Ashlee punched me lightly on the arm. “Go get your phone.”
I hopped off the barstool. “Fine, I left it in my shirt pocket.”
In the bathroom, I lifted the hamper lid, found my shirt still on top of the dirty clothes stack, and felt around the pocket. No familiar lump. I reached into the pocket in denial, but the space was empty. I dropped the shirt on the floor and felt around the other clothes in the hamper. No phone.
Which meant no call from Jason.
With a sinking feeling, I dumped the hamper upside down and rooted around on the floor, eventually realizing my efforts were futile.
How could the phone be in the hamper when I’d left it by the hot springs, at the base of that tree?
28
I set the hamper upright and crammed the clothes back in, all the while telling myself that Jason would leave a nice voice mail, which I would return first thing in the morning. Provided he even called at all.
Ashlee was waiting for me in the kitchen, her dating antenna at full alert. She saw my empty hand. “Where’s your phone?”
“Back at work.”
“Go get it.”
I spread my hands. “I’m not rushing out to the farm to pick up a phone. Besides, it’s out by the hot springs and that’s a hike I like to limit to once a day.”
“But Dana, if you don’t call Jason back tonight, you won’t have time to make plans. The film festival starts early.”
“The movies run all day. Besides, Jason might have remembered he has plans tomorrow. Or changed his mind.”
Ashlee grabbed my hand. “Take it from a dating expert. When you like a guy, you make the effort to let him know. Not returning his phone call right away is a sure sign you’re not that interested.”
I let out a laugh. “You read that trick in Cosmo?”
“I’ve used that trick myself to let a guy know what to expect if and when we go out. One date, unless he impresses me.”
Was she right? Would Jason be offended if I didn’t return his call tonight? Would he decide I didn’t care?
“I’ll think about it.”
“Don’t think, act. Britney was with me when I was talking to Jason. She told him that if you weren’t interested, he should give her a call instead. You know what a poacher she is.”
Hussy. Trying to steal my guy. But Jason wasn’t my guy. And he certainly wouldn’t be if I ignored his calls.
And I already felt somewhat anxious now that I knew my phone wasn’t at my fingertips. Odds were small that Logan would ever return my call when I had my phone with me, but I could almost guarantee he’d call now that my phone was missing. “Fine. I’ll run out there now.”
Mom placed a casserole dish on the table. “You’ll have to wait. Dinner’s ready.”
I slumped into a chair and placed a small helping on my plate. Dinner was the longest meal of my life, longer than Thanksgiving dinners at Uncle Fred’s, when he’d show us slides from his summers in Idaho and then do tricks with his dentures. Ashlee nattered on about some new guy she’d met at the vet’s office. Mom asked about his parents, job, and education, while I ate my barley in silence. Apparently Bobby Joe wasn’t such a catch that Ashlee was ready to move into exclusive territory with him. My sister did like to hedge her bets where men were involved.
After I’d cleared the dishes and Mom had placed them in the dishwasher, I grabbed my car keys.
“Dana, it’ll be dark soon,” Mom said. “I’m not sure I want you wandering around that farm at night. Not with the police still searching for the killer.”
I twirled the key ring on my finger, listening to the keys clack together. “Both Maxwell and Queenie must have been targeted for some reason. It’s not like Michael Myers from Halloween is roaming the woods in search of a random victim.”
“Isn’t Jason Voorhees always the one lurking in the woods in those Friday the 13th movies?” Ashlee asked.
Mom frowned. “Seriously, Dana. We don’t know why Maxwell and Queenie were killed. I don’t like it.”
“If I’m the next intended victim, then the killer will be looking for me here at home this time of night, not the farm.”
Mom turned to Ashlee. “Could you go with her? I would but I have my first pottery class tonight.”
Another new activity for Mom. Another sign of progress.
Ashlee shook her head. “Can’t. I’ve got that date. Remember?”
“Guys, I’ll be fine. The farm is only five miles out of town, not fifty. I’ll bring a flashlight in case, but I’ll be back well before dark.”
Mom bit her bottom lip, not convinced.
Ashlee sighed and reached into her purse, pulling out her car keys. “I’m making the ultimate sacrifice here, Dana, but I’ll go with you. It’ll cut into my prep time but we should be back before my date gets here.” She jangled the keys. “As long as I drive.”
A memory of my last ride with Ashlee came to mind with the roar of the engine, the centrifugal force pushing me against the seat, the overwhelming urge to pee my pants.
“Forget it. I’ll drive.”
She tossed her keys on the counter. “Fine, but don’t drive like an old lady, the way you always do.”
We’d be back long before dark but just in case, I dug two penlights out of the utility drawer in the kitchen, verifying the batteries worked before handing one to Ashlee and sticking the other one in my purse. Mom hugged Ashlee and me with a fervor that implied we were going on a cross-country three-month trip instead of driving across town to retrieve my cell phone.
Outside, the sun was low in the sky as Ashlee and I got into the car. She immediately flipped down the passenger side visor to check her reflection in the mirror. Then she whipped out a tube of mascara from her purse and extracted the wand. I shook my head and pulled onto the street.
The roads this time of day were practically devoid of traffic. The setting sun bathed the pear trees along the highway in a golden light, the last rays bouncing off the silver foil strips meant to deter the crows. At the farm, I parked and Ashlee and I went into the house. I hit the wall switch for the lobby light on my way through the darkening room.
Zennia was in the kitchen, hanging a pot on the rack. She turned at our footsteps. “Dana, what are you doing here?”
“Forgot my cell out by the hot springs.” I nodded toward Ashlee. “This is my sister, Ashlee.”
“Nice to meet you,” Zennia said. Ashlee smiled in return.
“Sure you want to go out there now?” Zennia asked. “You might get lost in the dark.”
I almost launched into my woeful tale about possibly missing Jason’s invitation to Mendocino, but didn’t want to sound pathetic. “I’ll manage,” I said.
“Before you go, take a couple of my hazelnut and pepper cookies for sustenance.”
I eyed the flat circles sitting on the kitchen table. Cookies were always good, even with pepper, right?
Zennia handed me the biggest one, black flecks clearly visible. “I was going to set out the plate for Sheila and Kimmie when they return from the movies, but I’m worried about their taste. I’d try one myself, but I’m allergic to molasses.”
She offered a cookie to Ashlee, who shook her head. “Thanks, but I’m on a diet.”
I eyed the pepper once more, then took a bite. Visions of sawdust piled high in the Gobi Desert filled my head. I kept chewing, willing my mouth to generate saliva. With Zennia watching me, I managed to swallow the grainy crumbs, feeling them scratch my throat as they worked their way down.
Spare Zennia’s feelings and lie? Or spare Sheila from a bad cookie experience? Customers came first.
“A bit dry, I’m afraid.”
“Oh, poo.”
Actually, poo was a lot moister than these circular sand cakes.
“Guess I’ll make parfaits instead,” Zennia said. She glanced at the wall clock. “Then I’ve got to get going. My accountability group meets tonight.”
“We’d better get my phone. See you tomorrow.” I stuc
k the penlight in my jeans pocket and walked out the back door, Ashlee trailing behind. The sun was behind the mountain now, the evening light fading. I quickened my steps through the herb garden and past the pigsty. The chicken coop yard was empty, the chickens no doubt tucked in for the night.
We passed the corner of the cabins and I led the way onto the trail.
“Hang on a minute, just how far away are these hot springs you mentioned?” Ashlee asked.
“Not too far. And I promise we’ll hurry.” Now that I was actually in the woods, the trees looked taller, the twilight calls from the birds and animals louder. I was suddenly glad Ashlee had invited herself along.
“Dana?”
I froze for a moment, confused that the sound hadn’t come from Ashlee. But it was a man’s voice.
I turned back toward the cabins and saw Christian down by Sheila’s door, holding a bouquet of flowers, dressed in an ironed white dress shirt and slacks, the first time I’d seen him not wearing exercise clothes. If it weren’t for his ever-present ponytail, I might not have recognized him.
“Hold up a minute,” he said.
Was the world conspiring to keep me from my phone? Did Jason not bother to call and God was trying to spare me the disappointment?
“I thought you left at lunch,” I said.
“Sheila let me know that you’re aware of our relationship, so I guess I can tell you.” Christian held up the roses. “I came back to see if she wanted to sneak off to dinner over in Mendocino, but she doesn’t seem to be in her cabin.”
I looked at the roses in his hand, a classic romantic gesture, and thought about how I’d run right out to retrieve my phone in the off chance that Jason wanted to go out. Was he the type to buy a girl roses, too?
“Zennia mentioned Sheila was at the movies with her friend Kimmie,” I said.
“Guess that’s my lesson to call next time. Never assume a gorgeous woman is alone, even on a Thursday night.” He looked at Ashlee. “Speaking of gorgeous women, I don’t believe we’ve met.”
He offered the hand not holding the roses and Ashlee shook it, fluttering her eyelashes all the while. Christian then gave a little bow and held up the bouquet.
“Lovely roses for a lovely miss.”
Ashlee giggled and pretended to curtsey.
Seriously? Was there no end to the number of men Ashlee could attract? And what about Sheila? Had Christian forgotten about her? Of course, if she killed Maxwell, Christian might be in the market for a new girlfriend after the police arrested her.
“Look, I need to get out to the springs for my phone before it gets much darker.” Even as I spoke, the shadows were blending together, darkness approaching.
Christian looked at the trees over my shoulder. “You shouldn’t be wandering around at night, not with the wild animals and everything that’s been happening.”
“It’ll only take a few minutes.”
He smiled at Ashlee. “Allow me to escort you, for your own safety. Since Sheila isn’t here, my evening is wide open.”
At least he remembered Sheila’s name. Ashlee’s charm hadn’t wiped out his memory bank.
Ashlee held a hand to her chest. “We would love a big strong man like yourself to walk us out there. You can protect us from the bears.”
“Wonderful,” Christian said.
“Great, let’s go,” I said, disappointed in Christian for flirting with Ashlee when he was dating Sheila. My faith in men slipped a notch.
We walked down the path, chatting about the miserable state of the farm after the deaths. As we stepped farther into the trees, the last of the light from dusk was blotted out, making my steps less sure as I strained to see any gopher holes or loose rocks.
I dug the penlight from my pocket and switched it on, the beam creating a comforting circle of illumination against the ever darker woods. Ashlee followed my lead and turned on her own light. An owl screeched in a nearby tree, making me shiver.
“By the way, Dana,” Christian said, “Sheila and I appreciate you keeping that little secret.”
In the shadows, I could barely make out the outline of his face.
“You mean the secret about your relationship?” I asked, adding emphasis to the last word in case Ashlee had missed it a while ago. “Sheila goes home tomorrow, and then you two can stop worrying,” I said.
“Thank goodness. We’ve gotten a bit sloppy the last couple of days. It’s hard to hide our feelings for each other.”
Oh, geez, please tell me he wasn’t going to get all mushy. And if he started sharing info about their sex life, I might throw up Zennia’s cookie.
“You guys had to hide your relationship?” Ashlee asked. “How romantic. Just like Romeo and Juliet.”
“Well, I don’t like keeping secrets from Esther,” Christian said. “She’s too nice.”
I thought about my earlier conversation with Gordon at the picnic table. “Gordon’s the one you have to worry about.”
“True. He’d fire me in a nanosecond. Well, he’d browbeat Esther into doing it.”
“Don’t worry, Gordon was way off on his suspicions.”
“What do you mean?”
I heard a rustle in the bushes as a small animal ran by. At least I hoped it was small. Ashlee gripped my arm for a moment.
“He somehow got the idea that you and Tiffany are an item,” I said.
Christian tripped over something on the dark path and stumbled. I swung the light around to help him see, though I didn’t spot what he had tripped over.
“Why would he think that?” he asked, straightening up and running a hand along his ponytail.
“Not sure. But he was spying on that bench off the Hen House Trail where I found a pair of underwear, so perhaps he saw the underwear, too.” Should I have mentioned our conversation? If Christian confronted Gordon, Gordon would know I was the one who told him and he’d be even more unbearable to work with. “Hey, don’t tell Gordon I mentioned his spying on you, please.”
“You’ve kept my secret, so I’ll keep yours.” He clapped a hand on my back and chuckled, though his laugh sounded tight. No doubt he was mad to discover Gordon was a sneaky little spy.
“I decided to let Gordon think what he wanted, even though Tiffany and Maxwell were the ones at the bench. I figure if he focuses on Tiffany, he won’t suspect Sheila.”
“Who’s Tiffany?” Ashlee asked. I’d almost forgotten she was there.
“Tiffany Starling, another guest at the spa,” I said.
“Wait, is she an actress? The one from Machete Mayhem? She had the best death scene ever, running around with only one arm and leg. Well, hopping really.”
“Um, yeah, that sounds like her type of role.” I shone the light to the right. “Here’s the turnoff for the hot springs. Little harder to spot at night.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Ashlee said. I moved the light over to her, and she pointed toward the bushes. “I’m not going through there. I’ll get all scratched up before my date.”
“But I don’t know of any other way to get to the hot springs. It’s not much farther.” And no way was I going into those bushes alone.
“I don’t care how far it is. I’ll wait here.”
Christian doffed an imaginary hat. “And I shall wait with you, milady.”
In the beam of the light, I could see Ashlee smirk. “Forget it. You have a girlfriend.”
I felt like clapping. I wasn’t the only one disgusted by Christian’s maneuverings after all.
“Besides,” Ashlee added, “wild animals are a lot more likely to be in those bushes than out here on this trail. You should go with Dana.”
Gee, thanks for mentioning the wild animals.
Christian shrugged. “As you wish.”
I led the way through the brambles and shrubs, Christian silently following behind. When we broke through, I searched the ground with the penlight until I spotted my phone by a tree, exactly where I’d placed it for safe keeping.
“I’ll
get it, my dear,” Christian said. He scooped down in the beam of the light and grabbed the phone. As he turned toward me, he seemed to hook his foot in the tree root and fell forward. The phone flew from his hand. I listened as it skidded across the dirt in the dark, the scraping sound followed by a small splash.
Well, crap.
I kept the light on Christian. “You all right?”
He stood up and dusted off his hands and knees. “Dana, I’m sorry about your phone. Sounds like it went in the springs.”
“That’s okay.” What else could I say? That he’d blown my big chance to attend a film festival with the first guy in this town who’d sparked my interest? That I’d given up my Friday evening to traipse through the woods for absolutely no reason now, even if my evening only involved watching the latest horror film and eating unbuttered popcorn?
“I’ll pay for a new one,” Christian said.
Might have to take him up on that, considering the current state of my finances and the shaky future of my employment. I shone the light along the edge of the water, though I knew it was useless. “Guess we can head back now.”
“I feel terrible.” He did sound sorry.
“Seriously, don’t worry.” I could worry for the both of us about whether or not Jason would actually call and only get my voice mail. No need to trouble Christian with my dating woes, even if he was the one who dropped my phone in a giant pit of hot water.
He brushed his hands off again. “Say, you never told me why you think Tiffany and Maxwell had something going.”
“Because she wanted a role in his latest movie,” I said absentmindedly as I walked over to the edge of the pool for another look, more because I was annoyed my phone was gone than anything. “’Course, when Maxwell was killed, Tiffany mentioned how she hadn’t slept with him, but maybe they got real cozy on that bench without doing the deed. Or maybe it was another guy.”
“Like that Logan fellow, Maxwell’s assistant.”
“Nah, he’s gay.” A thought struck me and I swung the penlight around to shine in Christian’s eyes. “Don’t tell me Gordon’s right for once and you’re two-timing Sheila.”
Christian laughed, a hollow, forced laugh that chilled me to my bones.
Going Organic Can Kill You (Blossom Valley Mysteries) Page 24
