by Vikki Walton
“I don’t know. And I hate conjecture.” Hope righted a chair. “But here’s the thing. Until we’re in a situation where someone we love is in pain or we’re in pain, we have no right to judge.”
“I’m not judging. Just surprised, that’s all.”
Hope tilted her head and stared at Anne.
“Okay, maybe a little.” Anne shrugged. “But I don ‘t mean to judge. Like I said, just surprising.”
“I bet if we knew more of the people’s lives that they live behind closed doors, we’d really be surprised.” Hope laughed.
“Yeah, well, I’d rather not know. Thank you very much.” Anne helped Hope right the small tiled table. A piece had broken away and she laid it on a cabinet shelf. “I wonder if Stewart can fix this?”
“Probably. I’ll ask him when I go by the Inn today.” She found a broom. “Ready?”
Anne took the broom from Hope and started sweeping the flagstone floor while Hope cut back broken limbs and pulled plants that had been uprooted and were a lost cause. They found a few marijuana plants with buds, so Hope took them into the potting area and laid them on the shelf.
They’d been working for a while when they heard voices. Kandi and her brothers had arrived.
Karl carried a basket that probably contained their lunch, while Kevin toted two large jugs of lemonade and tea. Kandi carried a couple of blankets.
“We’re here! Ready for a break?”
Anne pulled off her gloves. “Yes. And I’m ready for some of that wonderful lemonade. Greenhouses are nice, but it’s a bit like a sauna in there right now.”
Karl and Kevin had gone inside to have a look around. They returned as Kandi and Anne were spreading out the blanket on the ground.
“The guy who lives here is seriously hip, man.”
Anne glanced over at Hope. They must have found the marijuana plants.
“Actually, his wife is seriously ill, man,” Anne replied. “Cancer. Stage Four. Lung.”
“Oh, that’s lame.” Kevin responded.
“I guess that’s one way of putting it.”
Anne wondered what Kandi had put together for their meal. She pulled out lots of little containers, each with various items such as diced vegetables, seeds, and sliced avocado. A big bowl contained a variety of lettuces and another bowl contained a grain with beans.
“Yum. This is really good. What is it?”
“It’s quinoa with pinto beans. I also brought some salsa if you, like, want a bit of spice.” Kandi handed the container to Anne.
“Keen-wa, huh? Is that with a wa or wah?” Anne took another mouthful.
“It’s actually spelled q-u-i-n-o-a, but it’s pronounced keen-wa.” Kevin added more to his plate.
“You have to love our language. Nothing makes sense.” Anne crossed her legs.
“So, how’s the work going, and what would you like us to do for you?” Karl laid his plate down on the blanket.
“It’s not as bad as I had thought. But there are a few windows that are broken, and another has got a pretty big crack in it that will need to be repaired.”
“We can do that. Do you have a tape measure? We can go into town and see if we can find a piece of glass or get it ordered. If it has to be ordered, we can always put a piece of wood there if you want that glass taken down before it falls into the greenhouse and shatters.”
“Sounds good. I have to, like, get back over to the house and then go by the Inn. A few guests are checking out today, so I want to get those rooms ready for the next guests.” Kandi pulled another container from the basket. This one contained all types of fruit.
“Wonderful. Thanks a lot, sweetie. I think that Hope and I can handle it here. We just need to wipe off the doors and other areas that still have the fingerprint dust on it. I might also see if we can get some plants to replace the ones he lost.”
Kevin wiped his mouth. “What do you think happened? That he interrupted someone vandalizing his greenhouse?”
“Why do you say—” Of course, if someone had found out that Bill was growing pot, maybe they’d come to grab some. “But who?” Anne spoke more to herself than in answer to Kevin’s question.
Kandi flipped her cherry-red hair upside down and piled it on top of her head. Even though Kandi’s hair was bright, bottle red, the three siblings all shared the same green eyes, freckled faces and similar shades of red cheeks.
Kandi closed up the basket. “I got a call this morning asking if we had an availability but we’re full right now.”
“That’s a good problem to have.” Hope took a sip of her drink and wiped the condensation from her glass.
“Yes. That’s true. But I felt, like, a bit sorry for her. She said she’d heard how great the Inn was and she wanted to be a bit out from the town.”
“Is Sam in town? I know he rents his cabin out when he’s away.” Hope spoke.
“Oh, that’s, like, a good idea. I’ll give him a call when I get back.”
In response to the puzzled looks on the twins’ faces, Anne replied, “Sam’s an EMT. He’s also our deputy coroner.”
“He’s also got, like, the hots for Anne.”
“No, he doesn’t.” Anne grinned and took a sip of lemonade.
“Okay. Whatever.” Kandi winked at Anne, who threw a dishtowel back at her.
It was true that Anne and Sam had gone out, but Anne simply wanted to be on her own for a while. It was a nice change to not feel as if she couldn’t make it without a man in her life. She’d learned how strong and capable she was, and she didn’t want to go back now.
Kevin and Karl stood up at the same time. Karl helped Hope stand while the rest cleaned up their picnic.
A loud male voice interrupted their chatter. “What are you doing here?”
The police officer approached. His hand rested on his gun at his side. “Do you have the right to be here?”
Hope approached him. “Officer, we know Bill and Lori. We came over to clean up the greenhouse before they return.”
“Did they give you permission to be here?”
“Well, not exactly. We wanted to do this for them—” Hope continued.
“So, in other words, you’re trespassing.” He backed up and quickly scanned the group.
Anne stood up. “We’re not trespassing. In fact, Sheriff Carson was here earlier, and he’s related to them. He allowed us to be here.” Okay, a bit of a fib.
“Carson was here?” He glanced toward the greenhouse.
“Yes. He brought Lori’s car back for her. It had been in the shop.”
“There’s been a lot of vandalism in our area recently.” He turned to Kandi’s brothers. “I don’t recall seeing you around here lately.”
Karl bristled. “We used to live here. We’re Kandi’s brothers.”
“Do you have identification?”
“Not on us.” Kevin moved over next to Karl. “We don’t normally carry our passports with us.” Under his breath, Anne heard Karl say, “papers please.”
She stepped forward before one of the twins did or said something foolish. “Officer,” she looked at his badge. “Officer Dale, we didn’t want them to have to come back and have to clean up the mess in the greenhouse. Someone attacked Bill as you know. He is still unconscious, and Lori is gravely ill. We’re just trying to help them out as good neighbors do.” She smiled sweetly and hoped it came across as genuine.
“It doesn’t look as if you’re helping. It looks like you’re enjoying their property without their permission.” He nodded at the group. “I think you should leave.”
“But—” Anne was losing her patience.
“Certainly, Officer. We’ll make sure to get Lori’s permission the next time we’re here.” She put her arm through Anne’s. “Come on, Kandi. Boys, can you carry the items?”
They nodded, and the group made their way back to their vehicles.
“The nerve of—” Anne spoke quietly. “He saw us here before. Why is he acting like that now?”
; “He’s just doing his job. He doesn’t know us. I’m sure the police department has a lot on their hands with the increased vandalism, the fires popping up and the school problem.”
Anne turned to Hope. “School problem?”
“Spencer stopped by the store today with a few of his friends. I overheard them talking. One of their classmates, a young girl, is in the hospital. It seems she was at a party with a group of friends and they were smoking pot. She’d never tried it before…” Hope shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. “Peer pressure, I guess. Anyway, the joint had been spiked with other drugs. Luckily, the kids realized something was wrong right away and called an ambulance.”
“Oh, that’s horrible. Growing up, I knew pot was available but it’s nothing compared to the drugs kids are exposed to today.” She opened the back car door and put in her gloves. “Will she be okay?”
Hope sat down in the passenger seat as Anne slid in behind the wheel. They waved as Kandi and her brothers pulled out. “Yes. They pumped her stomach to be safe and she will have to stay in the hospital for a few days. It will be a hard lesson for her but probably one she won’t soon forget.”
Anne threw the gear into reverse. She glanced in the rearview camera, where she saw the officer standing by the garage.
He’s only doing his job. She had to be thankful for public servants like Officer Dale who made sure all is well. Even if it had meant running them off from a good deed.
Back at the house, Anne kicked off her shoes. She checked on Mouser, who was involved in his daily activity of sleeping on top of the bookcase. Anne headed up the stairs to her bedroom and into the bathroom. In the shower, Anne took her time enjoying the cool spray after being out in the hot sun. She’d just wrapped a towel around herself when she heard her phone trill. It was Kandi.
“Hey, sweetie.”
“Hi. Listen, I got back and called Sam. He said Ms. Smith could stay at his place. He’s going camping with his scout group this weekend.”
“That’s good.” Anne switched the phone to the other ear.
Anne heard Kandi speak to someone out of earshot. “Sorry. Anyway, here’s the thing. He can’t show her how to get to his place and he didn’t leave a key since he didn’t have anyone on the schedule.”
“Since when did he start locking his doors?” Anne knew that when she first moved to Carolan Springs, it was rare to find anyone who locked their doors. “And what about Hank?”
“Hank went with him. The boys all love that dog, so they made him an honorary scout member.”
Anne could easily visualize the Golden grinning from ear to ear with his vest and badges. “Okay. But that doesn’t answer the question about Sam locking his doors.”
“He told me that the Bennet’s house hadn’t been broken into, but the fire marshal said someone went in and started the fire deliberately. With all the fires being set, and his house in such a secluded spot, he decided it would be smart.”
“Oh, that’s horrible. Do they think either of the Bennetts had anything to do with setting the fire?”
“No. They were visiting family in California, so they’ve been cleared. But it’s scary. I heard through the grapevine that they put the property up for sale—as is. They are leaving for good.”
“That’s terrible. I hope they don’t end up losing money on it, but I would think the land itself is valuable. I guess everyone has to do what they think is best. Knowing someone died in a fire at your house has to be horrible.”
“Oh, I bet you haven’t seen the paper. Ray Lawrence was killed before the fire was started. He was murdered.”
Chapter Nine
Anne returned back to her house and went over to the Brandywine Inn. After checking on the guests, she found Kandi at the desk in the back office.
“When do I need to take this guest over to Sam’s?”
“She said she would be coming in tonight, if that would be okay.”
Anne nodded. “Yes, I don’t have anything else going on, so that works. Did she happen to give you a time?”
Kandi shook her head. “Sorry. She isn’t very talkative. Oh wait.” She smashed her mouth to the side. “I take it back. She said she’d be here between two thousand and twenty-one hundred. Whatever that means. I guess she means the century.” She grinned at Anne.
Anne responded, “It’s most likely military time. Two thousand equals eight in the evening and twenty-one hundred is nine o’clock.”
Kandi made a face. “What? Then why didn’t she just say that?”
“Never mind. It’s not something you’ve heard if you aren’t around the military or other services that use it.”
“Well, I think it’s, like, odd. That’s all I’m saying about that.”
Anne slipped off her shoes and put her feet up under her in the chair. “Did I see your truck leaving earlier?”
“Yes. Kevin asked if he could borrow it, as Autumn is going to go with them to Boulder for some concert or hippie festival or something or other.”
Anne wondered if young people today were still considered hippies, once a term from the sixties. Kandi and her brothers certainly looked alike, but other than that, they seemed to be polar opposites.
“I can’t believe you let them take your beloved Cherry.”
Kandi was extremely proud of the bright red truck that she’d named Cherry.
Kandi grinned. “I told them they could take Cherry as long as they treated her well. It has space for all of them and four wheel drive. Though I doubt they’ll need it, unless they head up into the mountains. They are thinking of doing some back country camping if they can find some backpacks and tents to rent.”
“I don’t know if they’ll have much luck with that here in town.” Anne rubbed her nose and felt a slight sting. She probably gotten sunburned over at the Connors house. Kandi’s face was also slightly pink.
“They’re going over to Denver to the REI and also check out the Art Museum while they’re in town. They will be back tomorrow to pick up Autumn.”
The phone rang. Kandi picked it up, answering in her singsong voice, “Brandywine Inn, how may I help you?”
Anne watched as Kandi’s head bounced up and down to whatever the caller was saying. Finally, Kandi responded, “That’s, like, the best news. See ya.”
“What’s the best news?” Anne leaned forward in the chair.
“Bill woke up. He’s still really groggy, but the doctor says he’s going to pull through. Lori’s going home and she’s doing better—well, as good as, you know.”
Anne did know. The prognosis had meant the goal was to make Lori comfortable. The doctor had said she probably only had months. Lori had refused to stay in the hospital for her last days, so in addition to a visiting nurse who came in during the week, Lori was well cared for at home.
“That is good news. We could use some good news with all the bad things happening. I wonder when we can go visit him?”
In answer to Anne’s words, Hope answered from the doorway. “I’d say in a day or two. I happened to be there looking in on one of my patients when I saw Lori. She told me about Bill. When I told her about the greenhouse, you should have seen her face. I think she realized we probably would have seen the marijuana plants.”
Hope sat down in the adjacent chair. “ I explained that we only wanted to help, nothing more. I think she knows that we don’t judge her for using it to ease her pain. I told her that Officer Dale had stopped us from finishing and would like to complete the clean-up before Bill returns if that’s OK with her. She said it was.”
“Great. I can go tomorrow and get some plants to replace the messed-up ones and some flowers for out of the window where Lori sits,” Anne responded.
“That sounds nice. I’ll go with you.” Hope mimicked Anne and also took her shoes off, adjusting her feet across her legs in a yoga pose.
How does she do that? I can barely get one leg on top of the other. Anne tried to put one foot on top of her leg but failed.
Kandi b
roke the silence. “What about the, you know, the other plants?”
“The other plants?” Anne motioned. Then realization dawned. “Oh, never mind.”
She turned to Hope. “Do you know where to get marijuana plants?”
“I’m an herbalist, but I stick to herbs that I’m familiar with and I don’t know where to get the actual plants. I bet we could find out from the place that opened up off County Road.”
Kandi sat down at the desk and pulled up a web browser. She typed in ‘medical marijuana shops Carolan Springs’. “Here it is. Naturaid. Should we give them a call?”
“Yes.” Anne replied.
“I’m not going to, like, call a pot shop.” Kandi held up both hands.
“Oh, geez. Why does the mom have to do everything?” Anne motioned for Kandi to hand her the phone receiver. Once they’d connected, Anne motioned to have the call put on speaker to ask about buying plants. They were disappointed to hear that the organization didn’t sell plants.
“OK, well thanks.”
The man on the line stopped her. “I think this should be okay since I heard that they will be leaving, but you could check with the Bennetts.”
The Bennetts? Anne, Hope and Kandi shared glances with each other.
Anne interjected, “You mean the Bennetts whose house and greenhouse burned down?”
“Yep. Sad. But I think that they have a small grow-room away from it that could still have some plants.”
The man said something to another person. “I’ve got to go. Come in if you have more questions.”
Anne, Hope and Kandi sat in silence. Ray Lawrence have been selling drugs to teens. The Bennetts had been growing marijuana. The Connors had some plants in the greenhouse.
They all had a connection to drugs. Was there a dangerous vigilante on the loose?
Chapter Ten
Kandi broke the spell that had come over all of them. “What should we, like, do?”
“Do about what?” Hope stretched her arms over her head. “We don’t really have anything other than the facts that these things occurred. But there may be no connection between them at all.”
