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Wednesday afternoons in February were usually pretty quiet at the Big Piney One-Stop and Bar-B-Q. During the summer college kids from Fayetteville or city folks from Little Rock might come up to float the Buffalo River most any day of the week. During the fall people came from across the country to see the golds and reds of the Ozarks in full autumn glory. But on a miserable gray winter day Grady Johnson didn't have any trouble finding a spot to park his rusty old Ford Impala.
He nodded at Jimmy behind the register as he made his way back to the little restaurant in the rear of the store. Taking a seat he waved to Barbara to catch her attention.
'What'll it be, hon?" She gave him a smile as she came over and gave his table a swipe with the damp towel.
"You know what I like. Hot links and cole slaw. Same as usual."
Grady liked coming into the Big Piney for lunch. In his day he had met good folks and outright bad ones and they just didn't come any kinder that Jimmy and Barbara.
"Comin' right up." She disappeared behind the counter and Grady picked up the newspaper that was folded up on the table next to him. He was skimming through the classifieds when the bell over the door jingled.
Sheriff Roberts stepped through the door and held it open for the man and woman who followed him. The man was holding a newspaper over the woman's head in a vain attempt to keep the worst of the rain off. It wasn't doing a very good job, both of them looked soaked to the skin.
"Barbara, can we get a towel over here?" The sheriff herded the soaked couple toward the back of the store. "I've got to apologize again, Agent Scully. Agent Mulder. Dispatch relayed your message about the car trouble, but this damn storm has just got us overloaded today."
"My lord, but you two look to have just about drowned out there. Joseph Roberts, you ought to be ashamed." Barbara handed towels to the two agents. "You must be the FBI agents that Joe was expecting."
"There you go, my manners have taken a beating today and they're still not what they should be. Barbara, this here's Special Agent Dana Scully." He nodded toward the red-headed woman who was draping a towel around her neck. "And this gentleman is Special Agent Fox
Mulder."
Mulder rubbed vigorously at his hair. "Sheriff, you're not responsible for the lack of a spare tire in our rental car or for the rain. I imagine you've been pretty busy."
"Busy doesn't even begin to cover it. Have a seat." He pulled the chair out for Scully. "Barabara, what's your soup today?"
"I've got a homemade chicken noodle and there might be a bit of chili left over from yesterday."
"Chicken is fine with me," Scully said as she sat. "And some hot tea if you have any?"
"Sure thing. Agent Mulder?"
"I'll have the chicken noodle. And coffee."
"Just coffee for me, Barb. Thanks." The storekeeper disappeared into the back room. "Were you able to find anything at all at the crime scene?"
"What crime scene?" Mulder gave his wet head a shake. "By the time we got there the creek had risen up over the bank. That picnic shelter is now under about two feet of water."
"I was afraid of that. This is a little early in the season for flooding, but it has been an awful wet year, so far. Well, I got the final results of the autopsy from the state police and it's waiting for you back in the office. You say this matches up with several other cases in Missouri?"
"Yes, the similarities are what caught my eye," Mulder began. He was interrupted by the sound of a chair scraping across the floor. The three law enforcement officers turned toward Grady's table in the corner of the room.
"Grady Johnson, I guess I didn't notice you back there."
"No problem, Sheriff. Just came in for a bite of lunch between jobs."
"Now that you mention it, I guess that is your car out front. I was so intent on getting these two in here to dry off and warm up that it just didn't register at first. Agent Mulder, Agent Scully, this is Grady Johnson. Moved up here about a year ago. Since then he's been about the best handyman around does a good days work for an honest price and can fix just about anything that's broke."
Grady laughed. "Keep that up, Sheriff, and I'll have to pay you to advertise for me. " Barbara came out with a plate piled high with barbecued sausage and creamy cole slaw. "That sure smells good. Thought you'd forgotten about me in all the excitement."
"Sorry about that." She set the plate down on the table. "Jimmy was just taking the meat out of the smoker"
Grady leaned in close to the plate, taking in the aroma. "Smells like he done real good today."
Barbara brought out steaming mugs of coffee and tea and placed them on the other table. "Cream and sugar's on the table if you need it. I'll be right back with the soup."
No one brought up the investigation, now that they realized they weren't alone. The room fell quiet except for the occasional clatter of silverware on the table and the faint sound of Johnny Cash from Jimmy's radio up at the front counter.
The phone rang and minutes later Jimmy called out, "Barb, can you watch the place for a minute?"
"Sure hon, what's up?"
"That was the school calling. Linda hasn't picked up the twins from morning kindergarten yet."
"Well hurry over there and get them." The bell jingled as Jimmy left.
"How are those grandkids of yours?" Sheriff Roberts asked.
"Growing like weeds. I love having them over to the store, even if I do have to keep them from the candy counter." She shook her head. "That's not like Linda to be late picking them up. She was just going into town to do a few errands. She always calls us if she's going to
be late."
"With all this nasty weather, maybe she's just taking it easy. I can put the word out for the deputies to keep an eye out for her car, if you want?
"If it's not too much trouble?"
"Not at all."
Mulder tilted his soup bowl, scooping out the last of the broth and noodles. Savoring the last bite, he sighed. "That was perfect. Have you warmed up yet, Scully?"
"I'm fine, Mulder." She stood up and gestured to the door. "Now that I'm almost dry I guess it's time to head back into the weather and get back to work."
"Lead the way, Scully."
The sheriff followed close behind. "Agent Mulder, once we get back to the station I'd like to ask you a couple of questions about those Missouri murders."
Grady watched them go, admiring the woman as she went out the door. He put a few bills on the table and called out to Barbara, "See you tomorrow."
But he knew he wouldn't be back tomorrow. No, it was time to move on down the road. Maybe if he could find himself a good woman, someone like that FBI agent, he wouldn't need to roam around. But it wasn't for lack of trying.
Standing at the rear of his car he looked around to make sure the parking lot was empty and then popped open the trunk. He pulled back the blanket and sighed.