Cars were lined up in long rows, side by side. Old cars, new cars, cars that were barely recognizable beyond being a heap of metal; a few of the latter made me cringe, unsure how anyone could have survived.
“You said it was brought in today, and you’re sure it was brought here?” The sheriff asked, and I forced my thoughts back to why we were here.
“Yes, sir. Griff made the phone call to the tow truck driver himself. It is a yellow Nissan Juke and they said it would be delivered here within the hour.”
“How long ago was that?”
I pulled my phone out of my pocket to check the time. “A-About an hour,” I said sheepishly.
Two gray eyebrows raised over dark sunglasses.
I shrugged.
Just then, the gate started serenading us with the creaking, groaning ruckus again. I swiveled my head in the seat. “Look, that’s it now.” I smiled at the sheriff. He pointedly ignored me and pulled the car to the side, out of the way of the tow truck.
We stepped out of the vehicle and, while the sheriff spoke to the driver, BeeBee and I waited to the side. I tapped my foot on the ground, impatient to confirm my suspicions. At last, the car had been unloaded and was settled into a space at the end of the row nearest the gate.
I hurried over and knelt on the ground, craning my neck to see under the car. After frustrating seconds spent in the dirt, I sat back on my heels.
The sheriff stood watching me, arms crossed. He jerked a thumb over his shoulder and I moved out of his way as directed.
Sheriff Kent pulled an electronic wand from a bag by his feet, a bag I hadn’t noticed him retrieve in my rush to prove a point, and methodically worked his way around the undercarriage of the car. Soon enough, a beep sounded and an orange light began blinking on the wand.
I knew it!
“Same type of device we found on your truck, Miss Rivers.” Sheriff Kent bagged the small black object.
“May I?” I asked, holding out my hand for the bag. The sheriff hesitated. “I won’t touch it or steal it, Sheriff. I’d like to look at it more closely though. Who knows, when I might need to be able to recognize one of these things as often as they keep showing up?”
With a curt nod, Sheriff Kent handed me the sealed bag and left me to examine it as he put away his tools. He agreed that we could get our shopping bags and any other personal belongings out of the beat-up car. Sam would be heartbroken when she found out.
“This little thing is what let them almost kill us today?” BeeBee shuddered.
“Yes. It seems like they are a very determined group. I just wish I could figure out where they are; obviously, they’re sticking close. It would have made more sense for them to move on to somewhere new when their operation was discovered.”
BeeBee’s brow furrowed. “It seems like Asnee was part of some brotherhood. Maybe revenge is more important to this man who’s after you than escape?”
I pondered that but had no time to continue the discussion before the sheriff approached. “You ladies ready to go? I’ll have a deputy come do a full work-up of the car, look for prints or evidence.” He took his sunglasses off then and looked at me. “I wouldn’t get your hopes up for much since your truck turned up clean. I’m going to assign a unit to patrol that bakery where you work more often, but, Miss Rivers, I can’t advise you enough to be careful and pay attention.” He spun his gaze to BeeBee, including her in the warning. “Both of you. This guy has gotten very close to getting rid of you, not once but twice. Let’s not let him have a chance for the third time to be the charm, understood?”
I gulped. For a man of few words, the sheriff sure packed a punch when he did speak. “Understood.” I gave a wooden nod.
Satisfied, he put his shades back on and we headed to the car. A somber ride took us back to the hospital. I knew the sheriff was right, still, it ate at me that there was nothing I was supposed to do but sit around and hope not to be killed. We needed more information, some kind of a break in the case of the scary tattooed man. I had a bad feeling that we wouldn’t find him until he found me again.
Before I opened the door, I decided to ask for another favor. “Sheriff, do you have a man you can spare or someone you can call in to post watch over my friend Sam in the hospital here?” I wiped at a rogue tear. “She may have to stay awhile and I don’t want someone hurting her more to get to me.”
“I’ll get it done,” he promised.
I smiled and hoped he knew how much I meant it when I said, “Thank you. For everything.”
BeeBee and I exited the car and made our way back through the lobby and toward the back hallway where Sam’s room was. The scene before me when we arrived wasn’t what I expected to find.
Chapter 17
I blinked a few times to make sure I wasn’t the one suffering from a head injury. Nope. The scene didn’t change.
The curtains were drawn shut, and a lamp in the corner was turned on but no other lights. Sam’s bed was raised to a sitting position, but she had her head tilted back, face toward the ceiling. Her hands covered her eyes. Two chairs were pulled near her bed, Griff was nowhere to be seen, but Landon appeared to have hemmed Deidra into the far chair in the corner and a heated debate could be heard.
“Landon?” At my voice, he turned. Sam uncovered her eyes, lips stretching into a smile.
“Lovely, you’re here,” Deidra’s sneer belied the tight-lipped fake smile and positivity she pretended to convey.
Rather than unfurl my own insults, specifically my surprise at her ability to pry herself away from the many pressing activities someone as important as she always had, I bit my tongue. Ignoring Deidra completely, instead, I asked, “Landon, what are you doing here?”
“I came as soon as BeeBee texted me,” he said.
That explained it. I felt a little bad that I hadn’t thought to text him, but it had been a crazy afternoon. I mouthed thanks to BeeBee who nodded. She hovered at the edge of the door, looking unsure of herself.
“Where’s Griff?” I asked, turning back to the group. “Sam, how are you feeling?” I approached the other side of her hospital bed and took her hand.
“Better,” she said. “And my brother went to get Mother her special coffee.”
“What kind of hospital won’t even make a decent Frappuccino as part of the room service menu?” Deidra snapped.
The kind who isn’t here to serve you but to save people like your daughter who are injured or sick. Boy, when Sam got out of here, I planned to request a medal for keeping all of these thoughts to myself. Or at least a gold star. Maybe a golden cookie. I focused my attention back on Sam. “The headache?” I raised my eyebrows, daring her to lie to me.
“Still hurts like the devil,” she admitted. “But the spots in my vision cleared up and the doctors were really pleased about that.”
“Good.” I squeezed her hand.
“The scan came back,” Landon chimed in. “While I was here,” he explained. “They said miraculously there was no skull fracture sustained.”
“BeeBee,” Sam called softly. “Come on in. How about you two?” she moved her head slowly between us, careful not to make fast motions. “Were you both alright?”
I nodded and let BeeBee answer as she came to stand next to me. “Minor bruising. We’re good, don’t worry.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Sam smiled again.
“Looks like I’m missing the party,” Griff ambled into the room with a Grande Frappuccino from the major coffee chain around the corner. “Here you go, Mother.” He handed it across the bed to Deidra. She didn’t utter a word of thanks, not that that was surprising; she probably would have preferred a large bottle of wine.
“That’s better,” Deidra said as she sipped the steaming liquid. She rose, “Well, I’d love to stay but it is getting a bit crowded and I have several appointments to get to before the spa closes. You understand I’m sure? This has all been so stressful for me.” she patted Sam on the shoulder. “If you get out of here by tom
orrow, call Rosalind and have her set up a lunch.”
Deidra eyed Landon until he stood and scooted his chair out of her way, then she sauntered out of the room. I could hear her talking faintly down the hallway, as she called and ordered her driver to be ready to leave.
“Wow.” BeeBee stared after the departing figure.
“Yep. Told you she was a real character,” I said. “Landon, what were you two so worked up about when I got here?”
Sam chuckled and then winced and rubbed her head. The smile dimmed as her face sagged with exhaustion.
“Equality of the social classes based on their humanity, not their net worth.”
I raised my eyebrows at Landon’s answer. “I’m not even going to ask how that was going,” I turned to Griff. “No wonder you went to get the coffee. I thought that was a bit odd for you to go to such lengths for one of Deidra’s demands. It’s all making sense now,” I laughed.
“Yeah and none of them cared that I couldn’t escape and was subjected to the whole ludicrous argument,” Sam stared up at the ceiling again.
“Had to see if she was as bad as she sounded,” Landon defended himself.
“And?” I prompted.
“And she’s worse,” he conceded. “Especially the way she treats Sam,” he scowled and his voice grew heavy with emotion.
Considering the mistreatment that I was certain Landon had witnessed in various places over the years, that statement spoke volumes.
I noticed Sam’s eyes drifting shut. She was struggling to stay awake and we were the reason. “Hey Sam,” I whispered.
“Hmm?” she turned toward my voice.
“I think we are going to go and let you rest,” I told her.
Her eyes opened again and found mine. “You have something important to do,” she murmured. “Don’t forget.”
“Don’t forget what?” I asked.
“I don’t remember,” her lids slipped closed.
My panicked expression must have shown because Griff slipped his hand in mine and led me away from the bed. “The doctors said drowsiness and confusion are normal. They are monitoring her very closely but strongly believe she is out of any true danger.”
I swallowed reflexively, trying to bring moisture to my dry mouth. “Okay.” From the corner of my eye, I saw a uniformed woman stop at the nurse’s station and then make her way to the room we stood in. I greeted her at the door, stepping into the hallway to speak quietly. Griff followed.
After I assured myself the deputy had all of the knowledge that I could give her, including a description of the tattooed man and how dangerous he was, Griff and I went back into the room.
“I’m going to stay a little longer,” Griff told me. “You’re welcome to stay, or I can come to pick you up for our dinner date later on.”
“That’s what Sam was telling me not to forget!” I looked at my phone. There was still time. “I have to be at the bakery soon, to give a quick statement about the Fourth of July sale that Flo’s Flowers and the Ooey Gooey Bakery is putting on. Sam set it up and somehow failed to tell me about it until this afternoon.”
“I can give you a ride,” Landon offered. “You too, BeeBee. Didn’t your text say that you would be working at the flower shop?”
BeeBee nodded. “That’s right. Thanks, Landon.”
“That would be great,” I agreed. “Griff, I’ll see you later. If Sam wakes, please give her my love.”
Chapter 18
“We’ve got about twenty minutes to get to the bakery before Missy will be there with the news van.” I climbed into Landon’s car.
BeeBee placed all of the shopping bags in the backseat before scooting in beside them. “That should give me a few minutes to change clothes and introduce you to Flo,” I turned to look at her as I buckled my seatbelt.
“Don’t worry, we’ll be there in a flash,” Landon assured me.
I breathed out and rehearsed what I would say in my head. He was right, we would be there and soon it would be over.
So much for the power of positive thinking.
Landon was wrong.
Two blocks from the bakery, traffic was at a complete halt. “What is going on?” I leaned forward in my seat, trying to see any reason for the delay.
“Over there,” Landon pointed just ahead to the left. Plumes of smoke sliced through the clear sky; flames licked the top of an electrical pole and the tops of the trees nearest to it. Two fire engines had set up a perimeter, and it looked like trucks from the electric company were being routed in between cars as well.
“You have got to be kidding me,” I shook my head. “There’s been no storm, no lightning. What, did the transformer thing explode or spontaneously combust?” We sat there watching as firemen continued to evacuate nearby buildings, and otherwise maintained a perimeter. As the vehicles bearing the electric company logo arrived, a single individual in a white hat approached one of the firemen. They seemed to be making some kind of plan, hands motioned and heads nodded frequently.
Landon fiddled with buttons on the radio until a local newscast came on, then turned the volume up more. As it turned out, yes, the transformer did explode. No confirmation was available for the exact why it happened, according to the news report, but suggestions of old wiring or power surge were being tossed around.
“Now what?” I slumped back in the seat.
“Why aren’t they putting it out?” BeeBee asked, pointing to the firefighters who still worked to maintain a large perimeter and ushered bystanders back.
“They’re probably waiting for the electric company to confirm all power to this spot has been shut off,” Landon remarked. At our puzzled faces, he explained further. “If those wires fall,” he pointed to the four wires attached to the fiery pole top, “then they could spark and cause more structure fires or kill someone if they are still full of electricity.”
Before I had time to marvel at the constantly surprising depths of knowledge my friend had, a flurry of activity distracted me. Sure enough, Mr. White Hat spoke into a radio and then spoke again to the fireman standing by. Soon hoses were spraying water at the trees and a large expanding white foam, like the kind in fire extinguishers I assumed, onto the pole.
BeeBee, in the meantime, had evidently been looking up things on her phone because she leaned forward and held it up for Landon and me to see. “Look, Landon is right. This article says that spraying water on a pole fire, or any electrical fire actually, can allow the electricity to travel through the hose stream of water and often result in electrocution.”
“I guess that makes sense,” I nodded as I considered this new information. “I mean, everyone knows not to turn on the power to an appliance at home if the appliance is in water or really wet. Like the movies when someone is killed in the bathtub by tossing in a small, plugged-in toaster.”
Landon cocked his head to the side.
“I’m just saying.” I shrugged. “Oh! We’re finally moving.” The line of cars rolled slowly forward as a woman in a bright neon vest routed traffic down a side road.
“I’m not sure how to get to the bakery from here,” Landon said as we took the detour.
I waved him forward. “You go straight a block and take a left. We can come up behind the bakery faster this way anyway.” A glance at my phone showed that we might just make it. And when I say just, I mean by the skin of my teeth, the hair on my chinny-chin-chin, and all those other bewildering expressions.
Landon pulled into the rear parking lot eight minutes later. Not that I was counting, or slavishly watching the minutes tick by on my phone. Nope. Not at all.
I rushed to the back door and turned the handle. Locked.
I wasted another half a minute fishing my keys out of my pocket. At last, I made it inside, not waiting for Landon or BeeBee, simply whooshing past Victoria, and making a beeline for the swinging door.
I didn’t have my pretty new dress. I didn’t even have a hairbrush. I did have a new determination, however; a determination to conqu
er the public speaking fear, a determination to help Flo’s business, a determination to do this and make Sam proud. I had managed to talk to Missy on camera once before when we won the fundraising contest. I could manage it again.
I decided right then that, if practice makes perfect, I would speak to a crowd of people many times over if it meant when I sat down in court Monday, the words would flow easily and clearly enough from my testimony to leave no doubt about the guilt of Regina and Asnee.
“Piper! There you are,” Gladys stopped wiping the counter and bustled over to me as I entered the café from the kitchen. “There’s some hoity-toity news lady over in the corner and she’s not very happy. Wouldn’t even accept a complimentary dessert while she waited.” Gladys harrumphed. “I didn’t know what to tell her except that I was certain you or Sam would be here soon.”
That stopped me in my tracks. “Gladys, I’m so sorry. There was absolutely no time to tell you. It’s been such a nightmare of an afternoon.” I caught my breath. I wasn’t on camera yet and here I was, already about to hyperventilate. “Sam is in the hospital. She’s going to be okay, but there was a car accident.”
Gladys’s mouth went slack and she began wringing the dish towel in her hand.
Taking Gladys by the arms, I promised to tell her everything in a minute. “As soon as I’m done; I have to take care of this first,” I said gesturing to Missy. “It’s something Sam asked me to do.”
I walked to the corner to face the news diva, racking my brain for her last name as I went. She sat with her back rigid, her legs crossed and her long hot-pink manicured fingernails clicking away on the top of the table so hard I feared she would wreck Millie’s paint job. Her camera boy, a different youth than the last time, sat a table away from her and he appeared to be happily munching on an Oatmeal Chocolate No-Bake Cookie.
“Miss Sims,” I spoke first, relieved the name had come forward at last. “I’m so sorry to have kept you waiting. I’m ready to start as soon as you are.”
Ooey Gooey Bakery Mystery Box Set Page 39
