“Did you do anything with it?”
“I thought that would be overstepping my bounds,” Bay replied. “I called Chief Terry, and he took the delivery. He left a note on the front of the store and said it would be at the department.”
“That was probably smart. Well, did he mention anything about the warrant?”
“He said the judge would sign one tomorrow if Donna hasn’t shown up by then.”
“That’s something, at least.”
“Yeah.” Bay bit her lip. She looked nervous, as she does when she’s hiding something from me.
I narrowed my eyes, instantly suspicious. “What did you do?”
“What makes you think I did anything?” Bay’s blue eyes widened with faux innocence, and I knew right away that I was on to something.
“Son of a … !” I grabbed her hand and tugged her toward the kitchen. “We’ll be right back,” I called over my shoulder. “We’re just going to … flirt and stuff.”
“That’s not how it looks to me,” Chris shot back. “It looks to me as if you’re going to yell at her.”
“Looks can be deceiving,” Bay retorted, shrinking when she saw the dark look on my face. “But maybe not in this case.”
I waited until we made it into the kitchen to ask the question a second time. “What did you do?”
“You’re not going to like it,” Bay muttered, averting her eyes and scratching her cheek. “You’re going to be mad.”
“I figured that out myself.” I crossed my arms and waited.
“Well, if I tell you, do you promise not to yell?”
“No.”
“Do you promise not to yell really loud?”
“No.”
Bay blew out a frustrated sigh. “I guess it was worth a shot.”
I caught her chin with my hand and forced her eyes to me. “What did you do?”
“I let myself into Donna’s house and took a look around,” Bay admitted. “There were no signs of a struggle and no dead body. There’s no ghost. Everything is clean and in its proper place. How much do you hate me?”
The air escaped my lungs with a whoosh and I had to tug on every bit of my limited patience to refrain from blowing up. “That’s so much worse than I expected.”
Bay’s eyes flashed. “You still love me, right?”
“I’ll have to give it some thought.”
Ten
“What were you thinking?” I worked overtime to hold my temper in check as Bay’s eyes widened and her cheeks puffed out. I wasn’t in the mood for an argument, but pretending that what she did was acceptable wasn’t an option.
“I thought that knowing if there was a body inside the house would be helpful.” Bay shrank away a bit, almost as if she expected me to explode.
“Bay, that’s illegal. You know that.”
“But … .”
I shook my head. “Forget the legalities for a moment,” I said. “What if someone was inside? What if Julie really did kill Donna and she went back to check something and ran into you? What if someone else was hiding in the house?”
“But no one was there.” Bay has a stubborn streak. The way she crossed her arms over her chest told me this wouldn’t be easy. “I’m perfectly fine. See. This is me, and I’m standing in front of you.”
“After committing an illegal act and putting yourself in unnecessary danger.” I didn’t snap at her, even though that was my initial inclination. She doesn’t respond well to bellowing, and I’m no fan of upsetting her. She has a weird insecurity streak that gives me heartburn at times.
“But … at least we know she’s not dead,” Bay hedged.
I licked my lips as I stared at her, frustrated. “I think we should take a walk outside,” I said finally, earning a surprised look from Winnie and Marnie as they worked on their dinner preparations. “We’ll finish talking about this when we’re away from prying ears.”
Bay didn’t look thrilled at the prospect. “Is that because you want to make sure no one can hear me scream?”
I refused to smile, even though her defiant expression tempted me to give in and embrace the unintended hilarity. “No.”
“Is it so you can more easily hide my body?”
“No.”
Bay blew out a sigh, one I’d heard multiple times when she was dealing with irritating family members. “Fine. I’m not in the mood to be yelled at.”
“That’s delightful,” I said, grabbing my coat from the chair in the corner of the room and ushering her toward the back of the inn. “I’m not in the mood to yell. I think this will work out well for both of us.”
“Good luck, dear,” Winnie called out, amused.
“Thanks so much, Mom,” Bay drawled.
“I was talking to Landon.”
I ignored Winnie’s dig and made sure Bay tugged on her mittens and hat before following her outside. She looked adorable in the knit cap, but she was clearly spoiling for a fight despite her words to the contrary only moments before. I remained silent until we were on the back patio, sucking in a steadying breath as I stared at the moon.
“There’s a full moon tonight,” I noted.
Bay followed my gaze. “Yeah. It’s pretty.”
“Maybe that’s why you’re acting like a crazy woman.”
Bay’s mouth dropped open. “I am not crazy. I was doing you a favor.”
“Don’t pretend you were doing me a favor,” I countered. “That’s unfair to both of us. You were curious and couldn’t stop yourself. At least admit that much.”
“I … fine.” Bay made a low growling sound in the back of her throat. “I was doing it for me. That doesn’t mean I wasn’t doing it for you, too.”
“I know. You have a good heart.” I brushed my knuckles over her cheek. “You have very bad self-preservation instincts. It worries me. I’d appreciate it if you’d work on that.”
Bay narrowed her eyes, suspicious. “I … that’s it? You’re not going to yell?”
“Does yelling work?”
“No.”
“Then I’m not going to yell. I need you to be careful, though. What happened today was bad. You got lucky. You can’t break into someone’s house simply because you’re curious, sweetie.”
“You clearly didn’t grow up with Aunt Tillie,” Bay muttered, swinging her body back and forth to generate warmth. “That was one of the first things she taught us.”
“Well, if you’re going to keep it up I suggest learning her masterful interrogation techniques,” I said. “That’s the only thing that will keep you out of jail if I catch you breaking into someone’s house again.”
Bay’s mouth dropped open. “You can’t be serious. You would arrest me?”
“If I thought it would save you, yes, I would arrest you.”
“That’s so mean.”
“I like to think of it as love,” I countered. “I love you enough to put you in jail. Don’t worry, though. You wouldn’t have to do much time. And I’d arrange conjugal visits.”
Bay rolled her eyes even as she laughed. “You’re really too kind.”
“I do my best.” I drew her to me and kissed her cheek. “I’m not joking about being careful, Bay. You need to do better.”
“I thought I was,” Bay muttered, although she didn’t pull away from me.
“You didn’t think you were doing better, and we both know it,” I challenged. “You knew you were wrong. That’s why you slipped away and didn’t tell me what you had planned. And before you look me in the face and lie, I know you planned it before you left the house, so don’t bother denying it.”
“I … didn’t really plan it,” Bay hedged. “I merely kept it open as a possibility.”
“Oh, well, that makes it so much better.” I exhaled heavily and shook my head. “You’re work, woman. Has anyone ever told you that?”
“Just you … every weekend.”
I grinned as I pressed a kiss to her forehead. “You’re just lucky that Aunt Tillie sucked out all of my energy an
d I have no inclination to fight. I feel like an old man after she raked me over the cauldron.”
Bay giggled, relaxing against me. “She was funny about her greenhouse, wasn’t she? I heard the tail end of her meltdown when I was coming in. What do you think is going on there?”
“I think it’s probably Noah. He’s an idiot for taking her on,” I answered. “I guess since we’re out here, we might as well take a look.”
“You only want to get me in a private spot so you can spank me for being a bad girl.” Bay’s eyes lit up as she hopped down a step and held out her hand. I took it and let her lead me toward the greenhouse. “Just be warned that I’ll pout if you try to punish me.”
“That doesn’t mean it won’t be worth it,” I teased.
“I agree.”
We lapsed into comfortable silence, the cold air whipping past us and causing me to draw her close. “Winter is almost here. It used to be my least favorite season, but now that we’re moving in together and there’s a fireplace in the guesthouse, I think it’s going to be my favorite season.”
Bay smirked. “Me, too. We can spend entire weekends doing nothing but sitting in front of the fire. Of course, that means I’ll have to learn to cook so I can feed you.”
“That’s what pizza is for, sweetie.”
“I love the way your mind works.”
I stilled by the greenhouse door. “Right back at you.” I pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth before playfully swatting her rear end. “You’re still in trouble. I simply don’t have the energy to deal with the situation until I’ve had food and sleep.”
“Duly noted.” Bay was happy as she pushed open the greenhouse door. That feeling lasted only a split second as a compact figure scampered from the closest bench and disappeared into the darkness at the back of the building. “Did you see that?”
I nodded grimly. “Someone’s in here.”
“I guess Aunt Tillie was right.”
“She always is,” I muttered. “That’s unbelievably frustrating. I don’t suppose this place has a light, does it?”
“It’s right here.” Bay moved to the right. I kept close to her until she flipped a switch, flooding the room with light. That’s when my gaze fell on a face I recognized, although it wasn’t one I expected.
“What the … ?”
Donna Emery, a mug of coffee clutched in her hand, offered us a rueful expression. “I can explain.”
“That would be great,” I said. “I just questioned your ex-husband about your potential murderer today. I’d love to hear why you’re hiding in a greenhouse and not dead.”
Donna licked her lips, unsure. “I don’t know where to start.”
“I suggest the beginning.”
“I DIDN’T set out to do this,” Donna said, wringing her hands. The greenhouse wasn’t nearly as cold as I expected, and I remained suspicious as to what Aunt Tillie was doing out here earlier. “I thought I’d be able to get Tim back if he thought I was missing. I didn’t expect the FBI to get involved. I thought eventually Chief Terry would question Tim and that would be enough for him to come looking for me. You have to believe that.”
“I don’t understand,” Bay said, her voice gentle. “You disappeared to make your ex-husband go looking for you??”
Donna nodded. “I thought he would realize he made a mistake when I turned up missing. I thought he would realize after a few days that I wasn’t showing up around his house and he would worry.”
“Donna, you’ve been stalking Tim and Julie.” I was careful to keep my voice even. “You’ve been breaking into their home, stealing Julie’s clothing and acting like a psychopath.”
Donna clearly didn’t like my interpretation of evidence, because she twisted her face into a harsh expression. “He’s my husband!”
“Not any longer.” I adopted a gentle but firm tone. “I understand the divorce was hard on you, but this is not the way an adult deals with a situation. Whether you want to admit it or not, Tim has moved on.”
“But we pledged forever to one another,” Donna said, her lower lip trembling. “We were supposed to be together forever.”
“But Tim changed his mind,” Bay countered. “He found someone else. That sucks for you, but he made a decision that changed your life. You have no choice but to live with it.”
“He can still change his mind and come back,” Donna said, crossing her arms over her chest. “He can still make things right.”
“He has a child with his new wife,” I prodded. “He has another child on the way. He’s not leaving Julie. He’s not leaving his children. You need to accept that.”
“But … .” Donna looked broken at the news that Tim had another child on the way. “He never wanted children with me.”
“That’s probably because he knew that there was something wrong with the marriage from the beginning,” Bay supplied gently. She appeared sympathetic but resolute as she took an uncertain step toward Donna. “How did you end up out here?.”
“I was watching Tim’s house because I wanted to see how he would react when he found out I was missing,” Donna admitted. “I was there yesterday when you showed up. I listened from outside the window as you told Julie what was going on.
“After you left, she seemed almost … giddy,” she continued. “I waited until she told Tim what happened. I expected him to rush out and race toward the house. I was going to follow him there so we could make up.”
“And that didn’t happen,” I said, my heart rolling at the woman’s pain.
“No.” Donna looked almost pitiful as her face fell. “He said that was terrible and then proceeded to eat dinner and watch television with Julie and his son. He didn’t even bother calling to see if I was okay.”
“Wasn’t that the final clue you needed to move on?” Bay asked.
“I guess not,” Donna answered. “I came out here because I wanted to talk to Bay, but the place was packed. Then I realized it was packed with police officers and FBI agents, and I panicked.
“I followed Tillie out here because I hoped she could get you for me without causing a scene. But some FBI guy was following her,” she continued. “I didn’t know what else to do, so I hid out here. I hoped you’d make your way out here eventually.”
“Well, here I am.” Bay forced a bright smile. “What do you want me to do for you?”
“I … .” Donna broke off, uncertain. “I wanted you to get a message to Tim. I wanted you to tell him where he could find me. I … you don’t think he’ll come, do you?”
“No.” Bay firmly shook her head. “I think that Tim is where he wants to be. However much that sucks for you, it’s time to move on and pick a new path. It’s not okay for you to terrorize Tim and Julie. They did wrong by you – both of them – but it’s time to be the bigger person. You have the strength to do that. I have faith.”
I shot Bay an appraising look. She’s good at calming people. I often forget that, because she’s also good at riling me up.
“I don’t know how to do that,” Donna admitted. “I … .” She shrank back in fear when the greenhouse door opened and Aunt Tillie hopped inside. She had a broom in one hand and a knife in the other.
“Ha!”
“Oh, don’t kill me!” Donna wailed. “Have mercy on me!”
“What the … ?” Aunt Tillie looked disgusted – and a little disappointed – when she realized who we were talking to. “Donna Emery? I thought you were missing.”
“She followed me here and then freaked when she saw all of the cops,” Bay supplied.
“Oh, well, I can understand that reaction.” Aunt Tillie lowered the knife and broom. “But you don’t have to hide out here. It’s cold. And I have all of the law enforcement officials bowing at my feet. Isn’t that right, Landon?”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I was thinking,” I deadpanned, rolling my eyes.
“You must be cold out here,” Aunt Tillie said. “Why don’t you come inside and we’ll all have dinner. Then we’ll t
alk about whatever it is that’s bothering you.”
The offer surprised me. Aunt Tillie isn’t known for taking pity on others. “That’s nice of you.”
“Yes, well, I’m feeling powerful today,” Aunt Tillie noted. “I took down two FBI interrogators and lived to tell the tale.”
I scowled. “That’s mean of you.”
“My benevolence comes and goes,” Aunt Tillie said, grinning.
“I’m really not all that cold,” Donna admitted. “I’ve been drinking your wine. I hope you don’t mind. It kept me warm all night and day.”
“That’s why it’s here,” Aunt Tillie said, narrowing her eyes when she saw the open bottle. “I could actually use a belt of that before we go inside. All of those cops are giving me heartburn.”
“That’s funny because you’re giving me heartburn.” I found myself shuffling behind her. “I want some wine, too.”
“I think we should all have some wine,” Bay suggested. “We still have two days of this to deal with.”
“At least I’m no longer missing,” Donna said, giggling.
“Yes, that is a bonus,” I said, tossing my arm over Bay’s shoulder. “Okay, we can finish off that one bottle of wine, but then we have to go inside and pretend we’re not drunk. Does everyone understand the plan?”
Bay and Donna nodded solemnly while Aunt Tillie smirked.
“I like the way you think.” Aunt Tillie tapped the side of my head. “You’re a crappy interrogator, but you’re a good boyfriend for my niece.”
“Be careful, that almost sounded like a compliment.”
“You almost earned it,” Aunt Tillie said. “I heard you two on the back porch. You didn’t even yell a little bit when she told you she broke into Donna’s house. That’s progress.”
“You broke into my house?” Donna wrinkled her nose.
“I was trying to see if there was a body inside,” Bay protested.
“Oh, well, I guess I understand that.” Donna took a long swig of wine and coughed. “That’s some good stuff.”
“Hand it this way,” I ordered. “I … .” I didn’t get a chance to finish because another figure stormed out of the darkness, hands on hips, and fixed me with a dark look. “How many people are hiding in this greenhouse?”
Landon Calling: A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Short Page 9