“You don’t have to do that for me.” Charlotte gave her a half smile.
“I’ll have to do it anyway because my deputies need to be out on patrol.”
“No matter what the outcome, just doing something to work toward solving this makes me feel better. Thanks, Theresa.”
And I better watch what I say, since I’m on the top of her suspect list. Theresa doesn’t miss a trick.
On the way out, they ran into Samuel.
“I hear that you’re restoring Finn Lake, Samuel. That’s a big undertaking from what I see, but all of Little Acorn will be grateful. Let me know if you need me to grease any skids.”
“I appreciate that, Chief. I just might. Is this a social visit, or is there news on the murder?” Samuel asked while rinsing off his boots. He used the same hose that Beau had used to rinse the dye out of Chief Goodacre’s hair a couple of days ago.
“No news yet, but lots of questions. I’ve left some kits to collect DNA from everyone. You don’t have to provide a sample, but it would sure help me narrow down the list of suspects. You can bring along the labeled samples when I see you in the morning, Charlotte.”
“How’s the pump for the lake looking?” Charlotte asked Samuel as the chief drove away.
“It’s got to be replaced, along with a bunch of pipe.” Samuel finished cleaning his boots and walked into the sun to let them dry a bit. He sat down on a tree log and patted the spot next to him.
Charlotte remained standing. She was too shaken up for chitchat on a sunny afternoon.
Samuel squinted. He was clearly taken aback and a little embarrassed that his invitation had been declined.
Charlotte noticed a cement and stone outcropping from the side of the house, with wooden and iron-braced doors attached at about a forty-degree angle.
“Does that lead to the cellar?” she asked Samuel.
“Yes, but you’re better off going down there from the door inside the house. We keep this side locked at all times. You’d be amazed how enterprising the raccoons can be. We learned the hard way when they ransacked Alice’s apricot jams one summer.”
“Wow, something else to learn about life on a farm.”
* * *
The minute Charlotte entered the foyer, she knew that it was too hot to remain inside, even with the ceiling fans going. Horse seemed to understand and tugged on her sneaker lace, signaling her to follow his lead. He was headed to the paddock, and Charlotte followed along, just happy to have her mind occupied on something fun.
When Horse arrived at the paddock, Charlotte reached out to open the gate, but the little pig gave a squeal. He continued trotting around the far side of the rails until he reached an overturned metal bucket. Then he looked up at her and grinned.
“You are a happy little thing, aren’t you, Horse?” Charlotte bent down to scratch his ears. He dipped his head back and closed his eyes for a moment.
“Aw, you like that.” Charlotte giggled.
Just then he opened his eyes and dug one hoof into the dirt and flipped the bucket over, revealing a dug-out tunnel from the inside of the paddock out.
“You sneaky creature! So this is how you used to get out at night before I gave you unlimited access to the farmhouse.”
Horse made what sounded like a giggle. His long eyelashes glimmered in the sun, and his upturned nose seemed to be in constant detection mode. The light behind him made his pointed, upright ears look translucent, and coupled with the turned-up corners of his mouth, he reminded her of an impish, fluffy elf.
“So, what did you do during your late-night escapades, Horse? Can you show me?” That earned Charlotte another smile from the pig, and before they left, she replaced the bucket over the hole.
“This will be our secret,” she said to him.
Charlotte had to work to keep up with Horse; his excitement had sent his short legs into overtime. They raced all the way along a path until they reached the apple orchard at the end of the farm’s property line. When they got to the trees, he continued on, but at a much slower pace. To one side of the orchards was a clearing that was covered with grass, except where there was a small pond.
“Oh wow, what is this beautiful sanctuary?” Charlotte asked him.
Horse tugged her toward a wooden structure that was built low to the ground and was about the size of a small tool shed, only it wasn’t more than three feet high. Charlotte carefully knelt down to one side of the open area that must serve as the entrance.
“Who’s in here, Horse?”
Horse looked in and then tiptoed up the ramp and into the structure. Charlotte stood up prepared to run if whatever came out with Horse wasn’t human friendly. A moment later, the pig stuck just his head out of the opening and moved it side to side, looking for Charlotte.
“Up here, Horse. I couldn’t squat any longer.”
Great—now I’m lying to a pig.
Horse looked back in over his shoulder and then back at Charlotte. He slowly trotted down the ramp, his head held high with pride. Behind him, marching in single file, came baby birds with yellow heads and chests and tan backs. Their feathers resembled the soft fuzz on a mohair sweater and stuck out in all directions.
Once Horse reached the ground, he continued on to a lush portion of the grassy area. Charlotte counted eight goslings before the mother goose appeared out of the shelter. When they reached Horse, they got busy eating the grass.
“My oh my, how am I going to name you all?” Charlotte lay down on the lawn and placed some grass blades in her palm. At once, at least six of them raced over to her. “And mama, you must be so proud of your brood!” Charlotte turned her attention to the goose. “I hereby christen you Mumsy.”
Horse jumped with glee.
“And now, you eight.” Charlotte surveyed the scrambling little balls of fluff. “What comes with eight things or parts? A spider, but I can’t name you each leg. No, it needs to be something more special. Something drawn from your environment.” While Charlotte thought, Horse watched on expectantly.
“I’ve got it! If only I can remember them all. Let’s see, in V8 juice you have—Beets.” she pointed to one gosling. “Celery,” she continued, pointing as she named them, “Lettuce, Carrots, Parsley, Tomato, Spinach, and Watercress. I’m not even going to try and remember who’s who, so I hope you all were listening.”
Charlotte stood and took in a deep breath of the fresh air. She was definitely feeling better. The farm had a way of doing that to her.
“Shall we go and see what everyone else is up to, Horse?”
He squealed a farewell to the birds and started running up the hill. Charlotte was about to follow him when she noticed that one of her shoelaces was untied from Horse’s tugging at it. She sat down on a log to lace up her sneaker.
Ping. She heard the sound of a stone making contact with a horseshoe propped up against a tree.
Plop. This time a stone landed about six inches from her shoe. She looked around, trying to find the thrower. The geese had gone back into their hut, and when she looked up into the trees around her, all she saw were apples.
“Over here.”
Charlotte followed the sound of the male voice all the way to the barbed wire fencing that signaled the end of the Finn farm’s property and the beginning of another’s. She still wasn’t able to spot the culprit until suddenly a man walked into the clearing past the tree. He was carrying a shotgun in his inside elbow crease, and to Charlotte’s relief, the barrel was separated from the body of the weapon, which meant that it wasn’t loaded. When her gaze moved up to the man’s face, she recognized that it belonged to Wade Avery. Suddenly that shotgun didn’t seem so harmless in his hands.
“Hey there, Miss Charlotte. I see that you’ve almost got this farming business down pat, what with naming the baby geese and all. I’ll remember the name of the one that’ll be on my table at Thanksgiving.”
“You’re an animal,” Charlotte responded, quickly tying her shoe.
“I’ve been call
ed much worse. I’m just warning you that around here we don’t like trespassing, and I’ve been given strict orders by the man that owns this property to shoot first and ask questions later.”
Charlotte eyed a stepladder that was about the height of the fence, leaning against one of the posts on Wade’s side. Charlotte stood.
“That goes both ways, Wade. We know that you’ve been messing with our irrigation and using other ways to try and sabotage our crops.”
“I’m crushed that you think I would do anything like that to you. Here I was hoping that we’d become good friends.” Wade clutched his heart, feigning emotional hurt. “Oh, and those stones? I just wanted to show you what great aim I have.” He loaded two shells into the barrels of his shotgun and swung it shut.
“I suggest that your time would be better spent gathering alibis rather than rocks. New evidence in the murder just came to light, and Chief Goodacre sees a big, bright neon sign pointing to you as having means, motive, and opportunity.”
“Really? And I heard that you’re just as good as locked up for life soon as those DNA results come back.” Wade gave her an evil grin.
“The pendulum swings both ways, Wade. I bet that you’re already in the chief’s database, given what I’ve heard.” Charlotte didn’t wait to see what would happen next and swiftly walked off to find Horse. When she was sufficiently hidden from him by the orchard, she broke into a run.
* * *
Charlotte tracked down Horse in the field above the Wong’s house, where Alice was methodically releasing ladybugs into the field. When Charlotte reached them, she was out of breath from racing up the hill.
“You really should try and do your exercise in the early morning, Miss Charlotte; this afternoon sun is brutal. Want me to get you some iced tea?” Alice asked.
Charlotte shook her head, but it took another moment before she could speak. During that time, Alice opened a folding chair and set it under a makeshift tent that had been strung up between field posts, using a piece of muslin cloth. She set up a second chair for herself and motioned for Charlotte to join her.
Charlotte sat and recounted her episode with Wade.
“Too bad you didn’t catch him in the act of vandalizing our equipment. I’ll let Joe know about this and where you saw him. Maybe he can put up some kind of surveillance or trap for the next time he comes over the fence.
Horse stood right by Charlotte’s side with a concerned look on his face. She noticed that Mrs. Robinson wasn’t perched on his head. Charlotte looked over the rest of his body for her.
“Looking for Mrs. Robinson, the ladybug?” Alice asked smiling.
Charlotte nodded, surprised that Alice was using her name.
“She’s overseeing the newcomers. Come here and take a look—it is really quite a miracle of nature.”
Sure enough, as the newly released ladybugs where getting acclimated with their new home and aphid buffet on a leaf above them, Charlotte recognized Mrs. Robinson and her one distinctive yellow spot. She was perched on wooden stake, watching the ladybugs move out of the box and into the field.
Charlotte hoped that no one who loved nature as much as Alice could be a killer. “Well done, Mrs. Robinson. I hereby appoint you Assistant Farmer, Aphid Division.”
Charlotte could swear that she saw a smile on the ladybug’s face.
Chapter Ten
At precisely ten the next morning, Charlotte was waiting outside the Records building in Little Acorn for Chief Goodacre. She supposed that she could have waited inside, but this gave her a chance to observe the locals, both for friends and possible suspects.
“Good morning,” said a man in his early thirties, walking with twin boys that looked to be four or five. “We’re looking forward to your”—he paused for a moment and looked at a piece of paper he was holding—“bodacious barbecue.” He laughed. “The boys and I have never seen a dancing pig.”
She watched them walk by and head into the barber shop, but not without protests from his sons.
What has Beau promised on that flyer?
Charlotte looked around for a spot where he and Diane might have left some fliers. It didn’t take her long to spot a pile sitting atop the giant vinyl cone outside the Little Acorn Ice Cream Shoppe. She reached for one of the fuchsia-pink pages just as a woman in sweats did the same.
“My one morning to myself: first dance class and then a frozen yogurt,” she explained, eying the flyer. “This sounds fun. I’m Margie—count my family in!” Charlotte smiled, but by the time she’d extended her hand, Margie had already gone in to get her post-exercise treat.
Charlotte retreated to the Records building, almost afraid to open the flier. When she did, she gasped.
You Wouldn’t Want To Miss This Bodacious Barbecue Bonanza!!
We’re grillin’ up burgers, dogs, and veggies. There’ll be corn, chips, and all the fixin’s!
And don’t forget the watermelon juice! Lip-smackin’!
The Little Acorn Firehouse will be out giving all kinds of amazing, fiery demos.
And here’s a secret—but don’t tell!! You’ll also meet a dancing pig, goats doing ballet, and the Finn Family Farm All-Animal Choir.
Help us restore our lake for your swimming enjoyment and for safety during wildfires.
“Oh no.”
“What now?” Charlotte heard the chief ask. She hadn’t realized that she’d groaned aloud.
“Have you seen this?” Charlotte held up the flier.
“I sure have. Great piece of work—you’ll have the entire town attending. Good job.”
Chief Goodacre held the door for Charlotte, and they entered the Records Office.
“I just hope that Beau, with his zealous nature, didn’t over-promise.”
“Beau’s in charge of this? Then what are you worrying about? It will be fantastic, and I bet you’ll make plenty in donations to finish and reopen that lake. A lot of the people around here remember fondly your uncle’s parties, even if they were kids at the time.”
“Thanks, Chief, that’s nice to hear.”
“You may call me Theresa today.” She smiled at Charlotte and walked up to the front desk. “Morning, Eleanor. You have all the files I requested set up in the conference room?”
“Sure do, Chief, and there’s a thermos of fresh coffee waiting for you as well.”
Eleanor smiled at Charlotte.
“You’re a peach, which reminds me I owe you some of my peach cobbler. I’ll bring it by this afternoon.” Theresa led Charlotte down the hall and into the room, where three large boxes of files were sitting on the table.
“Wow, is all this about my family and the farm?”
“Don’t be intimidated by this. I asked for everything that I could think of, so I’m sure that there’s overkill here. Coffee?”
Charlotte shook her head and glanced at the tabs on some of the folders. So many had names on them that she didn’t recognize.
“Do you think that you would be able to draw your family tree, Charlotte? At least on your father’s side? We’d need to go back to your great-grandparents.” Theresa handed her a legal pad and paper. “Start at the bottom with yourself, and work back in the Finn Family tree.”
This was the easy part, as Charlotte was an only child, as was her father.
“I know that Tobias was my grandfather’s brother, so he was my great-uncle. I vaguely remember hearing that there was a third sibling, but for some reason nobody ever talked about it.”
“Okay, good—let’s see if we can track him or her down.” Theresa reached for one of the boxes and leafed through the folders. “The goal is to discover who all could have stood to inherit the farm. That’s step one, next we’ll need to try and find a connection to Marcus Cordero’s murder. If there is one. The motive could be something entirely different.”
Charlotte once again felt the weight of a huge target on her back. It was looking like this case would never be solved. Or worse yet, it would be pinned on her.
“Here, open this one and place the papers in order of oldest to youngest at this end of the table.” Theresa handed Charlotte the folder and then resumed digging through the box.
“Oh, and preliminary analysis from the coroner is that Marcus Cordero was killed by the pitchfork severing both his carotid artery and his jugular vein. Someone didn’t just want him out of the way but wanted to exact revenge.” Theresa went back to the boxes.
Charlotte shivered on hearing this. She looked at the files and saw that she’d been given the birth certificates for Annabel, Wade, and Clark, and this list was the birth order.
“So, Annabel’s the oldest. That explains a little why she thinks she’s better than her brothers. But what do they have to do with me? I’d never heard of or met them before coming here.”
“The Avery boys—actually, Wade—has been going around town saying that there’s a will that precedes your uncle Tobias’s will. If we can prove that they’re somehow related to the Finns and might have been eligible to inherit even a small portion of the farm, then you look a lot less like a killer, and they look a heck of a lot more guilty.”
“What would that have to do with poor Marcus?” Charlotte asked, rubbing her temples. She felt a headache coming on.
“If your theory is correct that Marcus is Tobias’s biological son, then he could possibly have had a claim to the farm as well. Like I said, that points the finger strongly at you, but as you’ve seen, there are very few secrets in Little Acorn. If the Avery boys lied and they in fact knew Marcus, then they could have wanted him out of the picture to lay claim to the farm.”
“That’s a lot of ‘ifs,’ and I don’t want to even entertain the idea of being related to Wade.” Charlotte couldn’t help her exasperation.
“Relax, Toots. If it’s true, it still wouldn’t mean that you have to spend the holidays together. If we’re lucky and the pieces fall into place, the brothers Avery will be celebrating Thanksgiving with pressed turkey eaten off a tin tray.”
Dead on the Vine Page 11
