Part 12 (1/2)
We sped up our pace. Shortly, we were standing under Bert's porch.
Annie Mae jabbed the doorbell a few times.
The door opened. Bert, in shorts and pressed s.h.i.+rt, looked us up and down. ”What the h.e.l.l are you two doing here again?”
”We need to talk to you,” I said.
”Jeez.” Bert grimaced. ”Cat, you look like h.e.l.l.”
”It's been a rough day.” I ran a hand through my hair, only to get it stuck.
”What's that smell?” Bert's nose crinkled.
”Scent of a campfire, right?” Annie Mae added.
Bert nodded.
”It's us. Perfume of the burning dumpster,” I said.
Bert raised an eyebrow.
”Never mind.” I sighed.
Bert asked, ”So what do you want this time? You've got two seconds, because I have even less patience for you two than I did the first time you showed up.”
”What's with the message on her winds.h.i.+eld?” Annie Mae asked Bert while motioning toward me.
”What are you talking about?” Bert held the door halfway open.
”The message *Back off Bert' written in lipstick,” I said.
”I don't know anything about that.” Bert raised an eyebrow. ”How do you know it's about me?”
”You're the only Bert I know,” I said.
”That doesn't matter. I didn't write any message on your car. You need to leave now.” Bert began to close the door.
”Whoa, hold on, there. It was written in pink lipstick.” Annie Mae grabbed on to the door.
”So?” Bert furrowed his eyebrows.
”Doesn't Susie wear that color?” I asked Bert.
Bert blushed and looked at the ground.
”Speechless, huh?” Annie Mae said.
”Bert, this is not looking good for you or your girlfriend. Yes, we know about your mistress, Susie. First we almost get cooked in a dumpster, and now a threatening message is left on my vehicle,” I said.
”What does that have to do with me?” Bert turned his palms up.
”You lied about where you were when Lucy died. That is suspicious in and of itself,” I said.
”Your mistress may've wanted her compet.i.tion, Lucy, out of the way.” Annie Mae shook a finger in Bert's face. ”So she killed her. Or maybe you schemed together to kill her.”
”That's enough. You both need to get the h.e.l.l out of here. If you don't, I'm going to get a restraining order on you.” Bert huffed as he nudged Annie Mae away from the door.
”Oh, h.e.l.l no. You're not going to restrain-” Annie Mae lunged at Bert.
I grabbed her arm, keeping her from Bert. ”Fine, Bert. We'll leave. Just know that you and Susie are on our list of suspects.”
”If I ever see either one of you here again, I promise, I'll call the police next time.” Bert slammed the door.
”That went well.” Annie Mae brushed her hair with her hand. ”I think I'm getting this detective stuff down.”
”How so?”
”You see how I made him nervous? That's called backing him into a corner.”
”So?”
”Now that he's scared, he's going to have to react. Maybe we'll catch him doing something that'll prove that he killed Lucy. We'll have to keep close tabs on him.”
”Not too close, or he'll get us arrested.”
”I've never been in jail before. I wonder what it's like.” Annie Mae held her purse over her head as we both dashed to my SUV. ”Although I did play Roxie in Chicago.”
”Somehow I think real jail is different from that.” I fobbed my doors open and got in.
”He wouldn't call the police.” Annie Mae plopped into her seat.
”I wouldn't put it past him.” I turned the key. ”He's still a murder suspect, which means he could do worse to us.”
”Like what?”
”Kill us.”
Chapter Fourteen.
”We need to go visit Susie. I hope she's still at work. I think the Red and White is open from nine in the morning until nine in the evening. But I have no idea how long she works.” I pulled away from the curb.
”One way to find out.” Annie Mae scrolled through her phone. ”I'm calling the store.”
Annie Mae held the phone to the side of her head. ”I got some bad peaches, rotted with worms. I need to speak to your manager, Susie.... No. No. Don't get her. I'll just stop in later. How late will she be there?... Uh-huh...” Annie Mae held five fingers up. ”Great. Thank you. Bye.”