Bully in the Burbs (Garden Girls Christian Cozy Mystery Book 8)

by Hope Callaghan

  She closed her eyes and breathed in his cologne. Gloria loved the musky, masculine scent. For a moment, all was right in her world. Gone were thoughts of puppy mills and haunted houses.

  Paul wrapped his arms around his bride-to-be and drew her close. “I’ve been waiting for this all day!”

  Gloria laid her cheek on his chest and soaked it in, the flowers still clutched in her grip.

  Finally, Paul backed up. “You are more beautiful each time I see you,” he said.

  Gloria blushed. “I bet you say that to all the girls,” she shot back.

  Paul bent down for a second kiss. “Only my girl,” he promised.

  Moments later, Gloria reluctantly stepped away as she headed to the cupboard. She reached inside and pulled out a large, glass vase. She filled the vase with water and set the flowers inside.

  With a little arranging, the blooms filled the vase and spilled over the sides. “You’re spoiling me,” she said as she set the vase in the center of the kitchen table.

  Paul pulled out a chair and sat down. “This is just the beginning,” he assured her.

  Paul was Gloria’s perfect mate. He was her anchor. He had the patience of a saint…never annoyed with her when she got herself into a pickle, which she’d done on more than one occasion.

  On top of all that, he was easygoing, which she chalked up to working as a police officer for decades. One would have to have a lot of patience for that line of work.

  Gloria worried about him, though. He still patrolled the streets some nights. At least there wasn’t a ton of serious crimes in Montbay County.

  The last murder investigation had been the one that involved Andrea’s place and the body they had stumbled upon had been decades old.

  No, the crimes in the area were more along the lines of missing persons, drug activity… Now that Gloria thought about it, she had been involved in several of those as well!

  Still, she would be relieved when he retired, which would bring on a completely new set of worries. If he retired, would they get on each other’s nerves? They would be newlyweds and with Gloria’s windfall, maybe they could do a little traveling, find a new hobby that didn’t involve dead bodies…

  “Earth to Gloria,” Paul said.

  Gloria snapped to attention. “I’m sorry. I guess my mind had wandered.”

  “Let me guess. Your new investigation,” he said.

  “Kind of.” She didn’t want to admit she was nervous about married life. Instead, she told him the status of Jill’s house.

  He frowned. “You think there’s a chance that they might have to move in with you?” Gloria was good at juggling a lot of different things at once, but all of this might be too much, especially with the wedding. The last thing he needed was for her to become overwhelmed and get cold feet!

  “If that happens, some of them can come stay at my place,” he offered.

  Gloria smiled at the generous offer. She didn’t want to impose but it was a thought, especially if it got as crowded as she envisioned. “Thank you, but hopefully it doesn’t come to that.”

  Paul didn’t dare mention that his son, Jeff, and daughter-in-law, Tina, were having trouble paying their rent and had hinted at moving back in with him.

  He glanced at the clock. “Ready to hit the road?” He stood, lifted his arms over his head and stretched his back. It had been a long week and this was the first chance he’d had to relax.

  The restaurant, Pasta Amore, was in the nearby town of Lakeville. Gloria had eaten there a couple times. One time was with Paul and another time with the Garden Girls when they were investigating the deadly poisoning at Dot’s Restaurant.

  She couldn’t remember much about the place, other than the food was delicious, but not as good as the food that Dot served.

  During the drive, Gloria told him about the wedding plans and the menu that Andrea and she had discussed. He told her he would leave all of that up to her. All he needed to know was what time he had to be there.

  Gloria was a “take charge” person and the fact that he left those details up to her suited her just fine.

  Paul parked his truck in an empty space in front of the restaurant and climbed out of the driver’s seat. Gloria knew date night meant she had to wait until he came around the other side and opened her door.

  She put her hand in his and slid out of the truck. The last special date night had been when he had taken her on the dinner cruise over at Lake Harmony. If they had planned a summer wedding, Lake Harmony would have been the perfect spot to marry!

  Paul held the door and Gloria stepped inside the dimly lit restaurant. It looked different from the last time she had been there. The setting was more intimate. Red-checkered tablecloths covered the tables. A small, flickering candle sat in the center of each of the tables.

  The hostess stepped forward. “Table for two?”

  Paul nodded. “Give us the most romantic one you’ve got.”

  “Of course.” She led them to a corner table.

  After they sat down, Paul ordered two glasses of wine. Gloria sipped the wine when it arrived but didn’t lift the menu. He glanced up. “You know what you’re going to have?”

  She shook her head. “You decide for me.” This evening was all about relaxing. She didn’t even want to have to decide what to eat.

  “Okay,” he warned, “but don’t blame me if you don’t like it.”

  When the waiter returned, Paul ordered two of the dinner specials: tossed salad and baked lasagna with a side of garlic bread.

  “Perfect,” she assured him.

  The conversation turned to the children, to the investigation, to the puppy mill and last, but not least, Dot’s cancer.

  Paul lifted his glass and sipped his wine. He eyed her over the rim of the glass. “You’re worried.”

  Gloria sighed. “Very much.” She couldn’t imagine anything happening to her dear friend – to any of her friends. It seemed the worry had been sitting in the back of her mind, always there.

  She knew that Pastor Nate had already talked to Dot and Ray and that he had added them to many prayer chains in the community and in the Town of Belhaven itself.

  The meal arrived and it was delicious. The serving was twice what Gloria was accustomed to eating so they boxed the leftovers and headed to the truck.

  Paul closed the door after Gloria slid into the passenger seat, walked around the truck and climbed into the driver’s side. The air had a definite chill and Gloria pulled her jacket tighter as Paul turned the heat on “high.”

  “I’m thinking about buying a truck,” she blurted out.

  Paul shot her a sideways glance. That was the first time she had mentioned buying a truck. “You’re going to get rid of Annabelle?”

  She shook her head. Gloria would never part with Annabelle. She had already decided that if – and when - Annabelle finally stopped running, she would store her in the barn. No, Annabelle would be around as long as Gloria still had breath in her lungs. “I’ll never get rid of Annabelle but I was thinking that maybe I could get a truck to drive around in the winter. Something that’s dependable.”

  Paul nodded. It was a good idea. “Okay. Let me know when you want to start looking and I’ll go with you,” he promised.

  Paul pulled the truck into the drive and made his way to the passenger side. He glanced across the street as he opened the passenger door.

  “Is someone moving in over there?” A light was on. The same light Gloria had noticed the night before.

  Gloria grabbed his hand and slid out of the truck. “Something is going on. I’ve seen several cars over there but no moving truck.” Of course, Gloria was gone a lot. Someone could have moved in and she just hadn’t noticed.

  Paul unlocked the kitchen door and opened it wide to let Mally out. She greeted them both and then raced across the yard to start her patrol.

  Inside the house, Gloria stepped over to the kitchen counter. “Coffee?”

  Paul shook his head. “I have to work in
the morning.”

  Gloria’s heart sank. What he meant was he had to work in a few hours. Morning to Paul was a shift that started at 4:00 a.m. “So you can’t stay?”

  “I’m afraid not.” He reached over and pulled her close. “But don’t worry. Soon enough you’ll be stuck with me all the time and will be itching to get rid of me.”

  Gloria wrapped her arms around his neck. “I don’t think so.”

  Paul leaned down and kissed her lips. It was a slow, tender, there’s-so-much-more-to-come kiss that left Gloria breathless.

  When he released his grip, she lifted a hand to her throat. “My goodness.”

  “There’s more where that came from,” he teased.

  For once, Gloria was at a loss for words. She fiddled with the edge of her blouse as she followed him out onto the porch.

  He gave her one final quick kiss and a warm hug before he turned and reluctantly made his way to the truck. It was getting harder and harder for Gloria to watch him go. Maybe because she knew soon, she wouldn’t have to.

  She waited until his taillights disappeared into the night before Mally and she headed back indoors.

  Chapter 15

  The drive to the Acosta’s home in the country was about half an hour from Belhaven. Andrea had never technically worked on one of Gloria’s investigations by herself. This one was important and Andrea was nervous that she might mess it up!

  Alice could see Andrea was anxious. “We must make it sound good for Miss Gloria,” Alice said.

  Andrea tapped the steering wheel. “I know. The only problem is that I don’t need another dog.” Brutus was a handful. He was a good dog and Andrea loved him dearly but two dogs in the house, even a house as large as hers, was out of the question.

  Alice adjusted her seatbelt. “No worries. We will figure it out.”

  Andrea pulled her shiny new pick-up truck into the drive and shut the engine off. She grabbed the door handle and turned to the woman who was like a second mother. She hoped they weren’t walking into real danger. She would feel terrible if something went awry. “Ready for this?”

  Alice nodded firmly. “Yes.”

  The women exited the pick-up truck and made their way across the weed-infested yard. Off in the distance, they could hear what sounded like a thousand barking dogs.

  They made it as far as the edge of the yard when the side door opened and a tall man with a long black beard and piercing gray eyes met them at the top of the steps. “Can I help you?” The tone of his voice wasn’t mean, but it was firm.

  “I-I…” Andrea trailed off.

  Alice stepped closer. “Yes, our friend told us she was here the other day and bought a puppy. We were wondering if you have any others for sale.”

  The man stepped off the porch. He narrowed his eyes and glanced at Andrea first. Then he turned to Alice. “You speak Spanish?” He had noticed her accent.

  “Si,” she replied.

  The man smiled wide and began speaking in Spanish, talking 90 miles an hour. Andrea caught a word here or there. Words she had picked up over the years from Alice, but the conversation was flowing so fast that she couldn’t keep up.

  The man had relaxed his stance as he shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels.

  Andrea peeked at Alice out of the corner of her eye. Alice was enjoying the exchange. No one in the Town of Belhaven knew how to speak Spanish, as least as far as she knew.

  Andrea caught the word “perro” a few times and knew that meant dog. Moments later, the man motioned them to follow him.

  As they made their way along the side of the building and toward the back, the barks grew louder. Andrea wondered how many dogs were inside the place!

  A combination lock secured the entrance door. The man twisted the dial back and forth and finally pulled down on the bottom. He unhooked the lock and pushed the door open.

  Andrea took a deep breath and followed him inside. The first thing that struck her was the smell. A strong urine odor caught in her throat and she started to gag. She quickly clamped her hand over her mouth.

  The man appeared not to notice.

  Alice had a stronger stomach and the smell did not even faze her. She continued talking to the man in Spanish as they made their way down the long row of cages to the rear of the building.

  The farther they walked, the darker the shed became…and the stronger the stench. There was zero air circulation in the back.

  Andrea’s heart sank at the sight of all of the poor creatures caged inside the building. Some of them pressed against the small cages, desperate for even an ounce of attention.

  Others cowered in the back or curled up in a ball, barely moving at the sight of the three visitors.

  Tears stung the back of Andrea’s eyes. She closed them, willing the scene before her to disappear, but she knew in her heart what she was seeing would be with her for a very long time. No wonder Gloria had been distraught. This place was not fit for any living creature!

  The man seemed proud of his animals as he wandered from cage-to-cage, pointing at various dogs and describing them in Spanish to Alice. She nodded several times. “Si.”

  When they finished their tour, the man stopped near the shed door. He pointed behind him.

  “Usted quiere comprar un perro?”

  Alice tilted her head toward Andrea. “He wants to know if we want to buy a dog.”

  “There are so many to choose from,” Andrea said. “Can I talk it over with Alice and come back later?”

  The man nodded. He said something else in Spanish and motioned them out of the building. He pulled the door closed and slid the lock through the slot. He snapped it shut and tugged on the bottom, making sure it was secure.

  He held up a finger and headed back inside the house. “He’s going to give us his telephone number,” Alice explained.

  He returned a moment later and handed a small slip of paper to Alice. After a few more exchanges, the women turned to go.

  Safely inside the truck, and back on the road, Andrea spoke. “You have to tell me everything he said.”

  On the ride back to the house, Alice repeated the entire conversation.

  ***

  The ringing of Gloria’s phone awoke her the next morning. She leaned over and glanced at the clock beside her bed. It was already 8:30!

  She flung back the covers, slipped her feet into her slippers and shuffled to the kitchen. By the time she got there, the phone had stopped ringing. It was Andrea and she could hear her voice as she left a message on the answering machine.

  “Hi Gloria. I meant to call you last night. Alice and I went to the Acosta’s farm yesterday and I wanted to report back.”

  Gloria grabbed her coffee tin from the back of the counter. She scooped a heaping spoonful into the top of the coffee maker, filled the carafe with water and dumped it into the back. She slid the carafe under the drip and turned it on.

  While the coffee brewed, she picked up her house phone and dialed Andrea’s cell phone.

  “I hope I didn’t wake you,” Andrea fretted.

  “It was time for me to get up,” Gloria assured her.

  She relayed the story of the visit to the puppy mill and that the owner spoke Spanish. “He took a liking to Alice and I think she enjoyed speaking to someone in her native tongue.”

  “The place was so sad, though,” Andrea continued. “When I close my eyes, I can still see those poor animals in the cages. It makes me want to bawl every time I think about it.”

  She went on. “Alice seems to think that he doesn’t see anything wrong with the living conditions of those dogs. He is proud of his business. He believes that he is helping those poor animals, not hurting them.”

  How anyone could believe that the conditions of that puppy mill were acceptable was beyond Gloria’s comprehension.

  “She seems to think with a little guidance, that place could be turned into a thriving dog business…one that was good for the animals, not harmful.”

 
; Gloria could hear a second voice in the background.

  “Hang on.” Andrea covered the mouthpiece with her hand.

  Moments later, she was back. “If you think about it, Alice does have a point. I mean, that huge old farm is a great place for dogs. Wouldn’t it be something if they were able to turn it into some sort of training center, one that trained Seeing Eye dogs and companion dogs?”

  Alice had taken the phone from Andrea. “Yes, Miss Gloria. The Acostas, they care for the animals but they have little money. I think with some guidance, they could turn that puppy mill into something good. Good for the dogs and the owners.”

  Gloria frowned. She had tossed around the idea of using some of her money for a worthy cause…something to help others. Perhaps the Lord was showing pointing her in the right direction.

  Andrea had said several times that Alice rambled around the house and that she didn’t have enough to keep her busy. What if, with a little of Gloria’s money and Alice’s help, they turned the Acosta’s puppy mill into something completely different?

  “I have an idea, Alice. Can you put the phone on speaker so that Andrea can hear?”

  The girls spent several minutes brainstorming how Alice could approach the Acostas about turning the puppy mill into a thriving business – one that would help others AND the dogs. The more they talked, the more excited Gloria became.

  She could invest some cash and Alice could invest her time. Before they hung up, Alice promised to do some on-line research on how to start a dog training service.

  “I start now,” Alice declared.

  Andrea was back. “Hey…” There was a long pause.

  “Oh my gosh! I’ve never seen Alice so excited,” Andrea whispered into the phone. “She’s already in the office starting her research.”

  Gloria was excited, too. Alice would not only help those poor animals, she would have purpose again AND help the disabled to boot! The whole project could be a win-win for everyone!

  After she hung up the phone, she let Mally back in from her morning run.