Chapter 6
CHAPTER 6
“ C all Dad,” I said for the third time.
“I will not call him,” Danny insisted. “I do not want to upset my wife now that she’s back to her calm self again. Besides, do you know what this would do to the business if word got out that a body was found in one of our greenhouses? People would pour in here out of curiosity, not to shop.”
“But Dad should be made aware of it,” I insisted right back.
Danny crossed his arms over his chest, a tell-tale sign I had learned when I was young that he was about to think he out-smarted me.
“What do you think Dad will say when he finds out you not only lost the body again, but didn’t have your phone on you to at least get a picture and solid proof that a vanishing body even exists?”
Okay, he had me on that one.
“Please, Pepper, let this be. I have enough to worry about with the baby on the way. I don’t need the police here and crowds of curiosity seekers.”
Danny was right. I had no proof, and he didn’t need the hassle.
“Do you mind if I take some pictures of the area?” I asked, though I didn’t need his permission since I was part owner of the garden center.
His arms fell away from his chest. “Thanks, Pepper, I appreciate it, and you know you don’t have to ask me if you can take photos, but thanks for doing so anyway. Now to figure out what to tell, my wife.”
“That’s easy. Tell her I accidently knocked over the rubber tree plant and created a mess and I worried she might try to clean it up, which would then have you mad at me.”
“Good one, Pepper. So, this stays between you and me?” Danny asked to make sure.
I scrunched my face. “I will tell Ian. We’re in this mystery together, but he’ll keep it between us.”
“Ian is a good guy. I trust him and Amy as well. She always keeps your secrets,” Danny said, then went to a barrel filled with planting soil.
“Amy is a given. If I know, she knows,” I confirmed and watched him scoop up some soil with his hands and looked about to throw it around the area where I saw the body. I quickly stepped in front of him. “Stop! Let me get some pictures first.” I reached for my back pocket only to remember I didn’t have my cell.
“My phone back pocket,” Danny offered. “Take what pics you want, send them to yourself, and then delete them.”
While I did as he said, I asked him, “Why are you throwing that dirt around?”
“I know my wife and she knows me even better. She will assume I did not meet her standard of clean and she will hurry here to see for herself. This dirt is just enough to satisfy her expectations.”
I had to laugh. “You two are a perfect pair.”
Danny grinned. “That we are, and I am proud of it.”
“But you might want to mess up the dirt around the rubber tree plant or she’ll get suspicious,” I suggested.
“Good thinking, Pepper.”
We were barely finished when Kelly entered the greenhouse. “Mrs. Johnson kept me, though she made a huge purchase of plants. Thomas is loading her truck now. What’s going on here?”
“My fault,” I said.
“Oh, you had an accident with the rubber tree plant, and that’s why you wanted help. I knew I should have sent someone to help you get it. It could use more soil,” Kelly pointed out and Danny was quick to oblige her as she grabbed a broom and started sweeping.
I spotted a slip of paper sticking out alongside a barrel and to keep the two of them distracted so I could grab it, I said, “Are you filling that pot with too much soil?”
Kelly turned to see, and Danny was quick to scoop some soil out, giving me enough time to grab the paper and shove it in my back pocket.
It was almost an hour before I was done at the garden center. The bed of my truck was loaded with plants for my place and thankfully Dad’s plants were being put aside to be delivered with other plants my mom had picked out for the police station.
I didn’t get a chance to look at the slip of paper until I was home. I pulled it out of my back pocket once I got out of the truck and unfolded it. It was a page torn out of the book on the history of Willow Lake. It was a picture of inside the mausoleum and scrawled across the tomb of Verbena were two words… not there.
The sun had yet to set when Ian and I took our glasses of wine out on the front porch to sit and enjoy. It had been a busy day for us both and it wasn’t until suppertime that we got a chance to talk and discuss the torn page I had found at the scene of the body that had vanished yet again.
“It’s more a guy that keeps vanishing than a vanishing body we’re looking for,” Ian said.
“True, but what was he doing in the garden center? That’s a strange place to be when his interest is in the mausoleum. And how does he know whatever he was looking for is… not there ?”
“And what is not there ?” Ian asked. “I had no time to ask you this morning what Stone wanted with you.”
I wondered when he’d get around to asking me that.
“Wait, let me guess,” Ian said. “He wants you to help him prove that he is a descendant of the Willow family. But that’s a ruse. One, he is attracted to you, and two, he wants to stick close to you thinking you might find the answer to whatever it is he’s searching for.”
“That is why I love you so much,” I said with a grin. “You are terrific at fitting together pieces of a puzzling mystery.”
He chuckled. “And here I thought it was my good looks and fit body.”
I sprang forward in my wood rocking chair. “Fit body! Maybe the vanishing guy suffered side effects from the blow he suffered to his jaw, and he passed out in the greenhouse. But the question still begs… what was he doing in the greenhouse?”
“But as we discussed over supper, how he vanishes is another issue of its own,” Ian said. “How did he manage to get past us in the mausoleum is still puzzling but at least you spotted the side door in the greenhouse. That had to be the way he exited.”
“Come to think of it, the torn page was in a spot not far from the door. It could have slipped out of his hand or pocket if he was a bit disoriented.”
“The question still lingers… what was he doing there?” Ian said.
“The logical reason would be that he was meeting someone. I don’t like the implication to that,” I said, thinking of what it might mean.
“I agree, especially since he was in an area for employees only.”
“Meaning someone at the garden center could be involved.”
I sat at the kitchen counter the next morning paying no attention to the breakfast Ian had made for me or to Mo looking soulfully at the bacon on my plate as if letting me know that if I didn’t want it, he would gladly eat it.
“You might want to tell your da, Pep,” Ian said.
“Tell him what?” I asked, setting my mug down on the counter without taking a sip of tea.
“About the incident at the garden center. It is obvious it has been on your mind since you woke this morning.”
It was like Ian could read my mind, understanding I was too preoccupied to respond to his touches this morning, meaning something was preying on my mind.
“With Kelly close to delivery, you don’t want to take a chance that trouble could be brewing there,” Ian said.
I sighed heavily. “That’s exactly what I’ve been thinking.”
As if on cue, a knock sounded at the door, and my dad entered.
“You really need to keep that door locked,” my dad said like a parent admonishing his child.
“You think?”
My sarcasm was lost on him, and I was annoyed with myself for not locking the door after Mo finished up outside earlier.
“Don’t dare think you’re leaving me,” I whispered to Ian.
“Not a chance,” he said with a teasing smile.
“I should be angry with you, but I can’t be since Danny told me that he begged you not to tell me about finding that vanishing guy in the greenhouse. When he thought better of it and that it might be something that could prove troublesome or possibly dangerous, he made the smart choice to tell me about it.”
“You mean Kelly started questioning Danny about the dirt from the plant and he dug himself deeper into lies until he finally buried himself and came clean, didn’t he?” I asked, grinning.
“That doesn’t matter,” my dad said, dismissing it with a wave of his hand which meant I had hit on the truth.
“Coffee, Dad?” I asked, knowing when to hold my tongue. Okay, maybe that happened only on rare occasions.
My dad helped himself to a cup of coffee and stood on the opposite side of the counter from me and Ian. It was obvious my dad was upset. I guess that was what had been bothering me as well. Could my family be in danger? Was the vanishing guy in cahoots with someone at the garden center and would he return?
“Tell me everything you remember,” my dad said, “then send me those pics you took after the fact, and for heaven’s sake keep your phone on you since this guy has a propensity of showing up where you happen to be.”
I told him everything then showed him the torn page I’d found.
“Fingerprints, Pepper,” he scolded.
“Probably dozens of people have skimmed that book and did not buy it. Besides, pages with pictures are viewed more than pages with words. Also, you might want to talk with Kate over at Yesterday’s Treasures. The other day, two suspicious looking guys bought the history of Willow Lake not long after each other. Whatever you do, don’t send Josh. He’ll get lost talking with Kate and he’ll probably forget half of what she tells him.”
“Your brother really does seem interested in her,” my dad said to my surprise.
“Seriously interested in her,” I said, my youngest brother, at thirty, insisting he had no intention of settling down anytime soon.
“Your mom believes so and?—”
“If Mom believes it, it must be true since she has the uncanny ability to know when one of her children has fallen in love,” I finished for my dad with glee at the prospect of Josh, the not-interested-in-love brother falling in love.
“Your mom knew you loved me before you did?” Ian asked.
“Her mom knew immediately when she saw the two of you together that that was it for Pepper,” my dad said and saluted me with his coffee mug and a smile. “Of course, she also knew Pepper would be stubborn about it, but she had faith in you, Ian. But enough talk about love. Give me your take on this vanishing guy, Pepper.”
“Ian and I discussed it last night,” I looked at Ian to continue so my dad knew we were working on this strange mystery together.
“We thought that he might have suffered more than known from the hit to his jaw and it could possibly have caused him to lose consciousness since there was no sign of foul play at the garden center.”
“That is a possibility,” my dad agreed.
“As far as what he might be looking for, I did read that it is rumored that a necklace of a large diamond and pearls, a gift from Verbena’s dad, was buried with her,” I said. “So, maybe that’s what was written on the note—not there—refers to. Though how he could know that without seeing inside the tomb is anyone’s guess.”
“There are endless tales about the Willow family and that mausoleum which no doubt has multiplied over the years. People claim to have seen both Ignatius and Verbena’s ghosts. Some insist they have heard tears being shed near the mausoleum. An old, heartbreaking story always makes for good rumors and tall tales,” my dad said.
“How does the police handle a situation like this?” Ian asked curiously.
“Investigate the looting and hope we find a lead. However, it could be as easy as finding it was would-be treasure hunters who broke into the mausoleum in hopes of finding the fabled necklace. But I am concerned about the guy showing up at the garden center in an employee’s only area. The only plausible reason for him to be there was to speak with someone and that could mean that he might have a partner that works there. That’s what disturbs me,” my dad said. “I can’t spare any of my limited officers to spend endless time investigating a simple break-in. Now if we had found a body that would be different.”
“So, you want me and Ian to do it,” I said with a happy grin on my face. “Amy as well and Beau since Amy has been telling him all about it.”
“You have Kelly curious as well since she found out about it,” my dad eyes widened as if he had just thought of something relevant. “You know you should look through your Aunt Effie’s journals and papers. She’s the founder of the Willow Lake Historical Society. She saved the Willow Mansion from being demolished and saw to its restoration.”
“I don’t recall that,” I said.
“You weren’t born yet, and Danny was barely two when the project got started. Effie even made a trip to Ireland to research the Willow family and provide more background on them and what brought them here.”
The sounds of power tools had my dad going to have a look out the French doors. “That’s one large deck, Pepper.”
I joined him at the door. “Wait until you see the outside kitchen I’m having built and, head’s up. When it’s done, Ian and I are having a party, and you are going to be the grill master of the event.” My dad loved grilling and was the best at it.
“I’ll start planning now,” my dad said with glee. His phone dinged and he gave it a quick glance. “I’ve got to go.” He handed me his coffee mug. “Let me know what you find out.” He headed to the door after a nod to Ian, then stopped and turned. “I almost forgot. Can you and Ian come to the police station sometime today? Between the two of you, I figured we might just get a good sketch of the guy. Then I can see if Kate recognizes either of them.”
“One of your officers know how to work the computer sketching program?” I asked.
“No, I’m doing it the old-fashion way and using a sketch artist since this isn’t an official case, so technically I shouldn’t use the program.”
I grinned, knowing immediately who he asked. “You asked, Mom.”
“She’s more talented than any computer program. She’s a natural.”
“How easy is that going to be for you, Dad, with your new boss and your very own sketch artist in the same building when Mom wins the mayor’s race.”
My dad tugged at his hair. “You can’t make it any whiter, Pepper.”
I laughed. “No, but you might look good bald.”
“Bite your tongue,” my dad scolded as he shook his head at me and mumbled as he walked out the door.
I was about to ask Ian what he was up to today, when his phone rang.
“Willard Hughes,” he said, seeing who called and answered, walking away to talk privately.
While Ian spoke with his agent, I thought about my schedule today, not that I kept a specific schedule. It was more of a what-needs-to-get-done-today schedule. I got the veggie plants into the ground that I picked up at the garden center yesterday, videoing some of it to post. I still had the flowerpots to fill for the front porch though I did get the hanging baskets hung. I would have a plethora of pink, red, and white ivy geraniums spilling over the sides in no time. I was on schedule with the books I was writing, and my newsletter was set to go out. Ian had been after me to get a personal assistant to free up more time for myself and I was thinking about it.
“Willard got a call from a film studio that wants to hire me to do promo shoots for The Gunslinger film,” Ian said when he returned to the kitchen.
“The book was sensational. I hope they do it justice. But what about the actor who was cast for the movie? Shouldn’t he be doing the promo shoots?”
“The actor had an accident and is in the hospital for several months. The film will be delayed but they don’t want to delay the promo. The photos wouldn’t show my face which is done easy enough with a cowboy hat pulled down low. No one will ever know.”
“So, they want your body,” I said jokingly, though it was the truth.
“Aye, they do since we have the same build.”
“And where would you go for these shoots and when?” I asked, missing him before he was even gone.
“That’s all to be decided, though with portions of the film being shot in a wooded area, Willard intends to suggest it be done here in the woods around the lodge. He is going to enter negotiations with them and give me a call.”
“I have had myself a Highlander, a Viking, a biker, and now I’m going to get to sleep with a gunslinger. Yippee Kiyah!”
Ian pulled me into his arms. “The biker isn’t done with you yet.”
“And I’m not done with the biker,” I said and slipped my arms around his neck to share a kiss before he left, and I got started for the day.
I never mind being alone. Actually, I quite enjoy it, though I have to admit that I do like sharing time with Ian. To my surprise, I miss him when he’s not around.
I made a quick call to my mom to coordinate a time to meet at the police station so she could do a drawing of the vanishing guy. She suggested meeting for lunch beforehand since according to her it had been forever that she had seen us. Forever was two days for my mom. We agreed to meet at Star Diner.
“Get your vest, Mo. You are going to see Dr. Pam today,” I called out after Ian left and Mo hurried to his feet from where he was stretched out in front of the television watching one of his favorite animal programs and hurried to get it.
I slipped on my kaki, multi-pocket vest over my sage green knit top, Amy called it sage green, to me it was simply a muted green, and hurried my keys and my cell into two out of the six available pockets. I figured the vest might be a good way of keeping my phone on me since I didn’t want to be caught without it again.
Mo came bouncing happily into the living room, his vest in his mouth.
“Can’t wait to be spoiled by Dr. Pam and her staff, can you?” I said as I got his vest on him, and he barked to let me know I was right.
It didn’t take long to get to the vet’s place. It was a short ride down from my place. When I opened the door to let Mo out, I found his snout buried in the driver’s seat back pocket. He pulled his snout out along with his leash that I kept tucked in there, eager to get inside and receive endless adorations.
He entered with his chest out and his head held high, and I rolled my eyes as I heard the staff call out, “Mr. Handsome is here.”
Two young vet assistants hurried from behind the desk to hug and kiss him and tell him how much they missed him before showing us into an examination room. I barely had his vest off him when Dr. Pam entered.
She smiled and dropped down beside Mo. “Well, hello, handsome.”
Mo licked her face and leaned against her for a hug. He really knew how to make friends and win hearts.
“Bravo on the skunk spray use,” Dr. Pam said as she examined Mo. “You must let me know where you got it.”
“The prepper community turned me onto it. So, you heard about the incident?” I asked, though I should have known word would spread fast and Dr. Pam confirmed it.
“Who hasn’t?” she said with a chuckle, giving Mo’s chest a firm rub. “ I have something to ask you, Pepper.” Dr. Pam stood and grabbed a nail clipper off the counter and waved it in front of Mo as she joined him on the floor. “Ready to fancy up your nails?”
Mo held one of his paws out to her.
“Not only handsome but brilliant,” Dr. Pam said and got busy trimming his nails.
I waited for her to explain, not wanting to disturb her while she worked on his nails since Mo refused to let me trim them. Dr. Pam was the only one he would allow to touch his nails.
“I read on your website about how to make sure that your pet is prepped for the unexpected or a long ride and it gave me the idea of putting together a pamphlet about it and to have it available to hand out here. I was wondering if you would like to contribute your Vital Pet Information and your Pet Prepping List you have on your website to it. Naturally, your copyright would be acknowledged and your website added to it for more information. I wouldn’t have thought of half of what you’ve got there. I mean a pet first aid book, a brilliant idea if caught in any emergency and a recent colored photo in case you get separated from your pet during evacuation. And medical history along with a list of medications, so very important. You covered so much, and I would love the owners of the animals I treat to have such important information at their fingertips to help protect their pets.”
Mo barked as if giving his stamp of approval.
I smiled. “Well, if Mo approves so do I. Actually, Dr. Pam, I’d be honored to contribute to it. Anything that can help save a pet during an emergency or difficult times I’m all for it. You also might think of making it available as a digital download so the info can be added online as well. Though I would strongly emphasis the need for having both digital and paper copies.”
“I did think of that as well. I’ve only thought of the idea after seeing it on your website, so a lot more thought needs to go into it yet.”
“If you would like to toss around some ideas, I’d be happy to do so with you,” I offered.
“I would love that, Pepper. I will be in touch about getting together, and if you’re looking for information on the Willow family you might try talking to Charlie Gibbons. Some say he’s in his nineties while others insist that he’s well into his hundreds. His family was the groundkeepers for the Willow Mansion dating back years, some say from the start. He recently and very reluctantly moved into the assisted senior living facility. I know about him because he used to bring his mutt, Goldie, here. Unfortunately, she recently passed and that precipitated his move to the facility. He also spends some time at the senior center.”
“Thanks. I’ll see about speaking with him,” I said, eager to talk with the man.
Mo barked and licked the vet’s face when she proclaimed him healthy, and he happily trotted out of the place with one of the large cookies they keep for the large-sized dogs. He sat in the back seat with the cookie in his mouth all the way home.
Once in the house, Mo pressed the button to turn on the television, then made himself comfortable in front of it to enjoy his cookie and watch an episode on the animal station on elephants. The huge animals had recently caught his attention, and he was watching them nonstop. It wasn’t long before Roxie joined him, though she made herself comfortable on the sofa, her interest in elephants matching Mo’s.
I grabbed my tablet off the counter to make a note to myself about Dr. Pam’s project, thinking what a great idea it was and wondering how it could be expanded to reach other veterinary facilities and more pet parents. Naturally, ideas started flowing and I quickly wrote them down so I wouldn’t forget them.
A text from Ian to let me know his business meeting was running late and that he would meet me and my mom at the diner made me realize that it was nearly that time. I didn’t mind since it would give me some time alone with my mom. I planned on asking her about Aunt Effie’s involvement with the restoration of the Willow Mansion. But as usual, things never go as planned.