“My name is Holly Lewis. I’m helping Missy from the church with something. Do you have a few minutes I can talk to you, or is this not a good time?” she asked. Everybody’s job was different, so she didn’t want to assume that he was free to talk right then.
“No, right now is as good a time as any,” he said with a friendly smile. “What does she need? Is she already dreaming up another construction plan?”
“Not exactly,” Holly began. Just like a bolt of lightning, she realized the best way to approach her question without accusing him of the theft outright. “I’m not sure if you’re aware of it, but the church has a room where they store donated food.”
“Is that where all that food came from?” he asked. “I ran across it the other evening and wondered what it was doing in there.”
“So you do know about it,” Holly continued. “Well you see, apparently someone went in there and took some food without permission.”
“Oh,” Joe said, his face falling. “That’s too bad.”
“I know,” Holly said with a nod. “But Missy doesn’t want to get law enforcement involved. She thinks whoever took it was probably in need, and that’s no reason to punish them. She wanted me to ask people who had been around there recently to see if they’d noticed anything or anyone that seemed out of the ordinary.”
Joe thought about what she’d said for a moment. “No, I don’t recall anything strange when I was there. Of course, when I stumbled across the room, I wouldn’t have known if something was out of place or not.”
“What were you doing yesterday around 7:00 p.m.?” Holly questioned.
“I was here. We had a shipment come in, and I was here with a couple of other employees while we unloaded everything,” he explained. “I was probably here until 8:00.”
“Okay, so you don’t know of anyone who might be having trouble getting enough food?” Holly asked. “Missy felt as though, from the things that were taken, that whoever took it was struggling to buy groceries.”
“I’d imagine a number of families are having that problem,” Joe said as he pushed his glasses up his nose. “This isn’t exactly a town with high paying jobs. Seems if you get paid well, you have to commute out of town, which can be costly. And if you work here in town, you aren’t paid as much.”
“Then you think her theory is probably right on the money?” Holly asked.
“I would say that, yes,” he nodded. “It’s too bad we don’t have some sort of food pantry that could help those that are in need. Maybe just like little care packages that families going through a tough time could get.”
“That’s actually a really good idea. Or even a free meal put on by the church where anyone could come and eat,” Holly supplied.
He nodded. “Yeah, anything to help people out. There are a lot of people who don’t want to be seen as poor, but are really struggling.” He looked down at the edge of the counter and began to pick at something Holly couldn’t see. “If there was a way for them to get help without having to feel as though they were getting a handout…”
“I get what you’re saying,” she said sympathetically. “I’ll mention it to Missy when I speak with her later. You make a very great point. I really appreciate all your help.”
“Not a problem,” he said. Finally he looked up, even though it seemed to pain him. “You know, I’m glad you’re trying to help whoever took that food instead of punishing them. I’m sure they didn’t mean any harm by it.”
“I agree,” Holly said with a reassuring smile. “Sometimes people just need help. Stealing isn’t the answer, but I can understand being in a place of desperation. When you’re hungry, you’ll do almost anything to make the hunger go away.”
“That’s very true,” he said, his eyes looking off in the distance for a moment.
“Well, I better go. I’ve probably taken up too much of your time. If you think of anything, will you give Missy a call? She’ll pass the message on to me,” Holly said.
“Sure,” he said. “And good luck.”
She turned and walked back to the front of the store. Joe may not have been the culprit, but he’d raised a good point. There had to be a way to help these people. Even if it was only a handful of people who were going without, that was still too many. Surely Missy could come up with some way to help them.
Holly pushed the door open, stepped out into the sun, and mentally crossed the first person off her list. Joe seemed like a nice guy and she was glad she didn’t have to tell Missy he was the culprit. She decided she could use her time at work to find the next people to question. She climbed on her bike and headed towards home. She needed to get ready to go to work at the bookstore.
CHAPTER 13
“You’ve been quiet lately,” Brigid said as she drove Holly to the bookstore. She looked over at Holly, clearly concerned.
“I’ve just had a lot going on, that’s all,” Holly sighed. “You know how it is sometimes.” Holly had no intention of bringing up her birthday again. Honestly, it had hurt too much to have Brigid and Linc just dismiss it when she’d brought it up. She kept telling herself there had to be a good reason, but so far, she hadn’t come up with one.
“I can understand that,” Brigid sighed. “Everyone seems to have a lot going on recently. Well, if you decide you need to talk, let me know.” They pulled up in the front of the bookstore and Holly grabbed her bag.
“I will. Thanks for the ride,” she said as she pushed open the car door and climbed out. She gave Brigid a slight wave before pulling open the door to the bookstore and walking in. Before stepping through the door, her emotions felt raw and heightened, but once inside one of her favorite places, she felt the tension slide from her shoulders.
All her life, books had provided Holly with the comfort she needed from the outside world. Just because her outside world had changed didn’t mean they couldn’t still help soothe her.
“Hey, Holly,” Fiona said with a smile. She had little Aiden on her hip and seemed in a much better mood. When her eyes landed on Holly’s face, she knew immediately something was wrong. “What’s wrong?” she asked sympathetically.
“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it,” Holly said. Not one to burden others with her problems, she didn’t want to unload on Fiona when she knew the woman had her own problems to deal with.
“Nope, you don’t get to do that with me,” Fiona said as she crossed the store. She grabbed Holly’s hand and led her to a chair and made her sit down. Fiona pulled one up across from her and took a seat. “Come on, spill it. Who does your Aunt Fiona need to beat up?”
“Nobody,” Holly said as she cracked a small smile. “I really will be okay. Honest. You don’t need to worry about me.”
“Oh, but I do. You are legally my niece now, so that means I can butt in whenever I see fit,” she said with a lift of her chin.
Holly couldn’t help but laugh at that. “It’s really not worth your concern,” she sighed.
“Let me be the judge of that,” Fiona insisted.
“Fine,” Holly said, giving up. “It’s Linc and Brigid.”
Fiona seemed surprised. “What did they do?”
“It’s more what they aren’t doing,” Holly admitted as she began to chip off her old nail polish. “They keep ignoring me when I talk about my birthday.”
“What do you mean they’re ignoring you? Give me an example,” Fiona said as she began to pat Aiden on the back.
“Well, I’ll say something to remind them about my birthday and they completely change the subject, every time. It’s not just once, it’s every freaking time. Like, I don’t even try to talk about it now because I know they won’t listen, and it just hurts my feelings too much.”
“Oh, Holly,” Fiona sighed. “I’m sorry. That’s got to be tough,” she lamented. “Why do you think they’re doing it?”
“I don’t know,” Holly sighed. She felt tears pressing at her eyes, but she did her best to push them back. “Maybe they’re getting tired of me?”
“You think?” Holly asked hopefully.
“I do. I’m willing to bet that if you just give them the benefit of the doubt, they’ll surprise you,” Fiona said kindly. “Don’t put too much thought into it. You know how it can be sometimes. There’s been a lot going on recently. I’m sure they know what you’ve been saying, but are just preoccupied.”
“Okay,” Holly said, doing her best to relax. “I guess I can see that.”
“Good,” Fiona said satisfied. “Now tell me about what you’re doing for Missy.”
“Oh, that’s right,” Holly said. “Long story short, someone took a bunch of food from a storage room in the church. She’s worried if she tells Brigid that law enforcement might get involved, and that’s the last thing she wants. Instead, she’s asked me to try to find out who did it, so she can try to help them. She figures they have to be pretty hard up to steal food from the church.”
“Wow,” Fiona said, eyes wide. “That’s crazy, but I can completely see where she’s coming from. I think Brigid would have had a tough time tip toeing the line on that one.” She smiled. “Missy made a good choice in asking you.”
“Thanks,” Holly said bashfully. “Hey, don’t you have a doctor’s appointment to get ready for?”
“You’re right,” Fiona sighed. “But to be honest, I’m not looking forward to it.”
“Why? What’s wrong?” Holly asked, suddenly concerned. “Are you going to get bad news?”
“No, nothing like that,” Fiona said, shaking her head. “More like I know that I need to talk to the doctor about what’s been going on with me, but I’m nervous.”
“Don’t be,” Holly said softly. “You know, I’m sure the doctor will have a great solution for you. Besides, you already seem like you’re doing a little better.”
“You think?” Fiona asked. “I’ve been working on it. Whenever I start to feel myself shift to a negative place, I try to take a step back from the moment. It’s not always easy, but I’m getting better at it. I just don’t want to be put on any prescriptions. I am not a fan of taking stuff even when I have something as simple as a headache, you know? So, I’m a little worried.”
“Then make sure you tell her that. Besides, I bet she’ll totally understand. Remember what you always tell me, ‘don’t freak out until you have a reason to.’ There’s no telling what she might suggest for you. Plus, she’s a younger doctor, so maybe she’ll have some more current thoughts on the subject.”
“Good point.” Fiona looked around the store and sighed. “Well, I better go then.”
“Yep, and I want you to tell me all about it when you’re done,” Holly said as she gave her a hug.
“I will,” Fiona said. “Love you.”
“Love you too,” Holly said as she watched Fiona buckle Aiden into his car seat and collect her things. Before long she was gone, leaving Holly to herself.
A few customers came in, keeping Holly busy, but after a little while things slowed down. She took the opportunity to start doing a little digging around online. Lola Hammond was the first one she was able to find. Amazingly enough, she was able to find the woman’s address and quickly wrote it down. Moving on, she wondered how she’d be able to find the other two.
She was hard at work when the little bell over the door startled her. Looking up as she prepared to greet a customer, but instead she recognized a familiar face.
“Wade!” she said happily, moving around the counter and hurrying toward him. He pulled her into a tight embrace as he kissed her cheek. “It seems like it’s been forever since we’ve seen each other.”
“I know,” he said with a grin. “But I had the night off from the ski resort and thought I’d come see you.”
“I’m glad you did. I could use a little company,” she said. Her heart felt much lighter now that he was here. Besides, he was a master at digging up information online. “Hey, you think you could help me with something?”
“Anything, you name it,” he said as he followed her to the computer. She went into the back room and brought another stool in so they could both sit in front of the computer screen.
“I’m looking for a way to speak to a couple local kids,” she began. “I’m doing something for Missy.”
“Okay, what are their names?” he asked.
She pointed to the paper on the counter where she’d written down their names. “Ava Greene and Mason Weide.”
Wade began typing into the search engine and started searching links. Within twenty minutes he’d found addresses for both of them. It had taken a little digging and searching, but he was sure that the information was correct.
“Wow, you are so good at that,” Holly said in awe. She knew how to search for stuff online, but the way Wade was able to find information so fast was amazing. “I really appreciate your help.”
“It’s no trouble. Anytime,” he said as he leaned back and stretched. “So how are things going with the birthday? Have they picked up on what you’ve been hinting?”
“No, but I’m doing my best to not worry about it,” she said confidently. “I talked to Fiona about it, and she told me that more than likely they heard me, but they’re just distracted. And she’s probably right. It’s not like they’ve ever forgotten my birthday or anything before. Maybe I need to relax a little.”
“You don’t seem as upset as you were the other day, so I’m happy if you are,” he said as he put his arm around her. “Sometimes we need someone else to put things into perspective for us.”
“That’s true,” she sighed. “I just wish I didn’t feel so worried about it.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself. It’s normal,” Wade assured her.
“I think a lot of it is that I keep remembering when my mom would forget holidays, birthdays, stuff like that. I guess maybe I’m afraid that Brigid will end up doing the same, even though I know she’s not the same person. Not even close, and it’s not fair of me to compare them, either.
“Mom was strung out on drugs and almost always drunk. Brigid’s like the exact opposite of that.” Holly drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I know I shouldn’t compare them.”
“Don’t forget to stop holding yourself to such high standards while you’re at it. You’re going to be sixteen, not thirty. You don’t have to have it all figured out at this age.” He pulled her closer again and gave her a kiss.
“Thanks,” she said with a smile. “You always know the right thing to say to me.”
“That’s my job,” he said shrugging. “I’m here for you whenever and wherever.”
“Good to know,” Holly said softly. “Sometimes I just need to get things out so they won’t bother me so much.”
“Don’t we all? You were there for me when I was having a hard time with my parents. Everyone needs a shoulder to lean on once in a while. No shame there.”
CHAPTER 14
The next morning, Holly was ready to go visit Lola Hammond. From the address, she knew right where to find her. It was in the old trailer park where she and her mother lived before she was murdered.
As Holly left the house, she couldn’t help but wish she had a car and her full driver’s license. She had a learner’s permit that she used when Linc was giving her driving lessons, but she yearned for the day when she’d have an unrestricted license and could drive alone.
It wasn’t that she didn’t like riding her bike, she did, but sometimes she wanted a less windy mode of transportation. Pulling the hair tie off her wrist, she pulled her hair back into a high ponytail before heading for a very familiar part of town.
Pedaling hard, she began to work out her frustrations. She hadn’t lied to Wade, she did feel better, but she still had a bit of pent-up irritation inside. Not sure exactly who it was directed at, sh
e chose to release it in a healthier way with exercise. The fresh air would help clear her mind and keep her focused on the task at hand.
Eventually she drew closer to her old neighborhood. It was interesting to see that not a whole lot had changed since she’d been gone. It felt almost eerie to be riding by, as if the past few years had only been a dream. She resisted the urge to pinch herself to make sure it had all happened. The thought of it all being a dream put a seed in her mind.
Where would she be today if her mom would have lived? Would she have remained sober? Would they still have been living in that little trailer with hardly anything? The thought chilled her. Did that make her a bad person? Shaking her head, she decided that no, it didn’t. There was nothing wrong with appreciating the fact that you had a better life. Kind of like that phrase about making lemonade out of lemons.
She found the address she was looking for and climbed off her bike. It was a clean looking little home a few houses before the curve that led to her old trailer. The fairly new exterior paint and flowers told Holly that whoever lived here was proud of their home. They hadn’t given up, like some of the others had.
Lola obviously was one of those people who tried to keep what she did have nice and tidy. It wasn’t a newer mobile home, far from it. But as Holly climbed the steps that led to it and crossed a small wooden porch, she still thought it was one of the nicer looking homes in the trailer park. She raised her hand to knock on the door and hoped that Lola was home.
“Be there in a moment,” she heard a woman call from the other end of the mobile home. It didn’t take long before the door was pulled open and a young lady who looked thin and exhausted was standing before her.
“Hi. My name is Holly Lewis. Are you Lola Hammond?” Holly cheerfully asked.
“I am,” she said eyeing her curiously. She seemed confused. Most likely she thought Holly was a sales person or a bill collector, but realized she was far too young for that.
“Missy over at the church has had an issue come up, and she asked me to go around and check with a few people to see if maybe they can help her figure out what happened,” Holly explained.
Holly Lewis Mystery series Box Set Page 33
