Bodies and Blueberries

by Donna Walo Clancy

  Greg’s cell phone rang just as the sun was cresting over the horizon.

  “Charlie fell asleep waiting for his wife to get home last night. Bertha had turned her cell phone off at the cinema and forgot to turn it on again. She went to bed not even knowing about calling us. I called at five and woke them up,” the sheriff claimed.

  “Did Tabby go see her yesterday?” Greg mumbled, still waking up.

  “Yes, she did, I know where they are. Can you get to my office in the next few minutes?”

  “I’ll be right there,” Greg affirmed, already out the door.

  He ran up Main Street to the sheriff’s office. The two deputies were already there.

  “Let’s go,” Sheriff Puckett ordered.

  “Where are we going?” Greg inquired.

  “The Whipper Will Drive-In.”

  “I should have known that,” Greg fumed, mad at himself for not figuring it out before now.

  The three cruisers, lights on, sped up Main Street towards the outskirts of town. The locals already at The Tilted Coffee Cup watched the speeding cars leaving town.

  It only took a few minutes to reach the drive-in. A wrecking ball, bulldozers, and other equipment were already in place to begin the demolition. A crew was standing near the first building scheduled to be brought down, drinking coffee. The sheriff came to a screeching halt not twenty feet from them.

  “Have you checked in any of the buildings?” the sheriff yelled, getting out of his vehicle.

  “No, the owners told us the place had been deserted since last summer. We didn’t think we needed to,” the foreman answered.

  “I don’t want one piece of equipment to move, understand me? There are two people being held captive in one of these buildings. Spread out and help us find them,” the sheriff ordered.

  Greg was already running towards the projection booth which was the most isolated building on the property. He was yelling Tabby’s name as he ran. The sheriff was not far behind him. They opened the door, but something was blocking the way. Together, they pushed on the door using all their weight. They didn’t realize that it was Tabby’s body blocking the door. It opened enough that the sheriff could stick his head in. Tabby’s body was in front of the door.

  “Call the paramedics. Get two ambulances out here,” the sheriff yelled to his deputy. “Greg, stop pushing on the door.”

  He knelt and using one hand, he pushed Tabby’s body far enough away that he could squeeze through the opening to get in. Tabby was still unconscious but Richard Wells recognized the sheriff since the drugs were wearing off. The restraining straps were undone and with the sheriff’s help the elderly man sat up. It was the first time he realized Tabby had been locked in there with him.

  Greg was kneeling next to her checking her condition. She wasn’t responding to his voice. Her hair was caked with blood from the blow to the head that she had sustained.

  “Tabby, please wake up,” Greg pleaded, with tears in his eyes. “You promised me you wouldn’t go anywhere without me…”

  “I’m fine, Stan, just groggy- please help Tabby; I think she’s really hurt,” Mr. Wells insisted, his fight coming back to him.

  Sheriff Puckett felt for a pulse.

  “It’s weak. Keep talking to her Greg, until the paramedics get here.”

  To Greg, it seemed like forever for the ambulances to get there. Tabby was strapped to a gurney and thankfully Larsen General was only ten minutes away. Greg was going in the ambulance with Tabby. The sheriff agreed to meet them there.

  Mr. Wells was a different story. He refused to get in the ambulance.

  “I’m not going anywhere smelling like this. Stanley, you take me home to shower and change and only then will I agree to go and get checked out,” the old man insisted. “And, on the way home, I need you to stop at the diner and pick me up something to go. I’m starving.”

  Realizing that the stubborn Mr. Wells was back, the sheriff gave in to his wishes. The ambulance was sent on its way back to the station.

  On the way out of the drive-in, the sheriff informed the foreman in charge of the demolition to postpone it indefinitely as the area was now a crime scene. They had to go through the buildings for any evidence that might have been left behind.

  On the way to the hospital, Tabby regained consciousness. The first face she saw was Greg when she opened her eyes. She managed a weak smile as tears of relief slid down Greg’s cheeks.

  “I know, I should have taken you with me,” Tabby said contritely.

  “Yes, you should have. They’ll be plenty of time for lectures when you feel better,” Greg promised as he reached for her hand.

  “Well that’s something to look forward to,” Tabby mumbled, closing her eyes.

  The ambulance reached the hospital; Tabby was taken into one of the exam rooms and Greg was sent to the waiting area. He called Tabby’s mom to let her know her daughter was at the hospital. She said she would be there as soon as possible. Twenty minutes later Samantha was being escorted to her daughter’s room.

  An hour later, Sheriff Puckett came through the emergency room door pushing Mr. Wells in a wheelchair. The old man did not look happy.

  “Mr. Wells, you look much better already,” Greg offered, smiling.

  “I tried to tell Stanley that, but he wouldn’t listen. Insisted I come here, he did. I’ll be out in twenty minutes. How’s my Tabby?”

  “She’s been in there for a while now. Her mom is with her,” Greg noted. “She was awake and talking on the ride over here. I think she just needs some rest and she’ll be okay.”

  “Dang, fool girl,” the sheriff muttered. “One of these times she’ll listen to me.”

  “Sheriff, between you and me, Tabby is not the type of person to listen to anyone. All she knew is that her friend was in trouble and she was gone. She’s been worried sick about you, Mr. Wells.”

  “Tabby and Jenny figured out where you were, Richard. We might not have found you in time if it hadn’t been for those two girls. Enough talk. Let’s get you checked out so you can go home. Calypso has been well taken care of, but she has missed her owner.”

  “What are you waiting for then? The quicker I can get out of this dang chair, the better. Greg, please tell Tabby I will see her over the weekend.”

  “I will. Are you going to be well enough to make your regular speech tomorrow morning at the opening of Summer Kick-Off Weekend?”

  “Don’t you worry. I’ll be there. Wouldn’t miss it for the world. Let’s go, Stan. Can’t waste time sitting in no hospital. I have lots to do.”

  The sheriff rolled his eyes and pushed the old man to the check-in desk. They were expected and shown in immediately through the double doors. Greg could hear Mr. Wells yelling at the doctor as the doors closed.

  His stomach rumbled so Greg bought a cup of coffee from the vending machine. In all the excitement, he hadn’t had anything to eat or drink all morning so even the vending machine coffee tasted good. The lady behind the desk finally called his name.

  “Mr. Stone?” He nodded. “The patient in room fourteen of the green emergency wing is asking for you. Go down this hall, and take your next two lefts. You’ll see the room straight ahead.”

  Tabby was sitting up in bed when Greg entered the curtained-off room. The doctor was talking to her.

  “I really think you should stay overnight for observation,” he insisted.

  “I feel fine. I’m sore, but that will pass. I have to get home to read the compositions for tomorrow’s celebration,” Tabby insisted. “I promise; I’ll take it easy. I’ll sit in the recliner and just read.”

  “I think you should listen to the doctor,” her mom insisted.

  “Jenny and Alex took the papers home with them last night and read the stories. They already have all the ribbons assigned. We didn’t know if we would find you in time, so Jenny took it upon herself to do it,” Greg confessed.

  “Now, will you stay?” the doctor asked.

  “I feel fine. A few
pills for this headache and I’ll be good. I really don’t want to stay here tonight. I would sleep much better in my own bed. Can I please have the release papers?”

  “I can see I am not going to change your mind. Are you her husband?” the doctor inquired, turning to Greg.

  “Not yet,” Greg answered, smiling.

  Samantha snickered as Tabby turned beet red.

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I just assumed you were her husband. Will you be staying with her tonight? I would like someone to be there if she shows any signs of relapsing. She can only take non-aspirin medicine for that headache. If she gets worse, bring her back immediately.”

  “I’m not going to leave her side,” Greg assured the doctor.

  “Does that mean I can go home?” Tabby asked excitedly.

  “Yes, I will release you, but only because you have someone staying with you tonight,” he answered. “The nurse will be in shortly with the release papers.”

  Greg gently helped Tabby into her mom’s car and they drove in silence to her apartment. The kittens greeted Tabby at the door with their normal cat-dance and followed their mistress to the couch and crawled up to lay with her. Samantha made sure Tabby was settled in and then left to open her shop.

  Greg made Tabby a light lunch. After she ate, she decided to rest and maybe watch a little television. He excused himself and stepped into the kitchen to call the flower shop to make sure there were no emergencies that needed his attention right away. His employees reassured him that everything was under control and they could always call him if they had any questions. Greg sat down in the recliner, relieved, and watched Tabby as she dozed in and out. The kittens were snuggled up next to her happy to have their mistress home with them.

  Greg had just dozed off himself when Tabby let out a scream

  “I know who the woman is!” Tabby proclaimed, sitting up.

  Chapter 13

  * * *

  “Call the sheriff. I need to get into Fink’s office to be sure,” Tabby stated, throwing the blanket aside and standing up. “I don’t want her to get away.”

  Greg called Sheriff Puckett and asked him to meet them in front of Fink’s realty office with the building keys. They met on the sidewalk minutes later.

  “If I’m right, I will also be able to tell you who the dead woman was in my cellar,” Tabby promised as she headed for Fink’s private office.

  She walked behind the desk to the small table under the window where pictures were displayed.

  “I knew it. I told my mother that something about Lisa Carver was familiar. But I couldn’t place what it was up until now. Here, look at this,” Tabby said, handing the picture to the sheriff.

  “It looks like Fink has a twin sister,” the sheriff observed.

  “The body in my cellar is the real Lisa Carver. I would stake my shop on it. Fink’s sister must have killed her and applied for the position using Lisa Carver’s name. Fink said she always had the desk job and was in the background while he was the front man.”

  “When did you see this picture?” Greg quizzed.

  “The day I came in here pretending to ask about the shop rental. Fink wasn’t here and his secretary went downstairs to look for some paperwork. I nosed around while she was gone. Subconsciously, I must have seen the photo and it stuck with me.”

  “I need to call the Larsen police. They need to stake out Rose Point Realty in case she returns there,” the sheriff stated.

  “She is probably there cleaning out all the paperwork she needs to take with her. In her mind, we are dead so she doesn’t have to hurry. There is no one left to identify her, or so she thinks,” Tabby confirmed.

  “Can we get you back to bed now?” Greg pleaded. “I’m sure the sheriff will call you with any updates.”

  “I promise,” he said as he locked up the building and left to go back to his office and make the call to Larsen.

  Greg got Tabby settled in on the couch. He sat in the recliner, staring out the window.

  “What are you thinking about?” Tabby asked.

  “I was just wondering if life is always going to be this exciting with you,” Greg pondered.

  “We’ll have to wait and see, won’t we?” Tabby answered sagely as she drifted off to sleep.

  Greg turned to say something, but Tabby was already asleep.

  They both slept late into the afternoon. Greg’s cellphone rang, waking them up. The sheriff wanted to let them know that Fink’s sister had returned to Rose Point Realty. The police were waiting for her and surprised her as she stepped through the front door. The duffle bag of money was found in the trunk of her car. The body in Tabby’s shop was the real Lisa Carver.

  “I guess that cleans up just about everything,” Greg stated. “Want to go to the diner for supper?”

  “There are still some questions I have, but only Mr. Wells can answer them for me. I’ll talk to him tomorrow at the festival. And yes, I would love to go to the diner with you.”

  The happy couple ate dinner and returned to Tabby’s apartment. Tabby had cleared out the jelly stock from the second bedroom once she had taken possession of the shop downstairs. She had purchased a new double bed so she could use it as a guest room. She just had no idea at the time that Greg would be the first one to stay in it.

  “You almost got out of marrying me, the hard way. Don’t ever take a crazy chance like that again,” Greg admonished, sitting down on the edge of her bed. “I don’t know what I would have done if I had gone in and found you dead.”

  “You didn’t; so let’s try to forget about it, okay?” Tabby insisted, taking Greg’s hand.

  “The sight of you lying there covered in blood, is going to be a hard thing to forget.”

  “Thank you for being there,” Tabby whispered quietly.

  “Every day for the rest of your life,” he said, bending down, kissing her tenderly on the lips. “Get some sleep. I’ll be right in the next room.”

  Greg laid down in the second bedroom. The doors were left open so he could hear Tabby if she needed anything. The two kittens ran back and forth between the two rooms.

  “Mr. Stone?”

  “What is it?”

  “You do realize we are creating quite a hometown scandal,” Tabby claimed. “We’ll be the talk of the town tomorrow when you walk out of here in the morning.”

  “Do you really care?” Greg asked.

  “Not in the least. Goodnight.”

  “Goodnight, Miss Moon.”

  Tabby climbed out of bed in the morning to the smells of coffee and bacon. Her first few steps were slow. She ached all over from the beating she had taken and then sleeping on the concrete floor of the projection room. She decided to take a hot shower to warm up the muscles and wash away the last of the incident. Greg had already showered and was on his second cup of coffee. Breakfast was waiting for Tabby on the table.

  “A girl could get used to this,” Tabby said, smiling, pouring a mug of coffee.

  “I’m used to driving from Larsen. I’m up every day at five, no matter what time I go to bed.”

  “I guess starting next weekend, I’ll be on a schedule, too,” Tabby commented, walking to the front window in her living room.

  The streets were filling up with people. It was only eight in the morning, but the town was already hopping. Every shop on Main Street was hosting their own event to welcome summer. Tabby’s shop was the only one closed. She placed a large sign in the front window announcing the grand opening the following weekend. She didn’t want her first day open being lost in the shuffle of so many activities.

  The Smells So Fine Flower Shop was going to open at noon. Greg wanted to enjoy some time with Tabby before he had to attend to his own shop activities. Tabby would be spending part of the day there, sitting next to the frog fountain, making corsages for the ladies who came to visit.

  The couple finished eating breakfast. Tabby set the alarm on her apartment and they walked down the back stairs. Hiding in the alley, spying on the young c
ouple were Mrs. Twittle and Mrs. Ryan.

  “I told you that was his car,” Mrs. Twittle whispered to her friend.

  “He stayed overnight. Imagine that; they’re not even married,” Mrs. Ryan said indignantly.

  “How do you know we’re not married?” Greg asked with a snicker.

  “I’m not falling for that again,” Mrs. Twittle said, scowling.

  The two women marched off towards the antique shop. They could hear Greg’s laughter behind them.

  “I told you we would be the talk of the town,” Tabby replied, laughing. “Did you see her face? She was so mad.”

  It was almost nine o’clock and Mr. Wells would be making his annual welcoming speech at the gazebo on the town green. The couple strolled over to the green, hand in hand. Their elderly friend was already up on the gazebo ready to start his speech. He tapped on the microphone to make sure he could be heard.

  “Welcome, friends! It’s so good to see so many of you out and about on this fine day. I won’t make this long because there is so much to do around town, and I’m sure you don’t want to be standing here listening to an old man babble.”

  There were cheers and hand-clapping.

  “Hey, my speeches aren’t that bad. I want to thank all the local shop owners who participated to make this event a success. At this time, I would like to add my personal thanks to Tabby Moon and Jenny Jones, who without their smart thinking and quick actions, I might not be here making my annual speech. Lastly, let’s give the Summer Kick-Off Weekend Committee a round of applause for the great job they have done organizing this event. Have fun everyone and enjoy the day.”

  Mr. Wells walked off the gazebo to a round of applause. He stopped in front of Greg and Tabby who had been joined by Jenny and Alex. He gave Tabby and Jenny a hug. He shook Greg’s hand and was introduced to Alex.

  “You have to tell me something, Mr. Wells. Why were you such a threat to Fink’s plan?” Tabby inquired. “And what was in the safe deposit box that was so important to them?”