by Emmie Lyn
Jess relaxed a little. I hoped my compliments made her feel better about her parenting.
“Being with animals all day is like heaven for her,” she said. “All the trouble between us started when I told her she couldn’t go to Ron’s barn anymore. I just didn’t know Andy at all and Izzy trusts people. Why wouldn’t she? I had to make that hard decision, and I’m glad I did. Especially after what happened. Now, she’s in the middle of his murder investigation, and Chief Bullock wants to question her. I’ve put him off for now, but…”
Jess left that thought unfinished, but I could fill in the blanks. She’d do anything to spare her young daughter the trauma of reliving whatever she’d heard and seen in Ron’s barn.
Her shoulders lifted and dropped as she inhaled and exhaled a deep breath. With a quick finger comb through her hair to tidy up all the strays that had escaped her ponytail, Jess managed to tame the chaos before she headed to the door into the greenhouse. Just as she reached to open it, the door flew open.
“Mom! You’re here!” Izzy, her face beaming with excitement, jumped into Jess’s arms. “You’ve got to come meet the kittens. They love me.”
Jess twirled around sending Izzy’s pigtails flying behind her as she screeched with delight.
“Oh yeah? I’m not surprised about that, honey. I can’t wait to meet those fur balls.” Jess grinned at me over Izzy’s head. The joy on their faces said it all and made my heart sing with happiness that I could offer some small help.
“Hey, Izzy,” I said. “What kind of smoothie do you want after you show off the kittens?”
“Can Mom have one, too?”
“Of course.”
“I like the one Hitch made for me.—strawberry with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles, please. Mom will love it, too.”
“You got it! Now go make sure the kittens are all set for the night. Hitch and I are about to close up.”
As I dug the strawberries out of the fridge, I felt Hitch’s hand on my back. “My smoothie was a hit?”
“It was, and this day just turned around about one hundred and eighty degrees based on Izzy and Jess’s reunion. Did you see them?”
“I did.”
“The kittens worked their magic and now Jess is back in Izzy’s good graces. What worries me now is that Tilly has a plan. It could be a good thing or a bad thing. You know Tilly. Time will tell. How about you? Do you have any news to share?” I handed the strawberries to Hitch and let him take over the smoothie making. This particular mixture was his specialty after all, and I didn’t want to mess it up with such important customers.
“Well,” he said after he’d dumped the ingredients into the blender. “Tilly just informed me that she was picking up her flamingoes and heading to Ron’s house. What exactly is her plan?”
“I haven’t heard the details, but you know how Tilly is. Every plan is a work in progress, so I guess we’ll find out when everyone else does or, as the evening unfolds. Are you coming along?”
Hitch’s green eyes twinkled. “I wouldn’t dream of missing how she’ll convince a bunch of serious birders of the existence of flamingos in Pineville, Maine. What is possibly wrong with that picture?” He laughed a deep belly laugh and poured the smoothies into two tall glasses, squirted on whipped cream, and added a healthy (or, unhealthy depending on how you looked at it) dose of chocolate sprinkles.
“It sounds funny the way you put it, but it really isn’t.” I added a sprig of mint for a final decoration. “Somehow, this is supposed to help figure out who killed Andy. Don’t ask me how but that’s the motivation for her plan.”
“I know it’s serious, but everything goes down easier with a good laugh.”
I held up the two drinks. “And your strawberry smoothie. It’s time to deliver these and see if Izzy has convinced Jess to adopt a kitten yet.”
We walked into the greenhouse to a magical scene. A mother and daughter sprawled on the floor amidst a profusion of tropical plants with Jasper in the center with kittens crawling on her. Not a one of them, including Whisker Puff, seemed at all concerned about the giant black dog or the two people in their midst. Izzy chattered a mile a minute to her mom giving every detail about each kitten’s personality. She truly did have a gift with animals.
“And that one,” Izzy pointed to one curled up between Jasper’s front paws, I’ve named Mini Moe. I don’t know if it’s a boy or girl but it’s the smallest one and we can change the name to Mini May if we have to. Right?” she looked at her mom who nodded in agreement.
“You know, Mom,” Izzy said, her voice full of sadness. “I was scared at Ron’s barn this morning. I’m sorry I hid in the stall. If I hadn’t done that, you wouldn’t have gone looking for me. Did you see Andy?”
I didn’t want to eavesdrop on this tender moment, but I was frozen in place. Hitch took my hand, giving me all the support I needed.
Jess wrapped her arms around Izzy and pulled her onto her lap. Izzy curled up and buried her head under her mother’s chin. “I did see Andy when I came back to look for you, but I promise I didn’t hurt him.”
“I know you didn’t. You’d never do something like that. But I’ll help you find who did,” Izzy mumbled. “I don’t want you to get blamed for what happened.”
I didn’t either. Hitch squeezed my hand. I brushed a tear off my cheek and vowed right then and there to do everything I possibly could for these two.
13
After Jess and Izzy left, Hitch and I closed up Shakes and Cakes. We had our routine down to a science now as we cleaned, put food away, and bundled out the trash. It was a comfortable dance where we moved around each other on autopilot, barely needing to talk until we’d finished the job.
Hitch threw the trash in the dumpster and dusted off his hands. “Done. “Where to next, Sunshine?”
I opened the door so Jasper could jump into the back seat of Hitch’s truck. “Where do I want to go or where do I have to go?” I asked checking my watch to see if I had time to squeeze in a nice hot shower before checking in with Tilly.
He leaned on the door in the casual way he had while I climbed into the passenger seat. “The way I see it, Sunshine, you have two choices. You, or we,” he added with a twinkle, “could lock ourselves in your house and sit back with our feet up and enjoy a relaxing drink of pretty much anything you have chilling in your fridge. Or, you could call Tilly for the details of her plan. I know which of those options I’d choose.”
“Or,” I said. “You drop me off so I can shower and change. After you go home and get cleaned up,” I eyed his ice-cream stained shirt, “come back. I’ll feed Jasper and the cats. Then, we’ll enjoy a cold drink before we check in with Tilly.”
His face fell like a little kid just called in from recess.
“I can’t just look the other way, Hitch. You heard what Izzy said to her mom. We have to help if we can. I don’t believe for one second that Jess murdered Andy, and I’ll tell you why. She knows it would put her in jail, and I know in my heart that she would never, ever do that to Izzy. Jess was frantic to find her this morning. I don’t doubt that she didn’t like Andy. If he hurt Izzy, it would be a totally different story, but Izzy and Andy were friends.” I clapped my hands to get Hitch moving. “Let’s get going before we waste the precious bit of time we have before Tilly’s plan starts.”
“You’re absolutely right, Sunshine.” His voice choked up when he answered me. “Jess is smart, and I can imagine that she gave Andy a piece of her mind before she left, but that’s it.” Hitch closed my door and jogged around to the driver side. I guess he’d taken my suggestion to move quickly to heart.
As Hitch drove, I stared at the tourists out and about in downtown Pineville. I loved our little town on Blueberry Bay. A steady, salty breeze was a constant reminder of the ocean just beyond the stores. Glimpses of lobster boats bobbing on the waves and seagulls soaring overhead soothed my jangled nerves. I was happy to recognize so many people in town who had visited Shakes and Cakes since we’d
opened. Our little business was growing.
“Hey, Hitch.” I twisted around to get a better look at two people walking hand in hand. “Isn’t that Peter and Melanie over there? Give a toot.”
Two heads turned at the sound and I waved. Melanie grinned and waved back. “Melanie seems like a really friendly person,” I said, and Hitch nodded his agreement. “Based on her smile, I’d say that Peter is making some headway with her.” I wondered how difficult it was for someone to move to a new town and meet people. I decided to make a bigger effort to make her feel welcome in Pineville.
“I talked to Melanie today,” Hitch said. “Did you know that she’s an artist and moved here to be close to the ocean? She’s hoping to open a gallery or shop at some point in the future.”
“Interesting. Maybe Peter’s attracted to the artsy type. He hired Andy to be his photographer for his bird book, and now Melanie has caught his eye.”
Hitch sped up now that we were past the town limit. “I wouldn’t put Andy and Melanie on the same attraction level. She’s quite a looker with that sleek figure and curly dark hair. Peter has good taste.”
“How long did you talk to her?” Was I feeling a tinge of jealousy?
“Long enough, Sunshine.” He reached over and rubbed my cheek. “She doesn’t hold a candle to you, though.” He chuckled. “Even with that smudge of yogurt I just wiped off your cheek.”
I felt heat flood my face but I turned away so Hitch wouldn’t notice. I shook off my confusing emotions, knowing I had no claim on Hitch’s affection. I reminded myself that I wasn’t ready to go down that road now. Friendship was working just fine. Why complicate my life?
We reached my street and he parked in front of my house. “I don’t see Tilly’s car so maybe the coast is clear?” Hitch said with a mix of hope and doubt. “We’re sure to find out more as time goes by. From what you’ve told me and what I heard today, the people in the birding group might be hiding some interesting secrets.”
I reached into my purse for my house key and slipped the strap over my shoulder. “I’m convinced that unearthing those secrets is on Tilly’s agenda for tonight. I just don’t know how she plans to do it,” I said, forcing myself back to the problem at hand and away from my handsome business partner. “And, if anyone can do it, Tilly can.”
Hitch gave me a smile, letting it linger for a beat. “With your help, Sunshine. Don’t forget that Tilly can flush them out but you’re the master at putting the details together.”
I did enjoy solving a good puzzle, but not so much when my life could be on the line. I slid out of his truck and waited for Jasper to jump down. She made a beeline around to the back of my house where she could let herself in through her doggy door after she finished sniffing in the bushes.
“Go and take your shower,” Hitch said with a wave as Jasper and I climbed out of his truck. “I’ll be back before you even pick out your outfit for tonight.”
He was probably right. I thought as he drove off.
“I walked to my front door. My house, small by many people’s standard, was perfectly cozy for me and my menagerie. I half expected Tilly to be waiting when I walked inside, ready to pounce. But the house was quiet with only Stash and Princess Muffin doing any pouncing. Their antics earned them some cuddles before I poured food into their bowls.
Finally, after a day that felt like a forever stream of constant fires to deal with, I made it to my room. I stripped off the ice cream and fruit stained t-shirt and hopped in my shower. I closed my eyes and tilted my head back. The hot water beat on me, washing away the day’s grime. Tension in my muscles melted away and swirled down the drain. I could wallow in this relaxing magic for hours.
Until the image of Andy’s knapsack flashed in my brain. How could I have forgotten that detail? I shut the water off.
Now, I was motivated to meet up with Tilly. To find answers. I quickly braided my wet hair and threw on practical clean clothes—a long sleeve t-shirt and jeans—for a potential hike around Ron’s property. If the police investigation hadn’t placed it off limits.
When I walked into my living room, Hitch had his feet up on my coffee table sipping a tall glass of iced tea.
“You clean up fast,” I said admiring his still damp tousled hair, and big smile. His jeans and flannel shirt were right out of any outdoorsman magazine.
A second glass of iced tea waited for me, with a wedge of lemon floating on top of the ice. He’d rounded up some crackers, cheese, and grapes. I grabbed a cluster of grapes and sat next to Hitch.
“So,” he said. “Feel like a new woman?”
“I do. A new woman with new questions.”
He groaned. “So, we aren’t going to just hang out here and relax?”
“Afraid not.” I guzzled the iced tea and stuffed a couple of crackers in my mouth, ignoring the crumbs that flew around me. “We’ve got to get going. I remembered something that may or may not mean anything, but it’s gnawing a whole in my brain.”
Hitch sat forward. “What is it?”
“A knapsack that was near the barn. Izzy pointed it out to me. She said it belonged to Andy. The odd thing is, Ron took it with him.”
“Shouldn’t the police have it?”
“That’s exactly what I was thinking. I want to ask Ron about it. It dawned on me that maybe there could be more of Andy’s belongings kicking around. I know it’s not much, but it could be something.” I stood up. “Ready to go?”
“Not really, but I don’t think that’s an option.” He drained his glass then carried the tray of food into the kitchen.
“Come on, Jasper.” She leaped to her feet, alert and wagging her tail. “You’d better come, too.”
I hoped the evening provided new information. Something, anything to get closer to finding Andy’s murderer.
14
“Who do you think will be at Tilly’s bash tonight?” Hitch asked as I buckled up. “I mean it’s at Ron’s house, but it’ll be a Tilly production. Besides Ron and Tilly, of course.” he added.
Finally, we headed out of town.
I considered his question. “I expect Peter will bring Melanie. If the other members of the birding group show up, then Scott, a biology teacher at the high school, Lana, one of the librarians, and I suppose Stacy will be there, too. I’m not sure if she’s as interested in birds as the others, but she definitely likes to hover over Ron.”
“By the way, I was talking to Melanie, who seems to thrive on gossip. She mentioned that Andy gave Lana a hard time when he wanted to take some books out without a library card. Apparently, he broke into a rage and she was so shook up at his outburst that Scott stepped in to force Andy out of the library. I guess you could say that there’s no love lost between them.”
I was remembering Jess’s encounter with Andy when Hitch turned into Ron’s driveway.
I couldn’t believe my eyes. Tilly had perched pink plastic flamingoes on the fence, in the trees, and grouped a flock of her garish lawn ornaments right in front of Ron’s farmhouse. Tilly had gone so far overboard I wasn’t sure she’d be able to get back to shore with this stunt. I was afraid that the bird group members would take one look at this, turn around, and head for the hills.
Tilly, putting the final touches on her flamingo arrangement, waved at us after we’d parked the truck.
“What do you think?” she asked after she’d darted over and pulled my door open.
She leaned on a carved walking stick dressed from head to toe in khaki pants, shirt, vest, and a wide brimmed hat. Her pose was perfect for modeling the latest woman’s wear for stalking elephants and lions in the African bush.
“About the flamingoes or your safari outfit?” I asked after this visual shock sank in.
“You mean these old things?” She brushed off a bit of dust from her khaki jacket. “I dug this outfit out of an old trunk. It’s from way back when I traveled around the world. And, they still fit me perfectly. I needed something to hike around Ron’s fields and woods. Impressive, ri
ght?”
“Very,” I said, not bothering to explain that I meant impressive in a ridiculously over the top way and not ridiculously appropriate.
I waited for Jasper to follow me after I’d jumped out of the truck. She ambled around sniffing the bushes and interesting invisible trails left by long gone visitors. Apparently, the flamingoes held no appeal to her sensitive nose.
“You look great, Tilly,” Hitch said. “I think Sunny’s jealous.” He winked at me over the top of Tilly’s hat. “Maybe you can scrounge up another outfit for her.”
“That outfit would look so much better on you, Hitch,” I said. “The ladies would be falling at your feet with that rugged look.”
“I know.” He grinned. “I’d have to beat them off with my walking stick.” He took a swipe through the air with an imaginary stick.
Tilly linked her arm through mine. “Enough of that silliness. What do you think of all the flamingoes? That’ll get everyone’s attention, right?”
“Definitely. But what’s the point?” I asked. Are you hoping they’ll turn around and hightail it out of here? And, how will that display lead us to information about Andy’s killer?”
“Come on inside and you’ll understand,” she said, pulling me along to the front door. I doubted anything would make sense out of the display of pink plastic but there was no stopping Tilly when she was on a mission.
“Did you know that we have a very rare exotic bird right here in Pineville?” she asked. “So rare, it’s thought to be extinct in the wild.”
I hoped she wasn’t referring to herself with that comment.
She ushered us inside. The low ceilings and wide pine floors were distinctive features of Ron’s old farmhouse that he had tastefully, yet sparsely decorated with antiques. I sniffed the air. My mouth watered. An aroma of fresh bread made my stomach beg for more than the few dry crackers I’d eaten earlier.
