Traveling Town Mystery Boxset

by Ami Diane

  In the audience, an old man with gnarled joints and a stooped back climbed to his feet. “Did not, you crazy ol’ coot! Why would I do that? How would I do that?”

  “Don’t know. But ya did.”

  “Why would I loose a pest that could destroy my trees too? Huh? You batty ol’ loon.”

  “Then why’s my trees the only ones dying?” The farmer with the overalls turned a violent shade of red. “This is a warnin’ with all these witnesses here, if I see you on my property, I’ll shoot ya.”

  The two traded shouted insults. When Rodney tried to climb out of his row to get at the other man, the mayor rolled to his feet from the council table. Even without a microphone, his voice boomed over the hall.

  “Gentlemen, please!” He swayed on his heels, his arms crossed with a bored expression. “Now, Carl. You’re lucky the sheriff’s not here to hear your threats. I’m getting tired of saying this tonight, but there’ll be no shooting anyone.

  “Rodney, stay off his property. I’m far more interested in our produce dying off. Maybe Mrs. Faraday can go have a look?” His eyes searched the crowd before a woman shouted an affirmative response.

  “Good. Let’s move on.”

  Grandma Wink leaned back in disappointment and muttered something about how boring the evening had been.

  The rest of the meeting went without further incidence. Judging by the room full of dead expressions, Wink wasn’t the only one who seemed let down by the uneventful final minutes.

  Ella felt like she’d just watched a soap opera, only with a crazier cast and half of them armed. When she thought about it, it actually made sense in a town full of people from all walks of life and different eras. There was bound to be friction. If this was normal for Keystone, then Six was a run-of-the-mill citizen. It also made Kay’s murderer a lot harder to catch.

  As the meeting drew to a close, Mayor Bradford faced the mic again. “I’d just like to say one last thing before we eat…”

  Ella sat up, her head swiveling. She hadn’t noticed any food.

  “…welcome our newest citizen, Ella Barton.”

  Ella froze, all of the air leaving her lungs. The mayor motioned for her to stand. She shook her head and sank deeper into her chair. Now would be a really good time for a tornado to hit.

  The mayor’s hand wouldn’t stop flapping for her to get up, and Wink’s elbow wouldn’t stop digging into Ella’s side.

  Resigned to her fate, Ella took a deep breath and stood. Heat bloomed across her cheeks as she felt every pair of eyes on her. So, she did the only thing an embarrassed, sane person would do. She dipped in what started as a curtsey but quickly became a half-bow, resulting in a hybrid move that belonged on a Lord of the Dance stage more than at a meeting hall.

  Wink choked on her spit. “What was that?”

  “Shut up,” Ella whispered. She was ready for the earth to open up and swallow her whole.

  “Please, everyone,” the mayor said, “make her feel welcomed.”

  A polite applause surrounded Ella. She was sure she’d heard more clapping at a eulogy, but she did hear a few catcalls. So, there was that.

  “Where’re you from, Ella?”

  “Oregon.”

  The mayor nodded knowingly. “From our last jump, yes? You were, what, a couple decades into the twenty-first century?”

  “Almost, yeah.”

  The air hummed with murmurs, and she felt the crowd’s interest pique. She would’ve preferred the golf clapping over this.

  “Well, isn’t that something?” The mayor’s mouth curled up. “The furthest year we have yet. I’m sure there’s a lot we could learn from you. I’m glad you decided to join us.”

  Despite it not being her choice to join them, Ella was grateful to be in Keystone. She was even more grateful when she dropped back into her chair.

  Grandma Wink patted Ella’s knee. “Forgot to warn you about that.”

  Ella eyed her skeptically. “Sure. I guess it wasn’t that painful. I survived with my dignity intact.”

  “Really? After that weird bow thing you did?”

  Ella squeezed her eyes shut and muttered a profanity. “Hey, it’s a salutation of respect where I’m from.”

  Now it was Wink’s turn to look dubious. Ella didn’t break. After a long pause, the older woman said, “Really?”

  “Yep.”

  “Will you teach me it?”

  Ella’s mouth twitched, but she kept her composure. “Absolutely. I should probably teach Flo, too. Wouldn’t want her to miss out on all the fun.”

  “Oh, good idea.” Wink’s hair bobbed with enthusiasm as she bounced in her seat.

  Ella was just turning over ideas on how to expand the botched curtsey-bow-hybrid when Pauline caught her eye. The coroner and town doctor sat near the front and to the side.

  Ella’s mind shifted gears abruptly to the mystery of Kay’s death. If there was anyone in that room that had answers about how she died, it was Pauline. If Ella learned that Kay hadn’t died from jewelweed, then there was no need to mention her suspicion to the sheriff.

  CHAPTER 16

  WITH THE TOWN hall meeting over, the crowd shuffled to their feet and set about the ear-splitting task of rearranging the chairs to accommodate fold-up tables. In minutes, the sanctuary had been converted into a large dining hall.

  Townspeople disappeared out the front and side doors, coming back with armfuls of platters, warming dishes, and crockpots. Soon, food covered a line of tables along the north wall into one of the longest buffets Ella had ever seen. All the while, she stood back and watched the practiced frenzy with awe.

  She glanced over at her quarry only to realize she’d lost Pauline in the fray. Ella teetered onto her tiptoes, scanning the bobbing sea of faces.

  “Looking for Will?”

  Ella jumped. “Geez, you need to wear a bell.”

  Wink stood at Ella’s elbow. On her shoulder, Chester alternated between gnawing on a slice of apple and using his hind leg to scratch his ear.

  “And no, actually. I was looking for someone else.”

  Rose joined them a moment later, a shortbread cookie between her fingers. “I’m really glad it wasn’t my turn to bring food. Carol brought a gelatin mold. I can never compete with that woman.”

  Ella’s eyes darted over to Wink who looked away and coughed. When Wink had regained her composure, she asked Ella, “So, who were you looking for?”

  “Oh,” Rose said, “Will’s over there with the professor.”

  “She’s not looking for Will.”

  “Then who’s she looking for?”

  “Okay, you two. I was looking for Pauline.”

  “Pauline?” Wink’s face scrunched up.

  Rose popped the last of her cookie into her mouth and brushed crumbs from her hands. “I think I saw her by the punch, waiting for Paul to show up with his flask and give it that extra kick.” Her eyes lit up as if a thought occurred to her. She shooed Ella away, saying, “You go find her, dear. Wink and I need to talk about something.” She winked conspiratorially.

  Ella began to maneuver away when Rose called out to her.

  “Oh, Ella. You’re not seeing anyone are you?”

  “You mean in the few days since getting stranded here? No. No, I’m not.”

  “Oh. Right.” Rose’s face melted into a smile that gave Ella pause.

  “Wait. Why?”

  Rose ignored her and pulled Wink by the elbow, speaking in low tones and giggles.

  “Why, Rose?” Ella asked louder.

  The two women slipped through the crowd. Ella considered following them to put an end to whatever they were scheming but decided to hunt down Pauline instead. Kay’s death was a greater priority than her love life.

  She sighed and moved towards the buffet tables, sure she’d see the fallout of her decision soon enough.

  After several minutes of weaving through the crowd and smiling politely at all of the comments welcoming her, she spotted the doctor coming through
a side door, a warming dish cradled in her arms and a stack of cloth napkins teetering on top. Ella made a beeline for her.

  She was only a few yards away when a tall figure stepped into her path. Will dipped his chin in greeting. His hair looked naked without his fedora. It swooped over his forehead in a deep side-part, sharpening his handsome features.

  “Ella, I wanted to introduce you to the professor.”

  The older gentleman that Ella had seen sitting next to him earlier stuck his hand out. She shook it with a firm grip, and they exchanged pleasantries.

  There was something wild and dark in the professor’s brown eyes, like a deep sadness that came from tragedy. Deep lines ran down the center of his brows, giving him the expression of constant concern and deep thought.

  He bent towards her with interest. “Twenty-first century, huh?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Do you have flying cars, yet?”

  Ella laughed. “No. But they were working on self-driving ones.”

  His eyes widened. “Really?” He scrutinized her, making her feel like a specimen under a microscope.

  “How would that work?” Will asked.

  “You know, I didn’t read up too much on it, but I think it used a lot of sensors and cameras around the vehicle, processed by a central computer that controls steering, gas, and brakes and such.”

  “Interesting.”

  “Fascinating.”

  Both the professor and Will said at the same time.

  “So, what are you a professor of?” She glanced over their shoulders, watching Pauline find a table.

  “Theoretical physics.”

  Her eyes darted back to the older gentleman. “Really? Does that mean you can figure out why the town’s jumping around?”

  Will slipped behind the professor and shook his head at her. The professor’s mouth turned down in a deep frown.

  “No.” He turned back towards Will. “I’m tired. I’m going home.”

  “But sir, you haven’t eaten yet.”

  “I’ll eat at home.” With that, the professor shoved his hands in his pockets, ducked his head, and headed for the front doors.

  “Oops,” Ella said.

  “Not your fault. He’s just sensitive about the topic, that’s all.”

  Ella felt foolish. The man had probably tried to solve the problem for ten years. She could only imagine how frustrated he must feel.

  Her heart sank. If he couldn’t solve the problem, what chance was there that she could?

  She realized she’d been staring absently at Pauline while Will stood in awkward silence. A considerable dent had been made in Pauline’s plate of food, meaning that any opportunity for conversation was dwindling.

  “Anyways, it was good seeing you.” Ella patted Will’s arm, her eyes glued to the coroner.

  “Wait, where are you going?”

  “Uh, to get some food.”

  “Mind if I join you?”

  Ella blinked. Of course, she didn’t mind, but she was on a mission. “Sure.”

  As they passed Wink, Flo, Rose, and Jimmy’s table, Rose gave Ella a thumb’s up, Grandma Wink whistled, and Flo rolled her eyes. Ella shook her head and pretended they didn’t exist.

  While they moved through the food line, she kept eyes on Pauline, who now only had a small mound of potato salad left on her plate.

  Ella tried to hurry by invading the personal space of the older gentleman in front of her, hoping he would take a hint. Her plan backfired as he seemed to appreciate the close proximity and took up winking at her.

  “You alright there?” Will asked behind her.

  “Yeah, why?”

  “Because you just put corn on your mashed potatoes.”

  Ella looked at her plate, the mix of foods looking like a Thanksgiving table turned over. “I know. That’s how we eat it where I’m from.”

  “But it’s not, is it?”

  “No. But it could be.”

  “What’s that mean?”

  “I have no idea. But do you realize what a gift it is to be the only one from the furthest point in the future? I can mess up all I want, and no one’ll know any different. They’ll just think that’s how it is in the twenty-first century.”

  “Solid plan.”

  “I think so.”

  “Can’t possibly go wrong.”

  Ella stopped short and considered this. Maybe it wasn’t the best scapegoat, after all.

  As they grabbed their cloth napkins, he asked, “So, who do you keep looking at? Anyone I should be jealous of?”

  “What?” Ella fumbled with her napkin before dropping it. She considered telling him that’s how they preferred napkins where she was from—on the ground—but didn’t think he’d fall for it. “No. I was looking at Pauline.”

  “Oh?” His voice dipped in disappointment.

  “Not that. I just thought, maybe we should go join her, you know? She looks lonely.”

  His eyes reflected the fading sun pouring in through the windows. “You mean, here’s your chance to see what she knows about Kay’s death?”

  “And who said you were just a pretty face?”

  He looked confused. “Who said that? Flo? Did Flo call me stupid? Sounds like that ol’ batty woman—”

  “Will, I was joking. It’s just an expression where—”

  “Don’t tell me they say that where you’re from.” He straightened his shoulders. “Anyway, I’d be happy to help you pump her for information. I want to find out what happened just as much as you do—if not more.”

  Ella nodded, feeling foolish for the second time in less than an hour. Of course, he did. Kay had meant something to him. “Lead the way, then.”

  Working their way around the other tables, they settled into chairs across from the doctor. Pauline looked up from her now empty dish, drinking heavily from her punch.

  “Evening, Pauline.” Will tore open a roll and slathered it in butter. “Can I get you something? Rodney’s letting everyone sample his latest batch of hard cider.”

  Pauline’s glassy eyes widened, and Ella noticed that a couple of rivulets of grease were still on her chin from her meal.

  “Naw, probably shouldn’t. Gotta head back and do some more work.” Her head bobbed before she took another deep drink from her “punch.”

  “Come on. Just one round.” Will scraped his chair back and stood. Leaning over, he whispered in Ella’s ear, his warm breath tingling over her skin. “Get some giggle water in her, and she’ll tell you her life story.”

  Ella opened her mouth to inform him that Pauline was already managing it on her own, but he’d already wandered off.

  “Heh,” she said under her breath, “giggle water.”

  “How’s that?” Pauline’s voice carried over the din, and she tipped forward.

  “Oh, nothing." Ella picked up her fork and excavated a chunk of potato that had chosen to fraternize with her fruit salad.

  She figured she’d warm Pauline with casual conversation about the weather and would pry her for information when Will got back. This, however, proved difficult as Pauline seemed more interested in the bottom of her cup than the sand currently blowing through town.

  Will returned quickly, saving Ella from having to drum up another dry topic. Three glasses full of amber liquid sloshed in his large hands as he set them on the table.

  Ella picked the nearest one and noticed it was chipped. He insisted on trading her, and they argued before she acquiesced.

  “We’re limited on our dishes and utensils around here,” he explained. “You get used to drinking around the broken stuff.”

  “What about wood from the forest? Can you make cups and plates from some of the wood?”

  “They’re trying, but it’s not ideal stuff for carving.”

  “Be nice if a truck with a shipment of dishes got stuck here,” Pauline chimed in.

  “Like a Walmart semi,” Ella said.

  A wistful expression came over Pauline. “Ah, Walmart.”
>
  Will blinked at both of them. “What’s a Walmart?”

  Ella sipped her cider, grimaced, and set it aside. “A one-stop shopping haven with affordable prices and questionable quality.”

  “Oh, we have one of those.”

  Pauline snorted into her cider. “Trust me. It’s different.”

  Ella fell silent. It was finally starting to sink in just how different she was from most of them. She also realized that if the coroner knew of the superstore, then she was a transplant just like Ella.

  Pauline slammed down the empty mug of cider Will had just given her and swiped a sleeve across her face. Ella marveled at the woman’s ability to drink, wondering if she wasn’t part frat boy. Will casually scooted his untouched cup in Pauline’s direction.

  The doctor’s hand moved from the empty mug to the full one like the smooth hand of a surgeon. By the time Ella had finished her food, Pauline was well into the third and final cup, giggling at anything Will said.

  Will glanced sideways at Ella, and his chin dipped in a subtle nod. Across the table, Pauline swayed and tried her best to cover a belch. She reached back to the jacket draped over her chair, into the coat of many pockets, and retrieved a handkerchief and a bag of what looked to be homemade mints.

  Pauline concentrated on getting the mint to her mouth, missed, then tried again. “So, I said, ‘Get the goat’s milk!’”

  Ella laughed, unsure if the punchline was for a joke the woman had told several minutes ago or a conversation Ella had tuned out.

  Leaning in, Ella dropped her voice. “Speaking of your work—”

  “That wasn’t from work.”

  “—I heard Kay was poisoned. That true?”

  Pauline’s mouth drooped, and she struggled to focus on Ella. “Can’t say.”

  “Can’t say because you don’t know?” Will said.

  “Can’t say… ‘cause it’s a going on… investigation.”

  “Ongoing investigation?” Ella helped.

  “That’s what I said,” Pauline said indignantly before draining the last of her cider.