Bring Your Own Poison by Jimmie Ruth Evans Read Free Book Online Page A

Melvin strode up to Wanda Nell and spoke in an urgent undertone. She started to reply, but before she could say anything, one of the cops spoke.
    â€œEverybody stay calm,” Dixon Vance said, his voice carrying through the restaurant. He waited a moment, until all conversation had ceased.
    The sirens sounded again, and Wanda Nell shivered. She doubted there was any help for Travis Blakeley now. He looked dead to her. Melvin slipped a comforting arm around her shoulders, and Wanda Nell leaned against him, grateful for the warmth.
    â€œWe’re not sure what just happened here,” Vance continued, “but I need everybody to stay where they are. We’re gonna have to start asking some questions, so y’all just be patient. We’ll try to get you out of here before too long.”
    â€œWhat happened?” Melvin whispered in Wanda Nell’s ear.
    She pulled away and looked up at him. “I think somebody murdered Travis Blakeley.”
    Melvin’s face twisted into a fierce scowl. He muttered something, shook his head, and strode away.
    The buzz of conversation resumed. Wanda Nell glanced around the back room, examining the faces of the men attending the bachelor party. Most of them looked a bit stunned by what had happened, but none of them appeared to be really upset. The faces of Blakeley’s fellow police officers revealed nothing. Most of them continued to smoke, but Wanda Nell noticed nobody was drinking now.
    Elmer Lee ought to be here any second. He lived only a few blocks from the Kountry Kitchen, and for once, Wanda Nell would be glad to see him.
    Right on cue, Elmer Lee walked into the back room. He stopped and looked around. His eyes raked over Wanda Nell, and she would have sworn he rolled them at her. Then his attention focused on Dixon Vance. He jerked his head, and Vance ambled over to him. The men began talking, but they were too far away for Wanda Nell to hear what they were saying.
    Around them, the other men in the room had clustered in knots of three or four. There was a low buzz of conversation, and Wanda Nell could feel the tension in the room. She wished Elmer Lee would just get on with it, or she might start yelling. She couldn’t take much more of this inaction.
    A few moments later, Elmer Lee addressed the group. “I’m going to have to ask everybody to take a seat. I know this is inconvenient, but we’re going to need to question everybody. We’ll be as quick as we can, but this is going to take some time.” He glanced briefly over at Wanda Nell. “I’m sure if anybody wants some coffee”—his eyes skittered over the bar in the corner—“Miz Culpepper over there will be glad to make sure you have some.”
    Wanda Nell nodded. The shock of what had happened to Travis Blakeley had sobered up a lot of the men, but some black coffee sure wouldn’t hurt.
    Elmer Lee’s cell phone rang. He held up a hand to forestall the questions some of the men had begun firing at him, and the room went silent except for the chirping of the phone. Elmer Lee punched a button and spoke briefly. His face tightened as he listened.
    He clicked the phone off and stuck it back in his uniform pocket. “Now, like I said, everybody just take a seat, and be calm. We’ll get on with things in a minute. I’m waiting for an officer from the state police. He’ll be conducting the investigation with my assistance.”
    Wanda Nell was surprised. She had figured Elmer Lee would be in charge, but when she thought about it, having the state police investigate made sense. She knew they had a district office in Tullahoma, but she tended to forget about it most of the time. She wasn’t even sure who the officer in charge was.
    Moments later, that question was answered. A tall, blond man, dressed in a dark suit, walked into the back room. He had cop written all over him, and Wanda Nell would have known what he was right