The Darcy & Flora Boxed Set

by Blanche Day Manos

  If I were as ill as Eileen seemed to be, I would head for the hospital as fast as I could. I was betting that was the destination of the green truck.

  I fumbled in my pocket for my cell phone and dialed a familiar number. Grant picked up on the first ring.

  “Grant, Eileen and some guy left Dilly’s in a hurry. He’s driving a green Chevy truck. They may be heading for the hospital. Eileen—she’s in a bad way.”

  Grant’s voice crackled in my ear. “What do you mean ‘in a bad way’?”

  “We were eating and—”

  “Wait, wait. You and Eileen were eating together?”

  “I’ll explain, but in a word, yes. At least she was eating here at Dilly’s. She had roast beef and she started to leave but all at once, she didn’t feel well.”

  “Did she get choked on food? What?”

  “No, she didn’t get choked. Actually, Grant, she had finished her roast beef sandwich and coffee. Since I wouldn’t talk about giving her the right to our land, she started to leave and…”

  Like a light bulb going off, I remembered being called away from the table and Tony’s coffee spill. Had someone bumped into him on purpose and used the distraction to slip something into Eileen’s coffee cup? My neck muscles tensed and a cold shiver of fear ran down my spine as another thought froze my blood. Could the man who disappeared from Dilly’s have been a ruse to get me away from the table while Eileen put something in my coffee? Would she actually stoop to causing me physical harm?

  “Actually, Grant, I think she might have been . . .” I remembered that Eileen had grabbed her throat and coughed. I whispered the word, “poisoned.”

  I explained to Grant what had happened; the man who wanted to talk to me, the coffee spill and the possibility that Tony might have accidentally switched cups. Grant hung up abruptly. I did the same

  Chapter 14

  My hands shook so hard that I had to try three times before I could get the key into the ignition of my car, but it took only a few minutes to drive to Levi’s hospital. The green truck sat in the parking lot. The truck was empty. I jumped from my car and ran to the ER entrance.

  “Was a black haired woman just admitted?” I asked the receptionist at the desk. “She may have been complaining of stomach pain or having breathing problems.”

  The middle-aged woman behind the glass partition looked up. “Are you a relative?”

  “No, no. I’m just um . . . I just happen to know her.”

  She stared at me for a full five seconds then said, “I’ll have to check.” She left the desk and disappeared somewhere down a hall.

  I paced the floor. The hands of the clock seemed to be stuck in one position. When at last the receptionist reappeared, Grant was with her. I ran to him. “Grant, do you know anything about Eileen?”

  “The doctors are doing what they can, Darcy. You’d better tell me what you know about this.”

  He took my arm and guided me to two chairs situated beside a large potted palm.

  “Doing what they can? So, was I right? Did she drink poison?”

  “Maybe. Maybe she just choked on a piece of food. Tell me again how all this went down.”

  So I re-told Grant about the visit to Dilly’s, the message from a stranger that took me away from the table, the coffee spill. As I talked, Grant scribbled in a pocket-sized notebook.

  “And that’s it,” I finished. Honestly, it was warmer outdoors than in here. I crossed my arms over my chest and shivered.

  Grant got up, went to the coffee dispenser, and brought back two Styrofoam cups of the hot drink. I held it in both hands, trying to stop shaking.

  Grant ran his hand through his hair. “So, do you think Eileen put something in your coffee while you were gone and then drank it by mistake?”

  My teeth were chattering. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

  We stared at each other, trying to absorb the awfulness of the situation.

  A man stopped in front of us and I looked up into a fiery red face topped with hair sticking out from under his baseball cap like tufts of straw. “You!” he thundered, pointing a finger at me. “You are the one who killed her. She’s dead and you’re a murderer.”

  Grant stood up and placed himself squarely in front of me. His voice was low. “Hold on and quiet down. I need some information from you, and I need you to come with me to my office.”

  The man was breathing hard.

  When the man showed no inclination to move, Grant jerked his thumb toward the door. “Now,” he barked.

  He looked at me and in a much quieter voice, said, “Darcy, go home and stay there.”

  I nodded and stumbled out to my car. It was only when I reached the door of the Escape that I realized I still held the Styrofoam cup as if I were grasping a lifeline.

  Chapter 15

  I went home as Grant told me to do and when I got there, I did some-thing I hadn’t done for a while—put my head down on my mother’s table and cried. Mom, bless her heart, was the strong one. She kept patting my shoulder and saying, “Oh, my goodness!” and “It’s going to be all right, Darcy, you’ll see.” She didn’t spout platitudes nor offer advice but her reassuring presence did more for me than any nerve pill. She even brought me a cup of hot cocoa after supper and sat by the fire with me until we both decided to go upstairs to bed.

  Across the hall, Mom tossed and turned as much as I did. I heard her noisy springs squeak each time she turned over in bed. Finally, I switched on my bedside lamp and read my latest cozy mystery, “A Nest of Starlings.” When I awoke the next morning, the book was on the floor by my bed and the lamp was still shining.

  Mom had coffee waiting in the kitchen. I sat down, drank a cupful and smiled. “Thanks, Mom. I feel better than I did last night. How about you?”

  “I’m fine, Darcy. I’m going to stay in today but why don’t you go visit your friend Amy Miller? It might do you good to see those beautiful twins of hers.”

  I stood up and stretched. “Great idea, Mom.”

  “Just be on the lookout, Darcy. I know that we can’t be intimidated by evil people but keep your eyes open.”

  “You can count on it, Mom,” I said.

  I showered, dressed in blue jeans and a burgundy sweater, pushed my hair under a knit cap, slipped into my boots and parka, and walked out to my Ford. Blustery, gray clouds scudded before an icy wind but at least the roads were dry.

  Getting out of the house and into God’s great out-of-doors was the tonic I needed. I switched on the car’s radio. It was set at my favorite Easy Listen’ station. A love song, “I Warm My Heart Around a Memory” was playing. Even though the song’s theme was sad, it had a strong bass that made me want to tap my feet. Since I was driving, foot-tapping was out, so I sang along with the male artist, “I think of you and what you meant to me, And warm my heart around a memory.”

  And who was I thinking of as I sang, Jake or Grant? Abruptly, I switched off the radio and concentrated on driving. Ahead a weathered sign swung from a wide pasture gate. Miller Ranch was burned into the wood and my friend’s lovely home appeared beyond the gate.

  “You have a beautiful house, Amy,” I said, as I slipped out of my parka and gloves. “It is comfortable and inviting but it looks pretty classy.” I gave her a hug. “I can see your personality in the way you’ve decorated. Criss-cross sheer curtains, red-print sofa and this cream-colored carpet, all pure Amy Smith Miller.”

  Amy hung up my coat and caught my hand. “I’m so happy you came,

  Darcy. We don’t get to see each other often enough.”

  I followed her through to her family room where a fire crackled on the hearth.

  We had talked several times on the phone since my return to Levi but actually met only once, at Dilly’s for lunch. Today I had a special reason for driving out to my high school friend’s ranch that sprawled over 300 acres of Ventris County.

  “Maybe things will be a little less hectic in my life now,” Amy said, “and we can get together more often. R
ex, Jr. is in college in Norman so that just leaves the twins here at home. You would think that two-year old twins wouldn’t consume all my time and energy but they seem to.”

  “Where are Drew and my little namesake Darcy?” I asked. “I haven’t met them yet.”

  “Napping, thankfully. I wouldn’t take anything for them, but I tell you, I had forgotten how tired a mom of toddlers gets.”

  “Well, you and Jack just would start a family,” I said, teasing her. “We are the same age, Amy, and I’m quite sure I would have neither the patience nor the physical stamina to take on the responsibility of eighteen years or so of motherhood at this stage in my life. You have my undying respect and admiration.”

  “Only eighteen years?” Amy scoffed. “Believe me, although Rex is away at the University of Oklahoma, he still needs his mom for many things. Money seems to top the list.” She grinned at me. “When you meet the right man, you just might change your mind about having a family.”

  “Are you and Jack doing well?” I asked. “Still madly in love I suppose?”

  “Oh, Darcy, after my divorce from Rex, I thought I was through with being a dutiful wife, but that was before I met Jack. He is so different, such a wonderful man.” Her eyes shone. “I’ve never regretted risking marriage again. I’m the luckiest woman on planet earth.”

  Amy brought a cup of coffee to me as I sat on the loveseat facing the fireplace. She sat across from me. “So, what about you? Are you feeling stronger and more able to cope concerning Jake’s death? And, Grant? Do you think you two will get back together? You were quite the item all through high school. What happened there anyway?”

  I swallowed a sip of the steaming drink and sighed. “We had great plans, Amy, but we were so very young and that was before Jake came into my life. After that, nothing else mattered.”

  “And you regret that?”

  “Not a bit. I don’t regret Jake and I don’t regret Grant. Jake was a wonderful husband but now that I’m back, it seems the part of my life that involved him was just a dream, and Grant is what is real. I must be a really shallow person.”

  Amy shook her head. “No, you’re not shallow. If I didn’t have Rex as the physical proof of my first marriage, I might believe I dreamed the whole thing too. How about that book I suggested you write? You know—the one about legends and mysteries of Ventris County. Have you started it yet?”

  “I’m afraid not. I’m too busy living some of those mysteries. I’ll tell you all about the current one later.”

  “Speaking of mysteries reminds me, Darcy, of what Jack said the other night. He had been driving that old road that runs by your grandmother’s place out on the river and he saw some lights moving about, sort of like more than one person was out with a flashlight.” She laughed. “He said it looked kind of spooky and made him think of those ghost lights that are seen out there occasionally. That’s one of the things I want you to put in your book, Darcy, once you decide to write it: the ghost lights of Ventris County.”

  I shook my head. “I don’t know, Amy, whether ghosts are real or not. Those lights Jack saw may have been a phenomenon caused by rotting logs or something. Actually, since you have been here in Ventris County all your life and I’ve only recently returned, I thought you might be able to fill me in on a few details about Grant.”

  Amy raised her eyebrows.

  “If Grant knew that I had gotten out of the house, he would be upset. He wants me to stay close to home until he can investigate the death of Eileen Simmons. Have you heard about that?”

  Amy nodded. “Yes, but I’m afraid I don’t understand. Grant is just being protective, isn’t he?”

  “I guess saying he is protective sounds better than saying he’s really bossy. This woman who died, her name was Eileen, had a friend who seems to blame me for her death. Grant thinks the man may want to get even with me. I’m sure Grant just wants me to be safe but I’m not used to somebody making decisions for me, such as staying in the house out of fear that something might happen.”

  “That’s Grant. He takes seriously his job of watching out for every citizen although I’m thinking he has a personal interest in taking care of you.”

  She grinned and patted my knee. “I’m concerned too, Darcy. Should you have driven all the way out here by yourself today?”

  “I’m not afraid and I’m blessed if I’ll stay home cowering. It’s only a 15-minute drive to your ranch, Amy, and the doors of my Escape stay locked.”

  She nodded and picked up one of her twin’s balls from the floor. Sitting in her rocker recliner and pushing it with her toe, she absent-mindedly turned the ball in circles.

  “You know that I’m glad any time you can come to visit. What can I tell you about Grant that you don’t already know? He’s a fine man, honest and hard-working.”

  “Yes, I realize Grant is a wonderful man and I know he cares for me. Ready or not, I believe I still care for him, but what about all those years, Amy, those years when I was in Dallas, married to Jake? Did Grant stay in Ventris County?”

  Amy brushed a minute piece of lint from her jeans. “I don’t know whether you’ll like what you hear, Darcy. After you left him, Grant was pretty broken up. He became a recluse for a while, didn’t go anywhere, didn’t want to see anybody, then all of a sudden, he changed and started dating this one and that one. I believe he was trying to forget.”

  My conscience tweaked me and I winced. “I can understand. How about this woman who died, this Eileen Simmons. Do you remember her?”

  Amy blew a wisp of short blond hair off her forehead. “I didn’t know her well. We didn’t exactly run in the same circles but I think Grant may have dated her for a while. She sort of appeared in town then disappeared. I didn’t know she was back until I heard of her death.”

  My friend didn’t pry into how I could have been involved with Eileen but I knew she was curious. Later I would share the details of Eileen’s death. But not today. Today the whole disaster was too raw and confusing.

  We were interrupted by the sound of children’s voices coming down the hall. Little Darcy and Drew appeared in the room, their eyes sleepy and their faces rosy from their nap. They stopped when they saw me.

  Amy went to them and led them to where I sat. “This is your Aunt Darcy. You were named for her,” she said to the little girl.

  Their shyness evaporated and they climbed up on the sofa. One sat on each side and looked me over.

  For the next fifteen minutes, I played ball, wound a pop-up clown, and admired Drew’s latest wound, a scratch on his knee. Then I pulled two small packages from my purse. I gave one to each child and rose to go.

  “Please come again soon,” Amy said as she followed me to the door. “And do be careful, Darcy. I treasure you and your friendship.”

  I smiled. “Same here, Amy.”

  Waving good-bye to the three of them, I went down the walk and climbed into my Escape. Amy and her children stood in the door waving, a calming scene in this storm that raged around me.

  Chapter 16

  Pat shivered. “That wind sounds like a wild animal trying to get into the house.”

  Pat Harris, secretary of the Goshen Cemetery Board and my mother’s best friend, sat with Mom and me in front of our fireplace. The stack of logs blazed, but still the room seemed chilly. The north wind found every crack in our hundred-year old farmhouse. Mom pulled her green afghan around her shoulders.

  “We’ll just have to make the best of the cold,” Mom said. “It’s winter. January days in Oklahoma are usually cold.” She picked up the poker and jabbed the logs, sending sparks showering.

  Gray clouds seemed to almost touch the bare tops of trees. Truly the sky seemed to be lowering. “The weatherman doesn’t think more snow will get here until this afternoon,” I said.

  Pat set her coffee cup on the floor and leaned back against her chair. “I’m hoping I’ll have time to get home before the streets get slippery. But before I leave, I want to know what’s going on with you
two.”

  Mom looked sharply at her old friend. “What do you mean? Is something going on?”

  Pat laughed. “Flora Tucker! You never could fool me, even when we were girls. Of course there’s something going on. All of Levi knows about Cub finding that box and everybody’s guessing what’s in it. I know deep in my bones that there’s a whole lot more that you’re not telling. I also know that some girl from out of town died at the hospital a couple of days ago and the rumor is she was poisoned. So, come clean now. Out with the story!”

  Mom looked at me and gave a tiny shake of her head. While it was true that Pat was Mom’s good friend, she loved to talk and sometimes without meaning to, let something slip. I had known Pat all my life and was well acquainted with her kindness as well as her liking of a good piece of gossip. How much should we tell her so she would be satisfied that she was in our confidence?

  Pat crossed her legs and leaned forward, looking first at Mom, then me. I thought I could see her ears twitch.

  Mom fiddled with the fringe on her afghan. “I hope you understand, Pat, that we can’t say too much about what Cub dug up. It was a parcel, I guess you’d say, and not a box. That’s just the tale that’s making the rounds. I don’t know how the “box” thing got started. We’ve told Grant all about it and also Jackson Conner. We’re going to let them take care of it.”

  Jethro rubbed against Pat’s leg. She reached down and scooped him onto her lap. “Well, fiddlesticks! I don’t see why you can’t tell me or at least let me see that confounded parcel or whatever it is.”

  “We don’t have it at the moment,” I said. “We don’t know who has it.”

  Pat’s mouth dropped open. “You mean it was stolen?”

  Mom nodded.

  “Well! What a muddle. So that mysterious “thing” is important enough to somebody that they risked thievery?”