Hope Callaghan - Garden Girls 06 - Magnolia Mansion Mysteries (4 page)

Gloria pulled into Eleanor’s circular drive.  Before she could change her mind, she opened the driver’s side door and slid out.  The drive was long and wound its way through the front yard.  Gurgling nearby was a stack of wooden barrels. Water ran down the center of the basins and drained into a small pool surrounding it.   

Lining the sidewalk, leading to the front steps, was an array of pink hydrangeas and multi-colored begonias.  Gloria climbed the steps to the front door.  She reached out to ring the doorbell when the door swung open.

Eleanor Whittaker appeared behind the screen door and gazed out.  “Gloria Rutherford.”

Gloria smiled at Eleanor’s floral housecoat.  It was white and dotted with pink roses.  Small, pearl buttons ran down the center.  There was an embroidered pocket on each side.  On one pocket was a bluebird.  On the other, a bright, yellow sun. 

“I hope I’m not bothering you,” Gloria apologized.

Eleanor fumbled with the handle, her hands shaking ever-so-slightly.  “No.  Come in. Come in.”

Gloria squeezed through the opening and stepped into the living room. 

Eleanor grabbed her metal walker and started across the orange shag carpeting, in the direction of the kitchen.  Gloria hadn’t been in Eleanor’s house for decades.  She glanced around.  It looked the same as it had all those years ago.  Down to the arrangement of the furniture. 

She made a mental note to see if perhaps Eleanor wasn’t at a point where she could use a little handyman work around the house.  The church had volunteers for that and Gloria was certain they wouldn’t mind adding Eleanor to their list.

The walker shuffled across the carpet then scraped hard against the kitchen linoleum floor.  “Would you like a cup of tea?”

Gloria shook her head.  “No thanks.”

Eleanor pushed the walker off to the side and pulled out a kitchen chair.  “Would you like to sit down?”

Gloria nodded and pulled out a chair.  She settled in and watched as Eleanor eased into the seat beside her.  “I hear you’re a bit of a celebrity these days.” Eleanor peered at her through her wire-rimmed glasses.  “Sounds quite exciting.”

Gloria smiled.  “It is.  In fact, that’s why I’m here.”

Eleanor’s eyes lit up.  She leaned in.  “Really?”

“What do you know about the last couple who lived in the old Johnson mansion?”

Eleanor gazed past Gloria and out the rear window.  “You mean the big house on the hill that someone just bought and fixed up?”

“Yep.”

Gloria had very vague memories of the couple.  She remembered one time when she was young; she’d been walking by the house, on her way down to the lake to visit one of her friends.

The old man had been out in his drive.  She could feel a pair of eyes on her as she walked by the creepy place.  She turned to glance towards the house when she noticed him standing there.  He was watching her through the bars of the wrought iron gate.  Glaring at her, really. 

It scared the dickens out of her.  When he took a step in her direction, she took off running as fast as her little legs would take her. She didn’t stop running until she reached her friend’s house.  She made her mother pick her up later that day, too terrified to walk back by the house.

“Abe and Barbara Johnson.  Those were the last ones to live there.  Of course, before that it Abe’s parents had lived there.” Eleanor rubbed her thumb over a small speck on the table.  Her eyes clouded. “I don’t recall their names, though.”

Gloria grabbed her purse and pulled the pad of paper Dot had given her. She slipped on her reading glasses and started to jot down a few notes.  She looked up.  “Do you remember if they worked? If they had children?”

Eleanor nodded.  “Abe.  He worked down at the grain mill for years.  Right up until he had that accident and one of his thumbs was severed in a wheel.” She made a slicing motion across her thumb.  “Cut it clean off.”

She went on.  “After that, he retired.  Course he was into woodworking.  Some sort of custom cabinetmaker.”

Eleanor got up.  “Sure you don’t want some tea?”

Gloria shook her head.  She waited as Eleanor fixed a cup of tea and sat back down.  “What about his wife, Barbara?” 

Eleanor sipped the tea.  “She was a bit of an odd duck.  Never really came out of that house, except for when the two of them would get in the car and go somewhere.  They even had their groceries delivered to their door. Every Monday morning like clockwork.”

Gloria remembered that part.  She remembered her mother telling her a similar story. One time Gloria herself caught a glimpse of the deliveryman outside the front door, handing the bags to someone just out of sight.

“Do you remember anyone ever visiting them?  Family? Children?”  Gloria was curious.

Eleanor shook her head.  “No. Not even once.”  She squished her eyes together thoughtfully.  “I don’t believe they ever had children.” She shrugged. “At least not that I can remember.”

It was Eleanor’s turn to ask questions.  “Did something happen over there at the place? Wasn’t there a body found out back in the shed not long ago?”

Gloria nodded.  “Yeah.” She wasn’t sure how much she should say. Eleanor wasn’t the gossiping kind. At least not that Gloria knew of.  Plus, everyone in town would find out what happened soon enough.  “We found a human skeleton inside the dumpster out in front of the house earlier today.”

Eleanor’s eyes grew as round as saucers. Her hand flew to her throat.  “You don’t say!” She picked up her teacup.  “They always said that place was haunted.  That ghosts roamed around inside.”

The place sure did seem to have a lot of odd occurrences and bodies.  Gloria stood.  “Thanks so much for talking to me, Eleanor.  You’ve been very helpful.”

Eleanor got to her feet.  She grabbed her walker and followed Gloria to the door.  “If I think of anything else, I’ll give you a call,” she promised.

“Thanks.  I really appreciate that.” Gloria paused.  “You look good, Eleanor.  I hope I’m half as healthy as you when I reach your age.”

Eleanor tapped the side of her forehead.  “Still sharp as a tack.” She lowered her hand and opened the door.  “The Lord blessed me with good health and I’ll be here as long as He sees fit.”

Gloria smiled.  “Which is precisely how long any of us will be on this earth.”

Eleanor watched Gloria climb into her car. She waved at her before closing the door. 

Gloria pulled her notepad from her purse and grabbed a pen.  “Wellness visits to Eleanor,” she jotted down on the pad before slipping it back into her purse.  Eleanor was a sweet lady and it would be a shame if anything happened to her. 

Gloria headed up the hill and away from the lake.  She couldn’t decide if she wanted to head over to Doc Decker’s place or wait to do that some other day. 

She drove through town and at the last moment decided to stop in the post office to see if Ruth had heard anything.  Gloria’s friend, Ruth Carpenter, was head postmaster at the Belhaven post office.  She was on top of all the happenings in town.  Gloria was certain Ruth had heard all about the remains.

Gloria squeezed Anabelle into one of the tight parking spaces near the door and eased out of the driver’s seat.  The parking lot was half-full, but that didn’t mean all of the people were inside the post office.  A lot of them took care of their business inside and then headed across the street to run other errands or have lunch at Dot’s Restaurant, which was directly across the street.

Gloria opened the front door and stepped inside the air-conditioned lobby.  She was the only one in there besides Ruth.

Ruth whirled around when she heard the tinkle of the front door.  When she saw who it was, she rushed over to the counter.  “Did you hear about the body found in the dumpster at Andrea’s place?”

Gloria nodded.  “It wasn’t really a body.  Just a skeleton,” she told her.

“How did you….?” Ruth’s eyes narrowed. She slammed an open palm on the countertop.  “Let me guess!  You were there when they found it!”

Gloria walked over to the counter and set her purse on top.  “Yep.  We found it under a pile of old paneling.  The stuff that Andrea took out of the kitchen.”

Ruth raised an eyebrow.  “Do they think the body was behind the wall?”

“It’s a possibility,” Gloria admitted.  “After all, it was in with all the other stuff that came out of the kitchen.”

Of course, the remains were intact.  It was possible that someone had put it there, believing that no one would notice it.  That it would be hauled away to a landfill and covered in tons of trash, never to be seen again.

Actually, the more she thought about it, the more that theory made sense.  Of course, Gloria wasn’t ruling anything out yet.  There was still the possibility it
had
been behind the wall.  Hidden away.

And then there was the painting, which was as much a mystery as the skeleton was.  Last but not least, there was the small, locked area in Andrea’s basement. 

Gloria didn’t mention the painting.  “So is anyone talking?  Any theories on who the body might belong to?”

Ruth shook her head.  “All I’ve heard so far is,” Ruth raised her index finger, “One. The place is haunted and should’ve been condemned years ago.”

Gloria interrupted her.  “Let me guess.  Judith Arnett said that.”

Ruth nodded.  “Two. Andrea is cursed and dead people are following her around.”

Gloria burst out laughing.  That was ludicrous.  She doubled over as gales of laughter took over. She finally stopped laughing and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.  “That’s a good one. Next they’ll be saying I’m planting bodies just so I’ll have a mystery to solve.”

The smile disappeared from Ruth’s face. She swallowed hard and studied the floor. Gloria stuck a hand on her hip.  “Did someone say that?”

Ruth fiddled nervously with the ink blotter on the side of the counter.  “Well…”

Gloria leaned in.  “Who had the nerve to say such a thing?” It took a lot to get Gloria ticked, but when she did…Whoa!  Watch out! 

Ruth recognized that look! She clamped her lips tightly together and shook her head.  There was no way she was going to set off 4
th
of July fireworks between Gloria and a certain unnamed party. 

“You don’t believe it, do you?” Gloria demanded.

Ruth stiffened her back. Her lips formed a thin line. “Of course not! If not for you, I’d be in prison right now!”

Gloria relaxed a little.  “True.” If not for that handy-dandy little spy camera Gloria had set up and caught Ruth’s nemesis red-handed, she probably would be in prison…”

Ruth leaned forward.  “Sour grapes, Gloria.  Nothing but sour grapes.  Remember that.”

Ruth was right.  Gloria glanced down at her watch.  “I better head home.  Let me know if you hear anything else,” she added.

Ruth stopped her when she got to the door.  “Hey!  I heard Andrea’s parents are in town and that her mom wore a surgical mask and gloves into Dot’s.”

Gloria opened the door.  “Yeah.  She’s uhhhh.. different.  Let’s put it that way.” She didn’t wait for an answer before she stepped outside. 

She stomped over to the car, a scowl on her face and her feathers still a bit ruffled by the idea that someone thought she was somehow responsible for coughing up dead bodies.

Gloria yanked the car door open and slid inside.
I guess that meant she was also responsible for the drug trafficking, not to mention bringing bank robbers to town….
she decided.

Gloria started Annabelle and headed towards home.  When she pulled into her drive, her friend, Margaret, pulled in right behind her.  Margaret was waiting on the sidewalk by the time Gloria finished parking the car in the garage.  “I heard you found another body.”

“Skeletal remains,” Gloria corrected.

Margaret waved a hand dismissively. “Body. Skeleton. It’s all the same,” she said.

The two women wandered up the steps.  Gloria turned the key in the lock and pushed the porch door open.  “You want a glass of tea or lemonade?”

Margaret flopped down in the rocking chair on the porch.  She dropped her purse on the floor next to her.  “Sure.  Bring me whatever. I’m not picky.”

Gloria nodded and headed indoors.  Mally was waiting in the kitchen, her tail thumping hard on the linoleum floor.  Gloria opened the kitchen door.  “Go say ‘Hi’ to Margaret,” she told her.

Gloria pulled two glasses from the cupboard and slammed them on the counter.  She wandered over to the freezer and grabbed a tray of ice cubes and pitcher of lemonade from the shelf.  She was still stewing a bit about the comment Ruth had made.

After she put the lemonade back in the fridge, she carried the glasses to the porch. She handed one to Margaret before sliding into the chair beside her.

Margaret eyed her friend as she sipped the cool drink.  “You look fit to be tied,” she commented.  The two had been friends for more years than either of them could count and Margaret knew Gloria well enough to see she was stewing.

“Someone told Ruth they thought I was creating mysteries for attention,” she admitted.