“Oh my God, Shannon, you’re right,” Lizzie whispered. “Marigold was sitting right there talking to Rafe.”
“That’s right,” I said. “So yeah, maybe Rafe could be the target, but I’m just asking you to consider the possibility that someone out there was actually aiming at Marigold instead.”
* * *
* * *
Eric and Tommy wanted to go with Leo to check out the Ecosphere rooftop. Clearly, someone had used the spot for their kill site. They asked Mac and Rafe to go with them because of Mac’s expertise with rifles and Rafe’s connection to the conference.
“But aren’t you all hungry?” Marigold wondered. “How about a bite to eat before you go out there?”
Eric gave our hostess a grateful look. “That’s sweet of you, Marigold. But time is of the essence right now.”
“I could fix you a mini-portion of steak and potato, just to tide you over for a little while.”
Tommy gave Eric a soulful look and Eric rolled his eyes, but relented. “Fine. Let’s do it. I’m starving. And Tommy will probably pass out in the dirt if he doesn’t eat something.”
“Thanks, Marigold,” Tommy said gratefully. “Best offer I’ve had all week.”
“I wouldn’t turn down a few bites of steak,” Leo said with a sweet smile.
Marigold beamed. “Then just have a seat and enjoy.”
“We’ll take ten minutes to wolf it down,” Eric muttered to Tommy. “Then we’re out of here.”
“I can do this,” Tommy said. He could, too. He was a speed-eater back in high school. Nothing much had changed there.
Twelve minutes later, they had their jackets on and were ready to go.
“Hold on, Chief,” Mac said. “We’re going to need to take Shannon with us.”
Eric gave him a look that I interpreted as Mac, you’re out of your mind. But Mac explained, “She’s the only one of us who’s been working on the Ecosphere from the very beginning. She would notice if anything inside there has been disturbed.”
“I also know how to turn on the lights,” I said helpfully.
Eric’s lips twisted in frustration and he gave me a long gaze, then nodded. “Fine. Let’s go.”
I was grateful to Mac for including me, and despite Eric’s grumpy words, I could tell that he was in a much better mood, thanks to Marigold. There was nothing quite like a rib eye and a baked potato to soothe the nerves of a couple of cranky cops.
I grabbed my jacket and we took off for the Ecosphere.
* * *
* * *
Ten minutes later I led the guys through the open doorway and into the Ecosphere.
“You don’t lock it up at night?” Eric asked, staring at the plain cement block opening with no door attached.
“No,” I said. “Rafe and Julian wanted to have the space available twenty-four hours a day because everything is so concentrated that there are changes happening every minute. It’s cool. And it’s educational. That’s the whole point of the display.” I aimed my flashlight toward the left side of the space. “For instance, I can already see where much of that wall has been taken over by the clematis vine.”
“Okay,” he said slowly. He clearly had no idea what I was talking about.
“And some of the flowers only bloom at night or early in the morning,” I added. “So it’s nice to be able to check them out whenever you want to.”
“Makes sense, I guess.”
“Do you want me to turn the lights on?” I asked.
“No,” he said. “I don’t want to draw even more attention to us being here than we already have.”
Mac chuckled. “We’re not exactly fooling anyone with all six of us traipsing around, shining flashlights in every direction.”
“Exactly what I was afraid of,” Eric grumbled.
“Okay,” I said, ignoring his gruffness. “We’re about to walk up the ramp to the second level, so just follow me.”
I was in the lead and my flashlight was trained on the ground in front of me. I was taking it slowly because I wanted to check whether the ground cover had been trampled or not. It was healthy enough that it usually sprang back quickly, but if someone had been inside here in the last hour, we might be able to see footprints.
I stepped onto the floor of the second level and moved along the pathway toward the next ramp up to the third level—and my foot jammed into something.
“Ow,” I muttered, and started to fall forward. Mac grabbed the back of my jacket and pulled me up close to him.
“Thanks,” I said, blowing out a breath.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“What happened?”
“I almost tripped over something.”
“What is it?” Eric demanded from behind us. He stepped off the path and trampled over a pretty cluster of alyssum to get around to where Mac and I were standing.
“Be careful of the plants,” I said.
“Not important right now,” he said brusquely. “What’s wrong?”
“Something on the path.” I aimed the flashlight around the path and saw a pair of shoes. And felt my stomach drop. “Shoes.”
“More than just shoes,” Mac muttered.
I squinted to get a better look. “Oh my God. No.”
Eric turned and flashed his light down and illuminated the obstacle in the path. “Damn it.” He hissed out the words.
His body had fallen into the dark, leafy plants. Only his shoes were left blocking the pathway.
I would know those Hush Puppies anywhere, I thought, and wanted to scramble down the ramp and get the heck out of there. But I stayed where I was and forced myself to look at the face almost buried by the green leaves. I could just make out his polka-dot bow tie, slightly obscured by a thick green vine.
“I know him,” I whispered. “It’s Sherman.”
* * *
* * *
The Ecosphere lights were turned up so brightly, the plants must have thought it was daylight.
Leo Springer got right down to it, examining the body and the surrounding area. Tommy and the same four cops from earlier were put to work combing over every inch of the Ecosphere, looking for any clues that might lead to the killer’s identity.
“We’ll check out the roof in just a minute,” Eric said, “but first, Shannon, I need to ask you some questions. Then you can go back to Rafe’s.”
Eric, Mac, and I walked outside while Leo and his helpers started their investigation.
Eric leaned against the outer wall of the tower and peppered me with questions.
“How do you know that guy in there?” He checked his notes. “Sherman.”
“I’ve met him a few times here at the conference. He’s very odd, but harmless.” I frowned. “At least I thought so. He’s completely devoted to another conference goer, Wesley Mycroft.”
“Do you have any idea why Sherman would be in here tonight?”
“Not really, except that he was probably trying to set up a meeting between Wesley and Julian.”
Eric flipped a page and continued writing. Glancing up, he asked, “Who’s Julian?”
“He’s the ethnobotanist who created the Ecosphere.”
He frowned. “Ethno . . .”
“Ethnobotanist. He’s the plant guy.”
“So why would Sherman be looking for Julian in here?”
“Because Julian is always in here. Well, not always, but this is his gig. So chances are good that you’ll find him here. During the day, anyway.”
“And who is Wesley?”
“Good question,” I muttered. “He’s weird. That’s not nice.” I shook my head. “Sorry. Wesley is an inventor, apparently. He’s very nerdy. A Poindexter type, but dour. He dresses like a funeral director. Each time I’ve seen him, he’s wearing a severe black suit. He’s
almost six feet tall and very thin, with stooped shoulders and hair plastered to his head. He wanted to meet with Julian because, according to Sherman, he had some complaints about the Ecosphere.”
Eric glanced up at me. “Do you know what the complaints were?”
“Not really.” I shrugged. “All Sherman said was that Wesley had some issues with the space. And before you ask, I have no idea what he meant by that. Frankly, both men are very strange. But that’s not relevant. Sorry. You’d have to ask Wesley.”
“And where do I find this Wesley character?”
Feeling a little frustrated, I glanced at Mac and shook my head. “Believe it or not, Eric, I don’t have all the answers.”
Eric suddenly grinned. “That’s actually good to know.”
I managed to refrain from rolling my eyes. “You could probably track Wesley down at one of the hotels. Or maybe just hang around the conference space. He’s here every day, as far as I know. I could point him out to you.”
I watched while Eric continued to jot down his notes.
“Oh, hold on.” I remembered something. “You might ask Rafe about Wesley. He’s apparently applied for a foundation grant so he’s probably got an appointment with Rafe sometime in the next day or two.”
“Good idea,” he said. “I’ll talk to Rafe. Thanks, Shannon.”
He turned to Mac. “Ready to check out the roof?”
“Yeah.”
Mac glanced at me. I wanted to go sit in Rafe’s kitchen and have a cup of tea—or better yet, a glass of wine—and not think about anything at all for a few minutes. But I wasn’t about to leave the scene now.
“Let’s go,” I said.
* * *
* * *
An hour later, Mac, Rafe, and I returned to the house, where everyone wanted answers. “What did you find?”
“There were visible scrapes on the wood ledge up there,” I said.
“They could’ve been made by a tripod,” Mac added.
“Like a camera tripod?” Lizzie asked.
“Maybe,” Mac said. “Or more likely, the kind that would hold a rifle.”
“Although people do go up there and take pictures,” Rafe allowed.
“The wood ledge is only a foot wide all the way around,” I said. “Tripods are a lot bigger than that, aren’t they?”
Mac shrugged. “You can get a tripod that’ll shrink down as small as ten inches in diameter.”
Rafe nodded as he poured more wine for his guests. “Depends on what you’re shooting—and where.”
What I knew about rifles and their accessories would fit on the head of a pin. Maybe a big pin, but still.
“So something that small”—I measured with my hands—“would fit on the ledge and be easy enough to fold up and slip into your jacket pocket.”
“Yeah. Then you’ve just got to worry about hiding that big-ass rifle.”
I thought about what might have happened in the Ecosphere tonight. “Do any of you know Sherman?”
“No,” Jane said, and everyone else concurred.
“So what happened to Sherman?” Marigold asked. “Was he shot?”
“No,” Mac said grimly. “He was strangled.”
“Oh God.” Lizzie grimaced.
“Strangled by Stephanie,” I added.
Marigold’s mouth dropped open in shock, then she explained to the others. “That’s a plant. A vine.”
“Yeah,” Mac said. “Sherman had the vine wrapped around his neck.”
“So someone broke off a length of the vine and strangled him with it.” I shuddered and immediately thought of an old science-fiction movie I’d seen once where plants walked down streets and randomly attacked people.
“That’s just awful,” Jane murmured.
“It is.” I wrapped my arms around Mac’s waist for comfort. “I mean, getting shot would be awful, too. But . . . ugh. Never mind. It’s terrible, either way.”
“Yeah, it is,” he said.
Hal frowned. “So Sherman’s death might have nothing to do with the fact that someone took a shot at Rafe or Marigold.”
“Except that it all happened in the Ecosphere,” Mac said. “And all within the last hour or two.”
I glanced up at him. “Probably not a coincidence.”
“Probably not.”
“I think I’ve had enough excitement for today,” I muttered, and finished my wine.
My hero said, “I’ll take you home.”
* * *
* * *
The next morning I fed Robbie and Tiger and filled their water bowls for the day. I was checking my tote bag to make sure I had everything I needed, when the doorbell rang.
Robbie dashed for the door, barking joyfully at the prospect of meeting new friends who would scratch his back and rub his tummy. Tiger gracefully slipped in and out and around my ankles, trying to trip me up as I walked to the front door. We all had our priorities.
“Dad.”
He wasn’t alone. Belinda stood next to him, holding his hand. They were dressed casually in jeans, boots, and sweaters, and looked ridiculously healthy and happy, especially given the early hour.
“Hi, honey.”
I swung the door open. “Come on in.”
“Thanks. Sorry to drop by so early, but I wanted to catch you before you left for the day. You know Belinda?”
“We’ve met.”
“Only talked for a minute or two,” she explained to Dad. “But it was great meeting you the other night.”
“You, too,” I said. Except for the part where you were flirting with my uncle and now you’re here, holding hands with my father. Was this awkward or what? Maybe it was just me.
I led the way into the living room and sat down in the comfy chair facing the couch. The two of them took the couch.
I started to stand, realizing what a bad hostess I was. “I can make coffee.”
“No, sit down. We’ll only stay a few minutes.”
“Okay.”
“So, you’ve met Belinda,” Dad began, “but you haven’t met her with me.”
“No,” I said, trying for a perky smile. “I met her with Uncle Pete.”
Belinda shot a glance at Dad. “I told you she might’ve misunderstood.”
“Did I?” Was that an understatement? Knowing how laid-back my father and my uncle could be, I turned to the woman at the center of everything. “What’s going on, Belinda? You and Uncle Pete were so friendly, it looked like you might have a thing going on.”
As euphemisms went, that was as good as I could manage.
“We don’t have a thing going on,” she said, “except that we’re really good friends. The moment I met your uncle Pete, we clicked. As friends. He’s like the brother I never had. We get along so well, it’s eerie.”
“You clicked,” I repeated. “As friends. But are you sure Pete feels the same way?”
She grinned. “I’d only been working at the winery for a week and already felt like a part of his family. So when he told me he wanted to introduce me to your father, I thought, great. I’ll have another brother to pal around with. And Pete says, I think you two could really make something happen.”
“There’s another euphemism,” I muttered.
“Yeah, I’ll say.” She was still grinning. “I didn’t think much about it, but then a few days later, Jack showed up.”
She gazed at him and smiled. Dad smiled back.
I blinked and wished I’d made that extra pot of coffee. Because I hadn’t seen that look in my father’s eyes since I was eight years old and he was looking at my mother. “Oh my God.”
They both laughed and Dad said, “That was our reaction, too.”
“It was kind of a lightning flash,” Belinda explained.
I sucked in a breath and held it for a second,
then exhaled slowly. “And what about Uncle Pete?”
“He couldn’t be happier,” Dad said. “I’m serious, honey. I don’t know why he didn’t make a move on this one. I mean, look at her. She’s gorgeous.”
“All right now.” Belinda slapped his knee. “Your daughter doesn’t want to hear that stuff.” She looked at me. “Please believe me when I tell you that I would never play your father and uncle against each other. Pete is happy for both of us. He gloats that he’s responsible for us getting together.”
“Yeah, he’ll dine on that story for a long time,” Dad said, chuckling. “And, honey, as soon as you finish with this conference, I want you to come and spend a few days at the winery and we’ll just hang out, walk through the vineyards, pick grapes, and drink wine. It’s almost harvest time. Oh, and Pete and Belinda can cook. It’s amazing. They’re a force of nature in the kitchen.”
I looked at both of them and sniffled back another round of tears. “Can I bring a friend?”
* * *
* * *
After Dad and Belinda left, I drove out to the conference center. It was the day of the barn raising, take two. I didn’t expect too many conference people to come out and watch us because at this point, with everything that had gone wrong, it was almost anticlimactic. But when I walked over to the new barn site, the bleachers were filled. I waved at a few familiar faces and the audience actually cheered me on.
Wade jogged over to meet me. “You ready for this?”
“Yeah. Are you?”
“You bet.” He turned and walked with me toward the new barn’s foundation. “Let’s get this going before some new disaster strikes.”
“So you heard about Sherman?”
He glanced at me sideways and frowned. “Who’s Sherman?”
I almost laughed. “Sherman is the dead guy we found in the Ecosphere.”
“What?” Wade stopped in his tracks and just stared at me. “You’re kidding. Somebody died inside the Ecosphere? That’s horrible.”
“Yeah, it is.” I scratched my head. “Isn’t that what you were talking about?”
Shot Through the Hearth Page 15
