A Body in the Backyard: #4

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen 

Peggy Neighbors was next on Myrtle's list of suspects to talk with. Myrtle was positive that it had been Peggy that Silas had seen the night Charles was murdered.  

Peggy worked most days as a waitress at Bo's Diner in downtown Bradley. Myrtle waited until it was the middle of the afternoon, figuring that would be the slowest time at the diner, then made the short walk over. 

A bell rang on the door when Myrtle pushed it open and the aroma of fried vegetables greeted her. Myrtle had lived in Bradley her whole life and one constant had been the diner, which never seemed to change. It had the same dark wood-paneled walls, the same green, Formica-topped tables and lunch counter, and the same scrubbed-clean look. The only change had been that young Bo took over the diner when his father died. 

As she'd hoped, the diner was very quiet at almost three o'clock in the afternoon. And Peggy Neighbors was working today. Myrtle sat down and another waitress came up, so Myrtle asked if Peggy could possibly wait on her.  

Peggy immediately came over. "Hi there, Miss Myrtle. How are things going? Clarisse said you asked for me to take care of your table?" 

"If you could, Peggy. I was hoping to have a chance to ask you a few questions. Oh, and I'll have a pimento cheese dog." Myrtle had a fondness for this particular hot dog-coated with pimento cheese and served with a side of the diner's salty shoestring fries. 

"Let me put that in for you and I'll be right back," said Peggy. A minute later, she was back and sat across from Myrtle in the booth. "I told Bo you were wanting to talk and he said it was okay for me to take a break. There's really no one in here now, anyway." 

Bo had probably thought Myrtle was lonely and needed an ear. Fine. Whatever was going to get Peggy a break to talk to her for a minute. "Peggy, I don't know if you know this, but I write stories for the Bradley Bugle. I'm doing an investigation for the paper on Charles Clayborne's murder and I'm really making some progress. In fact, I'm putting the last pieces of the puzzle together, then I'm hoping to go to Red with it tomorrow." 

Myrtle was pleased with the way she was spreading news of solving the mystery around. The murderer would come after her tonight, for sure.  

Peggy had paled at the mention of Charles. Was that because she missed Charles so much, or because Myrtle said she was figuring out who killed him? 

Peggy said, "No, I didn't really know that. Was that what you wanted to talk to me about?" Her brows were knitted in confusion.  

"I did. Because while I was investigating, I heard one witness say that he saw you with Charles near the scene of the crime the night he was murdered." 

Now Peggy's face was completely pale. "They must have been mistaken, Miss Myrtle." 

"They were pretty positive," lied Myrtle, crossing her fingers under the table. 

"I told Red and the state police that I was home with my daughter that night," said Peggy, but she didn't look Myrtle in the eye when she said it.  

"And I'm sure that Natalie would back you up on that, too. You're her mama. But do you really want to put your child in the position of lying for you during a murder investigation?" Myrtle filled her voice with as much reproach as she felt she was able to pull off. 

Peggy took a deep breath and let it out slowly, staring down at the table as if trying to figure out what she was going to say. "Okay. I was out there with Charles the night he died. But I didn't have anything to do with his death, Miss Myrtle-you have to believe me!"