“Because I showed up,” he cautioned. “What were you going to do if you couldn’t start your car?”

I didn’t want to say that I would have probably called 9-1-1. “How did you know we were here, anyway?”

“I went by the Dahlonega Inn to find you. Joyce told me you came out here. I had a feeling you might be in trouble. Tommy Hawkins doesn’t take kindly to strangers. Heck,” he pushed his hat up on his head. “Tommy doesn’t take kindly to anybody.”

Dee Dee leaned towards the window. “Well, I for one am glad to see you. That maniac was trying to kill us. When Trixie’s car wouldn’t start, I pictured us shot full of holes.”

“Traitor,” I muttered under my breath, then turned back to my reluctant hero. “Well, Sheriff, why were you looking for us?”

“Let’s get your car started first so we can go back and talk in my office.” He raised the hood on my archaic Jeep. I’m not sure what he did, but in the shake of a sheep’s tail, she was purring like a kitten. I looked up to the heavens and whispered, Thank you, then stuck my head out of the window to peer where he slammed the hood.“How did you do that?”

He sauntered back and placed his hands on the doorframe of the open window. “Well, Ms. Montgomery, if you’d clean off the battery cables once in a while, you’d stand a much better chance of it starting when you get yourself in trouble.”

If I didn’t consider myself a lady I’d have smacked that devilish grin right off his face. Then again, maybe not. I wouldn’t want to mar that gorgeous mug. I rolled up the window, defining a clear barrier between us.

I was still shaking as we followed him the long drive back to town. Dee Dee sat beside me, arms crossed, muttering how I almost got her killed and how she was now about to be arrested. I felt a wee bit guilty that I hadn’t heeded everyone’s warnings, but I had Dee Dee’s welfare in mind. “Don’t be so sure; if he were going to arrest you, he would have done it on the spot.”

“Then why not just tell us whatever he had to say.”

“I don’t know, but I’m glad to be putting distance between us and the Hawkins.”

We arrived at the station and Dee Dee asked first thing, “Where’s the bathroom?”

I wasn’t surprised. I had to admit, after our harrowing morning, I needed a potty break, too.

After necessaries were taken care of, an officer escorted us to Jake’s office. The dilapidated chairs were obviously used for interrogating prisoners. When I plopped down, it was as hard as frozen ground. The stuffing had flattened out in all the strategic places. No matter how I adjusted my bottom, I couldn’t get comfortable.

Pictures of past sheriffs, dating back to the late 1800’s, covered the walls. The décor could have been called Early American Male. No bright or cheerful colors enlivened the room. The furniture, including the desk, was purely for functional purposes. Aesthetics had not been taken into consideration during the decorating.

Sheriff Wheeler’s desktop was covered in papers, making it impossible to see what it looked like. Either he was a busy man with a lot of work, or a man who did little work. The bright sun through dusty blinds illuminated him from behind. He leaned back in his desk chair and clasped his hands behind his head.

“I told you I’d find out who killed Tatum if it wasn’t Dee Dee.” He grinned from ear to ear.

Did this mean what I thought it meant?

“Who was it?”

“Was it Miranda Tatum or Sueleigh Dalton?” Dee Dee and I asked questions in unison, both of us on the edge of our seats with excitement.

“What makes you think it was either one of them?” Sheriff Wheeler asked.

“They both had a motive. A woman scorned makes for one angry woman.”

He stared at me intently. “Are you speaking from experience, Trixie?”

Ouch. I glared back at him. “I don’t see what that has to do with this, Sheriff. Are you going to tell us who it is?”

Chapter Twenty-Four

You’re wrong on both accounts. “It was neither Miranda Tatum, nor Sueleigh Dalton. Nor Dee Dee.”

“What?” I exclaimed.

“You heard me right, Trixie.”

I was so happy. I would be glad to extend my gratitude to anyone who solved the case. If that was Sheriff Wheeler, then so be it.

“Thank you Sheriff. Does this mean Dee Dee is free to go?”

I looked at Dee Dee. She stared straight ahead, her eyes blank. Then a great big smile covered her face. It must have registered—she was free!

“Who did it?” I asked. “And why did they do it?”

“I can’t tell you who it is at this point, but it appears that someone was blackmailing Tatum. We found a large amount of cash in John’s pocket and more on the floor. The museum was their meeting place for the cash exchange. Something went wrong this time, and the perpetrator lost it. This person grabbed the pickaxe and used it as a weapon to kill John. And, we have a confession.”

“We told you all along Dee Dee didn’t kill him,” I said with great satisfaction.

“Since Dee Dee was found holding the murder weapon, we had to consider her a person of interest. When we found a large amount of cash on Tatum, we wondered if there was more to this murder than first met the eye. We pursued some tips and hit the jackpot.”

When Dee Dee spoke I could barely hear her. “I can’t believe it’s over.” She began to cry as she reached and grabbed my hand. Tears pooled in my eyes, too.

“You can believe it, Dee Dee. You’re free to go. On the way out, please leave your addresses with the officer at the front desk. We might need you to come back and testify at the trial.” He stood up, indicating the meeting was over.

“Thank you, Sheriff.” The words almost stuck in my throat, but I hoped I looked sincere, anyway.

“One more thing.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I want you to lay off the sleuthing before you get someone killed.”

“Sure thing,” I said. I was so grateful we didn’t need to.

We thanked him, and high-tailed it out of his office. As soon as we got out the front door, we hugged each other and let the tears flow.

“Come on, Dee Dee. Let’s go tell Nana. I’m so glad this is over. I’m going to call Beau as soon as we get back to the Inn. He saw something in Sheriff Wheeler we didn’t see. I didn’t think he was trying very hard to find the right person. This is one time I don’t mind being wrong.” I hooked my arm through Dee Dee’s and lead her towards the car.

“I’ve been so scared. I knew I was innocent, but it’s kinda hard to prove when you’re found standing over the body with the murder weapon in your hands. I’m so grateful for all your help. I have no doubt, Sheriff Wheeler wouldn’t have looked further than his nose to find Tatum’s killer if you hadn’t insisted he look elsewhere. I can’t wait to thank Beau, too. He’s such a sweetheart.”

Yes he is, I thought.

It was afternoon, and the streets were crowded with people enjoying the festivities. I had an urge to shout at them to stop and join in our celebration.

With a silent thanks to Sheriff Wheeler, I was relieved when the car started right up this time. We traveled at a snail’s pace as we precariously made our way through the throng of tourists. We pulled into the parking lot and walked to our room.

“What’s going on with you two?” Nana asked as we entered through the door, our grins a dead giveaway. “Good grief, you two look like a couple of raccoons! Where have you girls been?” She handed me an envelope. I assumed the pictures were inside. “Go ahead and open it up.”

I did. It was full of pictures, as well as a CD, exactly as I’d asked. “Good job, Nana.” I leaned down and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Nana, we’ve got great news to tell you. Go ahead, Dee Dee. Tell her.”

“You’re not going to believe this. I’ve been completely exonerated. They’ve found out who killed John Tatum.” She gave Nana a big bear hug, and Nana hugged her back. She stepped back and did a little jig. “I’m free, I’m free!”