“Non…what?”
“Secretly.”
“Done.” They held out their hands.
“I’ll pay after you bring me the information.”
They darted into the store and peered around clothes racks. This wasn’t illegal, was it? I’d hate to be arrested for influencing a minor.
We hid in an alcove near the bathrooms when Damon exited the store. Right behind were the girls, hands out.
“He bought two pairs of jeans and two tee shirts,” one of them said. “Now, pay up.”
I handed over the money and thanked them. “Women’s clothes?”
She shrugged. “Couldn’t see that. Do they sell men’s clothes in there?”
I had no idea. “Grandma?”
“Of course, they do.”
Interesting. Now to find out whether the clothes he’d purchased were for male or female. I ducked into the store, bought a couple of things, then dashed back out. “Where is he?”
Grandma pointed. “Victoria Secret. I need to go in there.”
“Wait a minute. I have an idea.” I positioned myself right outside the door. When Damon exited, I turned and ran into him, knocking the bag from his hand. With a quick switch, I now held his Hot Topic bag and he had mine.
“Sorry. Oh, it’s you. Hello.”
“Shelby.” His smile didn’t reach the eyes that roamed over my body. “Enjoying your day?”
“Very much so. Bye.” Motioning to the others, we entered the store.
While they shopped, I glanced in his bag. Women’s clothes. I raced after him. “Wait up.”
He turned.
“My apologies, but our bags seem to have gotten mixed up.” I held out his purchases. When we both held the correct bags, I rejoined Mom and Grandma.
“The clothes are for a woman.”
“It isn’t surprising that a man who looks like he does would be buying for a woman.” Grandma held up a red lacy bra. “The straps can come off of this. It would go with that gown perfectly.”
“You are not going to buy me underwear. I am not a child.” Although, she was right. It would be perfect.
Wait a minute. “What are you cooking up? Why these sexy things that no one but myself will see?”
“A woman is sexy if she feels sexy. Lingerie makes you feel sexy.” She winked at Mom, who crossed her arms and looked away, mumbling something about loose morals.
With more than one mystery to now occupy my mind, we made our purchases and headed to the next store where I found a pair of rain boots colored like a ladybug. Gorgeous!
“I have no idea why you wear those things. They aren’t feminine in the least.” Grandma held one out by her fingertips.
“I’m a gardener. This is what we wear.”
“Whatever.” She dropped the boot in the bag. “Let’s head home before your mother drops dead.”
Which, was Grandma’s way of saying she was tired. So…we headed back to Shady Acres.
Once I’d put away my purchases, and the gifts from Grandma, I sat at my dinette table and started reading the papers I should have read weeks ago. Mom was right. Not only did they state employee rules, but the history of Shady Acres. Lauren could be hiding in any number of prohibition tunnels.
13
My phone rang right before supper on Saturday. “Hello, Grandma.”
“No time for pleasantries. Wear the red gown to dinner and try to look hot, darling.” Click.
I stared at the phone for a second. Why dress up? I didn’t have anything special planned, despite the fact it was my twenty-ninth birthday. When I’d approached Alice about a community event, she’d shut me down saying we couldn’t play favorites among the employees.
Now, I was either going to have to be late for supper or endure Grandma’s wrath. I chose to be late.
Half an hour later, dressed to the nines, as Grandma would say, I pushed open the door to the dining hall.
“Happy Birthday!” The residents, all dressed in formal wear, rose to their feet.
Tears sprang to my eyes, blurring the candlelight and sparkling stars hanging from the ceiling. I recognized the same decorations from our mystery dinner, but didn’t care. My family and friends had gone to a lot of trouble for me.
“Happy Birthday.” Heath placed a kiss on my cheek. “You look gorgeous.” He crooked his arm.
“Thank you.” I slipped my arm in his and let him lead me to our table.
“How was this accomplished without my finding out?” I asked as Heath pulled out my chair.
“Your grandmother threatened everyone with bodily harm if they spilled the secret.” Another quick kiss and he went to the buffet.
“I told the cooks that you love seafood, so it’s a seafood extravaganza,” Grandma said.
“Thank you. This is wonderful.”
“Blink back the tears, dear, or you will ruin your makeup.” She fanned my face with a napkin. “There will be dancing and testimonies after dinner.”
No amount of fanning would stop my tears.
Heath brought me a plate piled with shrimp, a lobster tail, crab legs, and butter. “Here’s a heart attack on a plate.”
“Yum.” I tucked a napkin into my bodice in what I knew was a vain attempt to keep butter from my dress, and popped a shrimp into my mouth.
Heath sat next to me. “Ida told me about Damon buying clothes at the mall. It turns out he has a daughter.”
Darn. There went that theory. “I’ll have to keep investigating.”
“Not tonight, though. Tonight, the focus is all on you.”
Which was weird. While I had selfish tendencies, I was human, after all, I usually kept attention off me and on someone else. I’d do my best to enjoy the celebration and return to being regular Shelby tomorrow.
After everyone had eaten, Grandma stood and tapped her spoon against her wine glass. “Now, we tell our Shelby girl how we feel about her. Keep it clean, she’s a fuddy duddy.” She sat back down.
“Really?” I scrunched my mouth.
“Don’t do that. It makes lip wrinkles.” Grandma took a microphone from a nearby stand. “Who is first? Alice?”
“As manager, I find that fitting.” Alice took the microphone. “While Shelby is supposed to be our gardener and not a crime solver, I think we can all sleep better knowing that she is on the lookout for Teresa’s killer.” Alice handed the mic to Bob.
I cringed. Why didn’t she just make the target on my back bigger?
“I suspect Shelby cheats at poker, but she’s a bang up gal and a lot of fun. Happy Birthday.”
I had just taken a drink of tea, which I proceeded to spew across the table.
“She does not cheat at poker,” Harvey said. “And she brings good snacks. Catch Teresa’s killer, girl, so we can get on with our lives. But, keep our secrets while you’re at it.”
And on and on it went. Residents extoled my virtues, spoke of my crime solving skills, a few flirted, some cracked jokes, until my head spun. Then, the microphone was handed to me.
I cleared my throat and stood. “I’m not a detective. I’m not even good at solving mysteries. Luck is my friend, as are all you. Tonight has been the best night of my life and I have every one of you to thank.” I sat back down to applause.
“Let’s walk.” Heath took my hand and led me outside.
I glanced behind us. “Why is Ted following us?”
“Well…” Heath turned me to face him. “Lauren’s DNA was all over the shack. Since I refuse to stay in my cottage, he has decided to be our bodyguard.”
I glanced back again. “He really fears for your safety?”
“It appears so.” He resumed walking.
“I finally read the employee paperwork. Did you know about the tunnels running under Shady Acres?”
“Yes. Ted has already checked them out. No sign of Lauren or that she’s been there.”
“Focusing on Lauren distracts from finding Teresa’s killer.”
“You don’t think they’re one and
the same?”
I explained Mom’s reasoning. “It makes sense to me. We’ve nothing else to go on.” This killer was patient enough to sit back and relax. The first time, Shady Acres employees had dropped like flies as if suffering from food poisoning served up at a picnic.
Maybe I was off in left field on this one. Maybe Teresa’s death was a spur of the moment. It was likely Lauren came upon her after someone had given her roses, and then killed her. But…my gut told me Lauren wasn’t Teresa’s killer.
But then, why hide? Trying to shoot Heath had been a moment of rage…a crime of passion. I doubt he would have even pressed charges since our injuries were minor. My mind spun like the clouds over head.
“Uh, are we under a weather advisory?”
Ted joined us as we stared at the clouds. “I just got an alert. We’re under a tornado watch.”
“Swirling clouds mean more than a watch,” Heath said. “Where’s the nearest door to the tunnels?”
“The only one I know of is behind the greenhouse.”
How had I missed that? The air turned heavy and still.
“Take Shelby. I’ll get the others.” Heath raced back to the dining room at the same time we sprinted for the greenhouse.
The wind picked up as we struggled with a door I hadn’t known was there. From the looks of the butchered bush next to it, it had been well hidden.
Pulling together, Ted and I managed to pull the door open.
“Shelby!” Lauren yelled from inside.
A gun rang out as Ted stepped in front of me. He spun and fell.
I knelt next to him and felt for a pulse.
“I’m not hurt. Just bruised.” He sat up. “Bullet proof vest.”
“What do we do? Lauren will shoot people as they attempt to go down.”
“I have to go after her.” He glanced at the clouds. “Wait as long as possible, then send people down. They have a better chance with a bullet than a twister.”
Maybe the twister wouldn’t touch down. “You took a bullet for me. You do care.”
“You’re like the daughter I never wished I had.” He grinned. “Don’t tell Ida.” He rushed down the stairs and into the darkness.
He could crack jokes all he wanted to, I now knew how much he cared. I stood behind the door and held it open, using it as a shield. More than likely, Lauren had run down the tunnels and away from us, but I wasn’t taking any chances.
The wind increased. I glanced up as a funnel stretched from the cloud to the ground in the direction of the lake.
I waved my arms at Heath and the others. “Hurry!” The wind whipped the words from my lips.
The twister spun closer, threatening to toss my friends like confetti. I practically shoved Grandma and Ida down the stairs.
“Come on, Shelby.” Mom peered up with wide eyes.
“I have to help.”
“Leave her be, Sue Ellen,” Grandma said. “Let Shelby be Shelby and you turn on your phone to provide some light.”
The others rushed toward me. One elderly lady who stayed to herself most of the time fell. Birdie stopped to help her and slipped down next to her. Heath put an arm around each of their waists and struggled for the tunnel.
“It’s coming!” It was all I could do to hold the door open. The wind pushed the rough wood against my back. I dug my heels into the dirt and held on.
Heath almost lifted the two women off their feet and stumbled down the stairs with them before coming back and closing the door. “Sit on the ground everyone.”
I slid down the dirt wall, unmindful of my dress. I’d almost been killed twice and it wasn’t even bedtime. First by Lauren, then by Mother Nature.
That really helped put things into perspective for a girl. As the wind howled above us, I glanced at the blue-tinged faces of those I loved as Mom and Grandma huddled around Mom’s cell phone.
Heath sat next to me and pulled me close. “Are you all right?”
I nodded and explained what happened before he arrived. “I’m worried about Ted.”
“I should go look for him.”
“Not alone.” I clutched his arm wishing I had my Tazer. “How would we get away without alerting Grandma?”
As if in answer to my question, Mom’s cellphone blinked off. “Well, pooh. The battery is dead.”
“The storm won’t last long,” I said. “I’ll have Grandma help get the others back to their cottages, then we’ll look for Ted.” As long as we didn’t hear a gunshot—could we over the noise of the storm?—he’d be all right, right?
As tornadoes usually do, the storm passed quickly. I got to my feet and waited while Heath opened the tunnel door.
“Grandma, please help these people home. I’m going to get a flashlight and search these tunnels.”
She gripped my shoulders. “Bring back my Teddy, sweetheart.”
“You knew?”
“Where else would he be? If he isn’t with us, then he’s chasing a crazy person down here.” She thrust her purse into my hands. “Use my gun. Stay safe.” She patted my cheek and ushered the others out like a mother hen.
Heath stepped back to my side. “Are you sure you want to do this? Ted is trained, we aren’t.”
“He took a bullet for me. He was wearing a vest, but he still stepped in front.”
Heath took my face in his hands and kissed me. Long. Hard. Like a man starving. “That’s in case it’s the last time. When we get out of here, I’ll kiss you breathless so you remember what it’s like to live. Now, go get that flashlight.”
I scampered up the stairs. Pausing at the top, I surveyed the downed trees and uprooted bushes. Just when the grounds were almost complete, the twister had given me a lot more work to do.
One of the backhoes from the maze sat smack dab in the middle of the vegetable garden. I sighed and unlocked the shed.
I grabbed a flashlight from a nearby shelf and hurried back to Heath. At first, my flashlight beam didn’t spot him and my heart lodged in my throat. Then, he appeared from the shadows, and all was once again right with my world.
“Let’s catch a crazy woman.” He smiled and held out his hand. “Happy Birthday, Shelby.”
“There’s no one I’d rather chase a nut with.” I took his hand.
14
Heath kept me tucked behind him as we neared a T-junction. He peered both ways. “I don’t see anyone,” he whispered. “Which way do we go?”
I shined the flashlight on the ground. “This way.” I pointed right where two sets of what seemed to be fresh prints went. “Maybe you should hold the flashlight since you’re in front.”
“No, I just need to see enough to not run into walls. Too much light will give us away.”
Any light would give us away. I craned my neck to see around him. Where was Ted and Lauren? The silence inside the tunnels was deafening. Any scrape of a shoe would be heard with no idea which direction it came from.
There! Exactly what I was thinking…the thud of…a shoe? I gripped Heath’s arm.
Another thud. Was someone throwing rocks?
Heath tackled me to the ground. “She can see us. She’s shooting with a silencer.”
“Oh. Shoot back.”
“I don’t know where she is.” His breath tickled the hair at the nape of my neck. Under normal circumstances, I’d find the position we were in rather…seductive. Right now, I felt safe that he covered me, but worried for him. I wiggled free.
“What do we do?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never been in this predicament before.”
“Get out of here!” Ted appeared around the corner. “She’s crazy.”
“We came to help you. I promised Grandma.” Relief welled in me at the sight of his scowl.
“Get the light out of my face.” He shoved my arm down. “You can help by leaving. I don’t need to worry about the two of you.”
“Any idea where she is?” Heath asked, lifting his gun.
“No, and put the gun away. Is that Ida’s? Good grief.
”
Poor Ted. He must daily regret getting mixed up with my family.
We stood there in silence for what seemed like an eternity. When no sound was forthcoming, we ventured a little further down one of the tunnels.
Ted groaned as we continued to follow him, but I’d made a promise. One I intended to keep. If I returned without him, Grandma wouldn’t speak to me for a week.
He held up a hand, stopping us. We listened, then moved on.
“There are several ways out of here,” Ted whispered. “I think she’s escaped again.”
Great. The woman was like a ghost. Here one minute, gone the next. There was no telling where she would show up next.
Ted led us through the tunnels. We emerged next to the maze. “First thing, I want this entrance boarded up,” he said. “Once I find the others, I want the same thing done to them. Leave the opening next to the greenhouse for a storm shelter, but close it off a few feet in. No more hide’n go seek with killers.”
Heath nodded. “I’ll do it first thing in the morning.”
I knew what I’d be doing tomorrow. With the damage to trees and bushes from the storm, I’d be taking a page from Alice’s book and delegating clean up to the workers in the maze.
“Do you think Lauren killed Teresa?” I asked Ted.
“She’s our primary suspect, but I have yet to find a motive.”
I nodded. “No one seems to have a motive.” I needed to do some deep thinking and some subtle snooping. What I needed now was a clear sign as to where I should snoop.
Ted walked with us as far as my cottage, then headed for Grandma’s. We heard her shriek of happiness three doors down.
“Now,” Heath put an arm on each side of me, trapping me between him and the door to my place. “I promised you a kiss. Should we do it here in the open or in the privacy of your living room?”
I grabbed his tie and yanked him inside. “No sense in putting on a show.”
We pedaled backward. The coffee table hit me in the back of my knees, felling us to the sofa.
Heath grinned. “This is more like it.”
Mom cleared her throat.
I groaned. “How did you get in?”
“Your Grandmother gave me a key.” She glared down at us. “I can see what kind of an influence she’s been on you.”
Path to Nowhere (A Shady Acres Mystery Book 2) Page 8