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Cassie hiked her eyebrows up and gave him a look. “Creepier than finding a body in a hidden room in the lodge?”
“Maybe not.” He drove to the last street at the end of Eagle Rock and stopped in front of the house next to the graveyard.
A woman with white hair sat on the porch snapping green beans. Her eyebrows rose up her forehead. “Cassie Douglas, have you come to arrest me for the illegal cannabis I’m growing in a flowerpot on my back porch?”
“Margaret,” Cassie said, shaking her head, “I didn’t hear that.”
The older woman chuckled. “Just kidding. I have a brown thumb. That cannabis plant died last summer because I didn’t water it enough. I can’t grow anything. I had to buy these green beans at the farmer’s market.” She smiled at Drake. “Did you bring me a present?”
Cassie laughed. “Margaret, you’re incorrigible.”
“That one of those words you picked up in law school?” She snorted. “When are you going back to finish your degree and get your license to practice?”
“I haven’t yet decided.”
“I’m waiting to commit some petty crime so you can represent me in court. Gotta support my peeps, don’t I?” She patted the chair beside her. “Come sit. Haven’t had a good chat with you since margarita night at the Blue Moose.”
Cassie climbed the porch steps and dropped into the chair. “Margaret, this is Drake Morgan, former Navy SEAL, currently working with Molly McKinnon at the Lucky Lady Lodge.”
“Oh.” Margaret’s eyes widened. “Are you the one who found the body?”
“That would be me.” Drake joined the women on the porch and held out his hand to Margaret. “Nice to meet you.”
She rubbed her hand on the side of her jeans before taking his hand in a firm grip. “The pleasure is all mine. I can assure you.”
“We stopped by the Greenway office just a minute ago and spoke with Tacey. She sent us to you.”
Margaret snorted. “Can’t she find anything since she reorganized the office?”
Cassie smiled. “We’re trying to identify employees of Greenway who worked on projects at the Lucky Lady Lodge fifteen and twenty years ago.”
“You think one of our employees might have left that body in the wall?” Margaret’s eyes grew wider, and then she nodded thoughtfully. “It would make sense. They hadn’t done any other upgrades or updates to the building since then.” She snapped a bean into the bowl in front of her. “What do you want to know?”
“Who were your guys skilled with drywall installation?” Drake asked. “It takes skill to do it right.”
Margaret nodded and then shook her head. “Yes and no. It doesn’t take any skill to hang it, but it takes skill to float it and make it seamless.” She grinned. “Earl Hensley. He was Greenway’s best drywall guy.”
“Was?” Drake questioned.
Cassie responded. “He’s now Eagle Rock’s best mechanic. I didn’t know he hung drywall.”
Margaret snapped another bean into the bowl. “He and Frank had a falling out about the time Earl’s older brother had a heart attack, died and left his auto repair shop to Earl.” Margaret frowned. “I can’t picture Earl killing anyone and hiding the body behind a wall. He’s one of the nicest men I know. I’d have had him if he’d shown the least bit of interest.”
Drake chuckled, and Cassie blushed.
“He never married.” Margaret tilted her head to the side. “I always imagined some woman broke his heart. Maybe she did, and he stuffed her in the wall.” The old woman shrugged. “You’ll have to ask him. He might be working late. He usually does.”
Drake met Cassie’s gaze.
Margaret smiled. “I guess you’ll be going. Thanks for stopping by and keeping me company for a few short minutes. Next time, stay a while and bring margaritas.”
“You’re on.” Cassie bent to hug the woman. “Stay ornery. It suits you.”
“Damn right, it does. Arthur Greenway understood me. We worked well together for over thirty years. Never had the same connection with Frank. Fortunately, I saved my pennies, invested in the stock market and retired with enough money to keep me in margaritas for a long time.” She reached for Cassie’s hand. “I hope you find out who she was and give her family some peace. And then nail the bastard who did that to her.”
Cassie nodded solemnly. “That’s the plan.”
“And while you’re at it, bring pretty Penny home where she belongs,” Margaret said.
