A Bell in the Garden

by Sheri Richey

  “Would you like something to drink? I’ve got lemonade,” Amanda said as she pulled out a kitchen chair. “Have a seat.”

  “No, thank you, but I just wanted a chance to talk to you a minute, so you had some time to prepare a bit.”

  “Prepare for what?”

  “Well, you know about those bones,” Cora said, peering at Amanda for her reaction.

  “Oh, yeah. The ones Bryan dug up this morning? I’m sure it’s an animal or something. His dad had lots of animals on the farm over the years.”

  “No honey,” Cora said, realizing then that Amanda really didn’t know. “Did you go up there when he found them?”

  “No, but he told me about them just before we opened. I don’t think he knows really what they are, but I told him there wasn’t time for that today. Did he tell you about them?”

  “Amanda, I’ve been up there and those aren’t animal bones.” Cora waited for a reaction and saw thoughts processing behind blank eyes. “The Sheriff’s office is going to send someone here very soon. The State is going to come in and dig the site up and take the bones somewhere so they can work on identifying them. It’s a person and Bryan was right to be concerned.”

  Cora didn’t want Amanda to be angry with Bryan. She could sympathize with Amanda’s dilemma and she might have delayed the reporting herself, but Bryan had done the right thing. He did what he could live with and what he felt was right. That was what mattered. Now Cora needed to help her do damage control.

  “Now? Today?”

  “Don’t worry, honey. We’re going to get through this. They could be here any minute and we just need to meet them in the parking lot, take them around the greenhouse up the hill and try to keep their profile low. If it’s just the officer Conrad spoke with, he knows what’s going on and he wants to keep it quiet, too. He’s not roaring in with sirens or anything like that.”

  “But what if it’s not just him? People are going to ask and what am I supposed to tell them?”

  “I think as long as the Sheriff doesn’t come himself, it will be fine. We can just tell people the deputies were looking for Conrad and they’ll still wonder what happened, but they’ll never think it happened here.” Cora reached across the table and patted Amanda’s forearm. “I just didn’t want you to be surprised.”

  “What if Sheriff Bell comes?”

  Cora just shook her head. Amanda already knew enough about the sheriff to know no one could predict how he might react. “No need to worry about something that hasn’t happened. The one thing we know for sure is a squad car will be pulling up any minute, so let’s get out there.”

  Amanda nodded and rose from the table. With Cora on her heels, they headed for the parking lot.

  CHAPTER 6

  “Son, did you touch them?” Alice showed a little impatience in her bark, and Conrad stepped back into the kitchen hoping his presence would put Bryan at ease. He had been stammering around the questions, clearly intimidated by Alice’s brisk nature and matter-of-fact style of cutting to the chase when she asked questions. Bryan was afraid of giving the wrong answer.

  “No, I told the Chief,” Bryan looked up at Conrad with pleading eyes. “I used a shovel and I just pulled it up in the shovel, but I never touched it.”

  “Okay, so you scooped it up. Then what?” Alice was writing quickly in a notepad even though Bryan wasn’t speaking. Conrad peaked over her shoulder but couldn’t discern a single word on the page. It looked like a foreign language.

  “Once I saw what it was, I mean I thought it looked like a human skull, so I dropped it and covered it back up with dirt.”

  “Then you called Chief Harris?”

  “Well, no. I came inside and talked to my girlfriend, Amanda. I told her.”

  “Then you called Chief Harris?”

  “No. She told me it had to wait until the open house thing was over,” Bryan shrugged. “I was going to call, but I’m not in the city limits of Spicetown.”

  “But you were going to call him? Not the Sheriff’s Office?”

  “I mean I was going to call the police, whoever, I wouldn’t have bothered the Chief directly. I would have called…”

  “Bryan told me as soon as I arrived today. It was before noon and he pulled me aside as soon as he saw me. We went up the hill and he showed me the area. We didn’t touch anything, and I called the County.” Conrad saw relief in Bryan’s eyes that Conrad had taken some explanation away.

  “Okay,” Alice said glancing up at Conrad who was off to the side leaning against the kitchen counter. “So how long have you lived here, Bryan?”

  Bryan’s gaze shifted to the ceiling. “I’m twenty-eight and we moved here when I was thirteen, no maybe fourteen,” Bryan replied, clearly struggling with the challenge of either memory or math.

  “So about fourteen years,” Alice said pointedly and waited for Bryan to nod in agreement.

  “Who lived here before you?”

  “Oh, wow. I don’t know,” Bryan said as his eyes darted all around the room. “Maybe I could find out. My folks, maybe that’s in some paperwork they left. I don’t know.”

  “So, did you and your parents move in here about fourteen years ago?”

  “Yes,” Bryan said confidently.

  “You have siblings? Brother? Sisters? Anybody else here?”

  “No, just me,” Bryan looked over at Conrad again nervously seeking assurance.

  “Where are your folks now?”

  “They are both dead.”

  Conrad saw Alice blow out her last breath and tried to ease her frustrations at Bryan’s limited answers. “His dad, Larry Stotlar, died 3 years ago and his mother, Stella, died almost 6 years ago. Both from cancer.”

  “Yeah, they are buried and everything,” Bryan said with alarm creasing his forehead.

  “It’s okay, Bryan,” Conrad soothed. “Nobody thinks those bones belong to your parents. They have to be much older.”

  In an attempt to determine who might have knowledge of the property and how to contact them, Conrad knew Alice had made Bryan fear he was being interrogated.

  “I’m just gathering facts, son,” Alice said with a forced smile. “I’m not looking for somebody to blame. I have to turn this all over to the State and they will be asking me these questions.”

  “The State?”

  “Explain it to him, Chief,” Alice said as she stood up and picked up her notepad. “I’ve got to make a call.”

  §

  Cora glanced over and saw Amanda waving her arms frantically in the air, so she hurriedly crossed the parking lot. The deputy was parking at the furthest point from the nursery at the end of a row of cars and they both moved to intercept him.

  “Officer,” Cora said as she extended her hand when the uniformed deputy closed his car door. “I’m Cora Mae Bingham, the mayor of Spicetown, and this is my assistant, Amanda Morgan.”

  The deputy smiled and tipped his hat. “Nice to meet you both. I’m Sergeant Cantrell. I’m just here to speak with your Chief Harris. I understand he’s here somewhere.”

  “Yes, a pleasure,” Cora said nodding her head. “We know you are here about the bones and we’re going to take you to the Chief. He and the coroner are in the house. We just thought we’d try to lead you around the side.”

  “Ah, okay. You lead. I’ll follow.”

  “I’m going back to the tent,” Amanda said to Cora. “I’ll be there after I check on Laura.”

  “Okay, dear,” Cora said to Amanda and then reached for Sergeant Cantrell’s arm. “It’s right this way.” Cora led him through the grass toward the back of the property and out of sight to the visitors. The ground was rough and rutted in places, but Sergeant Cantrell seemed very at ease. Cora didn’t sense any signs of urgency in him at all. She could hear Conrad’s voice as they approached the side kitchen door.

  “This house belongs to Bryan Stotlar. He’s the one that found the bones this morning when he was digging. He runs the nursery,” Cora explained as they walked. �
��The coroner has been here, and she has looked at the remains.”

  “Chief?” Cora opened the screen door and walked in with Sergeant Cantrell behind her. “Sergeant Cantrell is here. I don’t think anyone even noticed his arrival.”

  While Conrad talked with the Sergeant, Cora went into the kitchen to look around for the glasses. Finally finding the correct cupboard, she poured Bryan the lemonade Amanda had offered earlier and sat down at the table with him. He thanked her with a bewildered smile.

  “Don’t worry about anything, Bryan,” Cora said patting his hand. “This will create a little frenzy, but it will all be over, eventually.”

  “I wish I’d never found them.”

  “Don’t think of it that way. That person up there is someone and they deserve to be found. They need to be identified. It’s a good thing you did.”

  “I don’t know,” Bryan said rubbing a hand over his face. “Amanda is going to be upset and maybe I should have waited, but when I saw the Chief, I just thought I needed to tell someone. I kind of needed to get it off my chest, you know? It’s pretty creepy.”

  “I understand completely, and you did the right thing. No one outside has even noticed. Your opening has gone very well, and I know Amanda is pleased with the turnout.”

  “Cora?” Conrad had been in the living room with the Sergeant and the coroner and the grave look on his face conveyed bad news before he even spoke. “The Sheriff is on his way.”

  Cora groaned. “Let me get back out there.”

  “Why is the Sheriff coming?” Bryan’s eyes squinted as he looked to Conrad first and then Cora.

  “Just routine,” Conrad said. “I’m sure he just wants to take a look at it.”

  Standing up and pushing her chair under the table, Cora walked behind him and patted his back. “Nothing to worry about. Amanda and I will handle it.”

  Pushing out the screen door, Cora headed for the covered area where she hoped to find Amanda available. Bobby Bell was just looking for publicity and fame. The shallowness Conrad had hinted at once the election had been decided had proved to be an underestimation. When Bobby Bell was elected last year, Conrad had shared his concerns with her, but she had initially written them off as sour grapes. The men once worked together and didn’t get along well. However, Bobby Bell had demonstrated some serious character flaws during his brief time in office and she now tried to avoid him more than Conrad did. He would not make the circumstances easier.

  “Amanda, dear,” Cora said as she grasped Amanda’s arm. “Can I borrow you again?” Shifting her eyes to the parking lot, she tried to convey her urgency and Amanda quickly waved to Laura that she was needed elsewhere.

  “Is everything okay?” Amanda whispered to Cora as they worked their way through the shoppers.

  Cora waited to reply until they reached a clearing at the edge of the parking area. “The Sheriff is coming.”

  “Oh, no,” Amanda groaned as she threw her head back.

  “Yes,” Cora turned to Amanda and stopped. “The only thing I can think to do is try to meet him and urge him to park by the Sergeant’s car so we can sneak him around the side. He’s probably not going to want to do it, but that’s the only chance we have.”

  Hearing murmurs from the crowd behind her, Cora looked quickly over her shoulder and saw Sheriff Bell had driven his car right up into the grass to park off the road next to the tent full of customers. He had his arms in the air stretching before slamming his door shut and waving to the on-lookers. Another squad car pulled up beside him.

  “Good grief,” Cora muttered through clenched teeth. Squeezing Amanda’s arm first she bolted into action heading straight for Bobby Bell.

  “Sheriff,” Cora said extending her hand.

  “Hello, Mayor. What brings you out here today?”

  “Well, as you can see,” Cora said grandly motioning towards the visitors, “this is a grand opening for a new expanded business. The townspeople are showing their support.”

  “I see that,” Bobby said with a fake smile.

  “I’m sure you are probably looking for the Chief, aren’t you? I’m happy to escort you right to him. He’s expecting you.” Cora cringed slightly but looped her arm through the crook of his elbow and began to pull him towards the house smiling at everyone looking their way.

  “Okay,” Bobby grunted, appearing disappointed he was going to miss an opportunity to give a speech to everyone.

  Once the crowd thinned closer to the house, Cora loosened her grip but kept her voice low. “We are trying not to ruin the event and start a lot of town gossip. Surely you understand how that would just complicate the situation. We don’t even know yet what Bryan found, so I’d prefer you make every effort to keep this matter low key.”

  Bobby stopped in his tracks forcing Cora to release her hold. “I’m sure you understand, Mayor, this is police business and although small town gossip can be an irritant, we have to follow procedure here.”

  Cora gave him a campaign smile and then raised one eyebrow. “I’m not implying I wish to impede your procedure. I do however want to limit the grandstanding.”

  With that, Cora turned and pulled the screen door open directing the sheriff to enter and shutting the door behind the deputy that had been following.

  Perhaps another bridge burned, but Cora’s tolerance for the Sheriff had worn thin after listening to his derogatory remarks at the County Commission meetings the last few months. He seemed to take every opportunity he found to insult Spicetown. Bobby Bell was just one of those people that put others down to build himself up, but she was beginning to take it a little personally.

  Locating Amanda easily this time, she looked behind the table Amanda had been using as a temporary sales counter to see if there was a chair or stool, she could use. Her knees were aching, and she wasn’t used to this much standing or walking. “Here, have a seat,” Amanda said as she pulled a barstool around to the end of the table. “Are they all in there?” Amanda’s eyes shifted to Bryan’s house.

  “Yes,” Cora said with a sigh of relief as she scooted onto the barstool. “I can’t promise he’ll stay though.” Cora straightened each leg slowly and rubbed her knee caps. “After I rest a bit, I’ll go back over there and stand outside the door. That will deter him from wanting to come back out.” Cora winked at Amanda and smiled.

  “Oh, Mandy, these little pots are so cute. Laura told me you painted them. This is such a nice place you have here.” Carmen Maddox gave them her winning celebrity smile and Cora turned her head away.

  “Hi, Carmen,” Amanda said warmly. “Thanks so much, but this isn’t my place. I’m just helping out and it was really fun painting these little pots. Are you ready to check out?”

  “Not yet. I know I’m getting this one for my mama. She just loves ladybugs,” Carmen said holding up a pot with flowers and ladybugs painted on it. “Rodney is still looking though, so I’ll be back.”

  Amanda waved as Carmen melted back into the crowd.

  “It’s thinning out,” Amanda said as she stepped back to let Laura use the cash register. “We close in an hour and a half, so I don’t expect any new people to be arriving. Thank you for helping. I wouldn’t have made it without you.”

  “Oh, don’t think a thing about it. I’ve enjoyed it,” Laura said. Smiling at Cora she added, “Not as much as my day job though.”

  Cora could only muster a smile as the girls giggled. Her knees seemed to hurt more dangling from the barstool than when she was up running around.

  Amanda moved around Cora’s barstool and whispered, “Can you tell me what’s going to happen next?”

  “That’s all up to Alice now, the coroner. It’s her jurisdiction once she identifies it as human. She is in control, not the sheriff. He only takes over if forensic evidence shows a crime.”

  “You mean, like murder?” Amanda jumped as the words came out and she glanced around to see if anyone had heard her.

  Cora just nodded.

  “Oh, my goodness. I
just thought he’d found a horse or something. When he told me this morning, I just figured it was nothing.”

  “You didn’t see it, did you?”

  “No,” Amanda said squinting her eyes. “Should I?”

  “No,” Cora said shaking her head vigorously. “I just meant if you had seen it, you would have known. I mean it’s clearly…”

  “Oh, I feel bad now,” Amanda said with a heavy sigh. “Bryan was upset about it and I just pushed it aside and told him we needed to get busy setting up for today.”

  “Well, he did the right thing,” Cora said happy to see Amanda wasn’t angry. “He’s required to report it under State law, but I’m sure when he saw Connie, he just wanted to get it off his chest.”

  “Yes, and then he didn’t tell me he did because he probably thought I wouldn’t understand.” Amanda looked down at her feet and back at the house. “I feel like I should be there, but I can’t leave Laura on her own.”

  “There’s too many people in there now,” Cora said thinking the Sheriff could leave and improve the atmosphere. Several months ago, Bryan had been questioned by the Sheriff and it had not been a pleasant experience for him. “Connie will make sure they treat Bryan right.”

  “Here he comes,” Amanda nudged Cora as she sounded the alert.

  “Hi, Sheriff,” Carmen Maddox yelled out waving her hand in the air as Cora rolled her eyes. The Sheriff returned a campaign wave without clearly any specific target. They watched as he returned to his squad car and pulled out alone. The deputy that had been his shadow upon arrival, was not following.