Nipped in the Bud

by Susan Sleeman

  Before he could answer, Lisa returned and handed me black jeans, a multicolored knit top, and sneakers. “Here you go.”

  Perry looked at her. “Your mom is keeping the kids. Adam can come.”

  “Excellent.” She snagged my hand and tugged me to my feet. “Hurry up so we can get out of here.”

  I did as she said. Hurried to the dank bathroom and changed my clothes. When I returned, I handed my shirt, shorts, and boots to Perry, who’d offered to save me from another altercation with Mitch and deliver my clothes.

  Though strong willed, some might say ornery, I let Lisa lead me down the sidewalk with her arm wrapped around my back as if I were her toddler. And that’s how I felt. All blubbery inside. Wanting to snuggle up to my mommy for comfort. Walking, yet not sure if my feet remembered how to maneuver. Listening to Lisa coo soft words of encouragement offered to displace the sight of Bud’s face from my mind. Or was it Mitch’s face?

  One last glance at the stubborn set of Mitch’s jaw, and I climbed in Perry’s SUV with the need to protect myself and prove my innocence solidified in my mind. Mitch thought I was guilty. He’d proceed along those lines. It was up to me to find the real killer. The question, the big question, the really big question was, did I possess the skills to do so?

  Chapter Five

  “And now, enjoy the best of Through the Garden Gate with your beloved host, Paige Turner.”

  “Oh, Paige, this is Desperate. I’m so frustrated I don’t know what to do.”

  “Go ahead and tell me your problem, Desperate, and I’ll see if I can help.”

  “For starters, I listen to you every day, and I try to implement your suggestions, but I’m one of those people who like the feel of the soil on my hands. Still, everything else you’ve said about gardening has worked, so I thought, why not give those SunGrips gloves a chance.”

  “Oh, I’m so glad you did. I, too, used to garden barehanded. Now I try to wear the gloves whenever possible. Still, you haven’t told me your concern.”

  “Well, you said I could find these gloves at most nurseries, but I haven’t found them yet. Believe me, I’ve tried. I’ve stopped by the hospital three times already, and the nurses say they don’t know what I’m talking about. They only have those latex exam gloves.”

  We arrived at Lisa’s house, and she gave me hot tea. Then she sent me to a steaming shower in a spotless bathroom and tucked me into the designer bed in her spare bedroom. I took a surprisingly long nap but when I woke, I realized the first shower hadn’t erased the sticky feeling of Bud’s blood on my legs and the snooze did nothing to rid my mind of his face in the mulch. I showered again to no avail. Perhaps meeting my new lawyer would do the trick.

  Anxious about his arrival, I padded across the thick carpet in Lisa’s upstairs hallway. A balcony overlooked the family room where Perry and Lisa sat on the leather sofa. Lisa rested her head on Perry’s shoulder, accentuating the differences in their coloring. Lisa had baby-fine blond hair like corn silk while Perry’s unruly mop resembled a brown thatch of Astroturf.

  What a sight—Lisa finding love again after Ben, especially when I couldn’t locate it even once. For me, a long-term relationship was as elusive as the perfect garden. Like a new plant hybrid, I’d find an exciting guy that I couldn’t wait to add to my life. Before long, a natural disaster ripped the budding relationship from the soil and plunged it into the compost bin. Unlike Lisa and Perry. They attracted each other as salvia drew a hummingbird.

  As if Lisa felt my watching eyes, she lurched upright and stared at Perry. I felt like a peeping Tom, but I didn’t let her know I was listening. “You do think Paige’ll be able to prove her innocence, don’t you?”

  “I don’t know, babe. We need to wait for Adam.”

  “But you know the law. Do they have enough to charge her with murder?”

  Perry inhaled through his nose and noisily released it. “If the forensic evidence confirms the shovel as the murder weapon, they’ll likely have a strong case. Even if Paige didn’t smack Picklemann, her fingerprints are bound to be all over the handle. Lawson already has it out for Paige. Couple that with her threat to Picklemann, and she has a rough road ahead. If they don’t find other prints on the shovel, I’m sure she’ll be charged.”

  I stepped back as if Perry had slapped me. He was right, and I knew it. The same thoughts continued to shoot through my mind. I tried to find something positive to think about, anything in my favor. I kept coming up empty. My only hope was in this Adam guy. Maybe he was a genius.

  No, Paige, he is a genius. He will restore your life. Better than restore, he’ll revitalize it. Rejuvenate, remodel, or even reinvent it. Yes, that’s it, keep up the positive thinking.

  I made my way down the steps, positive R words rushing through my mind. The doorbell rang, chiming out Oregon State’s fight song. Maybe that’s what I needed. A fight song. Now if I could only come up with a melody other than the theme to Rocky that slipped into the R’s still prancing in my head, I’d be all set.

  Oblivious to my return, Perry jumped up and made purposeful strides toward the door. “That’s either the pizza or Adam.”

  “I vote for Adam,” I said at the bottom step. “I’m not all that hungry.”

  Lisa, motherly frown in place, gave me a quick once-over. “At least you look better. Feel better, too?”

  “Some.” I strolled into the room and plopped onto the beige leather sofa opposite her. The shower didn’t wash away the dirty feeling. It did allow me to sit comfortably in her immaculate house without worrying about contaminating the place.

  “Adam’s here.” Perry took a step back from the opened door. “And he’s got the pizza.”

  Adam entered, a large box in one hand and a leather binder in the other. “Found the delivery guy outside. So. . .” He glanced around the room. “Where do you want this? On the coffee table?”

  Lisa popped up. “No! Oh, no! The kitchen. We’ll eat in the kitchen.” She charged across the space she’d decorated herself and snatched the pizza. “I’ll just take that for you.” She raced past us. Her grimace reflected her worst nightmare, a red stain on a light-colored, porous surface.

  Shaking my head over her obsessively clean habits, I went to greet my only hope of avoiding incarceration.

  Perry rushed through a basic introduction. I leaned toward Adam and whispered, “Don’t feel bad about the pizza thing. We’ve all tried to eat in here at one time or another.”

  “Anyone ever succeed?” He looked around the design-magazine-worthy space.

  I frowned and shook my head. “There’re rumors of a guy who successfully ate one bite of food in here, but—” I slashed a hand across my neck.

  “Come on, you two.” Perry clapped his hands on our shoulders. “Give Lisa a break. She just likes to keep things neat.”

  I laughed. “You’re telling me. She made me shower before I could come in here.”

  Adam peered around as if confused. “So, where do I find the shower?”

  “You two are regular comedians.” Laughing along, Perry pushed us into the kitchen.

  While the family room was off-putting, the kitchen’s warm tones and huge granite island with surrounding stools invited guests to sit and stay awhile. Lisa, sweating pitcher of iced tea in hand, filled tall glasses. My cohorts piled their plates with pizza. Not interested in eating, I took tea from Lisa and chose a seat at the end of the island. While I sipped my drink, I checked out the man who held my freedom in his hands.

  When Adam came in the door, his rather ordinary looks didn’t grab my interest. His nose was a bit too big and off-center, his mouth larger than it should be, and his eyes were saucer size. In fact there seemed to be little room on his face for anything else. But when Perry cracked a joke, and Adam revealed a full and dazzling smile, everything moved into place to create a deliciously handsome face.

  If I were to attach a plant species to him after this superficial introduction, it would have to be a lily, of any variety reall
y. At first, lilies shoot jade green blades from the soil, drawing little interest. But then. . .oh then. . .when the flowers opened and bloomed, no plant was more splashy. Adam was the same, arriving on the scene not drawing attention. When he smiled, his face literally bloomed.

  His body wasn’t half-bad either. He wore a nubby sweater in a deep green color over a crisp white shirt—a true boyfriend sweater. The kind a girl might borrow on a long walk in the park or when she hiked along breathtaking Oregon trails. The bulky sweater would not only keep the cold out, it would softly caress her skin. Yes, soft. How nice it would be to just rub my cheek against the yarn, snuggle in, and forget all about Mitch Lawson and Bud Picklemann.

  “Earth to Paige.” Lisa jabbed me. “Are you listening?”

  “Hmm, what?” I rubbed my side.

  With a frown rivaling the size of an eyebrow on Mount Rushmore, she grabbed my elbow, pulling me from my stool. At the counter, she plopped a greasy slice of pepperoni pizza onto a paper plate and shoved it at me. “What are you doing?” she demanded in a whisper.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You’re drooling all over Adam. He’s here to defend you, not date you.”

  I glanced at him. “Oh, but he’s cute, don’t you think?”

  “What?. . .Maybe. . .look, you have to concentrate on the murder. Mitch isn’t playing around. He’s serious. He thinks you killed Bud. And he’s already got it out for you.”

  “Shoot, I know. I was just trying to lighten things up and enjoy the view. Give it a rest, already.” I took my plate and returned to my stool.

  Perry glanced between Lisa and me. “Something going on that we should know about?”

  I snorted, and instead of a simple little sound, it came out in a loud, utterly obnoxious way. “Lisa was just scolding me for admiring Adam’s good looks.”

  “Paaaige,” Lisa said. “You’re being too forward again.”

  “So sue me. I think he’s cute. Why can’t I say so?” I smiled at Adam. He blushed, looking like he’d completely lost his lawyer’s edge. His mouth opened and closed a few times like a Venus flytrap. I’d embarrassed the poor fella. Time to move on. I turned my attention to Perry, who sat grinning. “So, you two went to law school together, huh?”

  Perry clapped Adam on the back. “The dynamic duo, right bro?”

  Visions of the pair in tights surfaced. Not a vision I wanted to dwell on. I did wonder if Adam held the starring role as Batman. I’d always had a thing for the Batmobile and caves, but I was too afraid of Lisa’s reprimand to pursue further questions of that nature. Instead, I asked Adam, “Was Perry a bookworm like he is now, or did he have a good time in college?”

  “Paige, what a thing to say.” Lisa seemed ready to pour tea over me for my lack of manners. Good thing I’d opted for the safe route.

  “That’s okay,” Perry said. “I have nothing to hide from my darling wife. He can answer.”

  Adam described a more carefree Perry, one who overslept and arrived at class in his jammies, my term not Adam’s. Adam sat back and chomped a huge bite from the tip of his pizza.

  “So which one of you finished higher in your class?” I asked.

  “Okay, Paige, you need a refresher course in tact before I let you out in public again.” Lisa crossed her arms and scowled at me. “I’m moving on to a safer topic.” She turned to Adam and initiated a conversation about his law practice in McMinnville.

  I turned to the most interesting thing in the room—Adam. What was with my preoccupation with the man? Was it due to my dateless year in Serendipity, a distraction from my impending incarceration, or was I really attracted to the guy?

  He looked up, caught me staring, and grinned. I returned the smile with confidence until a rush of heat surged onto my cheeks. I don’t blush and the feeling left me unsettled. I took my glass to the counter and refreshed the ice. Adam came up behind me. I considered dropping a few of the cubes down my shirt to cool down.

  “No need to be embarrassed.” He poured cola into his glass. He took a step away, stopped, and said, “You’re not hard on the eyes either.”

  My face heated up again, and I felt like I’d traveled back to eighth grade. But I wouldn’t let a little blush stop me. I let the warmth of his words settle in as I watched him saunter back to the island.

  I sipped my tea and wondered if I should have tried harder to keep things on a professional level. My parents always told me honesty was the best policy, and I certainly embraced that concept, sometimes to my detriment. Still, I could no more stifle my thoughts than I could quit gardening.

  I returned to my stool. “Sorry if I seemed too forward, Adam,” I said in a conversational lull. “Sometimes I forget to filter my thoughts before I speak. I didn’t mean any harm. I just wanted to get to know the man who holds my life in his hands.”

  His smile disappeared. “If what Perry tells me is true, we’re going to have plenty of time to get to know each other.” His gloomy tone sent a wave of alarm crashing over my body.

  Lisa reached over my shoulder and slapped another piece of pizza on top of my untouched slice. “Eat. You’re gonna need your strength to battle Mitch.”

  “Yes, Mom.” I rolled my eyes. She probably just wanted to keep my mouth full so I couldn’t say anything else to embarrass her guest.

  I stuffed my mouth full of pizza and looked across the island.

  Adam was still staring at me. His eyes were no longer playful. “So, you want to talk about the murder now or wait until we’re done eating?”

  I swallowed. Hard. “Now, I guess, if you can give me good news.”

  “Let’s hope I can.” He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

  I looked square into those deep brown eyes that had changed colors several times. “Before we go any further, I want you to know I’m not a murderer. I didn’t kill Bud.”

  “I didn’t think you did.” He blotted his mouth with his napkin.

  “Good. I wouldn’t want you to represent me if you thought I was guilty.” I set my plate down and leaned forward. “There’s one more thing I need to tell you. The police chief, Mitch Lawson, and I aren’t the best of friends. In high school he bragged that he could jump off a railroad trestle. I kind of called him on it. He jumped and blew out his knee. Didn’t get to play ball most of his senior year. Seems like that’s making it easier for him to think I’m guilty.”

  Adam chewed and flipped open his binder. “We can deal with that. Won’t be the first angry officer I’ve run across. For now, let’s focus on today’s events. Why don’t you start by replaying what happened with Picklemann?”

  “Well,” I said as I tore off a bite of pizza. “It was really pretty simple.” I explained every little detail of our encounter, including my closing threat.

  Adam looked up from his pad, now decorated with copious notes. “Your departing shot at the man certainly speaks to a motive. Still, Bud was the only witness to your threat, so the police won’t have that bit of information to use against you.”

  I swallowed a bite that felt like a lump of the thick clay soil found in Serendipity. “Not exactly. Ernie Hansen overheard me when he was picking up pop cans from the weekend.”

  “So all he heard was the threat at the end?”

  “I don’t know. My employee, Hazel, told me about him.” I turned to Lisa, whose face readily displayed her anxiety. “You’re always one of the first to hear what’s going on. Anyone talking about the rest of my conversation with Bud?”

  She shook her head. “Not yet, but if Ernie was listening, it’ll be all over town soon.”

  “I’ll talk to him tomorrow.” Adam jotted a note on his pad then looked up. “So what did you do after Picklemann left?”

  “I put the tools inside the fence and secured the opening. Then I walked to my shop, The Garden Gate.”

  “Any idea what time you got there?”

  “I looked at my watch when Bud came to the park. That was ten thirty. By the time we finished arguing, I cleaned up
the tools, and got back to the shop, it’d be close to eleven.”

  “Anyone at The Garden Gate who can verify your whereabouts?”

  At the thought of my alibi, I laughed. “Only Mr. T.”

  Lisa and Perry smiled. They knew Mr. T.

  Confused, Adam glanced at us. “Think this Mr. T will be willing to testify if it comes to that?”

  “Well, sure, but you better let me tell you about him before you put any stock in what he has to say.” I explained Mr. T’s feathered heritage.

  Instead of acting like a stiff lawyer, Adam laughed. A lawyer with a sense of humor. This guy was special. What that meant for my case, who knew? At least I would enjoy getting to know him in the process.

  “So,” he paused and gave me a silly grin, “any people that could provide an alibi?”

  I thought through my day. The people I didn’t see. I had no alibi. Why didn’t I think of that before? A surge of panic rushed in. “I guess it depends on when Bud was killed.”

  Adam swiveled on his stool to face Perry. “Any way you could find out the time of death?”

  “I could call Lawson, I suppose,” Perry said. “But I doubt he even knows yet. This is a small town. Our police force isn’t used to this kind of investigation.”

  “Why don’t you call anyway?” Adam asked. “They might have preliminary findings, and we’ll all rest easier tonight if Paige has an alibi.”

  “I’ll see what I can find out.” Cell in hand, Perry pushed off his stool and walked toward the family room.

  “Okay.” Adam looked at his notes again. “Other than Mr. T, who did you see after leaving the park?”

  I ran the day through my filter again. “I suppose someone could have seen me. The only person that talked to me was my employee, Hazel, outside my apartment around one o’clock.” I told him about the mess in the alley, my communication with Ned, and the trip to wash my shirt.

  Adam set his pen on the pad and stretched. His eyes were wary. “This isn’t good, Paige. Hazel can only give you an alibi for the time she saw you. If you’re right about seeing someone in the park, Picklemann was probably dead before you talked to Hazel.”