Chapter 28

“We’re ready to roll,” Ruth reported. “Get her out of the house and we’ll take it from there.”

“You said you’ll need about half an hour,” Liz said.

“Give or take a few minutes. Thirty should cover it, unless Lucy and Gloria run into trouble.”

“Thirty minutes. I’m sure I can keep her here for at least half an hour.”

“Good luck.”

“Thanks. I’m going to need it. I’ll send a group text when she’s on my doorstep.” As soon as Liz ended her call with Ruth, she dialed Christi’s number. The call went to voicemail. “Crud.”

Instead of leaving a message, she tried again. “Please answer. Please pick up,” Liz begged.

Ting…ting.

Liz was getting ready to hang up when Christi, her voice thick with sleep, answered. “Hello?”

“Hey, Christi.” Liz’s voice came out an octave too high, a sure sign she was nervous. She took a deep breath and forced a more even tone. “I hope I’m not bothering you.”

“I was taking a nap.”

“A nap? I’m so sorry,” Liz apologized. Not knowing what else to say, she said the only thing that popped into her head. “I’ll let you go.”

“It’s all right. I’m awake now.” Christi yawned loudly. “What’s up?”

“I-uh, had a small accident and was wondering if you could help me.” Liz briefly filled her in on twisting her ankle, leaving out the part about it happening on her neighbor’s property.

“In other words, you pulled a Christi,” the woman joked.

“Klutzy me. You wouldn’t happen to have an ACE bandage lying around, would you?”

“You’re asking someone who gets a black eye from falling on a pair of binoculars. What size do you need?”

“What sizes do you have?”

“Two by five, three by five and four by five. Pretty much every size available,” Christi said.

“I’m not sure. Maybe I should see them first.”

“Do you need me to bring them over?”

“If you don’t mind. I’m having a little trouble walking.”

“No problem. I’ll be over in less than five.”

Feeling a twinge of guilt over tricking her neighbor, Liz thanked her profusely, even offering to buy the wraps.

“Based on my propensity for injury, I need to hang onto them. I’ll loan them to you instead.”

“Fair enough. If I don’t answer the door, let yourself in.”

Christi promised she would, and Liz hobbled to the bar, strategically choosing a barstool that would give her an unobstructed view of the door. While she waited, she sent a group text updating the others.

Ruth replied with a yellow emoji sporting black sunglasses and a sly smile. Gloria gave her an okay sign and Lucy, being the funny girl, sent her an emoji of a man wearing a striped prison suit, a grim expression on his face as he gripped a pair of metal bars.

Very funny , Liz texted back. However, I’m not the one doing the breaking and entering.

Gloria and I are pros. We won’t be breaking, only entering.

I see her coming up the driveway. Stand by.

Liz watched her neighbor climb the porch steps, juggling a plastic grocery bag, a clear container and a Thermos. “Come in!” she hollered loudly.

The back door opened, and Christi stepped inside. “I grabbed some other stuff while I was at it.”

“Thank you.” Liz slid off the barstool and then remembered the group text. “Give me a sec.”

Coast is clear. She hit send and set the phone on the counter before making her way across the kitchen.

Christi’s brows knitted. “You must have done a number on your ankle.”

“You have no idea.” Liz held onto the edge of the counter and carefully lifted her pant leg, revealing her swollen ankle.

“Ouch.”

“Ouch is right. I’ve been icing it, but was thinking it might help to wrap my ankle as well.”

“You called the right person.” Christi waved the bag in the air. “I’m an expert at wrapping. We’ll have you fixed up in no time.”

“Thank you for coming over here on such short notice,” Liz said. “I guess I need to buy more appropriate footwear to wear around the farm.”

“Rubber barn boots are my go to,” Christi said. “As far as treating your injury, I follow the RICE method for sprains.”

“Rice?”

“Rest, ice, compression and elevation.” Christi lifted the lid on the clear container and removed a green bag with a nasty smell.

“Gross.” Liz began gagging. “What in the world?”

“I know it smells bad.”

“Like a combination of garlic and varnish.”

“An herbal doctor, a friend of mine, swears by this stuff. To be honest, it helped immensely with inflammation in my elbow.” Christi placed the stinky green bag under the kitchen faucet, ran water over the top and carried it across the room to where Liz stood watching. “Have a seat at the bar.”

“Is the green bag dangerous?” Liz eyed the bag suspiciously. “The liquid won’t soak into my skin and poison me, will it?”

Her neighbor laughed. “I’ve used this a few times and can honestly say I had no adverse side effects other than bad breath. For some reason, it travels right up to the throat and sinuses.”

“Gross.”

“You’re so funny, Liz. Are you sure you’re cut out for farm life?”

“No. I’m not sure. In fact, there are days when I question my sanity and judgment, among other things.”

Christi directed her back to the bar area. She patiently waited while Liz moaned and groaned until finally settling into a semi-comfortable position, resting on the barstool’s back with her legs spread out across the others.

“Just try to relax.” Christi gingerly placed the bag on Liz’s ankle. “You only have to use this one time.”

“Thank goodness. The smell is triggering my gag reflexes. Am I allowed to rinse it off?”

“You can, but you should wait at least a couple of hours, so the herbs have a chance to soak into your skin.”

“And make me stink,” Liz grumbled.

Christi lifted the bag. “You don’t have to use this. I’m only trying to help.”

“You’re right, and I am sorry for my whining. Unfortunately, I’m a big baby when it comes to being injured and uncomfortable. Actually, I’m not much fun to be around when I’m hangry, tired or overwhelmed, either.”

“In other words, Floyd has his hands full.”

“In more ways than one.” Liz motioned to her. “Please. I need help. Put the stinky stuff back on my ankle. I promise I won’t say a word.”

Christi eased the bag onto Liz’s ankle. “How is your party planning going?”

“Great. I can’t wait to have everyone over.” Liz brightened at the thought of her upcoming shindig, which was being catered by one of the most prestigious catering companies in the area. She’d also hired an event planner who was coordinating the rental of tents, chairs, purchasing decorations, even hiring a popular local band.

Her party was shaping up to be Montbay County’s event of the year, perhaps even the decade. Liz’s name would be associated with the upper echelon of West Michigan, hopefully securing invitations to equally impressive parties, many of which she planned to attend.

As far as Floyd was concerned, his whole take on the party and potentially new sets of friends? Not so much of a fan. In fact, he couldn’t care less about hosting events.

“Will Darren be coming with you to the party?”

“Yes.” Christi dabbed at Liz’s ankle. “He’ll be gone until next weekend. After that, he’ll be home until after Thanksgiving.”

“I bet it’s hard spending so much time alone.”

Her neighbor shrugged. “I keep myself busy with birdwatching. I like to make my rounds hunting for treasures at the thrift stores. How does your ankle feel?”

Liz wiggled her toes. “Better. Wow. This stuff might actually be working.”

Christi set the green concoction aside and removed several boxes of ACE bandages from the grocery bag.

“Maybe you should add holistic healing to your repertoire,” Liz joked. “You could start a YouTube Channel and call it Christi’s Holistic Country Care.”

“I have considered creating my own site, but it would take time.” Christi lined up the boxes of bandages. “I was thinking we could start with a medium-sized bandage.”

“Let’s give it a shot, and thanks again. You’re a lifesaver.”

“You’re welcome. I’m happy I can help.”

A fresh wave of guilt washed over Liz. Not only had she disturbed her neighbor, but she’d also borrowed her medical supplies and had her waiting on her hand and foot, literally. Meanwhile, her sister and friends were breaking into the woman’s shed, searching for clues to figure out if Christi or her husband were responsible for shooting down Keller’s plane.

She silently reminded herself they needed to figure out who was behind it. If not, Floyd could very well be on the hook. Still, she felt as if she was betraying a friend…a friend who had been kind enough to help her.

“Would you like me to wrap your ankle?”

“Seriously. You don’t have to. Just tell me what to do.”

“Start wrapping about six inches from your foot, keeping steady pressure as you wind it around.”

With Christi’s direction, Liz expertly wrapped her ankle. After finishing, she swung her leg over the side of the chair and put weight on it. “It’s still stinging, but not nearly as bad as before.” She impulsively hugged her. “I owe you one. More than one.”

“You’re welcome.” Christi began packing up the unused boxes of bandages. “Just remember what I said…RICE…rest, ice, compression and elevation.”

“Got it.” Liz limped over to the fridge. “Can I get you a cup of tea, maybe a sparkling soda?”

“Thanks. I brought my own special blend for you to try. It helps with inflammation.” Christi removed two plastic cups from the bag. She set them on the counter and poured liquid from the Thermos before handing one to Liz. “Bottoms up.”

Liz lifted the glass. She took a big swig and began choking. “What is this?” she wheezed.

“Baking soda and warm water to help speed up the healing process.” Christi took a sip. “It’s an acquired taste.”

Liz’s eyes watered. “Acquired taste?”

“You don’t have to drink it.” Christi blew air through thinned lips, clearly aggravated by Liz’s lack of appreciation.

“I’m sorry. I was—I wasn’t expecting to swallow baking soda.”

“I should have warned you.” Christi wrapped the green bag of stinky stuff in plastic. “I’ll get out of your hair so you can rest.”

“Hang on.” Liz set the cup on the counter. “Don’t go yet. I…have something to show you.”

“You do?”

“It’s for the party. I need a second opinion.” Liz hopped over to the desk area and eased into the chair. “I ordered several bouquets of flowers for the party and am trying to figure out if they’re too large. Let me pull them up.”

She took her time fumbling through the screen, praying Gloria and Lucy were almost done. “I know they’re here somewhere.”

“Maybe you can email me a picture.”

“I…I’m almost there.” Liz found the photos. She double-clicked on the link and up popped the exquisite bouquets, which were costing her an arm and a leg.

Christi let out a low whistle. “They’re gorgeous.” She leaned in, a small gasp escaping her lips. “If you don’t mind me asking, how much do these cost?”

Liz rattled off the price.

“I could buy a week’s worth of groceries with what you spent.”

“They are pricey,” Liz agreed. “I’m spending more than I planned on them, but you know what they say about first impressions. Those arrangements will be the first thing guests see when they step through the front door.”

“They’re beautiful. I hope they don’t disappoint you.” Christi made a move to head out, and there was no way to stall.

Ting.

Liz nearly collapsed in relief at her cell phone’s tinging. “I need to find out who that is.”

“I’ll grab your phone for you.”

She began to feel dizzy as Christi darted across the kitchen and grabbed Liz’s phone. “Th-thanks.” She tapped the screen and almost wept with joy at the one word text. “Done.”

“Thank you, God.”

“Good news?” Christi asked.

“Yes. Very good news.”

“Let me know if you need anything else. I’m only a phone call away.” Christi waved goodbye and stepped out of the house.

Liz placed her head on the kitchen counter and took a deep breath. “This spying and sleuthing isn’t for the faint of heart.”

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