by Emmie Lyn
“Go right ahead,” Hitch said, spreading his arms out to show he had nothing to hide.
“Come on, Walker,” the Chief said. Mick bristled. I chuckled because it sounded like he was calling his dog to tag along. “We’ll start in the parking lot.”
Mick threw a glare in Hitch’s direction, opened his mouth, but closed it quickly. Apparently, he’d experienced a rare moment of restraint. He followed the Police Chief outside and, again, let the door slam.
“Geesh,” Tilly said. “What’s with all this drama when we don’t have time for it?” She picked up the Police Chief’s barely tasted smoothie, got a new straw and took a sip, spitting the mouthful back into the glass. “Oh, my goodness, he was right. This is terrible. I guess I overdid the kale.”
Conrad, positioned off to one side, had been quiet throughout the ordeal. “From my experience,” he said pointedly, “Ginger Ross is nothing but trouble. I’d avoid her at all costs.” He sipped through his straw. The gurgling sound indicated he was sucking up every last drop. “Tilly, the smoothie you whipped up for me is delicious. One out of two’s not bad.”
Actually, we needed every smoothie and milkshake to taste delicious or we’d be sunk before we even began.
But then again, with the arrival and disappearance of Ginger Ross, I might have bigger problems to worry about than the taste of our smoothies.
5
I tried my hardest to get Chief Bullock and Officer Walker out of my thoughts. But I had to wonder what they were looking for as they tromped around our parking lot. I had no clue. We kept glancing outside, proving their presence distressed us all.
Tilly untied her apron and threw it on the counter. “I’m going out there. We open in a half hour and we need them gone.”
“Wait.” I tried to grab her arm, but she scooted by and was out the door before I could catch her. “This won’t end well,” I said to Hitch. “In a situation like this, Tilly’s filter is off.”
“I think her filter is always off,” he said. That did not make me feel better. “She’s right, though. Maybe it’s better that she’s pushing them along instead of one of us. We have to look like we aren’t hiding anything.”
“We aren’t, Hitch. At least I’m not. Is there something you haven’t told me?”
He glanced at Conrad.
“Ginger—”
“What Hitch is trying to say,” Conrad interrupted, “is that Ginger had a thing for Hitch, but Hitch brushed her off.”
“She’s at least ten years older than you,” I said, flabbergasted. Of course, as soon as the words were out of my mouth, I realized that age made no difference in matters of the heart. I took a deep breath, calming myself. “How did you let her know you weren’t interested?”
“With someone like Ginger, there’s no good way to deliver that kind of message. She doesn’t take no for an answer,” Hitch said. The normal twinkle in his eyes had dulled, and he slumped against the counter. “She told me she always gets what she wants… one way or another. But I never for one second expected her to show up here in Pineville, Sunny. I thought I’d dodged a virtual bullet when I left New York. And to be honest? Actually, getting a bullet in my arm was a whole lot easier to handle than Ginger’s stalking.”
He rubbed his arm, which had healed, but from the anxious look in his sea green eyes, it must still bring back dark memories.
“But she told Conrad that she came here to hire you to protect her from a stalker?” I shook my head, totally confused with this conversation.
“She likes to play games,” Hitch said, shaking his head as if to rid it of a bad memory. “I think it was her way of letting me know she wouldn’t give up.”
“Or,” Conrad said, “Ginger could have her own stalker, but it would be a hard sell to believe that after the number she did on Hitch. And now that she showed up in Pineville, who knows what story she told her friend, Violet. How well do you know her, Sunny?”
A shiver went up my spine when I thought of my irritating neighbor. “I avoid Violet like the plague.”
Conrad scratched his head. “That’s quite the endorsement. What’s her problem?”
“It’s more like what isn’t the problem. She complains every chance she can about Jasper and even makes stuff up. For instance, she says Jasper barks too much, she tramples her flowers, uses her yard as a bathroom, and on and on. All lies. Of course, Jasper barks, but no more than any dog. She’s never gone in Violet’s yard except for once when Jasper stepped off the sidewalk and did crush a tulip. But the petals were about to fall off anyway.” I felt my blood pressure rise just thinking about how much trouble Violet caused. I was on edge every time I took Jasper out.
“I wonder what the connection Ginger and Violet have,” Hitch said. “They couldn’t be more different except for maybe the not liking Jasper part.”
I’d been watching out the window while we talked. Tilly, standing next to her brand new bug, jabbed her finger in Officer Walker’s chest. Not good. “Something’s happening outside,” I said and rushed to the door.
I opened it just in time to hear Tilly say, “She must have dropped it when she helped me out of my car.”
Dropped what?
“When a woman drops her pocketbook. she comes right back looking for it,” Mick said like he’d just caught Tilly in a trap. He was holding a handbag in his hand and stuffing a few things back inside. I guess he had discovered the identity of the owner.
He had a point about women and their bags, especially someone like Ginger Ross. And someone who most likely paid a fortune for that sleek leather purse.
Tilly shrugged at Mick’s comment. She shielded her eyes from the rising morning sun as she looked up at him and said, “So, maybe she’ll be back when she discovers it’s missing. Like I told you before, she left in a huff. She must have had something on her mind.” She reached for the black leather bag. “I’ll keep it safe inside behind the counter for her.”
Mick laughed and tucked it under his arm. “Nice try. Ginger didn’t just happen to drop it, Tilly. The strap is broken. I wonder how that happened.” He leaned down so he was eye to eye with Tilly. She didn’t back off; Tilly thrived on confrontations. “Did you attack her?”
Tilly burst out laughing. “Are you serious? I’m an old lady, Officer Walker. Why would I attack someone I only met this morning?”
Mick picked a toothpick out of his shirt pocket and stuck it in the corner of his mouth, staring Tilly down before he said, “Why indeed? Don’t worry, I will get to the bottom of this and I don’t think I’ve seen the last of you or your friends about this matter. In case Ginger does return looking for her pocketbook, tell her it’s safe and sound… at the police station.”
The Police Chief limped around the side of the building. “Sunny? I found this around back.” He held up a basket. I peeked in and saw the cutest, fluffiest orange kitty I’d ever seen, eyes closed, and tail wrapped around her body.
“Did one of yours escape?”
“I haven’t seen this kitten before,” I said taking the basket and setting it in the shade under the awning. “I’ll take care of her in a minute.” I touched his arm. “Did you find anything interesting in Ginger’s pocketbook yet? Like important information about her whereabouts.”
His forehead wrinkled. “What are you talking about?”
“Officer Walker found a pocketbook he said belongs to Ginger Ross. You didn’t know?”
“Walker! What’s that you have?” he shouted, his face red with anger.
“Nothing, Sir.”
“Well, let me see what you’re holding, and I’ll decide if it’s nothing. Bring it over here,” he ordered in a voice that made his irritation clear.
I smiled to myself. Exposing Mick’s attempt to keep the evidence to himself for his own benefit was a small victory. I didn’t regret it one bit.
Mick walked over and handed the leather bag to the Police Chief, glaring at me as he went by. The Chief lifted the flap, unzipped the top, and pulled out a wall
et, checking the identification inside. “Hmmm. This definitely belongs to our missing woman. She won’t get far without her credit cards, license, and cash.” He looked at me. “This makes me even more curious about what’s happened to her. No woman I’ve ever known would last ten minutes without her credit cards.”
Mick chuckled along with the Police Chief.
“Instead of insulting women, why don’t you two do your job and find her,” Tilly said, standing with her hands on her hips, scowling like she was ready to attack. “I mean, the trail’s getting cold. What are you waiting for?” She even dared to clap her hands in a let’s-get-going prompt.
“No need to get all in a huff, Tilly. We are following the trail.” The Chief zipped the purse closed and limped toward the cruiser.
“We’ll be back,” Mick said to me as he followed behind Chief Bullock.
Tilly wiped her hands after they drove out like that inconvenience was taken care of. I wasn’t so sure.
She marched toward the door. “I had to do something to get them out of here. Are we ready for the grand opening because customers will be here soon?”
“As ready as we’ll ever be, even with this crazy morning. Where did Mick find Ginger’s purse?” I asked, catching up to Tilly.
“On the ground under my car. He actually accused me of trying to hide evidence. Can you believe it?”
“Are you kidding me?” I said as we reached the front door of the shop. “It’s me you’re talking to, Tilly.”
“Okay, I admit that I gave it a little tap with my foot. But all I was trying to do was slide it out of sight so we could look inside first,” she said defensively. “I didn’t even know it belonged to Ginger until Mick snooped inside.”
“How did it get there, Tilly?” I stopped her from going inside and avoiding my questions. “What do you know about it?”
Tilly rolled her eyes like she was bored with this conversation. “The strap must have broken when she helped me out of my car. Remember? I tripped.” She leaned close to me. “I hope that looked like a real accident. I planned that little distraction as soon as I saw that Ginger was a handful of trouble.”
I had to smile. “It was good, Tilly, but I know that you’re as sure-footed as a tightrope walker, so it didn’t fool me.” I picked up the basket with the kitten. “Look at what Chief Bullock found out back. I can’t believe that someone left this poor kitty here.”
Tilly’s face collapsed into a mixture of smiles and concern. “Aww, so sweet.” She stroked the kitten. “Once she’s cleaned up, and the matted fur clumps are combed out of her long hair, she’ll be gorgeous. She’s at the right place to find a good home. I’m so proud of what you and Hitch are doing here,” she said, giving me a rare compliment.
Then Tilly’s eyes narrowed. “What’s this?” she said. She pulled at the corner of something white stuck between the basket and the fleece blanket under the kitten, a piece of paper that had been folded several times into a small square.
I looked over Tilly’s shoulder and read the note. “My name is Clawdia, please find me a good home.”
“Clawdia?” I said. “How cute is that?”
I turned to take her inside just as Hitch came out and hung the Open flag next to the door and several cars pulled into the parking lot.
“The fun’s about to begin,” Tilly said, waving to the cars like she was our official ‘meeter and greeter.’
Maybe the rest of the day would go smoothly.
Like I told myself earlier, I could hope.
6
Inside, I slipped the basket onto a stool and savored the last minute of quiet to look at the hard work we’d put in to get to this moment. The oak floor and counter glistened, the black iron tables and chairs were arranged in comfortable groups, and orchid blooms filled the windows with their unique beauty. Above our work area the chalkboard was filled with our selections from plain vanilla milkshakes to exotic mango ginger smoothies. Mouthwatering cupcakes, cookies, and donuts filled the pastry case, treats for the eyes and nose.
Hitch put his arm around my shoulders. “It came together perfectly, didn’t it?”
“Yes, I think it did.” I leaned my head in the crook of his arm and inhaled the coffee aroma on his shirt. “Where’s Conrad?”
Hitch pointed to the door at the other end of the shop. “He volunteered to hang out in the greenhouse with Jasper and the kittens. He pointed out that someone has to do that difficult job.”
“I have something to show you,” I said, and led him to the basket with the new kitten. “Look at this, Hitch. Chief Bullock found this basket out back when he was checking for clues about Ginger’s disappearance.” He peeked in and gave me a smile.
“Her name is Clawdia, with a W.”
His head jerked up, then he laughed. “Clever. Poor thing, but with a good cleaning this little fur ball will be a stunner. I’ll take this back for Conrad and Jasper to handle. You’re okay here by yourself for a minute?” His concern for me and the kitten touched me deeply.
“Of course.” As soon as Hitch disappeared with Clawdia, the door opened and Tilly ushered in three young boys, our first customers. They made a beeline for the glass case. Their dad followed behind. I’d seen him at the beach a few times always trying to keep up with his boys. Behind him, Tilly led a group of women inside.
I hustled behind the counter, pasted on a smile, and said. “Who can I help first? We have all sorts of delicious shakes and smoothies to choose from.”
“I want a donut,” one of the boys yelled and pointed to a tray stacked with A Donut A Day specials.
“Me too.”
“Me three.”
That was easy once I got the nod from their dad. He smiled an easy smile. “And, two vanilla shakes and one chocolate shake for the kids. I’ll try,” he studied the chalkboard, “the chocolate swirl shake with whipped cream and walnuts. I’ll need a long-handled spoon with that one, right?”
I chuckled at his concern. “You sure will unless you want to clog up your straw. I’ll get right on these for you.” I handed over the donuts and got busy with the rest of the order.
“What a great idea this is. I bet you’ll be swamped,” he said to me. “I know I’ll be a regular with the boys. Is it okay if we go in the greenhouse while we wait? I probably shouldn’t take them in though. I heard you have kittens looking for homes, and that’s all the boys have been talking about. They’re working on me constantly to adopt one.”
“By all means. I’ll find you out there when your shakes are ready. Just so you know, you’ll have to fill in an application if you want to adopt and the kittens aren’t ready to leave for another couple of weeks.”
He sighed which made me think I’d just given him the excuse he needed to take this adoption step slowly.
Hitch returned, pushed me out of the way, and took over the shake orders. “You’re better with the customers,” he said, adding a wink.
“Tilly can bring the shakes out to the boys. Don’t forget to add the long-handled spoons to get any chunks that don’t fit in the straws,” I told Hitch and turned to the next customer waiting to order. “Violet?” I almost choked at the sight of my frumpy, partly gray-haired neighbor. “What a… surprise.” I tried to cover up my shock by quickly asking, “Did your friend ever show up?”
“Oh, yes,” she said, waving away the issue as though it wasn’t any concern. “She finally called when she arrived at the Bayside Bed and Breakfast where she’s staying and said she’d join us here instead of stopping at my house.”
Violet giggled, which sounded too girlie for this woman who looked at least ten years older than her forty-five years in her I-love-gardening t-shirt and elastic waist pants. “I shouldn’t have panicked and called the police. But,” Violet leaned over the counter and lowered her voice, “you can never be too careful, I always say. The world is full of dangerous people, you know.”
I kept my face neutral thinking about all the times she’d called the police on Jasper, who was not
a danger to anyone.
“Did you at least let the Police Chief know you’ve heard from Ginger? He was here looking for her, you know.” I doubted that Violet would grasp my frustration of the morning police intrusion just before our opening, but it made me feel a little better to mention it.
“Of course, I did, Sunny. I know you think I’m nothing but a complaining busybody, but I have a very deep and caring streak. When Ginger said she’d be at my house by seven, of course I worried when she didn’t show up. But it looks like everything is cleared up.” Violet studied the chalkboard while she tapped on the counter. “I’ll have a fresh cranberry and orange smoothie. That sounds refreshing and not too calorie-laden.” She patted her hips and giggled again.
“Oh, Violet,” I said, “Tell Ginger that the police have her pocketbook with her license, credit cards, and money. Apparently, she lost it in the parking lot this morning.”
“Really? She didn’t mention anything about that to me. I wonder how she checked in without her credit card.” Violet shrugged like it wasn’t her problem. “I’ll be sure to let her know.”
She turned around toward her companions. “Girls. Order whatever you want. It’s my treat.” She leaned forward and said in hushed tones, “These are my college roommates, Carla Singleton and Laura O’Brien. We’re having a mini reunion weekend. That’s why Ginger is here, too. It was her idea.”
College roommates? That explained one mystery.
Laura, tall and walking like she had a broom handle up her spine, stepped to the counter. “I’ll have the green smoothie, please.” She wandered off with Violet after she’d ordered without offering any small talk.
Carla stepped up next, with enough personality for the entire trio. “What a cute place you have,” she said. Her bubbly energy somehow matched her curly blonde hair that danced when she moved. She held her bangs out of her face with cute butterfly clips that added to her effervescence.
“Thanks. It’s our grand opening today.”
