Bodies and Blueberries

by Donna Walo Clancy

  “She likes you,” Tabby said, kneeling next to the recliner.

  “She’s a sweetheart,” Greg replied with a smile.

  “I’m going to show her where the litter box is,” Tabby asserted, taking the kitten off Greg’s shoulder.

  The kitten let out a loud meow; she didn’t want to leave the spot where she felt protected and safe.

  “I think she likes you better than me,” Tabby pouted.

  Tabby placed the kitten in the litter box and watched with pride as Marmalade did her business right away. She waddled out of the bathroom and spotted Ghost in the bedroom. Marmalade decided to go check out what her brother was doing.

  The first plan that Tabby “borrowed” from Richard Well’s cabin was in the spare room. She grabbed it along with the new one she had taken from Fink’s office. She spread them both out on her kitchen table.

  “Come look at these.”

  Greg compared the two blueprints; Richard Wells’ print was the original one. The one from Fink’s office had new boundary lines drawn and the drive-in property looked like it had been divided into two separate properties. The smaller section created by the division had Fink’s name on it. The larger had a development company’s name printed across it.

  “It looks like the drive-in has been sold, either by Fink or to Fink. He in turn, divided the property and sold some of it off,” Greg commented pointing at each area he was referring to.

  “No way. Peyton Swanson died and he left the business to his wife, Marsha. I found out she died a couple of months ago, right after her husband. The property was supposed to be left to Marsha’s brother, Peter Walters, in Portland. He’s quite a bit younger than Marsha and was going to carry on the family business.”

  “Could he have sold the business to Fink after he inherited it?”

  “Not even remotely possible. Peyton Swanson hated Fink. There is no way he would have let any of his relatives sell anything to him. If Peyton thought for even a moment that Peter would sell off the property, he wouldn’t have left it to him,” Tabby declared as her brows creased into a furrow of concentration.

  “The big question is, how did Fink get his hands on the property?”

  “That is what we have to find out. I think Richard Wells was looking into what was going on, too. He must have found something and that’s why he disappeared. Why else would he have had this blueprint at his cabin?”

  “I’ll write the recorded deeds down and check them out at the town hall on my way to work on Monday. I’ll find out who’s listed as the owner and the dates of the most recent filed deeds for the divided property. That should give us somewhere to start,” Greg confirmed.

  Marmalade had come out of the bedroom and was rubbing up against Greg’s leg. He picked her up and the purring started almost instantly.

  “She seems to be more your cat than mine,” Tabby observed with a frown.

  “I was just the first one to pay attention to her. Here, you hold her and talk to her. I’m sure she’ll love you just as much,” he chuckled as he handed the kitten to Tabby.

  Tabby took the kitten and snuggled her down into her arms. She talked softly to the kitten and rubbed her soft fur at the same time. Marmalade settled down and began to purr. She closed her eyes and went to sleep in Tabby’s arms.

  “See, she had to get to know your smell. Marmalade is going to be a real love bug.”

  “She does like me,” Tabby said, smiling happily.

  “I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry. We didn’t have lunch. The diner will probably be packed; why don’t we go to that little café just outside of town?”

  “I love that place. It’s still early enough that we can go eat and I can come back and type my resignation letter to Common Cable. I have a store to open now and I want to get started as soon as possible. Luckily, I have already ordered all the items I need to start making my jellies and jams.

  “I can’t wait to taste this jelly that everyone claims is the ambrosia of the gods,” Greg teased as he was walking towards the door.

  “Gram’s recipes are awesome. I need to expand the line of flavors, so I’m trying a new one on my own. It’s called Blood Orange Jelly.”

  “Spooky. Shouldn’t you save that one for Halloween?” Greg suggested.

  “I suppose I could come up with a summer time jelly instead. We’ll see,” Tabby agreed,

  putting Marmalade down on the floor.

  She wandered off to go join her brother who was still hiding in the bedroom. Tabby made certain the door was closed tightly and locked and they left.

  The Outdoor Café was almost empty. On Saturday nights, the Whipper Will Diner had seafood specials which always drew in big crowds. It was nice not to have to fight for a table. The night was warm, so they asked the hostess if they could eat on the patio. She put them in the far corner so they could have some privacy. It was secluded but at the same time you could see the entire inside of the restaurant. They ordered cocktails and looked over their menus.

  “What’s going to happen to all the baseball stuff when you open your shop?”

  “Larry Fink said he didn’t care what happened to it. I’m going to pack it up and put it downstairs in the cellar until I can talk to Mr. Wells about it.”

  Suddenly Tabby got very quiet as she bit her lip to prevent herself from tearing up. Growing up, this telltale sign would always alert her mother to the fact that she was upset. Sometimes Tabby would bite her lip so bad it would bleed.

  “Thinking about Richard Wells?” Greg questioned, taking her hand in his.

  “We need to find him. I have a feeling he’s somewhere close, I just haven’t figured out where yet. I hope he’s okay. He’s not a spring chicken and I don’t know how much his body can take. The sheriff keeps coming up with dead ends in his search.”

  “We’ll find him. If we figure out what is happening with the drive-in property, we can figure out where he is and who has him.”

  The waitress appeared to take their order; they both ordered a pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw. Tabby requested a second glass of wine and Greg opted for another beer.

  Conversation came easy between them. When one topic ended, they slid seamlessly into the next one. A few times, Greg took hold of Tabby’s hand while they talked. Each time Tabby felt a tingle go up her spine.

  “Does this qualify as a second date?” Greg asked, with a boyish grin.

  “I think it does, Mr. Stone. Why, do you have something in mind?”

  “I was wondering how many dates we had to have before I could call you my girlfriend,” he said, looking in her eyes.

  “We haven’t even known each other for a week,” Tabby protested. “Let’s take this one day at a time, okay?”

  “Okay. I know you just broke up with your last boyfriend, but I am a firm believer in love at first sight. My mom and dad got married after three months. Sometimes, you just know,” he claimed, taking a sip of his beer.

  “Give me the dessert menu, quick,” Tabby demanded, putting her hand over her eyes and looking downward.

  As Greg handed her the menu, he looked confused. One minute they were talking about love at first sight and the next, she was hiding behind a menu.

  “What’s going on?” he whispered.

  “Larry Fink and some dark-haired woman were just seated in the dining room. I didn’t want them to see me,” Tabby answered. “Can you make out who the woman is that’s with him?”

  “I don’t know. I can’t see her. It’s too bad we’re not closer so we can hear what they’re saying,” Greg said, peering through the window at them.

  As Fink was talking to his dinner guest, he looked over the top of his menu and spotted Tabby and Greg staring through the window at him. He slammed the menu down and stood up. Bending over and saying something to the woman, they left in a hurry. The woman hid her face so the young couple couldn’t see who she was.

  “I’m going to follow them and see if I can figure out who she is,” Tabby announced as sh
e jumped up and bolted for the front door.

  Greg was close behind, but by the time they made it to the parking lot the car was pulling away and the passenger was ducking down so she couldn’t be seen.

  “Crap; I wonder who she is? No one in town has long black hair like that,” Tabby commented.

  The waitress had no idea what was going on as she stood by their table holding a tray full of food. When she saw them reenter the restaurant, she set their meals down relieved that they hadn’t skipped on their tab.

  “Sorry. We thought we knew those people who just left,” Greg apologized.

  “You mean Mr. Fink? He eats here all the time. I don’t know who his lady friend was though. I have never seen her in here before tonight. They sure left in a hurry. No explanation, just up and gone,” the waitress said, looking at the door. “At last they didn’t order anything before they ran off.”

  “Do you know Mr. Fink well?” Tabby inquired.

  “No, he’s pretty quiet when he’s here. Great tipper, though,” the waitress said, smiling. “I was sad to them leave. He would have been the best tip of the night.”

  “I’m sorry you missed out,” Greg said.

  “Oh, don’t be sorry. It was nothing that you folks did. Do you need refills on your drinks?”

  “Sure, but this time around bring us two of your biggest and best iced teas,” Greg agreed with a smile.

  “I feel so bad we chased her big tip away,” Tabby said, when the waitress left to get their drinks.

  “We’ll leave her a good tip,” Greg promised. “At least we know where Fink eats every night. I don’t know if he will come back now that we have seen him here.”

  “How did he get control of the drive-in property? Before I can even figure that out, it looks like he has sold some of it off to a developer. I wonder if it is the same developer that wanted to buy The Starling Apartments,” Tabby pondered.

  “Are you talking to me or to yourself?” Greg quizzed.

  “I’m sorry. I talk to myself a lot. I’m not used to having someone around that can carry on an intelligent conversation, short of Jenny.”

  “Are you saying your last boyfriend was two sandwiches short a picnic?” Greg chuckled, digging in to his coleslaw.

  “He wasn’t stupid, but all he talked about was his precious things.”

  “His things?”

  “He was a hoarder. When he filled up his own house, he tried to bring piles of stuff to my house. That was the last straw for me. I threw him and his junk out.”

  “I’m definitely not a hoarder. The only things I do collect are books. My mom bought first editions; that’s what got me started. I have a nice library in my house that holds my collection.”

  “I had a small collection of teddy bears that had been left to me by my gram; until whoever broke into my house destroyed them all. I do have a start for a new collection.” She opened her purse and pulled one out. “Mr. Wells gave me this jelly bear to put in my new shop for good luck.”

  “He’s cute.”

  “You have your own house?” Tabby asked, finishing her wine. “In Larsen?”

  “It was actually my gran’s house. She and gramps bought the house back in the forties and I inherited it since I was the only family left on my mom’s side. I also inherited my mom and dad’s house, but I sold it. Gran’s house is an old Victorian with lots of character. I even found a hidden tunnel in the basement.”

  “A tunnel? That’s so cool.”

  “If you have such a great house, why do you want to move to Whipper Will Junction?”

  “I would like to find a smaller house here and I love the atmosphere of this town; it is so laid back. Plus, I really don’t want to drive to and from Larsen in the snow come winter time. I will still hold on to gran’s house. Maybe I will rent it out for a year or two and then sell it.”

  “I can’t blame you there. The roads aren’t the greatest during the winter. If it snows really bad, the roads may be closed for several days. Quite often Whipper Will Junction gets cut off from the outside world.”

  “I can’t afford to be out of town and not be able to get to my store for Valentine’s Day. That would be a disaster for my business. Please keep your ears open for any house or apartment that is for rent year-round,” Greg requested.

  “I’ll check around for you,” Tabby agreed, finishing her last bite of supper. “Do you know what this place is famous for?”

  “I didn’t know that a little place like this could be famous for anything. Tell me, what is it famous for?”

  “It’s massive strawberry shortcake,” answered Tabby, smiling. “Want to split one?”

  “You can’t eat one by yourself?”

  “They are huge. It’s a two-person dessert.”

  Greg called the waitress over and ordered two coffees and one dessert.

  “You know, I was thinking,” Greg said. “When did Mr. Wells give you that bear?”

  “He gave it to me the Saturday before the break-in.”

  “Right before the break-in? The same weekend?”

  “Yes, now that you mention it.”

  “Did anyone see him give you the bear?”

  “Larry Fink was watching us from his realty office.”

  “I think it was the bear that someone was looking for when they broke into your apartment. You haven’t taken it out of your purse since then?”

  “No, I have carried it with me since it was such a sweet gesture.”

  “Can I see the bear, please?”

  Greg was looking over the stuffed animal when their dessert and coffee arrived.

  “I recognize that bear. Which one did you get? Ah, strawberry jelly bear. They make those by hand in a little shop over in Milbridge. She has a whole line of different foods that the bears hold,” their waitress said.

  “Do you know the name of the shop?” Tabby asked.

  “Sure: it’s the Bear Cottage. It’s right next to The Milbridge First Commerce Bank. Enjoy your dessert.”

  Tabby was eating the large strawberries while Greg looked over the bear. He found some stitches on the side of the bear that didn’t look like they belonged there. He showed them to Tabby.

  “If I’m careful, do you want me to open the stitches?” Greg inquired.

  “Go ahead, let’s see if your hunch is right.”

  Greg took out his pocket knife. He slowly and carefully sliced the stitches one at a time. He had the side of the bear opened about an inch and a half when something caught his eye. He reached into the stuffing and pulled out a key.

  “What kind of key is that?” Tabby wondered. “Look on the back. There’s a seven-seven-two engraved on it.”

  “That is what the intruder was looking for when your apartment got trashed. Didn’t you say all your bears were ripped apart? This is why.”

  “I know where I saw the number on the key. It was on the back of Mr. Wells blueprint of the drive-in, along with the letters MFC.”

  “And where did the waitress say the bear store was near? Milbridge First Commerce Bank; MFC,” Greg affirmed. “I believe this is a safe deposit box key.”

  “What could be so important in that box that Mr. Well’s life would be put in jeopardy?”

  “I don’t know, but we aren’t Mr. Wells so we can’t get in the box and find out either,” Greg sighed.

  “At least I know why my apartment was trashed. I have to call Sheriff Puckett and let him know what’s going on,” Tabby stated.

  “If you do that, you’ll have to tell him how you got the blueprint,” Greg said, popping a strawberry in his mouth.

  “You’re right. Maybe it will be better to keep this between you and me for now,” Tabby agreed. “Jenny told me to get my place alarmed when the store opens. I think I need to do that now. If this key is that important to Fink, he may trash my new place.”

  “You need to keep this bear in your purse where he has been and don’t flash him around. If Fink knows you are carrying it with you, you may end up like Mr. W
ells; among the missing.”

  Tabby pulled a pack of gum out of her purse.

  “You haven’t finished dessert. What’s with the gum?” Greg asked.

  “Watch.”

  She pushed a small indent on the side of the gum package. The top slid open. Inside was a key. She added Mr. Wells’ key to the little drawer and slid it closed. She placed it in a zippered pocket in her purse alongside cough drops and breath mints.

  “Very clever.”

  “My mom gave it to me so I would always have a spare car key with me. When I first started driving, I locked myself out of my car quite a few times. My mom got tired of bringing her key to save me. She had a spare made and gave me this little gum case so no one would know it was a key. The funny part is, since she gave me the spare key I haven’t locked myself out.”

  “We should sew up the bear again. If something happens and Fink does get to it, he’ll take the bear and run. If it’s open, he’ll know the key is not there anymore,” Greg suggested, finishing his coffee.

  “I’ll do it when I get home tonight,” Tabby agreed, putting the bear back in her purse.

  “I want you to be really careful. Don’t go anywhere alone,” Greg cautioned as he took hold of her hand.

  “I won’t go anywhere without you or Jenny by my side,” Tabby promised.

  “Please, I don’t want anything to happen to my almost girlfriend before she becomes my girlfriend,” Greg said, smiling and squeezing her hands.

  Tabby liked the sound of that but it was still too early in the relationship for her to say the same.

  “Do you need more coffee?” asked the waitress, showing up out of nowhere.

  “No, just the bill, thank you,” Greg answered.

  Greg paid the bill despite heavy protest from Tabby. She insisted it was her turn to pick up the tab, but he wouldn’t hear of it. They drove to Tabby’s apartment. Fink was staring out the second-floor window when they pulled in to the parking lot.

  “I’m going upstairs to check the apartment,” Greg insisted, leading the way.