Nightmare in Nantucket (Garden Girls Christian Cozy Mystery Series Book 14)
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Nightmare in Nantucket
Garden Girls
Cozy Mystery Series Book 14
Hope Callaghan
hopecallaghan.com
Copyright © 2016
All rights reserved.
This book is a work of fiction. Although places mentioned may be real, the characters, names and incidents, and all other details are products of the author’s imagination and are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events or actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.
No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced in any format, by any means, electronic or otherwise, without prior consent from the copyright owner and publisher of this book. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
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Thank you, Peggy H., Cindi G., Jean P., Wanda D. and Barbara W., for taking the time to preview Nightmare in Nantucket, for the extra sets of eyes and for catching all my mistakes.
A special thanks to my reader review team: Alice, Amary, Barbara, Becky, Becky B, Brinda, Cassie, Christina, Debbie, Denota, Devan, Francine, Grace, Jan, Jo-Ann, Joeline, Joyce, Jean K., Jean M., Kathy, Lynne, Megan, Melda, Kat, Linda, Lynne, Pat, Patsy, Renate, Rita, Rita P, Shelba, Tamara and Vicki
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
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Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:12-13 (NIV)
Chapter 1
Gloria Rutherford-Kennedy stared out the window of Dot’s Restaurant as she gazed at the parking lot in front. “What is taking Ruth so long?”
She glanced at her watch and then began drumming her fingers on the table.
Gloria’s best friend, Lucy Carlson, placed her hand over the top of Gloria’s hand. “Stop doing that. It’s driving me crazy.”
Dot Jenkins, the co-owner of Dot’s Restaurant, refilled Gloria’s coffee cup before setting the carafe on the table and settling into an empty chair next to her friend. “Why don’t you just tell us what the big news is?”
Gloria had called a “Garden Girls” meeting at Dot’s Restaurant, claiming they needed to meet ASAP and that there was some sort of crisis. All of the women, Lucy, Dot, Margaret, Gloria, and the still “MIA” Ruth were scheduled to meet at Dot’s at one o’clock on the dot.
But Ruth, the head postmaster at Belhaven, Michigan’s post office, still hadn’t arrived and she was late. Fifteen minutes and counting.
“If Ruth doesn’t hurry up, I’m going to drive to her house and drag her here,” Gloria vowed.
“It is a Saturday,” Margaret pointed out. “Maybe she had some errands to run.” The words were no more out of Margaret’s mouth and Gloria spotted Ruth’s van ease into an empty parking spot, right in front of the large picture window.
“There she is.” Gloria watched as the driver’s side door flew open. Ruth hopped out of the van and hurried through the door of the restaurant.
“Sorry I’m late,” she said breathlessly. “I was having a vehicle-related crisis.” Ruth yanked out a chair across from Gloria, dropped her purse on the floor and plopped down. “What’s the 911?”
Rose Morris, the new co-owner of Dot’s Restaurant, hurried over. “Did I miss anything?”
“Not yet,” Lucy, Dot and Margaret said in unison.
Rose pulled a chair from the empty table next to theirs and Lucy and Margaret scooched to the side to let her in. “Spill the beans!”
All eyes turned to Gloria, anxiously waiting to find out what their friend had deemed so important that she called an emergency meeting. “It’s about Andrea. Brian called me first thing this morning. Andrea is refusing to return to Belhaven. She told him she thinks she wants to call off the engagement.”
An echo of horrified gasps escaped the Garden Girls’ lips.
“You’re kidding,” Ruth said.
“Nope.” Gloria shook her head. “She told Brian she was confused.”
“Cold feet.” Dot decided.
“Is she still upset he couldn’t remember her after the accident?” Lucy asked.
Andrea Malone, the women’s close friend, was engaged to Brian Sellers, deemed one of the most eligible bachelors in their small town. It was a match made in heaven; at least Gloria was convinced God had a hand in bringing the two together.
Brian, a former circuit court judge, had moved to the small town after inheriting his grandparents’ home on nearby Lake Terrace. He had purchased several downtown businesses including the Quik Stop, Belhaven’s corner grocery, along with the town’s only drug store, as well as Nails and Knobs, the hardware store.
Not long ago, Brian had been attacked inside his hardware store. The attacker had knocked Brian unconscious and injured him so badly, he’d been hospitalized and suffered from amnesia.
He’d been released from the hospital and was healing nicely; but a small piece of his memory, the one that included his fiancée, Andrea, was the last to return. After doctors assured Brian he was on the mend, at least physically, a wounded and heartbroken Andrea decided to join her parents, who were vacationing on the island of Nantucket.
Not long after Andrea left, Brian’s full memory returned and he couldn’t wait to call Andrea to share the wonderful news. Everyone believed Andrea would return home and the couple would move forward with their plans for an upcoming engagement party followed by the wedding, set for late summer.
At least Gloria believed that until Brian had called her that morning in a state of panic.
“Brian needs to get his butt to Nantucket and haul the stubborn woman back here,” Rose said.
“He can’t,” Gloria said. “Because of his recent concussion, the doctors don’t want him flying or traveling, at least not alone.”
She went on. “We can’t let this happen. Those two should be together. I think Andrea’s pride took a hit.”
“Let me guess,” Margaret said. “Her parents are encouraging the break-up.”
Gloria sighed. “Reading between the lines that would be my guess.”
Andrea’s parents had visited several months ago. They didn’t like Belhaven, they didn’t like the small town, they didn’t like their only child living in another state and Gloria had a sneaky suspicion they didn’t like her friends, either.
The women tossed around different ideas including a phone intervention,
a chat with Andrea’s parents, which they quickly agreed would be a complete waste of time, and in fact, might make matters worse.
“What if we take a road trip, drive to Massachusetts and talk some sense into Andrea?” Dot asked.
“She’s on an island,” Gloria said.
“Surely they have commuter planes or ferry boats,” Margaret said.
“I think we should do it,” Ruth declared. “I’ll be a designated driver but if we all plan to go, we’ll need a second vehicle.”
Gloria frowned. “Annabelle’s new engine could use a road trip. Break it in, so to speak. Paul will want to go, too,” she added.
Margaret slapped the palm of her hand on the table. “A road trip!” She smiled at Gloria. “Remember our last road trip?”
Gloria rolled her eyes. “How could I forget?”
“Yeah,” Lucy piped up. “Now it’s our turn to go.”
The women excitedly discussed the possibility of hitting the road to rescue their friend from her parents’ evil clutches.
Rose was the one to burst the bubble of excitement. “What if Brian doesn’t want us to butt in?”
“You mean mind our own business?” Dot asked. “You’re probably right.”
“I’ll check with him right now.” Gloria grabbed her purse off the table and slid her chair back. “Let me make a quick phone call.” She darted out of the restaurant and made her way onto the sidewalk.
Gloria pulled her cell phone from her purse. First, she had to check with Paul. It was possible he would be against them “helping” out. She dialed the house phone and waited. Thankfully, a breathless Paul answered.
“Hello dear.”
“I hope you don’t answer the phone like that every time,” Gloria joked.
“Only when it’s my lovely wife calling.” Paul had convinced Gloria they needed caller id. At first, she’d balked, but after he had installed it, she loved it.
“Good answer,” she replied. “What do you think about taking a road trip to Massachusetts to bring Andrea home?” she blurted out.
Paul and Gloria had been in the kitchen eating breakfast when Brian had phoned with the disturbing news and Paul had even encouraged Gloria to meet with her friends to discuss the dilemma.
There was a long pause on the other end of the line and Gloria knew her husband was thinking. While Gloria could be impulsive, Paul was the methodical one. He liked to mull things over before making a decision, especially when it involved a plan his wife and her friends hatched.
Gloria hurriedly continued. “Not just us but all of us. All the girls plus Brian and you.”
“What does Brian think?” Paul asked.
“I haven’t talked to him yet,” Gloria said. “I figured I should run it by you first.” She knew it would please Paul since she rarely thought to run things by her husband. She was more of a “fly by the seat of her pants” person.
“I have a feeling if Brian says he thinks it’s a good idea, I won’t be able to talk you out of making the trip,” Paul said. “So I guess I say if Brian is okay with it, I’ll go along.”
“Oh! I love you so much,” Gloria said. “You’re the best husband a woman could ever want. I’m calling Brian now. See you soon.” She disconnected the line and with trembling fingers, dialed Brian’s cell phone.
Unfortunately, the call went to voice mail and Gloria didn’t want to share her idea in a message so she asked him to return the call as soon as possible.
Gloria began to pace the sidewalk, waiting for Brian to return the call. She passed by Ruth’s van and then stopped abruptly in front of it. There was something different about Ruth’s van, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on.
She shifted her head and gazed at the side before taking a step closer when her cell phone began to ring. It was Brian.
“Thanks for calling me back,” she said. “The girls and I have come up with a brilliant idea.”
Chapter 2
“What kind of idea?” Brian asked, his voice full of suspicion and for good reason.
“An old-fashioned, cross country road trip to rescue your betrothed from the clutches of her well-intentioned, yet misguided parents,” Gloria said.
“She’s on an island.” Brian said the first thing that popped into his head. “And I can’t fly.”
“You can take a ferry, though,” Gloria argued.
For the second time in a row, the man on the other end of the line was quiet. Brian, like Paul, liked to think things through before making a commitment.
“I dunno,” Brian finally said. “What about Paul? You’re going to leave him home?”
“Nope. He’s going with us.”
“Huh.” Gloria could tell by the tone of Brian’s voice that he still wasn’t convinced.
“Look,” she said. “Andrea is hurt. She needs her knight in shining armor to gallop in on his white horse and whisk her away.”
“And live happily ever after,” Brian said. “Let me think about it.”
“Fair enough,” Gloria said. “Call me back as soon as possible. We’ve got plans to make.” She disconnected the line before he had a chance to reply.
She stepped back inside the restaurant and several sets of eyes followed her across the room.
“Well?” Ruth asked. “What did he say?”
Gloria eased into her seat. She pulled her cell phone from her purse and placed it on the table before dropping her purse next to her chair. “Paul said yes and Brian said maybe.”
“We’re in,” Rose announced. “Dot and I already ran it by Johnnie and Ray. They said they’ll stay here and hold down the fort.” She leaned forward and lowered her voice. “I think they’re looking forward to having us out of their hair.”
Lucy snorted and Dot shot her friend a death look.
“We’ll have to find a place to stay,” Gloria said. “I told Brian to let me know his decision as soon as possible.”
The women discussed the logistics of the road trip and made the unanimous decision Gloria and Ruth would be the designated drivers.
Gloria pointed out the front window. “Ruth, your van looks different.”
“Wait’ll you see what I did,” Ruth said.
Before she could elaborate, Gloria’s cell phone chirped.
“It’s Brian,” Gloria grabbed her phone, pressed answer and then the speaker button. “Hi Brian. I’ve got you on speaker.”
“Hello ladies.” Brian’s deep voice echoed from the phone.
“Well?” Dot asked. “What’s the verdict?”
“I tried to call Andrea, to tell her we were coming…all of us, but she didn’t answer. In fact, I sent her a text late yesterday and she never replied.” There was a long pause on the other end of the line. “She must really want to end our relationship. Now she’s not taking my calls.”
Andrea had been upset but so far, she hadn’t outright avoided Brian. It seemed out of character and Gloria vowed to call her after she got home.
Brian continued. “I figured if I said no, you would go without me, so the answer is yes,” he said. “When do we leave?”
Rose pumped her fist in the air. “Yippee! A Garden Girls road trip.”
Gloria gazed around the table. “We don’t want to take too long, but we need to get ready. Let’s leave bright and early Monday morning.”
Gloria told Brian she would call him later. She disconnected the call and turned to Margaret. “Shouldn’t you run the trip by Don first?” Don was Margaret’s husband.
“Nah.” Margaret waved her hand. “He’ll probably be thrilled to have me gone for a few days and will decide to camp out over at the country club’s clubhouse.” Margaret’s husband was a golf fanatic, which was putting it mildly.
During the summer months, Don spent most of his waking hours at Montbay Hills Golf Club. Margaret and he were members of the exclusive, members-only club. “I’ll be the unofficial trip planner and start researching the local hotels,” Margaret offered. “There must be a ferry that shuttles vi
sitors to the island so I’ll research that, as well.”
“I say we meet here early Monday, around 6:00 a.m. and hit the road,” Dot suggested.
Lucy studied the front of her cell phone. “I mapped the distance. It’s almost 900 miles and 14 ½ hours from Belhaven to Massachusetts.”
“We’ll need to be on the road at six on the dot if we want to make it to Massachusetts in one day.”
With a plan in place and an agreed-upon departure time, the group gathered their belongings and stood.
There was a lot to do in a short amount of time and Gloria’s head was spinning. She bent down, picked up her purse and began to push her chair in when she suddenly realized they were forgetting someone, someone who was very important to Andrea…her former housekeeper and housemate, Alice.
“What about Alice?” Gloria asked and then shot Rose a quick glance. Rose and Alice had started out on the wrong foot. They weren’t “enemies” per se, but neither were they friends.
“Tolerated” one another would be a better word used to describe the women’s relationship. Still, they couldn’t leave Alice behind. They would have to invite her. They needed to invite her. Alice was like a second mother to Andrea.
“I’ll stop by the house to talk to her.” Gloria wasn’t sure if Alice was working. For several months, Alice had worked at “At Your Service,” a dog-training center located not far from Belhaven.
Ruth led the way and the women followed her out of the restaurant and onto the sidewalk. Gloria trailed behind and waited for the door to close before joining the others.
She caught a glimpse of Ruth’s van, which reminded her there was something different about her friend’s vehicle. Gloria eased past Dot and stood in front of the chrome bumper. “What did you do to your van?”
Dot craned her neck and studied her friend’s van. “It looks different.”
“It’s shiny,” Lucy said. “Did you wax it?”
“It’s shiny and there’s something sticking out of the top.” Margaret pointed to the roof of the van.