Digging Up The Dirt

“I am, but that ain’t why I’m calling,” Mrs. Turnipseed said, her tone harsh. “I been thinking about what you and your sister were saying to me yesterday, and I reckon I might have remembered a thing or two after y’all jogged my memory.”

An’gel felt her pulse quicken. She had been right. The former housekeeper did know something. “I’m glad to hear it. My sister and I would be happy to come and visit with you again to hear all about what you’ve remembered.”

“I was pretty sure you would,” Mrs. Turnipseed replied. “There’s others that are pretty interested in what I have to say, too. What I’m wondering, though, is who’s going to be the most interested and grateful to hear it.”

An’gel wanted to tell Mrs. Turnipseed that she and Dickce weren’t about to stoop to bribery, but she knew that the woman likely wouldn’t talk to them unless they made it worth her while.

“I’m sure we could come to a mutually satisfactory arrangement,” An’gel said, trying to keep the distaste from her voice.

“I’m sure we can,” Mrs. Turnipseed said.

“Can you give me a little hint about what you’ve remembered? My sister and I are busy this afternoon, and if we’re going to have to rearrange our schedules, we want to be sure it’s going to be worth the trouble.” They had no plans for the afternoon, but Mrs. Turnipseed didn’t need to know that.

“I don’t know,” Mrs. Turnipseed said. “I got things to do myself.” She fell silent for a moment. “Well, I reckon it won’t hurt to tell you this much. Let’s just say I might’ve had to go back to Ashton Hall to pick up something before I went to my sister’s, and I could have seen something one night. Something that certain parties didn’t know I saw.”

An’gel wished she was close enough to grab the woman and shake her hard. Had she really been a witness to what happened to Callie? There was only one way to get the whole story, she supposed. She took a deep breath before she responded.

“That sounds promising. What time should my sister and I call on you?”

“How about four o’clock?” Mrs. Turnipseed said. “And bring cash.” She ended the call.

An’gel set her cell phone on the bedside table and leaned back against the pillows. She wondered whether she should let Kanesha know about the phone call. If she did, Kanesha would probably tell her and Dickce not to go. She really wanted to talk to Mrs. Turnipseed, however, and they could always tell Kanesha afterward.

She hesitated when she thought about actually giving the former housekeeper money. The woman was obviously greedy. How much would she want? What if she demanded an exorbitant sum, say ten thousand dollars? Or twenty?

There was no way she and her sister were about to hand over that kind of a bribe. Perhaps they could get out of her what they needed to know without actually giving her much money. They could say they couldn’t raise that much cash with only a few hours’ notice. Instead they could offer her a thousand and promise to give her the rest in a few days’ time.

What are you thinking?

An’gel realized the situation could easily spin out of control. She also realized that Mrs. Turnipseed could be playing a dangerous game. What certain parties was she talking about?

If the woman planned to put the bite on the person responsible for putting Callie in the ground at Ashton Hall, that person might not take kindly to the attempt at bribery. Mrs. Turnipseed could be putting her own life at risk.

An’gel frowned. What was it that Mrs. Turnipseed had said? There’s others that are pretty interested in what I have to say, too.

That could mean Mrs. Turnipseed had called someone else before she called An’gel.

An’gel snatched up her phone and speed-dialed Kanesha’s cell. That other person could already be on the way to make sure Mrs. Turnipseed didn’t talk to anyone else—ever.

The call went immediately to voice mail. An’gel waited for the tone, her anxiety growing. “This is An’gel Ducote. Mrs. Turnipseed just called me. She’s trying to get money out of me in exchange for information. I’m afraid she’s already talked to someone else. If she really knows anything, I think she’s in danger. Please send someone right away to check on her.” She ended the call.

Peanut stirred, no doubt alarmed by her tone. He crawled closer to her and laid his head on her leg. He whined, and she patted his head. “Nothing for you to worry about, handsome boy.”

An’gel dialed the sheriff’s office. She told the operator she had left a message for Kanesha and stressed the urgency of her call. She gave the gist of her message to Kanesha to the operator, and the operator promised that the deputy would be informed right away.

An’gel set her phone down on the bedside table. She stared down at the dog, still obviously uneasy because of her own agitation. She rubbed his head to calm him and at the same time to calm herself. She had done all she could for Mrs. Turnipseed.