Teaberry Chase

by R A Wallace

  Teaberry Chase

  A Teaberry Farm Bed & Breakfast Cozy Mystery

  R. A. Wallace

  2019

  Author’s Note

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, dialogue, places, and events are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Material in this book is not intended as a substitute for legal or medical advice from qualified professionals. The author has no connection to any software or website mentioned.

  © 2019 R. A. Wallace. All rights reserved.

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Megan’s Recipe

  Books by R. A. Wallace

  Chapter One

  “Ready for another fun-filled day?” Heddie Gould joined her behind the large counter that bisected the long room. It was nearly chest high affording customers an easy height to conduct their transactions. The glass partition segments above the counter were heavy and lined the length of the counter with open windows spaced evenly along it.

  “Of course.” Misty Moore lifted her head from her task and fixed a smile on her face that she hoped contained an abundance of confidence. Inside, she felt everything but.

  Heddie positioned herself on her stool at her window and began organizing her space into an efficient order based on her preference and years of experience. In addition to other necessities, she always kept a stack of blank deposit slips within easy reach and a small container of fingertip moistener. Once everything was in its proper place, she next began counting the money in the drawer she’d just been given.

  Misty shifted her eyes to Heddie to watch her routine. No matter how hard she tried, she’d yet to emulate it. Her intentions each day as she left for work at the Teaberry Bank were honorable and good. It was her execution that always seemed to fail. She couldn’t even keep track of her supplies let alone organize them. She swore her stapler had grown legs in the middle of the night and disappeared. Her other supplies often suffered a similar fate.

  The biggest issue, however, was the money drawer. Misty stared at hers with trepidation, hoping against hope that today would end differently than the other days before it. No matter how hard she tried, her drawer never matched up with her receipts at the end of the day. She’d tried following the standard practice of counting her bills out at the start of each day. Dutifully, she wrote down the numbers of each denomination she had.

  It was during the course of the day, after a few transactions had been made, that things went downhill. On top of that, she also had to order cash from the vault throughout the day as her drawer supply was depleted. It was all fairly confusing. At least, it was for her. Misty shifted her focus back to Heddie. The older woman was now facing forward on her stool, ready to conquer the day.

  “Supposed to be a hot one.” Heddie slipped her arms from her sweater before twisting to drape the garment across the back of her stool. Under the sweater, she wore a colorful chiffon tank to complement the white three-quarter length capris.

  “Really?” Misty hadn’t paid much attention to the weather report.

  “Ladies? Are we ready?” Rose Xiang stood in front of them on the other side of the counter. As the bank manager, it was both her duty and honor to unlock the heavy glass doors each morning.

  “I am.” Heddie rested her hands lightly on the counter in front of her.

  Misty watched Rose’s focus turn to her. She knew she visibly cringed under the manager’s disapproving stare.

  “Let’s try to keep everything to the penny today.” It was the same thing Rose said each morning just before unlocking the doors.

  Misty felt her stomach clench when Rose turned to walk to the entrance. There were several people standing on the other side of the door waiting to get in. Rose greeted them all, most by name, as they entered.

  A line formed in front of Misty though only the first customer was permitted to approach the counter. The others were instructed by signs posted everywhere that they should remain behind a line several feet away from the counter for everyone’s safety.

  The first customer seemed easy. He only wanted to pay a bill. Misty followed through the required steps and nearly flashed a smile of triumph when she finished. She could see from the corner of her eye that Rose had not yet returned to her office. It wasn’t uncommon. When she wasn’t mingling with customers, she often joined the tellers on their side of the counter and periodically even staffed a window at peak times. Misty knew that Rose didn’t have to watch over the tellers’ shoulders to monitor them. There were several cameras positioned all over the bank to do just that. No matter what Misty did, she was being watched by someone, or something, at all times.

  She could hear Heddie carrying on conversations with each of her customers. It seemed the woman knew everyone in town. Often, the conversations were personal as a customer would give private details about their finances or share a confidence. There were times that Misty suspected customers went to Heddie’s line just to avoid the need to verify their identity if they were serviced by her instead. In her early thirties, Misty wasn’t quite half the age of her co-worker but she definitely knew less than half the people that Heddie knew.

  “Excuse me.”

  Misty focused on the next person in her line. She’d forgotten to motion them forward when the last person had left.

  “Caitlyn, hi. Making your deposit for the florist shop?” Misty’s smile was more natural now. She and Caitlyn hadn’t been in the same year at school, but they were fairly close in age.

  Caitlyn stepped up to the window and set her security deposit bag on the counter. “Here you go.”

  “Okay, let’s see what we’ve got,” Misty murmured as she opened the bag and began separating the cash from the checks. “You don’t usually get in here this early.”

  “I hired someone new for the summer,” Caitlyn said as she began reading the various notices posted on the glass dividers on either side of her.

  Misty quickly totaled all of the items up and entered the number on the deposit slip before keying it all into the system. The deposit slip was then stamped with the time and number of the transaction.

  “Here you go.” She passed the stamped slip to Caitlyn.

  “Thanks.” Caitlyn returned Misty’s smile as she took the slip then turned to walk away. She immediately stopped and turned around, offering an apology to the person behind her in line. “Sorry, there’s a mistake.”

  Caitlyn set the slip on the counter and pushed it across. “You have the number wrong.”

  Misty felt the heat start in her neck before climbing up to her cheeks. She knew Rose was already working her way to the other side of the counter to check on the situation.

  “No, I’m sure I have the amount correct. I counted everything twice.” Misty pushed the slip back across the counter.

  Caitlyn picked up the slip and pointed. “The deposit amount is correct.”

  Misty let out an audible sigh of relief just as R
ose reached her side.

  Caitlyn pointed at another number on the slip. “The account number is wrong. You deposited my money into someone else’s account.”

  Rose reached out her hand to take the slip from Caitlyn. “I’ll handle this.”

  ***

  “Teaberry Campground. This is Zeke.” He listened to the person on the other end. “No, ma’am. I’m afraid we’re already booked solid for the weekend. It’s the Teaberry Chase weekend.”

  Zeke hung up the phone and turned back to the woman with fiery red hair on the other side of the counter. “Any more of that coffee?”

  She nodded and leaned back against the wall with her own cup in her hand. He picked up his empty cup and crossed the room. They kept a pot on in the mornings for anyone who stopped in the camp store. It was a fairly common event and one of the many reasons why Zeke enjoyed owning the campground.

  “I took some more orders for firewood yesterday.” Zeke filled his cup and returned to the counter.

  “I saw. I’ll add them to my list of deliveries.” Roxie sipped her coffee. “Did you get the tractor going?”

  Zeke nodded his head. “I got the train all ready to hook up for the rides.”

  One corner of Roxie’s mouth hitched up. It was her job to drive the train around the campground in the evenings around dusk on the weekends. Any of the campers staying with them could ride for free and it wasn’t just the children that seemed to enjoy it.

  “I should get at it.” She set her empty cup down and reached up to pull her shoulder length hair back into a tale. The red was now liberally sprinkled with white.

  The sound of the bells on the door caused them both to turn toward it. Two couples came in. One of the men was holding a small beagle.

  “Delmar, when did you get a beagle?” Zeke’s eyes narrowed when he saw the blood. He immediately moved to the other side of the counter and motioned toward a small table often used for chess games.

  “We found this little guy. He’s hurt, as you can see.” Delmar carefully lowered the dog to the table. The beagle was shaking so hard, Delmar didn’t let go.

  “We didn’t know what else to do.” Delmar’s wife, Josie, was pressing her hands together as she stared at the dog.

  “Do you recognize it?” Roddy McKay removed his cowboy hat before bending over to get a better look at the injury. The small dog began to whine.

  “I’ll call Casey. He’s the vet in town,” Zeke said. His gravelly voice was even more pronounced.

  “I can run him into town,” Roxie said. Her eyes met Zeke’s across the room. “I’ll make the firewood deliveries when I get back.”

  He glanced at the dog then nodded his agreement. “Probably best.”

  “Sorry to dump this on you,” Nettie McKay said.

  “Not your fault,” Zeke said quickly. “Wonder what happened to the little guy?”

  ***

  “You’re sure about this?” Jennifer studied the woman across her desk with compassion in her eyes.

  LeAnn took a deep breath and nodded. “It’s time. Gabe Parker hasn’t been a part of my life for so long now, our marriage ended years ago.”

  Jennifer held up both hands. “I’m not arguing any of that. I’m just suggesting that how you choose to end it might matter to you later on.”

  LeAnn’s shoulders slumped. “I know. We were friends once. It was a long time ago. I don’t hate him. In some ways, I wouldn’t mind having that friend back.”

  Jennifer grimaced.

  LeAnn let out a shaky laugh. “Was that the wrong answer?”

  Jennifer picked up the pen on her desk. “Do you have your own bank account yet that is in your name only?”

  LeAnn’s eyes dropped. “No.”

  “That’s the first order of business. You’ve been legally separated for quite a while now with an agreement in place. You need a bank account with just your name that your paychecks get deposited into.”

  LeAnn looked up quickly. “Gabe hasn’t touched any of the money.”

  Jennifer’s tilted her head. “If you’re really ready for the divorce to be final, this shouldn’t be a problem.”

  LeAnn bit her lip. “No. You’re right. It isn’t. I’ll do it today.” She stood. “Thanks for everything. I’m sure all the extra hand holding is over and above your normal call of duty.”

  Jennifer shook her head. “What you’re feeling is all perfectly normal. It’s a difficult time for both of you but I’m sure it’s also the beginning of a new chapter. As you said. It’s time to move on.”

  LeAnn managed a smile before leaving Jennifer’s office. She knew she should have followed up on getting a separate bank account long before now. She stepped out onto the sidewalk and was slammed from the side.

  “Oh! Are you alright?” A deep voice asked. Strong hands grabbed on to her momentarily to stop her from falling.

  LeAnn looked up at a concerned face. “Yes. Yes, I’m fine.” She tugged on the hem of her shirt to straighten it.

  “I see you were with my new cousin,” he said with a smile. “I’m Beau.”

  LeAnn glanced at Jennifer’s door behind her. “Hi. I’m LeAnn. You’re related to Jim?”

  “Guilty.” He glanced down at her again. “You’re sure you’re okay?”

  “Sure.” She waved his concern off as she began walking again.

  Chapter Two

  “She still isn’t behaving?” Julia held up the first shirt of the pile and examined it critically before reaching for a hanger.

  “What do you think?” Giselle motioned to the new item.

  “The fabric looks good. There aren’t many wrinkles from shipping and I think they’ll come out after hanging.” Julia hung the first shirt on the mobile rack behind her then reached for the next one in the pile.

  Giselle turned back to the counter to continue entering the new item into the system. “In answer to your question, no. Ian’s dog is driving him crazy. Dakota won’t listen to anyone.”

  Julia turned to hang the garment on the mobile rack. “She’s a Malinois, right?”

  Giselle paused. “Yeah. Do you know anything about them?”

  Julia’s laugh was short. “I wish. I was never allowed to have pets.”

  Giselle’s gaze went to her front window. “Maybe we should display that new top in the window?”

  Julia held up another top and reached for a hanger. “I was thinking the same thing. It would go really well with the capris we got in last week. I think you could even wear the outfit at work.”

  Giselle finished entering the new item then moved to join Julia. She picked up one of the tops and headed for the large display window in the front, pointing to a female form. “We’ll swap this outfit out.”

  Julia stopped what she was doing and crossed the shop to get a pair of capris. “It’s almost lunchtime.”

  Giselle removed the other outfit from one of the dress forms. “You brought a lunch, right?”

  Julia helped her slip the capris onto the form using the pins Giselle kept in her pocket to fold the excess fabric. “Yeah. I was just thinking that we’ve been getting more traffic in here at lunchtime lately.”

  Giselle handed Julia the previous outfit then slipped on the new top. “Yeah, I noticed that too. I’ll cover so you can eat lunch first.”

  Julia looked out the window and grinned. “Or I could cover for you right now so you can step outside.”

  Giselle’s brows went up. She looked out the window and saw an off-duty police officer walking his dog down the sidewalk.

  “You do have good ideas. I’ve noticed that about you.” Giselle flashed a smile before exiting through the front door.

  Ian smiled when he saw her. Dakota began dancing in place and pulling at her leash. “No! Calm down, girl.”

  Giselle shook her head while waiting for them to reach her. “She still hasn’t gotten the hang of it?”

  Ian stopped in front of her and reined in the leash. “I’ve been trying to take her on more walks to get her
used to the leash. You would think she’d be happy to get out of the house and see new things.”

  Giselle looked down at Dakota. The dog was now focused on her. Intelligent eyes seemed to telescope some mystical doggy thought to her that Giselle’s human brain couldn’t register. “Maybe that’s the problem. She’s too excited about seeing new things.”

  Dakota barked when she heard Giselle’s voice. She strained against the leash with her front paws off the sidewalk. She pawed the air in front of Giselle.

  “No! Stop that.” Ian turned frustrated eyes to Giselle. “I hate to ask given the way she’s behaving now but do you think you can pick her up again after you close up here?”

  Giselle kept the smile on her face. It wasn’t that she didn’t like watching the beautiful animal. The problem was she felt like such a failure each time. No matter what she did with the four-legged bundle of energy, it seemed to be wrong.

  “Sure. Not a problem.” She looked down at Dakota. She wondered if she was imagining the disappointment in the dog’s eyes.

  Dakota’s head swung around as the noise of traffic on the street caught her attention. A bird flew within view and landed in a nearby tree. A car pulled into an empty parking space a couple of doors down and two women emerged a moment later gathering on the sidewalk as they pointed at the shops around them. Dakota strained against her leash again, her front feet pawing at the air as she barked.

  “No!” Ian tried to rein in the leash. Small hands gently wrapped around his. He looked down at the dark-haired girl that had appeared behind them. He saw a question in her eyes behind tortoiseshell glasses.

  “May I?”

  Ian looked down at her black pants. “Are you sure? She’s going to be all over you. Her fur goes everywhere.”

  The woman smiled and reached one hand out toward Dakota. She placed it gently on the top of Dakota’s head between her ears. Dakota dropped her feet to the sidewalk and twisted to see who was there.

  “Hey, Misty. Window shopping on your lunch break?” Giselle looked from Ian to Misty. “Have you two met?”

  “Not yet.” Ian watched as Misty focused her gaze on Dakota. Dakota sat on her haunches and stared back.