That had to be it. I’d been framed. The question was “why”? I yawned several times driving back to the hotel. The stress of the past couple of days hit me full-force making it hard to keep my eyes open.

I stealthily opened the door to the sound of Nana’s snores. I wondered if Dee Dee was asleep, when her head popped up from her pillow. She stage whispered. “Hey, girl. I waited up to see what the detective wanted. By the look on your face it wasn’t good.”

I took off my outerwear, slipped off my boots and tip-toed to Dee Dee’s bed. She scooted over and I sat beside her. She gave my arm a hearty squeeze. “Come on. Spit it out, girl. What did she say that made you look like you’d just lost your favorite camera?”

“Annie’s death is officially considered a murder and I’m a person of interest.” A lone tear slid down my cheek.

“Oh, no. How in the world did they come up with that theory? I know you found the body, but surely they aren’t basing their beliefs on that alone.”

“Sams said during the sweep of my room they discovered a bag of the specially ordered tea that Annie drinks. And it didn’t help my fingerprints were on her tea cup and the tea kettle.”

Dee Dee shook her head. “How did the tea get in your room? It almost sounds like someone was trying to set you up.”

I sat up a little straighter. “I thought the same thing, Dee. I think somebody tried to frame me, but I don’t know why.”

A loud snort startled me, and I gave Dee Dee a questioning look. I feared we’d woken up Nana, but she turned over and the snoring pattern started again.

“We’d better try to get some sleep. I don’t think we can figure this out tonight.” My thoughts were jumbled as a batch of scrambled eggs. I’d have to wait until tomorrow to call Harv and Beau.

“Okay, we can talk about it in the morning when our brains are fresh.” Dee Dee reached over and gave me a quick hug.

Unfortunately, I was afraid morning wasn’t going to look much better.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Morning arrived as gray as my mood. I looked over to discover Dee Dee smiling at me. She held a book titled “Cowgirls Don’t Cry.” Nana was still asleep, and I supposed the pain medicine they’d given her at the hospital kept her from waking at her usual dawn-thirty.

“Hey, Trix. How ya’ feeling this morning?” Dee Dee’s greeting reminded me of summer birds chirping as the sun came up.

“Not much better than last night. I feel like I dreamed all night. But the real nightmare is now that I’m wide awake. What am I going to do?” What in the world was I going to tell Mama and Beau? Poor Beau, he was going to wish he’d never married me. Who wanted to be married to someone who discovered dead bodies for a past-time?

Nana stirred and emitted a little moan. Bless her heart; she didn’t need a broken arm. Her eyes flew open. “Oh my goodness! What time is it? I must have overslept, the sun is shining so bright.”

“Nana, you need your rest to heal. Don’t worry about over sleeping. Remember, we’re on vacation and we can lie in bed all day if we want.” Dee Dee had such a calming effect on Nana.

“I guess you’re right. Oh, my arm is aching. It hurts more than it did last night.”

I gave Dee Dee a knowing look. I figured the pain would catch up with her. She’s not as young as she thinks she is. I caught a glimpse of the hot pink cast and smiled. I had to admit Nana had a way of making the most of life. Though she’d stepped on my last nerve more than once, I was proud of the way she took life by the horns and lived like there was no tomorrow. She had never been one to be preachy about her faith, but the fact that she got up every morning, depending on God to be her companion during the day, had been an example I yearned to follow.

“I’m sorry Nana, do you need more pain medicine?” Before she could answer, Dee Dee jumped up and retrieved a glass of water and the medicine bottle.

“Here ya’ go, Nana.” She handed her a pill large enough for a horse and waited on her to take it.

“Thanks, Dee. Says right here on the bottle not to take on an empty stomach. Guess we’d better hurry and get Nana some breakfast.”

We spent the next thirty minutes getting dressed and helping Nana get ready. She insisted on wearing a hot pink outfit to match her cast. We headed downtown in my P.T. Cruiser to scope out a good place to eat. We settled on McDonalds.

I opted for an egg biscuit, Dee Dee decided on an Egg McMuffin, and Nana chose a pancake breakfast. Coffee was the drink of choice. We chose a table by a window. Even though it was cold outside, the sun had burned off the fog. Sitting inside someone could easily mistake it for a spring day. No ice from the night before remained. I was thankful for that. We didn’t need Nana falling again – or me either.

As I looked out the window I felt like an elephant sat on my chest. Despair cloaked me like a winter shawl.

“Trixie, do you want to talk about it?”

I looked at Dee Dee, then at Nana. Did I want to involve Nana in the latest turn of events? I figured there was no way around it since she was staying with us. I needed to talk to Dee Dee about helping me and it would be a moot point trying to leave Nana out of the loop.

“Talk about what?” Nana asked.

Dee Dee nodded her head. “Last night Detective Sams named Trixie a person of interest in Annie’s death.” She went on to tell her more about the tea and circumstantial evidence against me. I was glad she could tell her. I fiddled with my biscuit, listening to my life described like the six o’clock news. I prayed I wouldn’t cry in front of Nana. I didn’t want to worry her. Lord give me strength.

Her posture stiffened. “What? Why would they do that?” I thought I saw smoke coming from Nana’s ears when she realized the gravity of the situation.

Dee Dee reached over and patted Nana’s hand. “Don’t worry Nana. I’ll make sure Trixie’s found innocent. No way will I let Trixie take the rap for something she didn’t do.”

“Worried? I’m not worried. She didn’t do anything, and she has nothing to hide! I don’t see any reason why we can’t solve this case just like the others. Tell me what you need me to do.” Nana held up her injured arm. “Just because I have a cast doesn’t mean I can’t help.”

That’s what I was afraid of. Yes, Nana helped solve a couple of crimes, but she was kidnapped when we got a little too close to the culprits on Tybee Island and I didn’t want that to ever happen again.

“Well, Trixie, what do you say. Should we make out a suspect list? Surely the murderer had to be someone staying at the bed and breakfast,” Dee Dee said.

“That would be the logical place to start.”

After we cleaned up our table, we decided to go back to the hotel and make a list. The pain medicine Nana had taken kicked in by the time we arrived back at the Chattanooga Choo-Choo and she opted for a nap while Dee Dee and I worked in the lobby. I knew she must be tired if she was going to miss out on anything concerning Annie’s murder.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

We scoped out a corner in the expansive lobby where we’d be out of the way and out of earshot. Off-white wingback chairs stitched with delicate red flowers sat on a red and beige area rug. The sun shone through an abundance of windows, filling the atrium with shards of sunlight. A couple holding hands were at the counter, making goo-goo eyes at each other. I assumed they had reservations for the honeymoon suite. My cheeks heated at the memory of mine and Beau’s honeymoon.

I waited for Dee Dee to visit the ladies room. I picked up a brochure boasting the history of the hotel.

The Terminal Station was erected in 1908, with its centerpiece – a magnificent dome – that rose majestically over the concourse. Built of steel and concrete and buttressed by huge brick arches, the dome rested on four steel supports 75 feet apart. Suspended from the ceiling were four brass chandeliers, each with 40 lights circling an 18-inch opal globe. From an architectural standpoint, this dome over the entire 68 × 82 foot general waiting rooms was the most attractive design feature of its time.