“It was Leonard, Ruth’s friend.”
“No kidding.”
“She’s upset.” Gloria opened the pantry doors and peered inside. “How does tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches sound?”
“Sounds good to me. I’ll help. What time are we heading out for the evening festivities?”
“Six. Ruth has a surprise guest speaker. He’s a former FBI agent. Cameron Burke.” Gloria grabbed the soup. “Does the name ring a bell?”
“Nope.”
“It didn’t sound familiar to me either. I’m not sure I believe Leonard is responsible for the attempted abductions, although he fits the profile. There are other people who fit it too.” Gloria told Paul how Bea caught a glimpse of a van matching the description of the abductor’s van and thought she saw it turn toward the flea market grounds. “She thinks the license had either a three or an eight.”
“That would narrow down the list of possible suspects,” Paul said. “I wonder how many of the vehicles at Ruth’s convention match the description.”
“Five. No, I think it was six.”
“I would ask how you know that, but I’m pretty sure I already have my answer. You’re sticking your nose in where it doesn’t belong.”
“A little,” Gloria admitted. “I feel like I owe it to Leonard to at least attempt to clear his name.”
“And you can’t resist pursuing justice.”
Gloria didn’t tell him how Lucy and she had snooped inside Penelope’s van or how another of the potential suspects had chased her off his campsite.
“I’m hungry.” Tyler opened the refrigerator door.
“I’m working on dinner now. There are chips you can munch on while you wait.”
“What about those fish snacks that lady gave you,” Ryan said.
“You’re right.” Gloria reached into her purse and pulled out the baggie of fish and olives. “Have you ever tried a whole sardine?”
“No.” Tyler studied the contents. He unzipped the bag and took a tentative sniff. “It smells like smoked something.” He handed the bag to Paul.
“It’s smoked fish. Smoked sardines in green olives.” Paul handed it back. “It’s all yours.”
“I bet it tastes gross.” Ryan made a gagging sound.
“Gross enough to throw up?” Tyler teased.
“I dare you to try it.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“You just said you were hungry,” Ryan said. “I think you’re chicken.”
“I’m not chicken.”
“Cluck. Cluck.” Ryan flapped his arms and began making clucking noises.
“Fine.” Tyler slowly stuck his hand inside the plastic bag. He pinched the tail of the sardine and dangled it from his fingertips.
Ryan’s eyes grew wide, and he clamped his hand across his mouth.
Tyler ignored his brother as he tilted his head back and swallowed it whole. “It’s not gross. I like the smoke flavor.” He grabbed an olive and popped it into his mouth.
Jake, one of Gloria and Paul’s cats, stalked into the kitchen.
“Can Jake have a sardine?”
“I…Yes. I believe he can,” Gloria said.
Tyler fed the cat a sardine before calling for the senior pet of the family, Puddles. Puddles wasn’t as quick to take the treat. He sniffed the offering before carrying it to his food dish and polishing it off.
Mally was next. She turned her nose up at it before trotting to the porch door.
“Why don’t you take Mally out while I work on dinner?”
“Ten-four, Grams.” Ryan snatched his voice changer off the chair and then ran out the door.
“He’s a character. Where does he get all of that energy?” Paul chuckled. “Now that the antics are over, put me to work.”
The couple made quick work of fixing the evening meal. During dinner, Tyler told his grandmother about the deer stand, how Paul invited him to hunt with him on opening day and then the conversation shifted back to the convention.
There was enough time to clean up before they piled into the car for the trip to town. They passed Dot’s Restaurant, which was packed with diners.
Flea market parking was at a premium, and Paul finally found an empty spot a block away. Their first stop was the office, but the doors were locked, and there was no one around. “Ruth must be at the pavilion.”
“I want to show Grandpa Paul and Tyler around,” Ryan said. “We can visit Neptune, Orion, the Eclipse and Vulcan, my favorite. That’s where the cool booths are.”
“I’m sure the speech would bore the boys, and a tour of the place would be much more exciting.” Gloria tapped Ryan’s arm. “Stick with Grandpa Paul, and I’ll meet you near the pavilion after you’re done.”
Gloria arrived at the pavilion to find a large crowd had already gathered. Ruth, who was standing next to Lucy and Margaret, caught her eye, and made her way over. “Where’s the guest speaker?”
“He called a short time ago. He should be here any minute,” Ruth grimaced. “I’m going to need a vacation after this.”
“We could plan a Florida getaway and rent a houseboat,” Lucy teased. “That would be less stressful.”
“What was wrong with the houseboat we rented?” Ruth frowned.
“You mean other than bodies floating in the water, Eleanor swimming with gators not to mention running out of gas in the middle of the St. Johns River?” Gloria asked.
“In the middle of a storm,” Margaret added.
Ruth held up a hand. “Okay, so maybe we had a few bumpy patches, but overall it was a great trip.”
“The convention is a lot to take on,” Gloria said. “The good news is you only have two more days, and then it’s over.”
Ruth’s cell phone chimed. She pulled it from her front pocket and glanced at the screen. “Now what?” She pressed the answer button.
“Hello? Yes. I’m here. I don’t understand.” Her expression grew grim. “No. I will not. Over my dead body.”
Chapter 15
Ruth mumbled something under her breath and shoved the phone into her jacket pocket. “That was Detective Givens. He was one of the men who showed up to escort Leonard to the police station. The Bearney boy identified him as the potential abductor.”
Gloria’s jaw dropped. “I’m sorry, Ruth.”
“They’re on their way here to impound my van. They want to tear it apart to look for evidence.” Ruth began to pace. “I still don’t buy it. There’s no way Leonard was involved in the incident in Lakeville this morning. I mean…if he abducted the boy, where is he?”
“Perhaps you should point that out to them again when they get here.”
A look of determination filled Ruth’s face. “I need you guys to cover for me. I need someone to do the intro for Burke so I can go back up front and wait for the police.”
“I…” Gloria cast Lucy an anxious glance. “I’m not much of a public speaker.”
Lucy took a step back. “Neither am I.”
“Margaret?”
Margaret began shaking her head.
“C’mon, Margaret,” Ruth pleaded. “When’s the last time you cared what other people thought?”
“Never.” Margaret sucked in a breath and briefly closed her eyes. “Fine. I’ll take a crack at it. What do you want me to say?”
Ruth handed her a crumpled piece of paper. “This is a list of Burke’s accomplishments. Feel free to fluff it up.”
“Fluff it up?”
“Embellish. Although he’s a big deal in the spy world, some people may not have heard about him. I want to cast him in the most positive light possible.”
“And your alien sector might not be impressed by Burke’s credentials.”
“The thought has crossed my mind,” Ruth admitted. “Besides, I want him to feel special.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Margaret promised.
“Thanks. You’re the best. I owe you one. Oh, there’s one more thing. This is even more important.” Ruth shrugged h
er backpack off, unzipped the front and reached inside. “Cameron is extremely sensitive to light. He forgot his special light-blocking sunglasses, so I told him he could borrow mine for the speech.”
She handed Margaret a case. “Make sure you get these back. This is my only pair of polarized police-grade sunglasses.”
“How is he driving without sunglasses if he’s sensitive to light?” Lucy asked.
“He’s not driving. He has a driver.”
“Who is this guy?” Gloria joked.
“Like I said, he’s a big deal. It took weeks for me to get him to agree to come here…not to mention a few extra perks, including the car and driver. I gotta go.”
Gloria watched as Ruth slipped past a group of people. “She’s cranked up about them impounding her van.”
“Remember the time someone sideswiped the spymobile, and she had to send it to the shop?” Lucy asked. “I thought she was gonna camp out in the parking lot.”
“What a mess.” Gloria surveyed the growing crowd. “I hope this guy shows.”
Off in the distance, she spotted a tall man walking toward them. He looked uncomfortable and out of place in his suit. “I think I see him.”
The man strolled by, making his way to the side of the makeshift stage. Margaret reached out to stop him. “Mr. Burke?”
“Yes?”
“I’m Margaret Hansen. Ruth Carpenter is expecting you. Something came up, so I’m going to be the one introducing you to the NASCA group.”
Gloria handed the man Ruth’s tinted glasses. “Ruth asked us to give these to you to use during your speech. I’ll need them back after you finish.”
Burke took the glasses and slipped them on. “Where’s Leonard? I thought Leonard was introducing me.”
“Leonard has been…detained.”
“Detained?”
“It’s a long story. Ruth…or Leonard can explain later. I better get up there and start your intro.” Margaret walked to the center of the stage and grabbed the microphone.
Gloria could see her struggling to turn it on and ran over to help. She flipped the switch and tapped the top before nodding.
Margaret’s hand trembled as she faced the crowd. “Good evening, everyone. Thank you for joining me and our special guest speaker, Cambron Burke…uh, I’m sorry.” She consulted Ruth’s crumpled sheet of paper. “Former FBI agent, Cameron Burke.”
She continued. “Mr. Burke has an extensive background and a career in investigating several high-profile cases, dealing with espionage and combatting terrorism.”
Margaret rattled on, going off what Gloria assumed was Ruth’s cheat sheet. There was a murmur in the crowd as she started to ramble. After a lengthy stretch of silence, she introduced him. “Please join me in giving Mr. Burke a warm welcome.” She applauded as she exited the stage.
Cameron adjusted his tie and strode toward the stage. Margaret handed him the microphone as they crossed paths.
“Your speech sucked,” Burke said rudely.
“You’re welcome.” Margaret joined her friends. “What a jerk.”
“With a capital ‘J.’” Gloria half-listened as the man elaborated on his stellar investigative career, and she began to wonder why Ruth even bothered with an introduction. The man was doing an excellent job of tooting his own horn.
Her mind wandered as she wondered how Ruth was faring with the impounding of her van. Burke wrapped up his self-admiration speech and began taking questions from the audience.
He answered three questions before the fourth person dared to challenge his credentials, stating his father was a former FBI agent as well. Burke’s face turned beet red. “Are you insinuating that I’m lying?”
“I’m saying you may not be properly explaining your training and work history.”
“That’s absurd. You have no idea what you’re talking about.” Burke shoved the microphone on the stand and stormed off the stage.
Lucy pulled Gloria from the man’s path as he brushed angrily past.
His abrupt departure created a stir, and the crowd began murmuring.
Margaret jogged to the center stage. “We would like to thank Mr. Burke for taking the time to join us and answer questions. On another note, the Alien Invitation begins in less than an hour in the field behind the Vulcan zone. If you’re not familiar with the grounds, there’s a map posted on the board leading into the office. Thank you.”
She returned to where Lucy and Gloria waited. “That was a disaster.”
“Thanks to Cameron Burke. I’m not sure why Ruth even bothered with the guy.” Gloria’s eyes drifted over Margaret’s shoulder. A few short steps away, a small group had gathered around him.
“The glasses,” Lucy snapped her fingers. “Burke is still wearing Ruth’s special glasses. We need to get them back.”
“I already did my part,” Margaret said. “I’m not going anywhere near him.”
“He doesn’t intimidate me.” Lucy squared her shoulders and marched across the gravel lot. She tapped him on the shoulder and then held out her hand.
Burke shook his head before turning his back on her. Undeterred, Lucy tapped his shoulder again. The man gave her a small nudge but otherwise ignored her.
Gloria figured she was going to give up until she pivoted, springing forward. Lucy snatched the glasses from the man’s face, and in one smooth move, jogged past the women, a mischievous look on her face.
Burke started to chase after her.
“My money is on Lucy,” Margaret chuckled. “He’s got a few extra pounds weighing him down.”
“She has him on the run.” Gloria shifted to the side as she watched the pursuit.
Lucy did a bob and weave between two vehicles, sprinting ahead and leaving him in the dust.
Cameron Burke, realizing he had an audience, slowed his pace, a murderous expression on his face. “Stupid woman,” he muttered under his breath.
Before Gloria could contemplate the consequences, she flung her foot out as Burke thundered past, catching his leg. He stumbled, falling against the side of a picnic table before landing on the cement.
“What in the…” He jumped to his feet and swiped at his knees. “You tripped me on purpose.”
“Yes.” Gloria crossed her arms. “I did. You were chasing my friend.”
“She took my sunglasses.”
“Those aren’t yours.”
“They were given to me,” Burke growled.
“It was a loan. They belong to Ruth.”
“Who is this Ruth person?”
“The division director of NASCA,” Gloria said. “The person who contacted you to speak at the convention.”
“Are you on something?” Margaret demanded. “Because you are one delusional dude.”
A man in a matching suit appeared behind them. “Mr. Cameron. Are you all right?”
“No. I’m not all right. I’ve been ridiculed, robbed and assaulted all in less than an hour.”
“Oh, brother,” Margaret rolled her eyes.
“This isn’t the last you’ve heard of Cameron Burke. I’m lodging a complaint with the NASCA board. Rest assured, you’ll never host an event in this hick town ever again.” Burke angrily strode toward the car.
His hired driver hurried after him and opened the rear door.
With one last glare in their direction, he climbed into the vehicle.
The crowd parted as the dark sedan crept toward the exit before turning onto the road. The driver hit the gas a little too hard, flinging gravel and pelting several bystanders.
“The jerk probably told his driver to do that,” Margaret said.
Lucy ran over, triumphantly waving the sunglasses in the air. “He wasn’t gonna give them back.”
“I don’t think he was. It’s a good thing he didn’t catch you,” Gloria said.
“Nah.” Lucy slid the glasses on top of her head. “Even if he did, I had a move guaranteed to drop him to his knees.”
“I figured Ruth would’ve caught up with us by now
,” Gloria said. “Maybe we should check on her.”
The trio traipsed single file to the office entrance where Ruth had parked her van. Gloria came to an abrupt halt when she caught sight of her friend. “Uh-oh.”
Chapter 16
Ruth was sitting cross-legged behind the rear bumper. “I already told you, my van isn’t going anywhere unless I’m in it.”
“I should arrest you for interfering in a police investigation, disturbing the peace and inciting violence,” Nelson said.
“What violence?”
“Potential violence.” The officer knelt next to her and lowered his voice. “Ruth, I know how you feel about your van. I promise I’ll personally supervise the search.”
“The equipment is very expensive and sensitive. One wrong flip of the switch, and you could have a potential disaster on your hands. Remember what happened the other night? It takes special training. I need to be there.”
“We’ve already gone over this.” Nelson motioned to his men. “Get Gus over here.”
The owner of Smith Auto Repair steered his tow truck into the parking lot. Gus Smith, a Belhaven local and a friend of Gloria and Ruth, slid out of the cab.
“I hate to do this, Ruth, but we’re escorting you away from the vehicle,” Nelson said. “It’s either that or arrest you.”
Gloria could see Ruth was digging in her heels, and there was an imminent battle looming. She hurried to her friend’s side. “There’s nothing you can do. The police are going to take the spymobile, whether you want them to or not. I don’t want to see you end up in jail.”
“Gloria is right. Besides, Gus will take good care of the spymobile.” Margaret turned to Nelson. “How long will you be keeping the van?”
“The investigators are waiting for it. They’ll search the van for prints and potential evidence as soon as it arrives at the police compound. If we don’t find anything, I would say by noon tomorrow.”
Gloria held out a hand and helped her friend to her feet. “If they damage or destroy your equipment, you can sue and get even more cool gadgets.”
Ruth forced a smile. “True. I hadn’t thought about it. I…you’re right. Where am I going to sleep tonight? My air mattress is inside.”
Alien Allure: A Garden Girls Cozy Mystery (Garden Girls Christian Cozy Mystery Series Book 23) Page 11
