She hated admitting that to anyone but sitting here with the woman she’d accepted as her grandmother it seemed a far easier thing to say than it had to the grief counselors, or the other army wives and husbands. They had all said the necessary stuff, but it had never felt right. It had always felt forced and like they were trying to rush the process.
However, here with the old woman, sipping tea and gazing out over the mighty rush of a river, it felt just a bit easier. At least a little.
“I know, dear,” Hazel said and took a sip of her tea. “I’m glad I kept in contact with you after Daniel passed. I could tell you were having trouble which is why I offered for you to come out here. You need a place to heal and a place that will listen to your heart.”
“I should be stronger, though.”
Hazel reached over and patted Abby’s arm before squeezing it. “You will be, don’t worry. You’ll find your feet again, and this is no trouble, Abby. I’m getting older, and it’s time things got shaken up a little. It’s the curse of growing old by becoming too complacent and boring. Having someone young around will help me.”
Abby smiled and patted Hazel’s hand before she took it away, and both women sat in silence as they watched the water flow. A few moments later Cheerio came racing around the side of the building and skidded to a halt as he spied the two women on the porch. He stood there, his body quivering with stimulation from the exciting world around him for a moment before letting his pink tongue flop out. A moment later, the rascal was up onto the porch and nuzzling his nose under Abby’s hand. Cheerio always did know when Abby needed him, and how to distract her. Abby caressed his soft fur and hummed to herself, feeling the unqualified support from him before he turned and raced off to the other side of the house.
“So, what now?” Abby asked after watching Cheerio dash out of sight. It was still jarring to let her dog just run loose without a fence, but they were on an island and Cheerio was not a stupid animal.
“Now? Well, how is your carrot and potato cutting? I’ve had the makings for a pot roast ready but wasn’t sure the time you would be getting here. It’s only noon, so there is still plenty of time to make it for dinner. Why don’t you go get your things unpacked, and by the time you come back down I’ll have finished my tea and have everything out of the cupboard, ready to go.”
Abby stood and took a few steps to the house before stopping. She realized she didn’t know where her room was and felt suddenly foolish. Turning back, she asked her grandmother. “Uh, where is my room?”
Hazel blinked and then sighed softly, putting her teacup down. “Oh yes, that is rather important,” she said, looking at Abby apologetically. “Your bags should already be up there, but if you go back to the main entrance and then up the stairs, take a right, and it will be the second room on the left. If you get to the third room and open it, you’ll be accosted by a musty old closet. Don’t worry. My room is on the bottom floor, so you’ll have the entire upper floor to yourself. It’s getting harder each year to climb those stairs, I must say.”
Abby smiled and moved back toward the house, following the directions. There was surprisingly little creaking as she walked up the stairs and she gently caressed the banister all the way up, taking comfort in the smooth wood as it moved under her hand. The upper floors were every bit as inviting and warm as the downstairs, with old wood floors and accents.
She stopped at one of the pictures, reaching up and tracing the face of a much younger Danny then she’d ever known. His impish grin looked back at her through time, and she felt a tear slide down her cheek before closing her eyes and moving away from the reminder. It was right next to the carved wooden door that led to her room, but strangely, instead of making her sadder, it felt more like a guardian angel. The door she came to felt robust, and she ran her hands over the gentle flow of the simple carvings before turning the brass knob and walking inside.
She stopped and smiled to herself as she let her eyes wander over a room that wasn’t far off from what she had imagined. A comfortable, four-poster bed surrounded by antiques. Nothing fancy, but they gave more life and class to the room than anything you could buy in today’s stores.
Her bags were sitting on the floor next to the foot of the bed, and she quickly unpacked them into the closet and dresser before stepping over to the window which looked out over the deck and river beyond. Opening the window, she took a deep breath of the earthy, fresh air and sighed softly to herself. Her life had just taken a massive shift, but one which she had undertaken willingly. One she had needed to make, because where she came from felt like a slowly sinking ship. Her eyes settled on her grandmother who was just getting up. Grandmother, she said softly to herself. It felt good. Something her soul desperately needed. She wondered about the future and hoped things would settle soon. It would take time, she knew, and wanted to fast forward several weeks to a place she hoped would be more comfortable. But first, there was a pot roast that needed her help.
Chapter 3
The next day Abby awoke to the gentle dark blue transitioning slowly to lighter color of the day’s first dawn. Sitting up, she stretched and felt every muscle in her arms and back pulling against each other in a delicious symphony that told her she’d had a good night’s sleep. After time in the bathroom and a warm shower, she rousted Cheerio out of the comfy spot in her room, and both of them went for their morning run. It was an eye-opening experience for Abby and a pleasure for the active Australian Shepherd as they both stretched their legs. Abby wasn’t used to having to wear warmer clothes on her jog, so she only made it down to the bridge before she had to turn around and get a zip up hoodie. Once fixed up for the Pacific Northwest’s cooler weather, she and Cheerio were off once again and headed into town for the first of many morning runs.
She quickly realized that not only would it exercise her muscles, but it also was an exercise for her soul. The wide boulevards were lined with tall pine trees that stretched far up into the sky, creating a thick green blanket high above the town. Abby couldn’t help but look up as she ran, letting her eyes explore the dark textures and imagining she were a toddler walking amongst giants. Each was moving and swaying in tune with the other and speaking in some unknowable language.
The aging mid-century homes and buildings arrayed themselves amongst the trees like scattered easter eggs of various, subtle colors. Most were muted and skirted with ferns and other bushy plants that would grow well in the shade of the pines. Despite the early hour, there were people out and about. Some were getting ready for work, and others visiting in a friendly manner with their neighbors. Some even waved happily to Abby as she ran by, and once a a friendly woman moved out of her driveway to pet the ever-eager Cheerio.
It was totally unlike large cities and cosmopolitan army posts she had lived in for the past decade. Here, everyone knew each other. Had known each other for who knows how many years, and it was such an alien feeling to know it existed around her in such depth. It gave her a shiver, but one she wasn’t entirely certain was right or wrong. Maybe it wasn’t either.
After a few blocks, she took a right toward Main Street. It seemed to hold most of the businesses in town as well as the post office and a large, park area around some of the other community buildings. Each building fit snugly within its space, and she found the sudden presence of blue sky above the grassy, well-manicured lawn a welcome sight. Cheerio gave a happy yip and ran to the thick grass, cavorting about like a puppy.
Abby grinned, and watched him dance and race back and forth on the lawn, then quickly realized this was directly in front of what must be the government buildings of the town. “Cheerio!” Abby called to him and snapped her fingers, trying to make the dog come back to her side. She didn’t know what the local rules were but didn’t want anyone to get upset at her on her first day. The happy dog started to come back to her but then braced himself and barked playfully, daring her to chase him. Abby knew that wasn’t a good sign if she wanted to keep a low profile. The last thing she
needed was to be seen chasing her dog throughout town like a mad woman. She cast a dirty look at her playful pet, clenching her teeth in mild frustration before looking around and pulling out a piece of wrapped beef jerky.
Slowly, she unwrapped part of it and waved it in the air toward him, letting him see and then turning slightly away from him, making motions as if she were going to take a bite. Cheerio wuffled at her as if to say “not fair” and bounced, suddenly realizing he was no longer in control of the game. He made one last effort to get Abby to chase him, spinning quickly in a circle and bouncing a few more times, but he began to waffle when Abby made a yum sound. He completely broke when she faked taking a bite. Abby smiled when he snorted and sprang to her side, sat obediently, and gave Abby his very best ‘I'm good’ look.
“Rotten mongrel,” Abby said as she reached down and ruffled his ear, feeding him the treat. “Don’t you dare run off on me and make me have to go around asking about you. That’s not the way I want to introduce myself to anyone.”
When she’d stopped in front of one of the old municipal buildings to corral Cheerio, Abby hadn’t realized an older man was standing on the porch until he took a few steps down and spoke in a low, smooth voice. “Well, actually it sounds like a great way to introduce yourself to everyone. Who doesn’t love a dog?”
Abby looked up in surprise, then instantly felt at ease by the man’s easy smile. He was wearing a clean suit which seemed unusual for the very laid-back town, but on him, it looked comfortable and well-worn. His silver hair and bushy mustache matched each other, blending in effortlessly with the smile wrinkles and gentlemanly crow’s feet.
For his part Cheerio moved toward the man and sniffed his hand, letting him initiate a vigorous scratching and petting which Cheerio pushed into with his tongue lolling happily. Abby watched carefully and saw the earnest smile on the man’s face before he looked up at her.
“Well, I hope most people do love dogs,” Abby said, stepping forward and holding out her hand. “But I bet they won’t love my sweating and cursing as I chase him around. My name is Abby Morgan.”
“Abby Morgan?” The older man asked as he shook her hand. “Any relation to Hazel?”
“Yes, she’s my grandmother, or rather she’s the grandmother of my husband.” She froze inwardly and cursed herself. These people might know that Danny was dead which completely diffused her avoidance tactic and turned it into something far worse. Her fears were realized when she saw a faint question arise in his eyes, but they quickly transformed into understanding as he saw her worry. “His name is…was Daniel Morgan.” Abby trailed off, trying not to let her emotions show in her voice but failing miserably.
The man only nodded and smiled warmly at her as if nothing happened. “I understand. It is a great pleasure to make your acquaintance Misses Abby Morgan. My name’s Gil Tomlin, and I have the privilege of being mayor of our fair town. Seeing as how early it is, am I lucky enough to be the first to welcome you?”
“Yes,” Abby said, trying to hide the small hesitation in her voice. “Yes, sir, as a matter of fact, you are. Cheerio and I were just on our first morning run. I was also thinking of stopping by the local bank and opening up some accounts. Maybe even visit the post office.”
“Well, I know we’re not a big city but I’m still sure you could do most of that online.”
Abby nodded, suddenly feeling a bit silly for her reasoning. “I thought that, too, but didn’t believe it would hurt to meet the people in person.” She put her hands on her hips and looked around, smiling wistfully. “Something about this place makes using a computer seem odd. I’m sure I’ll get over it in a few weeks though.”
The mayor laughed. “A few weeks will do it, I’m sure, but being a career politician I have to say I like your style,” He said, nodding at her with an impressed look on his face. “I completely agree that getting out and meeting people face-to-face is the way to go. At the very least, it will keep the rumor mill down that you’re some mob escapee or government spy. Do you need any directions? You passed by the post office just back there, and Red Pine Mutual is right across the street to the West.” He leaned in and whispered conspiratorially. “I made sure there were trees planted in the way so I wouldn’t have to look at it. Ugliest building in the town if you ask me, and they did, but they didn’t listen to me when I told them not to build it like that.”
Abby nodded as the well-dressed man pointed the general direction of some bushy trees that did very well to hide whatever was behind them. Abby thanked the mayor and Cheerio gave one last bark before trotting after her as she headed in the direction he had pointed.
Chapter 4
Faithful to the mayor’s word, the building was one of the ugliest ones in town. It looked like it was built in the seventies and resembled nothing more than a brick and mortar mushroom looming over the area around it. A large base composed mostly of glass in the front half contained the lobby of the bank, but the second story stretched over the top with almost menacingly tiny windows that presumably held the more private bank offices. Much of the parking was underneath the overhanging second floor and Abby laughed to herself. It had all of the angular lines and fake rock walls of the old Brady house on TV.
Abby found herself stopping and just admiring the pure ugly audacity of the building. She was also secretly wondering how old the mayor was, because if this building wasn’t built in the seventies, then whoever had designed the building was severely out of touch with reality.
Snorting, she shook her head and trotted up to the front doors, making sure she was within the hours listed before opening them and peeking inside. The desk closest to the front doors held a rail-thin woman wearing a very conservative blouse and long skirt. Humming to herself, she was typing on a keyboard, thankfully connected to a computer from at least this century. Abby grinned to herself as she wondered if this was the bank’s dress code, or how the woman chose to dress because shockingly, she matched the exterior of the bank in style.
“Can I help you with something, ma’am?” the woman asked politely
“Well, I was hoping to open an account today and transfer some funds, but I’ve got my dog with me. Is there any way I could bring him inside? I’d hate just to leave him tied up outside if I can avoid it.”
The woman raised an eyebrow before leaning over and inspecting Cheerio, but instead of a forbidding frown, she smiled brightly at the wiggling black and white interloper. “He won’t run around will he?” She glanced over her shoulder toward an office at the back, currently containing two men who were loudly talking. “I don’t think my manager will like that, but let’s take a chance. Come on inside. Just try to keep him in front of the desk and out of sight.”
Abby grinned and eased herself into the chair that sat in front of the desk before snapping her fingers to a spot right next to her. Cheerio obediently came over and laid down, panting quietly. For all of his antics out in the park in front of the mayor, Cheerio was a smart dog and sensed that now wasn’t the time to play. After eyeing him to make sure he wasn’t going to move, Abby turned her attention back to the woman. “I’m Abby Morgan, nice to meet you.”
“Susan Clawson,” the woman said, standing and leaning over to shake Abby's hand warmly. “So a new bank account? Just checking or will you want a savings account as well? We also have some mutual funds and other services if you are interested?”
“Checking and savings will be good. I have some other accounts but I’m not sure I’m going to transfer those yet.”
The woman nodded, calling up a screen on her computer and asking several questions as she typed diligently. Despite her appearance, Susan had a warm personality that Abby found comfortable.
The data entry was going fairly well until a round of raucous laughter interrupted them. Abby and a nervous Susan both looked toward the office at the back of the room that contained the two men Susan had indicated earlier. The man behind the massive desk was Susan’s manager, but the other man looked to be just visiting
and dressed in neat, but comfortable clothing that didn’t match the formal business dress of the bank. They had turned just as the visitor finished a very loud, and very impolite joke to which both men exploded in laughter again. Abby could see several other customers shifting uncomfortably, and the tellers held the same look on their faces that Susan did.
“I’m sorry,” Susan said softly, eyeing the office darkly. “Frank usually isn’t like that unless Mr. Malcolm is around. Frank Millerson is the bank manager. He’s the big one sitting behind the desk, and yes, his face is usually that red so no, he’s not having a heart attack. At least not yet,” Susan said with an almost wistful tone in her voice.
“The other one is Craig Malcolm,” She continued. “He’s a big logger and developer in these parts. He likes to think he owns the town, but he’d only be half right. Still, he acts like he owns it all.” Susan paused but continued in her whisper, looking pointedly over her glasses at Abby. “Just to warn you if you plan on sticking around, he’s got grabby hands. If he’s in the vicinity, make sure your behind is pointed toward a wall.”
“It will be the last thing those hands ever do if he touches my behind,” Abby said, her ire rising a little at even the hint of someone acting like that. She turned back around and purposefully locked the man’s face in her memory. She didn’t want to be taken by surprise. “I’m an Army…ex-Army wife.” She stopped and swallowed as Danny’s face rose once again to haunt her. The move had brought too many things to the forefront of her mind, and the encounter with the Mayor had not helped. She could feel her face grow red but hoped Susan just thought it was due to the thought of being touched by a stranger.
Hot Tea and Cold Murder: A Red Pine Falls Cozy Mystery (Red Pine Falls Cozy Mysteries Book 1) Page 2