by Vikki Walton
The question seemed out of left field, and Mercy stared at her as if gauging whether her answer was sincere. Feeling awkward with the ensuing silence, Anne motioned to the plants Mercy held. “Should we put those over here in the shade for now?”
Mercy followed her, and they set them under a covered deck, which would protect them in case of any springtime showers which often included hail.
As Mercy straightened back up, Anne remarked, “I’m really sorry about Billie. Good friends are hard to find.”
Mercy stared at her hands before turning them over and gazing at the palms. As she remembered Anne standing next to her, Mercy’s gaze met Anne’s. “Every day, I would see her when I did my route. On some of the lighter days, I’d try to stop by, and we’d have tea and cinnamon toast or scones. We’d chat and laugh.” A big smile crossed her face at the memory of their time together. “Being around Billie always improved my day. She had that way about her. Some people are like that. You just feel good being around them.” Her smile turned into a frown. “That’s why I couldn’t tolerate what Ben was doing.”
“What do you mean? Was he harming Billie?” Anne remarked.
She hoped she hadn’t pressed Mercy too hard with her questions.
She sighed. “No. Not physically, if that’s what you mean. At first, I thought nothing of it. But then I kept seeing them together. Secretive like. Who does that if they have nothing to hide? I couldn’t believe he would do that to Billie. I mean, have some common decency, and at least wait until she’s gone. I couldn’t let Billie find out—it would have devastated her.”
“So, you protected her?”
“Yes, I guess you can say that. I confronted Ben about it. Of course, he denied it. They always do. But I told him I’d seen him with her and what would be the reason for them to be together apart from the club? He told me I didn’t understand and to butt out. He had the gall to tell me that it was none of my business!” Her voice rose. Kim stopped planting and looked over as Mercy lowered her voice. “Anything that hurts my friend is definitely my business. But he just walked away. Wouldn’t discuss it.” She shook her head. “I decided that I’d make sure Billie never found out. I did my job. I kept her focus on good things. She never found out he was cheating on her. At least, she never said anything to me.”
She pressed her fist to her mouth as her face crumpled into misery, and a loud moan escaped her pursed lips.
Anne laid a hand on Mercy’s arm as the woman sought to compose herself. “These forget-me-nots will be a perfect accent for the tables. Thanks so much for doing this for Billie. Anyone would be lucky to have a friend like you.”
She let out a low, long breath. “Thanks. I’d like to stay and help, but I’ve got lots of packages to be delivered today.” She wiped her hands together, and Anne followed behind her as they descended the few steps toward Anne’s truck.
Kim yelled, “Mercy, please think about what I said. See you tomorrow.” She waved, but Mercy didn’t return the gesture.
“Mercy, is there something between you two?”
“I still haven’t crossed her off the list of going after Ben either. She’s definitely hiding something.”
As they made their way over to the driveway, Anne thought this might be a good time to question Mercy about the actual day of Billie’s death.
“Mercy, did you notice anyone on the morning Billie died? I mean, I wondered—”
Mercy fixed her gaze on Anne. “You wondered what?”
“It’s possible…well, it may not have been an accident.”
Mercy remained silent as she stared off into space. Finally, she spoke. “You don’t mean… no, I thought it was an accident. Do you think he…I mean, did he? No, it’s too terrible for words. Just to be with—” She reached out and grabbed Anne’s arm. “Maybe that’s the mystery she wanted to tell you about. She’d told me something was wrong, money not right. Ben had been having some issues at work, and they’d been worried if he lost an account, it would also affect their health insurance and her treatments. She told me they had already been digging into their savings.”
Anne grimaced as Mercy’s grip grew tighter. “I didn’t mean anything. I was simply wondering out loud.”
She rubbed her wrist as Mercy let go and paced back and forth before facing Anne.
“All I know is Ben was keeping something from Billie. She told me as much. I figured it was the affair, but I didn’t let on to her. Billie said he hadn’t been the same in the last few months. I thought it was the affair—” Her phone beeped. “I’m getting behind, I have to go.” She sprinted away to her van.
Anne watched as Mercy raced away from the curb in her van. If Ben had been worried about work or income and had been having an affair, a life insurance policy payout could make all the difference.
“Ugh, what am I missing here?” She wiped her forehead and reset her hat back on her head before gathering up a pallet of petunias.
As she worked with her hands, her mind wandered, and words peppered her thoughts. Lust, greed, so many things might cause a person to strike out. Kim had said Ben had left for work but later heard he’d been with James and Brian. What was the truth? Had she only thought he was going to work? Or was she covering for him? This would give him an alibi of being away while she snuck over and—Anne shivered. Had Ben killed Billie and Kim went over to make sure, only to find her still alive?
Anne twisted her mouth to the side as she contemplated the scenario. Yet if Ben had gone to build raised beds with the guys over at Jennifer and Brian’s, it would have given him an alibi, too. And why had Brian taken a swing at Ben if the rumors of an affair weren’t true? James would never tell on his friend, and Brian seemed to be more of the quiet sort who kept to himself. She needed to have a chat with Jennifer. Since Spencer was going to be doing the drip irrigation for them, she could pop by later. For now, she had to focus on what needed to be completed.
She hadn’t gotten a sense of Kim being a murderer though she looked pretty scary with the garden shears. But unfortunately, they didn’t write “I’m the murderer” on their shirts, which would make things so much easier.
She chuckled, and Kim’s voice cut into her thoughts. “Something funny?”
“Yes, I was thinking about a funny video I watched online. It popped into my head.”
Kim sat back on her haunches. “Laughter’s always good. Billie and I used to get giggling and next thing we knew; we were laughing like crazy. I’ll miss those times.” She lowered her head, and her face reddened as tears gathered in her eyes. She used the back of her gloved hand to wipe them away. “In many ways, Billie reminded me of my mom.”
“I’d like to purchase some of those gloves,” Anne remarked, recalling the two different sizes she’d found in Billie’s home.
“Be happy to get you some. I have the box over at my house now. Feel free to stop by in a few days, and I’ll get you a pair.”
“Great. Thanks.”
The yard had been transformed by their work, and it would be a quick process to plant the filler annuals in the prepared beds. Tomorrow, she’d stop by once more before the funeral and reception the following day.
She and Kim worked in companionable silence, and soon the garden beds were filled with a riot of colors.
Kim pointed to an area devoid of any plantings. “I think we missed a spot.”
“No. Ben told me he’s having a poem etched into a rock that will go there. He’s picking it up today, I believe, and it will be put in place during the reception.”
“That’s nice. I like the idea. It will be a nice memorial to Billie and anchor the garden.” She dusted off the grass and dirt from the knees of her pants.
“Well, I need to get going on those hedges. Unless you need some more help here.”
“No. I’m good. Listen, thanks for the help. It’s really appreciated. Billie would have loved this.”
Anne waved toward the floral bed bursting with flowers of every color and size. “Yes, she would
have.”
Kim stuck her trowel into her bag and made to move to the front yard as Anne decided she needed to gauge Kim’s reaction to what had happened at Jennifer and Brian’s.
“Just curious. Why do you think Brian and Ben got into a fight?”
Kim reached to retrieve her garden tool bag but stopped and turned toward Anne. “I think Ben was stopping a fight. I doubt he meant for Brian to get hurt.”
“Stopping a fight? With whom?”
Kim looked off for a moment, as if deciding whether to say anything. “James, of course.”
“James? Sorry, other than that short time I saw him at the garden club meeting, I don’t think I’ve seen him around much. He’s Ben’s friend, correct?”
“Yes, they’ve been friends for a while. I think it’s why he stood up to Brian when he made the accusation.”
Anne pushed the cardboard under her arm. “What accusation? I guess I’m missing something here.”
“James. Jennifer.”
Kim raised her eyebrows. “They’re the ones having an affair?”
Kim made the sign of a key across her lips. “You didn’t hear it from me. But James couldn’t care less about gardening. We took a day tour to the Denver Botanical gardens one time and they—” she made air quotes with her fingers “—got lost.” She bent down and picked up the tool bag. “Ben found them, and when he came back, he was with Jennifer, thus, the rumors about him and Jennifer having an affair. But I know for a fact Jennifer isn’t his type.”
“What type would that be?”
“Younger. But that’s all I’m saying.”
She grabbed the shears and headed toward the front hedges.
Anne stared after her as she strode toward the front. So, it stood to reason Kim had most likely seen who Ben was with when the argument ensued. Maybe he’d had a talk with Kim to tell her about Brian suspecting the affair, and that’s when things got heated. Which could explain her seeing Jennifer running off. But if Ben hadn’t been having an affair with Jennifer, was he even having one at all?
CHAPTER TWELVE
Billie’s funeral was held at a local church. The windows behind the altar displayed the mountains still with snow-covered tips. The setting was beautiful, but what caught Anne’s attention were the floral displays. All the gardeners had created gorgeous bouquets for Billie’s celebration of life service. A picture of a young, vibrant, and smiling Billie with soft blonde curls stood off to the side of the podium. In her hands, she held a display of peonies and irises. The happiness on her sun-kissed face was clear.
Anne took her seat next to Hope. Kandi had stopped to speak with Aly on the way in, and the two were deep in conversation. Yet Aly’s vague ‘um hm, um hm’ signaled she wasn’t truly listening to Kandi. Instead, her gaze kept sweeping the sanctuary, looking for someone. Aly jerked forward, then caught herself, and Anne swiveled to see Ben heading up the aisle. He wore a dark navy suit and the marks of a hurried shaving job. Walking beside him was James. As the pair moved to the front row, Anne sought Jennifer and Brian. She noticed Brian bristle as the two men walked by, but Jennifer simply kept looking downward.
Kandi leaned over and whispered, “I think Aly needs our help. She asked if I could talk to her later. That she had something she couldn’t hold in any longer and needed to get off her chest.”
“Why don’t you invite her over after the reception at the Whitmans’? We can do a simple meal tonight. How about asparagus soup and a Mediterranean salad? Hope, you in?”
“I have to check in at the store today, but a light lunch sounds nice. What time?”
Before she responded, a man moved to the podium, and a group of people unknown to Anne joined Ben on the front pew. This must be Billie’s parents and siblings. She hadn’t noticed Mercy, so she swiveled to see that she and Kim were sitting with the garden group. All wore their garden club nametags. The man looked over at the crowd. He tried to speak but stopped, clearing his throat first.
“Thank you all for coming. I know it would mean a lot to Billie to know that she had so many friends.”
A stifled cry came from the back, and Anne knew it was most likely Mercy.
“Today, we’ve set aside time to celebrate Billie’s life. She was a wonderful daughter—”
He broke down, and Ben hurried up beside him, embracing him with an arm around him.
The elderly man smiled at Ben. “She loved this man with all her heart. He was a great husband to her and a good son-in-law to us.”
He patted Ben on the shoulder and took his place back next to his wife, who laid her head on his shoulder.
A small group went to the front and played How Great Thou Art and It Is Well with My Soul. Some of the congregation joined in singing, and the room filled with voices. Anne reached up and wiped tears from her eyes. She raised her voice and joined in when the group started in on another old hymn.
After the singing and a short passage from scripture, Ben shared some reminiscences of Billie, and others who had known her each took a few minutes sharing funny stories or happy memories. Once everyone had finished, a montage of Billie came up on the screen with the Over the Rainbow soundtrack playing with it. Sniffles came from the crowd as the slides moved through Billie’s life. It ended with a quote from her: “I’ve lived the life I wanted, I’ve loved the man I chose, I’ve been content and loved and that’s all anyone could ask for.”
Seeing the suffering of those left behind was difficult and made you realize how fleeting life is. None of us knows what tomorrow holds. It was in that moment Anne realized that however many days she had left, she wanted to spend them with Carson. Ben got up from his seat when a young woman sprang to the podium. This must be Billie’s younger sister, as they shared many of the same facial traits and coloring.
She gripped the podium, the anger spilling from her lips. “Someone killed her. It wasn’t an accident. Probably one of you!”
She pointed at the crowd, who gasped.
“I won’t rest until I find—” Ben held the woman as she pushed away from him. “You didn’t protect her.” She wailed as her mother and father rushed to take her out of the sanctuary, “Billie, Billie—”
Everyone stared at Ben, who ran his hands through his hair and pulled on his lapels. “Bobbie’s upset. Of course, we all are. Please give her some grace during this difficult time. For those who would like to join us at our house for a small reception, please pick up information at the back door. Thank you for coming.”
He exited the podium and left through the same entrance that Billie’s family had retreated.
People’s voices quickly filled the sanctuary about the woman’s words. Some speculated about Billie’s death not being an accident. Couples and groups filed out, and Anne noted Mercy, Kim, and others from the garden club admiring the floral arrangements set up around the church. Anne joined them and noted that Mercy was pinning a tag to each one. She spied Anne.
“All the flowers are going to shut-ins, or to the local nursing home and hospital. We want them to be enjoyed.”
She stopped in front of a beautiful display of fuchsia peonies. “I’ll miss Billie’s peonies. They were always lovely.”
Kim chimed in. “Yes, she’d often clip some for me to have. I think she did that for you too, didn’t she, Mercy?”
Mercy clipped a note saying Carolan Springs Hospital Entry to the display. “Yes, she often gave me nice treats that I could carry in my van. I even have a vase in there, so I can keep flowers in it.”
Kandi had joined the group. “That’s, like, so sweet. I remember one day she gave each of us who had come over for a planning day a small bouquet of roses. She’s really thoughtful of others.”
Anne didn’t correct Kandi’s present tense usage but simply admired the bouquets in front of her. Hope joined them. She had gone to offer any help for Billie’s distraught sister.
“She’s okay. I guess they received some new information. They’re going to be looking into Billie’s death as suspicious.
”
Now what Bobbie had said made more sense. Carson must have gone ahead and put through a call about what they’d discussed.
“What?” Kim and Mercy chimed in. Mercy winced with pain as a pin found its way into her hand. She removed it and sucked on the finger before gathering the papers up to hand to Kim. “Here. Can you finish these?”
Mercy barely waited for Kim’s affirmative response before she left.
Kim turned to Anne, Hope, and Kandi. “Would you mind? I think we can get this done quicker if we all work together.” They agreed and made swift work of sorting the flowers, with notes on where they were to be taken.
After leaving the church, the trio rode over to the Whitmans’ for the reception. The streets were full, so they chose to park in front of Kim’s house and walk up to join the others. Jennifer and Brian arrived at the same time and pulled in behind them. Jennifer wore a lovely white dress with a border of yellow tulips. She wore a necklace of beads, and her hair was pinned up in a half up-down style. She sported pink lipstick that matched her shoes.
Kandi admired the woman as Brian helped her up on the curb. “Wow. You’re so, like, pretty.”
“Thank you. I wanted to find something with flowers for the occasion.” She patted down her dress to smooth out any wrinkles.
Perception. That’s the word that flew to Anne’s mind. Jennifer wanted to be perceived a certain way. Certainly, they appeared to be a loving couple, but now Anne knew better, which left her with a sense of unease about Jennifer. Who would talk about wearing something to a somber event? It certainly wasn’t an occasion.
Hope pointed to Jennifer’s dress. “So, do you like tulips?”
“Not particularly.” She looped her arm in Brian’s, and they walked together down the wide sidewalk. “I think they’re a bit—”
“Common.” It was the first time Brian had spoken, and the tone of his voice surprised Anne. If he believed Jennifer was having an affair with Ben or James, maybe he was tiring of playing the doting husband.
“Well, um, yes. I much prefer something like a rose or a peony or—”
