After stirring the mixture, she covered the pot and wandered into the living room. Mally, who had parked herself in the middle of the kitchen floor to supervise, trailed behind.
Paul was sprawled out on the recliner, remote in hand.
“Dinner is ready. When are you setting up your deer stand?”
“Tomorrow. What’s on your schedule?”
“I’m going to see if Margaret needs help packing and then head to the convention to help Ruth. She has her hands full.”
“I bet they’re an interesting bunch.”
“That, my dear husband, is an understatement.”
Gloria sank into the empty recliner next to him and reached for his hand.
Paul curled his lip. “What is that smell?”
“This?” She held up her wrist, and he jerked back. “What in the world?”
“It’s Alien Allure, Rose’s newest potion she concocted to sell at the convention. She claims it will attract extraterrestrials.”
“No kidding.”
“I spilled some on my hands, and now I can’t get rid of the smell.” Gloria kicked the recliner footrest down. “I wonder if vinegar will help neutralize the scent.”
She returned to the kitchen and doused her hands with a generous amount of vinegar before washing with soap and water. The scent had faded but was now mingled with vinegar. “Great. Now I really do smell,” she muttered.
Knock. Knock. There was a light rap on the back door. Gloria grabbed a hand towel and turned to find Margaret standing on the porch.
“Hey, Margaret.”
“Hi, Gloria. I’m sorry to bother you.”
“No bother. I’m trying to get rid of the stench from Rose’s potion. What’s up?” Gloria swung the door open and motioned for her friend to come inside. “Are Ruth’s aliens getting to you already?”
“No.” Margaret waited for Gloria to close the door behind her. “I’m having second thoughts.”
“About selling your house and moving?”
“Yeah. I just…the house holds so many memories for me. I guess I’m getting cold feet.” Margaret plopped down in a chair. “Or maybe I’m tired of packing.”
“Liz is on her way, which means if you don’t move, you’ll have a roommate,” Gloria said.
“I was thinking about that. She could always stay with you,” Margaret grinned mischievously.
“Nope. There’s no way the two of us can live under the same roof. I’ll rent her an apartment before that happens.”
“I’m joking. Besides, it’s too late to change my mind. One of the reasons I wanted to move in the first place is because the house is too big and too much work for me. As a matter of fact, it’s probably too big for Liz.”
“She has a lot of stuff. I’m sure she won’t have any trouble filling it.” Gloria tapped her chin thoughtfully. “The idea is to downsize. Instead of packing it up and moving it to your new home, why not have a moving sale?”
“I suppose I could. A sale is almost as much work.” Margaret sucked in a breath.
“You need to focus on the positive and keep reminding yourself of what a beautiful new home you’re getting. When’s the last time you checked on it?”
“Last week.”
Margaret’s new home was a custom build, tucked in a quiet corner of Belhaven Corners and on a double lot. Gloria had tagged along when she picked out the finishes, the flooring, the lighting, all of the things she’d wanted to update in her current home.
Construction was right on schedule, and it was only a matter of days before the shiny, new home would be ready for her to move into.
Gloria made her way to the stove. She lifted the lid on the pot of pasta and gave the contents a stir. “Why don’t we run over there to check it out?”
“I…I guess we could. I should go.” Margaret slid out of the chair. “I didn’t realize it was so close to dinnertime.”
“Why don’t you stay and eat with us?” Gloria replaced the lid. “I’m trying a new Missy’s Meals in Minutes recipe. It’s Creamy Cajun Alfredo.”
“It sounds good.” Margaret hesitated. “I didn’t come here to intrude.”
“You’re not intruding,” Gloria insisted. “Paul and I would love to have you stay for dinner. After we eat, we can swing by your new place to check on it.”
“Okay. You twisted my arm.”
The women set the table, and then Gloria headed to the living room. Paul had dozed off with Mally sprawled out next to him. She gave her husband a gentle nudge. “Margaret is here. I invited her to stay for dinner.”
“Are we eating now?” Paul groggily glanced at his watch.
“Yes. We’re heading to the flea market to listen to Ruth’s welcome speech at six.”
“Right. I forgot.” Paul waited for Mally to hop down, and then they followed Gloria into the kitchen. “Hey, Margaret.”
“Hi, Paul. I see you’re working on your deer stand. Is Gloria going hunting with you this year?”
Gloria frowned. “Very funny.”
“I wish.” Paul chuckled.
“I went once.” Gloria removed a pitcher of tea from the fridge. “Remember the time I went with Lucy? One and done. That’s my motto.”
The trio settled in at the table. They bowed their heads as Paul prayed over the food. “Dear Lord. Thank you for this beautiful day you’ve given us. Bless this food. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.”
“Amen,” Gloria and Margaret echoed.
“How is the new home progressing?” Paul handed Margaret the basket of bread.
“It’s right on schedule. I’ve already hired a moving company. I was telling Gloria I think I’m getting cold feet.”
“It’s a big move.”
“I thought we could swing by there on our way to the flea market.” Gloria scooped a heaping spoonful of the Alfredo onto her plate, eyeing it critically. “I hope this tastes as good as the reviewers claim it does.”
“It looks delicious,” Paul stabbed a piece of sausage and took a big bite.
Margaret tentatively nibbled on the pasta. “I like it. It has a little zip. Did you add spicy sausage?”
“That and a dash of Cajun seasoning.”
“Speaking of moving,” Paul said. “Is there any word on Liz?”
“She called me earlier,” Margaret said. “She planned on stopping at an outlet mall in Indiana.”
“So she could be delayed indefinitely,” Gloria joked.
“She told me the moving trucks were en route and will be arriving early next week.”
“Trucks?” Paul lifted a brow.
“I asked the same thing,” Margaret said. “According to Liz, she filled a large moving truck plus a smaller one for her golf cart. We plan to store her things in the garage until I move out.”
The trio chatted about the fall season, and then the conversation drifted to the attempted abduction.
“Dot mentioned something about an abduction when I stopped by the restaurant. She said the boy lives in Belhaven Corners. He was on his way to the bus stop this morning when a man driving a van tried to pull him inside.”
“The guy looks like Leonard Navoy, the head of NASCA,” Gloria said.
Margaret’s eyes widened. “Ruth loaned Leonard her van.”
“Which matches the description the boy gave.” Gloria reached behind her and grabbed her cell phone off the corner cabinet. “I’ll find the story.”
She tapped “Belhaven abduction” in the search screen and scrolled until she found it. There was a thumbnail picture of the suspect at the bottom. She double-clicked to enlarge it and then handed her phone to her friend. “This is the picture the police released.”
Margaret squinted her eyes. “I can see some similarities except for the fact Leonard has short hair.” She handed the phone back.
“The person could have been wearing a wig.” Gloria motioned to her husband. “I wonder if Ryan and Tyler would be interested in checking out the convention.”
“I bet they would,”
Paul said.
“I think I’ll give Jill a call. It’s been a long time since the boys’ last visit.”
They finished eating, and Paul and Margaret offered to clean up while Gloria placed the call.
“Hey, Mom. How’s Ruth’s spy convention going?”
“It’s…interesting. I called you for two reasons. The first is to ask if you heard about the attempted child abduction this morning here in Belhaven.”
“I did. I’ve already talked to Ryan and Tyler and reminded them about stranger danger.”
“Good. The second reason I called was to ask if the boys might be interested in tagging along with me tomorrow while I help Ruth at the convention.”
“I…I don’t know. I’ll check. Hang on.” There was silence on the other end of the line. Finally, Jill returned. “Yes. Both are excited to see you. I can drop them off. Just let me know when.”
“Can you have them here around nine in the morning?”
“Of course. They’ve been asking when we were coming by the farm.”
“And I’ve been thinking about them too.” Gloria shifted the phone to her other ear. “Why don’t they spend the night?”
“Spend the night?”
Gloria warmed to the idea. “Yes. That way, we won’t have to rush.”
Jill promised to have them there in the morning, and Gloria ended the call before returning to the kitchen, where Paul and Margaret were finishing up. “The boys are both coming in the morning. They’re going to spend the night.”
Margaret placed the dishtowel on the oven door. “Ruth conned me into helping host another potluck lunch tomorrow.”
“And I’m in charge of helping set up the vendor booths.” Mally and Gloria followed Margaret onto the porch. “What time do you want to meet at the new house?”
“We could meet around five-thirty.”
“Sounds good.” Gloria held onto Mally’s collar until Margaret pulled onto the road. As soon as she let go, the pooch made a beeline for the empty garden beds.
Gloria had recently experimented with a composting bin, using fertilizer, leaves, straw and peat moss. After Paul tilled the soil, she’d added the composting materials. Now all she had to do was wait until the spring planting season to find out if the added materials made a difference.
They circled the second, smaller garden and then stopped by the workshop to check out Paul’s deer stand, which is where he found her.
Gloria ran a light hand across the wooden frame. “How do you plan to get it up in the tree?”
“I’m using the pulley system you and the boys rigged up for their tree fort. I figured they never used it this summer, so they wouldn’t mind if I borrowed it.”
“They won’t even notice.” Gloria cast a longing look at the weathered fort in the front yard, remembering the summer she and the boys had put it up and how excited they’d been. That first summer, she couldn’t get them out of it. They used it a couple of times the following year. Now, it was all but forgotten.
These days, her grandsons were more interested in school sports, playing video games and hanging out with their friends than spending time at the farm. Which made their visit the following day even more special.
“I can help you,” Gloria offered.
“I think I can handle it myself. My plan is to take the stand apart. I figured I could load it on the old hay wagon, hook the wagon to the tractor and haul it to the tree. I’ll use the pulley system to lift each of the sections. Once I have the pieces up, I’ll screw it back together.”
“Let me know if you change your mind.” They returned inside, where Gloria checked her emails and then puttered on the computer until it was time to meet Margaret.
It was a short drive to Belhaven Corners, and Margaret was already there when Gloria and Paul arrived. She waited for them to join her on the porch and then used the key the construction manager had given her to unlock the door.
“It looks like a very nice home,” Paul said.
“It is. It’s almost too nice.” Margaret held the door and the couple followed her inside, where the smell of fresh paint and floor varnish filled the air.
“This looks even better than I envisioned.” Gloria spun in a slow circle. “I see that they’re installing the lighting. It won’t be long now.”
“You should check out the kitchen. It and the master bath are my favorite rooms.” Margaret led them past the dining area and into the spacious kitchen. “Aren’t the cabinets beautiful?”
“Yes, they are,” Gloria agreed. “Just think. This is a clean slate, a new beginning for you in a beautiful new home.”
“I can picture my mixer over here, the Keurig in the corner, my Italian ceramic mugs along this wall.”
The next stop was the spare bedrooms, separated by a Jack and Jill bath. The master bedroom and attached bathroom were on the opposite end of the house. A marble vanity lined one wall, with a deep, jetted tub on the other side. A spacious walk-through shower was next to the tub, and a large, walk-in closet was steps away.
Paul let out a low whistle. “This is a swanky place, Margaret. I’m surprised my wife hasn’t decided to sell the farm and buy a new home.”
“It is tempting,” Gloria admitted. “Where would we put the gardens? Where would Mally run? Maybe someday.”
They finished the tour and returned to their cars.
Although Belhaven Corners was on the other side of town, it was a quick drive to the flea market. The place was packed with vehicles lining both sides of the street. Paul drove past it before turning back around.
“Maybe we can find a couple of empty spots near the office,” Gloria said.
“We can try.” They rounded the corner, nearly colliding with a car that was blocking the road. In fact, several cars were blocking the parking lot.
“Not again,” Gloria groaned.
Chapter 5
Several Montbay County Sheriff’s vehicles blocked the entrance to the flea market office.
Gloria waited for Paul to pull off to the side before jumping out and meeting her husband near the front. “Something tells me this has to do with this morning’s incident.”
Margaret, who had turned off before entering the grounds, joined them. “I couldn’t find a spot and had to park in Bea’s yard. Where did all of these people come from?”
“I don’t know.”
Margaret eyed the police cars. “Now what?”
Gloria sighed. “I was telling Paul that I have a feeling this might have something to do with this morning’s attempted abduction. Let’s see if we can find out what’s going on.”
Ruth and Leonard stood near the doorway, talking to a trio of uniformed officers. A solemn-faced Officer Nelson, a pad of paper and pen in hand, was one of them.
“What’s going on?” Gloria asked.
“We discovered several vehicles on the attendee list match the description of the attempted abductor’s van.”
“You don’t know it was someone from here,” Ruth insisted.
“And we don’t know it wasn’t, which is why we need to check it out.”
“What if I refuse to allow you to search?” Ruth crossed her arms.
“I’ll arrest you for obstructing an investigation,” Nelson said.
“You wouldn’t.”
“Ruth…” Officer Nelson warned. “If you have nothing to hide, then it’s no big deal.”
“Other than this is an invasion of privacy.”
“I’m searching with or without your approval.” Nelson shoved the notepad and pen in his pocket and stepped off the stoop.
Gloria recognized the look on her friend’s face as she made a move to follow him. “There’s nothing you can do.” She grabbed Ruth’s arm. “Besides, he has a valid point. If you and the others have nothing to hide, this shouldn’t be a problem.”
Ruth pinned Nelson with a dark look. “Fine, but I’m going with you.”
She broke free from Gloria’s grip and followed the men across the parking lot.
Margaret stepped back to let them pass. “Dot and Rose are coming our way. I’ll go get them.”
“We’ll stay with Ruth to make sure she doesn’t try to interfere.” Gloria and Paul caught up with her in the Neptune zone. She was standing in front of a dark-colored van with Indiana license tags.
“You can’t search my place. I refuse to consent.” The man planted his feet firmly in front of the side door.
“Save your breath,” Ruth said. “They have a warrant. They’re searching for a vehicle involved in an attempted child abduction this morning.”
The man’s jaw dropped. “Was it an alien abduction?”
“Alien abduction?” Nelson rubbed the side of his forehead and ignored the question. “This won’t take long.”
The man reluctantly moved away from the van, watching as they opened the doors and began searching the inside. They inspected an air mattress and sifted through several boxes before exiting the vehicle.
While the men searched, Nelson stood nearby consulting his notepad. “Let’s keep moving.”
Ruth, determined to keep an eye on them, started to follow. Gloria’s arm shot out, almost clotheslining her friend. “Don’t you think it would be less stressful if you let them handle the searches alone?”
“No.”
“Ruth…”
“I understand why they’re doing it. No one wants the perpetrator caught more than me. My beef is I think the people here are being targeted because they’re – different.”
“That may be true, but it doesn’t change the fact they’re going to search the area with or without your blessing.” Gloria placed a light hand on her friend’s arm and began leading her back to the office.
Paul fell into step. “Gloria is right, and as you agreed, we don’t want criminals of this caliber in our town, in our community.”
“I don’t need this kind of stress. Why target Belhaven? Why now?” Ruth clenched her fists. “How can I focus on my welcome greeting knowing the cops are in the process of tearing this place apart?”
They reached the office where Margaret, Rose and Dot waited. Ruth gave them a distracted nod and stepped behind the counter. “I’m so nervous right now, I feel like throwing up.”
Alien Allure: A Garden Girls Cozy Mystery (Garden Girls Christian Cozy Mystery Series Book 23) Page 4