Hope Callaghan - Garden Girls 06 - Magnolia Mansion Mysteries

by Hope Callaghan

  Lucy opened the door. The girls stepped inside the house and Gloria quickly switched off the yard light. “I hope no one noticed Andrea,” Gloria said.

  Lucy’s face drooped. “I’m sorry, Gloria. I didn’t even think about that.” Lucy was becoming a pretty good detective. She wasn’t quite there yet, but she was close.

  “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.”

  Her face brightened as she reached behind her and grabbed a wrapped present off the stand. She thrust it in Gloria’s hand. “Merry Christmas!”

  Gloria frowned as she looked down at the package. “It’s not even close to the holidays.”

  Lucy nodded. “I know. I was going to give you this as your Christmas gift but I figured you could use it tonight.”

  Gloria slid into the chair and set the box on the table in front of her. She untied the bow and peeled the tape off both ends. She turned it over and pulled the last piece of tape off before lifting the box. Printed on the front were the words: True Grit Night Vision Monocular.

  Gloria opened the box and pulled out what looked like part telescope, part binoculars. “Oh, I get it. Monocular. Like half a binocular.”

  She turned it over in her hand. “Lucy, this looks expensive,” she scolded her.

  Lucy waved her hand. “Naw! I got a great deal on one of those middle-of-the-night infomercials. You know, buy one, get one free. I’m giving the other one to Bill for Christmas. Except he has to wait for his,” she explained.

  Gloria closed one eye and held the monocular up to the other. “This thing is cool! Shut off the light.”

  Lucy killed the lights and Gloria moved the monocular around the room. “Wow! This really works. Except you both look like little green women!”

  “I know, right?” Lucy giggled. “I couldn’t resist. I already checked it out.”

  Gloria handed it to Andrea. “Take a look.”

  Andrea held it to her eye and surveyed the room. “Wow. This is pretty cool!” She pulled it from her eye and handed the monocular back to Gloria.

  Lucy switched on the light and grabbed the walkie-talkies. She handed one to Gloria. “I stopped by Margaret’s place earlier and picked these up. We set them on a frequency so we can hear each other.”

  Gloria smiled. She was proud of the girls. They were getting this sleuthing business down pat!

  The drive to Andrea’s was quick. Lucy pulled her yellow jeep down the rutted alley and dropped Gloria and Andrea off at the edge of the of the property line, right in front of the low bushes. “This place looks familiar,” Lucy commented wryly.

  Gloria winked at Lucy. It looked familiar because it wasn’t long ago that Lucy and Gloria had staked out the old house, which at the time was vacant. Andrea hadn’t purchased it yet.

  Gloria gathered up the walkie-talkie and monocular and slid out of the passenger seat. Andrea slid out of the back seat and quietly closed the door. They watched as Lucy stepped on the gas and bounced off down the alley, in search of a hiding spot close by.

  The girls tiptoed over to the edge of the shrubbery and vaulted through a small opening. They crouched down and crept over to the corner, taking cover behind a large bush.

  Gloria dropped to her knees. She handed the walkie-talkie to Andrea. “I’m putting you in charge of communications.”

  She lifted the monocular to her eye and adjusted the lens. When she had a clear view of the house, she handed it to Andrea. “Have a look.”

  Andrea squinted through the lens. “That is so cool. I think I’m going to get Brian one of these,” she decided. She handed it back to Gloria and sat down on the grass. “I’ve never spied on my own house before.”

  Gloria chuckled. The irony of the situation wasn’t lost on either of them.

  They sat there quietly for several long moments and watched as the stars came out. It was a beautiful night. Gloria didn’t stargaze often. She was usually in bed; sound asleep before the 11:00 news.

  “So how long do we wait?” Andrea whispered.

  Gloria shrugged. She was more of a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of detective. “I’m not sure yet,” she answered truthfully. She prayed they weren’t wasting their time.

  They sat there for a bit longer when something caught Gloria’s attention. It was a small movement over on the other side of the rose garden. She whacked Andrea’s arm. “Did you see that?” she mumbled under her breath.

  Andrea shook her head. Gloria lifted the monocular to her eye. “Someone’s out there.” She followed the figure. The person was tall and walked with a bit of a hunch. She watched as the figure bent down and grabbed hold of the cellar door. “They’re going for the cellar door.”

  Andrea squinted her eyes. She couldn’t see much of anything. It was too dark, even with the stars out.

  Gloria gave her a blow-by-blow. “Yep! They took the lock off the door and set it aside.” She sucked in a breath. Her armpits began to sweat. “Now they’re opening the cellar door. They switched on a flashlight and…..they’re inside!”

  Andrea started to get up. “We should go confront them.”

  Gloria grabbed her arm and pulled her back down. “No! What if they have a weapon?” she whispered. “Radio the girls and tell them to get ready. Someone’s in the basement.”

  Andrea nodded. She’d completely forgotten her assignment!

  She turned her back and faced the bushes before pressing the button on the radio. “Buttercup and Mrs. Trace, do you copy?”

  Gloria’s head whipped around. “Buttercup and Mrs. Trace?”

  Andrea shrugged. “Undercover names I just thought up. Buttercup for Lucy’s yellow jeep and Mrs. Trace since Margaret lives on Lake Terrace,” she explained.

  The radio crackled. “We hear you,” Buttercup replied.

  “Yeah! Our chicken has come home to roost,” Andrea answered cryptically.

  Gloria almost burst out laughing. She started to say something when a light caught her attention. Whoever had been in the basement was coming back out.

  Gloria fixed her monocular on the movement. She could see something in their right hand. Something large. “They’re carrying something and it’s square.”

  Andrea could make out the outline as they closed the cellar door and put the lock back on top. “Stand by,” Andrea mumbled into the radio.

  Gloria’s heart started to pound as the person abruptly turned and headed right towards them. The girls ducked behind the bush. Gloria squeezed her eyes shut and prayed they wouldn’t be discovered.

  They held their breath and waited several long moments, afraid to even blink. Finally, Gloria peeked around the edge and let out a sigh of relief. The person had turned and eased out around side of the shrubs, heading for the alley.

  Andrea pressed the button on the radio. “They’re headed your way, Buttercup, carrying what looks like a suitcase or briefcase.”

  “10-4” came the brief reply.

  Andrea wasn’t done. “Mrs. Trace, do you copy?”

  “10-4”

  “Rendezvous at green 10. Stat.”

  Gloria rolled her eyes. Andrea was really getting into this!

  Apparently, Margaret figured out what “green 10 stat” meant as headlights bounced down the alley and came to an abrupt halt near the edge of the hedge.

  Gloria and Andrea climbed through the bushes and into the car. Gloria leaned over the front seat. “If we hurry, maybe we can catch up with Lucy.”

  They caught up with Lucy as she was heading down main street, coming from the opposite direction. The two vehicles stopped at the corner. They rolled down the windows.

  Lucy stuck her head out the window. “You’re never going to believe who that was!”

  “…and then they tossed the suitcase in the trash can out by the curb and walked back in the house like nobody’s business.”

  The girls had parked in the empty lot in front of the post office. “We have to go get the suitcase,” Gloria decided.

  Lucy’s eyebrows shot up. “What if we get cau
ght?”

  “We’re not going to.” Gloria didn’t feel quite as confident as she hoped she sounded. “Look, I’ll get it out.”

  Andrea touched Gloria’s arm. “I can’t let you take that risk,” she told her.

  But Gloria was firm. This was her investigation. Her reputation was at stake! She turned to Margaret. “Drop me off at the end of the street and pick me up at the other end.”

  Margaret gave her the thumbs up. “Gotcha.”

  The two climbed in the SUV. Lucy and Andrea watched them go. “I wish I had some popcorn. Or better yet, a Snickers,” Lucy decided.

  Margaret rolled to a stop. Gloria slid out of the passenger seat and crouched low as she slunk down the dark road toward her destination. Thankfully, there weren’t many street lights in the area.

  When she got to the trash bin, she glanced up. A lone light shone brightly through the upstairs window.

  She carefully lifted the lid and reached inside, praying that her hand touched the suitcase and not some slimy, rotting food. Her hand made contact with a hard surface. She ran her hand along the top until she could feel a handle. She gave the suitcase a quick yank as she pulled it out. With suitcase in hand, she quietly eased the lid shut.

  Gloria glanced around furtively and then darted down the road. She could barely make out Margaret’s SUV parked at the end of the street. She picked up the pace when she thought she heard footsteps coming up behind her. Thankfully, she made it to the SUV without incident. She jerked the door open and slid inside.

  Margaret stepped on the gas and peeled out as they made the short drive back to the post office parking lot. Lucy and Andrea were inside the jeep. Lucy rolled down the window. She popped a banana chip in her mouth. “Didja’ get it?”

  Gloria rolled down her window. She wrinkled her nose at Lucy “What on earth? Are you eating?”

  “Banana chip.” Lucy glanced down at the bag of trail mix in her lap. “The chocolate pieces are already gone,” she explained.

  Gloria shook her head and lifted the case. “Got it! Let’s head back to Lucy’s place.”

  Margaret followed behind Lucy and Andrea as they drove out of town. Gloria rubbed the palm of her hand across the surface. She could tell it was old – unlike the fancy new suitcases. The ones with spinning wheels and long handles.

  Lucy’s porch light was off. The girls crept up the steps and made their way inside. When they got inside the kitchen, Gloria set the old suitcase on the kitchen table. In the bright light, they could see several badly worn spots, where the shiny brown coating had rubbed off. The hinges on the back had rusted. The handle, although scuffed and pitted, was intact.

  Gloria flipped open the latches on each side and took a quick breath. She looked around the table. “Ready for this?” She didn’t wait for an answer as she lifted the lid.

  The girls leaned forward and peered inside.

  Lying on top was a plaid, button-down shirt. Gloria plucked it from the case and carefully placed it inside the lid. Beneath that was a pair of bib overalls. She set those on top of the shirt.

  Inside the case were a few more items: a couple more shirts, similar to the button-down, along with a second pair of overalls. At the very bottom was a shave kit, right next to a pair of dark, leather work boots.

  “You think this stuff belongs to Hank Johnson?” Andrea wrinkled her nose.

  Gloria shrugged her shoulders. She couldn’t be a 100% certain.

  She placed the overalls and shirts back inside the case and put her hand on top of the lid. She started to pull the lid closed when she noticed a small, square tag in the center. She pulled her glasses from her purse and slipped them on. She leaned in for a closer inspection. She sucked in a breath and read the name on the tag: “Hank Johnson.”

  Chapter 16

  Gloria plucked her cell phone from her purse and dialed Paul’s number. He was on duty but she knew he’d still answer if he could, which he did.

  “Hello?”

  Gloria got right to the point. “I’m with Andrea, Lucy and Margaret. We have Hank Johnson’s suitcase and we know who put the body in the dumpster,” she blurted out.

  Paul leaned back in his chair and stared at the wall of his office. “I wish I could say I’m surprised,” he replied. “How’d you figure it out?” He didn’t give her a chance to answer. “No. Don’t answer that. Where are you? I’ll be right over.”

  Lucy fixed a pot of coffee while they waited for Paul to arrive. She put into words what each of them was thinking. “I wonder if they’re going to make an arrest tonight.”

  Twenty minutes later, Paul’s car pulled into the drive. Gloria opened the back door and he slipped inside. His eyes settled on the suitcase, still sitting on top of the kitchen table. He made his way over to the table and flicked the clasps open, then lifted the lid. He inspected the contents before turning his gaze to his girlfriend. “I can’t wait to find out what happened.”

  Gloria started the story with their plot to flush out the culprit. The others chimed in one-by-one with various details.

  Gloria summed it up. “So when Doc Decker dropped the suitcase into the trash can in front of his house, I went back for it,” Gloria concluded.

  “Did he see you?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t think so, but I can’t be certain.”

  “That doesn’t make him the killer,” she argued. “Maybe just an accessory to the crime.” She didn’t want to believe Doc Decker was a murderer.

  “I just talked to the lab. The autopsy took longer than they thought but it’s finally complete. When we know the cause of death, we’ll go from there.” He grabbed the suitcase and headed for the door. Gloria walked him to his car.

  He opened the passenger side door and dropped the suitcase on top of the seat before he turned back around. “What am I going to do with you?” He didn’t wait for an answer as he leaned over and kissed her lips. “I don’t know how you do it. Somehow you always manage to be right in the thick of things,” he told her.

  After he left, the girls gathered around the kitchen table for a few minutes to discuss the evening’s adventure. Now that things had settled down, Andrea decided to mention the secret room in the library that she and Gloria had discovered and what that might mean. “I need someone to come take a look at the paintings. I’m afraid to move them.”

  Gloria looked over at Margaret. “Do you think your art dealer friend would make a trip to Belhaven?” she asked.

  Margaret promised to call her contact in the morning. Lucy walked the group out to their vehicles. She was sad to see them go. The adventure had been fun. She frowned at the thought that Doc Decker might be a killer.

  Margaret left first.

  Lucy walked over to the passenger side of Gloria’s car and held it open for Andrea. “Are you going home tonight?”

  Andrea shook her head. “If Gloria doesn’t mind, I’ll stay with her just in case Doc Decker decides to come back…”

  Gloria nodded. “We need to be careful, especially if he decides to check on the suitcase and finds it missing.”

  Lucy watched as Andrea climbed into the passenger seat. “I heard you have a new roommate coming to live with you.”

  Andrea nodded. “Yep! Alice will be here tomorrow. I’m picking her up at the airport.”

  Lucy grabbed the edge of the door to push it closed. “I can’t wait to meet her.” She glanced back at mercury light on the side of her outbuilding. The bright light illuminated the crates, still stacked against the wall. “Hey! I heard you have a handgun at home and you do some target practice.”

  Andrea nodded. “I’m getting to be a pretty fair shot,” she said.

  Lucy grinned. “What do you think about taking out a few small explosives? You know - blow up a potato or pumpkin for fun…”

  “Lucy Carlson!” Gloria had settled into the driver’s seat. She slapped her hand on her forehead.

  Andrea grinned.

  Lucy winked at Andrea. “We’ll talk later.”
r />   Gloria shook her head as she started the car and backed out of the drive.

  Back at Gloria’s house, the girls chatted for a few minutes. Both of them were too wound up to sleep right away.

  Andrea pulled a glass from the cupboard and filled it with tap water. She took a small sip. “You want to stop by tomorrow afternoon when I get back from the airport?”

  Gloria nodded. “Absolutely! I can’t wait to meet Alice!”

  Gloria gave Andrea a quick hug before Mally and she wandered off to bed. Puddles, the turncoat, slunk into Andrea’s room to curl up on her bed.

  Surprisingly enough, Gloria fell asleep within seconds: her dreams filled with monoculars and exploding pumpkins.

  Andrea was already awake and had fixed a pot of coffee by the time Gloria rolled out of bed. She was nibbling on a piece of peanut butter toast and reading the morning paper when Gloria shuffled into the kitchen.

  Andrea grinned when she caught a glimpse of Gloria’s hair standing up on end. Gloria caught the look. “What? What’s wrong?” She automatically put her hand to her head and tried to pat down the pointed tips.

  “You should spike your hair more often,” Andrea advised. “It makes you look…”

  “Trendy?” Gloria prompted.

  Andrea nodded. “Something like that.” She folded the paper and took her coffee cup to the sink to wash it. “I should get going. I need to make a pit stop at the house before I head to the airport. Oh, and I have to stop by Margaret’s place to pick up Brutus.”

  Gloria poured a cup of coffee and walked Andrea to the barn to retrieve her car. She waved to her young friend as she pulled out of the barn and headed down the drive.

  She wandered back into the house and glanced at the phone as she headed to the shower. She was anxious for Paul’s call and the autopsy results.

  By the time she was showered and dressed, she was growing impatient. She glanced at the clock in the kitchen. Surely he must have the results by now! She reached for the wall phone when her cell phone rang.