by Olivia Swift
“I am far too well fed to actually work on the computer,” she protested, but he handed her the laptop she had brought along and flicked on his own tablet. Jazz resigned herself to research and switched on as well.
“Sonora City Messenger,” he said, “and I’m going back thirty years from now.” She nodded and pursued the same details. There was silence as they both concentrated, sitting close together on the sofa. She could feel the warmth of his body against her own and settled against him as she worked.
“Think I’ve found something,” he said and showed her the tablet. “Wife of local man leaves.” They scanned down the story and checked the dates to find other reports of the same time. Evan jotted down details of people who were talked to at the time.
“It looked like the police were alerted to find her but talked to him as if he was a suspect.” Jazz remarked. “They were obviously suspicious, but nothing seems to have come of it. Molly and her husband were interviewed but produced nothing of any note. He claimed she had taken a vast amount of money and all of her very valuable jewelry.” After some time, they had amassed all that there was to find and closed down the computers.
“What do we do about it? And I wonder what sparked all the hints that she was killed.” Jazz asked as he slipped an arm around her shoulders.
“Let’s start with the son and see what we find out.” She nodded and leaned against him, and he stroked her hair with his hand. “If we stay here I might forget to be a gentleman,” he added and said he would make coffee. He went to start the coffee and Jazz wandered into the kitchen and looked out of the window into a darkened garden. Then she drew a breath.
“Evan,” she called. “There’s a light moving in the garden.”
“What!” he called and came to look out as well. The lights were not there. “Did you just imagine it?” he asked, but she grabbed his hand and pointed.
“Look. There it is.” It looked like a flashlight but could have been any sort of light. It wavered around and disappeared. “It’s gone into the grotto.” Evan grabbed the big flashlight and ran for the back door. “Evan, there might be more than one of them,” she called and then grabbed a broom that was beside the back door and followed him out. What she would do with the broom, she had no idea, but it seemed better than nothing. Evan was well down the grass when she started after him, but they were both in pretty good condition. It was strange running in the dark, but there were no obstacles in their way. She heard Evan shout out and demand who was there. A darkened figure emerged from the grotto and took off down the garden in the direction of the rill and lower pond.
Evan gave chase, and Jazz kept on in pursuit. He was gaining on the intruder when he stumbled and faltered. The pause, although he did not actually fall to the ground, was enough for Jazz to reach him and the intruder to reach the metal gates and freedom. Evan raced to the gates and stopped as they both heard the sound of a car engine roar away into the distance.
“Blast. Blast. Blast.” Evan stamped his feet as he said it, and Jazz put her arms around him. Their breathing came back to normal, and they held on to each other in the darkness. After they were calm, they made their way back to the grotto and shined the light around. The soil where the watch and knife had been found was disturbed but other than that, nothing was changed.
“Why?” Jazz asked out loud.
“And who?” Evan responded.
With coffees in hand and settled on the sofa, the two of them went over trying to work out who would come and search the grotto. Jazz leaned her head on his shoulder and tried to stop the shakes that suddenly attacked her system. Evan wrapped his arms around her, and eventually, she stopped shaking and drifted off to sleep. He looked at her sleeping face and stroked it gently until sleep closed his eyes as well.
The light was trickling through the window when Jazz woke to find herself still wrapped in his arms and the man was breathing quietly beside her. She kissed his face gently as he lay and wondered where this relationship would end. She had to admit that she was feeling for this man what she had never felt for anyone before. Then she remembered the intruder and shot to a sitting position. Evan woke at the movement and pulled her back beside him.
“The garden and who was it?” she said, and he kissed her on the lips to stop the flow. Her body responded of its own accord and as the kiss deepened, the two of them forgot the house, the garden, and the intruder and seemed like the only two people in the universe. He pulled away at last and reluctantly swung his legs onto the floor.
“What do we do about it?” Jazz asked as he made coffee.
“If you mean the kiss part, we can try it again,” he answered with a laugh and she took the coffee mug from his hand.
6
Back at the nursery, Kim gave her sister a very suspicious look with regard to staying away most of the night but sat up when she heard about the intruder. She listened to all the tales from the newspaper records, and they speculated about what had actually happened all those years ago.
“Why would that bother somebody now?” Kim asked. “The old man and just about everybody concerned is either dead or has been away from here for thirty years.” Jazz nodded and made herself some breakfast.
“Evan might be able to talk to the son today. Wonder why he never went into the house again…or why he kept it on but never sold it till now.”
“I suppose once the garden is finished and the house updated, it will all just be in the past,” Kim suggested, and before Jazz replied her phone rang. She said, ‘good morning’ with a smile on her face that was not lost on her sister and answered whatever he was saying with the affirmative.
“Well?” Kim asked, and Jazz said the son would see Evan at eleven o’clock. “I’ll shower and change and set the others to work.”
Kim laughed out loud.
“I have never known you to leave a job like you are with this one. Evan Sutherland is something special,” Kim teased her sister and Jazz had the grace to agree.
“It is his job though, and the work is getting done. Carly can oversee everything.” She went off to shower and change singing part of a popular song. Kim smiled at her sister’s back and hoped that Evan felt the same.
Evan twirled her around when she arrived at the house. She had worn slim trousers with a bright pink, flowered top and a pink, embroidered jacket. Heels that were not too high and a huge bag to match completed the outfit. Her dark blonde hair was brushed and swinging in a shining wave, and a frothy scarf was loosely tied around her neck.
“You look wonderful,” he told her and kissed her forehead.
“Thank you, kind sir,” she answered. “You are pretty smart yourself.” Evan had favored a suit for this visit with an open neck shirt in crisp white.
“Might as well make a good impression and hope he has lots of information.”
Jazz slipped into flat shoes and ran down to tell Carly where she was going and ask her to keep an eye on Dan and Ben. Rob Manners would know what he was doing on his own, and the rill was almost finished.
“Tomorrow,” she said. “I’ll get the digger to take out the pond. When you and Ben finish the rill, help Dan with the garden, and that should get that job done.” She told them about the night visitor, and both were suitably alarmed. Ben said he would take a proper look inside and see if he could figure out why anyone would be in there.
“Thanks, guys,” she said. “We’ll let you know what we find out.” She jogged back up the lawn and replaced the flats with heels. Evan had brought out a smart car, and she slipped into the passenger seat.
“How far and what is he called?”
“Jean and Carlton Wendell,” he replied, “and it should take about an hour.” She settled down in the seat and wondered what questions they would ask the couple. By the time they drove into the leafy road where the people had their house, they had worked it out.
* * *
Jean and Carlton Wendell turned out to be a couple in their fifties who made them very welcome and offered coff
ee and cake. Jazz and Evan explained between them how they came to be asking about the house. Carlton Wendell had eyes of pale blue, and his hair was grey. He was a relaxed man in jeans and a soft plaid shirt. His wife was dressed much the same, and as they sat together, he held her hand in a gesture that seemed like something he did all the time.
“I restore gardens and discovered the grotto. It must have been boarded up for a long time because the wood was rotten, but inside it was dry and sandy. We managed to get some lights working and found the place completely empty apart from a very old rusty watch and an old and rusty knife.”
“I bought the place to find peace and quiet but found out that there were stories about the place that made me curious,” Evan added. “We were hoping you could fill in some history about the place.”
“We met the gardener you paid to cut the grass, and he said his uncle worked there thirty years ago.” Jazz followed on. “Did you remember who worked there?”
Carlton Wendell thought for a moment and held his wife’s hand.
“Jeannie here never met my father or visited the house. By the time we met, I had not returned there and never wanted to.” he paused and continued. “My father was a bully. He had made a lot of money, and I saw him hit my mother when I was still very young. I know he was quite liable to hit out if he was annoyed. I caught the anger every now and again. My poor mother died when I was only ten.” Jeannie patted his arm.
“I know it still hurts Carlton to think about it. He went away to university and never returned.”
“Did you keep in touch with your father?” Evan asked, and Carlton told him that there had been occasional phone calls when necessary.
“Then he remarried, and I never met her. She was called Maddie Delonga and was quite a lot younger than him. He said she had left and taken all of her very expensive jewelry and quite a lot of cash.”
“The newspapers at the time suggested she might have been murdered,” Jazz said gently. Carlton nodded.
“Yes, but I think it was just gossip. Nothing ever came of it.” Carlton answered. “He had Molly and her husband to keep the place going and never went anywhere, as far as I know.”
“Why did you keep the house on but never use it?” Evan queried, and Carlton smiled for the first time.
“I don’t know. Just put off doing anything I suppose. I never wanted the house or anything else from him, but now our children are starting a business, and I thought the money would be really useful.”
“Our daughter and son both make wonderful furniture,” Jeannie told them, and when Jazz asked about it, she produced some photos.
“It really is beautiful,” Jazz told her and asked if Carlton remembered the grotto.
“Yes. It was still open when I went away to university. That would be over thirty years ago because I am fifty-five. It was just a weird garden feature that had always been there. My father never used the garden. It was just there around the house, and the gardeners kept it tidy.”
“We knew that after some time, Molly’s husband left and went to live in Canada,” Jeannie added. “And apparently Molly was left money to have a nest egg for all her hard work.”
“She was very welcome to it. I’ve no doubt she earned every penny. She had her house for her lifetime, but it changed hands and has a different landlord.” Carlton finished the tale. “I’m afraid we are not very helpful. I was glad to sell the house. It has no pleasant memories for me.”
* * *
“I’m sorry,” Jazz told him. “I hope the furniture business is hugely successful and there are lots of new memories.” Jeannie thanked her for that.
“Thanks for seeing us and trying to help,” Evan said standing up. “I don’t suppose you can think why anyone would be in the garden in the dark and in the grotto?”
“Good Lord, no,” Carlton responded. “Maybe just someone trying to make up ghost stories or something. When the place is refurbished, it should be beautiful. These old tales will just be forgotten.” Evan shook his hand. They left the couple standing on the doorstep.
“What did you think?” Evan asked in the car.
“He had an unpleasant childhood. I always feel sorry for people who grew up like that. Kim and I were so lucky.” He reached across and touched her arm.
“Just to be devil’s advocate, he could resent it so much that he went back and caused trouble.” Jazz shook her head.
“I never felt that he was a violent or vengeful man. He has made a good life for his wife and his family and left the bad times behind.” Evan had to agree with her and pulled up at a restaurant with tables outside under canopies.
“This place looks good. Let’s have lunch.”
“Then back to work for me,” Jazz added. “I need to book the digger for tomorrow for the pond.” They sat under the pretty parasols and talked about what to do next.
“We found out the name of his second wife. We can trace that online,” Evan pointed out, and Jazz wondered if they weren’t actually married if she kept her own name.
“Thirty years ago, that was not as common as it is today,” she added. “I still get the feeling that we are missing something. It just niggles at me.” He nodded and asked if she would like another evening doing some research. She agreed but wondered if they could set up a camera of some sort down at the metal gates and at the grotto entrance.
“Now that is a good idea. You are smart as well as beautiful, Jasmine Summer,” “But I have no idea how to set up cameras.”
“Strangely enough, because I took photographs and movies while climbing, I did pick up quite a lot of know-how.” He slapped a hand to his forehead. “And I have a whole lot of equipment in a box in one of the spare rooms.” He paid the bill and took her hand. “Let’s go and find the cameras.”
Jazz had not been upstairs in this rambling and large house. It could have been called a mansion. She wondered if he knew how much value would be added when it was all modernized.
“Will you sell it again when the place is all refurbished?” she asked. He shook his head.
“No. I wanted a retreat and plan to spend time doing some of the jobs myself. Therapy I thought I needed, and I would enjoy the work. This garden seems to be starting to work because I pulled out the notes of my last trip to the Andes and started to half plan another book.” He laughed. “I’m not up to the kitchen though. What color would you think for the walls in there?”
“The tiles on the walls in shades of grey, white, and black would blend with the stainless steel, but you need a splash of something softer as well.” She thought for a second. “Splashes of red could be picked up in equipment, blinds, and seating if you kept the walls to a soothing grey.”
“That sounds great. Thanks. This is the box with the cameras.” They pulled out the other boxes and took the one they needed downstairs.
“I have no idea at all about this,” Jazz confessed. “If it helps the therapy, I’m all for it.” He pulled out the two he needed and found his laptop.
“These two are operated by movement, and if I link them to the laptop, I can see what they pick up.” “Clever stuff,” she said and took the one he handed over. “Now what?”
“We put them in place,” he said and set off down to the garden. One went on the metal gates and the other at the entrance to the grotto.
7
Work stopped when Ben and Carly appeared. They filled them in on what the plan was for the cameras.
“That’s a smart idea,” Carly said. “We can finish this work, and you can see if it works”.
Back in the kitchen they gazed at the screen and could see Carly working on the garden. Jazz noted that it was looking really good, and then Ben came onscreen as he made his way to the pond area and the gates.
“That will work,” Evan said and dusted his hands in the gesture of a job well done. “What about research on the second wife later on?” he asked, and Jazz agreed.
“Remind me about her name,” said Jazz, and he told her Maddie Delonga. “I
’ll go and book the digger for tomorrow and help Carly finish the garden. She sent Dan to start the long border. We can all join him on that tomorrow.”
Evan held her arm before she left the kitchen and swung her around to claim a lingering kiss. The little ripples of electricity that ran through her veins at his touch sizzled, and she let herself respond with feeling. She twined her hands around his neck, and he pulled her close. For some minutes, the world around them disappeared, and then Jazz pulled away
“This is not the way to get this garden finished,” she laughed.
“I’ll do some research myself this afternoon and see you later,” he responded, and she found her phone to ring the man with the digger. He had always worked for her before, and she knew he would fit it in if he could.
She joined Carly and Ben, and between them they finished the garden and added gravel where it was needed. They stood back and surveyed the finished work.
“Looks good,” Ben stated, and she decided to ask Karl with the digging equipment to bring gravel to line the grotto floor.
“We can move the gravel in the morning and then start on the border.”
A voice above their heads shouted, and Rob waved from the top of the garden. “Come around and see the walkway.” he called, and they climbed the garden instead of going all the way around the trees. They walked down the winding pathway through the small forest. It was delightful. “I’ve ordered the hardfill to fill the tank tomorrow and then we can build the deck.”
“It’s absolutely wonderful,” Jazz told him. “I’ll order bark chips and line the floor of the path.” They brought Rob up to date on the cameras, and she told them what the Wendells had been able to remember. Then they walked to where Dan was toiling away in the long border.
“We’ll all come and join you tomorrow,” she told him. “And with four of us, it should be easier and finished quite soon.” She looked around. “No point in starting any more jobs today. Let’s have an early finish and tackle it in the morning.”
