Part 16 (2/2)
”Yep.” Maggie folded her arms across her chest.
”Did you tell the police about your theory?”
”Sure did. Mills took the call, but he didn't do nothing. Didn't come out here to look around. Didn't talk to Weston. Nothing.”
”In Mills's defense, it's tough to investigate the theft of something that no one has seen. I don't mean to be rude, but you reporting your painting as stolen is like telling the police that someone kidnapped Bigfoot. Even if they believed it existed, they still have no idea what it looks like.”
”I may be a fool, but I'm not a d.a.m.ned fool. They knew what it looked like because I told them. I said it's John the Baptist time and time again. All they had to do was go to Weston's house or office or car and look for it. But did they? No.”
”Have you tried talking to Mills about it personally? Outside of the sheriff's office?”
”No need. The Lord helps those who help themselves.”
”So you've been looking for it on your own?”
”You betcha. Weston knew I was looking for it, too. Caught me a few times searching.”
”On his property?”
”Yup, spotted me twice at the well shop and the junkyard, and then once at the septic service office.”
”And he never called the cops?”
”Nope. Thought he would once or twice, but he didn't. Then I figured out why: because it ain't at any of those places.”
”That's quite a stretch, don't you think?”
”Nope. Galls me that I had to run into him all those times, but seeing him made it all clear. Weston had the painting at his house.”
”Why do you think that?”
”Makes sense, doesn't it? He wouldn't keep a thing like that where everyone and his brother could find it. Might get stolen again, right?”
”a.s.suming someone knew what it was worth.”
”Oh, they'd know it was valuable the minute they saw it.”
”But you never saw it. How would you ... ?” Nick scratched his head.
”If my Mack figured out it was worth something, it wouldn't take much for someone else to notice it too. Mack was a good man, but he weren't a genius. That's why I said it'd be an easy case for the police. All they'd have to do is get a warrant, get into Weston's house, and take the painting back.”
”Did you tell the police your suspicions?”
”h.e.l.l, no. Unless I had a Polaroid picture of the thing, they weren't gonna do nothing. And you know why? I'll tell you why. Cause they didn't want to upset Mr. Weston and all his money. Money. Hmph! But now that Mr. Weston's gone, I can search all I like and he can't stop me.”
”Yeah, I'm not sure if I'd go running over to his-”
Maggie seized a hunting rifle from the corner of the room and stroked it menacingly. ”You trying to stop me from finding my treasure?”
”No! No, of course not,” Nick said quickly. ”Not if you feel that strongly about it.”
”I think Nick was just saying that the police-”
”The police,” Maggie sneered. ”Are they on your side too? You paying them off to protect you the same way Weston did?”
”No,” Stella said softly. ”No, we're not. We're on your side.”
”Yeah, so could you put down the gun, please?”
Maggie, however, was on a tear. ”With all his money, you'd think he'd let an old woman have her treasure. But who got the last laugh? Where'd that money get him, huh? The bottom of your well, that's where.”
As Stella and Nick snuck out the door of the Lawson house, they overheard Maggie's disturbing laugh. ”How you like that painting now, Mr. Weston? How you like it now?”
CHAPTER.
12.
NICK BACKED OUT of Maggie Lawson's overgrown gravel driveway and drove, h.e.l.l bent for leather, back into town.
”Still wondering why she's called Crazy Maggie?” Stella asked as she struggled to fasten her seat belt.
”No, I think I'm good.”
”I'm glad, because we nearly got ourselves killed.”
”I know. What's with this place, anyway? When I hear someone call an old widow crazy, I a.s.sume she's shuffling her feet, collecting cats, and talking to herself. Someone might have warned us that she's the NRA poster girl.”
”I think Mills did warn us, didn't he? When he said not to get her riled up?”
”Yeah, but I thought he was exaggerating, didn't you? She brought us cupcakes, for chrissakes! And what does riled up mean, anyway?”
”We just saw what it meant.”
”That wasn't riled up, that was trigger-happy.”
”Well, apart from learning that Mills has a tendency to understate things, if anything came from that encounter, it's the realization that Maggie is a very viable suspect.”
”That and we never want to go over there to borrow a cup of sugar.”
”You can't borrow sugar from someone in jail. Think about it, Nick. Maggie fits the killer profile perfectly. She owns a hunting rifle, harbored a grudge against Weston, and only had to look out her window to see him pull into our driveway.”
”It's only a half-mile walk from her house, too.”
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