Mulberry Mischief

by Sharon Farrow

  After the blending finished, I said, “I’ve learned about your past with the Sables. The shadow people.”

  Leticia smiled. Those scarlet red lips made it a disturbing sight. “I knew you would realize the Sables are the shadow people. Even the name reveals their darkness within.” She glanced at the Sable display, lit by spotlights and framed by straw and fake autumn leaves. “One of them is in the room with us.”

  “Yes. Ainsley Sable. She spoke to me just now about berries.”

  “Stay away from them. All of them.” She pressed her face close to mine. “A Sable killed the ghost. My ghost.”

  I heard the fear in her voice. It matched my own growing fear of the situation. “Which Sable killed him?”

  “The most dangerous one, of course. But they’re all dangerous. Don’t forget that.”

  “Tell me who it is?”

  “Shhhh. If you know, you will be in danger, too. Here, take this. It will help protect you. I made it with your mulberries.” She pulled off her bracelet and pressed it into my hand.

  I looked down. It was an elastic bracelet strung with dried mulberries.

  Leticia closed my fingers over the bracelet. “It will keep you safe from the Sables. They’re very angry now because they want the book. That’s why the ghost was killed.”

  “I met your ghost.”

  “Yes. You left a message trying to warn me. But the ghost was helping me. He was my ally. And the shadow people silenced him.”

  “He was killed by a mulberry arrow. Was the arrow yours?”

  She nodded. “I had them made by the man who has a woodshop on Lyall Street.”

  “Gareth Holmes? The old guy who makes duck decoys?” After four years of refusing to enter any store in Oriole Point, Leticia had braved a visit to both Gemini Rising and Gareth’s woodworking shop. Next, I’d probably learn she stopped in for a chai at Coffee by Crystal.

  “I needed a mulberry bow and arrows. You see, I knew about the Chinese legend just as you did. I had to protect myself.”

  Good grief, had Leticia just confessed to me? After stuffing the mulberry bracelet in the pocket of my slacks, I took Leticia by the arm. I had to keep her here until Piper showed up. I also had to know if I had been tragically wrong about her. “Did you shoot Felix Bonaventure with the arrow?”

  She reeled back. “I would never kill my ghost.”

  The blender started up again. I pulled her around the edge of the audience until we reached the back of the stage where the demonstration took place. A curtain hid us from view.

  “Someone killed him with that arrow. An arrow you had made. The police will never believe you didn’t do it.” I didn’t believe it, and I had been trying to protect her.

  She shook free of my grip. “I lack the skill. When I learned the Sables were coming to Oriole Point, I practiced shooting targets on my property. And the property next door. But I rarely struck the target. Instead, I hit a beehive. Then I killed one of my cats.” Her hoarse voice grew ragged. “My companions. And I killed one of them! I didn’t mean to. I didn’t. The arrow went astray.” Leticia’s painted face crumpled as she burst into tears.

  “It’s all right.” I patted her on the back. “It was an accident.”

  She fell against me and wept. I put my arms around her.

  “I couldn’t bring myself to pick up a bow and arrow after that,” she said between sobs. “I just left them out in the field. How could I ever touch those arrows again?”

  “Wait.” I lifted Leticia’s tear streaked face so I could see her. “Your bow and arrows were left outside where anyone could pick them up?”

  “Yes. I couldn’t bear to look at them after Callista was killed. I didn’t even have the courage to pull the arrow from her body and bury her. I was too upset. And I felt guilty. She had kittens! I’ll never forgive myself.” Tears streaked her white and black makeup, making her visage more unsettling. “Who will take care of my cats if the shadow people kill me? Who?”

  “No one will kill you. As for the cats, I’ll look after them until you go back home.”

  She bit back another sob and hugged me. When she straightened, I readjusted her white ski cap, which had gone askew. My maternal urges had kicked into high gear this week. First, those cats. Now this broken woman.

  Glancing down, I saw that her white makeup had smeared my red sweater. It was not yet two o’clock, but I feared Piper had been right. I was going to be late for that berry talk. And I had second thoughts about alerting Piper. I didn’t know if Leticia had killed the nanny decades ago, however I wasn’t convinced she was responsible for the murder of Felix Bonaventure.

  But someone killed him. Despite their charm, a Sable seemed the likeliest candidate.

  “Why were you practicing with the bow and arrows in the first place?”

  Leticia dabbed at her eyes with her sleeve. “I told you. I needed to protect myself. Piper invited the Sables here. I knew they would find me. Like they found the ghost.”

  “Did you meet with Felix Bonaventure before he died?”

  “No. And he shouldn’t have come here. I think he helped lead the shadow people to my house. I sent him a text and told him to stay away. But he didn’t. He came while I was gone.”

  “Where did you go?”

  “To the beach. I woke before dawn, which is the best time to go to the lake.” Leticia raised her voice as more blending resumed on the other side of the curtain. “But not to Oriole Beach. I couldn’t go there with the shadow people so close. I went to Oval Beach in Saugatuck instead. When I returned home, I saw the car in my drive. I knew it meant the ghost was here.”

  “How did you know it was Bonaventure?”

  “While I was at the beach, he left a voicemail saying he had found out where I lived. And that he was going to come over and not leave until we spoke in person. Foolish man. He, more than anyone, should have understood the danger he was putting himself in.” She gave a shuddering sigh. “I knew something was wrong when I saw the turkeys near my beehives. Turkeys are curious. And bold. They found the body before I did.”

  “Why didn’t you call the police?”

  “I can’t trust the police. They locked me away. Besides, they would never believe me. Not with the shadow people telling their clever lies.” Her expression hardened. “They’re going to tell lies again. Lies about me. It will be all over TV.”

  “I doubt the Sables want to discuss the murder of the nanny. On TV or anywhere else.”

  “You’re wrong. The TV lady told my cousin. She said the story of the nanny will be famous again. People who don’t know about the murder will now hear the Sable lies.” She leaned closer. “That’s why I had to write the book. The world must hear the truth this time.”

  “Who’s the TV lady?”

  Leticia looked at me as if I was a dolt. “She’s on TV all the time. They call her an entertainment reporter. I can’t remember her name. It sounds watery.”

  I feared this line of questioning led nowhere, so I changed direction. “Are you the person vandalizing the Sable cars?”

  “Yes.” Her chin lifted in defiance. “I want them to go away. I don’t want their visit to be pleasant. And I don’t want them to come back.”

  “Is that why you’re here now?” I asked her. “Do you have something else planned?”

  A sly smile appeared on her painted face. “Mischief,” she said. “Only mischief.”

  I remembered what I had seen on her desk. “Just mischief? Or mischief and murder?”

  Her eyes widened. “How do you know about that?”

  “I went into your house on Monday. I saw the manuscript. The one you wrote with Felix Bonaventure.”

  She squeezed my shoulder, as if to reassure me. “The truth will be revealed in the manuscript and the shadow people vanquished. And this time the sailor man is helping me. He lied about me in the past. Said terrible things that put me in prison. All because a shadow person told him to. But he’s changed his mind. Now he wants to help.”


  “Do you mean the crew member on the yacht? James Smith?”

  She nodded. “He’s very ill. And he doesn’t want to die with such a sin on his conscience. My ghost and I talked to him. He agreed to tell the truth. It’s all in the manuscript.”

  “Where is the manuscript now?”

  “Safe with the mulberries,” she said solemnly. “Your mulberries. Your berries are powerful because you devoted your life to them. That is why you found those other murderers. The berries have given you some of their power.”

  Shouts erupted from the back of the vendor room.

  “Fire!” a man yelled. “Fire!”

  The shouts came from the Sable products display. As did the smoke that billowed above several stuffed scarecrows and a haystack.

  More screams and yells filled the air. Fear rippled through the room. “Oh no!” I cried. “Not a fire with all these people.”

  Leticia tapped me on the shoulder. “Leave now. The mischief is not meant for you.”

  I grabbed her hand. “Did you start a fire? Are you crazy?”

  She pulled away as more screams and shouts echoed around me. Everyone pushed toward the exit doors. I tried to grab Leticia, but too many people from the back of the room had now reached us. Shoved against the stage where the Magic Bullet demo had been going on, I watched helplessly as Leticia’s white ski cap disappeared in the frantic crowd.

  Before I got smashed against the stage, I pushed my way around the edge. Only now I was in the middle of a terrified mob. The smoke made my eyes water. It had thickened so fast, I could barely see ten feet in front of me. My heart pounded with fear as the overhead lights began to pulsate in conjunction with a robotic voice from the loudspeaker, “Please make your way to the nearest exit door.”

  This led to more screams, shouts, and frantic shoving. I struggled to stay on my feet. The lights continued to strobe, adding to the confusion. That chilling robotic voice repeated her instructions as the smoke grew thicker. Why hadn’t the water sprinklers turned on?

  “No pushing!” a woman yelled. It sounded like Piper. “Please walk quickly towards the exit doors! Don’t run!”

  But the crowd had become a single frightened organism, intent on escape. Coughing from the smoke, I fought my own rising panic. What had Leticia done? It was one thing to want to hurt the Sables for whatever she believed they had done to her. But to start a fire in a crowd was more than madness. It was murder.

  “Run!” someone screamed. “There’s a fire!”

  Men and women on all sides pressed toward the doors. In the chaos, I caught glimpses of normal adults interspersed with oddities like Frankenstein’s monster, Little Red Riding Hood, and Freddy Krueger. The strobing lights gave it a nightmarish aspect. Swept up in the mass exodus, there was a moment when I felt like I had been lifted off my feet and carried by the momentum. I prayed no one tripped and fell. They would be trampled for sure.

  The crowd moved so swiftly, I reached the exit sooner than I thought possible. Then it got worse as the space narrowed and a bottleneck formed. I remembered reading how most deaths in a panicked crowd occur because the sheer weight of people crushed against the chest and obstructed breathing. Put your arms up, I told myself, protect your chest.

  Smoke was everywhere. I could barely see the person in front of me. I certainly couldn’t see the exit.

  People pressed even harder against me. Even with my arms crossed in front of my chest, I found it hard to take a breath. This was a dangerous situation. More dangerous than the fire.

  An older woman beside me turned a pale face in my direction. “Help me. I can’t breathe,” she gasped. Then she slumped forward.

  I caught her before she fell to the ground.

  “Don’t push!” I shouted to anyone who would listen. Holding the unconscious woman in my arms while trying to stay upright was proving to be a losing battle.

  “Stop.” I struggled to breathe. “Stop pushing!”

  Spots danced before my eyes as the sounds grew fainter. I wouldn’t be able to hold the woman up much longer. But if I passed out, both of us might be crushed in this stampede.

  Heads bobbed on all sides. Some of them looked like witches and devils. Even a giant chipmunk. This felt like a dream. No, a nightmare.

  Although I saw everyone shouting around me, the screams now seemed farther away. My legs felt like jelly and my grip loosened on the woman who had collapsed in my arms. I tried to say something, but couldn’t form the words. And I needed to warn everyone about the mime and the shadow people before it was too late. Maybe it already was.

  Then I couldn’t hear the screams at all.

  Chapter Thirteen

  A gust of cool air blew against my body. I realized I was lying outside on the grass, but felt disoriented. Then I remembered the vendor room, my conversation with Leticia, the smoke and cries of fire, the mad rush for the exits.

  I opened my eyes and saw Wonder Woman. “Did I pass out? I hope not.”

  Wonder Woman smiled. “Let’s just say you took a brief nap. Thank God you weren’t trampled. How do you feel?”

  “Tess?” I struggled to sit up, and several people helped me. One was a concerned-looking Dean. The others wore chipmunk and clown costumes. “David? Max?”

  “You do lead an exciting life, Marlee.” Dean winked at me.

  The glass dome of the conference center loomed to my right beneath cloudy skies. I sat on the grass in a landscaped area near one of the walkways. People thronged all about us, some sobbing. Others lay on the ground. I heard coughing and crying. Everyone appeared upset. I didn’t blame them.

  “How are you feeling, marzipan?” Max put his arm around me once I sat upright.

  “Confused. How did I get outside?”

  “This chipmunk carried you out.” Tess looked up at David, who stood behind her. “He should be the one wearing a superhero costume, not me.”

  “I only did what any Disney character would do,” he said with a grin. David had removed his giant chipmunk head, but still wore his brown furry costume. “I saved the day.”

  “You certainly saved my day.” I reached up and grabbed his hand. “Thank you, David. You can look forward to a lifetime of free pastries from The Berry Basket. And my unending gratitude. I remember trying to help a woman who fainted against me. Is she okay?”

  “I was right behind you in that crush. Everyone went berserk once they saw the smoke, so I kept an eye on you. When that woman fainted in your arms, I knew you were in trouble. I tucked both of you under each arm and barreled toward the exit.” David crouched beside Tess, who gave him a kiss on the cheek.

  “Who knew chipmunks were this strong and heroic?” Tess looked at him with adoration. At that moment, I adored David, too.

  I patted his furry arm. “Thank you again, Chip. Or are you supposed to be Dale?”

  “Chip, of course.” He gave me a mock angry look.

  “Chip is the smart one,” Tess told me in a stage whisper. “Dale’s something of a dimwit.”

  “Are you sure that woman who collapsed against me is all right?”

  David nodded. “She’s fine. A little hysterical though. Luckily, paramedics were already here giving workshops. They’re checking everyone out.”

  “Two men were taken to the hospital with chest pains,” Max said. “Over a dozen people passed out.”

  “I heard someone broke their foot,” Dean added. “And the strobe lights set off by the alarm caused a couple seizures. I’m relieved I was at the far end of the annex with the Sables. We heard the alarms and the screaming, but none of the smoke reached us. Or the panic.”

  “It could have been much worse.” Tess smoothed back my hair. “A good thing the smoke was confined to the vendor room and the adjoining corridor.”

  “No fire?” I asked.

  David shrugged. “I didn’t see any sign of fire when I was in the vendor room. Then again, that smoke got thick really fast. To be honest, I don’t think there was an actual fire. Otherwise the
heat from the flames would have automatically turned on the sprinklers. We’ll know more once the fire department arrives.”

  Right on cue, sirens filled the air. The people milling about turned their attention to the trucks pulling into the parking lot.

  “I think I can stand up now,” I said.

  Before I could move, a woman in a slinky gold dress emerged from the crowd. She wore a diadem on her head, a snake around her waist, and a black wig even more impressive than the one on Tess. She also had on more eye makeup than a dozen Kardashians.

  The woman flung herself beside me, forcing Max to move. “Moy bednny Marlee,” she wailed in a Russian accent. “My poor Marlee! I am in bathroom when I hear screams and fire alarms. I come out to see people run like KGB chases them. A person dressed as popcorn ball tell me Marlee Jacob has been trampled in crowd! I am tak strashno. So afraid. What if my friend is squashed like she is a beet for borscht!” She proceeded to squeeze me as tight as she could.

  “They squash beets to make borscht?” Max muttered.

  Natasha heard him. “Da! Beet must be squashed for borscht. I am Russian. You are not. You know nothing of borscht. And do not talk of borscht when my Marlee is hurt.”

  I hugged her back. “I’m fine, Natasha. And I’m glad everyone else got out okay. But I do need to stand up.”

  My friends pulled me to my feet, each of them looking at me as if I might collapse.

  “It’s okay, guys.” I straightened my sweater. “I’ll tell you what isn’t okay. Leticia was in the vendor room right before the smoke appeared. I believe she’s responsible for all this.”

  “Are you sure?” Max asked.

  “Yes. I spoke to her. She said she came here to cause mischief.” I watched as the crowd made way for the firefighters. “And she certainly has.”

  Tess looked worried. “Maybe she has something else planned.”

  “Or she intended to start a fire,” Dean guessed, “but something went wrong. If so, she could make another attempt.”