Chapter 11
Chapter
Eleven
I spent the remainder of the day trying to close as many open loops as possible before I was called onto Vale’s carpet.
I also told Hannya the good news about the pickleball team.
She didn’t answer, so I left a voicemail message.
I would’ve preferred to text, but very few of the Neighbors were willing to change their communication habits.
Some of them hadn’t fully adjusted to the rotary phone and weren’t willing to advance to the next stage of progress.
I tried to focus on the tasks at hand and not the impending doom I felt at the prospect of visiting the mainland. I retreated to my office and pulled up the security footage from Saturday’s visitors to look for a match with any of the Rory Bells I’d found online.
No dice. Then I noticed something even stranger.
Although there were ten names recorded on the log, the video only showed nine people disembarking from the ferry.
I started from the beginning and watched again.
Nope. Still nine. How much did I want to bet that missing number ten was Rory Bell, our killer?
Unfortunately, I couldn’t describe someone I couldn’t see to potential witnesses.
I cut this thread and moved on to egg collection duty.
Margie’s name was listed the day before Edith’s.
The witch definitely would’ve mentioned if she’d had to step over dead chickens to reach the barn.
I called her number and went straight to voicemail.
Next, I tried Meemaw. Straight to her voicemail too.
They only turned off their phones when they were engaged in an activity, usually at Meemaw’s.
I left the office and rode my bike to Magnolia. From outside the door, I could hear a cacophony of voices. It seemed my hunch was correct. I rapped loudly on the door so someone might hear me over the din.
Louise greeted me at the door. Today’s eye patch was green and gold to match her sparkly top. “Afternoon, Maya.” She stood in the crack and blocked my view of the interior. “What’s up?”
“I need to speak to Margie. Is she here?”
“Let her in, Louise,” Meemaw said. “She won’t squeal.”
Now I was curious to see what the witches were up to. I stepped inside and immediately spotted the table of witches holding cards. Edibles were piled in the middle of the table.
“What’s all this?” I asked, knowing perfectly well what “all this” was.
“We’re playing for gummies,” Margie explained. “Mom ran out of storage space, so we decided to make a game out of it.”
“Waste not, want not,” Meemaw chimed in.
“I’m angling for all the green ones,” Louise said, reclaiming her chair. “They give me a nice buzz without any aftereffects. ”
“I have a quick question for Margie,” I said. “Were you on egg duty this week?”
Two pink spots spread across Margie’s cheeks. “I was supposed to be, but I forgot.”
Meemaw glared at her. “You told me they didn’t lay any.”
“Because I didn’t want you to be angry that I forgot.” Margie looked at me. “Thanks a lot, Maya.”
Edith stared at her phone intently, making her forehead resemble a line maze.
“Edith, you know the rules. No phones at the table,” Meemaw scolded her.
Edith continued to stare at her phone. “My credit score has taken a nosedive. It doesn’t make any sense.”
“Why are you even paying attention to those emails?” Louise asked. “You’re on Evermore. Your credit doesn’t matter anymore.”
“Credit scores are a scam anyway,” Meemaw added. “They should be abolished.”
“Well, I don’t understand it. Mine has never dipped below eight hundred in all the years I’ve had one. Now it’s six hundred.”
Her credit score shouldn’t have changed at all. Everyone on Evermore left that world behind the moment they arrived on the island. “I’ll look into it for you.”
Her eyes brimmed with hopeful tears. “Would you, dear? I would so appreciate it.”
“Of course.” In all my spare time.
“You should’ve frozen yours before you left the mainland,” Margie said. “That’s what I did with mine.”
“It didn’t occur to me,” Edith said. “Some of us didn’t have as much time to plan our exit as others.”
“It would’ve been listed in the admission packet you received before you moved here,” Margie said, hell-bent on rubbing Edith’s nose in her mistake.
“There are more important things to worry about than credit scores,” I said, in an effort to reduce the tension.
“Like two dead Neighbors?” Margie shot back.
Ouch. Clearly, she wanted revenge for getting in hot water with her mother.
My phone vibrated in my pocket. Another day, another Neighbor in need. I excused myself and faced the front window.
“Security. This is Maya.”
“Hello, Maya. This is Grace Atwater. I hate to bother you at Meemaw’s, but we have a situation.”
“How do you know I’m at Meemaw’s?”
“Daryl told Helen he saw your bike parked outside there about ten minutes ago.”
I felt like I was under constant surveillance. And yet nobody noticed what happened to Belinda or Judd. Some surveillance squad they were.
“How can I help you, Grace?”
“You’re needed in Palmetto town square. Gary’s making a nuisance of himself again.”
Why me? “I’ll be there in two.”
Meemaw glanced up from her cards. “Another crisis?”
“Gary.”
The witches made a knowing sound in unison.
Everybody on Evermore knew Gary Hunter. The vampire was careening headlong into Gwen territory, although his dish of senility was served with a generous side of depression and the occasional violent outburst. I knew for a fact that Dr. Adam had been offering him weekly support, even though, at this stage, Gary was beyond the help of a healer.
“Go. Deal with Gary,” Meemaw urged .
“What about my credit score?” Edith whined.
“She wasn’t going to look into it this minute,” Margie snapped. “You need a credit score like a ghost needs life insurance.”
While I agreed with Margie, I understood Edith’s concern. “I’ll look into it as soon as I get a chance, Edith, I promise.”
I couldn’t allow an incident with a senile vampire to escalate or heads would roll—and not in the corporate sense.
I left the condo and rode to Palmetto town square, where I found a crowd gathered around Gary, Buck, and Ed Moody.
According to witnesses, an agitated Gary had torn a sign from Ed Moody’s hands and ripped it in half, prompting Gerry to intervene.
Ed then picked up Gerry’s guitar to take a swing at Gary.
I watched in horror as Gary prepared to sink his fangs into Gerry’s forearm.
“Don’t hurt him, Gerry!” someone pleaded. “Gary doesn’t know what he’s doing.”
He certainly didn’t. Werewolf blood was fatal to vampires. If Gary drank, he was as good as dead undead.
Before I could intercede, Gerry grabbed Gary by the back of his collar and flung him to the ground before the vampire’s fangs penetrated his skin.
I hurried to position myself between them.
“Ed, I’m going to ask you to put down that guitar.
Gerry, I appreciate your fast reflexes.” I turned to face the vampire.
“Gary, I’m going to ask you to put away your fangs. Nobody asked to see them.”
Gary blinked, his expression blank.
“Gary, your fangs.”
This time he retracted them.
“I don’t know what he got so worked up about,” Ed said .
I glanced at the torn placard. “The sign said, Vampires shouldn’t sparkle . Maybe Gary took offense.”
“Freedom of speech,” Ed said, folding his arms in a huff.
“Not freedom from consequences,” Gerry said. “If you’re going to write those stupid signs every day, then maybe choose topics that don’t attack your fellow Neighbors.”
“I don’t see what the problem is. Gary doesn’t sparkle.”
“Maybe Gary would like very much to sparkle but can’t.” Gerry picked up his guitar. “You’re lucky I was here.”
Ed pushed up his sleeves. “ He’s lucky I didn’t shift. I’m a werepanther. Everybody knows my fangs are bigger than his.”
“This isn’t a measuring contest,” I insisted, although men seemed to find an excuse to do exactly that.
Someone tossed me a blanket. I wrapped it around Gary and helped him to his feet. “Let’s get you home. I’m sure you’re tired from all this excitement.” I guided him away from the crowd.
“Hey, what about my sign?” Ed yelled.
“Make a new one,” I called over my shoulder. “And don’t you dare try to file a claim for damages with the HOA.” I heard his huff of frustration behind me. Whatever. The HOA endured enough residential abuse. If there was a loophole to be found, leave it to the Neighbors to drive a truck through it.
“Ed was so angry,” Gary said.
“Well, you ripped up his sign. Can you blame him?”
“They tried to hit me with a guitar.”
“It was self-defense.”
“McKinley threw me to the ground. I think my tailbone is bruised.”
“He showed incredible restraint. He could’ve done a lot worse. ”
“Why did Ed try to hit me? I couldn’t possibly hurt a guy his size.”
“You’re a vampire, Gary. You’re very strong and your fangs are sharp.”
“I don’t remember that.” He touched a finger to his fang. “What do you know? My teeth are pointy.”
“You’re lucky Gerry threw you to the ground. His blood would’ve killed you. And if you’d decided to drink from someone else, you might’ve killed them .”
Gary’s face paled. “I feel like I might throw up.”
“Which one is your golf cart? I’ll drive you home.”
I was afraid he might not remember, but he picked it out of the lineup without hesitation. I put my bike in the back seat and drove him to his condo.
“Would you like me to make you a cup of tea?” I asked as we walked to his door.
“That would be nice.” He opened the door and stared into the darkness. “I ripped Ed’s sign.”
“I’m afraid so.”
“I should apologize.”
“Might I recommend sending a note?” It would take Ed a couple days to forgive. He was known to hold grudges.
Gary stepped inside his condo. “It’s quiet inside.”
“Would you like music?”
“No thank you. I need a cup of tea to settle my stomach. Would you like to come in for a cup?”
Bless Gary. “Sure. Why don’t you sit down, and I’ll make it?”