“Lois and I will manage if you need to leave early.”
Lew reared back as if I’d smacked him. “Ha! That’s what started all my trouble.”
Bewildered, I asked, “What trouble? What are you talking about?”
Lew bowed his head. His voice was low. “Remember last Friday, when I got that electrical shock while trying to fix the bad connection on the lighthouse?”
I nodded. “Of course, I remember. You said your hand was burned, and you left early to have it treated.”
“That was my excuse. I left early, but it wasn’t so I could go to the doctor. I’d devised this fantastic strategy that backfired.” Lew lifted his head and met my gaze. His expression was a mixture of guilt and remorse. “I went to Toby’s, Bretta. I saw him collapse in the kitchen, and I did nothing.”
Chapter Twelve
The horror of Lew’s admission took my breath away. I leaned weakly against my worktable. I wanted to demand a full and detailed explanation, but one glance at Lew told me he wasn’t in any condition to take a verbal onslaught from anyone. His expression was that of a condemned man with no hope for a reprieve.
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Tell us what happened, Lew.”
His voice was shaky. “When Toby told us about his mother’s flowers being stolen, I decided to investigate. I assumed there was a logical explanation. I planned to reach a thought-provoking hypothesis, and then arrive on the scene when you kept your appointment with him on Saturday.” Lew hung his head. “In short, Bretta, I wanted to show you up.”
I was irritated by Lew’s plan to one-up me, but I kept my tone even. “I suppose I can accept that. I know you dislike my sleuthing. Go on.”
“I couldn’t leave my car in Toby’s driveway because this was to be a covert operation. I hunted for a place to park that was out of the way, but not too far. I found an entrance into a pasture. The lane was rutted and narrow. Tree branches raked against the sides of my car, but they also acted as camouflage. The lane suited my purpose, but it meant that I’d have to walk across a field.”
Lew wrinkled his nose in distaste. A trace of his old stuffiness broke through his misery. “I don’t commune with nature. Uncultivated plants are an abomination. I had a pair of gloves in my car, and I always keep boots and coveralls in the trunk in case of an emergency. By the time I donned my protective covering, and worked my way to Toby’s garden, he was parking his bike on the porch. My plan to show you up hinged on surprise. I wasn’t sure if Toby would approve of or even keep my visit a secret. I decided to make my assessment of the situation alone, so I hid until he’d gone into the house.”
Lew’s forehead glistened with perspiration. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and mopped his brow. “I—uh—hadn’t gone very far into the garden when I heard Toby’s first scream. I ran to the porch and tried the door, but it was locked.”
Lew’s voice dropped to a whisper. “His screams were indescribable. They demanded immediate action. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know what was happening. I was standing at the back door, peering through the curtains when Toby stumbled into the room.”
The hairs on my arms stood up as Lew described the scene he’d witnessed.
“Toby was enveloped by a black, undulating cloud. The hornets swirled around him, but hundreds clung to his bare legs, arms, and face.” Lew gulped. “It was a nightmare come to life. Toby screamed and swatted at the hornets. I beat on the glass, but he never glanced my way. He shuffled to the phone and poked the pad three times. I assumed he was calling 911. I saw his mouth move, and hoped he was speaking with a dispatcher. From the porch, I cheered him on, willing him to be courageous. Then suddenly he collapsed.
“For a few minutes, Toby’s body twitched, as if he was still fighting off the hornets, then he stopped moving. I didn’t know if he was unconscious or if he was—uh—dead.” Lew bowed his head. “I ran back to my car. I’d just unlocked the door when I heard the sirens.”
As Lew recounted events, I struggled with two conflicting emotions. I was furious. Lew had wimped out when Toby needed him. He’d been right there, and hadn’t lifted a finger. But I couldn’t squelch the compassion that welled up inside me. Lew wasn’t a cruel, unfeeling man. If I tallied the hours, I probably spent more time with Lew and Lois than I did with anyone else I knew. I’d invested days, weeks, months, and years in this work-related association. Lew was feeling as guilty as hell. He needed to hear a kind word, but I wasn’t sure what to say.
Lois didn’t have my problem, though kindness was the farthest thing from her mind. She glared at Lew. “That’s the damnedest story I’ve ever heard. Didn’t it occur to you to break the glass, reach in, and unlock the door?”
Lew’s tone was stiff. “No. It did not. You weren’t there. Everything happened so quickly. There wasn’t time to deliberate. Looking back I see that what I did—”
Lois snorted. “That’s the trouble. You did nothing.”
Lew winced. “I know that better than anyone.” He turned to me. “What should I do now?”
Taking a deep breath, I let it out slowly. “When you approached Toby’s house, did you see anyone?”
“No. Should I tell Sid what happened?”
“I think it might be in your best interests to have a talk with him.”
Lew nodded. “A purging of my sin.”
Lois rolled her eyes. “There isn’t enough water in the Osage River to cleanse this mess. I can’t believe you, Lew. And I’m not just talking about Toby. Whatever possessed you to try to solve a mystery on your own? You don’t have an interest in sleuthing.” She waved her arms in the air. “Good heavens, you’ve just told us you didn’t have the nerve to help Toby. What in the world would you have done if you’d found some ax-welding thief in the garden?”
Lew’s chin shot up. “If you had listened, you would’ve heard me say that I assumed there was a logical explanation for the disappearing plants. I didn’t think—”
Under her breath Lois said, “That’s been well established.”
Lew continued, speaking louder, “—there was any danger. I only planned to inspect the destruction of the plants that had been chopped down.”
Lois wouldn’t give up. “Chopped is the operative word. How do you think they were hacked off? With a butter knife? You were walking into a possibly dangerous situation. At least when Bretta plays private eye, she has some experience. You have nothing.”
Lew’s mouth drew down. “That isn’t true. I have a brain. I have the ability to size up a situation and—” He stopped abruptly. His shoulders drooped. “You’re right. I have nothing.”
“You have plenty of good qualities,” I said. “When you make these deliveries to the hospital, go to Sid’s room and talk to him. It won’t be easy, but I think it needs to be done.”
Lois started to say something, but the front doorbell chimed. We looked up and saw Leona headed our way. She waved to Lois. “Stay where you are. I don’t want anything. I’ve closed the dress shop early. I was on my way to my car when I decided I wanted to have a chat with Bretta.”
Leona came around the front sales counter and plunked a sack and her purse on my worktable. “I’m exhausted,” she said. “I need a relaxing bath and a nap before I go to the funeral home this evening.”
If she was exhausted, it didn’t show. Not one blond hair was out of place. Her navy dress was crisp and fresh. I brushed my straggly hair away from my damp forehead and said, “The relaxing bath sounds wonderful, but it’s going to be a while before I can indulge in that luxury.”
“I know you’re busy and I won’t stay long. I’d share my gift with you, but I’m too selfish.” Leona took a bottle from the sack. “I do alterations on Mrs. Darby’s clothes free of charge. In return she gives me little goodies. I found this bag on my front counter.” Leona tipped the bottle upside down. The green solution glubbed a weak bubble. “She left me bubble bath and a bag of my favorite cinnamon candies.”
“What’s th
e fragrance?” I asked.
Leona squinted at the label. “It says freesia. The liquid seems rather thin. Mrs. Darby shops at Buck-A-Roo.” She lowered her voice. “Diana doesn’t stock the best quality when it comes to merchandise. It’ll probably take the entire bottle to make a froth of bubbles.” She put the bubble bath in the sack and pulled out a bag of candy. Holding it up she asked, “Would anyone care for a piece?”
Not waiting for an answer, she tore open the cellophane and passed the candy around. Leaving the sack of sweets within easy reach, Leona said, “Yvonne enjoyed discussing her notes with you yesterday. I wondered what you thought of my theory about Diana and Toby?”
I shifted the disk of candy around in my mouth so I could speak. “It’s an interesting concept, but it’s hard to imagine Toby and Diana involved in a romance.”
Leona pulled up a stool and sat down. “Toby, no, but Diana, oh my yes. It’s rumored that her youngest child belongs to the man who used to do her taxes. He’s moved away, but every time I look at that child’s brown eyes, I see Raymond’s.”
She leaned forward. “That’s why my theory makes perfect sense. I’ve witnessed Diana flirting with Toby. She liked to touch him, and she used any excuse to do so. I think Toby was confused by her attentions and rebuffed her advances. She was afraid he would tell her husband, so she put the hornet’s nest in Toby’s house hoping to divert his attention. I’m not saying she wanted Toby dead.” Leona shivered. “I don’t think Diana is a cold-blooded killer. She was scared and acted irrationally.”
When Leona had finished speaking, Lew snorted. “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. I’m going on deliveries.”
Leona waited until Lew had left before she said, “Phillip had the same reaction when he heard Yvonne and me hashing out ideas.”
I counted out five orange gladioli from the bucket that was near me on the floor. Picking up my florist knife, I stood the first stalk upright and eyed it for height. As I sliced into the stem, I asked, “Does Phillip have a theory?”
“If he does, he’s keeping it to himself. He says our law enforcement is paid to do their job, and they shouldn’t have to deal with interference from the rest of us. Of course, that’s experience talking. He learned the hard way that when you’re paid to do a job, that’s the job you do. Phillip came back to River City because he was fired from a Canadian company he’d been with for twenty years. Yvonne says her brother bucked the system. He used grant money inappropriately. The money was designated for one project, but Phillip used it for another.”
“What kind of project was he working on?”
Leona shook her head. “I don’t know. Phillip never talks about it, and Yvonne advised me not to ask. Ten years ago when he came back here, he was out of sorts and restless. He bought a few goats, some chickens, and a couple of cows. He tried farming, planting soybeans, alfalfa, potatoes, and mustard greens.”
I looked up from my bouquet. “Mustard greens? I wouldn’t think there’d be a big market for that vegetable.”
“He never tried to sell any of the crops. Money doesn’t seem to be an issue for him, but the same can’t be said for Josh.”
I added the last orange glad that formed the framework of my arrangement. “Josh? Is he having problems?”
“He’s about to lose the video store. By his own admission, he’s spending more than he makes. He says he doesn’t have time for a second job, but I think he’s delivering for some of the fast-food places around here. He leaves work about the same time I do. I go home, but Josh always pulls into the parking lot of a restaurant. I can’t figure out his schedule. First he’s at one place, and then another. I don’t know how he keeps it straight where he’s supposed to be and at what time.”
Leona heaved a sigh. “At least he’s trying to make money in an honest way. I get furious when I think of Abner swindling Toby. And for what? Gambling debts.”
I was reaching for some white Fuji mums to mingle with the orange glads when Leona dropped this bomb. “Abner gambles?”
“That’s right. He goes to St. Louis to play blackjack on the riverboat. From what I understand, he may have already gambled away his home. His wife is just the sweetest thing. I always call her when I get in a new shipment of denim. She loves those long-waisted jumpers with embroidery on the bodice. I feel sorry for her. She’s tried so hard to be supportive, but Abner’s arrest has devastated her.”
Frowning at Leona, I said, “Apart from the information you told me about Diana, you didn’t put any of these particulars in your notes. Why not?”
Leona stared at me. “This is just girl talk.”
I didn’t agree. Facts were facts, and I wanted more. “Tell me about Harmon,” I invited casually. “I know you want to go home and take your bath, but visiting with you makes my work go so much quicker.”
This lame excuse seemed to satisfy Leona. She crossed her legs and unwrapped another piece of cinnamon candy. I glanced at Lois. Her hands were idle. She was soaking up this “girl talk” like a piece of floral foam absorbs water. I nodded to the orders that were her responsibility. Silently, I mouthed, “Work.” Lois rolled her eyes, but picked up a bolt of red ribbon.
The disk of candy clicked against Leona’s teeth as she said, “Harmon is a sad man. He’s been married three times. He loved Agnes, but didn’t want Toby as part of the marriage bargain. I think he’s sorry he didn’t try to make things work. He’s broody and moody and spends too much time alone. A man needs mental stimulation. I learned that in my own life.
“My husband, Herbert, retired about six years ago from a wonderful job in St. Joseph, Missouri. We came to River City because we loved the feel of the town, and we wanted to be close to the lakes so Herbert could fish. He tried retirement for a year, but he wasn’t happy. He needed mental stimulation. I understood Herbert wanting to go back to work, but I didn’t want to leave River City. I’d settled into life in this small town, and I loved it. It made me feel like I was part of an extended family. But most of all, it was here that I discovered something about myself.”
Leona shook her head. “Talk about a late bloomer. At the age of fifty-eight, I decided that I wanted my own business, serving the women who’d welcomed me when I first arrived in town. St. Joseph was too far north for Herbert to commute each day. We decided our marriage was strong enough for him to live there through the week and come home weekends.” Her cheeks reddened. “I call him my weekend lover.”
I added three yellow roses to my arrangement. I’d never gotten so much information about so many people without leaving the flower shop. But was everything Leona said fact or fiction? I decided to put her to the test. Giving Leona a smile, I asked, “What about Bretta Solomon? What do you know about her?”
Leona didn’t hesitate. “Her husband was the light of her life. When he died she was shattered, but she picked up the pieces and is carrying on very well.” Leona shot me a grin. “I understand she has a new man in her life. She loves her work to the point that she’s obsessed. She’s friendly, but doesn’t take the time to make social contacts unless she’s on the trail of a criminal. When she does that, she can be relentless in finding out the truth.”
It was an accurate assessment, though I might argue the “obsessed” part. I’d rather think of myself as dedicated.
Lois was more impressed. “Wow,” she said, eyeing Leona as if she were a soothsayer. “Do me next.”
Leona grew thoughtful. “She and her husband, Noah, are still very much in love. Their children are finally gone from home, but she’s taken on the care of a niece. This young lady has given Lois trouble, but seems to have settled down, and is loved like one of her own. But that’s the way Lois operates. She’s outspoken and blustery but kindhearted.”
“Thanks,” said Lois. “If that’s the scuttlebutt floating around town, then I’m pleased.”
I’d finished one order and moved on to the next. This one called for red roses, white snapdragons, and a touch of purple wax flower for filler. As I
assembled what I’d need to make the bouquet, I asked Leona, “Did you know Agnes very well?”
“Agnes Sutton was the first friend I made in River City. I met her at the pharmacy. She was nice to me, inviting me to attend a garden-club meeting. I agreed to go though I knew nothing about plants and Agnes wasn’t much better.”
I was reaching for a rose but paused at this piece of information. “Agnes didn’t know anything about plants?”
“That’s right. She was determined to learn, but I’m afraid I didn’t have that same ambition. I don’t like dirt under my fingernails.” She held out her hands so we could admire her tapered nails that were an inch long. “The deciding factor was when I almost died from an allergic reaction to some poison ivy. Anyway, getting back to Agnes. She wasn’t much on flower beds, but she loved shrubs of all kinds. She had heard they were the backbone of any garden. At first she took it slow, planting lilacs and pussy willow along the fence line of her garden. Then she found out she had cancer. She received treatment and the tumors shrank. She went on working at the pharmacy during the day, and gardening in her spare time.”
I nodded. “Then the cancer came back.”
“That’s right. Again Agnes received treatment, and for a time she was fine but then the tumor came back. She quit her job at the pharmacy to spend more time with Toby. I thought she needed her job, but she seemed to do okay financially.”
Here Leona paused and sucked thoughtfully on her candy. Musing, she said, “That’s always bothered me, how Agnes could quit her job. Yvonne says the railroad gave Agnes a settlement when her husband was killed, but that money had been used up years ago.”
Leona gave herself a little shake before continuing, “Anyway, as I was saying, we all thought Agnes was doing well. But now that I know how short the time was before she passed away, I can’t help but wonder if the disease might not have progressed so rapidly if she’d taken better care of herself.”
I carried the rose arrangement to the back and picked up another container. For this bouquet I chose purple larkspur, red carnations, and yellow daisy pompoms. It was a “Lois” combination. She saw what I was using and flashed me a grin before saying, “Why didn’t Agnes take care of herself?”
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