The Brown Bears, on the other hand, ran the adult haunted house at their hall. It was a blood bath in the making, and people ages sixteen and up came from near and far to go through the psycho house. It was not for the weak of heart or stomach. Locals volunteers were character actors and the money raised funded the town’s Christmas party for the local children.
Tabby stepped outside and walked around the house to look at the windows. Surprisingly, they were all still intact and would nicely show off the light-up ghosts who would be looking out at who was walking up to the house. As she was counting the number of windows, loud voices could be heard coming across the field behind the farmhouse. She squinted her eyes in the sun and could make out Tony and Finn arguing next to a tractor pulling a wagon full of pumpkins.
Tabby could see other small groups of people standing next to cars a few feet away from the pumpkin wagon. They were listening to the argument between the farmer and his employee. The next words Tabby heard very clearly were “you’re fired,” and Finn stormed off screaming at Tony as he left.
“That didn’t last long,” Tabby thought, hoping Finn didn’t see her car as he passed the farmhouse. He flew by where she was standing, too mad to pay attention to anything around him. Relieved, she went back to counting windows. She locked up the farmhouse and stood next to her car watching Tony load pumpkins into the various cars that had been parked around the full wagon.
He must be donating them.
Emotions suddenly overcame her, and she slid into the front seat of her car crying. Tabby and Jen had always worked on committees together. She should be here with Tabby checking out this location and not at home under Alex’s thumb. Why didn’t she realize what was going on sooner with Jen’s relationship and then maybe things wouldn’t have gotten this bad? Jen should be here, laughing and telling stupid Halloween jokes with Tabby instead of being under lock and key, sick, and afraid to speak.
In two more days, her best friend would be out of harm’s way and away from her abuser. She would be safely hidden away with her mother and start her recuperation process. Hopefully, then, Tabby would see her old friend reappear; strong, funny and most important of all, a loving daughter. Once Jen wasn’t afraid anymore, everyone would find out what was really going on behind closed doors.
She dried her tears and started the car. Tony waved as he drove past her leaving for his trip to Boston. Tabby pulled out right behind him as she didn’t want any kind of run-in with Isabella without Tony around. She didn’t seem like the reasonable type to deal with.
Tabby returned to her shop as Thelma was leaving for the day.
“Don’t forget, I won’t be here on Friday,” Thelma reminded her.
“I got you covered,” Tabby said, waving goodbye. “See you tomorrow.”
“You look like crap,” Janice said, honestly. “Have you been crying?”
“Yes, I must admit that I’m worried about Jen,” Tabby answered. “She looked so sick yesterday, and I haven’t been able to talk to her to see what’s going on.”
“What do you mean you can’t talk to her? She’s your best friend,” Janice asked.
“Things have changed for Jen; things she can’t control. Sheriff Puckett is trying to figure out what is going on and who her new boyfriend is,” Tabby said, careful not to reveal anything about their plan for Friday.
“Okay, let me know if I can help with anything,” Janice commented.
“On a lighter note, I checked out the Pelton farmhouse, and it would be perfect for our haunted house; the furniture is even still in it. I also met Tony’s wife, Isabella. She’s not very friendly,” Tabby stated.
“Word is she’s from somewhere south of Boston, and her family has ties to the Mafia. She was yelling in Italian at poor Mr. MacAvey in front of all the customers in his store. He couldn’t help her because he couldn’t understand what she was saying.”
“That’s weird. She spoke English in front of me. So, what happened?” Tabby asked.
“She threw her groceries back into the cart and stormed out of the store,” Janice answered. “She pulled the same kind of fit at the pharmacy when her prescriptions weren’t ready.”
“Isabella is making friends all over town, isn’t she?” Tabby noted.
“Let’s hope she never comes in here to shop,” Janice chuckled. “I’m out of here. Do you need anything done before I go?”
“No, I think I’m good. Have a good day off tomorrow, and I’ll see you on Friday.”
Tabby stocked the jelly and straightened up the store. A big brown truck pulled into the back alley to unload deliveries through the back door. She had ordered Halloween decorations for her store and some bridal supplies online, and they had finally arrived. Eleven boxes were set inside the back door by the driver.
She ignored the bridal stock and went straight for the boxes of Halloween supplies. This year she was going to beat her mother for the best Halloween window displays on Main Street.
She opened the five boxes from Halloween Are Us and had things spread all over the back room when Greg walked through the front door.
“Are you going to close any time today?” Greg asked, poking his face through the curtains. “It’s six-thirty, and I’m starving.”
“Seriously? I haven’t had a customer all afternoon, and I lost track of time, sorry,” Tabby explained. “Let me go get the open flag and lock the front door.”
“I already brought the flag in,” Greg stated.
Tabby locked up, fed the cats their supper, and they left for the diner. Bea was their waitress as usual, and as she served them their supper, they firmed up the plan that was to go in effect starting on Thursday. Bea would quietly leave on the bus the following morning before her shift was to begin at the diner so she would be long gone before anyone realized she was missing.
Greg passed her a note tucked inside her tip with the motel information where she was to stay in Larsen. He would pick her up between twelve-thirty and one to bring both her and her daughter to his house on Friday. He would drop off groceries at the house on Thursday before leaving the flower shop van at the car rental place.
They left Bea feeling much better than she had in months. Greg walked Tabby home, and then he left for his own house. Tabby fell asleep running the rescue plan over again in her head confident that every base had been covered and nothing could go wrong.
6
Thursday morning Bea climbed on the early bus to Larsen without anyone seeing her. Tabby stayed put in her shop like planned while Greg drove to Larsen with the van to pick up the rental car. Everything was going according to plan.
Tabby stood outside her shop, eating her lunch, watching to make sure Alex was still going to the bank at noon. At two minutes past twelve, he exited the book store. Sheriff Puckett met him as he exited the bank and walked across the street with him back to the bookstore. The sheriff checked on Jen every day and then reported back to Tabby.
She returned to her shop awaiting the sheriff’s daily visit for coffee and the update on Jen. Thelma was busy telling some young couple the best places to eat while they stayed in Whipper Will Junction on their honeymoon. Tabby got to work stocking the shelves with the wedding inventory she had received the day before. She had one eye on the door and one eye on the invoice.
Thelma took her break leaving Tabby in the store by herself. The sheriff ambled in for his usual cup of coffee not saying a word to Tabby. She followed him into the back room.
“Well?” she asked impatiently. “How is Jen doing?”
“She looked a little better today. When I talked to her, she said she was feeling stronger and would probably be back at work by this weekend,” he answered. “I personally don’t think she was telling the truth. I think that is what Alex told her to say as he stood right next to her with his hand on her shoulder.”
“Was she still in bed?” Tabby inquired.
“No, she was sitting up in a chair watching television.”
“Do you think she’
s getting better?”
“I don’t know. There is something that I just can’t put my finger on; something that I don’t understand,” he replied.
“What don’t you understand?”
“Doc wanted Jen to go to the hospital for an IV for dehydration, and she refused. No matter what Doc said, she would not leave the bookstore. Every time it was suggested, she would look at Alex, and you could see the fear in her eyes. He has threatened her in some way; a way that he has complete control over her, and I can’t figure out what it is,” the sheriff admitted.
“What can we do?” Tabby asked, knowing full well that Jen would not be there after tomorrow.
“Nothing, that’s the problem. She’s over eighteen, and even her own mother can’t make a decision for her. Our hands are tired, and it’s so darn frustrating,” he answered, filling up his coffee cup again.
“Are you telling me there is nothing that can be legally done to protect Jen?”
“That’s exactly what I am saying.”
Thelma returned from her break with grocery bags in hand.
“I picked up some blood oranges so you can try out your new recipe. Mac was just putting out the first shipment of the season,” Thelma stated, plopping the full bags of fruit on the counter in front of her boss. “Hello, Stan. How’s things at the sheriff’s office?”
“Just dandy, Thelma, just dandy,” he answered, giving the elderly woman a kiss on her cheek.
“You couldn’t lie when you were little, and you still can’t lie,” Thelma insisted. “I hope things get better.”
“She’s a piece of work,” Stan whispered to Tabby as Thelma strolled over to the bathroom.
“I heard that,” Thelma yelled as the bathroom door closed.
The sheriff chuckled. “I have to run. I promised Bea I would give her an update as soon as I checked on Jen.”
“Say hi for me,” Tabby said, covering up for the fact that she knew Bea wasn’t there.
It was a busy afternoon in the jelly shop. Labor Day Weekend was only a couple days away, and it was the last hurrah for families and their children before classes began for the new school year.
The leaves in the mountains around the town were starting to adorn their autumn attire, showing off their beautiful hues of reds, oranges, and yellows which brought in the tourists. Apple picking was also popular in the area as Whipper Will Junction had two local orchards and four more in the surrounding towns.
Thelma left at one, her usual time, leaving Tabby to man the register and run the store by herself. Greg visited at three o’clock to tell her everything was ready for the following day. He parked the rental car behind the bookstore. It blended in with all the other tourist-driven cars as it had out of state plates on it.
He informed her that she would be on her own for dinner tonight as he had to stay late at the flower shop and finish wedding flowers for an early morning Saturday pick up. Margaret had gone away for the long weekend, and he had to do the order himself. Greg would be in Larsen a good portion of Friday, so he had to make sure the flowers were done tonight.
He gave her a hug and a kiss and reassured her everything would go as planned. Greg would be waiting behind the bookstore for Tabby so she could unlock the back door to the upstairs apartment when she saw Alex leave for the bank. They had a small window of time to complete what had to get done. He told her he would check in with her as soon as he returned from Larsen, and Bea and Jen were safely tucked away. Greg gave Ghost a scratch behind the ears and left.
Tabby didn’t sleep much that night. She tossed and turned worrying that their plan would be screwed up somehow and Alex would find out what they were doing. She was worried about her best friend, and this kidnapping was the only way Tabby could think of to help Jen. It had to work, it just had to. Otherwise, Tabby feared Jen would be dead before too much more time passed.
Tabby opened the shop at eight. Janice arrived at nine to see all the Halloween decorations spread out around the store. The front windows hadn’t been done yet as Tabby was waiting on some special items that would help her to win the Main Street Window Display Contest for Halloween. She was going all out to beat her mother this year and become the Halloween Queen.
“Seriously? It’s not even October first,” Janice moaned.
“Hey, the pharmacy has been decorated for over a week already,” Tabby informed her employee.
“What needs to be done?” Janice asked.
“Nothing, really. I stocked this morning, so I guess it will be a kind of hang by the register day,” Tabby replied. “I will need to go out for about twenty minutes around noon time to meet up with Mrs. Piper, the town librarian, so she can give me the keys to the basement of the building before she leaves for the long weekend. The shop is closed Monday, so I have some extra time to go take an inventory of what we have in the cellar for the haunted house. This place is bigger than the one that burned down so we may need to purchase some more items.”
“Cool,” Janice said, plunking down on the stool behind the register and taking out her cell phone.
Tabby kept an eye on the clock. At eleven-thirty her stomach started to do flip-flops as she agonized over the thought that Alex might not go to the bank and that would destroy the whole plan. Ten minutes before twelve she was standing out front drinking coffee and chatting with some tourists. She saw Greg disappear into the alley beside the bookstore.
Several minutes later Alex came out of the bookstore. Tabby ran to the door and yelled to Janice she’d be right back. She ducked into the alley adjacent to her shop and ran through the adjoining parking lots behind the stores. Greg was waiting for her, and they ran up the back stairs to Jen’s apartment. She unlocked the door and entered calling out Jen’s name. They heard a quiet moan coming from the couch in the living room.
Tabby grabbed a blanket and Greg wrapped Jen in it. They relocked the door, hurried down the stairs, and had Jen in the back seat of the rental in all of four minutes. Greg put on a ball cap and sunglasses and drove off before Alex even came back out of the bank. Tabby walked quickly back to her store. She was only gone for five minutes.
Janice was attempting to create a bridal bouquet at the wedding table. Tabby ran the register checking out the customers. The front door flew open and smashed against the wall with a loud bang. Alex Keyes stormed up to the counter and shoved the customers aside who were standing at the register.
Tabby picked up the phone to call the sheriff. Alex grabbed it out of her hand and pulled the base off the wall. The customers ran out of the store afraid of what was happening.
“Where is she?” Alex screamed.
“Where is who? What are you talking about?” Tabby demanded.
“Jen, where is Jen?”
“The last I knew you had her locked up in the bookstore not able to talk to anyone,” Tabby replied, coming out from behind the counter.
“She’s gone. I was only at the bank for ten minutes, and when I came back, she was gone. She couldn’t have gone anywhere by herself, she had to have help,” Alex insisted, getting in Tabby’s face.
“Back off, Alex. I don’t like people busting into my store and scaring away my customers,” Tabby said, pushing him in the shoulder.
He raised his fist to hit her as the sheriff rushed through the front door.
“Alex Keyes, back it up, NOW!” he ordered. “What is going on here?”
“He busted in here yelling about Jen being missing and manhandled all my customers,” Tabby stated. “He was going to assault me.”
“You’re the only one who could have helped her get away,” Alex claimed.
“Get away? What a strange choice of words, Mr. Keyes,” the sheriff commented. “Jen is missing?”
“I checked on her before I went to the bank and when I got back ten minutes later, she was gone,” Alex said, giving Tabby dirty looks.
“Do you know what he is talking about?” the sheriff asked Tabby.
“I don’t have a clue. I’ve been here at
the store all day covering Thelma’s shift,” Tabby answered.
“You never left the store?”
“She’s been here all day,” Janice piped up, giving her two cents worth. “We were busy until HE came in and scared everyone away.”
“I’ll get to the bottom of this,” Alex threatened. “And when I do…watch out.”
“Are you making a threat toward Miss Moon?” Sheriff Puckett demanded. “We don’t take kindly to threats around here.”
“Not a threat…a fact. I’ll be seeing you again, Tabby, and soon,” Alex growled as he headed for the door.
“Stay away from Tabby, or you’ll have me to deal with,” the sheriff ordered.
They watched Alex storm out, ramming into Gladys on the way, who was standing in the doorway listening to all that was being said. She hurried off, rubbing the shoulder that had been slammed into the door frame when she was hit.
The sheriff turned to Tabby and cocked an eyebrow.
“Do you have something to tell me?” he asked.
“I don’t know what he’s talking about,” Tabby insisted. “In the state that Jen is in, maybe she has wandered off, and we need to be out there looking for her.”
“Maybe, but I don’t think so. I don’t know what you did or how you did it, but I am glad you did,” he admitted, smiling. “You just be really careful. Alex is dangerous, and I don’t want you going anywhere by yourself. By the way, where is Greg?”
“He’s either at the shop or in Larsen. On Fridays, he goes to the flower outlet and picks up fresh flowers for the coming week,” Tabby answered truthfully. “Check to see if his van is in the parking lot behind his store.”
“You just don’t seem very upset that your best friend is missing,” the sheriff reasoned. “Did you happen to know that Bea has disappeared too? She never showed up for work today; first time in thirty-five years.”
Jam Up and Jelly Fright Page 5
