by Blythe Baker
The gas pedal easily gave way to my lead foot. The rational side of my brain told me to watch my speed, but I was still being governed by my flight instinct. I made it the short distance home without further incident. The porchlight greeted me like an old friend. The warm, yellow light bathed me in much needed comfort. I stumbled through the doorway and locked the deadbolt behind me.
“Land sakes, child! What happened to you?” Mamma Jackie was on me instantly. Her sharp eyes scanned me for any sign of what had upset me.
“Th-there was someone in the giftshop! They broke in while I was hanging up some pictures.”
She clicked her tongue. “I guess that’s what comes of staying out until all hours of the night, the way you young people do.” Despite the critical words, I could see concern in her eyes. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”
“I’m fine. Just a little shaken up over it. They climbed out of the window when I went into the room they were in.”
“Did you get a good look at them?”
“No. It was too dark. I don’t think anything was stolen, but it looked like they were searching for something.”
“I don’t like this. I don’t like it at all. Did you call the police?”
The police. It was such an obvious step to take, but I had been so worried about getting home safely that I hadn’t thought of it. “N-no.”
“Okay. Well, you can take care of that tomorrow. Here, take this.” She placed her cold glass of peach julep in my hand and nudged my wrist towards my mouth. “Now, you run on up to bed. I’ll find you something to eat in the kitchen and bring it up.”
I nodded and took another sip from the glass she had given me, for once having no desire to argue with her orders. The alcohol was already wrapping me in its numbing fingers. The shaking of my limbs quieted under the persuasion of Mamma Jackie’s peach julep. The weight of my legs seemed tripled as the last of the adrenaline left me. I felt emotionally exhausted.
Reaching the second story landing, I slipped into my room and curled up on my bed. I fell asleep before Mamma Jackie could bring me any food. The excitement and stress of the last few days had finally caught up with me.
Chapter 13
The next morning, I found myself sitting in my car outside of the police department. I was psyching myself up to go in when someone rapped their knuckles on my window. Still jumpy from the break-in, I clutched at my chest. My stomach curdled when I saw who it was. Detective Sullivan was bent over to peer into my window. I rolled down the glass that was between us.
“Morning, Miss Morgan.”
“Detective.”
“Can I ask what you’re doing here?” He raised his eyebrow curiously.
“I’m here to file a report.”
“Oh?”
“There was a break-in at the souvenir shop last night.”
The detective seemed to lose some of his spark as I spoke. “Right. Well, might as well come in then.”
I stepped out of my car and followed him into the police station. I had the distinct impression that he was not pleased with the reason I had shown up. Did he still consider me to be a suspect? What ever happened to innocent until proven guilty? Was he just hoping I was here to turn myself in? My jaw clenched with silent, seething indignation.
All eyes were on us. The early shift of officers were a swirl of badges and uniforms. The sweet smell of glazed doughnuts and fresh, black coffee filled the station. Sullivan led me back to his desk. A folder with the label “Tea Garden” was peeking out from under the pile of papers. Seeing me looking at it, he quickly straightened the documents to hide it.
“So, tell me what happened.” A ballpoint pen rested in his hand.
“I was at the garden in the giftshop hanging up some decorations. I heard a noise coming from the office. When I went to check it out, I saw someone climbing out of the window.”
“Did you notice any physical features? Did you see any weapons?”
“No and no.”
“I see. Was anything taken?”
“Not to my knowledge.”
Detective Sullivan put down the pen he was holding. “So, basically, someone you can’t describe broke in and took nothing?”
I could sense the judgment radiating off of him. “I know how it sounds, but that’s what happened!”
“Why are you just now reporting it?”
“Because I wasn’t thinking clearly last night. I just wanted to get away before something happened to me.”
“Next time, call as soon as it happens. We could have sent out a squad car to canvas the area for suspicious characters.”
“Hopefully there isn’t a next time, but if there is, then I promise to call right away. Isn’t there anything you can do for me now?”
“I can see about having a patrol drive by every so often. That might deter future incidents. Miss Morgan, I’m not saying that I don’t believe you, but you haven’t really given us anything to go off of other than your own testimony. There isn’t any hard evidence, unless damage was done. We may have been able to do more if you had called us when it happened, but as it is, the patrol is the best I can offer you.”
My nails bit into the palm of my hand. I had the sneaking suspicion that he thought I was just trying to take some of the attention away from the murder investigation. It was even possible that he thought I was making it up or that I had imagined it all. Filing a report had been a waste of my morning. “Thank you for your time, Detective.” I retorted curtly and stood.
“Anytime, Miss Morgan.”
Storming away from him, I grumpily pounded my feet on the tile. The police were being no help at all. So, when Agatha Jenkins claimed I was stalking her, that was enough for the police to get involved, but when I told them someone had broken in, all I got was an occasional, halfhearted patrol? Maybe this town really was against me.
The drive to the garden was pregnant with silence. Fumes boiled out of my ears. The anger I felt almost eclipsed the nervous twisting in my stomach. If I was being honest with myself, I didn’t really want to return to work after the break-in. I was more worried about returning after that than after the murder. Maybe it was because seeing the intruder with my own eyes somehow made the situation more real for me.
Kelly had already opened the gate and was taking admission fees when I pulled into the parking lot. “There you are!” she said. “You’re never late. Did something happen?”
“I was at the police station.”
“What? Why?”
I was getting tired of rehashing the conversation. “Someone broke in last night.”
Kelly’s face paled. “Really?”
“Yes. I didn’t get a good look at the person, and the police aren’t being much help. I don’t think either of us should be here after dark until all of this is wrapped up.”
“I agree. We should leave together from now on.”
“Anyway, I need to go open the store up.”
“Okay. Yeah.” Fear was splattered over Kelly’s face.
Not even the sunshine could chase away the ball of unpleasantness in my stomach.
Suddenly, my eyes landed on a strange man in a hardhat standing near the path. “Excuse me, what are you doing?” I asked, approaching him. The man was too busy setting up surveying equipment to hear me. “Hello!” I tried again. “Can you please tell me what you’re doing?”
He glanced up at me, before returning to his work. “Daniel Walker sent me.”
At the name “Walker” my temper flared. This was too much. “That little weasel! I made myself perfectly clear. I am not selling the property. You need to pack up and go.”
“I was paid for a job.” The man’s hands were still adjusting the equipment.
“You can either leave, or I can call the cops and have you arrested for trespassing.”
“Mr. Walker isn’t going to be pleased about this.”
“I couldn’t care less about Daniel Walker. In fact, I hope he isn’t pleased.” I grabbed some of his equipment
and took off down the hill.
“Hey! Come back with that!”
“If you want it, come and get it!” My face felt hot. Red hair flew behind me like a bloody flag of independence. I walked out of the entrance gate and tossed his gear into the parking lot.
“You’re insane!” The surveyor scrambled to pick up his things. He climbed into his white work truck and squealed his tires on his way out. The smell of burnt rubber lingered behind him.
“What was that all about?” Kelly’s eyes were wide with shock as she came up to me.
“Daniel Walker sent him. I think I need to go pay Mr. Walker a personal visit.”
“There’s a gate at the back of the garden that opens out to the land on the other side of the wall. His quarry isn’t too far through the trees.”
“Thanks.” I spun on my heel and marched back into the garden.
It was a slow day at the tea garden. There weren’t many guests walking through the various exhibits. The solitude gave me time to cultivate my anger into eloquent sentences. Mentally I worked out the way I wanted the conversation with Daniel Walker to go.
The sound of scraping gravel caught me off guard. Small pebbles tumbled down a nearby wall. Instincts took over as I jumped out of the way. From the ledge of the rock wall above, a giant boulder crashed down. It missed me by inches.
I gave a startled cry and jumped back as the rock shattered at my feet.
Even with my heart in my throat at the near miss, a detached, rational part of my mind was still working. Was it a coincidence that the rock just happened to fall when I was walking past? With everything else going on, I doubted that was the case. I scanned my surroundings but saw no one suspicious nearby. My mind flitted back to the conversation I had with Detective Sullivan earlier. The police didn’t take my first incident report seriously. There wasn’t much point in reporting this, too. Besides, I had no proof that the rock hadn’t fallen on its own.
If someone had pushed it, who could it have been? The list of suspects rambled through my mind. If it wasn’t for Kelly, I wouldn’t have even been on the secluded path. She was the one who had suggested it. I wondered if she knew some shortcut to get to the spot before me. Working at the garden for years prior to my arrival had to have taught her a few tricks. Next on the list was Daniel Walker. I had just kicked his surveyor to the curb. Was he the kind of man who was so desperate to get his way that he would resort to trying to kill me? Speaking of desperation, what about Agatha? If she really did blame me for her sister’s death, would she be driven to seek revenge?
I chewed on my lips. Suddenly, going to see Daniel on my own seemed like a dangerous idea. My instincts were screaming at me to get back to a busier part of the garden—somewhere with lots of people around. Although, that hadn’t been enough to save poor Angela.
It seemed like rabid shadows were closing in on me as I hurried back the way I had come. Raw nerve endings put me on edge. Every hedge and dark corner sheltered unknown assailants. My feet pounded quicker down the path to the rest of the garden.
When I burst back into the main garden area, I stopped jerkily to steady myself. A few patrons eyed me warily. Deep breaths helped me regain my composure. My fingers expertly combed my hair back into place. A quick glance at the front gate showed me that Kelly was still leaning near the entrance, waiting for more guests to arrive. Would she have had enough time to get back to the gate during my momentary shock after the rock falling? I nervously speed walked to the giftshop.
The small store was comforting as long as I didn’t dwell on the break-in for too long. The smell of tea leaves gave the place an earthy ambiance. Clambering behind the counter, I grabbed a bottle of water to sip on. Was I crazy for still trying to make the business work? I was putting my life in danger every moment that I was on the premises. My dream of running the tea garden successfully was being twisted and tormented by someone else’s dark intentions. The happy, new chapter in my life was already stained with one person’s blood. I didn’t want to add my own to the mixture.
Chapter 14
At the end of the business day, Kelly walked up the hill to the refreshment shop like she did every day. She stood silently in the doorway. I was suddenly very aware of how alone the two of us were. The knot in my stomach writhed and tightened. I kept the counter between us.
“Did you have a question?” I asked.
“Uh, no. I thought we decided that we would leave together. You know, because of the break-in.” She placed her hands on her hips.
“Right. Sorry. I forgot we had discussed that.”
“Are you okay, Maddie? You look a little pale.”
“Must just be my blood sugar or something.” I giggled nervously trying to cover my obvious discomfort. After the rock almost falling on me, I wasn’t sure if it would be worse to walk out alone or to walk out with someone who might be a murderer.
“So, are you ready?” She jerked her thumb towards the gate.
“Yes. Sure. Let’s go.” I subtly slid my keys between my fingers. We started walking towards the gate together.
“How did it go with Daniel Walker, by the way?” she asked.
“It didn’t.”
“What? What do you mean?” Her brow furrowed in confusion. “I thought you were going over to talk to him earlier.”
“I was. I changed my mind.”
“How come?”
Was her curiosity more than just polite conversation? If she was the one who had pushed the rock, she might be trying to figure out if I was on to her.
“I just thought that since it was during business hours I should spend my time here.”
“That’s very responsible of you. Well, if you ever need back up, I’m here for you.”
“Thanks.” I kept my eye on her as I got into my car. The keys between my knuckles were ready for any sudden movements.
Kelly waved obliviously and drove out of the parking lot. My eyes narrowed as I watched her. Either she was genuinely nice, or she was a great con artist. I still hadn’t quite made up my mind about her. Thinking about Kelly reminded me of the incomplete will. Drake still hadn’t called me with any information. Maybe he was just trying to get under my skin or make me call him first. No. That wasn’t his style. Drake was much too upfront for that. Initially that was part of his charm. He didn’t play games with people. Unfortunately, that also made him come off as abrasive sometimes.
My breaks grinded and squealed as I eased out onto the road. On top of everything else going on, I was in need of a tune up. Lately my priorities revolved around getting the house ready to sell, taking care of the garden, and not getting my head caved in by mysteriously falling rocks. Mundane errands seemed to pale in comparison.
I was on autopilot as I drove the short distance down the street. My headlights skimmed across the front of my grandmother’s house. As I climbed out of the car, the wind started to pick up. Small twigs and shriveled leaves whipped through the air. Goosebumps riddled my skin. The night sky was shrouded by thick layers of ominous clouds. The air was electrified.
In a few strides, I was across the threshold. Strong smells stung my nose. “Mamma Jackie?”
“I’m in the kitchen.” Her voice rang through the house. Was she cooking?
Raising my eyebrows, I cautiously stepped into the kitchen. “What are you doing?”
“What’s it look like? I thought we could both use a homemade meal. All of those microwave dinners make your complexion oily. Just look at you.”
“You think I look oily?” I tried not to be worried by her typical criticism. If the old lady ever complimented anybody, her tongue would probably fall out. Still, I couldn’t help peering at my distorted reflection in the toaster.
“Don’t worry about it. All you need is a good, homecooked meal. It’ll clear right up,” she said briskly.
I self-consciously dabbed a paper towel to my forehead when she wasn’t looking. Then I wrinkled my nose. “Is that…are you basting the chicken with alcohol?” I asked. Str
ong alcoholic fumes wafted towards me from the stove.
“It’s my special recipe. You’ll love it. Oh, some mail came for you today. I put it on the table.”
That was uncharacteristically helpful of her. Slipping into a chair, I looked through the stack of mail on the kitchen table. Bills, bills, and more bills. The anxiety I had been dealing with seemed magnified in the small kitchen piled up with utility and water bills. My shoulders hunched with each new balance I saw. It wasn’t just the house bills I had to worry about. There were bills from the sprinkler system for the garden and the bulk orders of the souvenirs and the services from the landscaping company. Suddenly I was under a mountain of debt and paperwork. The tea garden may have been doing well, but with the bills taken into account, I was still barely scraping by.
A buzzing in my pocket drew my attention. I pulled out my phone and answered it without looking. “Hello?”
“Hey, Maddie.”
My eyes widened. Drake. “Hey.”
“I’m calling about that paperwork you sent me.”
The thundering of my heart echoed in my ears. “Well?”
“I really don’t think you have anything to worry about. As far as I can tell, the document is invalid like I thought. For one thing, it’s incomplete and unsigned. Plus, I would think the attorney handling the estate would have the most up-to-date copy. I went ahead and forwarded the file to your grandmother’s attorney for him to double check the dates, but it looks like the woman listed on the will you sent me doesn’t have any legitimate claim to the tea garden.”
“Really?” Excitement bubbled up from my chest.
“Looks that way, yes. I’m confident that Mr. Bailey will agree with me.”
“That’s great news! Thank you so much.”
“Anytime, Maddie. Is that murder investigation still underway?”
“Yes. They haven’t narrowed it down to anyone yet.” The subject change made some of my excitement fizzle out.
