Fall Girl (Garden Girls Christian Cozy Mystery Book 9)

by Hope Callaghan

  Gloria dropped her purse on the chair, just inside the door and stepped back onto the porch. “Want to go for a walk?”

  Mally, who had been sniffing around the edge of the garage, bounded across the lawn and skidded to a halt in front of Gloria. “Woof!”

  Gloria took the “woof” for a yes and the two of them crossed the yard as they made their way between the empty farm fields and toward the woods out back. There were still a few hours of daylight left and it had been quite some time since their last visit to their favorite quiet spot.

  Forecasters had predicted a light dusting of snow for later that evening and Gloria knew her days of long, leisurely walks in the woods would end soon. Not only would the walks end, Gloria’s days of living alone were almost over.

  Next month, just before Christmas, Gloria and Paul planned to marry at Andrea’s place. They had originally planned an intimate affair with only family and close friends, but the guest list had ballooned and they now had over 75 confirmed guests. They were still waiting on another 40 responses but Gloria had a hunch most of them would be coming as well.

  She needed to get Lucy’s crisis behind her so she could focus on the wedding and the much-anticipated visit from her children and their families.

  With everything that had been going on, she hadn’t even had time to worry about Thanksgiving. Paul and she had decided a small turkey day would be best, but the more Gloria thought about it, she wondered if maybe instead of that, all of the girls could get together, share the cooking duties and make it a more friends and family affair. She made a mental note to discuss it with Paul before mentioning it to the girls.

  Ruth had one sibling, a sister who lived in Florida. She would most likely spend Thanksgiving Day alone and that was the last thing Gloria wanted.

  Dot and Ray were childless and although they had each other, it would still be a quiet day.

  Lucy had told Gloria that her children planned to spend Thanksgiving with their spouses’ families this year. It would be just her and her boyfriend, Max.

  That left Andrea. Gloria knew her young friend had no intention of flying to New York to be with her parents. Instead, she would remain in Michigan with her former housekeeper, Alice, and Andrea’s boyfriend, Brian.

  The more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea of a potluck-kind-of Thanksgiving. After all, her friends were her family!

  Mally and she had reached the edge of the woods and Mally darted off to check out the creek. The water was still low but soon, the snow would pile up and the creek would fill.

  Gloria settled onto “her” log nearby and watched Mally frolic in the frigid water. She shook her head and grinned as Mally chased a bunny rabbit that had been scampering back and forth, teasing Mally, if Gloria had to guess.

  Her mind drifted to Lucy’s dilemma. Right now, there were several suspects. Bill’s brother, Randy, who had been arguing with Bill just days before his death. Barbara, the employee who had chased after Bill and eventually dated him, even though Lucy claimed Bill never cared for the woman.

  Next on the list was Zeke, the young man who seemed all too eager to throw Randy, Barbara and even this unknown Artie Maxim under the bus.

  Then there was the missing gun. One of the store employees, possibly even the gun dealer, had access to the gun.

  The police lacked a murder weapon, not counting Lucy’s gun, which was probably why Lucy was the main suspect. She actually owned a gun exactly like the one that had killed Bill.

  Gloria knew that if she could figure out what happened to the missing gun, she could figure out who had murdered Bill!

  She jumped to her feet. “C’mon girl. We have some more digging to do.”

  Gloria zigzagged through the trees as she made her way out of the forest.

  The wind had picked up and cold air blew right through her jacket. She picked up the pace as she headed back to the farm. There was a piece of the puzzle missing. If only she could figure out what it was…

  Back at the house, she settled in at the desk and turned her computer on. After it warmed up, she checked her email and then started a search of the list of suspects. She searched Bill Volk and Randy Volk.

  She opened a second screen and pulled up the picture of Bill and his employees. She jotted Barbara Coleman’s name down and last, but not least, Zeke Waren, the young employee Gloria had talked to.

  She researched both of their names but came up emptyhanded.

  Frustrated, she clicked out of the screens and glanced down at her watch. It was time to start dinner.

  Margaret had recently shared her secret meatloaf recipe and Gloria was anxious to try it out on Paul.

  Gloria assembled the ingredients for the meatloaf and mixed them all together. When she finished, she placed the loaf inside a metal baking dish and set it on top of the stove.

  She had been craving her homemade cheesy hash brown casserole. The dish would be a perfect side for the meatloaf.

  Gloria pulled a large glass dish from the cabinet. Next, she mixed the thawed hash browns with a can of cream of chicken soup, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese and melted butter. After she mixed the ingredients together, she dumped the mixture into the square casserole dish and popped both the meatloaf and casserole in the oven.

  Gloria untied her apron and hung it on the hook as she glanced at the clock on the way out of the kitchen. Paul would be here in an hour and a half. It would give her plenty of time to take a long, leisurely bath.

  After her recent windfall, Gloria had splurged on a bathroom remodel. The remodel included double sink granite counters, a new water saver toilet and her favorite thing of all, a large, luxurious jetted tub.

  She filled the tub with hot water; added jasmine scented bath oil, peeled off her clothes and then slipped into the tub.

  Gloria closed her eyes and leaned her head against the pillow rest. Should she tell Paul about the girls’ plan to snoop around Bill’s place in the morning?

  He had been upset when he caught Lucy and her inside the house across the street. She knew he would not be happy with her if she told him their plans.

  Technically, they wouldn’t be breaking and entering. Lucy had a key. Bill had given it to her. If he had wanted it back, he would have asked for it. On top of that, she was certain that Bill would want someone to track down his killer. Gloria knew that if it was she, she sure would!

  Gloria savored her quiet bath time until Mally began to paw at the bathroom door. She lifted her head and pulled herself to an upright position. “I’m done,” she grumbled.

  She let the water out of the tub and reached for a clean bath towel.

  Gloria slipped into her robe and tied it tight before she let Mally outside for a brief run before she headed back to the bathroom to finish primping.

  Their wedding was only a few weeks away now and Gloria was starting to have minor anxiety attacks. What if he got cold feet and left her at the altar? What if she got cold feet?

  She pushed the dark thoughts aside as she popped the top off the tube of lipstick and spread the pale pink cream across her lower lip. She rubbed her lips together and nodded at her reflection in the mirror. Finally, she was ready!

  “Honey, I’m home.”

  Gloria set the tube of lipstick on the counter and grinned. It was Paul. She had given him a key to the house a while back and told him he might as well get used to letting himself in and making himself at home.

  She wandered into the kitchen and watched as he hung his jacket on the hook by the door. He held a card in his hand and when she got close, he handed it to her.

  Gloria took the card. “What’s this?”

  “For you. Just a small treat to spoil my girl.” Paul pulled Gloria close and circled his arms around her waist. He lowered his head and gently kissed her lips. “So that’s what a proper kiss feels like,” he teased. “It’s been so long, I forgot what it felt like.”

  “Ha!” she snorted. “If you weren’t so darn busy at work all the time.” Sh
e quickly changed the subject. “So what’s in the card?”

  “Open it,” he urged.

  Gloria slid her fingernail under the edge of the envelope and lifted the lid. She slipped the card out of the envelope. On the front was a portrait of a beautiful rose garden. The inside of the card spoke words of love.

  Gloria blinked back the tears. Tucked inside the envelope was a gift card for a day at the spa. “Paul! What…”

  “You need a break, Gloria. You deserve a day to be pampered and spoiled and I thought this would be perfect.”

  Gloria pulled Paul’s head toward her and kissed his lips. “You are going to spoil me rotten, if it’s not already too late,” she warned.

  “Nah!” He said. “No chance.”

  The timer went off and Gloria headed to the stove. She pulled the oven door open and peered inside. The cheesy hash brown casserole bubbled merrily. She pulled the dish from the oven and then lifted the pan of meatloaf.

  Gloria spread a thick layer of ketchup across the top of the meatloaf and placed it back inside the oven. “Fifteen more minutes and it’ll be ready.”

  “It smells delicious. I can’t wait ‘til there’s no more TV dinners,” he said.

  “Don’t be so sure about that,” Gloria warned.

  She poured two glasses of tea and settled in at the table. As she sat there, she thought how comfortable it felt. How good and perfect this moment was. If this was how their marriage would be, Gloria could hardly wait!

  They chatted about Paul’s job and Paul asked how Gloria’s day had gone. She was careful to avoid bringing up the incident from the night before when he had caught Gloria and Lucy inside the house across the street.

  He, however, wasn’t. Paul sipped his tea and set the glass on the table. “How’s it going with Lucy?”

  Gloria averted her eyes and studied her sparkling engagement ring. “Oh…okay,” she answered. “The police questioned Lucy at length this morning but let her go. Brian gave us the name of a good attorney,” she added.

  Paul rubbed the faint five o’clock shadow on his chin thoughtfully. “Do you think that will be necessary?”

  Gloria explained all that she knew. The suspects, the missing gun and she even told him about the gun dealer.

  “Are you going to confront this Maxim fellow?” Paul could see his spunky bride-to-be doing exactly that.

  Gloria shook her head. “Nope. Andrea and Margaret are going to meet him in the morning.”

  Paul slid out of his chair and stepped over to the fridge to refill his glass. “What will you be doing?” He knew there was no way Gloria would stand on the sidelines. She would most definitely be right in the thick of things.

  Gloria decided to answer his question with a question. “What should I do?”

  Paul brought the pitcher to the table and filled her glass. “You’re up to something.” After he filled her glass, he placed the pitcher back inside the fridge and closed the door. “I probably don’t want to know.”

  “Probably not,” she agreed.

  The oven timer sounded a second time and Gloria was thankful for the interruption.

  Paul set the table while Gloria carried the food and set it in the center.

  They bowed their heads to pray and Gloria said a special prayer for Lucy, who was at home…alone.

  She sliced a large piece of meatloaf from the center and set it on Paul’s plate. “I hope you like it. This is Margaret’s super-secret recipe. It took me years to wear her down and she finally shared it with me.”

  Paul scooped a large spoonful of cheesy hash browns on the side and then set a piece of crusty bread on his napkin.

  Last, but not least, he added a pile of green beans. Gloria had canned the beans a couple months ago. She had had a bountiful crop this year and her stockpile of canned goods would last both of them through the winter, until it was time to start a garden again in the spring.

  The evening flew by and before Gloria knew it, dinner was over and the kitchen cleaned. They even had time to kick back and relax in the living room with a bowl of chocolate ice cream.

  When the ten o’clock news started, Paul reluctantly got to his feet. “I better head out. The kids will be waiting up for me.”

  Gloria frowned. Paul’s son, Jeff, and his daughter-in-law, Tina, had recently moved back in with him after being evicted from the apartment they had been renting. If ever there was a problem looming on the horizon for Paul and Gloria’s relationship, she guessed it would be these two.

  It seemed that whenever they got into a pickle, they turned to Paul to bail them out. It wasn’t that Gloria didn’t want to help family, but these two seemed to cause their own difficulties. Both had steady jobs and made good money. They just did not know how to manage their finances.

  Gloria had suggested several times that Paul get involved and to his credit, he had tried, but nothing seemed to change.

  She had a hunch that they knew good ole dad would be there no matter what and that there were no consequences for their actions. Someday Paul…and Gloria…would be gone. She wondered who would take care of them then.

  Gloria bit her tongue and let it go. She walked him to his truck and waited for him to climb in and fasten his seatbelt. He rolled down the window and leaned out. “I love you. Please try to stay out of trouble tomorrow, whatever it is you have planned.”

  Gloria nodded. “I’ll try,” she answered honestly. “Sometimes it’s hard.” She leaned in for a long, tender kiss and blinked back the tears that burned the back of her eyes.

  Paul waited for her to wander back up the sidewalk and into the house before he backed out of the drive and pulled onto the road.

  Chapter 10

  Gloria woke early the next morning. It was still dark out. She could hear a hoot owl off in the distance…the same owl that returned every November. She had come to expect the owl, to wait for his call.

  The first time she had noticed his haunting hoot was the same year that James died. Maybe she hadn’t noticed before because she never paid close attention to the noises. After James was gone, she would lie awake in bed for hours listening to every creak, every groan and every sound, both big and small.

  The owl could have been around for years but just the past few she had noticed him. Other things seemed to have magnified in her mind after James’ death. There were the smells. Several times, she had been convinced she smelled something burning but every time she checked, there was nothing. Just her overactive imagination, she supposed.

  Gloria slid out of bed, grabbed her robe and padded to the kitchen. She started a pot of coffee, slipped her jacket over her bathrobe and then stepped out onto the porch with Mally.

  The dusting of snow forecasters had predicted covered the ground. It was pretty to look at and it put her in the holiday spirit. She had remembered to ask Paul the evening before if a potluck Thanksgiving was okay with him and he told her he would leave it up to her.

  His main priority was to enjoy some turkey and dressing, followed by a long nap on the couch and maybe watch a little football.

  Mally, who wasn’t used to the cold yet, was happy to head back into the warmth of the kitchen. She settled into her doggie bed by the door while Gloria fried a few slices of bacon, scrambled a couple eggs and then toasted some bread.

  Puddles had been sleeping on the sofa but now he slunk into the kitchen and sniffed the air. Gloria cooked some extra slices of bacon and she shared it with her beloved pets before she settled in at the kitchen table with the morning paper.

  Her mind zipped back and forth between the upcoming visit to Bill’s place and the grocery-shopping list for turkey day. She wasn’t keen on the crowded stores and planned to stock up on all the necessary supplies in advance.

  She had just finished her breakfast and set her dirty dishes in the dishwasher when her phone rang. Gloria picked it up expecting Lucy or Ruth to be on the other end.

  It was Gloria’s daughter Jill. “Hello dear.”

  “Hi Mom. I just
dropped the boys off at school and thought I’d give you a quick call.”

  Jill, her husband, Greg and grandsons, Ryan and Tyler had recently moved into a new home, with a little help from Gloria and her recent windfall. There had been a minor issue with the house before they closed and with the determination of a mother on a mission and some of Gloria’s friends, it had been resolved.

  Jill and her family were happy as clams in the new, spacious home. Gloria couldn’t wait to stop by to see it finished and decorated for the holidays.

  “Have you decided on a time for Thanksgiving Dinner?” her daughter asked.

  “I’m glad you mentioned it,” Gloria replied. “I was thinking about inviting Ruth, Dot and Lucy since none of them have family nearby.” Or none at all she silently added.

  “That’s a great idea, Mom,” Jill said. “That’s very thoughtful of you.”

  The mother and daughter talked for several long moments and Gloria promised to stop by soon to check out the house.

  Today, though, she had her hands full and the first thing on her list was to meet up with Ruth and Lucy!

  ***

  Lucy was pacing back and forth in front of Ruth’s van when Gloria pulled in the drive.

  Gloria pulled off to the side and slid out of the driver’s seat.

  “I don’t get a good feeling about this,” Lucy warned when Gloria got close.

  “Is the feeling as strong as it was the other night?” Maybe Lucy had developed a sixth sense now and Gloria should pay closer attention.

  Lucy stopped abruptly. “It’s different. Kind of like…I dunno a feeling that we’re being watched.” She shivered as she looked around.

  Gloria’s heart skipped a beat. In all the years the two women had been friends, this was the first time Gloria could recall Lucy saying something like that. She took it very seriously.

  “Do you want to call it off?”

  “But,” Ruth piped up.

  Gloria motioned her to be quiet. “This is your call, Lucy. After all, you’re the one the police suspect.” Now that she thought about it, who was to say that the police weren’t keeping tabs on Lucy, even now?