Whispering Pines Mysteries Box Set 3

by Shawn McGuire

  I was about to check out the smaller rooms and see if anyone there seemed suspicious, but before I could, the front door opened, and Gavin Lindsey and his posse strode in like they owned the place.

  Chapter 8

  The group of eight stood together as Lindsey looked for a place to sit. Visions of lunchroom bullies flashed in my mind, and I half-expected he’d stride over to an occupied table and tell the diners they were in his spot. He settled on a table close to Tavie’s, and as the group members draped their jackets over the backs of the chairs, Lindsey stood leering at Melinda, Silence, and Gloria like they were items on the menu. Darryl noticed them too. In fact, the two never took their eyes off the trio as they passed by too close on their way to the buffet table.

  Melinda was unflappable, staring them down without blinking, clearly ready to take them both on if necessary. Gloria’s expression was more amused than confrontational and said, please, I’ve dealt with worse than you punks. Silence, seemingly unable to turn off her flirting, gave off the opposite vibe. Her smile was practically saying, Hey, sailor, buy me a drink?

  “Trouble?” Tripp appeared at my side, his own plate of dessert in hand.

  “Not yet, but I think it’s coming.”

  Casually, he followed my gaze to Tavie’s table. “What’s going on with Silence?”

  He saw the obvious flirting too. Good. At least I knew my actions were that of a concerned professional and not a catty woman. I turned him to face me, so I could surveil the group over his shoulder instead of both of us staring at them, and repeated what Tavie had told me about Silence.

  “Thankfully,” I concluded, “she’s got Melinda and Gloria ready to jump to her assistance.”

  Tripp agreed. “She sure is attracting attention, though. And not just from the men.”

  He meant the scowls Didi, Cheryl, and Kendra were fixing on Silence. Great. A cat fight/bar brawl would really put a damper on this fun community gathering.

  “Anything I can do?” he offered.

  That was sweet of him, but I could tell he really wanted to go back to the guys. Now that he wasn’t their customer, they could hang out.

  “Thanks, but not right now.”

  “What’s that?” He tapped the envelope still in my hand.

  If I told him, he’d insist we go home or would hover and distract me from focusing on the problem with Lindsey and company. I needed to be here and alert.

  “Nothing. Just a card someone left on our table.”

  “Nice.” Assuming it was a Thanksgiving card, he gave me a quick kiss, flavored by the pumpkin pie with whipped cream he’d been nibbling on, and returned to his friends.

  Before tucking the card into my jacket pocket, I asked the people at nearby tables if they’d seen who left it.

  “No, sorry, Sheriff.”

  “Is it your birthday?”

  When I shook my head, they assumed like Tripp had that it was a holiday card.

  My instincts were on full alert now. I sat with my back to the wall, dessert plate in hand, and kept an eye on the group. Chaz Lindsey and Marcel Allen chose a table at the far end of the room away from the others. They’d all walked in together. Was there suddenly dissension in the ranks? Had there been an argument of some kind? Or was there another reason the two didn’t want to be with the rest of the group?

  Gavin Lindsey and Darryl Allen stuck together at their table and other than flirting mildly with Gloria and Melinda and paying way more attention to Silence than was necessary, they weren’t doing anything the sheriff should get involved with. If they didn’t back off soon, however, their girlfriends would likely be stepping in to take care of things. And letting the women deal with their men seemed like a fine solution.

  Gloria and Melinda hovered around Silence like her personal protection unit, but in spite of their best efforts to distract her with billiards, darts, and food, Silence couldn’t stop flirting. Tavie stayed close, giving off a clear vibe that said if anyone dared mess with any of them, they’d meet Mama Bear.

  I gave them credit for trying, but the more I saw Silence in action, the more upset I became for her. Really, they should just take her home. This wasn’t a good environment for her.

  As the afternoon slid toward evening, and more alcohol was consumed, the crowd got a little rowdier. Especially once the Packers game started, hoots and hollers and language my mother wouldn’t approve of filled the pub.

  Gavin, Darryl, and now Lars Sundstrom continued harassing Silence. As a woman, I was getting really uncomfortable for her. As a law enforcement officer, I had just about reached my limit. Fortunately, Melinda had too.

  Loudly, so everyone in a twenty-foot radius could hear, she said, “Shut your sexist mouths, back off, and leave her alone.”

  I took that as my cue to see if I could help.

  “They’re trying to get Silence to talk,” Gloria explained. “Happens every time we go out, even if it’s just to the grocery store.”

  “Every single time,” Melinda agreed. “Men seem to think not speaking is her way of playing hard to get.”

  Gloria batted her eyelashes and, in a voice presumably meant to be Silence, said, “I’m so shy all I can do is stand here and pretend I’m not interested. But you know all I really want to do is jump your bones.”

  Melinda burst out laughing. Silence swatted Gloria’s shoulder then stuck a finger in her own mouth and pretended to gag.

  I laughed along with them, even though the whole situation infuriated me.

  “If you ask me,” Tavie said, nodding past me, “it’s the women around here that I’m more worried about.”

  She saw the same thing Tripp had earlier. The death glares from Didi, Cheryl, Kendra, and a few others not with their group, had become more intense.

  “Let me know if you need me to step in,” I offered. “I’ll either kick them out or get the owner for you. Maeve will be happy to have them removed.”

  Another half hour passed, and a happy buzz settled over the pub because the Packers had caught up from a fourteen to nothing deficit. I was chatting with some of the villagers when Marcel and Chaz came up to me.

  “Can we talk to you, Sheriff?” Marcel asked.

  Five foot ten, medium-brown skin, short Afro shaved on the sides, bodybuilder physique.

  “Is there trouble?” I asked.

  Marcel’s eyes darted toward Lindsey’s group, and he asked, “Can we go outside?”

  These two didn’t look like they’d hurt anyone, but I was still a little hesitant to go outside alone with them. Instinct told me to be leery of everything anyone in this group did.

  “I’ll be right there. Let me grab my jacket.” I tried to catch Tripp’s eye, but he was busy laughing about something with the guys. Instead, I asked the people next to our table to keep an eye on Tripp’s sweatshirt and purposely said, “I’m just stepping outside for a minute.”

  The looks they gave me indicated that wasn’t something to worry about in Whispering Pines. No one would take his sweatshirt, but they humored me with a serious, “No problem, Sheriff.”

  Once on the red brick pathway outside Triple G, I asked Marcel, “All right, what’s going on?”

  Chaz remained mute, letting Marcel do the talking. “Gavin is obsessed. He’s been going on and on about how messed up Whispering Pines is and how the people here need someone who knows what they’re doing to take care of the problems.”

  Gavin’s words from yesterday rang in my ears. Sounds to me like you could use some help up here since you ain’t doing much good for these people. Are you?

  “Hang on.” My pulse couldn’t seem to decide if it wanted to race or freeze. “Tell me you’re not talking about vigilante justice of some kind. Are they planning something?”

  “That’s what we don’t know,” Marcel insisted as Chaz shrugged and shook his head. “Sincerely, we don’t know what they’re up to, just that it don’t sound good. Darryl made it sound like we were coming up here for a guys’ weekend. You know, hang out,
maybe do a little deer hunting. I never met any of the others, but D said they’re okay. Then once we got set up at the campground yesterday, Gavin started spouting off about keeping the people here safe.” He paused, thinking. “You know, it might be like you said, some kind of vigilante thing. Everyone else was nodding like they knew exactly what he was talking about. Me and Chaz didn’t want to get involved with whatever they were talking about so went for a walk around the campground. We got back just before you showed up.”

  As he spoke, I mentally started putting together my defense. Who could I gather for reinforcement? Reed was here, but too inebriated to be of service if something happened tonight. Tripp, obviously. The villagers came together nicely last month to search for Jacob Jackson, but some of those same people had started complaining about the troubles going on here. Still, if I put out the call, the villagers would respond. Wouldn’t they?

  “We don’t got a clue what’s going on,” Marcel repeated, “but we figured you should know they might do something. Like I said, we don’t want nothing to do with it. We came to get something to eat and are heading back to the hotel now. We’re gonna stay the night since we already paid for the room but are cutting out of here first thing in the morning. If we knew what they were up to, trust me, we’d tell you.”

  We talked for another minute or two, and they promised to contact me if they thought of anything important and then went back to the hotel.

  Inside the pub, I found Tavie’s group sitting at their table holding hands and praying.

  The villagers were so accepting of whatever people did, none of them seemed to even notice. Lindsey and his group, however, were smirking and whispering to each other. Probably working up to a different kind of harassment.

  Feeling unsettled and desperate, I crossed the pub to the one person in the village who had the skills to help me formulate a plan. It was a fool’s errand, I knew that. Even if Reed had miraculously sobered up and was capable of helping me, he most likely wouldn’t. Still, I had to give it a try.

  He was sitting by himself with a mostly full, mostly flat beer in front of him. Since the other three had left I helped myself to the chair across from him. With effort, he raised his head to look at me. It took even more effort for his eyes to focus.

  “Whatever you’re here to say, I’m off duty. Told you two weeks ago, I’m taking a leave of absence. I don’t want anything to do with this village right now.”

  If that was true, why was he here in the heart of a village celebration? Easy answer, he needed the comfort and familiarity of his people around him. It seemed that Lupe may have broken more than his heart—she might have broken his spirit too. She hadn’t been his first girlfriend, but she’d been the first he fell hard for.

  “You’re still taking classes, aren’t you?” If he quit school, quitting his job might be next.

  “We’re on a break.” He lifted his beer mug to his mouth but set it back down without taking a drink. Looked like he’d reached his limit. “School’s closed, so I’m closed.”

  I signaled for a server to take away the pitcher and mugs. “Cut him off, okay? Make sure no one else serves him.”

  The twenty-something man with thick light-brown hair to his shoulders and a full beard promised to spread the word.

  “Did you want something?” Reed asked. “Or did you just stop by to harass me?”

  “I’m not harassing you.” I considered telling him about Lindsey’s vigilantes for half a second. “It doesn’t matter what I want, you’re too drunk to be of service anyway.”

  “That’s right, I am.” He narrowed his eyes, and I could tell he was about to ask what was going on. No matter what he said, he cared deeply about this village. “I’m just sitting here minding my own business, not bothering anyone, so I’d appreciate it if you left me alone.”

  “Tell me one thing. When did you get here? Does Flavia or Reeva know you’re here?”

  “That’s two things.” He held up two fingers in a V. “I got here this morning. And no, they don’t know I’m here. I don’t need to report to mommy and auntie every time I come to town. I got my own place now.” He dropped his head to the table and quietly moaned, “One I was gonna share with Lupe.” Then a little louder, “Leave me alone. Please.”

  I stood and took a few steps away.

  “Heard the word.” Maeve paused at my side with a tray full of dirty dishes in her hands. “He’s done for the night. In fact, I’ll find someone to take him home now.”

  “Excellent. Thanks.” I found a spot where I could see almost all of the main room at once and leaned against the wall. There were plenty of familiar folks sitting at the various tables. Violet and her brother Basil sat with a group of younger villagers. The percentage of division across the age groups in Whispering Pines was fairly equal. The twenty-somethings were particularly close. Probably because few of them were married or even partnered. If I wasn’t sheriff, would I fit in with them? Or would I fit even though I’m the sheriff and should just go sit with them?

  Not tonight. I needed to stay alert for trouble.

  As with the twenties, the high school kids hung out together. Fortune teller Lily Grace, her boyfriend Oren, and a couple dozen others had taken over one of the smaller dining rooms. They were half-watching football and half-playing some game only they understood.

  Effie, Cybil, and some of the other fortune tellers had been here for a while but had already gone home. Most of the circus folks had left the village for the off-season, but those still here—Creed, Janessa, Igor, and Britta—had already gone home as well.

  A group of business owners was gathered around a table. Treat Me Sweetly’s owners Sugar and Honey, Laurel from The Inn, clothing shop owner Ivy, hobby shop owner Ruby, and Mr. Powell from village services looked to be having a serious discussion. Too serious considering it was Thanksgiving night. Probably an impromptu business owners’ meeting. Laurel, especially, was big into meetings.

  Most surprising of all the clusters was a pairing of eccentric Mallory with her tinfoil hat securely in place and wacky Sister Agnes. Where had Sister Agnes been? I hadn’t seen her since Mabon Fest two months ago. They were sitting at the bar, chatting, and drinking what were probably virgin something-or-others. From the bright-pink color, I guessed Shirley Temples. What could they possibly be talking about? Mallory had a hard-enough time putting a sentence together, let alone a whole conversation.

  I crossed the room to say hi and was ten feet away when Mallory looked at me through her hag stone, a rock with a naturally formed hole in it, and proclaimed, “Good one.”

  “Still looking for fairies, Mallory?”

  She reached into her pocket and pulled out a smaller, similar stone. Where did she find these things? Morgan told me they were rare. She handed the stone to me.

  “Help sheriff,” she said in her broken way. “Tell truth.”

  “It will help me tell the truth?” I asked.

  “Possibly,” Sister Agnes interpreted. “She means it will give you the ability to know when others are telling the truth.”

  A truly helpful gift for a law enforcement officer.

  “Thank you, Mallory.” I put the stone in my pocket and turned to Agnes. “Where have you been? I haven’t seen you around in months.”

  Across the room, Lindsey moved to a chair closer to the boarding home girls. It looked like his taunting had ratcheted up another notch. Just what I’d feared would happen.

  “Sorry, Agnes, I need to see what’s going on over there.”

  I closed the gap between me and the group by half, not wanting to intervene unless necessary. Hopefully, my presence would be enough to keep trouble at bay.

  “What’s happening?”

  I turned to see Tripp standing next to me. It comforted me more than I could say that he was here. My deputy was no help, regardless of his sobriety level, so I was feeling abandoned, not to mention vulnerable. Me and my little Glock could only do so much. Maybe I should get Meeka from the play yard ou
t back. Those little pearly whites of hers could do major damage to the back of someone’s leg.

  “Hopefully nothing.” While keeping an eye on the crowd, I filled him in on what Marcel had said. “They’re the ones I told you about from the campground. They think the reason there’s so much death and chaos in the village is because I don’t know what I’m doing.”

  “Of course you know what you’re doing.” He looked ready to fight the guy for that reason alone. Chivalrous, but not necessary. “Do you have a plan?”

  I smiled at his confidence in me. “I’m trying to come up with one. Depending on what happens over there”—I nodded at the still-taunting Lindsey—“things could turn in a heartbeat. My deputy was practically passed out at his table in the corner, so someone took him home. All I have is my Glock.”

  “And me,” Tripp insisted. “I won’t say anything yet, but you give me the signal, and I’ll rally the renovation crew. They’ll help.”

  That was six more guys. Good, I could work with that. I nodded and gave him a quick kiss. “Hopefully I’m overreacting, but this group set off my instincts the moment I saw them.”

  And right now, I was twitchier than I’d been in a long time.

  When the football game ended in a win for the Packers, in typical dramatic last-minute fashion, the crowd thinned by more than half. The younger villagers, and many of the older ones, weren’t ready to call it a night yet and stayed to watch the next game.

  While making my rounds to get a feel for how many were still in the pub, I noticed Darryl and Cheryl having a serious discussion in the small dining room at the back of the building that was reserved for couples. No children or groups larger than four were allowed in the quiet, romantic space. While Darryl hadn’t been hovering around the boarding home group anywhere near as much as Lindsey and Sundstrom had, it had clearly been enough to upset Cheryl. No need for me to worry about him. Cheryl was handling the problem just fine.

  As I circled back around to the main room, I found Tavie talking with Maeve. She must’ve finally had enough and was complaining about their harasser. Maeve signaled to the man at the front door. Jagger, the bouncer, was approximately the size of a bull and drew everyone’s attention as he charged across the room.