his conquests or his Viagra prescription with me. Does that mean you think he was a man did it?”
“Or a strong woman,” he said, running his eyes down the strong muscles outlined by her turtleneck shirt. “Or a very small woman who had help.”
“How about an entire garden club?” she snapped. “Like Murder on the Orient Express ? They got together and decided he’d become a menace to their sisterhood.” She stood up without using her arms as leverage.
That took strong thighs and belly muscles. Plenty strong enough to crush a man’s skull and then drop a heavy iron wheel over on him. Geoff made a mental note to find out whether all her time could be accounted for over the weekend. The drive from Chattanooga took less than three hours. She might have called her father, met him in the middle of the night, killed him, then driven back to Chattanooga. What time did she have to report for her duties as show manager? Had she spent the night in anyone’s bed? Her alibi might not be so airtight after all.
“If you want to speak to me later, give me a call.” She handed each man a business card. “That has my cell phone and email address. I’m on the road so much, nobody can get me at home. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to drive to Bigelow to make arrangements for my father’s funeral.” She turned back as she reached the door. “If that nitwit sheriff decides not to release my father’s body after all, can either of you pull some strings?”
“That shouldn’t be necessary,” Amos said. “Is Peggy going with you?”
Merry nodded. “I also have an appointment with Hiram’s lawyer.”
“To find out how much money he left you?” Geoff asked.
She sucked in a breath and snapped, “I’ve got four horses plus a jackass to feed and a hired hand to pay whether Hiram left any money or not. I’d really like to continue to feed myself too, but if one of us has to go hungry, it’ll be me. I need to find out whether I can pay the feed bill and still buy myself the occasional cheeseburger.”
“So you’re only interested in the horses.”
“In my world, the horses always come first. You know that old saying, ‘dogs have owners, cats have staff?’ Compare cleaning a litter box with mucking out a stall if you want to know the difference between acting as staff for a cat or groom for a horse. As a matter of fact, why don’t you come out to the farm this afternoon about four when I’m doing the afternoon feeds. I’ll show you some real manure, and not the stuff you’ve been shoveling at me.” She slammed the door behind her.
“Whoa!” Amos said. “I think that’s a point to the lady, Geoff. Reminds me of Ida.”
“If she did it, she won’t be easy to rattle. The only time she got upset was when I questioned her allegiance to those horses, which are not even hers.”
“I don’t think she killed him. You don’t seriously think she killed him, do you?” Amos said softly asked.
“Ask me after I’ve checked out her alibi and found out how much money he left her.”
Chapter 15
Tuesday Morning
Merry
“You turned off your cell phone,” Peggy said as she climbed into my truck in front of her house. “I’ve called you a dozen times.”
“Sorry. I didn’t want it to ring while I was talking to Amos and his tame GBI agent.”
“Everybody and his brother’s been calling me asking when Hiram’s funeral is scheduled. And a couple of reporters from national magazines called me when they couldn’t get you. I don’t know how they even found out that Hiram lived downstairs, much less discovered who I am and what my telephone number is.”
“People he worked with in the business, probably. Plus the internet.”
“They wanted to ask you about Hiram. I didn’t realize he was such a big muckety-muck in the driving world. Oh, I knew he’d had a career, but gold medals at the Driving Worlds?”
“Three times. But not recently.” I turned onto the highway leading to
“Or a strong woman,” he said, running his eyes down the strong muscles outlined by her turtleneck shirt. “Or a very small woman who had help.”
“How about an entire garden club?” she snapped. “Like Murder on the Orient Express ? They got together and decided he’d become a menace to their sisterhood.” She stood up without using her arms as leverage.
That took strong thighs and belly muscles. Plenty strong enough to crush a man’s skull and then drop a heavy iron wheel over on him. Geoff made a mental note to find out whether all her time could be accounted for over the weekend. The drive from Chattanooga took less than three hours. She might have called her father, met him in the middle of the night, killed him, then driven back to Chattanooga. What time did she have to report for her duties as show manager? Had she spent the night in anyone’s bed? Her alibi might not be so airtight after all.
“If you want to speak to me later, give me a call.” She handed each man a business card. “That has my cell phone and email address. I’m on the road so much, nobody can get me at home. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to drive to Bigelow to make arrangements for my father’s funeral.” She turned back as she reached the door. “If that nitwit sheriff decides not to release my father’s body after all, can either of you pull some strings?”
“That shouldn’t be necessary,” Amos said. “Is Peggy going with you?”
Merry nodded. “I also have an appointment with Hiram’s lawyer.”
“To find out how much money he left you?” Geoff asked.
She sucked in a breath and snapped, “I’ve got four horses plus a jackass to feed and a hired hand to pay whether Hiram left any money or not. I’d really like to continue to feed myself too, but if one of us has to go hungry, it’ll be me. I need to find out whether I can pay the feed bill and still buy myself the occasional cheeseburger.”
“So you’re only interested in the horses.”
“In my world, the horses always come first. You know that old saying, ‘dogs have owners, cats have staff?’ Compare cleaning a litter box with mucking out a stall if you want to know the difference between acting as staff for a cat or groom for a horse. As a matter of fact, why don’t you come out to the farm this afternoon about four when I’m doing the afternoon feeds. I’ll show you some real manure, and not the stuff you’ve been shoveling at me.” She slammed the door behind her.
“Whoa!” Amos said. “I think that’s a point to the lady, Geoff. Reminds me of Ida.”
“If she did it, she won’t be easy to rattle. The only time she got upset was when I questioned her allegiance to those horses, which are not even hers.”
“I don’t think she killed him. You don’t seriously think she killed him, do you?” Amos said softly asked.
“Ask me after I’ve checked out her alibi and found out how much money he left her.”
Chapter 15
Tuesday Morning
Merry
“You turned off your cell phone,” Peggy said as she climbed into my truck in front of her house. “I’ve called you a dozen times.”
“Sorry. I didn’t want it to ring while I was talking to Amos and his tame GBI agent.”
“Everybody and his brother’s been calling me asking when Hiram’s funeral is scheduled. And a couple of reporters from national magazines called me when they couldn’t get you. I don’t know how they even found out that Hiram lived downstairs, much less discovered who I am and what my telephone number is.”
“People he worked with in the business, probably. Plus the internet.”
“They wanted to ask you about Hiram. I didn’t realize he was such a big muckety-muck in the driving world. Oh, I knew he’d had a career, but gold medals at the Driving Worlds?”
“Three times. But not recently.” I turned onto the highway leading to
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