Tyler plopped a pile of meat on his plate and passed the platter to his brother. “I’m not in Sunday School Grams. I’m in the pre-teen group.”
“I forgot, Tyler. You’re growing up way too fast,” Gloria said. “What did you do in the pre-teen group?”
Tyler told her they memorized Bible verses before working on a group-painting project while the youth pastor told them the story about the people who shouted the wall down at Jericho.
“That’s a great story,” Gloria said. She turned to Ryan. “What about you?”
“We learned a song,” Ryan said. “It was about the Lord’s army.”
“Ah,” Gloria nodded. “Another good one.”
After lunch, the boys and Mally headed out for some fresh air while Paul helped Gloria tidy the kitchen and load the dishwasher. “I say we skip dinner tonight and head to Dot’s,” Paul said.
“Or maybe make it to-go and take it to Margaret,” Gloria said.
“Yes, we could do that. How very thoughtful, dear.” Paul hugged his wife and headed to his workshop.
Mally darted in while Paul walked out and Ryan and Tyler followed her in. “It’s time to get going. We don’t want to be late.” Gloria glanced at the clock above the kitchen sink.
“I’ve got a stomach ache,” Ryan moaned. “Maybe I should just stay here.”
“No. You’re going to go.” Gloria shook her head firmly. “You promised to give the circus a chance.” During the drive to the flea market/circus grounds, Tyler chattered excitedly while Ryan sat glumly in the passenger seat. He still wasn’t keen on visiting the circus but when they arrived and pulled into an empty parking spot, he spotted a row of carnival games, which perked him up.
Happy that her grandson was finally coming around, she gave each of them some money to play a few of the games, including popping balloons with darts and toss the rings. They finished spending their money and then wandered to the animal pens located behind the big top.
Thankfully, there were no elephants in sight and after visiting the animals; they headed inside the big top to find seats. Gloria spotted concession stands off to one side and let each of the boys pick a treat to eat before wandering to the bleachers.
Gloria waved at several locals before they settled onto a bench seat near the center, but not too close to the bottom at Ryan’s insistence.
The show was more entertaining than Gloria thought it would be and her favorite part was the trapeze artists. Tyler seemed to like everything while Ryan fidgeted in his seat, warily keeping an eye out for elephants on a rampage.
When the motorcycle stunt drivers roared onto the stage, Ryan sat up in his seat and watched with rapt attention as the ear-splitting motorcycles raced up makeshift ramps and became airborne in a series of death-defying stunts. After they finished their part of the show and sped off the stage, Ryan tugged on Gloria’s arm. “I want to be a motorcycle stunt driver someday.”
Gloria grinned, thrilled he was finally excited about some part of the show. “Be sure to tell that to your mother when you see her.” She could just envision Jill’s reaction when she found out her youngest child wanted to become the next Evel Knievel.
“I’m gonna ask for a dirt bike for Christmas,” he added.
Next was the jugglers, followed by the clowns and Ryan shrank back in the seat as the clowns and jugglers circled the arena. “I hope they don’t come up here,” Ryan whispered.
Tyler lifted his Slurpee and took a big gulp. “Me either. I hate clowns.”
“What is it about clowns you two don’t like?” Gloria asked. When she was young, clowns were fun, entertaining. These days, kids feared clowns. In fact, she’d heard on the news there was a man dressed as a clown who stalked kids on their way home from school.
“They stab people,” Tyler said. “They’re not real clowns,” he added matter-of-factly, “but people who dress like clowns and attack people, mostly kids.”
The show finally ended and the trio waited for the crowds to thin before making their way down the bleacher stairs and exiting the tent.
“Don’t forget to toss your empty drink cups and boxes.” Gloria pointed to a trashcan a short distance from the big top entrance.
Tyler and Ryan zigzagged past a group of young people as they made their way to the trashcan. Tyler dropped his trash inside while Ryan tipped his head back and dropped the last M&M in his mouth before he tossed the empty box inside.
“Uh-oh.” Gloria watched as a tall clown with curly red hair sauntered across the gravel path. He was carrying something in his hand and she couldn’t tell what it was.
“Ryan!” Gloria hollered, hoping to get her grandson’s attention.
It was too late. Ryan spun around and came face-to-face with the clown. He let out an ear-piercing scream. “Agh!”
The clown made a sudden movement, as if to take a step back but Ryan was too fast. He grabbed the clown’s bright orange hair and yanked on it, pulling his wig off.
The clown lunged for his wig. Ryan, his eyes wide with terror, threw the wig at the clown and kicked him squarely between the legs.
Chapter 6
The clown fell to the ground and began groaning.
Gloria ran over and attempted to assist the clown, who was lying in a fetal position writhing in pain.
“He tried to attack me,” Ryan gasped.
Gloria grabbed Ryan’s arm and tugged him back. “Stay over here.” She knelt next to the injured clown. “I’m so sorry. My grandson got scared. He doesn’t like clowns.”
“It’s okay,” the clown whispered. “He’s the second kid today who attacked me. I think I’m gonna apply for the sword swallower’s job. It’s not as dangerous.”
“You’re probably right.” Gloria helped the man to his feet and plucked the wig from the ground. She handed it to him and apologized again. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay.” The clown limped away and Gloria joined her grandsons who stood off to one side.
“I didn’t mean to kick him,” Ryan said as they slowly walked to the car. “I just freaked out.”
Gloria put an arm around her grandson’s shoulders. “I’m partly to blame. You told me you didn’t want to come to the circus. At least you weren’t attacked by an elephant.”
Ryan shuddered. “Yeah.”
“It wasn’t a real clown,” Tyler said. “He was just dressed up as a clown.”
They climbed into the car and after the boys buckled their seatbelts, Gloria pulled out of the parking lot and onto the street. When she reached Main Street, she turned left, deciding to drive by Margaret’s place.
Ruth’s van wasn’t there. Lucy’s jeep was, so she pulled in behind it.
“Where are we?” Ryan reached for the door handle.
“We’re at my friend, Margaret’s house. You remember Margaret.”
“I think so. I gotta use the bathroom.”
“We’ll head back to the farm.” Gloria shifted the car in reverse.
“I have to go now,” Ryan insisted as he squirmed back and forth. “I can’t wait.”
“Very well then.” She shut the car off and they climbed out. Ryan hopped to the sidewalk while Tyler ran ahead to ring the doorbell.
Moments later, Lucy appeared. She waved them into the breezeway. “I called the house and Paul told me you took the boys to the circus.”
“It was fun,” Gloria said.
“Except for the end when Ryan attacked a fake clown,” Tyler said.
“I have to go to the bathroom.” Ryan began to hop on one foot, his signal he really needed to use the restroom.
“Margaret is taking a nap.” Lucy held a finger to her lips. “We’ll have to be quiet.”
Gloria brought up the rear and followed the others into the mudroom. “The half bath is over here.” She led her grandson to the bathroom and flipped the light on. “We’ll be in the kitchen.”
“Coffee?” Lucy stood in front of the kitchen counter. “I made a small pot for myself while I waited for Marg
aret to wake up.”
“How is she doing?” Gloria asked.
“I haven’t talked to her yet. When I called after church, Ruth told me she had some errands to run so I offered to come by. By the time I got here, Margaret was already taking a nap.”
“Can I go down to the lake?” Tyler reached for the slider handle that led to the rear deck and to Margaret’s backyard.
“Yes, but stay out of the water.” Fall was right around the corner. Although the days were still pleasant, the evenings were chilly and the water too cold for swimming.
“I wanna go!” Ryan burst into the kitchen.
“Shh…” Gloria whispered. “You can both go.”
The boys disappeared outside and Gloria turned her attention to Lucy. “Did Ruth happen to say how Margaret was doing?”
“Margaret is having a nightmare.” Margaret shuffled into the kitchen. “Hello Gloria. Welcome to my nightmare.”
Gloria’s heart sank as she gazed at her friend. Margaret prided herself on her meticulous grooming. She wore designer duds and her hair was always styled in the latest fashion…but not today. Her short, perky spikes were matted to her head and she was wearing a tattered housecoat.
Gloria glanced at her bare feet. Margaret never went barefoot. “I wish it was only a bad dream.” She pulled out a chair. “Why don’t you sit down?”
Margaret eased into the chair and stared blankly at Gloria. “Ruth must have given me some good stuff before I went to bed. I was out like a light.”
The boys darted past the slider.
“Someone is on my deck.”
“It’s Ryan and Tyler. I took them to the circus and thought I would stop by here to check on you on my way home.”
“What day is it?” Margaret asked.
“Sunday,” Lucy said. “It’s Sunday.”
“Sunday…” Margaret pondered the words. “Don died yesterday.”
“Yes,” Gloria said.
Margaret ran a hand through her hair. “I need to think about the funeral, don’t I?”
Gloria sat next to Margaret. “We’ll help you, Margaret. All of us, if you want.”
“I talked to Chad last night after I got home. He’s flying in and should be here sometime today.” Chad was Don and Margaret’s only child, a son who lived in Albuquerque. He’d gone off to college in California and after getting his CPA license, moved to Albuquerque.
“I’m glad he’s on his way,” Gloria said.
The slider flew open and Tyler ran inside. “Grams! Come quick!”
Gloria’s heart skipped a beat. Come quick were two words she never liked to hear together, not from one of her grandsons. It meant something had happened and more than likely, it wasn’t good.
Gloria jogged across the kitchen and followed Tyler onto the deck. He was halfway down the sloped back lawn, running at breakneck speed. She could see Ryan near the shoreline. He was kneeling on the ground next to the wooden dock that led out to Lake Terrace.
She came to an abrupt halt behind her grandsons. Ryan hovered over a nest of fuzzy yellow birds. “Look at the baby ducks.”
Lucy and Margaret quickly caught up with them. “It’s a little late in the year for baby ducks,” Lucy said.
“Don’t touch them,” Gloria said. “We need to leave the ducks here so the momma duck can find them. I bet that’s the momma now.”
A mottled brown bird with blue-purple tipped feathers swam toward them and waddled onto shore.
The group stepped back as the duck made her way to the chirping birds. The bird circled the chicks several times before leading them into the water and they paddled off.
Margaret attempted a small smile. “I wondered what happened to my ducks. I kept bringing out food for them but thought they had moved on.”
“They’ve been busy,” Lucy joked. “I thought most ducks were born in the spring.”
“Me too,” Gloria said. “I guess they didn’t get the memo.”
“The cycle of life,” Margaret said as they retraced their steps. “Life, death, marriage. I guess we’ve seen it all in the last day.”
Gloria linked arms with her friend. “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”
“Revelation 21, Verse 4,” Lucy said. “I memorized the verse when Gary died.”
The boys headed to the front yard to inspect Margaret’s trees for “fort worthiness” and the women made their way back inside.
Lucy closed the door behind them. “I made some coffee. You’ll need to warm it in the microwave.”
“Thanks.” Margaret wandered to the cupboard, grabbed a clean cup, filled it with coffee and stuck it in the microwave. “Detective Givens told me he would call today. He said the autopsy results should be in.”
The microwave beeped and Margaret pulled the cup out. “I just can’t believe Don would want to end his life. It doesn’t add up. Just the other day he told me when he was thinking of starting a part-time financial consulting business to give him something to do during the long winter months. It was either that or become snowbirds and spend our winter months in Florida where he could golf and play tennis.”
Gloria sat in the seat across from Margaret and drummed her fingers on the tabletop. “You knew Don better than any of us but he didn’t seem depressed, not even after the heart attack.”
“He seemed fine when I left to head over to Andrea and Brian’s reception. He even reminded me to bring the ice cream home.” Margaret’s lower lip quivered. “I just don’t understand.”
The doorbell chimed. “That must be Ryan and Tyler.” Gloria sprang from her chair and hurried to the front door, wondering why the boys didn’t just come back in through the kitchen door.
She swung the door open. On the other side was a man Gloria didn’t recognize.
“Can I help you?”
“Yes. I’m Detective Givens. Is Mrs. Hansen home?”
Chapter 7
“I’ll be right back.” Gloria slammed the door in the detective’s face and hurried to the kitchen. “Margaret, Detective Givens is here to see you.”
“Where is he?” Lucy shifted in her chair.
“I left him on the front porch,” Gloria said.
Margaret waved her hand. “Might as well let him in.”
Gloria darted to the front door and flung it open. “I wanted to check to make sure she was ready for company. Follow me.” She led him into the kitchen.
Lucy popped out of her chair. “We should get going.”
Margaret lifted her hand and eyed the detective warily. “No. Please stay.”
“This shouldn’t take long,” the detective said. “We got the autopsy results back. We found a sedative in your husband’s bloodstream, more than someone would take if they planned to get behind the wheel of a car and drive somewhere.”
The detective shifted his feet. “In fact, it’s possible he may not have even been able to walk to the vehicle on his own.”
“You think someone put him in the car?” Gloria asked.
The detective ignored Gloria’s question. “I’ll need an exact timeline of your whereabouts yesterday, Mrs. Hansen. Where you went, who you talked to, what you did.”
“She needs an alibi,” Lucy whispered. “You think Margaret drugged her husband, dragged him to his car, turned it on and killed him with carbon monoxide poisoning?”
“We’re not ruling anyone or anything out,” the detective said. “As I said a moment ago, we aren’t sure Mr. Hansen would have been able to walk to the garage, climb inside his vehicle and start it. He was sedated.”
The detective asked several questions regarding Don’s acquaintances and his recent activities.
“He’s been staying close to home since his heart attack. Maybe he got confused and took too much of one of his prescriptions,” Margaret said.
“I would like to look at his cell phone. We need to check
his phone records and recent calls.”
“I’ll go get it.” Margaret pushed her chair back and walked out of the room. She returned a short time later, empty-handed. “I can’t find it.”
“Try calling it,” Lucy suggested.
“That’s a good idea.” Margaret made her way over to the kitchen counter, picked up her cell phone and turned it over. She pressed several buttons. “It’s ringing.”
“It went to voice mail,” she reported before hitting the end button and setting the phone down. “Maybe the battery died. Don never was good at remembering to charge his phone.”
“Maybe he left it in his car,” Gloria said.
“I’ll have someone check.” The detective jotted some notes on the pad of paper he was holding. He asked Margaret several more pointed questions, about her and Don’s relationship and if they were having marital or financial difficulties.
“Our finances are fine. We had been driving each other crazy since his recent heart attack and he was underfoot but nothing serious,” Margaret said.
The detective flipped the pad of paper shut and shoved it in his pocket. “Please look for the cell phone and let me know when you find it.” He asked for the name of their cell phone carrier and Gloria guessed he planned to request a copy of the phone records from them.
Margaret gave him the information and assured him she would search for the phone before Gloria escorted the detective out. She watched Detective Givens climb into his car and drive off before she shifted her gaze as she searched for her grandsons. They were nowhere in sight.
“I need to track down the boys,” Gloria hollered into the kitchen before stepping outside.
She circled the house and found them darting back and forth in the side yard. “What are you doing?”
Tyler looked up. “Someone dumped this confetti paper all over the yard.” He held up a wad of shredded paper in one hand and a plastic grocery store bag with a large tear in it in the other. “The bag ripped.”
“We’re picking it up cuz it’s blowing all over.” Ryan pointed toward the nearby pine tree and the bits of shredded paper surrounding the base.
Greed with Envy (Garden Girls Christian Cozy Mystery Series Book 15) Page 4
