Whispering Pines Mysteries Box Set 3

by Shawn McGuire

  Tavie gave me a thumbs up and continued down the drive.

  I backed up, pulled into the campground, and took a right onto the one-way path that wound past the campsites. The group stared at me as I came to a stop near them.

  “Hey there,” I said with as much Whispering Pines friendliness as I could muster. “Can I help you with something?”

  The man I’d seen driving the Excursion earlier stepped forward. Five foot eight, mid-thirties, goatee, short wavy medium-brown hair, scrawny and sickly looking.

  With a slow drawl, he asked, “And how do you figure you can help us, little lady?”

  Suddenly, I wished I hadn’t removed my Glock back at the station. To his credit, I wasn’t in uniform which made his confusion understandable.

  “It’s just that,” I began, not sounding anywhere near as confident as I intended to, “the campground is closed right now. You can’t be here.”

  A woman in painted-on jeans tucked into knee-high Sorel boots trimmed with faux fur at the cuff sauntered over and stood next to him. The bleached-blonde hair I’d gotten a flash of earlier hung to her waist and looked fried and frizzy up close.

  “You can’t force us to leave,” she said with as much vibrato as her husband. Or boyfriend. I glanced at her left hand. No ring.

  One of the other couples, both somewhere in their thirties, came out of a nearby tent. These two were a striking pair, but in a kind of creepy way. Their hair color was identical, as in they probably used the same deep-auburn dye mixture at the salon. They had matching widow’s peaks. Their skin tone was even the same pale ivory. They looked like they could be siblings, but by the way she held tight to his hand and hugged his arm in front of her like a protective shield, I guessed they were together. So I hoped they weren’t related.

  “What can we do for you?” this new man asked. “I’m Lars Sundstrom, by the way. This is my girlfriend, Didi Stieber.”

  I looked at the first two. “And you are?”

  “Don’t really feel the need to tell you that,” the first man said with a pointed glare at Sundstrom. “Why don’t you tell me your name, and we’ll see how this goes.”

  Fortunately, I had my badge with me. Except, when I reached into my pocket to get it, Mr. Backwoods must’ve decided I was pulling a weapon. In the blink of an eye, he had unsheathed a hunting knife. He was taunting me with it, pinching it between his thumb and first two fingers, wiggling it as though wanting to make sure I knew he had it.

  It wasn’t a very big knife, but the striped handle was so distinctive, I couldn’t miss it. The handle appeared to be made from narrow slices of different woods stacked and probably glued together. The blade had a swirly design etched into it. Even from six feet away, I could tell it was a skillfully made weapon.

  The four other people traveling with these two couples had been sitting around the campfire outside the farthest tent. When the knife came out, the three men and one woman got to their feet and formed a half circle behind Sundstrom, Stieber, and the other unnamed pair.

  From the back of my Cherokee, I could hear Meeka barking. She was sensing my emotions again, and right now she surely knew my heart rate was elevated and my adrenaline was pumping.

  I raised a hand in a calming gesture and slowly removed my badge from my pocket. “There’s no reason to get upset. Everyone, just stay calm.” I held up my badge and showed it to them. “I’m out of uniform but am the sheriff of Whispering Pines. Jayne O’Shea.”

  The first man looked at Sundstrom as he returned the knife to the sheath at his side. Then he stared me down. “I’m Gavin Lindsey. She’s Kendra, my girl.”

  Girl. Not girlfriend. He was older but not enough that she could be his daughter. The way she leveled a blank stare on him and sighed told me the word was a chauvinistic claiming and not a term of endearment.

  I met eyes with them one by one. “Gavin. Kendra. Lars. Didi. And who are the rest of you?”

  One of the men and the other woman introduced themselves as Darryl Allen and Cheryl Carpenter. The other two were Chaz Lindsey and Marcel Allen. I guessed they were brothers of Gavin and Darryl.

  I returned my badge to my pocket and took a shuffle step closer to my vehicle. “Are you all passing through?”

  “Eventually.” Gavin was clearly the leader of this troupe. “Thought we’d hang out for a few days.”

  Kendra flipped her fried hair behind her shoulder and nodded in agreement.

  “We’re happy to have you,” I told them while willing my racing heart to relax. “And if you were only staying one night, I’d probably let this go, but like I said before, the campground is closed for the season. I can’t let you stay here.”

  “What’s the problem?” Lindsey hitched his thumbs in his belt loops, his legs bowing as he shifted his stance. “Not like we’re disturbing anyone.”

  “Rules,” I said with a shrug, forcing myself to stay in full sheriff mode. “I don’t make them, but I do have to enforce them. If you follow the highway east, you’ll come to a hotel. It’s about two miles from here, little more. There are actually four of them side by side, but only the first one is still open for business. The others have shut down for the season. I happen to know the open one has rooms available.”

  “What if we decide we don’t want to leave? It’ll get a little chilly at night, but we got ways to stay warm.” Lindsey hooked Kendra around the waist and yanked her close. To each their own, but the thought of sleeping next to that man made my skin crawl.

  “Gav.” Sundstrom stepped in and slapped a hand on his shoulder. “We don’t need to be causing any troubles, man. Let’s just do as the sheriff asked.” Then more quietly but still loud enough for me to hear, he added, “Remember why we’re here. It doesn’t really matter where we stay.”

  As Sundstrom spoke in calming tones with Lindsey, my own adrenaline level decreased. This wasn’t a good thing, not right now. I knew only too well that, in about a minute, I’d get weak in the knees and need to sit down.

  Lindsey and Sundstrom had a little discussion about whether doing as I asked was a big deal or not, Lindsey’s point being he didn’t want some woman telling him what to do.

  “Especially the sheriff of this little messed up village,” Lindsey hissed.

  Messed up village? It took all my willpower to ignore that.

  “Look,” I confronted, “there’s no discussion to be had. You can’t stay here.” This statement served two purposes. First, to exert my authority. Second, to increase my adrenaline level again. I couldn’t be going all noodle-legged with the Backwoods Boys deciding if they were going to obey me or not.

  Finally, Sundstrom convinced Lindsey it was best to do as I’d asked so they didn’t get kicked out of the village altogether. The others didn’t seem to care one way or the other. This made my instincts regarding this group flare yet again. Why were they so focused on being in Whispering Pines? Sundstrom made it sound like they were here for a specific purpose. What could that possibly be? I asked and got the response I’d pretty much expected.

  “You’re a nosey one,” Lindsey replied. “Ain’t really none of your business why we’re here.”

  Oh, how I wished I could arrest people for being disrespectful. The jails would be crammed full all the time.

  “We’re planning to do a little hunting,” Sundstrom added in an attempt to ease the tension. “Probably hang out in the village for a couple days.”

  While the group tore down their campsite, I leaned against my vehicle and watched them. First, though, I let Meeka out of her cage because she was going ballistic back there with the need to protect me. After she was loose, I pulled my Glock out of the carrying case and slid it into my jacket pocket. Best to be prepared.

  They tore down quickly and, within twenty minutes, were ready to leave the campground. Lindsey, Kendra, Didi, Sundstrom, Darryl, and Cheryl loaded into the Excursion. Chaz and Marcel got in the pickup truck with all the gear tossed in the back. Lindsey circled the Excursion around and stopped next
to me. My immediate thought was that they were going the wrong way on a one-way road and I should scold them for that. Fortunately, I realized I wasn’t firing on all cylinders at the moment due to reduced blood sugar and kept my mouth shut.

  “Can I see that badge again?” Lindsey asked, wanting me to prove I was who I claimed to be, I guessed. I pulled it out and flashed it in his face, close enough that he could see but far enough away that he couldn’t grab my arm. “Yep, says sheriff. So, you’re that lady sheriff I been hearing so much about. Sounds to me like you could use some help up here since you ain’t doing much good for these people. Are you?”

  Before I could respond, he stomped on his gas, spraying gravel at Chaz’s pickup truck behind him. I stood at the ready with my hand clutching the gun in my pocket until both vehicles turned onto the highway and were on the way to the hotel. Then my legs went weak and I slumped hard against my truck.

  Chapter 5

  I couldn’t decide which was more upsetting, that I was about to crash because the adrenaline rush was over, or the words Lindsey had said before he sped off. Who was I kidding? No question, it was Lindsey. He had just verbalized my biggest fear since taking over as sheriff, that I wasn’t going to be able to serve this village properly. But where had that fear stemmed from? That I was a woman? Because I was young? Or maybe it was this place. I never doubted myself in Madison. Not before Frisky died, at least.

  Fortunately, I’d left a small bag of M&Ms in the glove box from the last time I went grocery shopping with Tripp. It took a few minutes, but the sugar gave me an energy boost and I was able to get back to work. Lindsey’s group had left the fire burning, and I wanted to make sure it was out before I drove away.

  Once at home, I entered through the back door and heard laughter and general commotion coming from the kitchen. At first, I thought Tripp was making something for our guests, but his truck was still gone, and the laughter and voices were all female. I found Melinda, Silence, and Gloria giggling and going through the pantry and all the cupboards while talking about what to make. Well, Melinda and Gloria were giggling and talking. Silence scribbled on her whiteboard with a dry-erase pen. Tavie sat at the kitchen bar, supervising them. She turned and smiled at me after Meeka rushed in and let out some excited yips, joining in the fun.

  “They’re only looking,” Tavie assured. “They love to cook, though, and want to know if they can make dinner for us tonight.”

  I had told them to make themselves at home. I’d meant have a seat in the great room and wait for me, not take over my kitchen, but they weren’t hurting anything by looking. Since I had zero idea when Tripp and River would be home, I said, “I guess that would be all right. Do we have everything they need? We could run over to the store.”

  “Are you kidding?” Melinda asked with the same giddy expression Tripp sometimes got while preparing his menus. “This kitchen has everything.”

  Tavie pulled out the stool next to her and indicated I should sit. “Melinda makes the best sloppy joe’s you’ll ever taste, and Gloria can fix a salad that even the biggest vegetable hater will love. Silence is our baker and will whip up a batch of blondies that will rival anything sold in your local bakery. And yes, we stopped in there for scones and coffee when we got here.”

  “What’s a blondie?” I asked.

  Everyone looked to Silence who wrote on her whiteboard, then turned it to face me. Vanilla brownies.

  “Sounds fantastic. Go right ahead, my kitchen is yours.” Or rather, Tripp’s kitchen was theirs. A little voice in my ear said, won’t he be upset to have people taking over his territory? Possibly, but I didn’t see the harm. And unless he came home for dinner, he’d never know anyone had been in there. “Why don’t I get you all settled into your rooms before you start that.”

  “How many rooms do you have?” Gloria wanted to know.

  “Five of the seven are available. Business is a little slow this weekend.” Much to Tripp’s conflicted delight. We needed the business, but finishing the attic was high on his to-do list.

  The three stared at each other with hopeful, excited expressions and then at Tavie.

  “Can we?” Gloria asked.

  “Oh, please,” Melinda begged. “Please say yes.”

  Silence folded her hands together and nodded her head eagerly, eyes wide and bright.

  Tavie smiled at the trio and asked, “Is it all right for us to take four of those rooms?”

  All right? I mentally shoved away the dollar signs in my eyes. “If you want to pay for them, I’m happy to rent them to you.”

  While Tavie and I took care of the business side of the rentals, I could hear the girls clomping around upstairs looking at the available rooms. Meeka was barking, her happy bark, and was surely chasing them from room to room. I told them that The Suite at the top of the stairs was already booked, but they could duke it out over the others. A few minutes later, they came back downstairs with their decisions made: Tavie would have The Alcove with the inviting window seat and a breathtaking view of the lake. Melinda wanted The Jack, and Gloria said she’d take The Jill next door. Silence was torn between The Treehouse and The Side but settled on The Side, which put her close to Tavie.

  Once they’d taken all their bags up to their rooms, the girls got to work on dinner.

  “Something’s bothering you,” Tavie noted as we watched them cook.

  “It’s nothing to worry about,” I said with a dismissive shrug. “Those people at the campground were a little challenging.”

  I fixed two mugs of tea and tried to pry Meeka away from Silence’s side. The Westie wouldn’t budge, determined to stay near the girl. Figuring I should at least keep an eye on Tripp’s kitchen, Tavie and I settled down at the six-chair oval dinette set Tripp and I had recently added to the kitchen area. A guest had mentioned it would be nice to have a table where people could spread out with games or a cup of coffee and look out at the lake. We decided it was a great idea and wondered why we hadn’t thought of it before.

  We sipped our tea and listened to the giggling and meal-planning discussion. Breaks in the conversation meant Silence was writing on her board.

  “I have to ask, is Silence really her name?”

  Tavie nodded. “That’s what she calls herself.”

  While she gazed at her boarders with a proud smile, the back of my neck prickled. I had no reason to believe this arrangement was anything but legitimate. The girls seemed happy and comfortable with Tavie and each other. The cop in me always needed to verify things, though.

  “Do you mind if I ask—”

  “How old she is? Do I know anything more about her?” Tavie guessed. “She’s eighteen, a legal adult. She showed me her ID, so I know her legal name and where she came from. She asked me to keep that information to myself, however.”

  I relaxed a little. If Silence was eighteen, her life was her own. “Is she hiding from someone?”

  “She is. She told me she ran away from home shortly before her eighteenth birthday because her uncle hit her and her single mother wouldn’t do anything about it.”

  “You look skeptical about that.”

  Tavie lifted a shoulder. “I’m the last one to downplay any sort of physical abuse, so don’t take it that way, but I think it was worse than being hit. Right before she came to me, Silence had been selling herself on the streets so she’d have a place to sleep at night. She needs help getting on her feet and seems comfortable with us. Who am I to mess with something that’s working?”

  “Is it that she can’t talk or that she won’t?”

  “I believe it’s the latter. Every now and again, I hear singing coming from somewhere in the house. It’s always when the other two are either with me or out of the house. I’m sure it’s Silence and not music from somewhere. She’s a good girl and an absolute joy to have around, so I’ll let her have that little secret.”

  With the blondies in the oven, the meat mixture simmering on the stove, and lettuce soaking in the crisper, the girls
asked where we should eat. I pointed toward the dining room and told them they could use any of the dishes in the china cabinet. They went off to set the table, and I turned back to find Tavie studying me hard.

  “Something’s really eating at you, Madame Sheriff. What did those people at the campground say that’s got you so upset?”

  It went deeper than what Lindsey had said, but I wasn’t about to get into all that with a stranger. There was something about this vibrant woman that made me want to open up to her, though. Since she shared a little about her life, I could share a little of mine.

  “It wasn’t all of them, just their apparent leader. He told me I needed help here, insinuating that a woman sheriff couldn’t possibly know what she was doing.”

  Tavie nodded slowly, eyes still on me. “Hit a nail of some kind right on its head, did he?”

  “I guess.” And just that quickly, I was sharing more. “It’s a long story, but something happened a year ago that kind of knocked my confidence down a few pegs.”

  “It’s always a struggle for women,” Tavie interrupted my thoughts. “Always having to prove ourselves. Even harder for someone like you in a male-dominated career.”

  The tone in her voice told me she understood exactly what I was experiencing. The strong women of Whispering Pines sided with me, but quite honestly, they were secluded from the “real” world up here. Also, the female villager population outnumbered the males by almost two to one. Many of them had either been born here or had lived in the village since they were young. They’d been able to live their lives on their terms without a lot of flak, from either men or society, and couldn’t fully appreciate the frustration I felt when I was challenged regarding my abilities.

  “Even here,” I began, “in a place where I thought it would be easy to do my thing, it sometimes is a struggle. I’ll feel like I’m at the top of my game for weeks, and then one sideways comment can push all those fears right back to the surface.”