Whispering Pines Mysteries Box Set 3

by Shawn McGuire

  “The others won’t have any reason to go out there,” Tripp reasoned, reading my mind.

  “Right. The only two who might would be Dad or Rosalyn. I’ll tell them it’s off-limits until I say otherwise.”

  He gave me a minute to work through any other options or ramifications of this choice. Considering the conditions, I couldn’t think of any better way to deal with it.

  “Okay, you head over to Pine Time,” I told him. “Take the Lexus and my Cherokee out of the garage. I need to stay here and oversee this.”

  He balked at leaving me, but it’s not like I’d be alone. As I pulled my hat and gloves back on, he asked, “What’s your plan?”

  “It’s not all that complicated. I need to take a few more pictures, then Schmitty can pull the Civic out of the ditch with the plow and tow it to the B&B.”

  “Then we keep everyone out of the garage until Dr. Bundy gets here.”

  That was my plan. And as Murphy’s Law dictated, if a plan could twist around, it would. The first problem was that the branch impaling poor Ms. Rowe was still attached to the tree. The second was that Schmitty refused to get that close to a dead body. No way was I trusting Mr. Powell with a chainsaw. I’d sent Henry the county plow driver on his way when Tripp left, so it was up to me. It wasn’t that big a branch, and Mr. Powell had two chainsaws in his truck, one massive and the other one that I could easily handle.

  With the saw running, I stood for a moment before placing it to the wood. I glanced toward Ms. Rowe, using my around and not at approach. “Whatever happened yesterday, I’m sorry your day ended this way. I will do all that I can to come up with answers for your family and friends.”

  Looking at the branch and determining the best place to cut led to a question. Would vibrating the branch cause any problems? I was probably overthinking this. Ms. Rowe was long dead and almost certainly frozen solid, but I didn’t want to do anything that might cause potential issues for Dr. Bundy.

  “Schmitty!” I yelled, trying again to get him to help me. “Get over here.”

  Not only did he not come over to me, he got back in his truck. Great.

  Mr. Powell made his way down into the ditch, only falling twice. Fortunately, the snow was fluffy. “What do you need?”

  “Someone has to hold that branch while I cut it.”

  He rotated his wrists a few times in each direction, stretched his arms, spun them windmill style from the shoulders, and asked, “Where do you want me to hold?”

  I blinked at him, not very comfortable with this idea.

  He put a hand in the air. “Scout’s honor, nothing will happen.”

  I had doubts, many doubts, but also had no other choice. Not that I wanted him to get hurt, but at least Mr. Powell’s accidents never involved anyone else.

  “All right, if you’re sure. I could call Tripp to come back.”

  “I’m sure.” He stood on the tree side of the branch while I stood closer to the car.

  “Ready?”

  He gave a firm nod and pulled on the branch to keep it from moving too much.

  The cutting took seconds. The chainsaw was sharp, and the branch was only three or four inches in diameter. Ms. Rowe was undisturbed. However, the moment the chainsaw sliced through, the release of tension from the weight holding the branch down catapulted Mr. Powell five feet through the air.

  “Oh God.” I flipped off the chainsaw and rushed, as best I could through the snow, to his side. “I’m so sorry. Are you all right?”

  He lay there looking skyward and wiggled random body parts, something he’d learned to do after a lifetime of similar incidents. After completing his check, he sat up. “Tweaked my shoulder, but I’ll be okay.”

  “Again, I’m sorry. It never occurred to me that would happen.”

  “Not your fault, m’dear, and it wasn’t because of the flinging. Think I pulled something doing my windmills.”

  With the branch free and Mr. Powell mostly okay, we cleared the snow away from the back end of the car. Once the tow straps were securely hooked around the wheels, Schmitty slowly dragged the Civic out of the ditch, and we headed for the bed-and-breakfast.

  Chapter 16

  Tripp was standing in the empty garage slot waiting for us when we got to Pine Time.

  “I thought you were going to take both cars out.” I gestured at my SUV still in its stall.

  “That was my plan. The Cherokee won’t start. Not sure if the battery’s dead or if it’s a bigger problem. Schmitty can help me push it out if you want. Otherwise I figured the Civic will fit where the Lexus was.”

  I was tired and cold and wanted a cup of something hot to drink. “That’s fine. Let’s just push it in there. Be warned, he’s freaking out over the body. You should’ve seen what it took for him to get close enough to hook up the tow straps.”

  Tripp stared down at me as though supremely disappointed. “You get that this is a big deal, right? You see this kind of thing often. We citizens who don’t have to witness gore in our daily lives have a harder time seeing a woman with a tree branch sticking out of her chest.”

  My head dropped forward with shame. I was used to working with Reed. Of course, even he wasn’t okay with things like this yet. Not that I was either. The day I was okay with seeing people in Ms. Rowe’s condition was the day I needed to hand in my badge and help Tripp run the B&B fulltime. I had to remember that everyone who wasn’t Reed was a volunteer.

  “You’re right. I’m sorry.” I took his hand and pulled him over by Schmitty and Mr. Powell. “You three know that under normal circumstances, I never would have asked for your help the way I have today. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that. As for this accident, you’ve seen something that will stay with you for a while. Possibly forever.”

  Mr. Powell gave a silent nod. Schmitty kicked at the snow by his feet and mumbled incoherently. Tripp squeezed my hand.

  “Promise me something,” I continued. “Call me or a friend if you have a hard time tonight. If today is still sticking with you in a day or two, let me know. Even the biggest, roughest, most seasoned cops on the force need to talk things out sometimes. There is no shame in that. It simply means you’re human. If you need it, I can put you in touch with someone who can help.”

  There were nods of agreement all around.

  “Now, we need to get that car in the garage before the folks inside our bed-and-breakfast see it. We don’t need to traumatize anyone else today.”

  I gave them my tip about looking around a situation instead of at it. Schmitty mumbled something about why hadn’t I told him that before, and I apologized again.

  Five minutes later, the Civic was in the garage, and Mr. Powell and Schmitty were on their way with my sincere thanks.

  Tripp was analyzing the scene inside the garage when I returned. “Should we cover it with a tarp?” He pointed to the rafters above. “Or we could throw some ropes over and hang a tarp like a curtain.”

  “You’re worried about someone coming in and seeing it?”

  “Yeah. Like you said, we don’t need to traumatize anyone else.”

  “We’ll lock the side door, and none of them know the code to the main door so won’t be able to get in. I can’t imagine why anyone would come out in this weather and peek through the windows, but I understand your point. Let’s cover it.”

  When we had finished with that, we went inside to find very anxious people waiting for us in the kitchen and great room. Multiple sets of expectant eyes waited for us to give details, but neither Tripp nor I was up for talking about it yet.

  Meeka, of course, was confused by the events of the day. She could sense that I was in cop mode and had wanted to come with me when we left earlier. When I told her no, she turned her back on me, looking over her shoulder as I put on my snow gear as though trying to guilt me into changing my mind. Now, she sensed distress and trotted over to me and watched as I peeled off my snow-covered gear. Once I was free of it all, I picked her up and let her comfort me.
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  “I’m going to take a hot shower,” Tripp announced when Rosalyn asked us what had happened.

  He grabbed a cup of coffee from the waiting carafe in the kitchen first, handed one to me as well, and paused to lock eyes with me before moving on. I’d talk with him later. Maybe he and Jola could even have a chat since she was right here in the house. She wasn’t a psychologist but had basic training in mental health.

  Once he’d started up the stairs, Meeka wedged her nose into my neck as though giving me a hug and then wiggled to get down. She trotted after Tripp. Must be time to comfort him now.

  “What happened?” Rosalyn asked when Tripp was out of sight. “Why is he so upset?”

  I knew my sister. She’d keep after me like a reporter on a breaking news story if I didn’t tell her something. Everyone except for Jola, Lily Grace, Leslie Lamar, and Briar had gathered around. Even Jonah and Millie were waiting for my response.

  “We found a car in the ditch. I don’t really want to say anything more at this time. I know, cliché police script. Sorry.” I pointed toward the office. “I need to call the medical examiner. He’ll need to come and—”

  I was about to say collect the body from the garage. I clamped my mouth shut, left it at that, and went to call Dr. Bundy. I also needed to write up reports on both Esther Rowe and the Benji Wallace/Abner Kramer situation. It was nearly quitting time on Friday night, though. As far as I knew, the blizzard missed the area of Wisconsin Dr. Bundy lived in, so I took a chance that he hadn’t gone home for the weekend yet.

  “Oh, yeah, he’s still here.” His assistant, Joan, had a strong Wisconsin accent, which meant she spoke through her nose and dropped all the g’s on -ing words. It made me smile just hearing her voice. I needed to meet her face to face sometime. “We’ve been thinkin’ about you all up there. You doin’ okay, hun?”

  “For the most part. The wind has been whipping something fierce for a full day. It’s supposed to stop sometime in the middle of the night tonight.”

  “Well, you must be callin’ for a reason. Let me guess. You got a body?”

  “Unfortunately, yes, we’ve got a body. Car accident.”

  She sighed. “Okay. Hang on a sec.”

  It took nearly a minute before I heard Dr. Bundy’s voice. “I’m busy until mid-March.”

  “Really?”

  “No, but I don’t want to come up there in this weather.”

  I couldn’t blame him. Poor Dr. Bundy had to be tired of driving all the way up here to pronounce a person deceased only to turn right around again.

  “I’d never ask you to drive in a blizzard, Doc. I will need you before March, though.”

  He mumbled something about needing a sabbatical, then asked, “What happened? Considering what the weather reports say is going on by you, I’ll guess car accident or carbon monoxide poisoning.”

  “Sometimes you’re a little spooky, Doc. We had a carbon monoxide case, but he’s alive. We’re hoping he makes it without lasting effects. I’m calling about a fatal car crash.”

  “What happened?”

  “I assume she lost control of the car somehow and spun out. It landed in a ditch, and the victim was impaled by a tree branch. There was also a passenger. She somehow got out of it alive.”

  “Thrown?”

  “We’re not sure yet. She doesn’t have any seatbelt marks, but she’s full of bruises. Jola says some of them are old.” Even though he couldn’t see, I gestured toward Leslie Lamar on the second floor of the bed-and-breakfast. “The woman basically passed out as soon as Jola got her on the exam table and hasn’t come to. She’s resting semi-peacefully here at my B&B for now.”

  “You’re thinking she’s a domestic violence case?”

  “That’s what Jola thinks. And I think the impaled woman could be the abuser.”

  “I might be able to help you with that. If she hit with fists, there could be marks on her knuckles.” He sighed, a sound anyone with a very full calendar was familiar with. “All right, we’ll get up there soon as the weather clears.”

  “Don’t bother with an ambulance. Bring a flatbed and a big tarp.”

  “Still in the car?”

  “I wasn’t going to try to pull her out.”

  “All righty. Where are we coming?”

  “To Pine Time. Car’s in my garage.”

  He paused before saying, “I’ve seen a lot during my years in this profession. Too much. This might be a first.”

  It was a first for me too.

  I downloaded the pictures from the accident site and from the fishing shanty, wrote up both reports, and then figured I should tell Jola her patient’s name. Maybe using it would help bring her around. I was going to make a stop in the kitchen first to refill my coffee mug when Morgan entered my office with a carafe in hand.

  I sat back with a smile. “You read my mind.”

  She filled my mug and lowered into a guest chair with a small groan. Baby Barlow wasn’t due for another four and a half months, and Morgan claimed to feel fantastic. Something about the second trimester being the best time of pregnancy. I’d take her word for it. Now and then, though, her back ached, and she looked exhausted.

  “Are you okay?” I asked. “Jola’s right upstairs if you need her to check on you.”

  She shook her head. “I’m fine. I think it’s mostly sleeping in a strange bed. Not that it isn’t comfortable, but you know how it is when you’re away from home. Even if it’s only across town.”

  “I do know. You should be able to go home tomorrow. Providing you have power.”

  “We never lost power. River didn’t want to take any chances. He heard about the generator you’ve got here and ordered one for Mama and me. Since it hasn’t arrived yet, he insisted we come here.” She pulled her thick black-and-purple plaid wool shawl tighter over her shoulders and smiled, surely thinking of her worrywart boyfriend. “I admit, it is comforting to be in a house full of people during weather like this.” Her smile turned into a frown then. “I’m concerned about you and Tripp. What happened?”

  I got up and shut the door then told her about Ms. Rowe.

  “Oh, how horrible.” Her hands went protectively to her belly as though covering her baby’s ears. “And Tripp saw all this?”

  “He did. I, unfortunately, am used to situations like this and wasn’t as sympathetic with my volunteers as I should have been. He gave me a little lecture regarding that.”

  “He’ll likely have nightmares tonight,” Morgan mused and thoughtfully tapped her fingers on her belly. “I’ll make a sleep sachet for him to tuck beneath his pillow. A good night’s sleep helps with almost everything.” She thought out loud, listing the ingredients she’d put in this little pouch. “Anise, cedar leaf tips, lavender, mugwort, and mullein. Also a clear quartz crystal chip to amplify the herbs and lepidolite to quiet any obsessive thoughts.”

  “You have all of that in your case upstairs?”

  “I should. I might be low on cedar leaf. In which case, I’ll add a pinch of rosemary instead.” She chuckled to herself. “And River scoffed when I insisted he bring the case to his car.”

  “You’d think he’d know better than to doubt his witch.”

  “One would think.” A wicked but otherwise undecipherable look skittered across her face and disappeared just as quickly. “Mama and I would like to prepare dinner. Will Tripp mind if we take over his kitchen again?”

  “Are you sure? You don’t need to do that.”

  “I’m sure. We’re not ones to sit and let others wait on us. Mama is digging around in the pantry as we speak. She said something about macaroni-and-cheese.”

  She pushed herself out of the chair and left with the carafe. I got up, groaning over my own aching back. I’d been in and out of the cold and wind numerous times today. Once I stopped for the day, everything else would seize up and start hurting too. Maybe I’d put that sachet between our pillows, so we could both benefit from it.

  In the meantime, I had to go check on Jo
la and the others.

  Chapter 17

  I got to the door of the Jack room to find Jonah rounding the corner at the end of the hall. Had he been outside this room again? I don’t remember him being this nosey in the past. He was always too worried about himself to snoop into other people’s lives.

  You promised to treat him like a guest, Proprietress Jayne nudged.

  True. So in fairness to a guest staying at my B&B, I hadn’t actually seen him at this door. He might simply have been heading to his room.

  Lily Grace let me in when I knocked this time. She looked bored.

  “I feel like I’ve been trapped in here for a week,” she complained. “I’m ready to go home now.”

  “Morgan and Briar are making dinner,” I said. “Maybe they need help.”

  She looked at Jola with a pleading expression.

  “Go.” Jola dismissed her with a flick of her hand. “I told you before, you don’t have to stay in the room when I’m awake.”

  The teen was out the door and gone before Jola finished her statement.

  Jola rolled her eyes. “Like she’d be anywhere but holed up in her room if we were at home. What’s going on?”

  I filled her in on the car wreck and the condition of the driver, which appropriately horrified her. Then I told her that I’d found the patient’s driver’s license in a purse in the car.

  A second later, we heard a thump on the wall outside the room. We both paused and waited for a knock on the door or a call for help. Nothing. It might have been the house creaking again from another wind gust. We’d need to check the building for any damage once this storm was done. I could’ve sworn I heard shingles tearing away from the roof last night.

  “What was that?” Jola asked.

  “It was probably Meeka.” I peeked out the door and found an empty hallway. “She runs laps up here and sometimes takes the corner too wide and crashes into the wall.”