down between my legs and turned my chin towards him. “Are you okay? Do we need to take you to the hospital?”
“She seen a dead body. Again.” Dottie’s sarcasm brought a smile to my face. “See, a little humor is all she needs.”
Ahem, I cleared my throat and ran my hand over my face to try to focus a little more.
“I’m sorry.” My mouth was so dry. I licked my lips. “I’m so shocked that I don’t even know what to say.”
“I think you’d like to know there was a note in his pocket. He’d planned on meeting Paul here since they’d gotten it when Grady had worked here.” Hank’s warm hand was still resting on my leg. Underneath his hand, the nerves in my leg were all jumping, but I was sure it was the fact the images of Grady Cox’s dead body sitting on my summer clothes box was tattooed on my brain. “He shot himself.”
“He did?” I questioned. Hank’s eyes softened. He looked at me as if he were worried about my well-being. “Why would he do that when he has a child?”
“And a wife.” Hank pinched his lips together. “She’s on her way to ID the body. I told her to wait until he was taken to the morgue, but she’s insisted.”
“Poor, Ava. The other day we were talking about how Paul had won the campground. I had no idea it was from Mr. Randal. I left her house thinking it was Ty Randal who killed Paul.”
“You went to see the Cox’s?” His hand peeled off my leg and he stood up. “Why?”
“I had to know,” my voice trailed off and the images of Jr. flooded my mind. “His son will be so upset.”
Now I knew that I had to offer Jr. a job.
“Are you sure Grady did it?” I asked.
“He admitted it. He had written out all the details. The gun came back with his DNA on it too,” he said. “Of course the coroner will determine when and the position he shot himself.”
“I bet he stole my gun.” Dottie’s lips twisted. “I’m not in the camper all the time and I don’t lock it. For that reason too.” She shook a finger. “If they’re going to break in, no little lock is going to stop them.”
Hank and I let her ramble.
“See, it’s all over now. We can get the fundraiser over with and get Happy Trails up and running with all this behind us.” Dottie rubbed my back trying to make me feel better, but I didn’t.
“What are you thinking now?” Hank asked.
“I think that Paul has hurt so many people and families beyond the money,” I gulped. “I’m not sure how on earth I can make this right.”
“You can’t keep blaming yourself for what Paul did.” Hank searched my face. “You can’t help Grady’s actions.”
“How did he get out of jail?” I asked.
“We are still working on that. Since we have the DNA on the gun pulled from the lake that killed Paul and now with what you discovered today and a confession note, that part of the investigation will go on the back burner until all of this is wrapped up.” He sucked in a big breath and rubbed his hands together. “That being said, we pulled all your bins out and collected evidence, but we can’t let you go back into the storage unit just yet.”
“That’s no problem.” I shrugged.
“Yeah, we can take your clothes to the Laundry Club since we have book club this afternoon,” Dottie reminded me.
I’d much rather lay in my bed in the camper with the quilt over my head and let the days pass me by.
“I’ll stop by later and get your statement since you look like you need a break from all this. I suggest you go with Dottie.” He turned to her. “Can I throw the bins from her storage unit in the back of your truck?”
“Sure.” She nodded. “Let’s get out of here.”