Chester leaned forward. “You’re kidding.”
Kate laced her fingers together on her lap. “Mom called me last night in tears. She said that she’d been drinking too much again the night of the fire. She’d been angry at Dad.”
“That hair of the dog is dangerous stuff,” Harvey said.
“Angry about what now?” Claire asked. “The divorce is long over.”
“Dad told her that he’s going to start visiting us more and wanted her to try to put their differences aside so he can have his daughters back in his life.” She frowned. “Mom told me she remembers going to the bathroom with one of Manny’s cigars. He doesn’t like it when she smokes, so she sneaks them.”
“Oh, no,” Claire said.
“Oh, yeah. On her way back to bed, she tossed the cigar toward Gramps’s Winnebago. She can’t remember running it under water like she usually does when she’s sober.” Kate looked toward Natalie. “You must have been in the shower while she was in the restroom sneaking the cigar. Did you smell it when you stepped outside?”
Natalie shook her head. “All I could smell was the burning Winnebago.”
“Shit,” Ronnie said.
“She could have killed Coop,” Natalie growled.
“Not to mention burned up the damned campground,” Claire said. If the wind had been blowing harder and the guys hadn’t moved those propane tanks, the whole park could have been flattened.
Kate nodded. “She knows how bad this is.”
“What’s she going to do about it?” Ronnie asked.
“She said she talked to Manny. He asked her to consider checking herself into a rehab clinic in Tucson. He’s researched a couple and is willing to join her there if she needs him.” Kate shrugged. “She agreed.”
“Good,” Claire said. “This has gone on long enough.”
“She said as much,” Kate said. “She also mentioned needing to work on her anger issues with both Dad and Grandma.”
“Do we believe her?” Ronnie asked. “How do we know she’ll follow through and not slide back into another glass of cognac?”
Claire wanted to believe her mom, but … “She’ll have to prove she means it.”
Kate nodded. “I told her that. I also said that she’s made life rough for all of us, including Gramps. She needs to get help or go back home to Rapid City and drink herself into the grave there, because we don’t want to watch her self-destruct if she’s not willing to try to turn her life around.”
“Wow,” Natalie said, her face lined. “That must have been a hard conversation.”
“It was.” Kate took another bite of ice cream. “The excessive drinking has to stop, though. Alcohol will not fix Mom’s problems. She has to take the first step. The rest of us can help, but initially it’s up to her.”
“Gramps is going to be pissed about his Winnebago,” Ronnie said.
“If Deborah gets help,” Chester spoke up, “your grandfather will forgive her. He’s been worried. I can see it whenever she’s playing cards with us, drinking like a fish. Ford watches her a lot, all scowls and snarls.”
“Gramps always scowls,” Claire joked.
“Yeah, but this is different. It’s more of a worried-about-his-kid sort of scowl.”
“There’s something else,” Kate said. “Something I have to show you guys, but it has nothing to do with Mom.”
“What now?” Claire asked.
Kate extracted an envelope from inside her jacket. “I found this on Claire’s Jeep last night at The Shaft when I took out the trash.”
“What were you doing taking out the trash?” Claire said. “You know Butch doesn’t like you doing that.”
“I’m pregnant, not deathly ill. Valentine needs to loosen up, give me a little more rein.”
“I don’t know about that,” Natalie jested. “I’m all for keeping you locked up until that baby pops out.”
“Keep it up, hussy, and I’ll draw a Fu Manchu mustache on your face with permanent marker while you’re sleeping.”
Harvey snickered. “I’d listen to her,” he told Natalie. “She looks like she’d stomp a mudhole in yer guts if you crossed her wrong.”
Ronnie took the envelope from Kate and opened it, pulling out a piece of paper. Her face paled. “Fuck.” She looked up at Claire. “Turns out the diamond killer wasn’t the one leaving us the cryptic notes.” She held out the paper for Claire to read.
The author used cut-out magazine letters again:
I’m coming for you.
“Son of a cockroach.” Claire looked at Ronnie. “You think this has something to do with Lyle’s mess?”
Natalie joined them, reading the letter. “Why would it be on the Jeep windshield if that were the case?”
“Because Ronnie doesn’t have a vehicle,” Chester said.
“It’s Elizabeth, I’ll bet,” Ronnie said, her upper lip wrinkled. “That bitch doesn’t know when to stop.”
“You did take her man,” Natalie said.
Ronnie’s chin jutted. “Grady is my man.”
“It’s not Elizabeth,” Kate said, taking another bite of ice cream. She pointed her spoon at Claire. “It’s not related to Lyle’s crap either.”
“Oh, yeah, Sherlock? Who do you think is behind this?”
Kate’s left eye twitched. Twice. “Deputy Dipshit.”
“What?” Natalie scoffed.
“Why would Ernie do this?” Claire asked. “He could lose his job.”
“Katie, you’re just pissed at the deputy for the shit he said about you to Grady the day you took down the diamond killer with his gun.”
“I’m telling you guys, Ernie’s the one.” Kate’s eye twitched again. “The Prickly Pear Posse will ride again!” she crowed. She took another bite of ice cream. “We need to get posse jackets.”
“Kate,” Claire started.
Kate scrambled to her feet. “This time we’re taking down Deputy Dipshit for good!” With a nod, as if both the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde version agreed with that last statement, Kate turned and went back into the house, slamming the door behind her.
“Oh, crud,” Ronnie said. “Grady is going to be pissed she’s going after his deputy.”
Claire looked over at Natalie. “I told you, Kate’s crazy.”
Natalie ran a hand down her face. “You guys are going to get into so much trouble with the law dogs.”
Harvey whooped. “You know what, Chester? I like it down here in Jackrabbit Junction.” He rubbed his hands together. “This place is excitin’!”
The End … for
