Bodies and Blueberries

by Donna Walo Clancy

  “What a great idea! I can fill the small jars I use for wedding favors. You are so smart,” Tabby acknowledged, giving Patti a sisterly hug.

  Tabby stuck around until closing when they could both cash out their drawers at the same time. Patti locked the front door at five o’clock.

  “Another day done,” Tabby sighed. “Now, I can go home and count the money in the pickle jar. It’s been driving me crazy all day.”

  “Stay safe,” Patti yelled out her car window as they each drove their separate ways.

  Jenny would be at work until her shop closed at six o’clock. Tabby had her own key to let herself in. She sat on her bed in the spare room and dumped out the pickle jar; money went everywhere. She set aside the check from Mr. Wells with the full intention of returning it. She would not include the amount of the check in the final total.

  An hour later she had a total; two thousand, one hundred, twenty-eight dollars and eleven cents. She leaned back against her pillows staring at the piles of money. The front door closed with a bang. Tabby left her bedroom to see what was happening. Jenny was leaning against the counter in the kitchen, frowning.

  “What’s the matter? You look like you are not a happy camper.”

  “Larry Fink came into my book store today. He said the taxes went up on the building for the new fiscal year and he needed a check for one hundred and seventy-nine dollars by Friday. I can’t come up with that much extra money on top of the rent by then.”

  “That’s weird; Larry Fink isn’t in charge of Mr. Well’s rentals anymore. I think we need to pay a visit to our elderly friend and tell him about this new tax rate. He didn’t even know that Fink had raised all the rental rates on his properties. He’s going to love this one.”

  “I don’t get it. The tax rate went up last year but my taxes on the building only increased fourteen dollars. This large amount makes no sense at all.”

  “Let me show you something unbelievable and then we’ll go pay Mr. Wells a visit. My bet is he doesn’t know anything about this so-called tax rate increase.”

  Tabby led her friend into the spare room where the bed was covered in small piles of money.

  “Did you rob a bank?” Jenny asked in amazement, walking towards the bed.

  “Mr. Fitch put a big pickle jar out at the cable company and people came in all day donating money to help me begin again. Is that not classic?”

  “How much is there?”

  “A little over two thousand dollars. It’s a good thing we are going to see Mr. Wells. I have a check I need to return to him; a thousand-dollar check. He has done too much for me already,” Tabby said, tucking the check in her back pocket. “You ready? We’ll take my car.”

  Richard Wells lived on the outskirts of town. As much as he loved everyone in Whipper Will Junction, he loved his privacy more. Beaver Creek Road was located a mile past The Starling Apartments. Tabby saw the blue dumpster in front of her old apartment. She was happy that she didn’t have to deal with cleaning out the space she used to occupy. It still gave her the shivers knowing someone had gone through all her personal things and if it turned out not to be Finn who destroyed the place, it was even worse.

  Mr. Wells’ house was the only residence located on Beaver Creek. They pulled up in front of his log cabin; the lights were on inside. The girls stepped up onto the wrap-around porch and noticed the front door was slightly ajar. Calypso was meowing loudly inside.

  Chapter 5

  * * *

  “Mr. Wells, it’s Tabby and Jenny. Are you home?” Tabby called out as she peeked through the open door. “Hello?”

  They stepped inside. The television was on, dinner was on the table, and there was a well stoked fire roaring in the fireplace. Calypso, Mr. Well’s cat, was sitting on the rug in front of the fire.

  “Mr. Wells, are you here?” Tabby yelled out.

  No answer.

  “I don’t like this; we’d better take a look around. He might have fallen and hurt himself,” Tabby suggested.

  The girls walked around the entire cabin. Tabby took a flashlight out of her purse and strolled around outside, calling the elderly gentleman’s name. He was nowhere to be found. His car was in the driveway so he couldn’t have gone too far; the closest place was a half a mile away. Besides, he had lived here long enough to know not to roam around the woods after dark; there was too much wildlife out there that could be dangerous.

  “I don’t like this. We need to call the sheriff,” Tabby declared, pulling out her cell phone.

  Jenny had closed the front door so the cat wouldn’t get out. She nodded her head in agreement.

  “We’ll wait right here,” Tabby stated. “How long do you think you’ll be?”

  Calypso was rubbing against Tabby’s leg so Jenny picked up the cat and softly spoke to her.

  “Okay. Thanks.”

  “He’s coming?” Jenny asked.

  “He’ll be here in twenty.”

  The girls decided to keep searching until the sheriff arrived but it appeared that nothing was out of place. There were a bunch of papers on the table next to the uneaten dinner. Tabby flipped through them and realized that most of them had to do with his properties. She picked up one item that didn’t seem to fit in with the rest. It wasn’t a document; it was a blueprint of The Whipper Will Drive-In.

  Why would he be interested in the drive-in property? He doesn’t own it, the Swansons’ do.

  They saw the headlights of an approaching car. Standing at the front door, holding the cat, they waited to see who it was. It pulled up to the porch and they could see the dome lights on top of the car. As Sheriff Puckett stepped out of the car, Tabby opened the front door and let him in.

  “We have to stop meeting like this,” he said to Tabby, chuckling. “Where is Richard?”

  “We don’t know. The front door was ajar when we arrived and his supper is on the table, but it looks untouched.”

  “His car is in the driveway. Let me call his cell.”

  “You have his cell phone number? He doesn’t give that to anyone!” Jenny exclaimed.

  “I’m the sheriff, what can I say?” he teased, dialing the number.

  As he put the phone to his ear, a ringing could be heard coming from the kitchen. Mr. Well’s phone was sitting on the counter right next to the stove.

  “I don’t like this. I have told Richard not to go anywhere without his cell phone. Have you girls touched anything in here?”

  “The doorknobs,” Tabby answered. “I flipped through the papers on the table. We haven’t touched anything else but Calypso.”

  “I’m going to call my deputies. Clyde and Billy will help search the surrounding woods. You girls head home, but be careful.”

  “Sheriff, did you clear Finn’s story?” Tabby inquired.

  “Yes, we did; I just hadn’t had time to let you know. He was seen by at least a dozen people at a bar on Sunday night. Finn didn’t wreck your place. Between that and now this, something is going on in Whipper Will Junction and I don’t like it one bit,” the sheriff stated.

  “Calypso has been fed and has plenty of water. If you don’t find Mr. Wells right away, call me, and I will come get the cat. She shouldn’t be left here by herself in case someone returns,” Jenny offered.

  “Hopefully, it won’t come to that. But, thanks. I’ll keep that in mind,” the sheriff said.

  The girls drove up Beaver Creek passing the deputies on their way to the cabin. Tabby suddenly had a horrific thought and punched the steering wheel hard, scaring Jenny.

  “Why did you do that?”

  “I just remembered; I left all that money laying on the bed right there in the open! With everything that has been going on around here, that was a really stupid thing to do,” Tabby admitted, mad at herself for being so careless.

  “I set the alarm before we left.”

  “You have an alarm upstairs?”

  “Yes, I have a two-part system; downstairs in the bookstore and upstairs in the apartment.
There are too many tourists around in the summer season not to have an alarm system in place. You’ll need one, too.”

  “That makes me feel better. I was still an idiot.”

  “Yes, you were,” Jenny agreed, smiling.

  “You didn’t have to agree so fast.”

  “We can’t disagree all the time,” Jenny said. “So, what do you think happened to Mr. Wells?”

  “I don’t know. Why would someone just up and leave their supper? Plus he would never leave the door open for Calypso to get out with all the coyotes around at night. It doesn’t look good, I’m afraid.”

  “What is happening to our quiet little town?” Jenny wondered, shaking her head.

  They parked behind the bookstore. Everything was quiet in the center of town. Jenny turned off the alarm and Tabby hustled to her bedroom. Thankfully, the money was still on the bed right where she had left it.

  So stupid.

  She put the sorted money in an envelope and tucked it into her purse. The money would be deposited in the bank before she went to work in the morning.

  “I set the alarm so don’t go sneaking off in the night,” Jenny instructed, smiling. “I’m going to bed; it’s been a long day. See you for coffee.”

  “Night. I have no plans of going anywhere but to bed. Hey Jenny, thanks.”

  “Anytime, girlfriend. Anytime.”

  The rest of the week passed quickly and without any word on Mr. Wells. Samantha Moon pulled up in front of the bookstore on Saturday morning and beeped. Tabby came jogging out, list in hand, ready to go marathon shopping in Larsen. Her mom had emptied the Mystic Happening’s cargo van for the trip. A mattress was one of the first things on the list.

  Tabby had been looking forward to spending time with her mom. Today was the start of a new life. New everything. Plus, what girl doesn’t love to go shopping? She didn’t have to worry about how much she was spending because of the generosity of all the locals. But that didn’t mean she could buy things on a whim either. Smart shopping was her motto for the day.

  “Mom, did you hear about Mr. Wells?” Tabby inquired.

  “Yes, Gladys was running her almighty mouth at the coffee shop the other morning. She makes so much stuff up, someday, someone is going to call her on what she says. What is the real story? Word is you and Jenny were out at the house.”

  “We found the front door open and called the sheriff when we couldn’t find Mr. Wells anywhere in the cabin. When we left, the sheriff and his deputies were going to check the surrounding woods. I probably should have called him before we left to see if they had found out anything.”

  “I talked to the sheriff at the coffee shop this morning; they still haven’t found him. He was going to call Jenny to see if she could pick up Calypso after work. She agreed so he is going to meet her out there since he has keys to Mr. Well’s house.”

  “Good. I don’t want Jenny going there by herself. I sure do hope Mr. Wells is okay.”

  “This town used to be so quiet. What is happening around here that is causing such an uproar?”

  “I don’t know. While we are in Larsen I want to stop at Rose Point Realty and talk to Lisa Carver. Maybe she knows where Mr. Wells is or has heard from him.”

  “Don’t go sticking your nose in where it doesn’t belong, missy. You have a bad habit of doing that,” her mother warned.

  “I won’t, I promise,” Tabby said.

  “I’ve heard that promise before,” Samantha stated, rolling her eyes.

  The rest of the day was spent traveling from store to store buying everything Tabby needed to start over. The mattress fit in the van, but didn’t leave room for the other big pieces of furniture she bought. The furniture store agreed to deliver a couch, a matching recliner, and two bureaus on Monday. Every other purchase was stuffed in the van until it was ready to burst.

  Tabby got herself a new summer wardrobe including undergarments, socks, and sandals. She would pick up other clothes as the seasons changed. Samantha spent time and money shopping at the Larsen Paranormal Store for replacement stock for her small shop.

  The twosome had lunch at the Larsen Tropical Café. Tabby ordered the biggest burger they had on the menu, loaded with bacon, cheese, pickles, tomatoes, and Russian dressing. Samantha stuck with her usual salad. She hadn’t touched red meat for many years and couldn’t watch as her daughter ate the burger. Tabby couldn’t resist teasing her mother by moaning and making other noises of pure enjoyment while she ate the whole burger right down to the last bite.

  “Sometimes I don’t think you’re my child at all,” her mom stated woefully, finishing her salad.

  “Let’s stop at the realty company next,” Tabby suggested, paying the lunch bill.

  Samantha stayed in the car while Tabby went in to talk to Lisa Carver. She was directed to a desk in the rear of the office where Miss Carver was on the phone. Tabby waited for her to finish. She couldn’t help but stare at the agent; there was something familiar about her.

  Where have I seen her before?

  Tabby could tell Miss Carver was uncomfortable with the way she was staring at her. She hurried the phone call along and finally hung up.

  “How can I help you?” the agent inquired, standing and extending her hand.

  “My name is Tabitha Moon. I came here from Whipper Will Junction to talk to you about Mr. Wells. Have you talked to him lately?”

  “I talked to Richard yesterday morning.”

  “Yesterday morning? That’s funny because he’s been missing since Tuesday.”

  “I don’t know, maybe it was Tuesday I talked to him. My days blend together at this job I’m so busy,” Lisa confessed.

  “Did he seem upset to you when you did talk to him? Did he ask you to take over his rentals from Larry Fink?”

  “I cannot discuss my client’s private business with other people, let alone someone I don’t even know. What is your interest in Mr. Wells’ affairs?” Miss Carver asked, herding Tabby closer to the exit door.

  “Well, as I said, Mr. Wells is missing,” Tabby snapped.

  “Miss Moon, I don’t like your questions or your tone of voice. I want you to leave my office and not come back. Do you understand?”

  “Oh, I understand perfectly. Have a nice day, Miss Carver.”

  Tabby crawled up into the van. She plunked down in the seat and crossed her arms.

  “I know that look. What happened in there?” her mom asked, frowning.

  “I can’t shake the feeling that I have seen her somewhere before. She sure didn’t like me asking questions about Mr. Wells. She told me she talked to him yesterday morning and when I called her on it, she made up a lame excuse that she got her days mixed up. Then, she ordered me to leave her office and not come back. She couldn’t get me out of there quick enough.”

  “I think you need to tell Sheriff Puckett about this,” her mom suggested as she started the van. “Why don’t you go with Jenny to pick up the cat and talk to him then?”

  “I think I will,” Tabby answered. “Her face was just so familiar to me.”

  Samantha pulled the van up to the back stairs of Tabby’s apartment. They unloaded the van except for the mattress.

  “Let me see if Mr. Pierce is in his shop. I’ll ask him if he will help us with the mattress,” Tabby proposed, walking to the front of the store.

  The baseball card shop owner was busy stacking inventory on his shelves. When Tabby knocked on the locked door, Mr. Pierce smiled and walked over to unlock it for her.

  “Hello. Tabitha, right?”

  “Call me Tabby. Do you have a minute to help my mom and me get a queen-size mattress up the back stairs?”

  “Sure, not a problem. Let’s go,” he answered, leading the way out of the store.

  “I really appreciate this,” Tabby commented. “Just so you know, I bought some rugs to keep the noise down both upstairs and downstairs muffled. What are your store hours going to be?”

  “Nine to five.”

  “I’ll b
e at work during that time. I guess there will be no noise to bother you or your customers,” Tabby offered, giving him her best beaming smile.

  “And I won’t be around at night while you are home. This will work out perfectly.”

  Tabby introduced Mr. Pierce to her mother. They chatted for a few minutes and then the three of them struggled to wrangle the mattress up the stairs.

  “Thanks so much. You’re new to town. Where are you from?” Tabby inquired, being nosy.

  “Originally, I am from Portland. I was an airline pilot for 42 years, but last year I decided to retire. Two years ago, I came here for vacation and fell in love with the place. I signed a lease with Mr. Wells for one season to see how a baseball card shop would do in the area. I know you have this shop after I’m out, so if I decide to stay in the area, I’ll rent the shop at the end of town since it’s bigger.”

  “Well, I wish you luck with your shop,” Samantha said, taking out her car keys. “We should have coffee sometime.”

  “That would be nice,” Mr. Pierce agreed, as he turned to leave.

  “Thanks again,” Tabby said.

  “Anytime.”

  Tabby checked her watch; she still had half an hour before she had to meet Jenny at Mr. Wells’ house. She hummed to herself as she made up the bed with her new sheets and the purple satin quilt she had bought.

  Soon, the rest of her furniture would be delivered, and the cable, internet and phone would be installed so she could start living her life again. The electricity was already on in the building. She would have to talk to Mr. Pierce to see how they would split the electric bill.

  Once her internet was connected, she could order supplies to start stockpiling her jellies and jams inventory. She needed jars and covers, labels, and a bulk order of fruit pectin. She needed to talk to Mac about placing special orders for large amounts of strawberries, raspberries, and sugar. Her plan was to have a couple of batches cooking, with open windows, while Mr. Pierce was having his grand opening downstairs.