by Nancy Naigle
“I’m not kidding. Even Pearl joked my ass about it. That thing was redder than a fire truck.”
“Did you wear it?”
“Of course I did. Milly worked hard on it. I wore it to the Christmas cantata at the church. She told everyone she’d made that vest for me. It made her day.”
“You’re a sweet man.”
“Don’t you forget it, but promise me you won’t ever dress me funny, like you did Clyde.”
She raised her hand in a scout sign. “I, Jill Clemmons, promise to never dress Garrett Malloy funny on purpose.” She lowered her voice to just above a whisper, “Unless he drools a lot.”
“A disclaimer. I see how you are.” He dropped a quick kiss on her lips. “But, I think I can live with that.”
***
After a full day with Carolanne and Milly, Jill met Mary Claire at the diner to share the news about the Artisan Center.
The supper crowd had already cleared out. Jill flipped slowly through a portfolio of some of Mary Claire’s latest work while they snacked on a basket of onion rings.
“I like the sketches of Pearl’s gardens the best,” Mary Claire said.
“Me, too.” Jill took a picture out of the stack. “This hummingbird in the mimosa tree is probably my favorite. I don’t know. The birdbath is nice, too. They’re all great.”
“Yep,” Mary Claire agreed. She was the same age as Jill, but Mary Claire had been born with Down syndrome. Even so, she was a dear and talented girl. She enjoyed making the signs for the weekly specials at Spratt’s Market. The job gave her steady income. Last year, she’d moved into the apartment above the store which had room for a studio and was close enough to her mom and dad that they could help, when she needed them. She had an incredible ability to translate a memory into a keepsake through pen-and-ink and paper.
“Those other ones in the back are local people I sketched,” Mary Claire explained.
Jill flipped more quickly through those, paused, then flipped back to one that had caught her eye. The drawing featured a man standing behind a woman with his arms around her waist and leaning against a car.
Jill held the picture closer. She tried to control the concern from showing in her voice. “Mary Claire, when did you sketch this one?”
Mary Claire squinted at the picture, tilted her head, then looked to the ceiling as she tried to remember. “That’s the lady who asked Macy to deliver the fruit basket. See, there’s the basket on the ground. That man and woman were behind the store. I saw them from my apartment.”
“Had you seen them before?”
Mary Claire nodded. “At the park. I saw them at the park the day of Pearl’s funeral. I was there feeding the ducks that morning. I was really sad that day.”
“I know. Me, too.”
“I miss Pearl a lot.” Mary Claire’s pale blue eyes watered.
“Me, too.” Jill looked at the picture again. “Can I borrow this?”
“Sure. You can have it.”
“You’re the best.” Jill went to the counter, paid for their snack, then came back and hugged Mary Claire. Jill picked up her purse and the sketch and ran from the building toward the sheriff’s office, just two blocks down Main Street.
After jogging all the way there, Jill pushed through the heavy wooden doors of the sheriff’s office, half out of breath.
The dispatcher looked up from her desk.
“Where’s Scott Calvin? Is he in?” Jill asked.
The dispatcher nodded towards the back and continued her duties.
Jill walked down the hall and knocked on the glass window of the open door of Scott’s office. “Knock, knock,” she said.
Scott looked up from the paperwork that was stacked on his battered metal desk. “Hey, Jill. Everything okay?”
“Yep. But I think I just found something that might help.”
“What’s that?”
“Look.” She stepped into his office and laid the sketch on top of his papers.
“What am I looking at?”
“Mary Claire sketched it.” Jill tapped the picture. “She saw these people in the parking lot behind the store.” She pointed to the basket at the bottom of the photo. “That’s the fruit basket, and that’s Annie.”
“Really?” Scott leaned back in his squeaky chair. “Well, I’ll be darned. I hadn’t seen any of her recent work. Man, she’s even better than I remembered.”
“Yeah, but that’s not what I wanted you to see. Guess who that is?” Jill pointed to the man in the drawing.
“Is that Bradley Kase?”
“That’s why you’re the sheriff of this town. You can solve a crime,” she snapped her fingers, “just like that.”
Scott gave her a broad smile. “Good work, Jill.”
Chapter Nineteen
A week later, things were getting back to an uneventful Adams Grove pace. The scene with Bradley seemed long ago, even though it wasn’t.
Carolanne and Jill sipped coffee on the back patio and watched Clyde run the yard. In a few hours, it would be too hot and humid to sit outside.
“You and Connor have been spending a lot of time together, haven’t you?” Jill topped off her cup of coffee and passed the pot to Carolanne.
“It’s strictly business.”
“Hey, I was just saying,” Jill said with an innocent shrug.
“Right,” Carolanne said. “I know what you’re thinking.”
“I’m not usually one to speculate, but he does have you moving back to Adams Grove. Actions speak louder than words.” Jill hoped Pearl was right about them.
“He doesn’t. Our partnership does. When Connor told me that his practice had grown too large, too quickly, and he was turning away work, I suggested he get a partner. I didn’t even think about myself until later.”
“So how’s this going to work?” Jill tugged on the toy Clyde had brought to her, then tossed it as far as she could throw.
“He’s going to focus on the family and estate planning. It’s what he does best. I’ll pick up the real estate end. We’ll just split any other work.”
“Do you have a date set for the move yet?” Jill asked.
“I’m going to give my notice next week. So I’ll be home before the month is out.”
“Home. Sounds good, doesn’t it?” Jill had to agree that Adams Grove felt like home to her again, too.
“Connor said that I can stay in one of the apartments over his office until I find a place. You know, I was thinking it would be neat to be the first homeowner in Bridle Path Estates.”
“I happen to have an in with the builder,” Jill said.
“I’ve heard. It’s all over town, by the way.”
“No doubt. Secrets are hard to keep in Adams Grove. Speaking of which, this deal with Connor, are you sure it’s not just a teensy bit pleasure?”
“Stop it. I told you it’s all business. Pearl was right, though. We do make a good team, but that’s where it ends. Her skills must have been getting rusty there at the end,” Carolanne said.
“Did you see Pearl’s message from the video? She was very convincing.”
“No, besides Connor is still seeing Katherine.”
Jill hoped something more would happen between Carolanne and Connor once she moved back to town. Both being red-heads, they’d make beautiful babies together. For a moment, her thoughts drifted to little ones, thoughts that hadn’t crossed her mind in a long time.
Garrett’s truck pulled in front of the house. A brown sheriff’s car followed behind him. Scott Calvin got out and began talking to Garrett.
Jill walked over to the gate. “You break the law, Malloy?”
He waved and smiled. Scott waved, too.
Jill and Carolanne walked out to join them.
“What’s up?” Jill asked as she got within earshot.
Scott turned toward the girls. “I was just telling Garrett that Macy and Mary Claire have been very helpful thanks to that sketch you brought me, Jill.”
“My pleasure.”
&
nbsp; Scott continued, “Turns out the gal working the register that day can place Clatterbuck buying the fruit in Spratt’s market and, as you know, Mary Claire saw Clatterbuck and Kase putting the basket together out back.”
Scott handed the photo of the woman that Jill had identified as Annie earlier, to Garrett. “You ever see this woman before?”
“No,” Garrett said after a quick glance, then did a double-take. “Wait. Yeah. That looks kind of like the breeder I bought Clyde from. Her name is Corey.”
Scott raised a brow, nodding to Jill. “That fits with what Bradley said to you about the dog, doesn’t it Jill?”
“It does,” Jill said. “Garrett, your friend Corey is also Annie. Bradley’s housekeeper,”
Garrett look surprised.
Scott took the picture from Garrett. “And there’s more. She’s got a record. Clatterbuck and her husband, a Carl Townsend, have a string of warrants out for them.”
“Who’s Townsend,” Garrett asked.
Jill shook her head. “Don’t know him.”
“Those two have apparently duped dozens of folks up and down the east coast over the past few years.”
“She was a pain, but I never thought of her as a criminal. Never knew she was married either.” Jill said. “She was a live-in. Maybe they’d split up and she hooked up with Bradley.”
“Maybe.” Scott crossed one foot over the other and explained. “That’s where it starts to get a little interesting. Your old address in Savannah that you gave me—” Scott held up a finger, pausing, “it’s owned by Townsend.”
“What?” Jill shook her head and held her hands up in front of her. “Wait a second. That was Bradley’s house.”
Carolanne stepped in closer to Jill. “What are you trying to say, Scott?”
“They are still investigating leads, but I got word from Savannah about an hour ago. They sent a car to pick up Clatterbuck, but the place has been vacated.”
“He moved?” Garrett asked.
Scott pushed his sunglasses up on his nose. “It appears they left in a hurry.”
“The police had to be at the wrong house.” Jill dropped her hands to her side. “It doesn’t make sense. There’s got to be some kind of mistake.”
Scott jumped back in. “We’re trying to get a recent picture of Townsend. I’ll bring it by as soon as we get it.”
Jill pulled her arms tight across her chest.
Garrett put his hand on Jill’s shoulder. “You okay?”
She nodded and Scott continued with the update. “These two have conned more people than you can imagine out of homes, cash, stocks, you name it. There’s a laundry list of outstanding warrants. If we can get our hands on them, they’ll be put away for a long time.”
“I can’t believe I never suspected a thing.” Jill said, feeling humiliated and deflated. She stared at the ground. “Garrett. Bradley was into some shady dealings, too. I might be in trouble.”
“You will not be in trouble. You’re a victim of their shenanigans, too.” Carolanne flipped her red hair over her shoulder. “Don’t you worry, Jill. I’ll take care of that.”
Scott stuffed his notebook in his shirt pocket. “The Savannah police are working with us. I’ll keep you posted. They’ll want to talk to you, Jill.”
Jill turned and headed toward the house without a word.
How could I have been so naïve? One lie after another. I gobbled them right up.
***
Garrett watched Jill leave, then turned back to Scott. “She’s really upset.”
Carolanne chewed on her cuticle. “Scott, Jill told Bradley about Annie. If they were in it together, she tipped them off. You realize that, don’t you?”
He nodded. “Yes. I know, and I’m still worried, too, because this fruit basket thing just doesn’t fit with the rest of the patterns. They’re cons, but they’ve never hurt anyone that we know of until this incident. This has the feel of a personal attack.”
“He better not come back around here if he knows what’s good for him.” Garrett’s jaw pulsed.
Scott said, “We’ve probably seen the last of him. If he knows we’re on to him, he won’t want to risk getting caught. But, that being said, if he does come back around, be careful. There’s no telling what he’s capable of doing now.”
Garrett put his arm around Carolanne and gave her a friendly hug. “We have to be careful, but let’s not worry Jill more. She’s been through too much already.”
Carolanne crossed her heart. “She won’t hear it from me. I agree.”
Scott left, and Garrett and Carolanne stood soaking in the details.
Carolanne pulled her car keys from her pocket. “I’m going to give you and Jill some time alone. Maybe I can find something online about these pearls that everyone is so hot to get their hands on.”
“Yeah, that would be good.” He hoped like hell Kase was out of the picture forever.
“Just give her some space, but not too much. You know what I mean. Call me if you need me,” Carolanne said, then turned to leave.
“I will.” Garrett stood there wondering how to give Jill space without leaving her alone. He walked to the backyard gate. Clyde ran alongside Garrett as he walked over to the swing. It hurt Garrett to see Jill looking like the stuffing had been knocked out of her. She felt betrayed, he could tell. If only he could erase the past year for her.
“Want some company?” Jill broke the silence.
“I didn’t hear you walk up.” She looked fragile. He slowed the swing and scooted to one side. “You okay?”
“I feel so stupid.” She kicked the pine straw, avoiding eye contact, and sat next to him “I can’t believe I didn’t see all this coming. Look at all the trouble I’ve caused for everyone.” She laid her head against his chest.”
“Don’t blame yourself. It’s not your fault. It sounds like they’ve conned a lot of people.”
“But why me?” She leaned back in the seat and crossed her arms across her chest. “I was gullible—an easy target.”
“You were trusting and that’s good,” he said.
“I didn’t trust you.” She scooted around sideways in the seat. The swing creaked as it rocked backwards. “I’m so sorry, Garrett.”
“Stop it. You don’t need to apologize to me. Ever.” He placed his finger against her lips. “It’s the past. Let it go.”
She kissed his finger. “How can you ever forgive me?”
“I love you, Jill. I’ve never stopped.”
“I’m very lucky.”
Garrett took her hand and opened it, then pressed a kiss in the palm of her hand. “I’m the lucky one.” They rocked as the sun slipped behind the trees. The frogs croaked and lightning bugs lit up the shrubs and trees. He pulled her closer and looked up at the heavens—just in time to see the streak of light cross the sky.
“Did you see that?” Jill pointed skyward, eyes wide.
“The shooting star?”
“Yeah. That’s lucky right?” Jill squirmed in the seat, scanning the sky for another.
“Rumor has it,” he said.
“Thank goodness. I could use a little good luck.” Jill swatted a mosquito. “The mosquitoes are starting to chow down on me.”
“Come on, let’s head in.”
Clyde ran into the kitchen and dropped to the floor with his paws around his empty water dish.
“Is someone out of water?” Jill laughed, and Garrett smiled at the warmth she exuded.
“He’s a little dramatic, isn’t he?” Garrett picked up the bowl and filled it up from the tap, then set it down.
Clyde lapped loudly from the bowl.
“Oh no,” Jill said. “That’s ammunition for that drool hound.”
Garrett tossed her a towel. “Quick. Better suit up.”
As if on cue, Clyde trotted across the kitchen and rubbed his chin on Jill’s pants.
“Great.” She brushed the wet spot with the towel. “Guess I’ll go ahead and jump in the shower and change into my pa
jamas.”
“I’ll feed him. How about I throw a couple burgers on the grill. Does that sound okay?”
“Sure. I’ll make a salad.”
“Your famous chopped salad?” Garrett said, hopeful.
“I think I have everything to make it if you start the hard-boiled eggs while you’re in the kitchen.”
“Deal. No one makes a chopped salad like yours.”
“Hey, before I forget, could you drop Clyde at the kennel in the morning? I made a grooming appointment for him and Dr. Tinker is going to take a follow-up look at his paw.”
“Sure. I have to run over to a job site anyway. The kennel’s on the way. Why don’t you come along? You’d love this house. Do you remember the old Miller Farm on Nickel Creek?”
Jill nodded. “Isn’t that where the old pumpkin farm was that we went to in elementary school?”
“That’s the one.”
“No one’s lived there in years. Who bought it?” she asked.
“Chaz sold it to some goat farmer from Virginia Beach. The guy bought it last year, but had a laundry list of remodeling he wanted done. The schedule is tight. He’s going to surprise his wife on their anniversary.”
“How romantic,” she said wistfully.
“I knew you’d say that.” He hoped to do something just as romantic for Jill someday.
“Stop teasing me. It is romantic.” She faked a pout.
“Come with me. You’ll love it.”
“Soon. Promise. But, I’ve got to remedy this car situation first. I feel like I’m trapped here without any wheels. I’m going to get Carolanne to take me car shopping.” Jill headed down the hall to shower and change.
Garrett watched her walk down the hall. From the familiar curve of her hips, to her tiny waist that he could practically encircle with his hands, just the sight of her made him want to protect her, to love her, more than ever.
Chapter Twenty
Garrett had already left to go to work when Jill woke up. She’d just poured herself a cup of coffee when she heard a knock at the door.
Jill opened the door. Elsie stood on the front porch.
“Garrett asked me to drop this truck off for you.” Elsie lobbed the keys toward Jill. “He said you needed some wheels.”