A Bell in the Garden

by Sheri Richey

  Mavis nodded and closed her eyes briefly.

  “To help them out,” Conrad pulled a pen and a small notebook from his pocket, “they’ve asked for some DNA samples to test against the remains.”

  “I’m afraid I don’t have much to offer you, Chief. It’s been a really long time and when Howard didn’t come back, I have pretty much gotten rid of this clothing.”

  “Oh, that’s okay, Mavis. What I’m needing is more in line with some direction as to where I can find information on Howard.”

  “What kind of information?” Mavis asked wrinkling her nose.

  “Tell me about his health. Was he seeing any doctors? Did he have any problems?”

  “Well, he was over fifty, so you know what that means,” Mavis said smiling. “Things start to go on you.”

  “What kind of problems did Howard have?”

  “He had some arthritis and asthma. His back was stiff and sore a lot, but he had worked hard all his life. His cholesterol was too high, and he took a blood pressure pill.”

  “Who was his treating physician?”

  “He saw a guy over in Red River,” Mavis said shaking her head. “I can’t remember his name, but I might have it at home. He had to go over there to have his insurance cover it. That guy saw all the miners, but I can’t remember his name. It’s something weird, like, uh, Pajamas, Palola, Pagala. Something like that.”

  “Did he take any other medication?”

  “He had an inhaler, but he only used it when he needed to.”

  “Were his medications still at home after he disappeared?”

  “Yeah, except for the inhaler. The pills were there.”

  “What about broken bones, surgeries, dental work? Anything like that?”

  “He had Dr. Hobbs pull a tooth for him once, but that was when he was still working. No surgeries though.” Mavis reached over to stroke the broad leaf of a plant sitting on the table. “At least not while we were married.”

  “So, he wasn’t disabled,” Conrad said trying to catch Mavis’ eye as she looked around the room. “He was healthy enough to work, right?”

  “Oh, sure,” Mavis said turning back to nod at Conrad. “It’s just when his mine closed, there wasn’t anything else around hiring. That’s all he’d ever done.”

  “What about hobbies? What did he spend his time on during the day after he wasn’t working?”

  Mavis stared at Conrad in a stunned silence.

  “Did he like to tinker on cars or build things? You know, did he have household repairs to do? What did he do during the day?”

  “He really didn’t have any hobbies,” Mavis said shrugging. “He’d always worked long hours but when the mine closed, I went to work at Chervil’s, so I was gone all day. As far as I know he just watched TV.”

  “When did the mine close?” Conrad asked frowning. It was a distant memory, but he couldn’t recall the circumstances.

  “In September of ‘99,” Mavis said shaking her head woefully. “There was an accident. An awful accident and two guys were killed when the roof collapsed. Howard was there when it happened, but he wasn’t injured. Several were, but the State had just been there and inspected. They said it was safe. They don’t know why it happened.”

  “I didn’t realize,” Conrad said somberly. “I wasn’t living here then, and I just recall there was a shutdown.”

  “Yes, the closing was announced back in the spring of ‘99 and they laid off most of the workers then, so Howard knew it was coming, but he was fortunate they kept him on to help with closing. He’d been with them for a long time.”

  “Okay,” Conrad said shifting in his chair and deciding to shift the conversation as well. “When was the last time you saw him?”

  Mavis lifted her face and glared at a spot above Conrad’s head. “I left for work at 9:00 on the morning of December 17th in 1999. He was sitting in his favorite arm chair with the TV Guide. We had just had breakfast. I think it was a Friday.” Conrad made some notes and remained quiet, feeling the trance Mavis was in had more to reveal than any questions he might ask. “The kids had already left for school. I remember it was warm that day. Unusually warm for a December day and I just had on a light jacket. We talked about Christmas, about how it was too warm to be Christmas time and what I would make for dinner. He asked when I’d be home.” Mavis looked down at her hands in her lap. “Just the usual stuff. Nothing special. I thought he’d be sitting right there when I got home.”

  “You’ve thought about it a lot,” Conrad said nodding. Her response had a pre-recorded feel to it, but he didn’t think it was for his benefit. He thought it was a scene she’d played over in her mind many times.

  “I have. It was a completely normal day. Nothing special at all.”

  “Did the kids get home before you did that day?”

  “I think so. They didn’t always, but it seems like they were there and asked where Howard was. They said he wasn’t home when they got there.”

  “Were you concerned then?”

  “No, not really. I mean he did go to town once in a while, run an errand or have a drink, and I didn’t really know. I mean I never expected him to not come home or anything. His clothes were all still there.”

  “So, there wasn’t a problem? You weren’t in any disagreement with him or anything?”

  “Not that day,” Mavis said and chuckled. “We had our fights from time to time, but I don’t remember one that day.”

  “Did your children get along well with Howard? He practically raised them, didn’t he?”

  “They were teenagers. Nobody got along well with them,” Mavis said smirking. “Their dad died when they were young, but they remember Clarence. They couldn’t remember much, but they never accepted Howard as their dad or anything. They always referred to him as their stepfather.”

  “Were there any ongoing disagreements between Howard and the children?”

  “Yeah, of course there were. Howard was strict. He didn’t like Leanne running around town with Jack when no one knew where she was. He didn’t like Daniel’s attitude sometimes. Stuff like that. Typical teenager problems.”

  “All of this was before my time,” Conrad said with a sympathetic shrug. “I never got to meet Howard. I just met Leanne for the first time today. Is Jack her husband?”

  “Yeah, he is now. They dated in high school.”

  “So, I guess you saw a lot of him back then, too? Did he and Howard get along okay?”

  “Jack wasn’t at the house much. All parents worry about their young girls dating. Nothing more than the normal.”

  “Howard never had any children of his own?”

  “No. He’d never been married before.”

  “Was Howard involved with anyone?” Conrad had hoped Mavis would volunteer this information, but he couldn’t let it stand unaddressed.

  “Rumors,” Mavis said with a wave of her hand. “People in town told me he’d been seen with other women, but no. I don’t know that to be true.”

  “Did you ask him about it?”

  “Sure,” Mavis said heartily. “In the beginning, I asked him every time I heard a rumor about it. He always denied it and I never saw any evidence of it either. Eventually, I just quit asking.”

  “So, you didn’t think he was in a relationship with anybody in particular when he disappeared,” Conrad said as a statement to confirm her answer, rather than a question.

  “No,” Mavis said shaking her head. “People talked about him being with some young girl and I didn’t believe that. He wouldn’t cavort around with someone half his age. He wasn’t having an affair with Carmen Gentry either.” Mavis scoffed. “She flirted with everyone. Her name was linked to every married man in town.”

  “If Howard was really having an affair, would that have ended your marriage?”

  “I don’t know,” Mavis said wistfully. “He did cheat on me once and I knew he did, but I forgave him. He said he wouldn’t do it again and as far as I know he didn’t. I guess it would jus
t depend.”

  “When was that?”

  “Oh, back when we were just married. Well, maybe after we’d been married a couple of years. I don’t remember exactly but the kids were still young.”

  “Do you think those bones belong to Howard?” Conrad saw he had shocked Mavis with that question, but she paused long enough to consider it.

  “I don’t.”

  “Where do you think Howard is?”

  “I don’t rightly know, Chief,” Mavis said with a pointed glare. “But I don’t think he’s dead. I’ve lived all these years waiting and it wouldn’t surprise me a bit if he just walked through my door one day.”

  “Well, I hope you’re right, Mavis,” Conrad said smiling. “That’s all the questions I have right now. I’ll let you know if I need anything else.”

  “Sure thing, Chief. I better get back to work.” Mavis popped up out of her chair and swiftly left the greenhouse leaving Conrad staring at his notepad.

  §

  “Amanda,” Cora said walking up to peer over Amanda’s shoulder as she scooped potting soil into a ceramic flower pot. “Have you seen Rodney? He was working on the sign by the bell and said he had to get something from his truck, but I’ve never seen him come back.”

  “No, I haven’t seen him for a while. Did you need him?”

  “Not really,” Cora said chewing her bottom lip. “I think he’s avoiding me.”

  Amanda laughed and glanced back at Cora.

  “What are you ladies up to?” Conrad said as he strolled up with a tray of tiny plants in his hands.

  “Have you decided to take up gardening, Chief?” Amanda brushed the dirt of her hands and picked up a towel to wipe the sides of the ceramic pot clean.

  “Not yet,” Conrad said smiling. “I told Georgia Marks I’d pick these up for her when I was out here. She likes to grow her own tomatoes and she’s working today.”

  “They do taste better from your own garden,” Cora said as she saw Daniel Farrell approaching. “Hi, Daniel. How are you?”

  “Good. Good. Amanda, do you know where my sister is?”

  Amanda glanced around the front displays but didn’t see Leanne anywhere.

  “Chief, this is Daniel Farrell, Mavis’ son.”

  Conrad extended his hand to shake and after a hesitant glance, Daniel reciprocated. “Conrad Harris. It’s nice to meet you, Daniel.”

  “You too, Chief. Sorry, I’ve got to run. I need to find Leanne.”

  “Check in the greenhouse,” Amanda suggested as Daniel nodded and took off in a trot. “I wonder what that’s about.”

  “Hmm, I’d say it’s about Jack Summers,” Cora said angling her head and motioning with her eyes as Leanne’s husband walked up the middle of the parking lot.

  “Is that Leanne’s husband?” Amanda said discreetly.

  “Yes,” Cora said smiling. “And he’s supposed to be in St. Louis.”

  “Oh my,” Amanda said with a worrying frown. “Is that going to be a problem?”

  “I don’t know, but having the Chief here can’t hurt,” Cora said glancing at Conrad and chuckling.

  “I was about to ask if you were ready to go,” Conrad said hesitantly. “But maybe we ought to wait a bit.”

  “So, what are you planting, uh, or potting, here,” Cora said waving her hands over Amanda’s project.

  “It’s a houseplant called a Flamingo Flower,” Amanda said smiling. “They bloom inside several weeks out of the year and have these pretty heart-shaped leaves.”

  “I’ve never heard of it,” Cora said frowning as Amanda put a small plastic spike in the soil with a skull and bones on it. “What’s that?”

  “Just a warning flag,” Amanda said pulling the spike out to show Cora. “It’s toxic to animals so we want people to know it’s not a good choice to buy if you have pets.”

  “Maybe the skull and bones are not the best way to convey that message,” Cora said winking at Amanda. “I mean, considering the grand opening discovery.”

  Amanda tossed her head back in laughter and Cora was glad to see the previous tensions from the event had subsided. “Maybe not,” Amanda agreed. “I’ll mention it to Bryan.”

  “There goes Daniel,” Conrad muttered as they watched Daniel stomp briskly across the parking lot with his head down. “He seems rather agitated.”

  “Hmm,” Cora hummed as she craned her neck to peer around the plants. “I don’t see Leanne and Jack anywhere.”

  “If you’ll watch Georgia’s tomatoes, I’ll go check the greenhouse,” Conrad said and turned to Amanda. “If someone asks, what might I be looking for in there?”

  Amanda laughed again. “Well, Chief, I’d recommend a tomato cage. We have them in there and it would go well with your purchase.”

  “Ah, good idea,” Conrad said walking off without any idea what a tomato cage looked like.

  CHAPTER 18

  As Conrad approached the greenhouse, he saw Leanne and Jack behind the building standing near the garden bell. Their postures easily conveyed tension, but Conrad didn’t see any threat of violence, so he turned in the door to the greenhouse and looked around. He could hear Jack’s voice because he was facing the greenhouse but much of it was muffled. Standing just inside the door, he pretended to be seriously considering a potted plant as his ears remained trained to the action happening by the bell in the garden.

  “Can I help you with something, Chief?” Bryan appeared at Conrad’s elbow and looked down at the plant Conrad was focused on. “That’s a peace lily, Chief. A good choice for a peace officer,” Bryan said smiling. “They make a nice office plant.”

  Conrad stared blankly at Bryan and then glanced down at the plant. “Oh, no. Actually, I’m just, well… uh.”

  “They make a wonderful gift too,” Bryan said. “They bloom year around.”

  “Well,” Conrad said leaning toward Bryan and lowering his voice. “I’m actually just keeping an ear out for the couple at the bell. The ladies were a little concerned there might be some trouble there, so I just wanted to hang close by.”

  Bryan stepped to the greenhouse doorway and surveyed the area before stepping back inside and nodding. “Jack Summers is here.”

  “Yes,” Conrad said waiting for a reaction from Bryan.

  “I don’t think there’s anything to worry about,” Bryan said lifting a shoulder in a half shrug. “Jack’s pretty easy-going. Leanne’s the mean one of that pair. Jack usually does exactly what he’s told to do. If she’s mad at him, I’m sure he must have disobeyed.”

  “I don’t know either of them,” Conrad shook his head and took a deep breath. “Maybe the ladies were just concerned because his arrival was a surprise.”

  “I know they’re having some trouble,” Bryan said as he rearranged some small planters. “She’s thinking about moving back here. I don’t think anything’s definite yet though.”

  “You knew Daniel and Leanne growing up, I guess.”

  “Yeah, they were both older, so we weren’t friends or anything, but I saw them around all the time. Daniel still visits Mavis pretty regularly, but I hadn’t seen Leanne in almost a year.”

  “So, her job here is just temporary?”

  “Yes. She just came over with her mom one day. We talked about it and she’s going to work a few hours during the week while her kids are at school so I can get some planting done.”

  “That means I guess you knew Howard Bell, too?”

  “Oh, yeah. I mean I was a kid, so I didn’t talk to him or anything, but he came over and talked to Dad some. Usually he was looking for Daniel, but they talked about the animals and helped each other sometimes, too.”

  “Was Daniel over here often?”

  “No, he had a four-wheeler and dad let him ride on our land in the back, so Howard would walk over here looking for him when he needed him to come home. He’d ring the bell and if that didn’t work, he’d walk back behind the gardens to see if he could find him. The Christmas trees weren’t there back then.”
/>   “Did Leanne and Daniel get along well with Howard? I mean, do you know? Did they like him?”

  “They didn’t seem to,” Bryan said huffing. “They were always bickering. Howard always seemed mad at them and they would talk back to him. In Howard’s defense, both of those kids were a real handful. I was always a little afraid of getting in their way.”

  Conrad heard Leanne’s voice getting louder and picked up the plant to hold it out to Bryan. He wanted to look engaged in something when they walked by.

  “I’ll take care of it,” Leanne said sharply. “Just go home.”

  As Leanne stomped by the greenhouse opening, she didn’t even pay Bryan or Conrad any attention, but as Jack ambled by, he nodded sheepishly.

  “Hey, Bryan. How are things?”

  “Great, Jack. It’s good to see you. Home for a visit?”

  “Yeah, gotta get back to work in a day or two. The place looks great. Is everything going well?”

  “It’s just getting started, but it’s going pretty well. Have you met Chief Harris?” Bryan held out his hand to draw Conrad over and Jack extended his hand.

  “I haven’t. Good to meet you, Chief. I’m Jack Summers. My mother-in-law, Mavis Bell, lives next door.”

  “Yes, I know Mavis,” Conrad said smiling. “She’s running around here somewhere.”

  “She’s always full of energy,” Jack said chuckling. “Well, I’ve got to get back to the house. Want to spend some time with the kids before I have to head back. Take care and good luck with the business, Bryan.”

  “Thanks,” Bryan said waving as Jack walked away.

  “Seems like a nice guy,” Conrad said taking the plant back and placing it on the table.

  “He is,” Bryan said nodding. “I’ve always kind of felt sorry for him though.”

  §

  “So, everything went okay?” Cora asked as Conrad walked up. She’d already seen Jack and they spoke briefly before he left. He seemed a bit dejected, but she hadn’t noticed any anger.

  “Yeah, she yelled at him, but he took it. It seems like that’s their way,” Conrad smirked and reached for the flat of tomatoes. “Can you ring these up for me, Amanda?”