Alien Allure: A Garden Girls Cozy Mystery (Garden Girls Christian Cozy Mystery Series Book 23)

by Hope Callaghan

“We’ll swing by there.” Ruth backed out of the parking lot and circled past the auction floor and pavilion, where a few stragglers were still eating lunch. She stopped when they reached the vendor stands.

  Rose was chatting with a customer. Gloria and Ryan climbed out of the van after the customer walked away. “Ruth is taking a drive to de-stress. Ryan doesn’t want to go with us. I was wondering if he could hang out with you.”

  “He most certainly can.”

  “We shouldn’t be long.” Gloria turned to her grandson. “Stay with Rose. Do not wander off.”

  Helena, who was standing nearby, chimed in. “I’ll keep an eye on him too. Maybe I’ll let him sample the space food.” Helena winked at Gloria.

  “Awesome,” Ryan fist pumped the air. “I can’t wait.”

  Gloria thanked the women and returned to the van.

  “We can swing by and check out the new reno,” Lucy said. “It’s not far from town.”

  They drove down Main Street before making their way to the other side of the lake. Ruth turned on the first road at the top of the hill.

  “This is where Walking Stan lived,” Gloria said.

  “Before you put him in jail,” Lucy reminded her. “It’s the next house on the right.”

  Gloria frowned as she stared out the window at the dilapidated ranch. Shingles were missing from the roof. A downspout dangled at an odd angle. The siding was no longer white, but a shade of pale gray.

  Sheets of plywood covered the windows.

  “This is definitely a fixer-upper,” Dot said.

  “It’s a dump,” Margaret said bluntly.

  The women exited the van and did a quick tour of the interior. It reeked of mold, mingled with smoke.

  “We just evicted some squatters,” Lucy explained. “They’re the ones who busted out the windows.”

  “You’ll have your hands full with this one,” Ruth predicted. “Hosting the convention is looking better by the minute.”

  They finished touring the home and returned to the van. Back in town, they started to pass Bea’s Beauty Boutique.

  “I see Bea standing at the end of her driveway talking to Judith Arnett.” Ruth gave a friendly wave. “I should stop to invite her to tonight’s events.” She pulled into Bea’s driveway and shifted into park.

  “We won’t stay long.” Ruth rolled down the window as Bea approached. “Were your ears burning? We were talking about you.”

  “Which one?” Lucy asked.

  “All of you.”

  “We heard you had a little excitement yesterday morning.” Gloria unbuckled her seatbelt.

  “Excitement? It was downright scary. The poor kid. Jason Bearney was terrified out of his mind. Good thing I was here. I was getting ready to leave and was on my way out when he tore down the driveway.”

  “He gave the police a description of the van and the man,” Gloria said. “Did you see anything?”

  Bea reluctantly shook her head. “The only thing I caught was the rear bumper as it tore around the corner. It was a gray metallic color, I think. Either that or dark blue. The driver was hauling butt, and I only got a quick look.” She took a step back. “Now that I think about it, the van looked a lot like your van, Ruth.”

  “Lucy told us there was another incident this morning at a park in Lakeville,” Ruth said. “A boy is missing.”

  Bea shivered and rubbed the sides of her arms. “There’s something sinister going on around here. I was telling Judith that I heard what sounded like someone pulling into the driveway last night. Course, this whole thing had me on edge, so I peeked out the window.”

  Bea told them she thought she saw a van. “I ran outside to try to get a license plate. Unfortunately, the vehicle was too far away, and it was dark. I thought I had part of the plate, but by the time I went back inside, I forgot what it was.”

  “Did you see which way it went?”

  “I think the van turned in to the flea market.”

  Chapter 10

  Bea shook her head. “Last night I was certain of it. Looking back, I’m not a hundred percent.”

  “Did you call the police?”

  “No. I hopped in my Mini Cooper and tore off after them, but it was too late.” She closed her eyes. “If I close my eyes, I can almost see it.”

  Judith, who had been quietly listening, spoke. “I was telling Bea maybe she should give Rose’s memory potion a try.”

  Bea’s eyes flew open. “Do you think it would help?”

  “I suppose it couldn’t hurt.” Gloria shifted in her seat. “Let me give her a call.”

  “I’ll call her,” Ruth said. “Check this out.” She tapped the dashboard monitor, and a list of names popped up. She scrolled the screen until she found Rose’s cell phone. She pressed the button on her steering wheel.

  Ring.

  “Hey, Ruth.”

  “Hi, Rose. I have you on speaker. We’re down at Bea McQueen’s place. She thinks she may have caught a glimpse of the van involved in the attempted abduction. It was heading toward the flea market. We were thinking if she tried some of your memory potion, she might be able to remember the tag number.”

  “My special elixir works like a charm. Remember how it helped Brian?”

  “How could we forget?” Ruth asked. “Judith Arnett is here. It was actually her idea.”

  “Judith Arnett?” Rose made an unhappy noise. Judith was the Queen of Gossip. She and her close-knit group of friends were responsible for almost all rumors spread county-wide.

  For years, Gloria and the woman were at odds until Judith helped her solve a mystery that implicated Ruth. Since then, they weren’t the best of buds, but the relationship was amicable.

  Ruth took the call off speaker and reached for her cell phone, casting Judith, who was talking to Bea, a glance. She cupped her hand over the phone. “You don’t have to talk to Judith. Besides, this is for the kids.”

  “I reckon you’re right. I’ll have Helena keep an eye on my booth. Ryan and I will run home and grab the potion. We should be at Bea’s place in less than ten minutes.”

  Ruth thanked Rose. She ended the call and placed the phone in her jacket pocket. “Rose and Ryan are on the way.”

  When Rose and Ryan arrived, they weren’t alone. Eleanor Whittaker hopped out of the backseat, and the three of them made their way up the sidewalk.

  “I ran out of my memory potion,” Rose said. “Then I remembered I sold my last bottle to Eleanor.”

  “Rose told me what happened and how Bea thought she saw the abductor’s van last night. She didn’t even have to ask me if I wanted to help. This is a brand-new bottle.” Eleanor waved the small bottle in the air. “Fresh is best.”

  “Now, I gotta warn you, Bea,” Rose said. “It’s a little sour.”

  “And has a strange odor,” Eleanor added. “On the upside, it works like a charm.”

  “It’s for the good of the kids,” Bea said. “Does it have any adverse side effects?”

  “Nah.” Rose waved dismissively.

  “Well, none except for me having the overpowering urge to audition for the Dash for Cash game show. The endurance part would be my downfall, but I think the trivia questions would be a piece of cake,” Eleanor said. “Not to mention the mixture makes my lower lip twitch.”

  “I thought your lip stopped twitching after you started rubbing hot sauce on it,” Rose scowled.

  “The hot sauce trick worked up until last night. Could have something to do with all of the energy brought in by the flea market’s space invaders,” Eleanor said. “Speaking of that, I plan to attend tonight’s Alien Invitation.”

  “Not me.” Judith curled her lip. “This is the silliest thing I’ve ever heard…space aliens, surveillance equipment, spying on people. You know I love you, Ruth, but these types of events encourage reckless behavior.”

  Gloria resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “No one is getting hurt. Besides, look at how many times Ruth, her spymobile and surveillance equipment have helped crac
k a case.”

  “You shouldn’t be meddling in police affairs,” Judith sniffed. “Mark my words, one of these days someone is going to get seriously hurt or end up dead.”

  Determined to avoid a blowup with Judith, Gloria quickly changed the subject. “Back to the memory mixture, I think a cup of hot tea will help mask the smell and flavor.”

  “I have some inside. A cup of tea sounds good.” Bea’s property was part beauty shop, part personal residence. The side entrance led up a small set of steps and into the beauty shop.

  A set of swinging doors was on the other side of the shop, separating Bea’s business from her tidy kitchen. “I’ll fix us all a cup while I’m at it.”

  “How long are we going to be here?” Ryan plodded into the kitchen.

  “Not long. Bea is going to try some of Rose’s memory potion to help her remember something.”

  Bea filled the tea kettle and set it on the stove.

  Gloria’s grandson slumped to the floor. “I’m bored.”

  “Let’s turn the television on, and you can watch it while you wait.” Bea gave Ryan a hand up and led him into the living room. She returned a short time later. “He’ll be busy for a few.”

  The kettle began to whistle. “I just stocked up on mint julep tea. It’s delicious.” Bea filled several cups with hot water and passed out the teabags.

  “We only need a couple of drops of the potion.” Rose unscrewed the top and removed the dropper. She squeezed two drops into Bea’s cup. “Give it a good stir.”

  Bea stirred the mixture and lifted it, giving it a tentative sip. “It doesn’t smell too bad.”

  The women grew quiet and watched Bea sip her tea.

  “Anything yet?” Judith asked.

  “No.”

  “It might take a couple of minutes,” Rose said.

  Bea took another small sip, eyeing them over the rim of her cup. “You’re making me nervous. I feel like I’m some sort of science experiment.”

  “Sorry.” Gloria reached for her cup of tea. “Let’s talk about something else while we wait.”

  “Alien Elvis was in for another peanut butter, banana and bacon sandwich last night,” Dot said.

  “Alien Elvis?” Judith asked.

  “His outfit is out of this world,” Dot joked. “If I squint my eyes and ignore the fact the man’s face is painted green, I can almost swear it’s Elvis.”

  “He’s dead,” Judith scoffed.

  “No, he’s not,” Eleanor insisted. “My cousin’s husband’s brother saw him at Burger King in Kalamazoo last year.”

  “You really don’t believe he’s living in Michigan. He’s been dead for decades.”

  “I believe it,” Eleanor said. “Maybe he morphed into Alien Elvis.”

  “An eighty-five-year-old Alien Elvis?” Gloria wrinkled her nose. “Even I have a hard time buying that. I say we focus on Bea’s memory.”

  The outer bell chimed, and Bea’s eyes grew wide. “I forgot I have a wash and set at noon.” She rushed out of the room.

  Gloria trailed behind. Evelyn Christensen, a Belhaven local, dropped her purse on the chair. “Hi, Gloria. I thought I saw Ruth’s van out front. You gals getting your hair done today too?”

  “We’re here for something else.”

  “I’m sorry, Evelyn,” Bea apologized. “Something has come up. Can you give me about ten minutes?”

  “Take your time. I’m early,” Evelyn climbed into the center styling chair and reached for a magazine. “I’ll just read while I wait.”

  “Thanks. This shouldn’t take long.” Bea returned to the kitchen and downed the rest of the tea. “I might not have time for this.”

  “We could try the accelerated method,” Rose said.

  “Accelerated method?”

  “The way the mixture works is by increasing blood flow, which helps with memory function. Warming the old noggin seems to do the trick.”

  “We could put Bea under one of her hair dryers,” Lucy said.

  Rose shifted her feet. “There is one other trick to help speed up the process.”

  “As long as it doesn’t involve ingesting unknown substances, I’m game,” Bea said.

  “I’ll need to borrow a couple of your manicure finger bowls.”

  Bea and the others made their way to the salon floor while Rose stayed behind to mix another batch of memory elixir. She filled Bea’s cup with hot water and added three drops before giving it a quick stir and carrying it into the other room.

  “I need to make a quick call.” Ruth hurried out of the salon.

  Evelyn set the magazine in her lap, eyeing them with interest. “What are you doing?”

  “We’re trying to jog Bea’s memory.” Rose set the teacup on a nearby stand and propelled Bea toward the dryer chairs. “Pick a dryer that gives off a nice, steady heat.”

  Bea eased into an empty chair. “Now what?”

  Rose scratched her nose as she studied the armrests. “It looks like there’s enough room for a fingerbowl on each side.”

  Gloria grabbed the finger bowls and handed them to Rose, who placed one on each side.

  “Now for the special elixir.” Rose began humming as she carefully poured the mixture into the empty bowls. “I made sure it wasn’t too hot.”

  While Rose poured the tea, Gloria studied the dials on the hair dryer. “We should probably put a cap on Bea’s head, so we don’t mess up her hair.

  “It’s fine.” Bea waved dismissively. “My hair is so short. It’s not going anywhere.”

  Rose straightened her back. “Place the tips of your fingers inside the bowls.”

  Bea’s hand hovered over the bowl. “Will this dye my fingers green?”

  “Maybe for a day or so.” Rose cleared her throat. “I can’t be certain. The mixture isn’t very strong, so it should only cause a small amount of staining. Besides, you’ll only have to soak them for five minutes, tops.”

  “What about the heat level for the hair dryer?” Lucy asked.

  “Low heat will work best. Now Bea, once the dryer kicks on, close your eyes and focus on the van.” Rose gave Bea’s setup the once over and nodded approvingly. “Fire up the hair dryer.”

  Gloria switched it on, and the steady hum of the dryer filled the room.

  The women gathered in a semi-circle, watching as Bea closed her eyes.

  Ruth wandered back into the salon. “What in the world?”

  “Shh,” Dot pressed a finger to her lips. “Bea needs to concentrate.”

  “I feel like I stepped into a Palmolive commercial, and Bea is the next Madge.” Ruth pointed to the green liquid in the finger bowls.

  “Palmolive softens hands while you do dishes,” Evelyn quipped.

  “I was thinking the same thing,” Lucy laughed. “I love the stuff.”

  “You’re interfering with Bea’s concentration.” Rose shot them a warning look. “She needs quiet.”

  “Sorry.”

  Bea’s eyes flew open. “I have it. I think I remember.”

  Gloria switched the dryer off and carefully lifted it.

  “I was at my desk, going over the receipts for the day. I heard a noise outside. It sounded like a car idling out front. I got up to look. There was a van going by really slow like they were looking for someone or something.”

  Bea told them she slipped on a pair of shoes and ran outside. “The van was heading straight toward the flea market. That’s when I got in my car and tore after them.”

  Rose leaned in. “The license plate, Bea. Focus on what you saw.”

  Bea’s brows knitted together. “I…it was. You know what? I remember. I remember it now.”

  Chapter 11

  “There was a three on the license plate.” Bea scooched forward. “I’m almost certain of it.”

  “A three,” Gloria repeated.

  “Yep. Or an eight. It was dark, and my night vision isn’t what it used to be.”

  “It’s a start,” Gloria handed Bea a paper towel. “We’ll
be on the lookout for vans with a three or an eight.”

  Bea dried her fingers and inspected the tips. “My fingers are green.”

  “I have a special lightening cream that might help get the dye out,” Rose said. “The only problem is it burns a little, and you’ll have a weird tingling sensation for a couple of days.”

  “No,” Gloria and Bea said in unison.

  “I’ll wait it out.” Bea slid out of the chair. “Do you think I may have remembered something?”

  “It’s possible,” Gloria said. “The tricky thing is we don’t have a positive identification of the van’s color. Maybe it was heading toward the flea market, or maybe it was circling the block and had nothing to do with the attempted abduction.”

  “Would you like me to help search?” Judith asked.

  “Thanks for the offer,” Ruth said. “I think we need to gather more information before going gangbusters and jumping into an investigation. For now, I need to get back to work.”

  Gloria thanked Bea for helping before tracking Ryan down while the others headed to the van. Ruth revved the engine, motioning for Gloria and her grandson to pick up the pace.

  “The convention isn’t going to fall apart if you’re gone a couple of extra minutes.” Gloria pulled the door shut. “I don’t know what to think about Bea’s information.”

  “It could have been someone who was driving by, minding their own business,” Dot said.

  “It still wouldn’t hurt to have a look around the flea market grounds.” Ruth pulled into an empty spot in front of the office, waiting for everyone to get out before locking the doors.

  “I better get back to my booth,” Rose said.

  “Can I go with Rose?” Ryan asked.

  “I…”

  “He’s more than welcome to go with me.” Rose placed a light hand on his shoulder.

  “Okay. I’ll be along shortly.” Gloria wagged her finger at him. “Behave yourself, and don’t run off.”

  “I won’t.”

  Lucy watched them leave. “I think our next step is to take a look at Ruth’s registration checklist to see if a van matching the description has a license with either a three or an eight.”