Ruth’s face reddened. She nodded but refused to speak.
“This is a tight spot,” Rose blurted out. “Lordy. What are we gonna do now?”
“Search Brian’s house,” Andrea said. “I have a spare key.”
At first, Gloria was all for it, but the more she thought about it, she found slippery spots in the plan. “What if Brian’s parents decide to take a break and come by the house?”
“True,” Margaret said. “Unless someone can manage to keep them away until after we search the place.”
The girls decided the best plan was to wait until at least the following day to search Brian’s home. Hopefully, it would give him a chance to recover some of his memory and for them, figure out his parents’ plan. The last thing Andrea wanted was to have Brian’s parents catch her and the others inside his home while he was lying in a hospital bed.
True to her word, Alice’s chicken tortilla casserole was ready in record time. She set the piping hot baking dish on top of the stove. Gloria had been too busy to notice she had also made a side dish of rice.
“This food looks delicious, Alice,” Gloria said. “Thank you for sharing it with us.”
The other girls thanked Alice, as well, as they loaded their plates with the spicy casserole and rice.
Gloria scooped a generous serving of rice on the side, picked up her fork and sampled a taste. It was a mixture of black beans, corn and yellow rice. She savored her bite and tasted a small piece of fresh cilantro. “This is delicious Alice. I need to get the recipe.”
The girls carried their dishes to the sunroom. Dot and Rose insisted Alice have a seat while they ran back to the kitchen for a pitcher of lemonade. After they all settled in at the bistro tables, Gloria offered a prayer. “Dear Lord. Thank you for this food. We pray that you bless it to our bodies. Lord, we also offer a special prayer for Brian. We pray You heal his body, restore his memory and You help track down the horrible person or persons who attacked him. We thank You for Your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ and in His name we pray. Amen.”
The girls echoed amen and then dug into their food. The chicken casserole was rich and creamy, and the sauce had a bite to it. Gloria couldn’t put her finger on what it was. Her eyes narrowed and she gazed at Alice suspiciously. “You didn’t mix your special honeymoon salsa into this dish?”
Alice shook her head and winked at Gloria. “No, Miss Gloria. I save my special recipe for married couples only.”
Andrea grinned. “Yeah. I guess I’ll be getting some on my wedding night.” The smile quickly faded. “If there is a wedding night.”
“There will be a wedding night,” Lucy vowed. “We’ll get to the bottom of this.”
“Don’t you worry, Andrea,” Dot said.
“With Gloria hot on the case, we’ll track down the perp,” Margaret added.
“But what if he never remembers me…” Andrea fretted.
“I’ll tell you what I told the others,” Rose said. “I got a special herbal potion that will help Brian remember everything you ever wanted and maybe more.” She set her fork on top of her empty plate. “All you gotta do is give me the word!”
“Special potion?” Andrea frowned.
“It’s a special family recipe, passed down by my Great Aunt Lajaria, who was a gypsy and the most powerful and respected member of her clan.” Rose wagged her finger back and forth. “Now, don’t be askin’ me to share what’s in it. Aunt Lajaria tole me I would be cursed if I ever shared the secret recipe.”
“Join the club,” Andrea mumbled under her breath.
“We could’ve used it on Eleanor Whittaker during our last investigation,” Gloria said.
“Now, it don’t taste that great. I have to admit.” Rose dabbed at the corners of her mouth with her napkin. “It might be a little tricky gettin’ him to drink the stuff.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Andrea promised.
Dot glanced at her watch. “We better head back to the restaurant.” Rose and she carried their plates to the kitchen. Before they left, they promised Andrea they would keep their eyes and ears open and let her know if they heard any tidbit of information that might be useful.
After they left, the others helped Alice and Andrea straighten up the kitchen and load the dishwasher. Lucy and Margaret were the next to head out, leaving only Gloria. “I need to stop by the house to let Mally out for a run. If you want, we can visit Brian this afternoon.”
Andrea gazed out the kitchen window. “On the one hand, I want to, but on the other…”
Gloria patted her arm. “You think about it.” The fact that Andrea was out of bed was a step in the right direction. She didn’t want to force her to visit Brian and become despondent again if he couldn’t remember.
She hugged Alice, thanked her for the delicious lunch and then headed to the SUV. On the way home, she stopped by Gus’s repair shop to check on Annabelle.
Gus was in the back, working on another vehicle. Poor Annabelle, parked near the edge of the parking lot, was all alone. Gloria patted Annabelle’s trunk before heading inside.
“Hi Gus,” Gloria called out as she entered the shop, not wanting to scare him half to death. She hovered in the doorway leading to the back, and then remembered Rose’s superstition about doorways. She took a step back.
Gus peeked around the hood of a car. “Hi Gloria.” He grabbed a rag from his pocket, wiped his hands and eased his way around the car.
“I’m here to get the verdict on Annabelle.”
“I figured as much.” Gus shook his head. “I’m sorry Gloria, but I don’t have good news.”
Chapter 8
“For starters, the starter is toast.” Gus grinned. “Get it? Starters, starter…”
Gloria attempted a half-hearted smile.
“Ahem.” Gus cleared his throat and his expression grew serious. “While I was tinkering around underneath, I found a small leak. Looks like you need a new head gasket, along with the starter. The fuel pump is in bad shape and Annabelle is leaking a little transmission fluid, too.”
“Oh dear. All of that?” she asked.
“I’m afraid so. Mary Beth is working on a quote, but it’s going to set you back a few thousand bucks,” he said as he looked over her shoulder at Annabelle. “She’s getting up there, Gloria, and she’s gonna start nickel and diming you to death. Maybe it’s time to put her to rest.”
Paul had said almost the exact same thing and Gloria knew he would agree with Gus, that it was time to let Annabelle retire and purchase a newer vehicle, but it was like a betrayal of a lifelong loyal friend. “Yes, if you could have Mary Beth send over an estimate, I’ll talk to Paul.”
Gloria jingled the SUV keys she was holding in her hand. “While you’re at it, let me know how much you want for the SUV, too.”
“Rides like a dream, huh,” Gus said, and he was right. The SUV was nice. It was easy to drive and if she were honest with herself, she had to admit she liked how she sat a little higher in the driver’s seat and had a clearer view of other cars as well as the road. The darn thing practically floated over the bumpy roads and it was good on gas, to boot.
“Yes. I hate to say it, but it’s a very nice vehicle.” There it was. The word. A vehicle. Not a family member like Annabelle, but a hunk of fancy metal and parts with no character or personality, no memories…
Gloria headed to the door. “Thanks, Gus. I’ll give you a call after we get the quote and price.” She stepped out onto the sidewalk and averted her gaze. Poor Annabelle.
Mally was waiting for Gloria at the back door, her head peeking out the window as she watched Gloria pull into the drive. She could see Mally barking her head off as she eyed the unfamiliar vehicle.
When Gloria climbed out, she stopped barking and waited anxiously for her to open the back door.
“Have at it.” Gloria held the door as Mally darted past her, down the steps and ran over to her favorite tree. After a quick stop, she raced across the gravel drive and disappeared behind the b
arn, reappearing moments later.
Mally came to an abrupt halt near the edge of the garden and sniffed at the tomato plants before continuing her perimeter patrol.
Gloria dropped her purse on the kitchen chair and her keys on top before returning to the porch and settling into one of the rockers as she waited for Mally to finish her run.
She gazed at the small farm across the road. A young couple, Chris and Melody Fowler, along with their young child lived in the house. Gloria didn’t know much about them. They kept mostly to themselves. Of course, Gloria and Paul were gone a lot. Perhaps with summer right around the corner, the couple would be out, working in the yard or maybe even planting a garden.
Mally came skidding around the corner of the house, gravel flying as she hit the drive and then bounded up the steps, coming to an abrupt halt in front of Gloria, her tongue hanging out of her mouth. “Well! Look at you. I wish I could bottle your energy!” She patted Mally’s head and Mally flopped down on top of Gloria’s feet to keep an eye out for her archenemies, the squirrels.
It was a gorgeous afternoon…too nice to head indoors so she decided to stay put and enjoy the first of many glorious late spring, early summer days. Gloria closed her eyes and listened as the birds, perched in Mally’s favorite tree, chattered back and forth.
Meow. Puddles, Gloria’s cat, not wanting to be left out, began howling. Gloria eased out of the chair and opened the door so Puddles could join them.
Puddles wandered to the edge of the steps. When he spotted the birds flitting back and forth on the tree branches, he began “yakking” at them, which always cracked Gloria up.
“They aren’t going to fly down for a visit,” Gloria warned as she settled back into her chair. Puddles finally gave up on the birds and leapt onto Gloria’s lap before curling up for a nap.
She wasn’t sure how long she stayed in the chair, but she was in the same spot when she watched Andrea pull into the drive and park her truck next to the SUV.
“Hi dear. I’m glad to see you’ve decided to leave the house,” Gloria said when Andrea got close.
Andrea patted Mally’s head and settled into the chair next to Gloria. “I decided that I am going to head down to the hospital. Do you want to go? I mean, you don’t have to…” her voice trailed off.
On the one hand, it would have been nice to stay home and enjoy the gorgeous afternoon, maybe putter around in the garden for a little while, but the look on Andrea’s face changed her mind. “I’ll go with you, Andrea. Give me a minute to run inside and freshen up.”
Gloria handed Puddles over to Andrea and then shuffled inside to use the bathroom and grab a couple bottled waters from the fridge.
When she returned, Mally was sprawled across Andrea’s feet and Puddles was gazing up at Andrea, a look of pure adoration on his face.
“Traitors,” Gloria quipped as she reached for the cat.
“I’ll drive,” Andrea offered. “Since you drove last time.”
Gloria checked Mally and Puddles’ food dishes before grabbing her purse and heading back out. Andrea was already waiting in the truck and Gloria made her way over to the passenger side.
She climbed in and reached for the seatbelt. “Let’s hope Brian is doing better today.”
Andrea glanced in the rearview mirror and shifted into reverse. “I talked to Brian’s mom a short time ago. She said he’s awake and alert, but so far still can’t remember a lot of things. She said it’s as if his memory stopped right around the time he moved to Belhaven. He doesn’t remember owning the hardware store, the drug store or the grocery store, or that he lives in the house his grandparents left him.”
She looked both ways and pulled onto the road. “He thinks he’s still a circuit court judge.”
Gloria automatically turned her gaze to stare out the window as they drove past Main Street and Nails and Knobs Hardware Store. She remembered Ruth’s odd behavior and her suspicions that perhaps Brian had received some sort of package or mail that might be a clue.
Perhaps it wasn’t a random robbery, after all. Had Brian been targeted? Who was the stranger who had come into the hardware store days earlier and asked about surveillance equipment? Brian was very perceptive. The fact that he’d mentioned the incident to Andrea was telling.
She wondered what, if any, evidence the police had found inside the hardware store and made a mental note to ask Paul if he’d had a chance to discuss the case again with any of his former co-workers.
Paul had called earlier to say Allie and he had made it safely back to the farm and were in the process of unloading her things. He promised to be home in time for dinner, and Gloria invited Allie to come over, too, which reminded Gloria she hadn’t a clue what they would eat for dinner. Maybe they could order pizza…
“…Brian’s house.” Andrea had said something and Gloria, her mind on other things, had missed what she said.
“I’m sorry Andrea. What did you say?”
“I said I wondered if Brian’s parents will want to stay at his house.” Andrea patted an oversize bag next to her. “I brought some clothes and things along in case they want a break. I can let them drive my truck back to his place and they can drop you off along the way.” It was apparent Andrea had given this some thought. Perhaps she thought if she could get Brian alone, she could talk to him, maybe jog his memory.
Andrea pulled into the hospital parking lot and the first empty spot she found. She shut the engine off and reached for the door handle. “Here goes nothing.”
Gloria glanced around as they walked across the parking lot toward the emergency room entrance. The parking lot was full.
“He’s in the same room,” Andrea explained as they passed by the check-in desk and made their way to the now-familiar “family room.” Several people were inside and Gloria scanned the room searching for Brian’s parents. She found them seated alone, in the corner.
Andrea caught Joan’s eye and the women hurried over to greet them. Joan stood and gently hugged Andrea.
“I thought you two might like to take a break. I can hang around here and keep an eye on Brian,” Andrea said as she hugged her in return.
Gloria caught a glimpse of an uneasy look that passed between Brian’s parents. “Is everything okay?”
“There’s been no change in his condition, if that’s what you’re asking,” Peter Sellers answered.
“Brian has a…visitor,” Joan blurted out.
Chapter 9
“A visitor?” Andrea frowned. “Family?”
“An old friend,” Brian’s mother admitted.
Andrea’s face became expressionless as she put two and two together. “An old girlfriend,” she guessed and judging by the look on Brian’s parents face, Gloria was certain she had hit the nail on the head.
“C’mon. Let’s go see Brian.” Andrea spun on her heel and stomped out of the waiting room.
Gloria tried to calm her as they walked but it was as if Andrea hadn’t even heard her. They marched down the hall, their heels clicking in tandem on the gleaming hospital floor.
The door to Brian’s room was open, the curtain partially drawn.
Gloria heard the tinkle of a woman’s laughter from the other side. Apparently Andrea had heard it, too, as she strode across the room and flung the curtain to the side. “Who are you?”
A young blonde woman spun around and faced Andrea. She looked Andrea up and down, a sneer on her face. “I’m Tiffany Cartwright, Brian’s friend. And who are you?”
The first thing Gloria noticed was the woman looked a lot like Andrea. She was a petite, attractive blonde. Andrea’s eyes were a striking blue and the other woman’s, a sapphire green that glittered dangerously.
“Andrea Malone. Brian’s fiancée!”
The sneer never left the woman’s face as she gazed at the large diamond ring on Andrea’s finger. “Really?”
The woman turned her attention to Brian. “I had no idea you were engaged, Brian. When did this happen?”
Bria
n stared at Andrea blankly. “I…don’t know. I mean. I can’t remember.” He rubbed his brow.
Tiffany turned and Gloria studied her face. It was a mask of ugliness. She was a good judge of character, and the first thought that popped into her mind was the woman was the epitome of the phrase “beauty is only skin deep.”
She took a step forward in an attempt to diffuse a tense situation. “Brian and Andrea are engaged, but as you know, Brian was injured and is suffering from amnesia.”
“Funny how Brian remembers me but not his own supposed fiancée,” the woman scoffed.
Andrea had reached her boiling point as she grabbed the woman’s arm and yanked her away from the bed. “Leave now before this gets ugly,” she threatened.
“Ladies!” Brian jerked forward in an attempt to break up the spat. His face turned pale white. His hand dropped to his side and he fell back in the bed, moaning under his breath.
It was that precise moment, a nurse darted into the room. “Mr. Sellers should be resting. All of you need to leave,” she informed them in a stern voice.
The trio slipped out of the room, their heads lowered. Andrea was the last to leave. “I’m sorry Brian,” she whispered as she shuffled out.
Gloria waited for her in the hall. She could see the woman – Tiffany – up ahead. Andrea saw her, too, and started after her.
Gloria flung her arm out, almost clotheslining Andrea. “No. You need to let this go. The last thing we need is for you two to get into a knockdown, drag out brawl and have twinkle toes there, press charges and you end up in jail.”
“True.” Andrea’s shoulders slumped. “She’s lucky I didn’t deck her. Her hair was faker than she was. Did you see that? She’s not even a real blonde!”
Gloria purposely walked slow, giving Andrea plenty of time to rant and rave over Brian’s ex-girlfriend before they joined Brian’s parents. She hoped the ex had enough sense to leave.
They stepped into the waiting room and Gloria let out the breath she was holding when she saw that Brian’s ex was nowhere around.
Peter and Joan Sellers caught a glimpse and hurried over. Brian’s mom touched Andrea’s arm. “I’m so sorry. I-I…” her voice trailed off.
Forget Me Knot (Garden Girls Christian Cozy Mystery Series Book 13) Page 5
