“That is downright insulting. Rabbits don’t dress up as humans, so why do humans think they should dress up to look like us? Disgusting, it’s absolutely disgusting.”
Okay, so I had cranked Bun up like an overwound clock, and I would now pay the price for it. “We’d better get over to her. I think the police are about to descend upon us any minute. I think they’re coming through the woods.”
Bun’s ears perked upright. Then he sniffed and flicked his whiskers a bit. “Indeed, Sheriff Carver is complaining about the briar patch he’d stumbled into.”
Bun, amused by the sheriff’s misfortune, since the sheriff wasn’t a favorite of his, started to hop closer to Della.
“I’m going to snap a couple of pictures with my phone. Keep an eye out for the sheriff.”
“Sure will, but get going. We have to pick up your eggs, or they’ll become part of the crime scene.”
Darn, he was right. I went to Della, took pictures, then I scrambled about for the eggs and flung them into my basket. I looked for the basket that had held the eggs that surrounded Della. With no sign of a basket, other than mine, there was a lack of scuffle or drag marks to indicate what had happened to the woman. Our eggs gathered, Bun and I made for the knoll and stood at the top when police officers, the sheriff, and a rescue crew burst from the woods.
Sheriff Carver demanded, “How did you end up here, of all places?”
“Bun and I needed a rest from hiding eggs and came here. That’s when we found the body.”
“It’s far from the trail, but then you do know this place well. You and the rabbit come here often, don’t you?”
“Every chance we get. Della Meeny is over there.” I turned and pointed to her body and waited until the scene hit home for Carver and the rest.
They gawked, almost as long as I had. With odd facial expressions, they waited for direction from the sheriff. Bun sat at my feet and said, “You should tell him about the human disguised as a rabbit.”
I stared down at him, but he ignored me. I knew Bun wasn’t sure of what I saw, but then, I wasn’t either. We stepped aside as the entire crew of cops and rescuers went down the slope into the clearing. They waited until Sheriff Carver finished his cursory examination of Della’s body without actually touching her.
Over his shoulder, Carver yelled, “What do you think the eggs signify?”
I approached him as he stepped away to let the rescue team do their job. When we met, I explained the scoop and stash station and what the nice eggs stood for. They would be found, turned in, and donated to the elderly in the nursing home and children at the hospital. I had no idea what the ugly eggs meant unless it referred to Della herself.
“They would give these ugly eggs to kids and needy people?” Carver asked.
I dipped my hand into my basket and held up one of the beautifully painted eggs for Jack to see. “No, these will be donated, not those. I don’t know where the ugly ones came from.”
Jack stared at the egg I held out, and then murmured, “I wonder why someone would do this to her? Any ideas?”
“To say Della was a warm and fuzzy person would be the greatest overstatement of all time. She was a harridan, a mean woman, without a positive bone in her body, and rude to everyone she came across. I don’t know what those eggs represent, but my guess would be somebody had a serious enough grudge to kill her and use them for purposes that only she and the culprit would understand.”
One of the rescuers motioned Jack over to where he stood. Before he walked away, Jack said I could leave and that if he had further questions, he’d be in touch. I nodded, grabbed Bun, and helped him into the sling. We left as quickly as possible.
“You didn’t tell him about the human in disguise.”
“Nope, and I hope I don’t have to. Now hang on, I’m going to make quick work of getting through these woods and onto the path. We still have eggs to hide.”
While Bun complained of being jostled by my increased pace, we made tracks to get back to work.
Chapter 4
Once we hit the trail again, I let Bun loose. “Stay with me. Do not wander off. I mean it, Bun.”
“No need to speak so sternly. I already planned to stick around.”
“Then find the next hiding spot so I can get these eggs off my hands.”
We worked in silence for a while. The basket nearly empty, I kept on going. My mind, in marathon mode, held thoughts that crowded my brain until I stopped short and drew a deep breath. I plucked the last egg from my basket and dropped it where Bun tapped his foot.
“Thanks, Bun. Let’s return to the station now.”
“Great, I’m hungry and tired. I’ve had way too much excitement for one day. Do you think we should investigate the murder?”
“I’d rather not. Petra will soon give birth, and the farm is busy right now, as is the shop. Why do you want to get involved in Della’s demise?”
“That rabbit disguised person has caught my attention. I know you probably think I’m silly to feel insulted by it, and maybe I am, but no one should be murdered and then left in such a way. There’s also an underlying reason for those ugly eggs. Consider the meaning, and I will, too. Then we’ll compare thoughts, okay?”
As much as I wanted to refrain from involvement, Bun and I were on the same wavelength. Giving thought to the ugly eggs, I wondered the same thing, and the rabbit costume also had significance. What that was would be anybody’s guess. Asking around a bit wouldn’t hurt, as long as we didn’t interfere with Jack’s investigation. It became tiresome when he ranted on and on about leaving police work to those trained for it.
We backtracked to the scoop and stash station and found chaos. All the workers talked at once, and no one understood another. I waited off to the side to understand what the problem was. One member of the group had sidled up to us and stood next to me. The tag on his shirt had number four printed on it and the name Denton Clarke.
Denton’s blue eyes held a twinkle that matched his diamond earring. His brown hair cropped short and the bridge of his nose a tad sunburned, he smiled when I glanced at him. He sidled closer and murmured, “The help is about to revolt.”
“Why?”
“Our trusty leader has mysteriously disappeared, and no one is smart enough to get the rest of the eggs from that back table to finish the job.”
“Then, let’s lead the way.”
“I thought the same thing.” Denton waved his hand and beckoned a few others to join us. They gave him a thumbs-up and we met at the far end of the tent.
I set my empty bucket aside and took one from those ready to go. I started walking away with Denton and his friends right behind. The remaining group had quieted and stared in surprise when we walked by.
A woman with a shock of rich auburn hair asked, “Where are you going with those eggs?”
Denton hesitated as I turned and said, “To finish the job, of course. We aren’t children who need direction. We’re adults who know what we’re supposed to do.”
The woman looked at the ground for a second or two and then said to the others, “She’s right. Just because Della is absent doesn’t mean we shouldn’t complete what we’ve started. Come on. Let’s get to work.”
I glanced over my shoulder as the stragglers took one or two of the remaining buckets of eggs and hurried to follow us. Once we entered Tucker Trail, each worker set off toward their appointed section.
“You were great and didn’t let on that Della was dead. These folks might run into a cop or two on their routes, though. I’m surprised they haven’t already.”
Alone, we could easily converse. I looked over my shoulder to make certain we didn’t have company, and said, “I wondered why the volunteers were so upset when we got there, but couldn’t think of a way to ask without seeming as though I knew something they didn’t.”
“One of them knew something, a guy at the outer edge of the group. He seemed to study those involved in the uproar. He might be the one who caused it.”<
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“You’re so astute and have admirable attention to detail, Bun. Did you happen to catch what had them in such a tizzy?”
“I couldn’t grasp too much because they were all yammering at the same time, but it became clear that Della’s absence was the cause of confusion. One of them might have had a reason to get rid of her, you know.”
“True. Let’s hide these eggs and then see if Sheriff Carver is still on the grounds. I want a word with him.”
“He isn’t going to listen to you. I can feel it in my lucky foot.”
“Maybe he won’t, but he will want to speak to those in our group, as well as to the other groups involved in the hop. The more he knows, the easier his job becomes.”
Bun left the sling and took to the lower part of the slope where he discovered easy-to-find spots for me to tuck eggs. I encouraged him on and, within an hour, we were on our way back to the tent. He hopped alongside me and laid out the how and why of our solving the mystery. I rolled my eyes a few times and was glad he didn’t see me do so.
“You’ve got this all planned out.”
“You and I are a great team, especially when it comes to finding answers the police can’t. Our contacts are growing, and there’s no good reason why we shouldn’t tap into them to solve this mystery. I know you’re itching to find out who killed Della. Even a miserable sort deserves justice.”
No doubt Bun could reason with the best of them. If he was a human, I swear he’d have taken debate teams by storm. He was right: Della’s killer should be caught, but I wasn’t sure it ought to be us who did the job.
One or two members of our group were in the tent. Sandwiches and beverages had magically been set out for us with enough to go around. Pleased to think the council had shown their appreciation by feeding us, I found that I was hungry. After I’d tended to Bun’s lunch, I dug into the selection of food and beverages with fervor. I smiled at Bun as he feasted and then indulged in a second sandwich.
Ice cold tea with fresh slices of lemon satisfied my thirst, and I suddenly realized how warm the day had become. Denton strode into the tent, settled across from me, and then asked, “Does your rabbit go everywhere with you?”
“Almost. Why?”
“He’s very sociable. I’m surprised by it.”
“Rabbits are social animals; they like to be spoken to and are energetic. I own Fur Bridge Farm and have about fifteen or so rabbits now. There were more, but they have new homes.”
He remarked, “No offense, but I would never have taken you for a farmer.”
“None taken. What do you do for a living?”
“I work at Windermere College. I’m a marketing professor.”
I summed him up and then said, “No offense, but I’d never have taken you for a scholar, let alone a marketing professor.”
Denton leaned back in his chair and grinned. “Touché.”
“How did you come to be involved with the hop?”
“I was asked to handle the marketing. It’s a terrific family-related event. Once I got going on the marketing end of things, I found I wanted to know more and do more. How about you?”
I explained that since I had rabbits and the hop was centered around Easter and the egg hunt, that when I was asked to give a hand, I couldn’t refuse. I finished by saying, “It’s good marketing on my part and a community service, too.”
I rose as Bun sat back on his haunches and then crouched as rabbits do. “I’ve got to get back to the farm. Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow when things gear up and children take to the trail in search of eggs.”
“Sure, I look forward to it. I’m leaving now, too; I’ll walk you out.”
My curiosity took over as I agreed to his offer. I bundled Bun’s dishes into the carryall, let him climb into the sling, and set off. I’d only gone a few steps when I heard Sheriff Carver call my name. I turned and saw him stride from the trail onto the park grounds.
He raised a hand and beckoned me to join him. I looked at Denton, who found this of interest.
“Are you in trouble with the sheriff?”
“Why do you ask?”
“I saw the cops inspecting the trail earlier and wondered what had happened. Do you know?”
I leaned toward him and whispered, “Della was murdered.” When I stepped back, I noticed his face had filled with a shocked expression.
“You sure do know how to break bad news, Jules.” Bun’s voice dripped with sarcasm.
“Sorry, I have to go.” I walked away with the carryall over one shoulder and Bun in the sling hanging off the other.
Carver and I met up halfway between the tent and the trail. He glanced past me and asked, “Is he a member of the stash team?”
I followed his look and returned Denton’s wave before he walked away. “He is and he’s also the council’s marketing guru. To top that off, he’s a marketing professor at the college.”
Jack’s brows hiked up a notch. “I see you’ve found out who is who and all that. I’m not foolish enough to tell you not to interfere with my investigation. I’ll only say you should watch yourself. One of the stash crew might be the killer.”
“Why jump to that conclusion?”
“One of them approached me on the trail earlier, stating he’d heard an argument between Della Meeny and someone else before you all got started. Do you know about that?”
“Now that you mention it, Bun and I were in the eggcellent tent admiring the eggs when I heard two people arguing. I couldn’t make out what was said, but their tones of voice were enough to know it was a disagreement.”
“Not telling him all of it, huh? It’s always good to hold some information back.”
“Is that it? You don’t have any idea at all what it was about?”
With a shake of my head, I added, “When Della came toward the stash tent, she appeared angry. While she was a mean sort, she never let on that she had argued with someone. Her instructions were short and to the point. She also made unnecessary rude remarks to the workers before we left.”
“Like what?”
“She could put someone down in a heartbeat. She never encouraged the workers, and all but said we were a lazy bunch. She gave orders like a she was in the military, demanding we get busy.”
“I’ve heard she didn’t have a great personality. If you can get closer to the group to find out about them, I’d appreciate it. I have a list of those who worked at this station today and will interview as many as possible before they leave. You’ll be involved in the events tomorrow?”
“Yes, we’re all scheduled to participate.”
“Are you gonna tell him about the human rabbit?”
“I’ll see you then, Juliette. Don’t take chances. There’s a killer on the loose and once he, or she, has committed murder, it becomes easier to kill again.”
“Gee, that makes me feel so warm and fuzzy, Jack. Don’t you think I know that by now?” Without waiting for a response, I strode off.
I murmured to Bun, “I had no intention of telling him about the rabbit.”
“I doubt he’d have taken you seriously, anyway. Save that tidbit for later when he’s overrun with possible suspects. It will narrow his list.”
On the drive home, Bun dozed until we reached the countryside. I took a right and passed under the overhead sign, then parked in front of the barn as Jessica came out to greet us.
“How did it go? Are the eggs all set for tomorrow?”
“Sure are. The kiddies should have a great time.”
“Anything else happen? You seem. . . uh, like something might be wrong.”
I weighed how much to tell her when Bun piped up with, “You might as well tell her the whole thing. She’ll hear it on the news, anyway.”
We got out of the car. I leaned against the fender. “Bun and I found Della Meeny’s body.”
With a quick intake of breath, Jessica said, “You have the worst luck of anyone I know. Honestly, you do. I can’t imagine coming across a dead person once, let alone
as many times as you have. What happened?”
“Let’s go inside. I could use a cup of tea and a change of clothes. My feet are killing me from all the walking we did.”
“Okay, while you change, I’ll make the tea. Get going.”
We went our separate ways. I showered quickly and then dressed in sweatpants and a jersey. When I arrived in the kitchen, Jess had set out cookies and a pot of tea to share. Bun had gone to his room to rest. I peeked in on him and saw him sprawled across his pillow.
“Tell me,” Jess ordered as she poured tea into our mugs.
I gave her a rundown of what the day had been like until discovering Della, but omitted Bun had found her first.
“She was dead when you arrived in the clearing?”
“Very dead. It was a weird scene, too.” I went on to explain the eggs, the flowers on her chest, and ended with the human rabbit.
Astonished, Jess gasped. “How crazy is that?”
“Exactly what I thought. I have no idea what the eggs around Della mean, nor the flowers, but there has to be a reason in the mind of the killer.” I took out my phone and showed the pictures to Jess, who shuddered when she saw them.
“Does the sheriff know you have these?”
“No, he doesn’t. I want it to stay that way, too.”
She sat back in her chair and gave me a long look. “Don’t even tell me that you plan to investigate this murder.”
“Kinda.”
Her hand slapped the table hard enough to make the teapot lid rattle.
“Haven’t you taken enough risks to last you a lifetime, Jules? Geesh, I can’t believe you would get involved in yet another mystery.”
Startled by her reaction to the idea of my nosing about, I said, “I’ll be helping the sheriff.”
“Did he ask for your assistance?”
“Not in so many words. Jack mentioned I should let him know if I find anything amiss with any of the workers that I’ve become acquainted with.”
Slumped in her chair, Jessica sighed. “As long as he’s aware that you will be poking your nose where it doesn’t belong. I guess the rest of us will do what we can to help you.” She leaned forward and propped her elbows on the table, holding her tea mug in both hands. “Have you ever thought you might be better off as an investigator than trying to balance snooping and rabbit farming?”
Hop 'Til You Drop Page 4
