Best Served Cold (A Trailer Park Mystery Book 3) Read online

  She handed him the beer and returned to her seat. Rusty muttered his thanks, then sipped at the beer.

  “Are you willing to do that?”

  “Do what?” Rusty moved restlessly on the couch.

  “Forget the past and try to move on,” Wanda Nell said.

  “What’s the point?” He was avoiding looking at her.

  “The point is, we’re family,” Wanda Nell said, her voice a bit tart. “That should mean something. It did, once upon a time, when Mama and Daddy were alive. I don’t think they’d be happy with us not even talking to each other, not even knowing what the other one is doing.”

  “Yeah, well,” Rusty said, shrugging. He drank some more beer.

  Wanda Nell hated the bleak look on his face. How was she going to get through to him?

  “Family ought to count for something.”

  “What is you want me to say, Wanda Nell?” Rusty plunked the beer bottle down on her coffee table so hard she was afraid the bottle would shatter. He finally looked right at her. “You want me to say how thrilled I am to be back in the bosom of my family? You want me to say how much I’ve missed being around you and your kids all these years? That I’m just beside myself with joy to see y’all again? Is that what you want?”

  “What I want,” Wanda Nell said, holding on to her temper by the merest thread, “is to figure out what the hell has made you so bitter. What has any of us done to make you hate us so much?”

  “I ain’t got that much time,” Rusty said. He stood up. “I don’t think there’s anything else to say.” He started moving toward the door.

  “Now you just hold on a dang minute,” Wanda Nell said, standing up. She’d had enough. “I reckon you want me to feel sorry for you, but you seem to be doing a pretty good job of that yourself. Poor little Rusty.”

  He flinched at the tone of those last three words. Anger blazed in his eyes as he faced her. “That’s about what I’d expect from you, Wanda Nell. You never cared about anything but yourself. If I really sat down and told you, I don’t think it would matter one little bit to you.”

  “Is that what you really think of me?” Wanda Nell was so stunned she took a step backward.

  For a moment, Rusty looked almost contrite at the effect of his words. Then his face hardened. “Why do you even care? You’ve got your family. What else do you need? It’s too late for you and me to be a loving family, Wanda Nell.” He moved toward the door again.

  “What were you and Bert Vines arguing about?” Wanda Nell thought maybe she could surprise an answer out of him, because surely that was the last thing he’d expect her to say.

  He halted, his hand on the doorknob. He looked back at her, his face grim. “That ain’t none of your damn business. It wasn’t before, and it sure ain’t now. I’ll probably be gone in a day or two, so just forget about it. It ain’t got nothing to do with you.” He opened the door and walked out. The door slammed behind him.

  Wanda Nell felt like throwing something at the door, but that wouldn’t accomplish anything. Even though they hadn’t seen each other in a long time, Rusty still knew how to get her riled up.

  She wanted to grab hold of him and shake some sense into him. She just couldn’t figure out what the heck had made him so bitter toward her. They both had a rough time after their daddy died and Rusty ran a bit wild. She’d had her own wild moments. She blushed to think about some of them now.

  Deep in thought, she wandered back into the kitchen to refill her drink. It was only a few months after her daddy died that she found out she was pregnant. For a while she’d been afraid to tell her mama, worried about laying another burden on Mrs. Rosamond. Things were tight financially, and she should have been thinking about work rather than having a baby and getting married.

  Maybe that was part of it, Wanda Nell reckoned. When Wanda Nell finally confessed her pregnancy, Mrs. Rosamond had directed most of her attention to her daughter and dealing with the Culpepper family. Wanda Nell shuddered every time she remembered the night she and Bobby Ray had gone to talk to the elder Culpeppers to tell them they were getting married, and why. If Lucretia Culpepper could have struck her dead right then and there, she surely would have. Wanda Nell had never faced such hate in her life as she did that night.

  She had been too caught up in her own problems to give much thought to Rusty, and now she could see how he might still be hurt by that long-ago neglect.

  But was that all it was?

  She didn’t know the answer to that, after thinking about it for a few minutes and trying to dredge her memory. She’d just have to work on Rusty and keep trying to talk to him.

  The sound of a car pulling into the carport beside the trailer brought her firmly back to the present. She glanced at the clock. Miranda was cutting it a bit fine, but Wanda Nell could make it to work on time. She headed for the shower.

  Fifteen minutes later, refreshed and dressed for work, she found Miranda and her grandson Lavon in the kitchen. Lavon was crying, his face red and tear-stained. Miranda was doing her best to ignore him while she talked on the phone.

  On seeing his grandmother, Lavon stopped crying and began hiccupping instead. Wanda Nell picked him up from the floor and kissed his cheeks, tasting the tears. She spoke soothingly to him, and soon his hiccups ceased. He hugged her neck and laid his head on her shoulder.

  Wanda Nell glared at her daughter. Miranda kept her back to them, speaking in a low voice.

  “Miranda!”

  Miranda’s back hunched up. She muttered something into the phone, hung it up, then turned to face her mother.

  Wanda Nell paid no attention to the defiant look on Miranda’s face. “What do you mean, letting this baby cry and carry on like that while you’re on the phone? Can’t you see he’s tired and needs to be put down for a nap?”

  “I had to talk to somebody,” Miranda said, her face set in sullen lines.

  “And that was more important than seeing to your baby?”

  Miranda flinched at the tone in her mother’s voice.

  Upset by the arguing, Lavon began whimpering. Annoyed with herself, Wanda Nell consoled him. “Come on, sweetie pie, I’m gonna put you down for a nap.” She kept talking to him as she took him down the hall to the bedroom he shared with his mother.

  Wanda Nell had to bite back more harsh words when she discovered that his diaper was filthy and soaking wet.

  “No wonder you’re crying,” she said under her breath. Quickly she dropped the diaper into the pail beside his crib, then commenced cleaning him and putting him into a fresh diaper.

  Soothed by his grandmother’s loving care, Lavon calmed and soon curled up with his stuffed bunny. Wanda Nell pulled a blanket over them and watched her grandson for a moment. His eyes closed, and he dropped right off to sleep.

  She tiptoed out of the room and closed the door softly behind her. Her face set in stern lines, she went back to the kitchen.

  Miranda was on the phone again, but the minute she heard her mother behind her, she put the receiver back on the hook. Slowly she turned to face her mother.

  “That baby’s diaper was filthy,” Wanda Nell said, holding on hard to her temper, “and it looked like he’d been that way for longer than he should’ve been. How would you like it if you had to go around like that?”

  Miranda flushed. “I’m sorry, Mama.”

  “You dang well oughta be, Miranda. You’ve got to take care of him. I can’t be here every minute watching over the two of you, and you can’t make Juliet do it for you. You hear me?”

  “Yes, Mama.” Miranda’s head had dropped, and her voice was so low Wanda Nell could barely hear her.

  Wanda Nell took a deep breath. Then she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her daughter. Miranda stood stiffly for a moment, then she settled into her mother’s embrace.

  “I know it’s hard, sweetie,” Wanda Nell said softly. “You wanna be out having fun with your friends, and instead, you’ve got a baby to look after.” She stroked Miranda’s bow
ed head. “I know what it’s like, because I wasn’t much older than you are now when T.J. was born. But Lavon is a baby, honey, and he needs you to look after him. You’re his mama, and you’ve got to be somebody he can count on.”

  “I know, Mama,” Miranda said, her voice muffled. She pulled away and looked into her mother’s face. “I’ll try harder, I promise.”

  “Good,” Wanda Nell said. “Now, go wash your face. I’ve got to get to work. If you need me, call me, okay?” Miranda nodded. She walked past her mother and headed for the bathroom.

  Wanda Nell stared blankly at the kitchen cabinets. What was she going to do with that girl? How many times was she going to have to give her the same lecture? She kept thinking maybe Miranda was becoming more responsible, and then she’d do something like this.

  Her head beginning to ache, Wanda Nell grabbed her purse and car keys. Time to get to work.

  Chapter 4

  Things were really hopping at the Kountry Kitchen that evening. Saturday nights were usually the busiest, and Wanda Nell didn’t have much time to worry about Miranda or Rusty. The steady flow of customers kept her, Gladys Gordon, and Ruby Gamer, the other night-shift waitresses, constantly on the move. Melvin was going back and forth, running the cash register and busing tables.

  Around nine the crowd started to thin out, and Wanda Nell took a quick bathroom break. When she came back, Ruby Garner said, “Some guy back there’s asking for you, Wanda Nell. The table in the back left corner.”

  “Thanks,” Wanda Nell said. She cast a quick glance over her tables in the front dining room before heading to the rear of the restaurant. She glanced toward the corner Ruby had indicated, and she almost stopped dead in her tracks from surprise. She got a sick feeling in her stomach.

  Bert Vines looked up as she approached. His face was set in grim lines.

  “Evening, Bert,” Wanda Nell said. “What can I get for you?”

  Vines jerked his head toward the empty chair beside him. “Why don’t you set yourself down here for a minute, Wanda Nell. You and me’s got some talking to do.”

  The feeling in her stomach got worse as Wanda Nell did what Bert asked. This had to have something to do with Rusty. What the hell was going on?

  “What about?” Wanda Nell was surprised to hear her voice come out steady.

  “That sonofabitchin’ brother of yours,” Bert said hotly. His face flushed a deep red. “You need to tell him to get the hell back to Nashville and stay there. He’s got no business in Tullahoma.”

  “Just what is going on here, Bert?” Wanda Nell didn’t like Bert’s tone one little bit, and her temper was on the rise. She made an effort to hang on to it. “Why are you so interested in what Rusty’s doing here? What business is it of yours?”

  “He’s making it my business,” Bert replied shortly. “And he’s gonna find himself in deep shit if he keeps on. He’s messing with the wrong people.”

  “And who would they be?”

  Bert dropped his gaze. “That ain’t your business either, Wanda Nell. I got a lot of respect for you, and I remember what a fine man your daddy was. That’s the reason I’m coming to you.”

  “I guess I appreciate that, Bert,” Wanda Nell said, “but I’m having a hard time figuring out what kind of business Rusty has with you. He’s been in Nashville a long time.” “He’s coming back here and stirring up things he oughta leave alone,” Bert said, still not looking at her. “That’s all I can tell you. You take it from me, you’ll all be better off if he hightails it back to Nashville first thing tomorrow.”

  “This don’t make much sense,” Wanda Nell said. Her mind was racing. What kind of connection did Rusty have with Bert Vines? They had known each other in school, of course, although Bert had been a year behind her and a year ahead of Rusty. To her knowledge, Rusty and Bert had never been close friends.

  “It don’t have to make sense to you,” Bert said. “Just trust me. It’ll be better for everybody if Rusty goes back to Nashville and leaves well enough alone.”

  “I don’t know what I can do about it. Rusty won’t listen to anything I have to say,” Wanda Nell told him after a moment. She felt like banging his head on the table until he told her what was going on, but that wouldn’t do any good. “Maybe if you tell me what it is he’s trying to do, I can figure out how to talk to him.”

  “You don’t want to know,” Bert said. “And you better do something about it, or you ain’t gonna like the consequences.”

  “Don’t you threaten me, Bert Vines,” Wanda Nell said. She started to say something else, but she felt a hand on her shoulder. Surprised, she turned her head to see her son, T.J., standing there, and beside him, Hamilton ‘Tuck” Tucker.

  “What’s going on here, Mama?” T.J. asked. “Evening, Mr. Vines. Everything okay?”

  Bert Vines stood up. “Just giving your mama a little friendly advice, T.J. You might tell her to listen to what I said.”

  “I’d be a little more careful about how I gave advice, Bert,” Tuck said, his tone icy. “It didn’t sound too friendly to me.”

  Bert’s lip curled as he regarded Tuck. “I sure don’t need advice from the likes of you two.” He pushed past Tuck and stalked away.

  “What a jackass,” Tuck said mildly. “I guess word’s been getting around town about you and me, judging from that little remark.” He winked at T.J., and T.J. smiled and shook his head.

  T.J. squeezed his mother’s shoulder lightly. “What’s going on here, Mama?” He moved to the chair vacated by Bert Vines and sat down. Tuck took the chair across the table from Wanda Nell.

  “We came by for a late dinner,” Tuck explained, “and Ruby sent us back here. We heard what sounded like Bert threatening you over something.”

  Wanda Nell took a deep breath and tried to calm down. She didn’t want to get any more of her family involved in whatever mess Rusty was stirring up, but she couldn’t evade their questions. She also didn’t like the way Bert Vines had reacted toward T.J. and Tuck, but she was just going to have to get used to that, if she ever could.

  “My brother Rusty is back in town,” Wanda Nell said, “and evidently he’s been stirring some people up, including Bert. I don’t know what the heck’s going on, but it doesn’t sound good, whatever it is.”

  “Uncle Rusty?” T.J. was astonished. “It’s been years since he came back. Wasn’t the last time when Grand- mama Rosamond died?”

  Wanda Nell nodded. “That’s about the only time Rusty’s been back since he left town over ten years ago, and I don’t know what brought him back now.” She turned to Tuck. “My brother and I don’t get along too well.” “Sorry to hear that,” Tuck said. “It sure sounds like he’s causing some trouble.”

  “Yeah, he is,” Wanda Nell said, leaning tiredly back in her chair. “And I don’t know what to do about it. Heck, I don’t even know what it is he’s doing. I tried to talk to him about it, and I tried getting something out of Bert. But neither one of ’em will tell me anything.”

  “You want me to try talking to Uncle Rusty, Mama?” “Thank you, honey,” she said. “If I thought it would do any good, I’d ask you to do that. But I don’t think anybody can get through to Rusty. He’s so bitter towards me, I don’t think he’d pay any attention to you.”

  “What if a lawyer talked to him?” Tuck asked. “Think that would do any good?”

  “It might,” Wanda Nell said, “but I hate to get you involved in this mess.”

  Tuck grinned. “If I’m part of the family, Wanda Nell, it’s my mess too, I reckon.”

  Wanda Nell smiled back at him. He truly was part of the family. He adored T.J., and as far as Wanda Nell could tell, T.J. adored him. She still couldn’t quite believe it, but when she saw the two of them together, she tried not to think about it. They seemed so happy together, and that was all that really mattered to her.

  “You are part of the family,” Wanda Nell said softly, “and we’re proud to have you.”

  Tuck winked at her. “I’m the lu
cky one.”

  T.J. groaned. “I think I’m going into sugar shock right here.”

  Making a face at her son, Wanda Nell stood up. “Y’all said you came to eat, so let’s get you something before we start closing up. What’ll you have?”

  Wanda Nell took their orders to the kitchen, then brought them tea and water. Apparently sensing that Wanda Nell didn’t want to talk any more about her brother, neither T.J. nor Tuck brought up the subject again. Wanda Nell was relieved not to have to talk about it.

  Around ten, when they were ready to leave, they each gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before heading up front to pay Melvin at the cash register.

  “Y’all be careful,” Wanda Nell said softly. She couldn’t help herself. They were both well able to take care of themselves, but it didn’t stop her worrying.

  T.J. turned back to grin at her, and for a moment she saw, not her son, but her dead ex-husband. T.J. was the spitting image of his daddy at that age, and Wanda Nell felt a fleeting pang of grief for Bobby Ray.

  Shaking off her morbid thoughts, she concentrated on cleaning up the table. She pocketed the generous tip with a sigh and a shake of the head. No matter how many times she fussed at them about it, they always left her way too much. She took half of it and surreptitiously stuck it on one of Ruby’s tables. Ruby could always use the extra money for her classes.

  By the time she got in her car to drive home, it was nearly ten-thirty. She rolled her shoulders for a moment before she cranked the car. Maybe she’d take a hot shower when she got home. That would help ease the tension a bit and let her sleep.

  She had turned off the highway onto the lake road when her cell phone rang in her purse, startling her. One hand on the wheel, she stuck the other hand into her purse, probing for the phone.

  She wasn’t fast enough. The phone had stopped ringing by the time she had it in hand. Fumbling with the phone, she punched buttons until she could see who the missed call was from, and her heart skipped a beat. It was her home phone number. Trembling, she hit speed dial.