by Pyper James
“Were you the one who gave Mr. Gingham the hyacinth flowers,” Vivica asked; totally enraptured by the romance of it all.
“Someone sent flowers to my Braxton?” Sophie asked, seemingly surprised and offended all at the same time. Her gloved hand now covered her heart as though the thought of another suitor for Braxton was incomprehensible.
Vivica was embarrassed now in asking the question. She’d assumed, like everyone else, that the flowers came from Ms. Sophie.
“Well, there were flowers in his room, and just from what we know of you all’s relationship, I thought…”
Ms. Sophie was verklempt. The idea of it was too much for her. She never considered that Braxton might have picked the flowers himself. For Sophie, it was a pain on top of an already painful notion that there was someone else pining for or making even taking up time with her Braxton. Tears welled in Ms. Sophie’s eyes. The rest of the room fell silent as the start of crying poured from her breaking heart.
“I’m sorry,” she said, getting up from the chair. “I can’t…”
Before anyone could object, Ms. Sophie crossed the office and was out the door. Vivica really felt bad and started after her.
“Vivica, let her go,” Harper said; halting Vivica in her tracks. “Hopefully she’ll be okay.”
Vivica didn’t want to hope Ms. Sophie was okay, she wanted to ensure it herself. But Johnathan’s words insisted that business happened before emotions.
“Bo, ask Ms. Mildred to call Mr. Graham down and see if she can check on Ms. Sophie, would you?”
It wasn’t Vivica’s preference but at least Johnathan hadn’t totally dismissed Ms. Sophie’s feelings or Vivica’s. She had to be satisfied with it as Bo followed his boss’ directions and went to the front desk.
Chapter Fifteen
It didn’t take long before Bo returned with Mr. Bradford Graham in tow. The atmosphere in the room shifted as Mr. Graham sat down in the chair across from the sheriff. Where there had been familiarity and high emotionality with Ms. Sophie, there was the unknown with Bradford. He sat poised in his oxford shirt and pressed pants. He crossed one leg over the other, revealing his comfortable taupe loafers that he wore with no socks. Nothing about being in the presence of law enforcement seemed to make Bradford the least bit nervous. For Vivica, it was unsettling. He seemed almost too calm. Deputy Gathright seemed just as uncomfortable as Vivica. For the first time since they’d been in the office, Bo’s hand rested on his sidearm. His eyes scanned the room but repeatedly returned to Mr. Graham.
“Mr. Graham, we have a few follow up questions, if you don’t mind,” Harper started; the baritone of his voice seemingly heavier and more direct.
“I asked this question before; shall I raise it again. Do I need an attorney,” Bradford inquired?
“Well, that, of course, is up to you,” Harper replied, leaning forward and steepling his fingers on the desk.
There was an uneasy quiet that fell over the room. Bradford eyed the sheriff and Harper returned his gaze unaverred.
“I guess there’s no harm in fielding your questions,” Mr. Graham replied; an unnatural smile invading his face. “And if I feel that the line of questions is inappropriate, then I will invoke my right to counsel.”
“Are you sure,” Harper inquired; not wanting the interrogation to violate Mr. Graham’s rights; more for the fact that any admission did so could result in his answers being thrown out.
“I am,” Bradford answered.
“Well, let’s err on the side of caution, shall we?” Harper replied. “Mr. Bradford Graham, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand these rights as I have shared them with you?”
“I do,” Bradford replied. “Am I under arrest sheriff?”
“Once again, Mr. Graham. We wanted to follow up with some questions we have about Mr. Gingham. If you answer the questions of your own free will, then I want you to understand that if there is anything incriminating in what you say, it will be taken to the District Attorney for full prosecution under the law, if it is indeed determined that you were directly or indirectly responsible for the death of Braxton Gingham.”
“So, he was murdered after all,” Bradford replied.
“Yes, it appears he was.”
“That’s so unfortunate,” Bradford replied. But there was no emotion behind his statement. It was flat, and his facial expression defied his statement as there was a trace of a smile on his lips.
“Where are you from?”
“Originally from Rome Georgia, but I think by the way you raised the question, you already know that sheriff.”
“That I do, so let’s cut to the chase,” Harper affirmed. “Are you in fact related to Mr. Gingham?”
Vivica watched intently to see the response. Bradford’s posture never wavered and the smirk he wore spread.
“If we are going to talk about my half-brother, then we should at least call him Braxton.”
The gasp that came from Vivica’s lips was completely inappropriate, but she couldn’t help it. Harper pressed forward, doing his best not to let Vivica’s expression diminish the intensity of his inquiry.
“Were the two of you estranged,” Harper asked.
“There was no relationship to speak of, since our mother decided I was not worth keeping.” There was a shift in Bradford that his cool exterior could no longer hide. The bitterness he felt spilled into his speech as he continued without a question to prompt him.
“She decided that I was not worthy of her love. Braxton got the life I deserved while I flitted from foster home to foster home; even homeless at some point, but that’s beside the point. Your question was whether we had a relationship? I had one with him.”
“What do you mean?” Vivica asked from behind Bradford.
“I am sure Braxton had no thought of me. If what I know about what happened is true, I was only with my original family, well my mother, for the briefest period.”
“Did Braxton know who you were?” Harper asked continuing the questioning.
Bradford returned his stare to Harper. “I will make this whole thing simple for you all as I have no reason to hide behind what has been done. No, Braxton didn’t know who I was in the beginning. I tracked him to here. I originally sought out my parents, his mother and the man that fathered me but they both died before I had a chance to confront them. Braxton was the only one left. I had no feelings one way or the other about his father, so there was no point in exacting my feelings on him. Besides, I learned he too was dead. So, I found my half-brother. He’s a creature of habit so tracking him to Mulberry Grove was simple. I talked with him in passing, but he had no idea who I was.”
“Did you talk with him in the vineyard,” Harper asked,
“On more than one occasion since my arrival here. As I said, Braxton was a creature of habit. I saw him venture into the vineyards almost daily. That was the optimal time to confront him with who I was.”
“What happened?” Harper continued.
“The first time we talked, and I told him who I was, Braxton got very emotional. He was blabbering and crying and telling me how he wondered what happened to me.” Mr. Graham shifted in his seat, uncrossing his legs and sitting both feet on the floor. “It was kind of ridiculous and I said as much.”
“Why do you think his response was ridiculous,” Vivica asked.
“Because Ms. Meadows, if Braxton was so concerned as to my whereabouts, wouldn’t he have sought me out? Done something to try and find me?”
There was validity in Mr. Grahams’ response that Vivica had no answer for. He apparently asked the questions rhetorically, not seeking an answer from them.
“He went on to say how he wanted us to spend time together and get to know each other. Maybe that was true, I don’t know. But that’s not what I was looking for.”
“You wer
e looking for what, exactly,” Harper asked.
“Revenge, plain and simple, sheriff. Revenge.”
“And did you get it?”
“You already know the answer to that question. And, I would suspect, by now you know exactly how I exacted that revenge.”
“Why though,” Vivica asked; bothered by the cavalier way in which Mr. Graham spoke and the blatant disregard for Braxton’s life.
“When you have suffered as I have suffered, with no genuine love in your life form the people who should care about you the most, those feelings settle in your bones, in your spirit. Those feelings go to bed with you at night and greet you in the morning. My family, the people who should have loved me, abandoned me. They might as well have left me for dead for all they cared. It was only right to do the same to the one who remained.”
Mr. Graham’s words were chilling. He was unapologetic in his delivery.
“So you are confessing to the murder of Braxton Gingham, is that right, Mr. Graham?”
“Inasmuch as he is dead,” Bradford replied.
The awkward silence returned. Vivica was shocked by Bradford’s admission. Bo was quick to move once he heard what Mr. Graham had to say. Walking over to the chair where Bradford sat, Bo asked Mr. Graham to stand to his feet. Harper stood as well and Vivica was the last to get up. Mr. Graham did as he was commanded and stood to his feet. Bo removed the handcuffs from his waist and instructed Mr. Graham to put his hands behind his back which Bradford did.
“I just have one more question,” Vivica said, still trying to absorb what had been shared.
“Did you by any chance send Mr. Gingham flowers?”
Johnathan was not the least bit surprised by Vivica’s question, considering.
“Why yes, that was me,” Bradford said with the smile still remaining on his lips. “Are you familiar with the hyacinth, Ms. Meadows?”
“I am familiar with the hyacinth flower,” Vivica replied, finding common ground with Mr. Graham which was itself unsettling.
“Then you should be familiar with the meaning of the purple hyacinth, Ms. Vivica.”
“What does it mean?” Sheriff Harper asked’ now interested in the commentary.
“The purple hyacinth dates back to the time of Apollo and Zephyr, who both loved Hyakinthos. It’s a fascinating story. You should read it sometime,” Bradford chatted, as though he was not in arm-irons. The young Hyakinthos loved one more than the other, and death of his strongest love was the result. Apollo killed Zephyr because of his love for Hyakinthos or Hyacinth. Revenge was his desire as was mine. Had Braxton been a little sharper on his Greek mythology, maybe he would have noted the warning.”
Bo had heard all he needed to hear. He ushered Mr. Graham out of the office and out of Mulberry Grove; placing the confessed killer in the back of the sheriff’s car. Mildred’s eyes were large as she saw one of her residents escorted out of her inn in shackles.
“He did it?” Mildred asked as Vivica approached the counter.
“Yeah, Auntie. He confessed to the whole thing,” Vivica replied.
“I’m not sure how to feel about that,” Mildred began. “I am relieved, don’t get me wrong, but the whole thing is so disconcerting and so God-awful sad.”
“I couldn’t agree with you more.”
Harper was the last to leave the office. Seeing Vivica at the counter, Johnathan hesitated.
“That was good work, Vivica,” he began.
“Thank you, sheriff,” Vivica answered. “I’m just glad you guys got the bad guy.”
“Well, we may not have put the pieces together if you hadn’t of happened upon Mr. Gingham’s writings.”
Vivica shrugged, not sure what to say. She wasn’t good at accepting compliments; especially when they came from the likes of Johnathan Harper.
Mildred watched the two as they both shirked and jived, neither wanting the conversation to end.
“I’ll walk you out,” Vivica suggested.
“Thanks again, Ms. Mildred.”
“You are welcome, sheriff. And don’t be a stranger.”
Vivica shot her aunt a look, bugging out her eyes in such a way Johnathan didn’t see.
Mildred laughed as the two made their way to the front door. Johnathan was a gentleman and held the door open and let Vivica walk through before joining her on the porch. Bo stood by the sheriff’s car; keeping his eye on Mr. Graham.
“Well, another case solved,” Vivica said.
“We should celebrate,” Johnathan said out of the clear blue. Then he almost instantly backtracked. “Not celebrating what happened-“
“I think I know what you meant,” Vivica giggled, bailing him out.
Harper flushed. He didn’t remember it ever being this hard to talk to Vivica in the past.
“But before any celebrating can commence, I think you better get Mr. Graham to the station.”
“True,” Johnathan replied. “But I think Bo can handle that.”
Now Vivica felt flush. Johnathan was trying so hard. She thought it was cute.
“I’m sure he could,” she agreed.
“Then maybe we can go have dinner or something?”
“Are you asking me out Johnathan Harper,” Vivica teased.
Johnathan finally turned to face Vivica full on. He was a ball of nerves.
“Yes, I am, that is, if you’re willing,” he offered.
“Could you two get it over with already,” Bo called out, overhearing the conversation.
Both Johnathan and Vivica burst out laughing at the interjection.
“Bo, you got Mr. Graham?” Johnathan asked, still chuckling behind his deputy’s comment.
“I got him,” Bo answered. Bo didn’t waste any time, climbing into the car and pulling off.
“If you say no, then I’ll have to walk back to the station,” Johnathan groaned.
“Well, I wouldn’t want you to have to do that,” Vivica sighed, still wearing a smile.
“Give me one second,” Vivica said, putting up a cautionary finger. Harper was fine with that as he watched Vivica walk back into the inn. That moment would give him a chance to get himself together. The smile Vivica wore when she re-entered the inn was enough for Auntie Mildred to know that something was cooking. What? Only time would tell.
The End
Thank you so much for reading Violets and Venom! I hope you enjoyed it and will continue with the series. If you would like to leave a review, please do so on Amazon and Goodreads! Each review not only helps the author, but it also encourages other readers to take a look at what you’ve been reading. Thanks in advance!
What’s to Come from Pyper James?
For Vivian Meadows, it feels like a never-ending quest to find the bad guy. Her amateur sleuthing was not something Vivica intended, but with the most recent events in her hometown of Dahlonega Georgia, Vivica couldn’t stop now. With the Black Orchid Floral Shop finally opened, it was a time for celebration, or so Vivica thought; until a customer drops dead during the grand opening. Now, the Dahlonega Police Department, with the help of Vivica Meadows, has another mystery to solve.
Coming May 17th!
Pre-order your copy today and tell a friend!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BP973ZM/
Other Books by Pyper
When Vivica Meadows returns to her sleepy little hometown of Dahlonega, Georgia, and opens a mobile flower shop, she has no idea her first delivery will involve murder. Discovering the body makes Vivica the prime suspect. It will take all of her amateur sleuthing skills, along with those of her best friend, Winnie Baxter and Vivica’s hound dog, Maximus, to get Vivica out of this pickle. Things for Vivica had not been great in the big city and returning to Dahlonega was bittersweet. Vivica was determined to make a go of it in the place she loved. But, will Vivica’s new beginning come to a tragic end before it even gets started? Find out in Hidden: Prequel to the Black Orchid Mystery Series.
This is the PREQUEL to the Black Orchid Mystery Series. It is shorter th
an the rest of the series - which are all full-length novels.
https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Bloom-Waiting-Orchid-Mystery-ebook/dp/B078BGTMTS/
Princeton Wyatt is dead. Vivica Meadows, the new owner of The Black Orchid Flower Shop is the one who found him. In a panic, Vivica doesn’t realize she is the primary suspect. If she didn’t have sleuthing skills before, Vivica will need them to get herself out of the mess she finds herself in. With the help of Aunt Mildred, best friend Winifred and her ever faithful hound Maximus, Vivica fight to find out who the real killer is. Being back in her hometown of Dahlonega Georgia has proven to be more than bittersweet. Will the Black Orchid shop be derailed before it even starts? Will Vivica find herself behind bars? Find out in Venom and Violets, Book two in the Black Orchid Mystery Series.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079C69WKX/ref=series_rw_dp_sw
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