He approached Talia and awkwardly wrapped his arms around her with a quick glance back at the crowd. It seemed the most appropriate thing in the world, for a brother to console his widowed sister-in-law, but her reaction showed she felt his gesture out of place and unwelcome. When she didn’t respond Evan pulled away, patted her shoulder awkwardly, and then took his seat in the front row.
“That was odd. Why wouldn’t she accept his condolences? He’s the only other person here who lost as much as she just did.”
“Maybe she doesn’t want everyone in town to know how close they really are.” Chloe replied, waving her eyebrows suggestively.
EV shushed her as the pastor moved toward the podium.
Chapter 14
Nearly two weeks after Luther Plunkett’s funeral, everyone, save for his wife and brother, needed to focus on happier matters. Ponderosa Pines’ annual Moonlight Madness festival was a big enough ordeal to lift the layer of macabre that had woven its way through town, settling on fence posts and filling every dark corner like thick cobwebs.
The notoriety gained by the Pines for being a green community paled before the town’s reputation for hosting a series of outlandish events. Moonlight Madness held the honor of being a favorite among the seasoned residents, as well as the newer arrivals. Festivities began at dusk in the town square before eventually moving to an enormous bonfire in the field beyond the Fairy Garden.
Arms laden with bags of glow sticks and a trail of children following behind her from tallest to shortest like a family of ducklings, Veronica arrived in Chloe’s driveway.
“Hello, my darlings,” Chloe cooed, kissing each one on the forehead before relieving Veronica of half the shopping bags and depositing them into the trunk of her tiny car. The back seat was completely stuffed with decorations, giving the impression of a clown car ready to burst at any moment.
“Thanks for taking those over. We’ve got to go back home and get the supplies together for the face painting booth. My arm is going to be Jell-o by the end of the day!”
Veronica’s artistic flair and her way with a brush had landed her with the unenviable chore of manning the very popular face-painting booth for three years running. During the first year, delighted at being asked, she had thrown herself into each tiny masterpiece. The second year, her delight lessened considerably when the number of faces to paint doubled and she had barely been able to make it to the bonfire. By the third year, when begging had not released her from the onerous duty, she took the opportunity to add something inappropriate to the faces of anyone who had annoyed her in any way throughout the past year. Always clever, her targets rarely noticed the naughty images in Veronica’s handiwork. But for those few in the know, trying to pick out the subtle references added another layer of fun to the madness.
Short minutes later, Chloe pulled into a parking space across from the town square and popped the trunk. Before she could step out of the car she noticed Allegra Worth hobbling across the park toward her car, which was sitting only two spaces away from Chloe’s. The tension around her mouth showed as her lips settled into a thinner line each time one of her spiked heels sunk into the grass. Ashton followed closely behind her, Allegra’s purse clutched in one hand, looking more like her assistant than her husband.
A giggle threatened to erupt in Chloe’s throat, but she stifled it. Each time Allegra yanked her heel out of the turf, her bent leg gave her the look of a demented stork. Chloe sank further in her seat and peeked through the car window. The last thing she wanted to deal with right now was that obnoxious woman.
If she had to guess, Chloe would say Allegra probably topped out at five foot eight; but it was impossible to tell her actual height since she wouldn’t be caught dead wearing anything shorter than a three-inch heel. Her age was another mystery, but Chloe would bet money Allegra had recently slid into her forties. She reminded Chloe of a Barbie doll dressed up as Cruella DeVille for Halloween: all of her parts were perfect on their own—shapely legs, a tiny waist, toned arms—but there was something angular and almost odd about the way they all came together. She was certainly attractive, but in a severe, almost cold way.
When the coast was clear, Chloe emerged from the driver’s seat and surveyed the park with an unobstructed view. White string lights stretched zig-zagging across the grassy expanse to form a glowing canopy that would, after dark, resemble a twinkling night sky. Star and moon-shaped cutouts would soon hang from tree branches and between the booths that were beginning to pop up in a semi-circle around the park center. The area was abuzz with activity, and Chloe was happy to help.
Lanterns lit a path through a circle of trees and into a clearing where several telescopes were ready and waiting for curious eyes to peer at the cosmos. Another path would lead through the fairy garden and into a field where Chloe knew several citizens were currently constructing the pyre for the bonfire that would commence after dark.
As she moved about hanging pinatas, setting up booths, and making small talk with a few townspeople, Chloe thought back to the first year she had helped with the event. Not having been in town for more than a few weeks, it was still a challenge for her to remember names and relationships, making social interactions a necessary but uncomfortable evil.
Chloe’s solution was to do more listening than talking. Now, the secrecy requirements of her work carried on the tradition, and she realized she was slipping into old habits: focus on work; shut out the rest of the world. What was the point of calming down, moving home and settling in if she was going to repeat past mistakes? Vowing to be more friendly and outspoken in the future, Chloe finished up her duties and headed home to get ready for what would surely prove a fun and interesting evening.
* * *
The bonfire was in full swing when Chloe and EV arrived. Nestled into a pair of folding canvas camp chairs atop a gentle rise they sat back and watched the sparks fly high into the air while their friends and neighbors danced to the beat of at least a dozen different hand drums. A positive energy radiated from the crowd, as though they were throwing all cares and woes into the flames and allowing them to dissipate with the billowing pillar of smoke.
Moonlight, combined with the glimmer of firelight, made the dozens of glow sticks bobbing across the field almost unnecessary. Tents of various colors, some makeshift in design, dotted the area surrounding the bonfire. Though living in the Pines often felt akin to camping, this night of the year, especially, people seized the opportunity to sleep beneath the stars. Those who had consumed too many cups of Ponderosa Punch could often be found sprawled on the grass the next morning.
The drumming ceased momentarily, and two voices rose above the din. Lottie and Talia were at it again. Exchanging glances, Chloe and EV circled around the fire, broke off from the group, and made their way toward a clump of trees near where the two were arguing.
“…Don’t want to think about it right now, Lottie. Just let me deal with things my own way. For once in your life, BUTT OUT!”
Lottie opened her mouth to retort, but seeing the determined look on Talia’s face and the way her hands were shaking in anger she instead turned and stalked away through the trees without another word.
* * *
Having returned to their perch on the hill after another hour of fire dancing, Chloe and EV once again observed the crowd that was still milling around the dwindling bonfire. This time they were accompanied by Mindy and her boyfriend. Jace leaned over to give EV a kiss on the cheek before settling down on the quilt spread out beneath them.
“Don’t take this nonsense seriously; we all know if you were going to bump someone off you’d get away totally clean.” He teased, bringing a smile to EV’s face.
“Remind me to send a pan of mac and cheese to your house, Jace.” EV’s homemade recipe was well known as the best in town, and she typically only pulled it out for special occasions.
It looked like she may have learned her lesson earlier in the day when, looking much more approachable in sneakers and
jeans, Allegra Worth walked past with the ever-faithful Ashton following close behind. Allegra’s eyes scanned the crowd as though trying to pick out a single face while Ashton’s were trained squarely, as usual, on her.
“Hey, Ashton got the Veronica treatment. Wait, are those man bits on his face?” EV pointed and the rest of the group took a closer look.
“Sure looks like it. He must have gotten on Veronica’s list somehow. Maybe he said something snarky. You think he’ll ever realize she got the last laugh?”
Chapter 15
From its humble beginnings as a commune, Ponderosa Pines had grown into a fine, if somewhat eclectic, town full of people from varied backgrounds with an interest in living green; but, more importantly, in being part of a tightly knit community.
With a lifetime of history in this place, EV was not interested in seeing the Pines become the type of town governed by one person. The Selectmen system worked well here. Three leaders meant three varying perspectives on every issue. To her, the terms mayor and dictator were very similar in concept, and the worst-case scenario imaginable would be to have Evan in charge. He already had a Napoleon complex—making him mayor would puff him up beyond all reason. As long as she drew breath, EV vowed to keep that disaster from happening.
If she had to, she could pull rank. As the largest landowner and the only daughter of the founding family, her opinion held enough authority to put a stop to the whole thing. Playing that card, though, was not in her nature; and, in reality, there would likely be little need for her to do so. Despite Evan’s assertions, EV would always side with her neighbors in whatever they thought was best for their town. Even if that meant letting Gilmore annex Ponderosa Pines.
Whether Evan realized it or not, almost no one backed him in his bid to become mayor even if Ponderosa Pines combined with Gilmore. For some reason, he had gotten it into his head that EV wanted the job and that her insistence on a more equitable form of town government covered up a plot to keep him from ever holding office.
The man was completely deluded. Running Ponderosa Pines was not on EV’s list of fun things to do.
Ever.
Worse still, EV knew he was a main force behind the rumor that she was the one who pushed Luther off the ladder. What kind of lowlife would use his own brother’s death to get ahead?
All she wanted was to live a peaceful life in her peaceful town; but no matter what anyone said, she would never kill to make that happen—okay, maybe in fantasy, but never in reality.
Luther had been a liar and a cheat, but neither of those things had him topping her imaginary hit list. Everyone had their secrets—maybe not as many as they liked to think. The grapevine here in the Pines had deep roots and tendrils that snaked everywhere, and EV was tapped in more than most.
She knew Luther padded his estimates—hell, everyone knew that. But she also knew he was all bluster, and if called on it, would back down and charge a fair price or throw in enough extras to make up for the markups. His biggest problem was trying to make a job pay what he thought he deserved rather than what it was actually worth. This outlook let him believe he had the best of intentions.
Evan, on the other hand, had risen from real estate agent to broker as quickly as regulations permitted; then, for one reason or another, spent the next two years trying to talk EV into selling off large parcels of her land. First, there had been interest from a large entertainment company that wanted to build a theme park right on the line between Gilmore and Ponderosa Pines.
The residents of Gilmore had, for once, joined with their much-maligned neighboring town in an uproar against the proposal. As a result, it was squashed without even going to a vote when the conglomerate asked for a property tax waiver in addition to demanding major changes to the road system. The biggest hitch? They expected both towns to foot the bill.
Next, Evan approached one of the larger box stores and thought he had finally hit pay dirt until the owners demanded to be allowed a controlling vote to approve or disapprove any new business applications in a three-town radius.
Now he was behind the bid to combine the towns of Gilmore and Ponderosa Pines, and EV would have bet dollars to donuts he was playing both ends against the middle by telling the Gilmorians one story and Pines residents another.
If EV had not known the intimate details of his childhood, she would have seen the young man as something you scraped off your shoe after a visit to the dog park. Instead, she was well aware of how his mother had favored her eldest son, Luther—how she had held him up to Evan as the epitome of perfection while belittling her younger son, who soon began to turn bitter.
Even now, EV remembered young Evan as an earnest little soul with a sweet face and a love of animals. Over the course of a week, she had watched him charm and tame a feral cat that lived in the woods across from her house: a feral cat that she had been feeding for several months in the hope she could lure him close enough to catch with nothing to show for her troubles but some scored flesh.
All Evan had needed to do was sit quietly until the cat ventured from the shadowy forest depths and talk to it in a calm, clear voice. Each day the cat came closer as Evan poured out his love for the animal until, finally, the bedraggled feline lay purring in his arms. Never would she forget Evan’s beatific expression as he petted the adoring cat, nor would she forget the look of sorrow on his face when he had to let it go.
His mother would never allow Evan to bring home a pet, but EV struck up a deal with the boy: if he could help her convince his gray-and-black-striped companion to move in with EV, then Evan could visit any time he liked. Mr. Tibbs had gone from a prowling tomcat to a lazy house pet who commanded the prime spot next to the fireplace for many years after Evan stopped visiting.
A measure of blame fell to her, in EV’s estimation, for Evan having grown into the type of man he was today. At the time, she had been able to convince herself nothing would change, that her intervention might even make the situation worse. She suspected, now with hindsight, things had been worse at home than he had ever let on. In the face of his mother’s obvious partiality to his brother, Evan’s caring spirit tarnished and hardened until eventually he shut himself off from his one escape, EV. She could have stopped it but how do you explain to a boy that it was his face, the spitting image of his fathers, that reminded his mother of loss, not the boy himself?
That measure of blame EV placed on herself amounted to a fraction beside that heaped upon her by Evan.
As though her thoughts of him had conjured the man himself, Evan stepped out the coffee shop door to put himself right in her path.
“EV,” contempt dripped from his tongue like honey from a honeycomb.
“Evan,” EV sidestepped with the intention of walking past, but his hand shot out and grasped her forearm roughly. Pointedly, EV looked at his hand, then back at his face, her raised eyebrows telling him to let go more eloquently than words.
Slowly he complied. “I know what you did,” he spat the words at her.
“Then maybe you’d like to enlighten me.”
“My brother. You pushed him off that ladder.”
Of course EV knew this rumor was circulating, but had dismissed the idea that anyone seriously believed it. Not for one minute did she believe Evan thought her a murderer. He had another game in mind.
Her level gaze met his. “I’m truly sorry for your loss, Evan; and, because I know you’re grieving, I’m going to consider this an unfortunate outburst rather than the baseless accusation that it is.”
“Baseless accusation? You argued with him in a public venue, then followed him to the church where a neighbor heard him fighting with a woman. Deny that.”
Every single person in the place could hear the conversation through the screened door and at least two of them were surreptitiously typing away on their cell phones. Texting was the one place where EV’s word of mouth grapevine and Chloe’s electronic one intersected.
“Deny what? That Luther argued with a woman on the night
of his death? If someone heard them, then it is an established fact. What proof do you have that I was the woman?”
“You argued with him at the meeting, who else would it be?”
“Oh, I don’t know—his wife? Someone who was not happy with his work? One of the women who serve on the church board? It could have been anyone in town, but I can assure you it was not me.”
“You killed him to stop me becoming mayor. You knew that with Luther dead, the incorporation meeting would be postponed, giving you time to kill the whole thing and become mayor yourself. You’d do anything to stop me finding out how you’ve singlehandedly controlled everything to do with Ponderosa Pines for years.” Evan’s voice escalated in volume until the last few words were shouted loud enough that the coffee drinkers could no longer feign ignorance. “You’d do anything to keep this place from growing into a normal town. Get out of the sixties, EV. Nobody wants to live in a commune anymore.”
As though he had become aware of his audience and intended to convert them, Evan spoke in ringing tones, “Ponderosa Pines has unlimited growth potential. We need to expand our tax base, bring in outside money and business. The only one standing in our way is you, EV, with your provincial thinking. I’m the one who wants what’s best, and I’m the one who can take this community and turn it into something.”
Anger lit a fire in EV. “It’s not the town that you want to elevate, but your own importance. Well, you can stop posing for that statue right now because it’s never going to happen. I promise you I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure that you,” EV moved in close to poke Evan in the chest, punctuating her next words, “never.”
Poke.
“Become.”
Poke.
“Mayor.”
With the final poke, she saw his eyes light with glee and knew she’d been played.
Cat Killed A Rat (Ponderosa Pines Cozy Mystery Series Book 1) Page 9