Page 23 of A Dead End Fourth of July (Tiger’s Eye Mysteries #14)

Tess

"Was it only this morning when we sat out by the pool? Feels like a hundred years ago."

Jack glanced over at me, and I could tell he was worrying.

"Stop. I'm fine. Just tired. And wondering why this keeps happening. All I wanted to do this week was sell taxidermied ferrets holding tiny little sparklers, but no. Here we are again."

"Why would Bubba want to talk to you?" Jack's voice was calm, but his hands were white-knuckled on the steering wheel.

"I have no idea. Honestly, I have hardly spoken with Bubba in my entire life except to say hello to him, and suddenly I find out he wanted to marry me. Well, he was drunk then, but still. And he trusted me to hold his snake—"

Jack snickered, and I pointed at him. "What are you, twelve?"

"I'm a guy."

"Huh. And now this. I cannot believe he would shoot Cletus, no matter what the provocation. It's just not in him. He's hot-tempered, but more goofy than murderous."

"You just said you haven't been around him much. And, as you like to tell me, people can change."

"Why do you think that's only true when it's a change for the worse?"

"I'm a pragmatist."

"Pessimist," I muttered.

When we walked into the little jail that, along with Susan's offices, was part of the municipal building, I didn't miss the expression of relief on the sheriff's face.

"We're here," Jack said flatly. "Bring on the murderer and his confession."

I elbowed him. "Jack. Stop. Susan, I'm exhausted. Can we just get on with this?"

Susan took us into her office, where Bubba, in handcuffs, sat morosely in a chair against the wall.

When he saw me, he jumped up. "Tess! You tell them!"

"Tell who what? I thought you had something you wanted to tell me."

"Tell her," Susan demanded. "It's too late to play games."

His eyes shone with a kind of desperate hope. "If I told her I wanted you to vouch for me, Susan—"

"That's Sheriff Gonzalez to you," she said in an icy tone.

"Sheriff Gonzales wouldn’t have called you, on account of it being so late and all."

Jack took a step closer to Bubba. "Yes, it is late, and Tess is very tired. So, if you have something to confess, maybe you could get to it."

Suddenly, I was irritated. "Tess can speak for herself. So, Bubba. Please sit down and tell me why you wanted to talk to me."

"I wanted you to tell them I'm no killer. You know me, Tess. You held Snake Hissken, and I don't let anybody hold my snake."

Susan's eyes widened, and she clamped her lips shut, but behind me, I heard Jack cough.

"Okay. Yes. Let's leave the snake out of it. What do you want to say about the murder?"

He slumped back down into his chair. "I saw him.

Cletus. I saw him on the ground, so it must have been after somebody shot him.

And I saw a woman with long hair kneeling next to him …

next to his body. She yelled at me to get out, so I got out, because she sounded crazy. And that's the honest truth."

He reached out a hand to touch mine, but I backed away.

"Bubba. You know the last thing I want to see is how you die."

He hunched over in his chair, the picture of abject misery. "I hope I don't die in jail for something I didn't do, that's all."

"Okay. Susan, can we talk?" I turned and walked out of the office, and Jack and Susan followed me.

"Gunshot residue?" Jack asked.

"None on either Bubba or Skeeter, according to Lizzie, but of course they could have worn gloves," Susan said with frustration. "And the rest of the McKees are alibied. Even Lola. They were all at Connor's Pub getting hammered in true McKee style."

"Cameras?"

"Yes, Jack, I looked at the camera feed. It’s not my first day on the job," she snapped.

I held up my hands. "Hey. You two. Cut it out. Sniping at each other will not solve this or make us any less tired."

Susan scrubbed her face with her hands. "I know, I know. Sorry, Jack."

"I'm sorry, too. I got too accustomed to snapping orders at soldiers. I need to move past that," Jack said.

We heard footsteps and turned to see Carlos walk into the hallway.

"Where were you?"

"Hello, Jack, I'm fine. How are you?" Susan's brother said with an eye roll. "I was out talking to witnesses. Nothing concrete. Half of them swore they saw Bubba shoot him, half of them swore they saw Skeeter shoot him, and half of them think it's the troll come back to get revenge."

"That's too many halves," I said, fighting a yawn. "Also, the troll wasn't really a troll. He was a High Court Fae prince wearing a glamour."

Carlos shrugged. "I'm just telling you what they said. Any luck in here?"

"No. And I'm exhausted. I'm going to lock them both up and let them get some sleep, and we can start fresh in the morning," Susan said.

"Why are you here?" Carlos asked me. "I thought you two went home after you brought Hatfield in."

"Bubba wanted to confess to Tess," Jack said dryly. "Because he let her hold his snake."

There was a long beat of silence, and then Jack, Susan, and Carlos cracked up. I stood there tapping my foot and glaring at all three of them until they stopped.

"Why do you always get caught up in things, Tess? Why would he want to confess to you?" Carlos shook his head, still smiling. "Lawyer, I can see. Priest or pastor, sure. Even my lovely and deadly sister, the sheriff. But pawnshop owner?"

I threw my hands in the air. "How do I know what he's thinking?"

Carlos tilted his head and looked thoughtfully at his sister. "I know you won't like this suggestion, but it's all I've got. I can put them into a trance and ask them if they shot Cletus."

But Susan was shaking her head before he finished talking.

"No. You're right, I don't like it. First, vampire entrancement is illegal without the subject's consent, and if you can hear Skeeter Hatfield yelling, you know he won't give it.

Second, it would be inadmissible. Third, and most important, the trance can make people want to say whatever they think you want to hear.

Especially suggestible personalities. You'd have Bubba admitting he drove the Titanic into that iceberg. "

"Okay. I need sleep," I said. "Call us tomorrow if you need us. Or even to let us know what's happening, okay?"

Susan nodded. "We're all exhausted. Let's get some sleep, and we'll take this up in the morning. Andy's fresh. He'll take watch here tonight."

"Should I keep the shop closed tomorrow, just in case Bubba has something material to say?"

"Probably a good idea," Jack said. "Not the Bubba part, but you could use a day off after this."

"I'm just home from vacation, and I need a vacation," I muttered.

"Tess?" Bubba called out plaintively.

"She's not going to hold your snake," Jack shouted. "Pipe down."

When the trio of dunderheads looked like they were going to start laughing again, I scowled at them and marched out of the building.

Jack and Carlos followed me, and I could hear them talking.

"We need to talk to you about Mikhail."

"Tonight? Or can it wait until tomorrow evening?"

Carlos didn't come out during the daytime.

"It can wait," I said. "I've had enough of today."

By the time we got home, I was so tired I just kicked off my shoes and climbed into bed in my clothes.

I was asleep in ten seconds, and I slept so hard that when I woke up, still fully dressed, I felt disoriented and muzzy.

Beside me, Jack tapped on my shoulder. "Ah, Tess."

"Yeah," I mumbled into the pillow.

"You might want to turn over and look up."

"Is this some weird romance thing? Because—"

"Tess of the Callahan," a tiny voice piped, and I flopped over and sat up so fast I almost hit Jack in the face with my elbow.

To see a pixie flying loops around my bedroom, her sparklingly translucent wings fluttering.

Weirdly enough, I was still too tired to be surprised. "Hello, Frazzle. I am surprised to see you here."

"Yes. I hope I have not trespassed on my privileges as a guest in your home," she said. Then she floated down and took a seat on my dresser. "However, an urgent matter has come to our attention."

"Hello, Frazzle," Jack said, sounding amused.

"Good morning, Jack of the Shepherd. Robin and Thistle, the hobgoblins lodging with your family, are upset. They have reported that a strange woman is hiding in the barn and disturbing the goats."

"The goats?" I shook my head to clear it. "What?"

Jack snapped into investigator mode. "Frazzle. Did they say what the woman looked like?"

She raised one tiny shoulder in a shrug. "Humans look mostly alike to us."

"How is she disturbing the goats?" I asked, reaching for my phone.

"She smells like dead human."

My phone fell out of my suddenly nerveless fingers. "We have zombies now?"