“True…” Gloria cut off the tip with her fork and put it in her mouth. The meringue was just the right thickness. The lemon was tart with a hint of sweet and the crust flaky - yet firm. “This would be a home run,” she declared.
Lucy wiped the meringue off with a napkin before taking a bite.
“You don’t like meringue?” Gloria asked. She had never known Lucy to not like a sweet.
Lucy nodded. “Yep. Believe it or not, I’m not a fan of meringue.” She took another bite. “But lemon pie, now that’s another story.”
Gloria stayed long enough for a second glass of tea before she decided it was time to go.
Lucy walked her to the car. She watched as Gloria opened the door and slid inside. “Maybe you should confront Ruth. Tell her what you saw…”
Gloria nodded. “I was thinking the same thing. I mean, what could she really have to hide?”
Chapter 6
Gloria grabbed the mail out of the mailbox on her way to the house. She flipped through the pile. Nothing but junk mail and bills.
The roar of a car racing past the farm caught Gloria’s attention. She looked up just in time to catch a glimpse of a four-door sedan with tinted windows speed by. It was navy blue. The same color as Detective Sharon McIntyre’s car. Now what’s she doing way out here? Gloria wondered.
Gloria wandered into the house, dropped her mail on the counter and her purse on a chair.
Her cell phone chirped, letting her know there was a message. She popped on her reading glasses and picked up the phone. Meet me out at the flea market at 1 p.m. sharp. I have some information on the post office investigation.
Gloria didn’t recognize the number. It wasn’t someone she had programmed in her phone. But it was a local number. She glanced at the clock. It was already 12:45.
She let out an aggravated sigh. It would take ten minutes just to get there. She grabbed her purse and shoved the phone inside.
Mally thumped her tail and let out a low whine. Gloria looked at the furry face. “C’mon, girl. You can be my guard dog.”
Mally scrambled to her feet and met Gloria at the door. The two of them climbed into Anabelle and hit the road. There were two ways to get to the flea market. Straight into town until the street ended and then turn left OR turn left and go through town with one right turn. Either way would take about the same time to get there. Gloria decided on the drive-through-town route. That way, she could see if Ruth was still at Dot’s place.
She was. Her car was parked in the same spot.
She made the right at the end of main street and towards the flea market grounds. The flea market was open only on Mondays. The place would be like a ghost town today.
She passed the first block, then the second block. The third block ended at one of the entrances to the grounds. There was one lone car parked in front of the animal auction building. The car belonged to Judith Arnett!
Judith was Belhaven’s unofficial troublemaker and gossip extraordinaire. She and a few of her cronies spent most of their time slandering others and spreading vicious rumors. Not long ago, Judith had tried to steal a small espresso machine from Dot’s restaurant and Dot had banned her from the restaurant for life.
Gloria wasn’t much of a fan. It was best to avoid some people and in Gloria’s book, Judith was one of them.
Gloria pulled Anabelle into the empty spot next to Judith’s car. She glanced over at Judith’s car. It was empty.
Gloria and Mally climbed out of Anabelle and shuffled across the hard-packed dirt to the open side of the auctioneer’s building.
Judith was standing in the shadow of the lean-to, hidden from the street. “You’re right on time,” she said.
Gloria nodded. “You said you had some information on the post office investigation.”
Judith glanced around, as if someone might be nearby and eavesdrop on their conversation. She lowered her voice. “I kind of got this by accident. Yesterday, I was headed down the alley, the one that connects main street to the road that the old school’s on.”
“Yes, I know the one.”
“Anyways, I was headed from Mary’s place back to my car.” Mary was one of the gals in Judith’s small circle. “That’s when I saw Sharon, the detective lady. She was bent over, talking to someone inside a car.”
“Did you recognize the car?” Gloria asked.
“Nope,” Judith said. “I knew something was up so I flattened myself to the side of the fence. I couldn’t hear what they were saying but I was able to peek through an opening in the fence and I had a clear view of them. Suddenly, the person in the car handed the detective this!”
Judith whipped out her cell phone and turned the screen on. She tapped the surface and handed it to Gloria. Gloria slid her reading glasses on and studied the screen. It was a picture of the detective taking a white box from whoever was in the car. A white box that looked a lot like the one Ruth had picked up from Kenny that morning!
Gloria stared at the arm. It was long and a bit on the scrawny side. She looked up. “Can you forward a copy of that picture to me?”
Judith stared at the phone in her hand. “I would, but I don’t know how,” she confessed. She held the phone out to Gloria.
Gloria wasn’t too familiar with the workings of the newer phones but she could try to figure it out. Much to her surprise, she pushed a few buttons on the screen and Voila! It worked!
Judith scrunched up her eyes. “How’d you do that? I’ve had this phone for months now and could never figure that out.”
Gloria held the phone out, then showed her how to send a picture. Judith’s face lit up when Gloria was done. “Now I can send some pictures to the grandkids.”
Judith was a lot like the other women in town, including Gloria herself. Her kids – and grandkids – lived hundreds, if not thousands of miles away. “Thanks, Gloria!”
Gloria smiled. “Thank you for your sharp eye and for sharing this with me.”
“Do you think it means anything?” Judith asked. Gloria knew Judith was trying to help. Ruth wasn’t one of her “cronies,” but the two of them were friends.
Gloria nodded. “It might. I wish I knew what was in that box.”
Judith nodded. “Yeah, if we knew what was in the box, it might help, huh.”
They headed back to their cars. Mally trailed behind.
“We need to get Ruth back to work,” Judith said. “Looks like I’ll need to keep a closer eye on the goings-on behind the post office.”
Gloria patted her arm. “I need all the help I can get on this investigation,” she admitted.
“I’m on it,” Judith promised.
Gloria watched as Judith climbed into her car and drove off. She turned to Mally. “Now that is the most unlikely crime-solving partner I will ever have!”
She slid into the driver’s seat and pulled her cell phone from her purse. She pulled up the phone number and added Judith Arnett to her contact list, certain that it would only be a matter of time before Judith contacted her again.
On the drive home, Gloria went over what she knew so far. What she knew so far pointed right to Ruth. Or maybe it was Ruth and Kenny. But what was the person in the car giving the detective? What in the world was in those boxes? Drugs? Money? Was Ruth turning a blind eye to illegal drug trafficking in exchange for cash?
Gloria shook her head. If she was, she sure didn’t show it. Ruth had lived in the same house for years now. Her van was almost a decade old. She didn’t dress in expensive clothes or wear lots of jewelry.
Gloria sucked in her breath. Her eyes flew open. Or – what if Ruth had a drug problem?
Ruth’s van was in the drive when Gloria got home. She pulled in beside her and made her way up the steps. Ruth was in her usual spot. Glued to the computer screen. She looked up, then gave Gloria a small smile before staring at the screen again.
Gloria pulled out a chair and gazed at her friend. She tried to remember everything she had ever heard about drug use. Wasn’t there som
ething about dilated pupils? “So where did you and Steve go on your date?”
Ruth’s gaze never left the screen. “We had a nice dinner over at that restaurant on the lake going into Lakeville.”
“Do you think you’ll go out again?” Gloria continued the conversation.
“Yeah, I think so,” Ruth answered. “He’s got a great sense of humor.”
Gloria didn’t know Steve that well. Only that he had left a trail of broken hearts in Belhaven. “How are you doing on sorting through stuff for the sale?”
“Good. I think I’m almost done,” Ruth replied.
Gloria was growing impatient. Ruth was mesmerized by the stupid screen! She got up from her chair and plopped down in the one directly across from Ruth. She would have to at least glance up. “Will you be here for dinner?”
No answer.
Gloria snapped her fingers. “Hey!”
Ruth’s blue-gray eyes shot up. They looked straight into Gloria’s, then right back at the screen. It was not enough time for Gloria to determine whether or not her pupils were dilated!
She left Ruth at the table and headed to the bathroom. She switched on the light and studied her own pupils for something to compare it to. Hmm. Hers seemed to be medium dilated.
She wandered over to her own computer and fired it up. Then she typed in signs of drug abuse. She glanced over her shoulder. Ruth was like a stone statue.
She clicked on one of the tabs that listed some of the symptoms. The lists went on and on. How was she supposed to know if Ruth had any of these symptoms? Gloria herself had half the symptoms and she didn’t even take drugs! Difficulty concentrating or remembering things, insomnia, increased appetite…. Wasn’t there something about having the munchies?
Gloria clicked away from the screen and jumped out of the chair. She pulled a bag of chips from the kitchen pantry and set them on the table. “I think I’m going to have a snack. You want one?”
Ruth looked up. “Yeah. Something salty sounds good,” she answered.
Gloria scooped a bunch of chips into a bowl and pushed it in Ruth’s direction. Ruth munched on the chips and stared at the screen. Gloria put some in a bowl for herself. “Find anything new out?”
“Yeah! I’m going to have a mess on my hands when I get back there,” she said. She shook her head. “They have no idea what they’re doing. Why, I wouldn’t be surprised if half the mail is being delivered to the wrong places!”
Gloria had to agree. Ruth ran a tight ship down at the post office.
Gloria picked up a chip. “I wonder how Kenny’s holding up.” She held her breath and waited to see if Ruth would mention seeing him that morning.
Ruth backed away from the monitor and leaned back in the chair. “I bet he’s hating it. Just like me.”
Gloria looked at Ruth. Really looked at her face. She looked tired. The dark circles under her eyes were something Gloria wasn’t used to seeing. She was normally upbeat, peppy, a real chatterbox.
Gloria pushed her chair from the table and stood up. “Come on. We’re going for a walk.”
Ruth started to shake her head. “No. I need to keep watch.”
Gloria stuck her hand on her hip and shook her finger at Ruth. “You need a break from this whole thing. Some fresh air will do you wonders.”
She didn’t wait for an answer. She snapped her fingers. “Let’s go, Mally.”
Gloria didn’t have to ask Mally twice. She loved walks. Through the fields and the woods. She especially loved it when they walked all the way down to the stream, which was on the back side of the property.
Ruth reluctantly got out of her chair. “I suppose.” She stared longingly at the screen.
Gloria reached over and flipped it shut. “It’ll be there when you get back.” She lifted a sweater from the hook and pulled it on. The skies were overcast and there was a bit of a chill in the air.
Ruth followed suit and grabbed her sweater from the back of the chair. Mally led the way as she bounded down the steps and circled the big oak tree beside the garden several times. The fields had been tilled and crops planted a while back. There was a grassy path that led down the center of the fields and to the woods.
Ruth stared at the tidy rows of crops. “What do you suppose they planted?” Sometimes Gloria could tell right away, but sometimes she had to wait until the tender plants peeked out from beneath the soil. Gloria bent down to examine one of the plants. “Those are beans.”
Ruth nodded. She’d never gotten much into the farming aspect of living in a small, rural town. She’d grown up more of a city girl and had moved to Belhaven when she got the job as head postmaster. Before that, she’d worked as a mail clerk right out of high school where she worked her way up the ladder.
Mally was in the lead. She would stop every once in a while and take a step off the path. Gloria knew she was itching to run through the crops. She’d put one paw on the rich, dark soil to test Gloria and Gloria would warn her. “No, Mally.” Then, she’d pull her paw back and continue on the grassy section.
The line of trees was in view now. It was a mini oasis at the end of the straight, flat fields. Years ago, James had told her that the original town of Belhaven was first settled out here. That there had been a small train depot, a few shops and several small houses beyond that.
That’s what James’s grandparents had told him. The only thing left of the structures now were a few spots where stones had been lined up, as if at one time they had been the foundations of the long-gone buildings.
The girls stepped into the small forest and the temperature dropped. A faint gurgling noise echoed through the trees. Gloria and Mally had been back here several times already this year. Mally knew right where she was going. She darted off into the woods and disappeared from sight.
Gloria followed behind and Ruth brought up the rear. Mally was drinking from the small stream when the girls caught up. Gloria sat on the edge of a nearby fallen tree, her usual resting spot when she and Mally came back here.
Ruth settled in next to her. She stared at the cool, clear water. “You don’t think I’ll lose my job, do you?” She turned to Gloria, tears threatening to spill down her cheeks.
Gloria grabbed her friend’s hand and squeezed. She didn’t know what to say, so she did the only thing that helped when life got her down and things seemed to be spinning out of control. “Let’s pray about it.”
Ruth nodded and the women bowed their heads. “Dear Lord, we pray for Ruth and her job. Lord, you know her heart. You know how much her job means to her. We ask that the investigators finish the investigation quickly so Ruth can get back to work. Thank you for your Son, our Savior, Jesus. In His name we pray. Amen.”
The tear that had threatened now trailed down her cheeks. Ruth wiped them away with the back of her hand. “I feel better already,” she whispered.
Mally was back now. She ended the somber moment when she shook her body and pelted the girls with droplets of cold water. “Oh, no!” Ruth screamed as she jumped up from the log.
The sun was sinking low in the sky by the time the girls wandered back across the fields and into Gloria’s backyard. “The walk sure did help, Gloria. Thanks for making me go with you,” Ruth said.
“You’re welcome, my dear.” Gloria opened the door and waited for Ruth to go in. “Tomorrow we can start organizing for the yard sale.” The sale was creeping up on them. They had just a couple days left. “We should get together with the others and start pulling this thing together.”
Ruth surprised Gloria when she walked over to the kitchen table, shut the lid on the laptop and then carried it off to her bedroom.
The phone on the wall rang at the same time Gloria opened the fridge to decide what to have for dinner. It was her daughter, Jill. Gloria had called her daughter the day before to see if she had anything she wanted to add to the yard sale.
“Hi, Jill.”
“Hi, Mom. I went through a bunch of the boys stuff and have some clothes and toys I’d like to brin
g over.”
“Sure. Ruth and I are going to organize tomorrow.”
“Greg’s working late tonight. The boys and I thought we’d stop over with a load and bring dinner with us if that’s okay.”
Gloria still had the fridge door open and it was slim pickins’ inside. “That sounds great!”
“Was that Jill?” Ruth was back in the kitchen.
Gloria disconnected the line and set the phone back on the base. “Yeah. She and the boys are on their way with dinner. She wants to drop off some stuff for the yard sale, too.”
Ruth wasn’t accustomed to being around children. Hopefully, the boys wouldn’t get on her nerves. They could be a bit rambunctious at times.
Gloria headed to the barn with her heavy-duty flashlight. She unlocked the door and pulled it to the side. She beamed the light in. The place was filling up fast! Ruth followed her out and the two women shuffled boxes to the side to make room for Jill’s contribution.
They cleared a path and emptied a corner section. Ruth stood back and surveyed the piles. “What happens to the stuff we don’t sell?”
Gloria crossed her arms. She hadn’t put much thought into that part yet. “Call one of those donation centers to come pick it up?” She pushed the hair back from her eyes. The days were running together. “What day is today?”
“Thursday. Why?”
“We could start the sale Saturday, take a break on Sunday and then wrap it up with a bang on Monday!”
The more Gloria thought about it, the more she liked the idea. That way, it would keep Ruth busy, but it would also help them get rid of as much stuff as possible. It didn’t make sense to Gloria to have a one-day sale. Not with all the stuff they had!
Ruth nodded. “We could organize tomorrow and start the sale Saturday.”
Headlights flashed across the lawn and then beamed in through the barn doors. It was Jill.
Gloria’s grandsons, Tyler and Ryan, bolted out of the back doors and ran to Gloria. She bent down and wrapped an arm around each of them. “Boy, have I missed you two!”
It had been a couple weeks since Gloria had stopped by Jill’s place. “We need to plan a sleepover at Gram’s house,” she told them.
Hope Callaghan - Garden Girls 05 - Eye Spy Page 9