The Harvest Club

by Iona Morrison

  “We’ve been looking for someone to show up who had a medical background and a good reason to start the Harvest Club. Great work, Jeremy. My gut tells me this is the guy we need to be watching.” Matt told Jeremy about what he had learned earlier in the day and their plans to flush them out.

  “Be careful. In an operation this big, there has to be a massive protective structure in place. A lot of money is involved and some pretty high profile people as well. It seems the only way out for these guys, once they’re in the club, is death. If Gordon sees you’re getting close, he’ll disappear, leaving the buyers, sellers, and brokers to take the fall. There’s something else.”

  “What’s that?” Matt asked.

  “A percentage of money is being paid to someone they call the Grimm Reaper. I don’t know who that is.”

  “I read about the Grimm Reaper in Rick’s journal, but he didn’t give a name. I got the feeling they were all afraid of him, though.” Matt’s brows creased. “Thanks, Jeremy. Stay in touch.”

  Matt told Gary to have everyone come in for an early morning meeting the next morning. Some things needed to be settled before they headed into next week. Jessie was right. Nothing should be done until after the funeral. He wanted the freedom to observe the Harvest Club without them knowing anyone was on to them.

  Dylan checked the flight manifestos every day to see if Buddy was headed back into town. Matt didn’t think they would see him back until after the funeral.

  He felt he was covering all of his bases. He needed to check on unsolved or unusual murders in the area, also in Philly and LA. What was this hit man’s calling card? They all seemed to have one—that little bit of flair that fed their ego and made others aware that this was their job. Matt needed to go over all the notes and Gina’s file with this in mind—see if anything stood out, something exclusive to him.

  Dylan knocked on his door. “Are you done for the day?”

  “I was just getting ready to relieve Kip. The ladies bring food for Jessie at 6:30, and believe me when I say I don’t want to miss dinner. There are some great cooks in that church.”

  “Do you mind if I show up? I wanted to check in on her. I haven’t seen her yet, today.”

  “If she doesn’t mind, you’ll get no argument from me. Plus, if you time it right, you’ll get a great meal.” Matt stood up, shut off his light, closed his door, and walked out with Dylan.

  It only took Matt about ten minutes to get to Jessie’s. Beth turned on to Blue Iris Lane right after him. He couldn’t have timed it better. He called Kip and told him to unlock the door, and that he was there.

  Matt helped the ladies carry in the food. The aroma was very inviting.

  “It seems you timed showing up here to the minute, Mr. Parker.” Beth smiled at him.

  “Yes, ma’am, to tell you the truth, the last meal was so good, I didn’t want to miss this one.” He held the door open for her.

  “Did you make her elevate her foot today?”

  “I brought her home and told her to. You’ll have to ask her to see if she actually did it.” He grinned.

  When Matt saw Jessie, she was on the couch, her foot elevated, working on her computer, and Kip was sitting across from her with a besotted look on his face. Another one of his officers had fallen to her charms. He was pretty sure Dylan was somewhat besotted, and Gary had expressed interest. He knew the feeling. What amazed him was she seemed totally unaware and unaffected by it. She treated them all the same. She was pretty cool to just about everyone.

  ****

  She looked up from her computer and smiled. “Hi, Beth.”

  Beth looked at Kip. “Young man, did she stay down today, elevating that foot?”

  “Yes, she did. We made sure of it.” He smiled at Jessie. “She is a hard patient to handle, but we hung tough.” Kip walked with Matt into the other room to see Gary.

  Beth sat at the other end of the couch and pulled Jessie’s foot into her lap. She unwrapped the ace bandage to take a better look at her ankle. “It’s still pretty swollen and bruised, but it’s looking better. I’ll rewrap this, and you need to put ice on it for fifteen minutes at a time for the next few hours. It should help to take the swelling down.”

  “Beth is a nurse. She’ll get you back on your feet in no time, Blondie.”

  “I thought that was you, Red.” Jessie saved her work and shut her computer down. “How are you all holding up?”

  “We’re all busy trying to help John prepare the church for Sunday, help you, and get ready for a funeral, as well as wondering who the new pastor will be.” Beth paused and added. “It’s been an awful few months.”

  “I’m sure it has been.”

  “All this ruminating won’t change a darn thing.” Beth stood up and walked into the kitchen. “Here comes another one. You’d think these young men never get to eat.”

  “I’m sure they haven’t had food like you ladies make since they were young boys at home.”

  “You know what my reply to that would be?” Beth laughed. “They need to get married. You seem to be a gathering place for a lot of the town’s single guys.”

  “Only the police, who feel the need to look after me,” she replied.

  “Jessie, I think they enjoy the job.”

  “Sure, especially yesterday and today with the great food calling to them.”

  Dylan came through the door. “Hi, Jessie. Wow, that smells good.” He headed to the guest room and the sound of Matt’s voice.

  “Now do you see what I mean?” Jessie laughed. “It’s a guy thing, food and telling me what to do.”

  Beth brought Jessie her tray. It smelled heavenly. Lasagna was one of her favorites. Garlic bread, a green salad, iced tea, and strawberry shortcake for dessert were equally tempting. She would have to do a lot of running once her ankle could support it.

  “Enjoy the attention and make sure you make those boys serve you.” Beth patted her shoulder and then called to Matt and told him dinner was on. They all came quickly at her call and filled their plates.

  “Thanks, Beth. I appreciate you and all of the ladies making meals for me. I can’t tell you how nice this has been.” Jessie thanked each of the women.

  “You still have a few more days to be pampered, so enjoy. You boys need to serve this girl if she wants anything. That’s my condition for you eating here every night.”

  “We’ll take good care of her.” Dylan grinned.

  “Just see that you do.” She winked at him.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  He had to admit he was somewhat concerned about his control of the club members. They were all anxious since Rick’s suicide. He hadn’t seen that one coming, or he would have had the job done first. Rick’s kidneys could have been put to good use. Now he had to watch for changes in Brad. He hadn’t been right since Gina was killed. The only one who had held him together was Rick. He couldn’t blame Brad. Gina had been a pretty, sweet little woman, a lot like his own sweet wife.

  Damn, but he hated funerals. He would have to go, he supposed. Rick after all had made him a lot of money over the last few years. He didn’t care much for being in church, either. It made him squirm. All of the club members would have to be there. They owed Rick that much. Besides they were, after all, civic leaders and exemplary human beings. He snickered.

  He felt sure the club was still undetected. If there was even a hint of exposure, he would be gone, underground, and would resurface somewhere else down the road. The others would have to fend for themselves.

  ****

  The next few days flew by with people in and out of her house. Jessie had a follow-up doctor’s appointment and had been fitted for a boot so she could start putting weight on her foot. She was happy she no longer needed the crutches.

  Katie had been with her on Saturday night and was in her glory with all the males in the house. Jessie had more fun watching Katie flirting than she had had in a long time. Katie made no bones about the fact she was interested in anyone who showed intere
st in her. It made for a comical weekend. Katie chased and the guys retreated to the other room under the guise of monitoring the incoming calls.

  Jessie was so ready to be back at work today. She dressed with care, knowing people from the district conference would be there along with guests coming for Rick’s funeral. She opted for her pink floral sundress, one black sandal, and the black boot.

  She got to drive herself to work, feeling a wonderful sense of freedom she hadn’t felt in a while. Matt decided to let her move about on her own during the day. Gary would be at the house when she got home, and he would be there at night. Without Buddy in town, he felt it would be safe for Jessie. His excuse was that he didn’t want to tip off the Harvest Club.

  When Jessie opened her door to her office, she found a welcome back banner, a bouquet of flowers, and a group of ladies waiting inside.

  “We are so happy you’re back,” Beth said.

  “Yeah, Blondie, we all missed seeing your happy smiling face.”

  “Thanks, everyone, it is great to be here.” She cleared her throat and wiped her eyes. “It’s time for me to get to work. I need a schedule for the next few days, so I can answer the incoming calls about Rick’s service.”

  “I put it right by the phone. Several of us will be around the church for the next few days getting things ready. One reason is we want to do all we can to help Pastor John, and we don’t want you in the building alone, either.” Beth smiled and walked out the office door. “I’ll be in the fellowship hall and kitchen if you need me.”

  “It does my heart good to see you looking so much better, Jessie. This has been an awfully hard few weeks on you. You’ve managed to stand your ground, and I hope you’ll be staying on here indefinitely.” Reba sat down in one of the office chairs.

  “I have no plans to leave.” Jessie made it emphatic.

  “Sightings of Gina have increased. I think she is agitated because of everything that has happened. I believe this whole mess will wrap up soon, and our dear Gina will finally find rest.” Reba paused and stared for a moment into the hall. “Just so you know, I think her murderer will be among the mourners on Wednesday, so you need to be on guard. I wouldn’t be surprised if some strange things happen on that day. Rick’s grave will be a few sites down from Gina’s.”

  “I think he’ll be there, too,” Jessie commented.

  “Gina will point him out in some way so that you’ll know who he is. He’ll be watching you, Jessie. I’m not trying to scare you, but you have to be aware. You are the one that must solve this case. You are the one she chose to do it.”

  Jessie felt the familiar cold chill run down her spine. She knew Reba was right. Before she gave way to all the unsettling questions in her mind, she turned to Reba. “Why me, I keep asking myself. Gina didn’t know me. I don’t understand why she chose me.”

  “Who knows all the answers?” Reba smiled. “You have the sight even if it’s undeveloped, and she recognized that you would be able to understand. As a writer, you must learn to read between the lines. This, simply put, is just a bigger picture. I don’t remember when I recognized my ability. I would find myself knowing when something was about to happen. I try not to make a big deal about it. It’s just a part of who I am and who you are.” Her expression was kind but earnest. “Why do you think you are so great at what you do? Isn’t it because you have intuition, an edge, a third eye so to say?”

  “I never thought of it that way.” Jessie frowned thoughtfully. “I know one thing. This has changed me forever. There is no such thing as an ordinary murder. Each one is unique and changes everyone around it. Gina was virtually unknown to me, but I feel like I’ve known her forever. Her story has changed me.”

  “Some people would say we are all connected. You know, the whole circle of life idea.” Reba smiled at her. “You stay on guard, and I’ll tell that handsome Matt Parker to keep his eye on you, as if he ever takes them off of you.” She laughed.

  “I think he would rather strangle me. You might have to ask Dylan.”

  “Oh, Jessie, you need to wake up. There’s a fine line between love and hate, my dear.” Reba walked out the door humming a catchy tune.

  The rest of the day and Tuesday flew by. There were lots of calls about the service and flower deliveries and ladies bringing in food for after the service. The fellowship hall had tables set up in it, with the cloths already on, and everything that could be done the day before, accomplished. Jessie was kept busy with little time to worry about the funeral and all the possible things that could happen. Secretly, she was happy that it was almost over.

  On Thursday, there was a big concert in the park with a fireworks show after it, and she was looking forward to being there with Katie. All she had to do was get through the funeral.

  Her first story about Gina had been sent to Max at the paper. She had heard back from him. Max told her the story was a winner, she could write for him any time, and he would pay her something. It wouldn’t be much, but enough to make it worth her while. He set up a meeting Tuesday, during the lunch hour, and Jessie confirmed she would be there. It might be the ideal time to give him the article on the Harvest Club activities without naming the players. She also sent the story to Neil who said he would use it and was eagerly waiting for the conclusion.

  Jessie helped wherever she could. Happy that next week the boot would be off, and if her foot had continued to heal, she would be running again.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  By 11:00 the church was packed with mourners and enough hidden firepower to take more than half of them out. Matt Parker wasn’t about to take any chances today. He had warned Jessie in every possible way to keep her eyes open and be on guard.

  He sat in the last pew in the back of the sanctuary where he could see her sitting next to Katie near the front of the church. In between them were church members and the now infamous Harvest Club. Somewhere in the group was Gina’s murderer, of that Matt was sure, if not the hit man, then the one who had hired it to be done. His gut told him the small weasel Gordon was the one calling all the shots.

  He was the one who had removed Gina’s eyes and kidneys for sure. He wondered at what point they had been removed. Gordon was one sick bastard.

  Matt had received information from Philly and LA this morning of a couple strange unsolved cases. One was a prominent lawyer and the other was a missing district attorney. The Philly police thought it was probably a homicide. The lawyer in LA had had his eyes and kidneys removed, and a note had been left by his body, like Gina. Both men could now be traced to having connections to the Harvest Club. The FBI had become involved when the Harvest Club’s real activities came to light with their illegal international black market ties.

  As the service drew to a close, Matt stood at the back of the church. The congregation prepared to follow the casket out to the cemetery beside the church.

  Matt watched as each row was released. Jessie walked down the aisle, and Gordon Stockton never took his eyes off of her. Matt couldn’t believe how bold he was. There was something familiar about the tall man next to him. What was it? Suddenly it came to Matt where he knew him from.

  ****

  As they walked outside, Katie whispered, “That was sad. I can’t believe he killed himself at my inn. My guests were traumatized by all of it. I wonder if any of them will ever come back.”

  Leave it to Katie to make it about something else. “It’s crazy for sure. I feel so bad for John. He loved his son.” Jessie gently reminded Katie of what was really lost.

  Jessie kept thinking about Matt’s warning earlier. “Nothing is as it seems. Don’t trust anyone.” She also had Reba’s words in her mind about Gina showing her something today and that she had been chosen to solve the case.

  Jessie made her way into the cemetery, going automatically to the bench across from Gina’s grave as others filled in around the new grave area. Jessie found her eyes drawn to the edge of the woods. There stood Gina in her floral dress, watching the scene
in front of her. She crossed the ground in a blur. She hovered over Rick’s grave with sad eyes watching everyone, and she reached out and stroked John’s shoulders.

  Suddenly her eyes sharpened like daggers and locked in on Gordon Stockton and a tall handsome man not far from Jessie.

  Jessie’s heart began to beat faster. She knew Gina was trying to tell her something about those two men. Gina glared at them, moving jerkily back and forth between them. Jessie felt cold chills and wondered if anyone else did. She looked up to see Reba staring directly at her.

  “Hello.” His deep voice startled her.

  Jessie looked into the tall man’s smoldering gray eyes. “Hi,” she said back to him.

  “I’m Zach Johnson, and you must be Jessie. Rick talked about you all the time. Now I can see why.” He looked her over.

  He was giving her the creeps. “I’m Katie.” Katie jumped in before Jessie could stop her. “I’m her best friend.” She stuck her hand out, and he took it.

  Jessie wanted to yank Katie’s hand out of his. She had no idea who he was. Katie just thought of him as another handsome guy to conquer. Jessie was frantic inside. The man dropped Katie’s hand, looked seductively at Jessie, and turned around as the minister started talking.

  Jessie wondered if he was Gina’s killer. He was smooth, handsome. Any woman would be flattered by his attention. She watched as he interacted with Gordon. In her heart of hearts she wasn’t sure that it was him. Gordon was a different matter. She knew he was guilty of removing Gina’s eyes and kidneys.

  “Gina, what are you telling me? How will I ever be able to prove it?” she whispered.

  Katie was staring at Zach and practically drooling. A familiar face came into her line of vision, their eyes made contact, and his smile brought a sense of relief to her.

  As the minister prayed the final prayer, Dylan was taking Katie’s hand and hers. He walked with them both back to the church before Zach and Gordon got hold of them. He sat beside them during the reception, not letting them get far from him.