Pearl opened the pedestrian gate marked EMPLOYEES ONLY, and we entered the lot.
Inside, tall parking lamps lit up the asphalt, illuminating the scraps of paper and cigarette butts that littered the ground. Cars and trucks of all sizes filled the rows.
“I’m afraid the van’s parked at the far end,” Pearl said. We started down the center aisle.
“Were you at the meeting yesterday?” I asked. “The one where Millie wanted to kick Ryan out of the commune?”
Pearl’s step faltered, and she shook her head. “I never attend those meetings. Too much fighting.”
“But how do you keep track of what’s happening?”
“The women in my sewing circle let me know about anything important,” she said.
We reached the van, which was parked between an SUV and a compact. Pearl reached in her jacket pocket. “Things have been so off-kilter lately, haven’t they?” she said. “First Birch dies, then Millie claims someone tried to kill her, too.” She pulled out a set of keys. “No one is getting along anymore.”
She unlocked the back of the van and pulled open the door. The hinges let out a heavy groan. She reached up and hit the light switch on the ceiling, illuminating several large cardboard boxes filled with jars and cellophane packages. To the side was a stack of small, empty boxes.
“I think I’ll fill up these smaller boxes,” Pearl said, “We don’t want to hurt our backs. It’s a long way back to the building when you’re carrying a load of jam.” She set a small box next to a larger one and started transferring the jars. “You know, things were fine until Ryan got here. I’ve noticed he never drinks tea.”
I moved up next to Pearl to help. “I’m sure once Ryan leaves or Millie accepts his ideas, everything will settle down again.”
“I don’t know,” Pearl said. “It’s not just Millie and Ryan who aren’t getting along. Even Birch was mad at Ryan the night before he died. And Birch and Frank were fighting, too. I don’t know what’s happening to Evergreen these days.”
My grip tightened on the jar I was holding. “Wait. Did you hear Birch fighting with Ryan and Frank?”
Pearl paused in her transferring. “It’s not like I was trying to. But the men were right outside the sewing room. With the way they were yelling, anyone would have heard them.”
“Were they all three fighting together, or was Birch arguing with them at different times?”
Pearl pursed her lips. “I don’t like to gossip. Girls at school used to do that when I was young, and I always thought it was mean.”
“I’m not a fan of gossip either,” I said, “but Birch is dead, and Millie almost joined him. What you overheard could be important.”
“All right, I guess I can tell you. First Ryan and Birch were yelling about this silly Internet idea. That really surprised me, because Birch was always Ryan’s biggest supporter. But that night, Birch said that Ryan had misled him and that Birch didn’t like being tricked.”
My breath caught. So Birch had discovered Ryan was making secret plans. I could almost feel the noose tightening around Ryan’s neck. “What did Ryan say?”
Pearl set the final jar in the small box. I picked up the box and set it on the ground outside the van so she could fill up another one. A breeze blew through the lot and ruffled my hair. I heard a rustling sound off behind one of the cars, most likely from the wind blowing trash around the lot.
“Nothing,” Pearl said, “or if he did, I couldn’t hear it. Frank came up and asked what all the ruckus was about—you know how Frank is.” She grabbed another empty box. “Let’s fill one with honey, too. We’re starting to run low.”
I’d been gone long enough that Jason might have tried to contact me. I checked my phone to make sure I hadn’t accidentally set it to silent mode, but it was on and showed no messages. I put my phone back in my pocket.
Pearl tried to shove the large box containing the rest of the jam to the side, but it barely budged. “Shoot, the box of honey is closer to the front. Would you mind?”
I stepped up into the back of the van, making sure to hunch over so I didn’t scrape my back. I shoved the one box as far as it would go to the side before gripping the edge of the open box. I could see the jars of honey inside.
“What happened with Ryan and Frank after that?” I asked as I pulled the box forward.
“I think Ryan left,” Pearl said, “because I could only hear Frank and Birch. Though mostly Frank was doing the talking. Boy, does that man have a temper.” She leaned in and dropped her voice, though we were alone in the lot. “He’s scared me once or twice, truth be told.”
“I’ve seen that temper myself,” I said, thinking of his initial meeting with Detective Palmer.
“It was in full force that night.” She shivered. “I feel bad now, but at the time I was glad he was directing all that anger at Birch and not at me.”
“What was he mad about?” I asked, stepping out of the van and wiping my hands on my jeans.
Pearl started pulling out jars of honey and putting them in the smaller box. “The books. Frank said he’d been handling the money for fifteen years and a couple of mistakes were no big deal. Then he said Birch better not think about forcing him out, because he’d make darn sure he didn’t go anywhere.”
A chill ran down my back. “You’re sure this happened the night before Birch was killed?”
“Yes, that’s why I was troubled to find out that he’d died the next morning. Can you imagine how unsettled his soul must have been with all that fighting? When I die, I hope it’s in my sleep with all my affairs in order.”
If Pearl hadn’t been so positive about the specific night, I would have said she was mistaken. After all, Frank told me he hadn’t seen Birch again that night after they returned from the farmers market. Why would Frank lie? Was it because he didn’t want people to know Birch confronted him about his bookkeeping mistakes?
But others already knew that Frank kept messing up. Again, why lie? The chill that had run down my back now felt more like an icy dagger. There could only be one reason.
Frank’s voice boomed out of the shadows. “Man, I can’t catch a break.”
I whirled around. Frank stepped out from the other side of the SUV parked next to the van.
Fear surged through me as I wondered how much he’d heard.
“Here I’m being a nice guy by helping you bring in the supplies, and what do I come upon? You two talking about me.”
Next to me, Pearl stared at Frank, her eyes wide. “Oh dear, I knew I shouldn’t have been gossiping. Please forgive me, Frank. I’m so embarrassed.” She walked over to him and held out her hand in a conciliatory gesture, probably not realizing she still clutched ajar of honey.
In one swift movement, Frank smacked the jar out of Pearl’s hand. It shattered on the pavement.
Pearl gasped. “Frank, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
He glowered at the both of us as a feeling of dread weighed heavy in my gut. He waved his hand at me. “Even when I tried to scare you off in the woods the other night, you still kept asking your damn questions.” He turned his hard eyes on Pearl, who seemed to shrink under his unrelenting stare. “And now I find out you overheard what Birch said to me.”
Criminy. Frank was the one who chased me through the woods? And he must have killed Birch, too. Which meant he must plan to kill Pearl and me. I swallowed convulsively and scanned the back of the van for a weapon or heavy object I could use against him. All I saw were jars and boxes.
I glanced toward the gate, now a tiny rectangle on the other side of the lot. I could probably outrun Frank, but Pearl couldn’t. I wasn’t even sure she recognized the danger we were in. She seemed completely lost about the entire conversation.
Pearl cradled her hand. “What do you mean you chased Dana? Why would you do that?”
“He must have thought I suspected him of killing Birch,” I said, earning a glare from Frank. I addressed him. “What did Birch ever do to you?”
“He just kept harping on my mistakes that morning. The whole way to Zennia’s, he kept going on and on about how I needed to step down,” Frank said. “I had to kill him before he suggested a vote to force me out. I can’t lose my place at the commune. I have nowhere to go. The doc says I’ve got early Alzheimer’s. What am I supposed to do?”
I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Frank and his condition. The “stolen” calculator, the misplaced bills, the forgotten payments. All the pieces were there, but no one had put them together. He must have felt desperate when his doctor told him the news.
Then I reminded myself that he’d killed Birch, not to mention what he planned to do with Pearl and me. My pity turned to anger, and I focused once more on getting out of this mess.
“You didn’t have to do it, Frank,” Pearl said. “We’d never kick you out. We’ll take care of you.”
“Yeah, like you took care of George, right? Don’t think for a second that I plan to end up like him, living with a cousin he can’t stand. If I can even find any of my cousins. I haven’t talked to them in years.”
“But he didn’t do any work at the commune,” Pearl said. “He never lifted a finger. Not like you, Frank. You’ve always been a big help.”
While I listened to them talk, my mind was trying to come up with an escape plan. Even if I could manage to call 911, the police wouldn’t get here in time. We were on our own. I tuned back into the conversation.
“You think I’m a big help, but you’re not running the show,” Frank said. “Looks like Millie is. And once she gets rid of Ryan, I’ll be the next one in her sights.”
“Nonsense. She’ll help you. In fact, let’s go talk to Millie right now.” Pearl stepped forward and reached for Frank’s arm. At the same time, my cell phone started to ring.
A look of panic came over Frank’s features, and he shoved Pearl backward. I tried to stop her fall, but I wasn’t close enough. The ends of her scarf fluttered up in the air as she fell to the ground. With clenched fists, Frank loomed over her.
I grabbed the closest jar of honey from the box and hurled it at Frank’s head. It clipped his temple.
Frank’s hand flew to the spot I’d struck. His expression went black with rage. Pearl still lay on the ground, barely moving. He stepped over her, intent on coming after me.
Snatching up two more jars out of the box, I threw them as fast as I could. The first one sailed over his shoulder and broke on the ground. The second jar hit Frank square in the shoulder. He let out a grunt.
I picked up two more jars and threw them and then grabbed two more. Frank put up his arms to ward off the blows, but one of the jars managed to peg him in the forehead.
He stumbled backward in surprise, and his foot caught on Pearl. He tripped over her and went down. The back of his head bounced off the ground with an audible thud.
I rushed to Pearl, extricated her from under Frank’s legs, and tried to yank her to her feet.
She did little to help me. All she could do was sputter, “Why would he? Why . . .” but at least she was conscious. I heaved her up and practically dragged her across the pavement.
“We have to go,” I said.
I looked back at Frank and saw that he was trying to sit up.
“Come on,” I muttered. “Come on.” We moved across the asphalt with painstaking slowness.
I checked over my shoulder again and saw Frank unsteadily rising to his feet. Once he regained his balance, he’d be on Pearl and me in a minute. I picked up my speed and kept one hand on Pearl’s back to propel her forward. She almost lost her footing at one point, but I kept my grip firm and helped her along. Just as Frank started to run toward us, she made it through the gate, with me right on her heels. I grabbed the gate and swung it shut behind me.
Turning back, I saw that Frank was fast approaching. I tried to find a way to lock the gate but there wasn’t any kind of latch. How the hell could I keep this gate closed?
My eyes settled on Pearl. “Your scarf!” I slid it from around her neck and swiftly passed it through the metal links, around the pole, and back again. With Frank only feet away now, I tied the scarf into a knot, managing to double-tie it as he grabbed the chain-link.
He yanked on the gate and howled. The scarf held, but I could see the material straining. He pulled again, and the scarf gave a little.
“We have to get help,” I said to Pearl. She didn’t move. She seemed to be in shock.
From behind me, I heard Jason’s voice. “Dana, what’s going on?”
I turned and saw him and Zennia coming toward us. Relief flooded through me. Still, I kept a tight grip on the scarf as I yelled, “Quick, over here.”
Frank stopped tugging on the gate and snarled at Jason and Zennia. “For God’s sake,” he said. He turned around and lurched across the parking lot in the other direction, no doubt looking for another exit.
I fought the urge to chase after him. I hated to see Frank get away, but he was clearly making a run for it. Who knew what he’d do if we tried to stop him?
Jason rushed up to me and gestured toward Frank, who was halfway across the lot. “What’s happening? Should I chase after him?”
I shook my head. “Let’s call the police and let them handle it. Pearl has the keys to the van, which means he’s on foot. And like Frank told me himself, he has nowhere to go.”
Chapter 33
I hastily told Jason about what happened at the van and that Frank had killed Birch. He called the police while I checked on Pearl. She was sitting on the ground with her head between her knees. Zennia crouched next to her, and I squatted down on the other side.
Zennia caught my eye and said, “I’m going to run and get Millie. She might be able to help with Pearl.”
Once Zennia was gone, I spoke to Pearl. “Are you all right? Frank gave you one heck of a shove.”
“My bottom will be sore tomorrow, but otherwise I’m okay.” She looked at me with a dazed expression. “Frank’s lived at Evergreen as long as I have. Why would he do such a thing?”
I shrugged. “He must have seen his whole world crumbling and panicked.” I sat down on the pavement. My hands were shaking badly, and I clasped them together. “I’m just glad he didn’t succeed in killing us, too.”
Pearl started to cry, and I patted her back.
Jason sat down on the other side of me and put his arm around my shoulders. “Are you all right?”
I nodded, afraid to speak in case I started crying like Pearl.
“The cops are on the way,” he said. “Detective Palmer, too. They’ve got a bulletin out for Frank. I can’t imagine he’ll get far.”
“Let’s hope not.” I leaned against Jason, and he put his other arm around me to envelop me in a hug. After a few moments I heard the sound of sirens far away. They came closer and closer until they suddenly went silent. Several uniformed officers swarmed into the parking lot, followed by Detective Palmer.
He bent down next to me. “You should really stop getting into these binds,” he said by way of greeting.
I surprised myself by laughing. “Good advice. I think I’ll take it.”
He proceeded to ask me a series of questions. I filled him in, starting with what Pearl told me she’d overheard the night before Birch was killed and ending with when Jason and Zennia showed up. After that, Detective Palmer spoke with Pearl. She seemed to have recovered for the most part, though I’d have to make sure she had a ride back to the commune. No way should she drive herself, if that’s how she’d gotten to the fair.
After a few more questions, Detective Palmer rose and flipped his notebook closed. “I’m glad you two are okay,” he said. He walked off to join three officers near the van.
“Let’s see if we can get Pearl up,” Jason said.
He rose and helped me stand. I brushed off my hands, and together, we pulled Pearl to her feet as Zennia, Millie, and Ryan came through the gate.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” Jason asked me.
; “Better by the minute,” I said.
He rubbed my back. “I need to check with the detective. I’ve got a story to write. But I’m only a holler away if you need me.” He gave me a kiss and walked off toward Detective Palmer.
Millie hurried over, with Zennia right behind her. Ryan stayed near the gate and shoved his hands in his pockets, seemingly at a loss.
Shaking her head, Zennia said, “I can’t believe everything that happened tonight.”
“At least we know who killed Birch,” I said. “That’s a bit of comfort.”
“I never would have guessed it was Frank, though. He and Birch were always so close. To think, after all these years . . .” She let her voice trail away as tears glinted in her eyes.
“If this Alzheimer’s diagnosis is true, he may have been acting like a completely different person. Plus, he must have been terrified about his future. Is he right that the residents would kick him out of the commune?” I asked.
“Absolutely not,” Pearl said fiercely, showing a sudden spark of energy. “That was all in Frank’s head. Too bad he didn’t ask for our help. Poor Birch might still be alive.”
Millie balled one hand into a fist and slapped it into her other palm. “He knows we always work out our problems. Though some are harder than others,” she added with a backward glance at Ryan, who was still waiting at the gate.
“What’s he doing here anyway?” I asked.
“He was helping me in the booth for a few minutes when Zennia returned and told us what happened. Before she came up, Ryan and I had a chance to talk. I convinced him he was being overzealous with his changes. I also admitted that I lied about being shot at.”
Zennia gasped. “What? You never lie! And about something as important as your life being in danger?”
Millie didn’t meet Zennia’s gaze. “I’m certainly not proud of what I did, but I was too scared that life at Evergreen was going to change. I wasn’t thinking clearly. But after discussing things, I’ve realized Ryan’s simply a young man with too much ambition and too little life experience.” She lifted her chin, and her eyes gleamed. “Together, though, we can do great things for the commune.”
Murder Most Wholesome Page 23