Free Here Today, Gone Tamale by Rebecca Adler

their sirens, two more sheriff cruisers pulled into our parking lot.
    Ty shot a glance at the alley as if calculating the distance and his ability to outrun the law.
    â€œRight this way.” In two steps, Lightfoot successfully planted himself between Dixie’s nephew, his intended escape route, and an arrest for obstruction of justice.
    Three car doors slammed and three pairs of pressed khaki’s marched over. One pair belonged to Sheriff Wallace and the other two belonged to an older deputy I didn’t know and a linebacker of a female officer named Pleasant, who enjoyed her margaritas with Cuervo Gold and a side of spinach quesadillas.
    â€œTy Honeycutt?” Wallace demanded.
    Dixie’s nephew swallowed hard. “Nice to meet you, sheriff,” he said, and bravely stuck out his hand.
    With a hard stare designed to make a guilty man wet his pants, Wallace nodded. “I was sorry to hear about Dixie.”
    He and his deputies had yet to crack a smile. In fact, they were as tense as a coiled rattlesnake about to strike.
    â€œWhen can I see her?” Ty knuckled a tear from his cheek.
    Like the desert before a summer storm, the air crackled with electricity. Each of the deputies rested their hands on their gun holsters.
    â€œI thought you would’ve already made it down to the morgue, seeing as how an officer called you this morning with the news.”
    â€œI’m trying,” Ty made a wild gesture, “but your boy here thought I was trying to steal her van. I only wanted to use it to drive over there to see her.”
    Wallace looked a question at Lightfoot, who merely shrugged.
    â€œFor pity’s sake,” I began. All this
Law and Order
stuff was making me crazy. Ty Honeycutt wasn’t my idea of a doting nephew, but he obviously had cared for Dixie. Theyneeded to let him see her and do his duty. He would have to step up to get her funeral arrangements underway. “You won’t have any trouble finding him in that thing.” Dixie’s van was bright orange with a white top, circa 1963. Who knew where she found the parts?
    Senora Mari tilted her chin at the sheriff, doing her best to intimidate the much taller man. “We need to get busy.” She tilted her head toward Milagro
.
    â€œShe’s right, Mack,” my aunt said. “We have a lot to do before we open the doors for lunch.”
    Furrowing his brow, Wallace exchanged a glance with Lightfoot. The dark-eyed officer shook his head in response.
    â€œI’m afraid, Linda, y’all won’t be opening for lunch today.” Wallace looked at each of us in turn, his glance landing on Ty. “Your aunt didn’t die of natural causes.”
    With a grunt, Ty threw back his shoulders. “What do you mean? Anyone could see she was a walking deathtrap.”
    â€œNo, son,” Wallace said in the fatherly voice I remembered so well. “Dixie was murdered.”

Chapter 5

    Sheriff Wallace interviewed Ty Honeycutt right off the bat. Though I couldn’t quite make out what he asked the young man, I could see from Ty’s drooped shoulders and hangdog expression he was feeling lower than dirt over Dixie’s death. I didn’t have any reason to doubt his story about not finding her waiting, but I couldn’t help wondering why he hadn’t come inside to look for her.
    All of Milagro’s employees, including my family, were scattered about the restaurant in different booths, waiting to be interviewed, except for Senora Mari. After declaring she had to be questioned next, she stood making small talk with Deputy Pleasant until Ty walked despondently out the side door.
    As I offered coffee and tea to everyone along with tortilla chips and salsa, I heard Senora Mari fill Wallace’s ear with the details of her dream. To his credit, the sheriff hadn’t cracked a smile or slowed his pencil during her recitation.
    â€œDon’t worry,” Senora Mari called to the