Hope Callaghan - Garden Girls 07 - Missing Milt (12 page)

Gloria ate her casserole, rinsed the dishes and slid them into the dishwasher.  She wondered what Liz and Frances thought now that police were involved.  She didn’t have to wonder long.

Her home phone started to ring.  It was Liz.  “Did you see this morning’s paper?”

“I just read the front page about Milt and the police opening an investigation.”

Liz let out an exaggerated sigh.  “Someone tipped the police off that Frances had been lurking around Milt’s place just before his disappearance.  She’s down at the police station in Langstone being questioned.”

“Vivian.”

“Bingo,” Liz said.  “Remember when she said Milt and she caught Frances peeking in the windows?  She must’ve told the police.”

Poor Frances.  She wondered if Paul was involved in the investigation since it was at the precinct he worked at in Langstone. 

Gloria hung up the phone.  She was tired.  It had been a long day and tomorrow was shaping up to be a repeat of today.  She glanced down at Mally, who looked up at her with sorrowful eyes.  She thrust a hand on her hip.  “I’d love to let you sleep in the bedroom but you’re still wet.”

Mally’s ears sank low, she shifted her body and turned to face the wall.  Gloria felt bad but there wasn’t much she could do. 

“I have an idea.” She reached down and tapped Mally.  “Here, you can sleep in the bedroom.  You just won’t be able to jump up on the bed.”

Gloria grabbed Mally’s bed.  Mally followed her into the bedroom.  She settled her into the corner and returned to the bathroom to brush her teeth and change into her pajamas.

Puddles had already curled up near the pillows. Gloria pulled back the covers and climbed in.

She closed her eyes and prayed.  “Dear Lord, my heart is heavy for poor Frances tonight.  I don’t believe that she is involved in Milt’s disappearance, but if she is, please let her confess and tell the police what she knows.”

She finished her prayers for her family and friends before pulling the covers to her chin.  She was out before she had time to worry about one more thing. 

Gloria’s eyes flew open.  It was still dark outside.  She leaned over and glanced at the clock: 6:48 a.m.  It was a bit early for her.  She settled back under the covers and closed her eyes, hoping for a few more minutes rest. 

Her mind had other ideas.  It began a mental checklist of everything that needed to happen before Ryan and Tyler arrived.  Then it wandered over to Frances.  She wondered what had transpired the night before.

Then she thought about her friend, Lucy.  She made a mental note to give her a call before she gave up on trying to go back to sleep. 

Gloria threw back the covers and shoved her feet into her slippers.  Her bathrobe was on the end of the bed.  She grabbed that and headed for the door.

Mally was in her doggie bed, curled up in a ball.  She opened one eye and stared at Gloria as if she wondered what in the world she was doing.

Gloria shuffled to the kitchen and over to the coffee pot.  She switched it to on and made her way to the porch door.  The sun was barely peeking up over the back of the yard. She stepped outside and gazed at the glorious sunrise. 

Mally had followed Gloria to the kitchen and pawed at the door.  Gloria opened it far enough for Mally to slip out.  “Changed your mind, huh?”

Mally took a tentative step down and looked around.  “Are you looking for the mean old skunk?”

Satisfied there was no black and white menace in the vicinity, Mally trotted out into the yard to water her favorite tree. 

Gloria cupped her hands together. “Go get the paper.”

Mally trotted out to the end of the drive, picked the morning paper up with her teeth and headed back to Gloria. She dropped the paper at Gloria’s feet and looked up, her tail wagging.

“Good girl.” She patted her head and reached behind her to open the plastic container she had installed on the wall.  Inside the container were special treats for Mally.  She reached her hand inside and pulled one out.

Mally licked her hand and grabbed the treat.  Gloria stepped inside the kitchen, dropped the paper on the table and reached for her Bible.  She poured a fresh cup of coffee and wandered back out onto the porch.

The stillness of the morning made Gloria appreciate the farm and all her blessings.  Gloria read her Bible each morning and then spent time in prayer before she started her day, something she had done for as long as she could remember.

When James was alive, they would read at the kitchen table together.  After he died, she continued to read by herself.  She opened to her bookmark, slipped on her glasses and pulled the Bible a bit closer.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” 
Matthew 7:21 (NIV)

Gloria looked up from the Bible.  The sun was out now, warming the air.  She tilted her head back and let the beams of light shine down on her face.

Gloria often wondered about heaven.  After James died, she read all the books she could get her hands on – the ones where people had near death experiences or had actually died and come back to life. 

Looking back, if not for the presence of her Lord and Savior, she wasn’t sure how she would have made it through.  There were long days of loneliness, where she shut herself away from her family and friends while she mourned.

During that time, she poured herself into her prayers and studying her Bible. 

One night, she had a dream, or a maybe it was a vision, that the Lord had given her.  It was of James.  He was much younger in her dream, closer to the age he had been when they first met and married.  He was smiling.  He was happy.

When she awoke that next morning, she knew that the Lord was telling her to mourn no more.  That James was happy.  That he was in his eternal home.

From that morning on, Gloria forced herself back into the land of the living.  She knew it wasn’t her time to go home.  She would remain on the earth as long as she was supposed to be there and not a moment longer.

A few months after that, she prayed again for purpose in her life.  Not long after, she met her young friend, Andrea Malone, when she solved the murder of Andrea’s husband.  Paul was in charge of Daniel Malone’s investigation and that’s how Gloria met him.

Ever since that time, her life was full.  She had purpose again.  No, God wasn’t done with her yet, but when He was, she would be ready.  Until then, she had stuff to do.

Gloria closed her Bible and headed inside.  It was time to shift her day into high gear.

Gloria was waiting out on the porch when Jill pulled into the drive.  She had called Gloria before she left the house, warning her they were on the way.  Gloria could hear the boys in the background chattering loudly.

“Can you tell they’re excited?” Jill asked.

Gloria didn’t have time to answer.

“Hey Grams, you got everything for the tree fort?”  It was her oldest grandson, Tyler.

“Yes, of course, Tyler.  Ready and waiting for you out in the barn.”

“Okay. We’re on our way.”

The line disconnected.  Gloria grinned and replaced the receiver.  She could just envision the boys driving Jill crazy until they left.  Which was why she was on the porch waiting.  The countdown had begun.  The boys would arrive in 20 minutes or less.

Gloria had it pegged within five minutes. 

Jill hadn’t even turned the engine off before both rear doors of the sedan flung open and the boys raced across the yard and up to the porch. 

Gloria wrapped an arm around each of them and leaned in for a welcome hug. 

Ryan pulled back first.  “Can we start working on the fort?”

She shook her head.  “No.  Brian is coming by tomorrow to help, but you can check out what it will look like.  She pointed to the barn.  “It’s in there.”

Tyler and Ryan raced each other to the barn.  Gloria had unlocked the door before they arrived, certain they would want to see what Brian had built for them.

Jill and Gloria followed the boys.  “Thanks for taking them tonight.”

“Whew,” she added.  “I’m glad I didn’t tell them until they got out of school that they were coming over.  They have been driving me nuts.”

The boys held the corners of the boards together to get a glimpse of how it would look.  “This is cool, Grams.  Way cooler than I even thought it would be,” Tyler said.

If the boys were this excited and it wasn’t together, she wondered how it would be once it was all done.  “Can we stay tomorrow night and sleep in it?” Ryan begged.

The original plan had been for only one night.  Of course, Gloria, didn’t mind.  She turned to her daughter.

Jill studied her boys.  “It’s up to you, Mom.” 

“I’m fine with it if you are.”

Jill and Gloria left the boys in the barn and wandered back to the house.  Jill stopped in her tracks.  “Are you going to sleep in it?”

Gloria shook her head.  “I don’t think so.  It’ll be a tight fit for those two.” She glanced out at the front porch.  “No. Mally and I can sleep on the porch and keep an eye out from down below.”

She remembered the stakeout Sunday evening.  “I do have plans for Sunday evening.”

“And I’m sure church on Sunday morning,” Jill added.

“Of course.”

“The boys don’t have church clothes, so how about if I pick them up Sunday morning?”

Gloria nodded.  “It’s a deal.”

Jill dropped the boys’ backpacks on the porch and handed Gloria a shopping bag.  “What’s this?”

“Paint,” Jill replied, “which reminds me.  There’s a set of old play clothes for each of them.  Make sure they put them on before they start on the tree house.”

Gloria gave a mock salute.  “Will do!”

Jill cupped her hands to her mouth. “Boys, I’m leaving now!”

They turned and gave Jill a small wave.

Gloria took a step toward the barn.  “Get over here and tell your mom goodbye!” she hollered across the yard.

The boys obediently dropped what they were doing and walked over to the car.  She gave each of them a hug.  “Both of you!  Behave!”

“We will,” they answered in unison.

After Jill left, Gloria shut the barn door and clicked the lock into place. 

Back in the kitchen, she glanced at the row of keys hanging from the hook.  The key to the tractor was hanging right where she had left it.  Now that the boys knew how to drive the tractor, she kept the key inside.  Just in case they were tempted to take it out, say in the middle of the night…while Gloria was asleep.

The boys were wound up like tops so Gloria decided to take them for a walk down by the creek.  They wandered out of the yard and between two of the fields. 

Ryan reached down and picked up what he thought was a rock…but it was mushy.  He squished it in his hands.  “What’s this?”

Gloria wrinkled her nose. It had a distinct smell.  “Rotting potato?”

Ryan nodded and tossed it back on top of the dirt. 

Tyler picked one up and while his brother wasn’t looking, hit him smack dab between his shoulder blades. 

“Ouch!” Ryan swung around.  “Hey!”

In response, Ryan picked another up and returned fire with fire, which was an open invitation to his brother.

Gloria held up her hands.  “Oh no you don’t!  Drop them now or no tree fort!” she threatened.

The boys promptly dropped the potatoes and continued to shuffle along the narrow strip of grass.

When they reached the edge of the woods, they raced ahead with Mally to the creek nearby.  “Don’t get wet,” she hollered.

It was too late.  When she got there, their shoes and the bottoms of their pant legs were soaked.

She gave up.  Instead, she sat down on her favorite log and watched.  They reminded her so much of Ben and Eddie when they were younger.  She smiled as she thought about the upcoming visit.

Ryan waded out of the creek and over to Gloria.  “Mally smells funny.”

Tyler joined him.  “Yeah, like a dead skunk,” he added.

Mally slunk over to the log and sat down.  “She had a run in with a skunk last night, which reminds me, if you see him out in the yard, stay clear.  He has a pretty potent sprayer.”

When they got back to the house, it was close to dinnertime.  She picked up her cell phone and called Lucy.  “The boys are here.  We’re eating at Dot’s tonight.  You wanna come?”

“Nah.  I think I’ll pass,” Lucy told her.  “I just finished building a few explosives and then I’m gonna get my gun out and fire a few rounds.”

“You still doing that?”

“Yeah.  These are a little bit bigger than the ones you saw, though.”

Gloria shook her head.  “What about tomorrow?”

“We’re still on for 2:00?” Lucy asked.

“Yep.  I’ll throw some hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill after the fort is done.”

Gloria hung up the phone and grabbed her purse.  “Let’s head to Dot’s.”