A Deadly Serious Gardening Contest (A Heavenly Highland Inn Cozy Mystery Book 7)

by Cindy Bell

  “Ah, so Vaughn does have an admirer on the Highland Police Force,” Vicky grinned.

  “Maybe just one,” Mitchell scowled. “Apparently they are old friends.”

  “That doesn't surprise me,” Vicky laughed a little. Vicky was just about to say something more, when her attention was drawn elsewhere. There was some huffing and grunting coming from the path beyond the pool. A little alarmed by the sound, she glanced at Mitchell.

  “Do you hear that?” she asked.

  “Yes,” he replied and narrowed his eyes. His hand rested lightly on the holster of his gun as he began walking towards the sound. Vicky followed close after him. As they rounded the corner, Vicky had to dodge out of the way as a bicycle came rolling down the path. Mitchell managed to grab it. There was no one riding the bicycle, just the bicycle itself. Chasing after it, with another bicycle in tow, Aunt Ida was huffing and grunting.

  “Aunt Ida?” Vicky said with disbelief and hurried over to help her. “What are you doing?”

  Ida took a few deep breaths as Mitchell wheeled the other bicycle back over to her.

  “I bought these bikes for Rex and me. I was just going to put them in the garden shed until later this morning,” she explained breathlessly.

  “You could have asked me to help,” Vicky frowned as she looked over her aunt with concern.

  “The whole point of all of this is to get into shape,” Ida pointed out. “So, I thought I could do it on my own. But that one got away from me,” she pointed at the bicycle that Mitchell was holding onto.

  “They can be sneaky,” he said with a light wink.

  “Let us put them away for you,” Vicky said with a slight shake of her head. “I don't know if cycling is the right sport for you, Aunt Ida. Aren't you afraid that you'll hurt yourself?”

  “Just what are you implying, Vicky?” Ida asked with her shoulders straight and her eyes narrowed. “I have a black belt but you think I'm not capable of riding a bicycle?”

  “No, not at all,” Vicky back pedaled and Mitchell took the other bicycle from her.

  “I'll just put these away,” he said casually. Vicky knew he was trying to escape the tension of the conversation.

  “I'm just saying that with your age and…”

  “Vicky,” Ida said sharply. “I'd expect this kind of talk from your sister, because Sarah always thinks she knows best, but you know better than to tell me I can't do something.”

  Vicky grimaced. “You're right I do,” she said. “I'd just hate to see you push yourself a little too hard and end up breaking something.”

  “Listen to me, young lady, you may think that you're in your prime, but there's not a bone in this body that isn't still strong and ready to be active,” Ida lectured sharply. “I can do anything I put my mind to, and I'll thank you to keep your opinions to yourself.”

  “I'm sorry, Aunt Ida,” Vicky said softly. “I didn't mean to say that you're…”

  “Old?” Ida supplied with a shake of her head. “Age is a state of mind, Vicky, and I'll prove it.” Aunt Ida was well into her seventies but preferred to act like she was in her twenties.

  “I'm sure you will,” Vicky nodded with a smile of pride. “Nothing has ever been able to stop you.”

  “Nothing ever will,” Ida agreed as Vicky saw Rex walking down the hill to join them.

  “I'm sorry if I offended you,” Vicky added with genuine remorse. “I just don't ever want to see you get hurt.”

  “I know, sweetheart,” Ida replied in a milder tone. “I'm sorry for coming across so harsh. It's just that Rex tried to use the same argument with me, and it really ruffled my feathers. I want to get fitter, healthier, not waste away from boredom.”

  “Morning,” Rex called out as he joined them.

  “Morning,” Aunt Ida and Vicky said with a smile.

  “Rex and I decided no more motorcycles, only bicycles!” Ida said with determination.

  “Really?” Vicky asked as she looked up at Rex with surprise. She knew how much he adored his motorcycle.

  “For now,” he replied with a frown.

  Vicky had to smile a little at how much Rex was willing to sacrifice in order to make Aunt Ida happy, but she was also a little worried that her aunt was asking too much.

  “Why don't you two have some breakfast?” Vicky suggested. “I know that Chef Henry has whipped up something special this morning.”

  “Sounds lovely,” Ida agreed. “Do you think Mitchell can handle those bikes okay?”

  “Yes, Mitchell will be fine,” Vicky promised her with a grin. A few moments after Rex and Ida ducked into the restaurant, Mitchell popped out from behind the shed.

  “Vicky,” Mitchell called out as he began walking back quickly towards her. Vicky could tell from the look in his eyes that something was wrong.

  “What is it, Mitchell?” she asked as she walked towards him.

  “Don't go back there,” he warned and grabbed her gently by the elbows. “I've already called for backup.”

  “What? Why?” Vicky asked, her heart beginning to pound. “What's back there?”

  “Someone is dead, Vicky,” Mitchell said, his eyes dark with concern.

  “Let me past,” Vicky insisted and tried to pull away from him.

  “Trust me, you don't want to see this,” Mitchell said gruffly.

  “Mitchell, I'm not a child,” Vicky growled in return. “This is my inn, I need to know what happened.”

  Mitchell locked his jaw for a moment, and then reluctantly released her. He took her hand in his and led her around the shed. Vicky gasped when she saw Roxanne's body behind the shed, with a pitchfork sticking up out of her chest.

  “Oh no,” Vicky moaned. “Are you sure she's dead?”

  “Yes,” Mitchell frowned. “I checked. It seems like she's been dead for at least a few hours.”

  “Oh, this is not good,” Vicky groaned and crouched down beside Roxanne. “This poor woman.”

  “Come away from there, Vicky,” Mitchell requested sternly. “You don't want to contaminate the crime scene.”

  “What are we going to do?” Vicky frowned. “We'll have to cancel the contest and send everyone home. I'll go tell Ray Baxter,” she said quickly, feeling dizzy from the shock of seeing the body.

  “No, you won't,” Sheriff McDonnell said as he walked around the back of the shed. “Mitchell, I need to speak with you, now,” he said and passed an impatient gaze over Vicky.

  Vicky eyed him for a moment. Sheriff McDonnell had a love hate relationship with Mitchell and he made no secret of it, his dislike for Mitchell often extended to Vicky as well. He was more surly than usual this morning.

  “Yes sir,” Mitchell said gravely and nodded to Vicky. “I just need a minute, darling, okay?”

  “Okay,” Vicky replied, still stunned. As she stepped out from behind the shed she heard the sound of more sirens approaching. She saw Ray Baxter stepping out of the side door of the lobby with a look of confusion. He glanced at Vicky, but before he could speak, he was waved over by Sheriff McDonnell. Vicky was slightly relieved. She wasn't sure if she could speak clearly even if she tried. She made her way towards the closest bench in the garden. A few minutes later, Vaughn Thomson emerged from the lobby. He looked troubled as he jogged over to Sheriff McDonnell. Vicky was still in a daze. She pulled out her cell phone and sent a text to Sarah, letting her know that there was an emergency.

  Ray Baxter, Sheriff McDonnell, Vaughn Thomson, and Mitchell all stood in a tight knot beside the shed. The crime scene had been roped off by the other officers who arrived, to prevent anyone from treading on evidence. The men were talking in very low voices. Vicky couldn't just sit still any longer. She wanted to know what they were talking about. She didn't want to upset Mitchell, but she was concerned about what was being discussed. Vicky kept inching closer, hoping to overhear what was being said. Before she could listen in too much, Sarah walked right up to her, grabbed her by the arm and tugged her into the middle of the group of men.

&n
bsp; “Sarah, wait,” Vicky started to say, but Sarah refused to even look at her. She looked determined.

  “Sarah, just give us a minute,” Mitchell requested and looked nervously from Sarah to Vicky.

  “I will not,” Sarah replied sternly. Vicky was a little startled by Sarah's bold behavior. “I don't understand why there is a discussion taking place that doesn't involve us, the owners of the inn,” Sarah said. “I want to know what has happened.”

  Mitchell grimaced. “Unfortunately, Roxanne Duran has been found dead behind the garden shed,” he said as calmly as he could.

  “What?” Sarah blinked, shocked by the revelation. She looked over at Vicky, and Vicky nodded, still not ready to speak about what she had seen.

  “This is terrible,” Sarah cringed. “We'll have to notify her family. I'm not sure if she left any contact information when she registered.”

  “We can take care of that,” Sheriff McDonnell assured her. “But this is a very delicate matter.”

  “Of course it is,” Sarah said. “We should notify the guests. How did she die? Was it an accident?”

  “No,” Vicky said and shook her head. “It was no accident.”

  “So, what are you planning to do about it?” Sarah asked grimly.

  “Listen, we're just talking about how to approach this case,” Sheriff McDonnell said casually. “It's nothing that you need to bother yourself with.”

  “Bother myself with?” Sarah asked sharply. Now Vicky's shoulders were up, and her eyes were narrowed. Mitchell had gone a little pale as he stood between the sheriff and his fiancée, as well as his future sister-in-law. “It is entirely my business,” Sarah snapped. “This is our property, these are our guests, and I want to know what you're planning on doing about this terrible crime.”

  “Well, wait just a minute now,” Sheriff McDonnell said quickly. “We don't even know that we have a crime…”

  “What?” Vicky gasped as she looked at the Sheriff. “Why would there be a body if there is no crime?”

  “Maybe the young woman had a little too much to drink,” Vaughn suggested. “Alcohol and a pitchfork are not always a good combination.”

  Sarah stared at him with disbelief and disgust. Vicky crossed her arms, her lips set in a stern, thin line.

  “Are you seriously trying to make a joke about a woman who was murdered?” Vicky asked in a grating voice.

  “Mitchell, could you explain to your fiancée that a crime is not a crime just because she thinks it is,” Sheriff McDonnell said gruffly and averted his gaze from the two women.

  Mitchell's eyes widened, his lips moved soundlessly for a moment. Vicky could tell that he was trying to restrain himself. He looked over at Vicky. Vicky looked back at him, her eyes narrowed as she waited to see if he would follow orders.

  “Ah, no, I can't do that,” Mitchell said and cleared his throat. His cheeks were red, and his brow was furrowed.

  “Excuse me?” Sheriff McDonnell demanded impatiently. “Are you ignoring a direct order?”

  “No disrespect, Sheriff McDonnell,” Mitchell said calmly. “But there were clearly defensive wounds on the woman's body. She tried to get away from whoever hurt her. Being drunk doesn't cause those kinds of injuries. I'm sure that the Medical Examiner will agree with me,” he lowered his eyes briefly before looking back up at Sheriff McDonnell. “I think Sarah and Vicky need to be informed of exactly what is going on.”

  “Huh, well, I guess I wasn't fully informed,” Sheriff McDonnell said with annoyance. It was clear that he was trying to cover up for his initial reaction. “Either way, we're going to keep this quiet. We don't know who has done this, but we can't assume that everyone is in danger. The contest is bringing a lot of interest and tourists into Highland, I don't think we need to cancel it before we know all of the facts. If we move too fast, we might spook the killer, and that could lead to chaos, or never solving this case.”

  “So, you think it's better that we put our guests and the contestants at risk?” Sarah asked and shook her head.

  “I think it's better if we follow the Sheriff's lead,” Vaughn said coolly as he studied Sarah intently. Vicky shifted uneasily from one foot to the other. She was usually the one being bold, and getting into trouble. It was unusual for Sarah to be so aggressive.

  “I'll do that,” Sarah nodded as she looked between the three men. “But you need to find out who did this, and fast,” her eyes fell on Mitchell last. “I trust that you will look into this, Detective.”

  “I will,” he promised her and held her eyes for a moment.

  “Then it's settled,” Ray Baxter said and exhaled. “The contest will continue as planned.”

  “I don't think that's best,” Sarah said with a frown. “But I will do as you ask. If someone else gets hurt because of this, it's your responsibility.”

  “Of course,” Sheriff McDonnell replied. “Now, let us do our work, so that this can be taken care of quickly.”

  Sarah still looked very annoyed as she steered Vicky back to the bench where she had been sitting.

  “Vicky, you look pale,” she said gently. “Do you need anything? Water? Do you want to go lay down?”

  “No,” Vicky said and shook her head. “I just want all of this to be over. I can't believe this happened.”

  “Well, we're going to have to figure out how to handle this,” Sarah frowned. “I feel terrible about not telling the guests and other contestants.”

  “Me too,” Vicky rubbed her cheeks slowly. “But let's allow Sheriff McDonnell and Mitchell to figure something out. If they don't get anywhere, we'll tell the guests ourselves.”

  “I agree,” Sarah nodded. “Why don't you come inside with me?” she suggested.

  “I think I just want to wait and talk to Mitchell,” Vicky said.

  “Okay,” Sarah sighed as she saw some of the guests making their way towards the restaurant. “I'm going to have to tell them something. They will see the police everywhere.”

  “Just tell them that there was an emergency on the property,” Vicky suggested. “Until we find out a little more, that will have to do.”

  “All right,” Sarah tucked her hands into her pockets and walked back towards the inn.

  As Vicky sat alone on the bench she felt panic surging through her. She stared at the garden in front of her. It was Lauren's garden. The breeze tickled lightly across the blossoms that had been arranged perfectly throughout the garden. Vicky had never seen such an assortment of colors placed so perfectly that each color accentuated the next. Lauren had labeled it the Rainbow Garden, and the name suited it. There were blossoms of every color. Bright red roses. Deep green ferns that matched the grass. Butter yellow daffodils that reflected the shade of the sun. Bright blue cornflowers that stretched upward towards the bright blue sky.

  Vicky was lost in thought over what might have happened to Roxanne. She kept replaying in her mind the last moments she had spent with Roxanne. She heard footsteps slowly approaching her. She didn't bother to look up. There was only one person she expected it to be.

  “Are you all right?” Mitchell asked as he stepped up beside her.

  “Yes, I think so,” Vicky murmured without looking away from the flowers. He sat down beside her on the bench. She felt his arm wind around her waist as he pulled her close.

  “I'm sorry this has happened,” he said gently beside her ear. “There was nothing that you could have done to prevent it.”

  “I know that,” Vicky said with a frown. “In my mind I know that, but she was just here, only hours ago, standing right here. Now she is gone, and it all happened under my roof.”

  “Did you notice anything strange about Roxanne?” he asked gently. “Anyone arguing with her or anything like that?”

  “Only Lauren,” Vicky said softly. “She and Lauren were going at it all day yesterday.”

  “That's right,” Mitchell nodded. “The fight I missed.”

  “I saw her last night when she went to her room,” Vicky sighed. “She
didn't seem upset, but maybe a little bothered.”

  “Did she mention anything about someone looking for her?” he asked.

  “No, nothing like that,” Vicky replied. “I've been racking my brain, but I can't think of anything out of the ordinary. Who would do this?”

  “That's what I'm going to find out,” Mitchell said with confidence. “Try not to worry too much,” he kissed her forehead. Vicky nodded. She watched as he walked back over to the crime scene. She knew that he would do his best, but she couldn't help wondering whether she had missed something. Had there been some kind of warning sign that she had overlooked?

  Chapter Five

  Once Vicky had calmed down and the reality that someone had been murdered on the property had sunk in she stood up from the bench and looked out over the gardens. She wasn't going to let anything stop the success of the show, and she certainly wasn't going to allow any more of her guests to die. She could see Mitchell and other police officers fanned out questioning the guests.

  Vicky knew that Mitchell preferred her to stay out of his investigations, but this one was too close to home. Besides what harm could a few questions do? She decided to question the staff before they had the chance to speak with the police. She was worried that Sheriff McDonnell was going to inhibit Mitchell’s and the other officers’ ability to discover the truth. As she stepped into the inn she could see Chef Henry and several of the staff members gathered together near the glass door of the restaurant. She walked towards them. As soon as she reached the door Chef Henry opened it for her.

  “Are you all right?” Chef Henry asked with urgency. “I hear that there was a murder, one of the contestants, is that true?”

  “It is,” Vicky replied grimly. “Which means as of now everyone is a suspect.”

  “Oh no,” one of the waitresses moaned. “This isn't going to be a fun night.”

  “Just relax,” Vicky said calmly. “If you have nothing to feel guilty about then you have nothing to worry about, right?” she looked over the faces of each of the staff members, searching for any hint of deceit. Finding none, she settled her gaze back on Henry. “What I need from all of you is for you to think back over the past few hours. Did anything happen that was unusual? Did something seem out of place? Did you overhear any arguments?” she looked between the faces of the staff. Most of their expressions were blank or thoughtful but no one seemed to be dying to reveal anything.