by Tonya Kappes
Chapter Twenty-Two
The phone chirped on my bedside table waking me up from a deep sleep. I grabbed it without looking to see who was calling me in the middle of the night.
“June?” Oscar’s voice questioned from the other end of the line. “Are you okay?”
“Are you okay?” My heart skipped a beat. I bolted up out of bed to find Madame Torres staring at me from her ball as she was sitting on my dresser and Mr. Prince Charming was sitting on the pillow next to me staring.
“Everyone is a little worried since you weren’t there to open the shop so I went ahead and let Faith in before I went to Locust Grove.” His voice was concerned.
“What time is it?” I glanced over at the clock and couldn’t believe it was almost ten in the morning. “Oh no.”
“I was on my way up to your house to check on you around seven a.m., and I passed Amethyst coming down the hill.” He knew.
I closed my eyes and gulped. Oscar was not going to be happy that I had gone to a bar, much less nosed around about the break-in and murder.
“Oh,” I managed not to go into a begging plea.
“And after she said the two of you went out for a drink at Mac’s, I decided to let you sleep.” Oscar fell silent.
“Thank you.” I waited.
“I didn’t realize you liked going to bars,” Oscar said sarcastically. “I mean, if this wedding stuff is really stressing you out, then maybe we shouldn’t get married.”
“No, no, no.” I got out of bed and headed to the kitchen. I grabbed a mug out of the cupboard and poured a cup of coffee, thankful for the timer set every day for my coffee to be ready when I woke. “That’s not it at all.”
“Then what is it?” he asked. “You’ve been acting so weird. Even Sonny said you came into the station. Do you have something you need to tell me?”
“No.” I took a sip and decided to keep the information to myself about the will and the stuff I had felt about Pearl until I could go to the nursing home myself and talk to her again. “Amethyst and I just wanted to have some girl time. Like a bachelorette party.”
I was thankful Amethyst didn’t spill her guts.
“But the wedding is a few months away and don’t those happen a week before the wedding?” Oscar was digging.
I held to my guns. There was nothing pressing to tell him. Burt wasn’t going to come back alive. Whoever broke into my shop stole the only bottle of the wisteria vine oil I had and they had no way of knowing I had made more. Everything in my gut felt safe. . .for now.
“I’ll do that with all the girls. You know Amethyst and I got off on the wrong foot and she’s offered us a honeymoon tree cabin for our wedding night.” I quickly regretted my lie, but thought it was a good idea, so visiting Amethyst to thank her for not telling Oscar the truth while asking her for a room was first on my list. Even before visiting Pearl at the nursing home.
It was true. When Amethyst came to town, I had accused her of some really evil stuff that wasn’t true. She turned out to be a really great spiritualist and last night proved it.
“Did you say Faith was okay with working?” I asked.
“She said she had nothing else to do,” he confirmed. “Hey, why don’t you meet me after my shift tonight and let me take you on a date?”
“Great! I’d love to.” It was the perfect ending to our conversation in what could have turned out bad, if I would have spilled my guts about the real reason I had gone to the bar.
Oscar might be suspicious, and I was okay with that. I’d tell him the truth soon enough.
Chapter Twenty-Three
One would never know the massive structure of Full Moon Treesort, Whispering Falls’ only bed and breakfast, was nestled deep within the woods behind our village. The double-decker A-frame structure was nothing but windows that overlooked the most spectacular views Whispering Falls had to offer.
It wasn’t your typical bed and breakfast where the rooms were in one building. The Full Moon Treesort rooms were scattered among the trees in the forest. Each one had a different theme, a different view, and a different purpose for the customer. Amethyst didn’t let the customer pick the room they wanted. Her gift of Onerirocriticy; dream interpretation, helped her. She told me once that she had a dream of all her clients and knew exactly what they needed from her before they even got there.
I had yet to see any one of her clients walk away not loving the Treesort and not booking another stay. She was filled to the gills and I hoped I wasn’t too late in getting something for my honeymoon.
“Good morning, June!” Her voice called before I made it up the steps of the main lodge.
The homemade smell of freshly baked blueberry muffins wafted out of the lodge and throughout the woods.
“You are just in time for breakfast.” She held a coffee pot above a couple cups and poured. “Although it is almost time for lunch.”
She hummed happily as I took a seat. Her hair was taken out of the fishtail braid and lay in loose curls around her back. Her eyes were wide awake and alive. Not at all how mine looked. There was a giggle to her upward smile and her dark eyes danced under her perfectly trimmed thick brows.
“You are awfully chipper this morning. Whereas Oscar woke me up with a phone call.” I held the cup up to my nose and took a nice long inhale. The brew was strong and swirled out of the cup and hugged my nose. “I want to thank you for not telling Oscar about last night.”
“It was a lot of fun.” Ronald rounded the corner and gave Amethyst a swift smack on her bottom.
My jaw dropped and I nearly let go of the cup.
Ronald was clean shaven, his hair nicely combed and a fresh set of clothes made him look like a million bucks.
“Yes it was.” Amethyst cocked her right brow, her lip followed. She lifted the cup to her lips and took a sip. Ronald nipped at her neck. She placed her free hand on his head and let out a little giggle.
My gut dropped. What had I done? Didn’t Amethyst know how hard it was to date a mortal? Someone not from our spiritual world?
“Ronnie, dear.” Amethyst set her cup down. “Why don’t you be a good little boy and take this tray to Dreamy Sleep cabin for me.”
“Roar,” Ronald held his hand up like a claw and growled at her. He took the tray and walked out.
“Are you joking me?” I asked. “I really thought you were putting on an act last night with all the rubbing and touching.”
“I was until I met the animal in him and you know I can’t resist a good animal.” Her grin was evil. “Not to mention I need a date for an upcoming wedding.” She winked.
“Which reminds me,” I was going to ask her about that honeymoon room.
“Of course you can stay in the Lover’s Nest on your honeymoon. My treat.” She drummed her fingers on the counter.
“No, I will pay,” I assured her.
“Not if I get my way with Ronnie.” This time her grin reached her eyes. “He just might be the one.”
“Oh, Amethyst. It’s so hard to be married to a mortal.” I knew it wasn’t my place to beg her to rethink what she was feeling, but I felt like I had to since I had gotten her into this mess.
“He’s handy.” She curled her hand into the air as if she were summoning magic. “He can do things without our little gift and what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him. Plus wasn’t that how you were brought up?”
“It was, but my dad had died before I knew better.” I bit the inside of my lip. “Do me a favor and ask Eloise how hard it was for my mom to live within the community. Eloise was not part of Whispering Falls. She had to live in the woods because she was a Dark-Sider with a Good-Sider family. She let my mom in on her little secret and they had formed a partnership and friendship.”
Amethyst took in everything I was saying; I just hoped it was sinking in.
“So ask her how my mom felt and dealt with it.” I suggested. It was all I could do.
The love in Amethyst’s heart radiated out of her and she had fallen hard f
or Ronald. . .um Ronnie. . .in just a few hours.
“I guess you’d be interested in what I got out of him when I promised him some naughty things.” Her face glowed.
“First off, I don’t want to know about any naughty things, but I’m definitely interested if he said something about the factory.” I leaned in.
“He said things started getting real sticky after about a year of marriage between Burt and Tiffany. Burt started to fall into the rich mantraps and lifestyle Tiffany’s company had offered.” She looked over her shoulder. The coast was clear. “He had bought into Mac’s before he married Tiffany. She started going there more and more trying to get these high dollar wines included on the menu, but Mac refused. Ronnie said it was a mess.”
“So Tiffany was controlling the situation?” I asked. It was hard to believe it since I had seen him grab her.
“Up until the deal was made with you.” Her cheeks balled on her face. “Ronnie said that after they came back from here, Tiffany cowed down to Burt on a few occasions, but I’m not sure why because then he sort of passed out.”
“You ladies aren’t gossiping about me are you?” Ronald walked into the large gathering space where the kitchen was. He was followed by a couple of Full Moon’s guests.
“Of course we are.” Amethyst winked and kissed his cheek.
“Thanks for the coffee,” I got up, “and especially for the room.”
My heart felt like it was laughing and dancing within. The thought of spending a romantic night after my wedding with Oscar put me on cloud nine. I put that feeling deep in the back of my heart. I knew I would have to solve this crime before I could enjoy any more wedding plans. With Faith running the shop, I knew my first stop had to be Mac’s.
I had a few questions I needed to ask him.
Chapter Twenty-Four
I probably should’ve gone to check on Faith, but I had left the shop fully stocked and I trusted her completely. Plus she had my cell phone in case she had an emergency in addition to a full village of people who would come to her aid if she needed it.
Mac’s looked a lot different in the daylight and I could see where Tiffany would want to spruce it up a bit.
I pulled up and parked the Green Machine up to the front next to the only other car in the lot. I opened the door of the bar. Mac knew more than he was telling me last night and I wanted to hear the history between him, Burt and Burt’s mother.
“Sorry! We are closed.” Mac, the bartender, was crouched down behind the bar.
The bar top was lined with cardboard boxes.
“Putting away your liquor shipment?” I asked.
He stood up. His eyes were bloodshot.
“Shipment?” He scoffed. “Packing up for good.”
“For good?” I asked.
“Listen, Nancy Drew,” Mac planted his hands on the bar. “Mac’s is closed. Forever.”
“Why?” I questioned.
“Now that Burt is gone, his will was read and I’m no longer the majority share holder, so she shut me down.” He shook his head and grabbed a box, taking it out the door.
I followed him.
“Can she do that?” I asked. This Jenny Rossen was a real pain in a lot of people’s lives.
“When you are the majority shareholder, you can do anything.” He threw the box in the car and walked back in, leaving me outside.
The only person I knew I had to see was Pearl. Faith all but confirmed that Pearl knew something and when I touched her last night, I knew she was the one I needed to talk to.
Growing up in Locust Grove, you heard about the old folks’ home, but never went unless you were part of a Girl Scouts group or church group. Darla didn’t let me participate in those types of activities, but Oscar’s Uncle Jordan did.
Long story short, Oscar’s Uncle Jordan raised him and did so in a way Oscar wouldn’t find out he was a spiritualist. Jordan was against our heritage. So much so, he was the one who ended up killing my father along with Oscar’s parents, sending Jordan to prison. Still, he did take Oscar to church groups and tried to get Oscar to be part of groups like the Boy Scouts, making me very envious for their life of normalcy.
The Locust Grove Convalescent Home sat on a hundred acres in the country. Tall oak trees lined the long drive, giving shade to the cars underneath. The red building was adorned and decorated with large cement molds of fleur-de-lis along the circumference of the roof. In the distance were several small cottage homes, all looking the same, with a tiny porch on the front only big enough for one rocking chair. I had heard those were for elders who could live on their own until it was time that they no longer could and moved into the communal living area.
I pulled into the parking lot, found one of the visitor spots and parked. When I got out, I looked around. On the side of the building was a covered outdoor patio where it looked as if some of the residents were playing cards, shuffleboard and ping pong. To the left of the building there was a pool dotted with elders wearing blue water caps. They were lifting their arms in the air following a much younger woman in the front.
“Can I help you?” A woman with a garden cart walked by. She was older and had a floppy hat with a drawstring tightly snugged around her chin. Her thin long-sleeved white shirt helped ward off the heat of the summer sun. She wore capris and a pair of those plastic shoes with holes all over them. She leaned on the cart that was filled with potting soil, gardening tools, and a potted Gerbera daisy. “You look to be lost. New for sure.”
“I’m looking for the office.” I had suddenly realized I had no idea what was Pearl’s last name.
“Thataway.” She pointed her gloved finger in the direction of the building. “I best be on my way if I’m going to make it over to Jenny’s before five o’clock.”
“Jenny?” I asked wondering the odds of it being the Jenny I was looking for.
“Jenny Rossen. She insists she gets her daisy before five o’clock. Persnickety she is.” The old woman used the back of her hand to push the hat up from over top her eyes. “If I’m gonna make it there by then,” she looked at her watch, “I better get going.”
“It’s only three o’clock.” I glanced at the potted flower.
“You see all them people?” Her hand waved in front of us at the patio and the pool. I nodded. “I’m pretty popular around here so I have to say my hellos when I pass. I can’t be a snob.”
“Oh, of course not,” I said with a smile.
She was cute and social. It made me wonder what type of grandmotherly figure Darla would’ve been. Definitely the hippy type any child would love and connect with.
“Listen,” I leaned in. “I’m friends with Burt, Jenny’s son, and that is exactly who I came to visit. Why don’t you give me her cottage number and the flower and I’ll take it to her.”
“Oh, I don’t know.” The woman shook her head. “It’s part of my job.”
“But every night? Don’t you want a night off when I’m going over to see her anyway?” I did my best sweet-talking.
“Well,” she picked up the pot and handed it to me. “I’d love to be able to participate in the beginning of water aerobics at four-thirty. Because of Jenny’s daisy I’m always twenty minutes late.”
She pulled back the shoulder of her white shirt and showed me the bathing suit strap underneath.
“Great. You enjoy your class.” I held the pot close to me. “Which cottage is hers?”
“Cottage? Burt didn’t tell you?” The woman’s lips turned down. “Well, I’ll keep my mouth shut. She’s not in a cottage. Jenny was moved to assisted living over a year ago. Room 214.”
“Assisted living?” My head clouded over. Were Burt and Jenny snowing people over? What was going on? There was only one way to find out. Head to room 214.
I didn’t have to use my witchy gift to realize room 214 was located on the second floor. And since I had flowers, no one questioned who I was or why I was there.
The plaque on the wall pointed me right according to the number
s of the room. The red carpet had gold diamonds dotted throughout. Some of the doors had wreaths while others had nothing. Next to the room numbers were their names. Room 214 was bare and it made me sad. I knew if Darla was somewhere like this, I would make sure she had fresh flowers and a wreath.
At least Jenny had the flowers.
I knocked on the slightly open door.
“Come on in, Ida.” An elderly voice called from behind the door. “You are early today.”
I stepped inside and opened my mouth. Nothing came out when I realized Jenny Rossen was a very petite grey-headed woman who wore a house dress and used a cane. A blind person’s cane. She tapped the edge of the cane on the floor and shuffled her house-shoed feet across the room.
“What beautiful color did Burt send today?” she asked.
“Um. . .” There was a lump in my throat. There was no way this woman had anything to do with Burt’s death nor did she even know he was dead.
“Purple, Ms. Rossen. A beautiful purple Gerbera daisy.” Pearl swooped in and grabbed the pot from me.
“Pearl is that you? Where is Ida?” She was confused.
Pearl put the pot in front of Jenny and took her hand, placing it on the clay exterior.
“She decided to do water aerobics early tonight. She will be back tomorrow.” Pearl turned her head and glared at me.
Jenny cocked her head to the side with a blank stare my way.
“Pearl, is someone else in the room?” Jenny asked.
“Yes, ma’am.” I spoke up, ignoring Pearl’s evil glare. “I’m June Heal.” I took a lotion from my bag and walked over to them.
“June, from the new product line Burt has told me about?” Jenny questioned.
“Yes, ma’am.” Pearl stepped away with the planter tucked in her arms and let me put my lotion out in front of me. “Here.” I took Jenny’s hand and placed it on the ornamental bottle.
The bottle glowed. Pearl stepped back. Her eyes as big as saucers. I leaned my head back. The pain in my heart was almost too great for me to bear. The stress free lotion was channeling all the pain Jenny Rossen was going to feel when she found out Burt had been murdered.