Carnal Innocence

with it if you’da been expecting it, but coming up to a curve at a clip, well, the car’s gonna keep going dead ahead. Then you hit the brakes and they’re useless as tits on a bull. Beg your pardon, Miz Waverly.”
    “My God.” Her fingers dug into Tucker’s arm. “Are you saying someone deliberately sabotaged the car? He could’ve been killed.”
    “Could’ve,” Bobby Lee agreed. “But more like busted up some. Everybody ‘round here knows Tucker handles a car as good as those Formula One guys.”
    “I appreciate your coming down to tell me.” Tucker flipped his cigarette away, his eyes following the arch of spark. He was angry, blood-pumping angry, and needed to sit on it awhile. “You going by to see Marvella this evening?”
    “I was planning on it.”
    “Then you go on and tell the sheriff what you told me. But nobody else, hear? Don’t tell anybody else.”
    “If that’s the way you want it.”
    “For now. I’d be obliged if we keep it just like that for now. Get on back to town before Marvella lays into you for being so late.”
    “Guess I will. Be seeing you, Tucker. Evening, Miz Waverly.”
    Caroline didn’t speak until the Cutlass’s taillights winked off at the end of the drive. “He could’ve made a mistake. He’s just a boy.”
    “He’s one of the best mechanics in the county. Makes sense anyway. If I hadn’t had my brains rattled, I’d’ve seen it myself. I just have to figure out who’s riled enough to give me trouble.”
    “Trouble?” Caroline echoed. “Tucker, I don’t care what Bobby Lee believes about your superhuman skill with a car, you might have been seriously hurt, even killed.”
    “You worried about me, sugar?” Though his mind was working in other directions, he smiled and ran his hands up and down her arms. “I like it.”
    “Don’t be such a jerk.”
    “Now, don’t get mad, Caro. Though God knows I like the look of you when you get heated up.”
    Her voice chilled. “I’m not going to stand here while you pat me on the head and put me off like a helpless female. I’m offering to help you.”
    “That’s sweet of you. No—” He grabbed her as she swore and swung away. “I mean it. It’s just that until I sift the whole thing through, there’s nothing to help with.”
    “It’s obvious to me that it had to be someone close to Edda Lou Hatinger.” She tossed her head. “Unless, of course, you’ve got a list of jealous husbands you need to consider.”
    “I don’t date married ladies. Except that once,” he began, and caught her look. “Never mind. Austin’s in jail, and I can’t picture poor old Mavis scooting under my car with an ice pick.”
    Caroline angled her chin. “She had brothers.”
    “True enough.” Tucker’s lips pursed as he considered. “Vernon wouldn’t know a crankshaft from a fence post. He’s not the sly kind either. More open, like his daddy. And young Cy … there’s no meanness in him that I’ve ever seen.”
    “They could have hired someone.”
    Tucker snorted. “With what?” Gently, he pressed his lips to her temple. “Don’t fret, honey, I’m going to sleep on it.”
    Staring, she stepped back. “I think you could,” she said slowly. “I believe you could actually close your eyes and sleep like a baby, even after this.”
    “I already wrecked my car and banged my head,” he pointed out. “I don’t see why whoever did this should have the pleasure of keeping me from sleeping, too.” He got that look in his eye she was beginning to recognize. That gleam that sent off warning signals in her brain and flutters in her heart. “The only thing keeping me up at night is you. Now, if we were to …” He trailed off as another set of headlights bounced down the drive. “Christ almighty, we’re doing big business tonight.”
    “I’m going now,” Caroline said decisively. “I’ll call Della tomorrow and thank her.”
    “Just hold on.” He was trying to make out the type of car. All he could tell for sure was that its muffler had parted ways sometime before. The noise was enough to wake the dead. It was difficult to believe that the sedate black Lincoln that came to a rocky stop in back of Caroline’s BMW could be so rude.
    When the door opened and a small white-hairedwoman in a tie-dyed T-shirt, blue jeans, and army boots stepped out, Tucker broke into a hoot and a grin.
    “Cousin Lulu.”
    “That you, Tucker?” She had a voice like a freight train, loud and rattly and full of