Hope Callaghan - Garden Girls 07 - Missing Milt

by Hope Callaghan

  She promptly called Gloria back. “So should we confront Frances with our suspicions?”

  “No. We don’t want to tip our hand. Not yet, anyways. I want to check out the bridge club and investigate a few more people.”

  Gloria balanced the phone between her ear and shoulder as she poured herself a cup of coffee. She slid into the kitchen chair and unfolded the morning paper. “The more that I think about it, the more I’m convinced someone, somewhere – at Dreamwood – knows something about Milt’s disappearance.”

  Gloria glanced at the clock. “I better get going. I haven’t even showered yet.” She assured Liz she’d be there around lunchtime tomorrow so they could “accidentally” bump into the bridge club and perhaps glean a few more clues into Milt’s mysterious disappearance.

  Gloria finished her coffee and morning paper, then Mally and she headed outside. A nice, brisk morning walk would get the sleuthing brain cells pumping. There was nothing like a long walk through the fields and back to the creek to clear the head.

  Mally knew exactly where they were going. She darted off in front of Gloria, racing to the far edge of the field before turning around and running back. She did this two or three times before Gloria made it to the other end.

  She was panting, her pink tongue hanging out of the side of her mouth as she looked up at Gloria.

  Gloria shook her head. “You crazy dog. I wish I had half your energy.”

  The edge of the familiar woods was in sight. Gloria wove her way through the forest and settled onto her favorite resting spot – an old fallen tree log that sat not far from the edge of the creek. Mally splashed in the water and chased a few birds before she settled in at Gloria’s feet.

  Gloria absentmindedly scratched Mally’s ear as she turned her attention to the trees. She studied the leaves. In a couple more weeks, the woods would be breathtaking shades of glorious gold and red. “What do you think Mally? You think Frances is involved in Milt’s disappearance?”

  Mally let out a low moan and closed her eyes. She wasn’t at all interested in Frances’ guilt or innocence.

  Gloria stroked Mally’s soft fur. Of course, it didn’t make much sense that Frances was involved. Maybe she was bored with her life and this added a little excitement, a big mystery and a lot of attention.

  If that was Frances’s goal, boy, she was certainly getting that!

  The fact that she seemed obsessed with Milt, his habits, his likes and dislikes. Maybe she had gone crazy and killed him, then buried his body and somehow mentally shut it out, her mind not able to deal with her obsession and the fact he was now gone. One of those “if I can’t have you, no one can.”

  Gloria shivered…the thought creeped her out.

  What about the threating message where someone told Milt to stay away from “Viv?” Then there was the mysterious Trudy and last but not least, Vinny, the guy Milt owed money to.

  That was four suspects. Four people Gloria needed to check out, and the sooner the better. The longer Milt was missing, the colder the trail became.

  Gloria stood up and brushed the dirt from her pants. “C’mon girl. We better head home.”

  She stopped in the garage to assemble the fort building supplies. She plugged the battery for the cordless drill into the outlet to let it charge. Next, she placed a brand new box of wood screws on the table.

  She would somehow have to figure out how to attach the boards for the railing. Gloria frowned. Better yet, she’d have to figure out how to build a railing…

  Gloria didn’t have a lot of experience with building things. She had always left those projects up to her husband, James. But James had been gone a long time now and it was up to Gloria to take care of these things.

  She grabbed the kitchen phone from the wall and dialed Brian’s number. “What are you doing Saturday?” she asked when he answered.

  “Going on a hot date with you?” he teased.

  Gloria snorted. “Yeah, right. No, I was wondering if you could spare a couple hours to come by and help my grandsons put the tree fort together.”

  “I thought you’d never ask,” he replied.

  Gloria let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, that reminds me. The fall party we talked about the other day…”

  “The fall party?” Brian sounded confused. “Oh! You mean the engagement ring and your idea to surprise Andrea.”

  “Yeah, that’s the one.”

  “Did you decide on a date?” he wondered.

  “I was thinking the first weekend in October, or is that too late?”

  “No, I think that would be perfect. You’re going to invite all your, I mean our, friends?” he asked.

  “Yes, of course. I picked up some nice little invitations the other day when I was out and about. I’ll start addressing them if that Saturday works for you.”

  “Sounds great,” Brian reassured her, “and I’ll see you Saturday. I can swing by around 2:00.”

  “Perfect.” Gloria hung up the phone and whispered a small prayer of thanks. It wasn’t that she couldn’t ask her son-in-law, Greg, or even Paul. The idea was for Jill and Greg to have a little time alone and Paul – well, she wasn’t sure. He was always busy working.

  Gloria grabbed the packet of invitations from the shopping bag. She pulled out the entire stack, set them on the table and picked up a pen. She made one out to each of the Garden Girls, along with Paul and his children. Then she addressed two more: one for her sister, Liz and one for Frances, if she wasn’t in jail by then. Of course, there was Jill, Greg and the boys and last but not least, Andrea and Brian.

  Gloria slid the invitations inside her purse and grabbed her keys. She wanted to get the invitations out as soon as possible.

  She eased Annabelle into an empty spot in front of Dot’s Restaurant and headed inside. The breakfast crowd was winding down. The only ones left were a few stragglers that stayed on for endless cups of coffee and socializing.

  Gloria nodded to several of the diners and headed to the back. Dot was storing the leftovers in containers and putting them in the fridge. She did a double take when she saw Gloria. “Oh. Hi Gloria.”

  “Hey Dot. How’s it going?”

  Dot wiped her hands on the front of her apron. “Two visits in two days. So to what do I owe this honor?”

  Gloria held out the invitation. “I’m inviting you and Ray to a fall party. It’s the first Saturday in October.”

  Dot slipped on her glasses and lifted the flap on the envelope. She pulled it out and opened it. “Oh. This sounds like so much fun! A hay ride and bonfire!” She looked up. “My goodness, it has been years.”

  Gloria nodded. “Way too long.”

  Dot tucked the invitation back inside the envelope. “Well, we will definitely be there. I’ll bring the donuts.”

  Dot made the best donuts in all of Belhaven. Probably in all of Montbay County if truth be told. “Thanks, I hadn’t even thought about that.”

  Next, Gloria headed across the street to the post office. Ruth was inside, waiting on Judith Arnett, another Belhaven resident.

  Gloria and Judith had their share of differences and didn’t always see eye to eye, but Judith had been instrumental in helping clear Ruth’s name during a recent investigation, so Gloria had changed her opinion of Judith. She could still be a bit of a pain in the rear, but now she was tolerable.

  Judith gave Gloria small smile as she exited the post office.

  Ruth leaned an elbow on the counter. “I never thought I’d see the day when you and ole Judith buried the hatchet.”

  Gloria set her purse on the counter. She pulled out a small packet of banded invitations and dropped them in the outgoing mail slot. “Only because of you. Miracles are still alive and kicking in Belhaven,” she joked.

  “Ain’t that the truth,” Ruth replied. “So what brings you here to the post office two days in a row?”

  Gloria frowned. It was apparent she needed to make an appearance more often. First Dot, now Ruth. She pulled Ruth’s invitation
from her purse and slid it across the counter. “I’m having a fall party the first Saturday in October.”

  Ruth picked up the invitation and turned it over. “Really? We haven’t had a party since, well, since you had the cookout earlier this year.”

  “You’re right,” Gloria agreed. “Which reminds me. Still seeing Slick Steve?”

  Ruth’s face reddened.

  Gloria nodded. “Ahh. You are still seeing Slick Steve.” Slick Steve, aka Steve Colby, had moved to the small town of Belhaven over a year ago. He had dated several of the widowed women in town and left a trail of broken hearts, which is how he got his name, Slick Steve.

  On impulse, Gloria had invited him to her backyard barbecue not long ago and he and Ruth had hit it off.

  “We’re just friends,” Ruth mumbled.

  Gloria didn’t buy it but she didn’t press it either. If – or when - Ruth wanted to talk about it, she would. “I’m doing the whole hayride and bonfire afterwards.”

  Gloria picked up her purse and turned to go.

  “I can bring marshmallows, chocolate bars and graham crackers for s’mores,” Ruth offered.

  Gloria paused, her hand on the doorknob. “That would be great, Ruth.” She turned the knob and opened the door. “You can bring Steve with you, too.”

  She quickly exited the post office and shut the door, not giving Ruth a chance to protest. A small smile lit the corners of her lips. She was happy to see Ruth finally had someone. Gloria shook her head…of all people, Slick Steve!

  Her next stop was her friend, Margaret’s, place. Margaret and her husband, Don, lived in a beautiful, sprawling ranch, perched on a small bank that overlooked Lake Terrace. It was one of the nicer homes in town. Don had recently retired as vice president of a local bank.

  Out of all Gloria’s dear friends, Margaret had been the hardest to get close to as far as friends went. That is, until Margaret volunteered to take a road trip with Gloria while she searched for her sister, Liz, who led them on a wild goose chase in the Smoky Mountains.

  After that trip, the two had a special bond. The girls uncovered some old coins in Aunt Ethel’s farmhouse. Along with Gloria’s cousin, David, Ethel’s son, they discovered the coins were worth a lot of money.

  The government was fighting to claim ownership of the coins and the case continued to drag on in the courts. They were all waiting for a decision, which David kept promising would be soon. Although the coins could potentially make each of them rich beyond their dreams, Gloria was one of those “never count your chickens before they hatch” kind of people.

  She would get excited if, and when, the coins were theirs to keep. In the meantime, she was taking the wait and see approach. Sometimes she even forgot about them. Life had a way of getting in the way.

  Margaret’s SUV was in the drive. Gloria pulled in behind it. She shut the car engine off and headed up the drive.

  Margaret met her at the door. “Well, will you look at that. What brings you to this neck of the woods?”

  Gloria rolled her eyes. “Good grief!” She held out a hand. “From here on out, I am getting out more. You’re the third person that has said almost the exact same thing to me.”

  She followed Margaret up the breezeway steps and into the kitchen. “Would you like a cup of coffee or tea?”

  Gloria shook her head. “No thanks.”

  Margaret opened the back slider and the girls stepped out onto the expansive rear deck. “Have a seat.”

  Gloria eased into one of the padded patio chairs and gazed out at the calm, still waters of Lake Terrace. She took a deep breath and leaned her head back. “This is so peaceful. I could take a nap out here.”

  Margaret nodded. “Yeah. I sometimes do.”

  She pointed in the direction of the dock. “See my momma duck and her baby chicks?”

  Gloria lifted her head and studied the water. “Oh, I do. How cute.” She turned to Margaret. “Let me guess. You’ve named them all.”

  Margaret chuckled. “Yep. Chip, Skip and Flip.” She crossed her arms and shifted her body to face her friend. “So what’s the occasion?”

  Gloria reached into her purse and pulled out the invitation addressed to Margaret and Don. “I’m having a fall party…on the first Saturday in October.”

  Margaret studied the front and turned it over. She lifted the flap. “Of course we’ll be there. What can I bring?”

  A slow smile beamed across Gloria’s face. She had the best friends in the whole world. “Dot is bringing donuts, Ruth is bringing stuff for s’mores. I haven’t talked to Lucy yet.”

  Margaret tapped the arms of her chair. “What would a fall bonfire be without apple cider? I’ll bring that and some bags of chips.”

  Gloria grinned. “Between you girls, I’m not going to have to supply anything.” They chatted for a few more minutes and then Gloria got to her feet.

  Margaret opened the slider door. “I can’t wait for the party. It sounds like fun.”

  Gloria had one more stop to make. Lucy’s place. Not only did she want to drop off Lucy’s invitation, she was curious to find out if Lucy had called Bill.

  Chapter 12

  Lucy’s jeep was nowhere in sight and the garage door was closed. Gloria’s heart sank. She parked the car and walked to the porch. Since Lucy wasn’t home, she decided to tuck her invitation in the door.

  Gloria opened the screen door and lifted her hand to shove the envelope inside when a movement inside caught her eye. Lucy was home. She was at the kitchen sink washing dishes.

  Gloria tapped lightly on the glass. Lucy swung around. She lifted a sudsy hand and motioned her in.

  “I thought you weren’t home.” Gloria slipped inside and closed the door behind her.

  “Yeah, I was out earlier and decided to park in the garage. Might as well start now.” She wiped her hands on a dishtowel and hung it on the handle of the stove. “You want a cup of coffee?”

  “No. I wasn’t gonna stay long. I wanted to invite you to a fall party I’m having first weekend in October.” She set the invitation on the table and pulled out a chair.

  Lucy picked it up but didn’t open it. “Sounds like fun. What can I bring?”

  Gloria went over the list of what the other girls were bringing. “You don’t have to bring anything.”

  Lucy tapped the tip of the envelope on the table. “You sure? What about bales of hay?”

  Gloria frowned. “Yes, that would be an important part of a hayride – hay.”

  “I have a bunch of bales stacked in the shed. They’ve been there awhile but I’m sure they would work just fine.”

  “That would be great.” Gloria gazed out the window. “You still want to go with me to Dreamwood tomorrow?”

  Lucy nodded. “Sure.” She took a deep breath. “I am so nervous about that breakfast date you set up for tomorrow morning.”

  “You’ll be fine. It’s just breakfast,” Gloria pointed out.

  “I’m thinking of canceling,” Lucy confessed.

  “How you gonna do that?” Gloria argued. “You don’t even have Max’s phone number.”

  “True…” her voice trailed off. “Maybe he won’t show.”

  “Oh, no! I saw the look in that man’s eyes. He’ll be there. Early probably,” Gloria predicted.

  Lucy smacked the palm of her hand to her forehead and shook it back and forth. “I don’t know how I let you get me into these things,” she groaned.

  “Speaking of that, did you talk to Bill?” Gloria didn’t want to pry, but she was curious.

  Lucy lifted her head, placed the palm of her hand on the table and wiped at imaginary crumbs. “Yeah.”

  “And?”

  “It went okay. We talked a little. He has a few things still here at the house that he’s going to stop by and pick up but that’s it,” Lucy told her.

  “How do you feel?” Gloria asked.

  Lucy lifted her head and stared into Gloria’s eyes. “I feel good. Like this was the right decision. He wasn’
t for me. I guess I knew that all along,” she admitted. “Maybe I just didn’t want to be alone.”

  “But you’re not alone, Lucy,” Gloria argued. “You have all of us. All of your friends.”

  Lucy nodded. “I know. Actually, I’m happier now than I’ve been in a long time.”

  “I’m glad,” Gloria simply replied.

  Lucy walked Gloria out to her car. “So you’ll be at the restaurant at 9:00?”

  Gloria grabbed the door handle and pulled. “With bells on.”

  Maybe this Max wouldn’t turn out to be anything, but maybe it would. Either way, Lucy was on the right track!

  By the time Gloria arrived at the restaurant the next morning, she wasn’t sure who was more nervous – Lucy or her. Lucy was hanging out in the back, talking to Dot when Gloria made her way inside.

  Dot was trying to calm Lucy’s nerves. She stuck a cup of tea in her hand. “Here, I know chocolate is your drink of choice, but try this mint tea. It’ll calm your nerves.”

  Lucy sipped the steaming tea and nodded. “I feel better already.”

  “He’s here,” Gloria whispered.

  Sure enough, Max walked into the restaurant at 9:00 a.m. sharp. Gloria’s eyes traveled from his head to his toes. He was sporting a nice pair of dress slacks and polo shirt. Not too overdressed, not too underdressed. He settled into a table and looked around.

  He hadn’t noticed the girls standing in the back.

  Gloria gave Lucy a small shove in the middle of her back. “Get out there.”

  Lucy slapped at her hand and scowled. She straightened her shoulders, lifted her head and made her way over to the table.

  Max jumped up, pulled her chair out and waited for her to sit before taking the seat across from her.

  Dot and Gloria stepped off to the side and peeked at them through the wooden lattice that separated the eating area from the employee area.

  Ray walked by with a pot of coffee. “What are you two up to?”

  Dot waved her hand. “Shush. We’re trying to spy on Lucy and her date.”