Hope Callaghan - Garden Girls 06 - Magnolia Mansion Mysteries (9 page)

Back at the farm, Gloria rambled around the yard. She wandered over to the garden to water it then stepped back inside.  She looked around her kitchen, still feeling as if she needed something to do. 

Maybe it was time for a long overdue visit from her grandsons, Tyler and Ryan.

Gloria picked up the phone and dialed her daughter’s number. Jill picked up on the first ring.  “Hi Mom.”

“Hello Jill.  How are you?”

Jill let out a long, aggravated sigh.  “I’ll be glad when school starts.  The boys are driving me nuts!” she admitted.

Gloria grinned.  Yes, her grandsons could be a handful.  What they needed was some fresh, country air!  Somewhere to run around and release some of that pent up energy! “That’s why I’m calling. To ask if they could come spend the night.”

“Seriously?  They would love it.  I would love it,” Jill told her.

“How about tomorrow night?  I can catch up on some things here around the house and then I’ll have plenty of time to spend with them tomorrow.”

Before she hung up, Jill told her they’d see her around noon the next day and she’d bring the boys overnight bags. 

Gloria hung up the phone, pleased that she would not only be able to spend time with her precious grandsons, but that her daughter could have a much-needed break.

Gloria spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning the house, mopping floors, and doing some laundry.  As she worked, her mind wandered to the paintings.  She thought about the body and Hank Johnson.  Her gut told her the remains in the dumpster belonged to him. 

What if Abe was the killer?  What if they had gotten into an argument and Abe had hid his body? But Abe was long gone.  That meant someone else knew about Hank’s body.  Someone that lived in the small, quiet town of Belhaven.

Gloria finally finished all her housework and plopped down in the kitchen chair.  She wasn’t in the mood to cook.  She wasn’t in the mood for Dot’s, either.  She thought about her sister, Liz, whom she hadn’t seen her in quite some time.  She picked her cell phone off the table and dialed Liz’s number. 

The phone rang and rang.  Gloria was almost ready to hang up when a breathless Liz answered.  “Hello?”

“Hey Liz.  Everything okay?  You sound like you just ran around the block,” Gloria told her.

“I wish that was all it was,” Liz moaned.  “Frances is driving me crazy.”  Frances was Liz’s closest friend. They both lived in Dreamwood Retirement Community in nearby Green Springs. 

Jill had been trying to talk her mother into moving there for a couple years now.  Something that Gloria was bound and determined
not
to do. 

There was way too much drama at that place.  Not only that, her sister, Liz, was almost always right in the thick of it!

“What’s wrong with Frances?”  Hard telling with Frances.  She and Liz were a lot alike.  Maybe that was why they were so close.  From one drama queen to another…

“Milt is missing,” Liz told her.

Milt was Frances’s love interest.  Frances had been chasing poor Milt for years now.  He was one of only a handful of eligible bachelors that lived in Dreamwood.  He had at least a dozen women at any given time waiting on his beck and call.  “Maybe he ran off with one of his girlfriends.”

“Yeah. We should be so lucky,” Liz muttered.  She changed the subject.  “So what’s new with you?”

Gloria scratched a small speck off the kitchen counter with her fingernail.  She wiped it into the sink.  “I was trying to decide what to do for dinner and thought of you.  Are you free?”

That seemed to cheer Liz up.  “Yeah!  I need something to take my mind off Milt,” she said wryly.

Before she hung up, Gloria agreed to meet Liz at her apartment and then they would run over to the community cafeteria for dinner.  Gloria made a quick trip to the bathroom to freshen up before she grabbed her purse and car keys. 

Mally pulled herself from her doggy bed.  She wagged her tail at Gloria, who paused for a fraction of a second.  The residents at Dreamwood loved Mally and were always so excited when Gloria brought her by.  “Okay, girl.  You can come too!” Mally darted to the door, a one-eyed teddy bear firmly clenched in her jaw. 

Mally climbed in the passenger side, riding shotgun, which was her normal place in the car if Gloria didn’t have someone else tagging along.

The evening air was warm.  Gloria rolled down the front windows to let the fresh air in.  Mally hung her head out the passenger door for most of the ride.

Gloria grinned when she noticed her tongue hanging out of her mouth, a smile on her face.

She pulled the car into a visitor parking spot, directly across from Liz’s shiny new four-door sedan.  The two of them climbed out of the car and headed to the slider out front. 

Liz was waiting for them.  She flung the door open before she reached down and patted Mally’s head.  “Look who we have here – my favorite super dog!”

She rubbed Mally’s ears.  “I have something for you,” she told her.  Ever since Mally had saved the girls’ lives up in the mountains, Mally held a special place in Liz’s heart. 

She trotted off to the kitchen and came back moments later with a surprise, which Mally gratefully accepted. She licked Liz’s hand in a show of appreciation before grabbing the doggie treat in her mouth and wandering over to the corner to devour the tasty morsel. 

Gloria watched the exchange.  “So what’s this about Milt being missing?”

Liz looked up.  “He disappeared a couple days ago.  No one has seen hide nor hair of him.  Frances is freaking out.”

The three of them stepped onto the sidewalk. Liz locked the door behind them. 

It was a short walk to Dreamwood’s main restaurant, “Dreamwood Eats.”  There was one other restaurant in the complex, “Fifth Plate.”  It was more of an upscale restaurant for special occasions.  The only other place to grab a bite to eat was the snack shack inside the clubhouse, near the golf course.

Gloria had to admit Dreamwood had a ton of activities for residents.  It just wasn’t her thing.  At least not yet.  Perhaps it was something else that stopped her from seriously considering a move.  Gloria thought in the back of her mind if she moved to a place like Dreamwood, she’d be surrendering some of her independence.

Liz seemed to love it.  She held the door and waited as Gloria and Mally stepped inside.  The place was busy and it was only 5:00 in the afternoon. 

Gloria glanced at the signboard on the way to the back. “Today’s special is liver and onions.” She wrinkled her nose.  She wasn’t too picky of an eater but she hated liver and onions. 

Liz grinned, fully aware of Gloria’s aversion to the special.  “I’m sure you can find something else to eat.”

They made their way over to the end of the line.  Gloria grabbed a tray then handed one to Liz.  The smell of fresh baked bread filled the air. Her stomach grumbled as she set the tray on the metal runner.

Gloria started with a small side salad and moved onto the hot items.  She set two pieces of meatloaf off to the side, grabbed a bowl of mashed potatoes and brown gravy before sliding forward. 

It was then she spied the fried chicken.  Her mouth watered. She glanced down at her plate.  There was plenty of room for a piece of chicken.  She set it on her plate and added a mound of corn to the small space she had left.

“The raspberry tea is really good,” Liz told her.

Raspberry tea sounded perfect.  Gloria grabbed a plastic cup, filled it half full of ice and then topped it off with the tea. 

She and Mally waited for Liz at the end of the line.  “Where do you want to sit?”  She glanced around the room.  A few of the faces looked familiar but the names… Gloria had a hard time remembering names.  She tried word association.  Sometimes that worked but there were times it backfired on her.  Like the time she called Harry Washenter, one of the residents – Henry Kissinger.  It was an honest mistake but Liz still teased her about it.

Liz pointed with one finger, her hand still gripping the heavy tray.  “Over there.  I see a couple open chairs next to Frances.”

Gloria and Mally followed Liz to the empty seats. Gloria set her tray on the table and settled in.  Thankfully, she had remembered to grab a paper plate from the food line.  She lifted a slice of meatloaf from her own plate and chopped it into small pieces. 

She put the pieces on the paper plate and set it on the floor beside her.  Mally licked her hand in appreciation before turning to the tasty morsels.

Gloria turned to Frances.  “Heard anything from Milt?”

Liz narrowed her eyes and shook her head - but it was too late.

France lifted her head. Her eyes filled with tears.  “Not a peep,” she answered sorrowfully.

Gloria quickly changed the subject.  She pointed to the front doors. “I noticed they’re having a dance here tomorrow night,” she said.

Unfortunately, that didn’t seem to help matters as a tear trickled down poor Frances’s face.  “Milt was going to take me.”

Liz scowled at Gloria and turned to her friend. “Did you hear about the body they found out in Belhaven?”

“I hope it’s not Milt’s,” Frances wailed. She burst into tears and buried her face in her hands.

Gloria reached over and wrapped her arm around Frances’s shoulders.  “I’m almost 100% certain it’s not Milt,” she assured her.

Frances shoved her chair back, grabbed her walker that was next to her chair and bolted from the room.  Gloria’s heart sank as she watched her shuffled from the room.

Liz chewed on the end of a French fry.  “Nice going, sis,” she said.

Gloria’s head whipped around. She glared at Liz.  “You didn’t do much better.” She mimicked her sister.  “Did you hear about the body they found in Belhaven?”

Liz shrugged.  Yeah.  It probably wasn’t the best choice in words to say to someone whose love interest had just disappeared. “So how is the investigation going?”

Gloria shrugged.  “Kind of at a standstill until they identify the body,” she admitted.

Gloria told her who she thought it was and why. She changed the subject and they talked about Jill and the boys.  Liz mentioned that her son, Eric, was coming for a visit.  Eric lived somewhere out in Colorado.  Gloria could never remember exactly where.  He had a girlfriend that Liz had never met.  “Is he bringing his girlfriend?”

“Casey?” Liz sawed off a piece of the liver on her plate and took a bite.  “Yep.  Finally get to meet her.”

After they finished eating, the three of them wandered back to Liz’s place.  They chatted for a while and the conversation turned to the coins.  “David said they’re close to a decision and it’s looking good.”

Gloria tried not to get her hopes up.  She didn’t want to be disappointed if the courts ruled in the state’s favor.  She glanced at her watch.  “We better go.  I want to get home before dark.”

Liz walked her to the door.  “How’s it going with Al?” Gloria asked as she grabbed the door handle.

Liz blushed.  Her eyes slid to the ground. “Pretty good,” she answered vaguely. 

“Hmm.” Gloria nodded. She didn’t press the issue. 

Gloria and Mally strolled back to the car. She opened the door for Mally then slid into the driver’s seat before heading back to Belhaven. 

Dot’s dinner rush was over and only a couple cars were parked out front.  For a split second, Gloria thought about stopping but drove on instead. 

She needed a good night’s rest what with the boys coming the next day.  Mally and Gloria headed inside and settled in to watch Gloria’s favorite TV show,
Detective on the Side.

After the show ended, she wandered off to bed with Mally and Puddles in tow.  She switched off the light and slid in between the sheets. Mally crawled in on the other side and Puddles curled up next to Gloria’s head.  She squeezed her eyes shut and began to pray, asking God for a restful night, certain that tomorrow was going to be a busy one! 

Gloria woke early the next morning.  At first, her foggy brain couldn’t register exactly
why
she was up so early, then it dawned on her.  Her grandsons, Tyler and Ryan, were coming for a visit! 

She flung back the covers, shoved her feet in her slippers and headed to the kitchen for a pot of caffeine.

Mally headed for the porch door and let out a low whine. It was time to go out.

Gloria pulled her robe tight and cinched the belt before stepping onto the porch. She smoothed her hair back and reached for the paper. 

Smack dab on the front page of the morning paper was the headline: 
“Bad Luck or Black Widow?”
Below the caption was a picture of Andrea’s house with the dumpster off to the side.  Her heart sank.  She hoped Andrea hadn’t seen the paper – but chances are, she had. 

She and Mally wandered into the house. Gloria set the paper on the table and poured a cup of coffee before sliding into a kitchen chair and slipping on her glasses.  The article was brief.  It told how another body – this one a skeleton – had been found in a dumpster out in front of the newly-renovated house.  The article mentioned Andrea by name.  How her husband had been found murdered and just weeks later, a body had been found in the shed on the property she had just purchased. 

After she read the article, she folded the paper in half and shoved it to the back of the table.  It did seem as if Andrea had the worst luck in the world.  What were the chances of another body popping up on her property? 

But each of those mysteries had been solved and Andrea had been cleared of all charges. 

She wondered if Andrea’s parents had read the paper.  She also wondered how the dinner with Brian had gone the night before.  She didn’t have to wonder long.

Her kitchen phone started to ring.  “Hello?”

“Did you see this morning’s paper?” It was Andrea.

“Yes!  And it’s bunch of bull hockey!”

Andrea let out a deep sigh.  “I guess I should be used to it by now.”

“Don’t let it get to you, Andrea.  We both know someone put that body there and it wasn’t you!” 

Andrea lowered her voice.  “My dad is fit to be tied.”  She went on.  “He’s on my computer right now, looking for apartments for me in New York.”

Gloria’s heart sunk.  Had her parents finally convinced her to move?  Gloria couldn’t blame her if she was tired of all the drama. 

“I’ve decided I am not moving,” Andrea said stubbornly.  “This is my home!”

“They’re just trying to look out for your best interest,” Gloria soothed.  “Be firm but kind.” She was glad to see Andrea’s determination.  She would need it to not only survive her parent’s visit, but also muddle through another mystery.

“I will,” Andrea promised. She changed the subject.  “Hey!  Remember the boxes in the attic?  I found a small journal inside one of them.  It was tucked in the very bottom.”

A journal. 
Gloria’s heart started to pound. “Did you look at it?”

Andrea shook her head, as if Gloria could see her through the phone.  “Nope.  I’m saving it for you. You want to come by later and pick it up?”

Gloria remembered the boys.  “Tyler and Ryan will be here around lunchtime,” she warned.

“Oh. You can bring them with you.”

Gloria wasn’t sure about that.  Andrea was used to the boys being around - but the Thorntons? That was another story.  “What about your parents?”

“They’re going to be out this afternoon to run errands and such.”

“Okay. We’ll be there around 2 then.”

Gloria poured another cup of coffee before heading to the bathroom to get ready for what was shaping up to be a very busy day.

After she showered and dressed, Mally and Gloria headed out onto the porch to wait for Jill and the boys.  They had just settled in when Jill’s car pulled in the drive.  She could see the boys’ heads bobbing up and down in the back seat. 

She grinned as she watched the car come to a halt. The rear doors flung wide open and the boys raced each other to the porch.  They both made it to the top at the same time. She wrapped an arm around each of them, pulling them close. 

She beamed over their heads as her daughter made her way up the sidewalk, backpacks in hand.  “They were driving me nuts!  If they had their way, they’d have been here at six this morning.  You would’ve thought it was Christmas or something.”

Jill leaned over and kissed her mother’s cheek.  “Thanks for letting them stay.”

The boys let go of Gloria and chased Mally into the yard. Jill followed her mother inside. She  dropped the backpacks in the bedroom.  “I’ll run back out and get lunch.  I hope Mexican is okay.”

Gloria nodded. She loved Mexican.  Sometimes it didn’t love
her
so much, which was one of the reasons she didn’t eat it often.  She told her daughter the truth.  “I love Mexican.”

“Good.” Jill headed to the car while Gloria cleared the kitchen table. 

Tyler made it into the kitchen first.  He pulled out a chair and plopped down.  Ryan flung himself in the seat next to his brother.

Jill set the bags of food on the table and turned to her young sons.  “Uh-uh.  Go wash up first.”

“Oh, man!” The boys hung their heads and headed to the bathroom. 

Jill pulled the wrapped food from the bag.  “Tacos, burritos and quesadillas.”

Gloria’s mouth watered.  It all sounded good.  All she’d eaten for breakfast was a slice of toast.

The boys were back from the bathroom and had plunked down into the chairs, watching as their mother set the food on the table.

Gloria unwrapped her bean burrito and laid it on top of the wrapper.  She reached for a packet of hot sauce. 

Ryan reached out and touched Gloria’s finger.  “That’s a pretty ring, Grams.”

Gloria glanced down at the sparkling sapphire.

Jill paused. “What ring?”

Gloria dropped her hand and flashed the sapphire and diamond ring at her daughter, who raised her eyebrows.  “This is from Paul?”

Gloria’s cheeks warmed and she nodded.

“Is that a wedding ring?” Tyler asked innocently.

Gloria shook her head.  “No, Tyler.  It’s not a wedding ring.”

“But it could be,” Ryan added.

“Yes, it could be,” Gloria admitted. “But it’s not.”  She quickly changed the subject.  “Did you hear about the skeleton in the dumpster over at Andrea’s place?”

Jill smeared a glob of sour cream on top of her quesadilla and lifted it to her lips.  “Yeah!” She shook her head.  “Poor Andrea has the worst luck!”

“You found another body, Grams?” Tyler eyed his grandmother.

“Yes, Tyler.  There was a body.  An old body – in the dumpster by Andrea’s house.”

His eyes widened like saucers.  “Do you think she has ghosts there, too?”

She shook her head.  “No. There are no ghosts,” she assured him.  She looked up at Jill. “I have to run by her place later to pick something up.”

Jill nodded.  She finished her food, crumpled her wrappers and tossed them back into the food bag.  “What time do you want me to pick the boys up tomorrow?”

“Never!” Ryan told his mother.

Gloria reached over and ruffled his blonde hair.  “You don’t want your mom to cry now, do you?”

He hung his head. “No.” He lifted his eyes.  “It’s just that Gram’s place has all the fun stuff.” Then he remembered something his grandmother had promised him last time he’d stayed over.  “Are you going to let us drive the tractor?”

His eyes pleaded with her.  Gloria did not have the heart to tell him no – plus she
had
promised.  “A promise is a promise,” she answered.

“Yippee!!  Ryan bounced out of his chair and danced a little jig around the kitchen.  Gloria was a little nervous but assured herself it would be fine. 
After all, what could possibly happen?

They cleared the table and picked up their mess before Gloria walked Jill to the car.  The boys had darted off to the garden. 

Jill slipped her sunglasses on and opened the car door.  “You sure about the tractor?”

“Yes.  We’ll just wander around the field,” she told her.  She sounded more confident than she felt.  It was times like this she wished James were here.  He could teach the boys to drive the tractor.  But he wasn’t and she was.

She watched as Jill pulled out of the drive and onto the road.  She wandered over to the boys.  “I’m going to quick run inside and grab my purse, then we’re going over to Andrea’s,” she told them.

Neither of them looked up so she wasn’t sure if they even heard her.  She let Mally back in the house and grabbed her keys off the hook.  The three of them climbed in the car and out of the drive.  She smiled as she listened to the conversation in the back seat. 

“I’m going to search the house for more bodies,” Ryan informed his older brother.

“Ryan, there aren’t any more bodies.  Grams found them all,” Tyler explained.

Gloria covered her mouth and grinned.  She shook her head.  Kids could say the darndest things.  She wished she had a way to record some of the stuff that came out of their mouths!

Gloria pulled in the drive.  She was relieved to see only Andrea’s car. 

The boys hopped out of the back seat and raced to the shed.  In search of a body, Gloria decided.  She cupped her hands to her mouth.  “Don’t leave the yard,” she yelled.

Andrea swung the door open when Gloria hit the front porch.  “I hope the boys are okay in the yard,” she fretted.

Andrea craned her neck and looked off to the side.  “Yeah!  They can’t hurt anything out there,” she assured her.

Gloria followed Andrea into the house and down the hall to the kitchen.  The first thing Gloria noticed was the clutter in the new bar area, which was unusual for Andrea.  She was very tidy.  Everything had a place.   

The second thing Gloria noticed was what was on the counter.  There must’ve been a dozen containers of Lysol wipes, all lined up in a row.  In front of the wipes were several unopened bags of surgical masks and next to that, a box of latex gloves.

Andrea followed Gloria’s stare.  She rolled her eyes.  “My mother has sanitized every square inch of the house.” She paused.  “No.  I take that back.” She looked up at her kitchen ceiling.  “She hasn’t started up there yet.”

Gloria leaned forward and ran her hand along a kitchen wall.  “You mean to tell me she wiped all the walls with disinfecting wipes?”

Andrea reached up, grabbed a chunk of her long hair and pulled.  “I’m ready to rip my hair out.  Literally!”

The look on Andrea’s face was too much.  Gloria couldn’t help herself.  She burst out laughing. 

The laughter was infectious.  Soon, both women doubled over at the vision of Andrea’s mother wiping the entire house down with Lysol.

Andrea wiped her eyes.  “Oh, man.  I needed that!” She rubbed her stomach.  “Now my stomach hurts.  It’s all your fault!”

Gloria reached over and hugged her young friend.  “You’re a good daughter, Andrea.  Your parents are lucky to have you,” she told her.

Andrea reached back, rummaging around in the stacks of stuff.  “Oh!  Here! Before I forget!” She pulled out a small journal and handed it to Gloria.  “This is what I found in the bottom of one of the boxes.”

Gloria reached in her purse and grabbed her glasses. She slipped them on. The journal was old. On the front was a small, square frame. Surrounding the frame were miniature flowering buds. Inside the picture part was another painting, similar to the ones they had found in the box. She opened the cover to inspect the front page.

Just then, Ryan burst through the back door.  “Grams! Come quick!”

Gloria dropped the journal on the counter and raced out the back door.  Andrea was hot on her heels.

Ryan raced over to the shed.  The door was open and Gloria could see Tyler inside, bent over and staring at something.  As they got closer, she could see a large piece of wood propped up against one of the cabinets. 

Tyler pointed to the ground as the girls approached.  “What’s that?”

Gloria and Andrea peered in the door and followed his finger.  There, lying in the dirt, was what looked like a burlap bag.  Near the top of the bag was a large, dark splotch.  Gloria leaned in.  Lying on top of the bag was a long, thin stick. 

She turned to Ryan. “Run inside and grab a glove from the kitchen counter,” she told him.

He nodded his head and raced to the house.  Moments later, he returned with a glove.

She stepped into the shed and tiptoed along the side of the wooden flooring until she was directly in front of the dark spot and the stick.  She leaned in and with a gloved hand; she picked up the stick and held it to the light.  It wasn’t a stick at all.  It looked like an old barn nail. 

She glanced over at Andrea.  “We should put this stuff in a trash bag. I’ll take it to Paul.” Andrea nodded.  She headed back in the house for a trash bag while Gloria carefully folded the burlap bag and carried it out of the shed.