Picnics, Pies and Lies

by Cindy Bell

  “Hmm, yes you’re right it is.” Ally let Arnold lead the way out the door. “Where’s Peaches, Arnold? Can you find her?”

  He tugged at the leash as he sniffed the ground. She wasn’t sure if he was looking for scraps, or the cat, but at least it was something to do. Going for a walk always helped to settle her restless mind. Arnold led her up and down the main street. She noticed that several of the businesses that would usually be open, were closed. There was also a distinct lack of people strolling up and down the sidewalks. It seemed as if she was the only one out. As she crossed in front of the pharmacy, she decided to peek her head inside.

  “Hi, Vic.” Ally smiled at the older man behind the counter. He had gray, puffy hair that curled around the edges of his ears, and sprouted from his upper lip.

  “Ally, good to see you.” He smiled, then wagged his finger. “Don’t you let that pig in here.”

  “I won’t. I was wondering if you know where everyone is?” She noticed that his store was completely empty.

  “Everyone’s afraid to go out I think. They’re hiding behind locked doors. The rumors are churning like crazy. One woman who stopped in to get medicine she had to have today, told me that someone told her the police were tracking a trained assassin that might be out to kill certain people in town.”

  “What?” Ally’s eyes widened. “But that’s ridiculous. The police didn’t say anything like that.”

  “The problem isn’t what they said, is it?” He shook his head and picked up a newspaper from the counter in front of him. “It’s what they didn’t. They haven’t given much information to the public. So, the public will do what the public does best, and fill in the missing details.”

  “I guess you’re right, but that’s a pretty outlandish assumption to make.”

  “Unfortunately, not with everything going on in today’s world.”

  “I know.” Ally sighed as she ducked back out of the pharmacy. How would the town continue to function if everyone had been scared behind closed doors? Something had to be done, and fast, to restore the sense of safety to the community. As she headed back towards the shop, she noticed a man standing at the edge of the walkway that led to the door. She didn’t recognize him from a distance. The thought of her grandmother being alone in the shop made her quicken her pace. All at once she realized that she was just as frightened as the rest of the people in town.

  * * *

  When Ally reached the walkway, Arnold gave a loud snort. The man jumped and spun on his heel to face her. Then she recognized him. It was Christian, the other person who entered the canoe race. In his arms was a wriggling ball of fur. She recognized it, too, as her beloved cat.

  “Is this your cat?” He scratched his fingertips through the fur on the top of Peaches’ head before handing her to Ally.

  “Yes, it is! Thanks so much for finding her! I was looking for her.” She laughed as the cat nuzzled her cheek.

  “No problem. She was hiding out in the trashcans behind my apartment. I saw her tag and decided I should bring her back to you. I thought she might be allowed to roam, but with everything that happened today, I assumed you might be missing her.” He cleared his throat and lowered his voice. “Plus, she wouldn’t stop meowing at me. I’m not sure what that’s about.”

  “Oh, well Peaches is a friendly cat.” Ally smiled some, but the fact that the cat had been so vocal with him stirred some concern. It seemed Peaches had an instinct about people, and she was rarely wrong. She’d gone out of her way to hide behind this man’s apartment and get his attention. That might mean something.

  “Very friendly. I don’t have pets myself.” He shrugged. “I’m always on the move.”

  “Oh? I guess it would be difficult to tote a pet along with you.” Ally smiled. “As you can see I have a cat, and a pig.” Arnold snorted around Christian’s shoes.

  “Yes, I see.” He stepped back some from the pig’s curious snout.

  “That’s Arnold.” Ally laughed and gave a tug on his leash. “Don’t worry, he’s harmless. Thanks again for bringing Peaches back.” Peaches’ tail flicked back and forth across her arm. “She took off during the chaos at the picnic. I was worried about her.”

  “She’s a sweetheart.” He reached out to pet her again. “I’m Christian by the way. Christian Pelo.”

  “Ally Sweet.” She thrust out her free hand to greet him. “I thought you were just in town for the picnic. I wasn’t aware that you lived here.”

  “Ah, I see the gossip is getting around.” He grinned. His clear blue eyes sparkled. He was quite charming. But that only created a deeper sense of suspicion within her. “Actually, I just rented the place a couple of days ago. Just short term. I’ve been checking out the town to see if it’s a place I would like to live. I’m a journalist and work from home. I was looking for a sleepy little place that I could get work done and enjoy some traditional things, like picnics in the park. Unfortunately, my first official picnic didn’t go too well.”

  “No, it didn’t.” Ally stroked Peaches’ head as she studied him. He was a handsome man, maybe in his thirties, with a mop of blonde curls. She was sure that it wouldn’t be long before most of the single women in town were all over him. But that wasn’t what she was interested in. He was on the water when Josh was killed. Had he seen anything unusual? “Did you know Josh?”

  “I’d just met him before we got into the water. He, and his friend Frank.”

  “They were very close. I’m still in shock that this happened. It’s such an unusual situation.” Arnold continued to snort and huff at the man’s shoes.

  “Yes, it is.” Christian nodded, then squinted at her. “You seem a bit different from the rest, though.”

  “Different?” She raised an eyebrow.

  “Yes. Most people are locked up in their houses, and here you are, strolling down the sidewalk as if there’s nothing to be afraid of.” He shrugged and offered a wide smile. “I guess I’m not the only reckless one.”

  “I guess not.” She smiled in return and tried not to think about how frightened she’d been when she wasn’t sure who was standing by the shop. “But I don’t find it to be reckless. The police are just taking extra precautions. I don’t think there’s any reason to believe that there’s a murderer out there running around with a bow and arrow, looking for victims. It just doesn’t make sense to me.”

  “Maybe not, but you can’t be too careful.” He held her gaze for a few moments longer than was comfortable. “You never know who your neighbors are.”

  “That’s true for most people.” She let Peaches down from her arms. The cat bolted straight for the shop. “But for me, I grew up here, and I know just about everyone that lives here. So, I guess I have that advantage.”

  “You don’t know me.” He flashed a charismatic smile.

  “True.” She returned a small smile. “Hopefully, you will like it here. Do you want to come inside for some chocolates? I don’t think you got to sample any chocolates at the picnic, did you?”

  “No, I didn’t. I don’t have time now, but I’ll be sure to stop by another time.” He gave her a little wave. “See you soon.”

  “Oh Christian, where did you say you were from?”

  “I didn’t.” He looked over his shoulder. “Why do you want to know?”

  “Just curious.” Ally laughed and met his eyes.

  “You know what they say about curiosity.” He winked at her. “Look out for that cat of yours.”

  As he walked away, she was very aware that he hadn’t told her where he was from. Clearly, he had some things to hide. Or perhaps that was just his way of flirting. She noticed that he stared at her as if he might like her. She intended to make it clear the next time she saw him, that she was in a relationship.

  “All right, you naughty cat let’s get you some food.” Ally shooed Peaches through to the courtyard behind the shop. Arnold snorted happily and circled the cat. Then he began sniffing and snorting at her some more. Peaches gazed at him impatie
ntly. When he circled another time, she swatted at his tail.

  “Be nice, he missed you.” Ally patted Arnold’s head. “Settle down, you two.”

  “Ally? What’s going on out there?” Charlotte stuck her head through the door from the kitchen.

  “Christian just brought Peaches home. It seems this little kitty was digging through his garbage.” She reached down to stroke her back. “It makes me wonder.”

  “Wonder what?” Charlotte grabbed a can of food from the kitchen, as well as Peaches’ bowl, then set it down in the courtyard.

  “Peaches always seems to know when something is off about a person. Something is definitely off about Christian.”

  “Oh? What do you think is off about him?” She scraped the food into Peaches’ bowl. The cat dove right in.

  “I’m not sure, yet. But something. I certainly intend to find out.” Ally walked over to her grandmother. “It’s almost closing time so we might as well start closing up for the day. I don’t think we’ll be having any last-minute customers. Everyone is afraid of an arrow-wielding killer.”

  “So, that’s what’s going on.” Charlotte sighed. “Yes, you’re right, let’s start closing up.”

  “I’ll give you a ride home.”

  “No, that’s all right, you go ahead. Jeff can take me home.” Charlotte grabbed a cloth to wipe down the counters.

  “Are you sure, Mee-Maw? I don’t like the idea of you being here alone.”

  “Don’t you start. Blue River is a completely safe place to be. I’m not afraid, and you shouldn’t be either.” She locked her green eyes to Ally’s.

  “Yes, you’re right.” Ally blushed some. Her grandmother was one of the strongest people she knew, and sometimes she didn’t think she’d ever be as brave as she was. “If something comes up, just let me know.” She kissed her cheek, then headed out through the back.

  As Ally climbed into her car, Arnold and Peaches settled in their favorite places in the car. Peaches got the front seat, and Arnold stuck his snout up against the rear passenger window. Ten years ago, this certainly wasn’t where she expected her life to end up, and yet she loved it.

  Chapter 4

  As soon as Ally reached the cottage, she knew that she wouldn’t be able to relax. Her mind was too restless for her to just settle down on the couch and hope that she could distract herself. The only way that she could satisfy that restlessness was to find out just a little more about what happened. The first way to do that, was to find out more about the victim. She grabbed her computer and settled at the kitchen table. She knew his name. Josh Maylin. As she searched through the local news sites she hoped to come across something with his name in it. It didn’t take long before she discovered something. But it wasn’t what she expected.

  A photograph of Josh and another man, a man she recognized, Billy McArtle, topped the headline of the article.

  Joining Forces, A Charity that Crosses Borders.

  The article described a charity that Karen McArtle started before she passed. Billy was only fifteen in the photograph, and she guessed that Josh had to be about the same age. She had no idea that Josh was ever involved with the McArtle family. A little more digging revealed that he had a connection to Billy’s father. He was a distant cousin.

  Ally shifted her attention to any recent posts made by Josh on social media. She found quite a few pictures of him in a canoe, as well as a few recent ones of him on a vacant piece of land. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much more to find. At least she discovered that he’d moved to the area a few years ago from a city called Gradysville. It was about four hours away. She jotted that down, then considered her options. If she couldn’t find out much about Josh, she knew there was one person who would likely know a lot more. That was Frank.

  She grabbed her keys and placed a quick call to her grandmother.

  “Did you make it home, yet?”

  “Yes, I’m here. What are you up to?”

  “I’m going to see what I can find out from Frank.”

  “Find out from Frank? About what happened today?”

  “Yes.” She cringed. She wanted to keep her grandmother in the loop, even when she knew she might not approve.

  “I knew you wouldn’t be able to let this go. I can’t either. I’ve already called Mrs. Bing to see what the word in the neighborhood is.”

  “I thought you might have.” Ally smiled and leaned against the front door. “And?”

  “And she said what you said, everyone’s too scared to go out. But no one has any idea who fired the arrow.”

  “That’s why I think the best lead we can get is finding out who might have had a problem with Josh. It’s not looking like this was an accident, and I really don’t think it was a random killing. We need to find out who might have had a problem with him, enough of a problem to kill him. I know it’ll be a tough time for Frank to talk, but I think he’s our best chance at finding out anything.”

  “Don’t you think the police will have already talked to him?”

  “I’m sure they have. But maybe there will be something he’s more comfortable talking to me about instead of them.”

  “Maybe. But how are you going to find him? Half the town is closed and what’s open is pretty much empty. Do you know where he lives?”

  “No, I don’t. But Josh and Frank were wearing a t-shirt from Lawdale’s Landscaping. Remember?”

  “Oh yes. Nothing gets past you. Does it?”

  “Not if I can help it.” Ally laughed. “I’m going to see if I can get in touch with the owner of Lawdale’s and get Frank’s address.”

  “Okay, good luck. Let me know if there is anything I can help you with. I’m going to keep digging into the locals and see if someone saw more than they admitted to the police. That arrow didn’t just come out of nowhere.”

  “Good idea.”

  “Be careful, Ally. You never know who you might run into.”

  “Now you sound like Christian.” Ally laughed before she hung up the phone. On the way out the door, she thought about the possibility that Frank might have had something to do with Josh’s death. If they were such good friends, why would he do something like that? This wasn’t the kind of death that came without a motive. There was something there, just waiting to be found. She had to stretch her mind and see what she could discover.

  After several calls to the landscaping company went to voicemail, Ally decided to just drive around the neighborhood. If the truck was anywhere to be found she was sure that she could find it. As she drove up and down each street, she recalled the many times she walked, and rode her bike, along the same path. After her mother passed away, her grandmother raised her, and these streets were her playground. When she left home and got married, she thought her life would continue according to plan. But it hadn’t. In fact, she’d been faced with the hardship of her marriage failing. She’d returned home with Peaches. Things had brightened since then, as she loved spending time with her grandmother and living with Arnold and Peaches. Then she met an amazing man and took over the chocolate shop, but there were still times that she thought about her original plan. She was sure that Josh had plans, too. Plans that would never come to fruition. That thought renewed her determination. She turned down the next street, and continued to search for the truck. She knew that the owner serviced some of the surrounding towns as well, so she hoped he wasn’t too far afield.

  It didn’t take her much longer to spot the Lawdale’s Landscaping truck. It was bright green, and the name of the company was printed in huge yellow letters on the side. It helped that she had a vague knowledge of when he was working since she sometimes noticed when his truck rumbled past the shop. The ramp stuck out of the back of the box truck, and the sound of a lawnmower roared nearby. She parked in front of the truck, and got out to wait. After a few minutes, he came into view. She recognized him as a customer who occasionally came into the chocolate shop. She guessed his last name was Lawdale, and he looked to be in his mid-fifties. He sported a dee
p tan from all of the outdoor work. As he approached the truck, she smiled.

  “Hi. Mr. Lawdale?”

  “Colton.” He nodded and thrust his hand out towards her. Then as if he changed his mind, he drew it back. “Sorry, it’s a dirty job.”

  “I understand.” She smiled as she lowered her hand. “I’m Ally.”

  “Sure, I know you. I’ve been in for chocolates a few times. A bit more cleaned up than this.” He laughed. “Did you need something?”

  “First, I want to say, sorry for your loss. I understand that Josh worked for you?” She studied his expression.

  “Yes, he did.” His smile faded. “It’s a rough thing that happened today. Poor kid. Unfortunately, my clients don’t know or care that one of my employees was killed, so I have to keep working. I couldn’t in good conscience ask Frank to help. Those two were close.”

  “That’s kind of you.” Ally frowned as she glanced over the large lawn. “It’s a lot of work for one person, though.”

  “That’s all right. It keeps me young.”

  “Any idea where I can find Frank?” She swept her gaze over the assortment of landscaping equipment. All of it was clearly well taken care of, as it looked in good condition.

  “Eh, he’s probably at Duke’s.” He picked up a large leaf bag and tossed it into the back of his truck. “That’s where he usually goes on Friday night after I pay him. I told him The Freely Watering Hole is cheaper, but he likes the place.” He shook his head. “These young kids, they spend money like water.” He squinted at her. “You’re not like that are you?”

  “I try not to be.” Ally smiled. “Did you know Josh well?” She picked up a rake and handed it to him. He loaded it into his truck.

  “Not especially. Frank has worked with me a lot longer. Josh only started recently. He and Frank were good friends, though. They had a plan to do something with that land.”

  “What land is that?” Ally watched as he reached for another bag of leaves.