Dee Dee leaned forward. “Geeze, what happened here?”

“It looks like someone had more money than they knew what to do with.” Surely this wasn’t the work of a professional landscape artist.

Dee Dee voiced my thoughts. “They should have used some of it to hire a landscape company.”

“Come on, y’all. I think it’s great.”

Nana would. “Okay, here’s the plan. I’m going to interview Bubba and then I’ll make a smooth transition to Bodene. That is, I hope it’s smooth.” After driving all this way I hoped Bodene would be home. I wondered how he’d react to my questioning him about Annie’s murder. I had my doubts when he’d declared, “I didn’t kill nobody.”

“Look at that.” Two giant Rottweilers dashed around the front of the house in full bark. Nana locked her door. “Who’s getting out first?”

Dee Dee nudged me. “You’re the one asking the questions, don’t you think you should go to the door?”

“No, I don’t.” About the time I was ready to back up and get out of there, out stepped Bodene’s twin, big, burly, and tattooed. I didn’t know who was scarier, Bubba or the dogs.

The closer Bubba got to the car, the more I contemplated slamming the gear in reverse. But then he flashed a big smile, showing off bright white teeth, putting me a little at ease. He knocked on the window and I rolled it down a smidgeon. I wasn’t ready to get out just yet.

“Hey, y’all. I’m Bubba Tate,” he turned to the dogs. “Shut up!” and back to us, a raggedy toothed smile back on his face. “You must be Trixie Beaumont?”

I nodded. The dogs circled, one lifted its hind leg on a wheel.

“Well, get out and come on in.” He tried to open the door but I held it closed.

“Uh, could you put your dogs up first?”

“Ah, don’t worry about Sugar and Cinnamon. They wouldn’t hurt a kitten.” He yelled again, and they retreated to the back yard. Sugar and Cinnamon, talk about an oxymoron.

He opened the car door for me, and then jogged around to do the same for Nana and Dee Dee. I’d never have guessed this bear of a man would possess such manners.

“Why, thank you sir.” Nana’s twang made her sound like she’d just stepped out of the old South. “You are such a gentleman.”

“I try to be. Y’all come on in and set a spell. My wife Elvira made some lemonade and cookies.” Thankfully Sugar and Cinnamon stayed in the back yard as we climbed the steps.

Bubba’s mansion was filled with furniture right out of the seventies; wall-to wall green shag carpet covered the living and dining room. With the bright orange leather couch next to a grass green recliner, flowered wallpaper copied off some hippie’s alternative lifestyle poster, and I knew if you looked up “early redneck” in the decorator’s dictionary, this is what you’d find.

Contrasted with the explosion of poor taste, Bubba’s wife Elvira was pretty, petite and welcoming. I couldn’t have been more surprised when she opened her mouth and spoke. “Hi, welcome to our home. We’re glad to have you visit.” Her accent reminded me of my Ohio cousins.

She laughed with abandon, tossing back lovely, shoulder-length blonde hair. Her green eyes sparkled with merriment. “You’re wondering where I got my accent. Especially with a name like Elvira.”

Nana spoke her mind. “Well, dear, you have to admit you don’t sound like you’re from the south. Where are your roots?”

“My roots are right here, I was born in Macon. My dad’s job moved us north when I was little, but I moved back to attend the University of Georgia. I always missed the south and couldn’t wait to get home. I’m so glad I did or I wouldn’t have met Bubba.” She looked toward Bubba and gave him a sweet smile. I thought for a minute they were going to run slow-motion into each other’s arms.

“That’s right. I’m thankful to God my little Elvira came home where she belongs. Now, Trixie, what would you like to know about me?”

“I’m dying to know more about your invention.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

A few minutes later, we sat around a coffee table laden with lemonade and cookies. I took a swig of the sweet concoction and savored the cool liquid running down my throat, anxious to get on with the questioning, but knew as the guest certain rules applied. “This is delicious Elvira.”

“Thank you; it’s my grandmother’s recipe.”

“If you don’t mind, Nana needs her rest, and we don’t want to take up your entire Sunday.” I indicated the recorder, and Bubba nodded, so I turned it on. Dee Dee prepared to take notes. “Whenever you’re ready.”

He clutched the recorder and held it close to his mouth. “Well, let me tell you how I made my first millions. I always dreamed of inventin’ something. I tried my hand at several different things, but I just couldn’t sell them. Then one day I approached the Home Shopping Network with my newest idea and they ran with it. You’d be amazed how many orders we got for my solar powered headlight wipers.

“We had a real rainy spring, and my sales went through the roof. Next thing I knew I had a best-selling book, Elvira helped me with it—and I became a regular host on the show. We’re so blessed to have all these wonderful things.” Bubba swept his arm wide. “Yes sireee, we are surely blessed. Ain’t we Elvira?”

“We sure are, Bubba.”

I could hardly remember the questions I intended to ask Bubba I was so surprised. It goes to show you can’t judge a book by its cover. For the next half hour, Bubba expounded on his fame, and even offered to send me and Beau prototype samples of his newest invention, a solar powered barbecue rotisserie.

Nana had sat quietly but finally piped up. “Trixie, isn’t it about time we told them the real reason we’re here?”

What! Oh, Lord, please put a filter on Nana’s mouth. She was going to get us killed. We knew nothing about this family. Their friendliness could be a ruse and Bodene could really be a killer.

Bubba’s smile faltered. “Well, pretty lady what is the real reason you’re here?”

“Trixie wants to question Bodene about that murder,” Nana blurted.

Bubba turned to me. “Is that true, Trixie?”

“Uh, yes, I would like to talk with him, but I wanted to interview you for Georgia by the Way first. I promise I’ll notify you as soon as the article’s published.”

“Did I hear someone talkin’ bout me?”

I turned to see Bodene filling the doorway. I attempted to swallow the cantaloupe stuck in my throat.

“Hey, I know you. You’re that lady from the writin’ class. What do ya’ want with me?”

“Uh, I just wanted to ask you a few questions Bodene. As you know, our teacher, Annie, was murdered…”

“Yeah, I know that. So what? You sayin’ I killed her?” His stare bore into my soul.

I averted my eyes. Avoid confronting a bear in the woods…or a killer in the sunroom? “No, of course not. It’s just that I’m a person of interest because I was the last one to be alone with her.” I didn’t want to disclose too much information in case he was involved.

I was grateful when Dee Dee decided to jump in and help, because I felt like I’d just taken off on the Dahlonega Mine Train at Six Flags Over Georgia without a seatbelt.

“We thought you might have some information that could help Trixie,” Dee Dee said.

Bodene sat his huge frame in a straight backed chair directly across from me. “Are you askin’ me just because I was accused of killin’ my ex?” He leaned forward, hands on knees, daring me to accuse him of killing someone.

“Uh, no. I don’t know anything about your ex-wife.” Surely the detective knew about this, but if not I couldn’t wait to share my information with her. I knew she’d be upset I’d been to see Bodene, but what was this he was doing? Confessing or threatening? Or both?

Bubba jumped in, defending his cousin. “That’s right Trixie, Bodene wouldn’t hurt a fly. When Bodene’s ex-wife was killed, the police arrested him. He waited in the slammer for a year before his case came to trial. He was found not guilty.”