“Here you go, ma’am. I don’t smell anything on it, so you should be good to go. No trouble at all.”
She took the purse gratefully, and this time she gave him a hug for his trouble. Then she and her husband turned and made their way to their car.
“I hope getting the skunk out goes as well is that did,” Becky said as they watched the car pull away. “I feel kind of sad now. I should’ve just walked in and gotten it myself.”
“Except,” Gabe answered. “Murphy’s Law would’ve stepped in, and that skunk would’ve likely been right under that table. Animals can sense these things. It probably would’ve tried to climb your leg.”
Becky smacked him on the shoulder and shook her head. “Ha ha, Mister Ranger. I’m sure that’s exactly what would’ve happened, or at least what you hoped would happen. Now, can you please get that skunk out of my dining room?”
Gabe grinned and then turned to the other ranger and pointed toward the truck. “Ben, go ahead and get some of the boards out of the back. I want to make sure it can’t get into the kitchen.”
“How are you going to get it out?” Abby asked curiously. She had no experience with skunks but knew it had to be a tricky business. Gabe seemed fairly confident, but it couldn’t be like this was a regular occurrence.
“They don’t like bright lights. First I’ll try to drive it out with some heavy duty flashlights. We’ll open up the back door and see if it will leave willingly. First, though, I want to make sure the little guy only has one way to go.”
Gabe picked up the plastic tote and begin heading around to the back of the café. Becky and Abby watched the two men start using boards to block off any entrance but the back door which they propped open with a large cinderblock.
After watching the men work for a few minutes, Becky turned to Abby. “So what brought you out? You don’t work until Friday.”
Abby sighed, suddenly reminded of why should come to Becky’s in the first place. “You mean I can’t come out to visit my friend? Maybe I had a premonition that you were about to be attacked by a skunk.”
Becky just gave her a look and shook her head. “I’m not falling for that, though you know you’re welcome anytime. Does it have anything to do with your grandmother?”
Abby nodded. “Yes. Or really, it has to do with Rob Morgan. I guess he was her brother?”
Becky shrugged. “I have no clue; I think I was about eight or nine at the time?”
“Well, that’s the point. It was so long ago. Who would know the story? I think even the Sheriff had to look up the finer points of the investigation. He was probably only fifteen.” Abby sighed and turned back toward the window watching as Gabe, and his friend seemed to be finishing up with their contraption. “I came to ask if you knew anyone who might know the story.”
“Why not just ask Hazel?” Becky asked inquisitively.
“She doesn’t seem to want to talk about it. Honestly, when the Sheriff was asking her some questions, she seemed to do everything in our power not to tell him anything.”
Becky paused for a moment before speaking, keeping her voice low. “Do you think she knows anything?”
“You mean do I believe she had anything to do with it?” Abby said with a little more heat in her voice that she intended. “No, or at least I’m doing everything in my power not to think that way. Pretty much what I did with you.”
Becky cleared her throat. “Sorry Abby, I didn’t mean to imply anything.”
Abby took a breath and let it out, forcing herself to calm down. “Sorry, the Sheriff was at our house talking to Hazel last night, and it wasn’t fun. I guess I’m a little worried.”
“It’s okay,” Becky said and gave Abby a hug. “Interestingly enough, I happen to know what it’s like when someone is accused of murder. It’s not fun, and I couldn’t imagine Hazel killing anyone. At least not without an excellent reason. I can think of a couple of people who may know something. The D’s over at Calamities, maybe? They are horrible gossips, and I’m sure that didn’t happen overnight. I bet they could fill you in on what happened so long ago. There’s also the Mayor and a few other old-timers who might be talkative, but I’d start with the D’s.”
Abby remembered the two older ladies who ran Calamities bookstore and couldn’t agree more. They seem to love information and finding things out. She would head over there after making sure everything got settled here. Just then, Gabe and Ben came around the side of the building carrying two large heavy duty flashlights.
“Okay, ladies. Let’s give this a go.” He and Ben positioned themselves in front of the two large glass windows. When he flicked on his flashlight, it was evident they weren’t run-of-the-mill lights, but the very bright halogens and even though it was daytime, it brightened up the dining room considerably.
Gabe took the lead and flashed his beam, so it shone under the table where the skunk was. Abby and Becky watched as the bright light rousted the poor animal out from under the protective table cloth. Chasing the beam along behind it, Gabe motivated the skunk along the baseboard of the wall. When it turned down the short hallway which led to the outside, Gabe and Ben kept their beams just on either side of it and before they knew it, the skunk moved through the door and disappeared.
Becky let out a whoop and bounced before hugging everyone, causing both men to grin while Abby moved to the front door of the cafe. Her smile quickly turned sour as the smell hit her and she quickly returned to door to its closed state.
Becky saw the look and grimaced. “How long do you think it will take to get the smell out?”
“Honestly?” Abby said sadly. “I wouldn’t mess around with it. I think you have to rip the carpeting out and get new everything. I mean, you can probably save the plates and silverware, but anything cloth which got sprayed I wouldn’t even chance it. You don’t want the faintest whiff of skunk around paying customers.”
Becky stood there for a moment staring at her café as if it had just stabbed her in the foot before shaking her head. She quickly opened the front door, flipped the open sign to closed, and locked it before turning back to the three of them.
“Looks like I’m going to the bookstore with you.”
Chapter 4
Gabe and Ben had to go back to work, but Abby was happy Becky was coming with her. Abby left the PT Cruiser parked in front of the café, and they walked the two blocks to Calamities. It was overcast but didn’t look like it was going to rain so the walk would do them both good.
When they walked up to the bookstore, it had the same friendly exterior as before, but there was a big sale sign out front. The caption said ‘Phoenix Prime Super Sale’ and had several colorful pictures of various kinds of books.
“I’ve read some of those,” Becky said. “There are some good writers in that group.”
“Is it a publishing house?” Abby asked. She liked a good book, but she hadn’t heard of Phoenix Prime before and was curious.
“Maybe? I’m not sure, but they have all sorts of titles. I like to read some of the cozy mysteries or sci-fi. Lots of fun.”
Abby looked into one of the bins at several of the books and tapped her chin as Cheerio snuffled around the base of the tables. Maybe she’d pick up one of the books for later. There were several people in the bookstore already, and both Diane and Doreen were busy helping customers. As the bell over the door rang, announcing Becky and Abby’s entrance, both of the twins turned and waved while still keeping up a friendly banter with the people they were helping.
A moment later, one of the twins finished up with their customer and came over to big smile on her face. “Welcome dears, it’s always good to see your faces! What can I help you with today?”
Abby wasn’t sure how to start since just blurting out ‘do you know if my grandmother killed her brother’ didn’t seem overly polite, but Becky came to her rescue.
“Oh! You’re going to love this. It’s right up your alley, Doreen,” Becky gushed at the older woman whose face lit up like a Christma
s tree.
“Gossip?” Doreen asked, suddenly grinning even wider.
“Better,” Becky answered. “Old Gossip.”
“OOoooo,” Doreen said, clapping her hands together. “Does it have anything to do with why the Sheriff was visiting your house yesterday?”
Abby looked startled and opened her mouth to answer, but nothing came out. She honestly didn’t know what to say.
Doreen waved at her dismissively. “Don’t worry, dear, I know you’re still new to the town, but you’ll get used to it. Nothing gets by the double D Detective agency.”
“You have a detective agency now?” Becky asked.
“Honey, we’ve always been a detective agency. You have to be to keep up with what goes on around here.” Doreen turned to Abby. “Now, tell me what it is you need to know?”
Abby paused for a moment realizing that once again she was digging her way deep into an active investigation, but she had to know. Finally, she spoke. “I need to know about Rob Morgan.”
Doreen’s paused as she became serious. “Rob Morgan. I haven’t heard that name in almost twenty-five years. Is that who they found dead in the water treatment plant?”
Abby frowned as she nodded. “Yes, though I would’ve figured you’d know by now. You two seem to know everything that goes on around here.”
Doreen shrugged. “Not everything, but we try. If you’re saying Rob Morgan was the body they found, that explains some things. He disappeared twenty-five years ago, but everybody thought he’d moved off to Portland and then disappeared from there. Now, it seems maybe he never got out of town.”
“But why did everybody think he had disappeared?” Abby asked.
Doreen’s eyes twinkled as she answered. “Because Hazel told everyone that he’d up and left. I wasn’t sure what to believe, but Rob wasn’t precisely the pillar of reliability. Rob was a grown man. He could’ve disappeared if he wanted and did for weeks at a time. The problem was, he usually didn’t stay gone. He was happy living off of the family fortune.”
“Family fortune?” Abby said. “What are you talking about?”
Doreen looked at Abby, surprise clear on her face. “You mean to say you haven’t heard about the Morgan family treasure, yet?” Doreen asked.
When Abby shook her head, Doreen rubbed her hands together and grinned. “Oh boy, this is going to be fun. How do you think Hazel manages to live on an island and pay for everything? She’s never had a job in her life.”
“Well, I never thought to ask,” Abby said slowly, uncomfortable with prying into anyone’s financial life. “Honestly, it’s not my business.”
“Well, it might very well be your business if you’re trying to figure out the mystery of Rob Morgan,” Doreen said. “A lot of people think he was driven out of town because he was just too much trouble. Rob was a drinker, and he wasn’t shy about fighting or gambling, either. Now, it turns out he hadn't been driven out; he had been killed. Maybe there was a reason Hazel told everyone he moved out?”
Abby frowned, suddenly chilled at the thought. Her grandmother had told everyone Rob had left town, but he hadn’t. What if she’d known he died, or worse, had something to do with his death? She shook her head, refusing to believe it. “Okay, but why would being rich have anything to do with her brother. Didn’t they leave some of the wealth to him? Why would she care?”
Doreen grinned, getting into the story. “Rumor has it,” she said sounding like a mystery show announcer. “That only Hazel had control of the family fortune.”
“Did she not pay his debts? Maybe he owed some debts people wanted to collect from him?”
Doreen shook her head. “You’re only half right. He did rack up some debts, but Hazel never complained about paying them. She wasn’t happy about it, but she paid.”
“It sounds like Rob was a jerk,” Becky interjected. “But not like anyone would be out to get him.” She paused before looking guiltily at Abby. “Except for Hazel. If it were me, I’d have fried him up in a skillet.”
Abby gave Becky an exasperated look before turning back to Doreen. “Okay, but why does this family fortune have anything to do with it. It’s just money, right?”
“It’s not because it was just money. It’s where it came from.” Doreen grinned and looked at Abby carefully. “The story goes, that Hazel’s great great grandmother came by her fortune the old-fashioned way. She stole it.”
“Stole it?” Abby said faintly. She couldn’t believe her ears.
“Yes, dearie,” Doreen nodded. “Stolen. Apparently, she was part of some gang that made off with a huge shipment of gold. Then she double crossed her partners and came out to Oregon with the whole kit and kaboodle. She’s the one who built the house you are living in, and rumor has it there’s a cave somewhere on the island that holds it all. Only one person knows where it is, and that’s Hazel. I’d say, that’s a good reason to kill, wouldn’t you?”
Abby just stood in shock.
“Oh, jackrabbits,” Becky whispered.
Chapter 5
By the time they left Calamities, Abby was wide-eyed with concern. A hidden treasure? Abby had no clue what to think, and it was clear Becky was just as alarmed at hearing Doreen’s thoughts.
“I wish we could go have a cup of coffee at my café,” Becky said glumly. “Stupid skunk. I really need some caffeine now.”
Abby snorted. “I think I could go for a beer right about now.”
“You know, that’s not exactly a bad idea. The café isn’t open right now, and honestly, I think I need a few more hours of putting off dealing with my mess.” Becky patted Cheerio as he came up alongside her and wuffled up at her, looking for attention.
“Okay, but I’m still the mysterious outsider. I know there’s two bars in town, but I have no clue which one is good.”
Becky continued to scratch Cheerio’s head as she answered. “That all depends on what you’re looking to do. There is Jake’s Hole-In-The-Wall about a mile out of town. You go there if you want to get in a fight with bikers which I’m pretty sure we don’t want to do. Then, there’s McGrady’s where you go if you want to watch sports and drink a beer.”
I think sports and beer are probably more our speed. Do we have to drive to get there?”
Becky shook her head and pointed a little farther down Main Street. “Nope, it’s walking distance.”
Abby grinned as she and Becky headed that way. “I must say, it’s strange getting used to being in a town where almost everything is walking distance.”
“No, being in a place where everything isn’t walking distance is weird,” Becky said, laughing softly. “Don’t worry; you will get used to it. Besides, you can’t claim it’s boring. People are already calling you Hurricane Abby.”
“What?” Abby asked, blinking at her friend. “Don’t tell me they’re blaming all of this on me.”
Becky nodded and laughed as they reached the front door to the bar. She pulled it open for Abby and Cheerio as they walked in. Abby was a little nervous about Cheerio, considering what had happened on her first day at the bank, but Becky didn’t seem to be worried.
A middle-aged man with large ears and a scar that ran from his cheek down to his upper lip stood behind the bar. He smiled at them as they entered, then gestured to the empty seats scattered around the small room or at the bar for them to sit. “Come on in. Plenty of places to sit.” He had a slight lisp to his voice which Abby assumed was from the scar, but seemed pleasant otherwise. “Haven’t seen you in ages, Becky. Particularly in the middle of the day. Isn’t the café open?”
Abby saw Becky roll her eyes before she answered. “Well, it would be if it weren’t for a skunk that decided he wanted one of my omelets,” Becky said.
“A skunk?” he said, wincing as he cleaned one of his glasses. “For real? You sure do have the luck.”
“Tell me about it,” Becky said, then she turned to Abby. “Abby, this is Hank McGrady. Hank, this is Abby Morgan.”
“Oh?” He said, raising
an eyebrow. “You mean the Abby Morgan?” He grinned before holding his hand out. “Pleased to meet you, ma’am.”
Abby took his hand and shook it warily before raising her eyebrow back at him. “Nice to meet you, too. What do you mean by the Abby Morgan?”
Hank laughed and gestured once more to two of the padded seats at the bar. “Pull up a chair and tell me what you want to drink. Or eat. I make a mean microwave pizza.”
“What’s good here?” Abby asked. “Honestly, I’m not a big drinker.”
Hank held up his hand and turned toward the bar. “I know just the thing, nice and refreshing.” He placed two clean glasses on the counter before opening two bottles and poured from both of them at the same time. The golden liquid slowly filled up the glasses but didn’t fizz like a beer might. Abby picked hers up and took a sniff, the smell causing her eyebrows to raise slightly at the strong apple aroma. Becky was already taking a drink.
“What is it?” Abby finally asked, watching the Bartender’s confident smile.
“Apple cider,” Hank said with a smile. “This batch was brewed by a local guy, and he does a damn fine job if I do say so myself.”
Abby took a sip and smiled. It was light and refreshing, and not too strong. Just about perfect for the middle of the day. “Did you make this? It’s good!”
Hank nodded. “Yep! I do more than just serve it. I’ve got a blueberry liqueur brewing right now. It should be ready in about a month, I’m thinking, though it’s stronger than the cider by a bit.”
Abby nodded, then took another sip of the cider. It was good, and blueberry liqueur sounded good too, though she wouldn’t want to have it in the middle of the day.”
Hank waited for her to finish her sip before leaning on the bar toward the two women. “Now that I have you all liquored up, I can tell you what I mean by the Abby Morgan. It’s not as bad as it sounds, honestly. You’ve impressed the Sheriff, is all. That’s not easy to do, but he was in here the other night with some of his deputies on their night off, and one of them needled him about you. Told him he was losing his touch.
Cold Murder and Dark Secrets, A Red Pine Falls Cozy Mystery (Red Pine Falls Cozy Mysteries Book 2) Page 2