Hope Callaghan - Garden Girls 04 - Death by Dumplings

by Hope Callaghan

  Gloria poured a lemonade and handed him the glass.

  Paul rubbed his chin. “You look familiar.”

  “I own the hardware store in town?” he offered.

  “Or maybe you saw him around the courthouse. Former judge Brian Sellers…” Gloria said.

  “That’s where I’ve seen you!”

  Gloria excused herself and started her rounds, chatting with guests. She was pleased to see that Liz and Al Dickerson were deep in conversation. Liz grabbed Gloria’s arm as she walked by. “Gloria, I didn’t know you knew Al. We used to work together years ago at the paper mill.”

  “Well, isn’t that a coincidence…”

  Paul wandered by with an armful of trash. Gloria followed him into the kitchen. “Let me take care of those.” She felt guilty for putting him to work.

  He handed her a stack of glasses. All except for one. She reached for it.

  He pulled it back and shook his head. “I need to hang onto this one.”

  Gloria’s eyebrows furrowed. Her eyes met Paul’s and she knew. He wanted it for the fingerprints. “You can put it back in the bedroom,” she replied.

  He turned on his heel and walked out of the kitchen.

  A warm spring breeze drifted through the window as Gloria stared out at her guests and waited for Paul to return.

  One of her guests was a suspect. Her eyes wandered to Ray who was standing next to Dot. He tipped his head back and chuckled at something Bill or Lucy had just said. Poor Dot. I wonder if she knows…

  Paul was back in the kitchen now. He pulled the fridge door open and reached inside. He plucked the tall tray of burgers from the shelf. Gloria came in behind him and grabbed the packs of hot dogs. She followed him out to the grill. “Thanks, love.” He planted a kiss on her forehead and fired up the grill.

  Margaret met her on the porch. “Can I help?” Gloria forced a smile. Certainly Margaret wasn’t a suspect… “Sure.”

  The girls arranged big bowls of potato and macaroni salad, a crockpot full of baked beans and Gloria’s homemade coleslaw on the serving table. Stacks of hamburger and hotdog buns along with mustard, ketchup, onions and pickles followed.

  By the time the girls had all the food arranged, Paul and Ray were on the way with the cooked burgers and dogs.

  The guests assembled at the edge of the table. “Let’s say grace.”

  A solemn prayer of thanks for the food and fellowship was said. Gloria lifted her head. Ray was standing across from her. I wonder if this is his last meal as a free man, she wondered. She added a silent prayer he would be found innocent. If she had to pick a guilty party, she’d choose Judith Arnett over Ray any day.

  Paul and Gloria stood off to the side as they watched guests load their plates with goodies. “Did you find a print match for Judith or Joe Toscani?” She already knew the answer. If there’d been a match, he wouldn’t be after Ray’s cup.

  Paul shook his head. “The results won’t be back until Monday.”

  That was something. Gloria held out a glimmer of hope that it would be one of them…

  They joined the end of the line. Neither of them had eaten all day. Gloria grabbed a hotdog and hamburger, nudged them to the side and then scooped a large spoonful of each of the sides onto the empty space on her plate.

  She followed Paul to the last two seats. Right next to Andrea and Brian Sellers. Andrea was laughing at something Brian had just said.

  “The food is delicious, Mrs. Rutherford,” Brian complimented.

  “Thank you, Brian. I’m so glad you could make it.”

  She bit into her hotdog thoughtfully. What if the cup Paul kept belonged to Brian instead? But she already gave him Brian’s prints. She gave Paul a sideways glance. He was stone-faced. His expression gave nothing away.

  Andrea picked up a chip and paused. “Brian grew up in New York, just like me.”

  Paul settled his hand on his leg and studied Brian. “So what brought you to the small town of Belhaven?”

  Brian grabbed the paper napkin tucked under his plate and wiped the corners of his mouth. “My grandparents. Actually, their house brought me here. The house on Lake Terrace was theirs. I inherited it.”

  Gloria’s eyebrows raised. She never knew much about the elderly couple that resided in the lakeside house. They were a bit of a mystery.

  He went on. “I came for a visit to settle the estate and fell in love with the area. Small town life seemed to fit me,” he said.

  “Me too!” Andrea said.

  The chemistry between the two was obvious. He seemed like such a nice, young man. What if they started dating and later found out he was the killer? Andrea’s life would be turned upside down once again! And it would be Gloria’s fault for playing matchmaker…

  Gloria grabbed her empty plate and headed for the trash can.

  Paul was right behind her. “You invited Brian Sellers to this get-together for Andrea.”

  She whirled around. “Yeah, and if he ends up being the killer, I’m going to feel terrible,” she admitted.

  She glanced back at the two, still sitting side-by-side. Andrea’s head was tilted forward as she eagerly listened to something Brian was saying.

  “Can’t you tell me who the suspect is?” Gloria begged.

  Paul studied her face. “You know I would if I could. But I can’t.” He tossed his plate in the can and closed the lid. “You’ll know soon enough.”

  He nodded towards the house. “I’m dropping the cup off for testing on my way home so we can get all the results back by Monday.”

  Al Dickerson met them at the trash can. “Everything was delicious. Thank you for inviting me.”

  Liz was right behind him. “Yes, you really outdid yourself, Gloria.”

  But it wasn’t all Gloria. She had a lot of help from her friends. That’s what friends were for. It had seemed like a lot of work though. Why did it take hours to get everything ready and only minutes to eat?

  Paul and Gloria wandered from table-to-table as they stopped to chat with each of the guests. They all thanked her for inviting them and complimented the food.

  Gloria brought out cups of coffee and paper plates filled with Oreo dessert. After coffee and dessert were finished, people started to head home.

  Jennifer and Tony were the first to leave. Tony pointed at one of his teenage sons who were chasing Mally around the yard. “The natives are getting restless.”

  Liz left next. “I have the longest drive home.” She hugged Gloria and Paul and started toward her car. Al walked her out. They stood to the side and talked for several long minutes before Liz climbed in and drove off.

  He wandered back over to where Gloria was still watching. “You and Liz seemed to hit it off,” she observed.

  “Yeah. We’re just about the same age.” Al grinned like a love struck teen. “We’re having lunch together next week.”

  Gloria touched his arm. “Good for you. Just watch out for Liz. She can be a handful,” she warned.

  Al gazed in the direction of where her car just pulled out. “Yeah. That’s what I like about her. She has some fire left.”

  That was an understatement. She hugged Al good-bye.

  One-by-one, the rest of the Garden Girls departed. Gloria made to-go plates for each of them.

  Last to leave was Andrea and Brian. “We can help you finish cleaning up,” Andrea offered.

  The foursome wiped the tables and stacked them back in the garage. They folded the chairs and carried them to the barn. While they chit-chatted with Paul, Gloria made two more to-go plates. She hugged Andrea and Brian. “Thank you so much for all your help today.”

  Andrea grinned. “My pleasure.”

  Gloria and Paul stood close together on the porch as they watched the last two guests leave. Brian walked Andrea to her car, opened the door and waited for her to climb in.

  They spoke for several moments before he closed her door and headed to his SUV. He lifted a hand and waved before climbing inside and following Andrea onto
the road.

  “Two for two,” Paul said.

  Gloria whirled around. “Huh?”

  “Two-for-two on your matchmaking.”

  They settled in on the porch for a cup of decaf coffee. Gloria’s feet were sore and her back stiff.

  But it was all worth it. She was glad Paul finally got to meet all of her friends. They were an important part of her life. Just like Paul was.

  “Will you call me and let me know the fingerprint results?” she asked.

  He nodded. “After we make an arrest.”

  Gloria’s heart stopped. Someone she knew. Possibly someone that was at her own house that very evening – was a cold blooded killer!

  He eased out of the chair. “I better go. I have to stop at the station on my way home,” he reminded her.

  Paul headed to the bedroom to retrieve the cup while Gloria fixed one final to-go plate for the evening. She smiled as she glanced at all the leftovers still in her fridge. Her friends made sure to leave plenty for her.

  “Don’t fret too much over this Gloria.” Paul was behind her now. “There’s nothing you can do about it.” He took the plate from her hand and set it on the table nearby.

  He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

  She closed her eyes, laid her head on his chest and took a deep breath. He smelled so nice. Like a mixture of musky leather and fresh outdoors.

  Sudden tears burned the back of her eyes. Someone she knew. Someone she was close to - was about to have their world ripped to shreds.

  She pulled her head back and gazed up, looking for a smidgen of reassurance that everything was going to be alright.

  Paul touched the side of her face. “At least it’s not you.”

  Gloria let out a snort and sob, all rolled into one. “That’s good to know!”

  “Maybe you’re right and I’m wrong and the killer is this Toscani fellow or even Judith. I’ve been known to be wrong before,” he admitted.

  True. But he seemed pretty confident.

  He grabbed the keys from his pocket before leaning forward and kissing Gloria softly. She followed him through the door and onto the porch.

  With one last good-bye kiss, he was gone. She stood there and waited ‘til his tail lights were out of sight before heading back indoors.

  The church parking lot was packed the next morning. Nice weather always filled the place. There were only a few empty sections left near the back of the church. Gloria slid into the pew and set her purse down.

  Slick Steve plopped down beside her. I really need to get out of the habit of calling him, she thought. “Thanks again for inviting me to your cookout. It was great.” He sounded sincere. “Your sister, Liz. She’s something else.”

  “Yes, she is,” Gloria muttered. She didn’t have a chance to add to it. Dot and Ray slipped in on the other side.

  “Your party last night was just what we needed,” Ray confided. “It was nice to take our minds off our troubles and enjoy good company.”

  Gloria swallowed the lump that lodged in her throat. At least the two of them had a final fun night out before they hauled Ray off to jail tomorrow.

  But she didn’t know Ray was guilty. For all she knew, it was Brian Sellers.

  But what about Steve? She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. What if it was Steve? Her eyes flew open. She never considered him. What possible motive could he have? Yes, he was an outrageous flirt and left a trail of broken hearts. Was he hot after Dot?

  She shook her head. No, it wasn’t Steve. She felt guilty that she almost wished it was. Or better yet, Judith.

  After the service, the girls met in their usual spot outside. Gloria turned to Ruth. “Do we have any shut-ins today?”

  Ruth shook her head. No. Believe it or not, everyone seems to be out and about. “Must be the nice weather,” she said.

  “How’s the house shaping up?” Margaret asked Andrea. Margaret didn’t live far from Andrea’s new place. She passed it every day on her way to town, taking note of the transformation.

  “Another few weeks and I’ll be ready for a housewarming party,” Andrea told the girls. “Say, you want to come by and see the progress?”

  The girls agreed today was a perfect day to check out the old Johnson mansion. “I’ll bring leftovers for lunch,” Gloria offered.

  They all parted ways with a plan to meet up at Andrea’s at noon.

  Gloria pulled in the drive right on time. She was surprised at how much the construction crew accomplished in the past few days since her last visit.

  The outside was done. A fresh coat of yellow paint covered the boards and bright blue shutters greeted guests as they meandered up the drive. Andrea made the right choice in colors, Gloria decided.

  The front deck was replaced with smooth, new boards and the wrought iron railing had been power washed and painted a shiny black. This majestic plantation-style home would fit in perfect in the South.

  The girls wandered indoors to check the progress. Drop cloths covered every inch of floor in the dining and living room.

  “I’m going for a more neutral gray in the living room with a deep red for the dining room,” Andrea explained. “Red is good for digestion. At least that’s what I read.”

  They followed Andrea into the kitchen. It looked the same as the last time Gloria was there. Retro yet modern.

  Andrea walked over to the wall separating the kitchen from the small hall, directly across from the cozy wood-paneled library. “I’m thinking of knocking this wall down and opening it up with a wide, granite bar area. What do you think?”

  Dot nodded her approval.

  “I think you should become an interior designer,” Lucy said.

  “I told her the exact same thing,” Gloria said.

  The group wandered onto the rear patio while Gloria headed to her car to grab the food. The girls settled at the picnic table as the leftovers were passed around and the girls filled their plates.

  Ruth was the first to bring up the subject of Andrea and Brian Sellers. “That Brian Sellers seemed to have taken a liking to you,” she commented.

  Andrea blushed. “You think so?”

  Margaret agreed. “Oh yeah! He was giving you the googly-eyes.” She lowered her eyelids and winked seductively for emphasis.

  “Well, he did ask me if I was free for lunch one day next week,” Andrea admitted.

  “And?” Lucy prompted.

  Andrea nibbled on the end of her hot dog. “I gave him my number,” she said.

  The group went on to discuss his past career as a judge, how ambitious and stable he appeared.

  “And cute,” Lucy pointed out.

  Gloria wiped her mouth and laid the napkin on her empty plate. “And he has a great sense of humor.”

  Lucy turned to her friend. “What made you decide to invite him? Did you just pop in to his hardware store and say, “Come to my cookout Saturday night?”

  “Kind of. I needed a propane tank for the grill.” That part was true. Gloria just didn’t add that she was there to interrogate him about the murder.

  But Dot knew Gloria all too well. “Gloria! You went there to question him about the murder!”

  “Well, I did ask him a few questions…” her voice trailed off.

  Andrea set her hot dog down on the plate. “Why would he be a suspect?”

  Dot explained about his offers to buy her place and how he wasn’t giving up. “That doesn’t make him a suspect, though.”

  Gloria was reminded of the imminent arrest. She pounded her fist on the table. “We have to find the killer. And fast!”

  The group jumped back in surprise. A burst of anger out of Gloria was a rare occurrence.

  She told them how she got Judith and Brian’s prints and turned them in for testing to see if they matched the print they found on the toilet bowl cleaner. She didn’t mention that Paul kept a cup from the party the night before for testing.

  She abruptly got up from the table. The whole thing upset her ev
ery time she dwelled on it. The clock was ticking and she had no clear suspect!

  Lucy had more important things to worry about at the moment than finding a killer. “What – no dessert?”

  “I swear, Lucy. I’ve never seen anyone with a sweet tooth like yours!” Ruth said.

  “When you die, we’re going to have a chocolate fountain at your wake in your honor,” Margaret teased.

  Gloria was the last to leave the small get-together. Andrea walked her to her car. “Do you think there’s a chance Brian did it?”

  Gloria slowly shook her head as she remembered Paul’s words when he said he hoped it wasn’t who they suspected. “My gut says no.” She sighed. “Tomorrow. We should hear something tomorrow.”

  Andrea could see Gloria was visibly upset. She wasn’t sure why since Gloria barely knew Brian.

  Andrea pushed her sunglasses on top of her head and rubbed her brow. “I just wish someone caught a glimpse of the killer out behind the restaurant that day.”

  Gloria was in her car and halfway down the drive when Andrea remembered something. She did see someone familiar that morning in the vicinity of the restaurant. She recognized the person from the party last night.

  She waved her hands frantically at Gloria to stop.

  Andrea rushed to the driver’s side window. “I do remember seeing someone else that morning! Except I didn’t know who that person was until last night at your party. The only reason I remember is their truck almost ran me over as they drove like a demon out of you-know-what coming from the alley behind Dot’s that morning.”

  Gloria’s eyes widened, her heart thumped in her chest. She reached out and grabbed Andrea’s arm. “Who was it?”

  The color drained from her face when Andrea told her the name. Gloria thought she was going to faint.

  But now it all made perfect sense. In a horrible way. And there was one person Gloria was certain could confirm her suspicions.

  “Promise me you won’t tell anyone what you just told me,” Gloria said.

  Andrea nodded. “I promise.”

  Gloria’s mind bounced back and forth like a ping pong ball. The one thing lacking was motive.

  Chapter Eight