Was it really just a few minutes ago that I had been so excited about my new client and all the new possibilities? Now, I felt sick.
Was I fooling myself this whole time? Could I really make it in Redemption, knowing my safety net was officially gone?
My phone buzzed. Startled, I jumped back, like it was a snake. I didn’t want to see who it was. What if it was my mother again? I knew I didn’t want to talk to her.
But it wasn’t. It was Daniel, saying he could be over in a couple of hours.
For a moment, I could only stand there, frozen in indecision. Did I really want him to come now? When I was seriously considering packing everything up and leaving in less than a week?
On the other hand, maybe having him over would somehow help provide the clarity I was searching for.
I stepped closer to the phone to let him know I’d be waiting.
***
Something was wrong.
I could tell from the look on his face as I let him in. His smile was strained, and he didn’t meet my eyes.
Oh God. Now what? Could this day get any worse?
“Want a beer?” I asked.
“That sounds good,” he said. I went to the fridge to fetch it, and poured myself a glass of wine, too. As much as I wanted to open up a bottle as soon as I hung up with my mother, I forced myself to wait until Daniel showed up. I was a little afraid once I started, I wouldn’t be able to stop, and I’d be completely drunk by the time Daniel arrived.
He was standing by the big kitchen window, staring out at my garden, but I got the impression he wasn’t actually seeing it. I handed him his beer.
“Thanks,” he said, and took a long swallow. I sipped my wine and wondered if I should start the conversation.
“I know this is a strange question,” he said, finally breaking the silence, “but did you happen to leave the house before we got here to move the desk?”
I gave him a puzzled look, but he kept his gaze trained on the garden. “Yes, I had to go to the store to pick up beer and ingredients for Chrissy to make the pizza. Why do you ask?”
“Did you stop anywhere else?”
“No.”
“Did you see anyone?”
My mind flashed to JD in the beer section. “Like who?” Was this about JD somehow? How could Daniel know?
At last, he turned his head to look at me. “So, you did see someone?”
He was in such a strange mood. Dare I tell him about seeing JD? I remembered The Tipsy Cow, then … when Daniel saw me sitting next to JD and had assumed we were on a date. I didn’t think I could possibly handle another conversation like that, after everything else that had just happened with my mother. “Well, yeah, there were other people in the store,” I said, not wanting to lie, but resisting full disclosure. “I’m not sure who you’re referring to. What is this about?”
He sighed, long and deep, and drank more of his beer. “It’s Gwyn.”
I blinked. “Was Gwyn at the store? I didn’t see her if she was.” Did she see me with JD? And did she tell Daniel?
He shook his head. “She’s claiming you left a note on her car.”
I was having trouble comprehending what I was hearing. “A note? What note?”
“There was a note tucked in the windshield, and she claims you left it.”
“I didn’t leave her a note. I’m not even sure what type of car she drives. Where was she parked? At the store?”
“In front of her apartment.”
“I don’t even know where she lives,” I said, exasperated. “What did this note say?”
He was quiet for a moment. “It said, ‘Why don’t you do everyone a favor and disappear too?’”
My eyes went wide. “Seriously? She thinks I wrote that?”
“That’s what she’s saying.”
“But ... I don’t understand. Why would she think that? Does it look like my handwriting or something? Does she even know what my handwriting looks like?”
“The words were cut from a magazine.”
“What, like a ransom note?” I spread my arms out wide. “Look around. I don’t even have any magazines.” I could feel myself getting more and more upset. This, on top of everything else that happened today. I wanted to scream, to cry, to lash out at Daniel. How could he think I would do such a thing? Maybe this was a sign—that I needed to move back to New York. If Daniel wasn’t even in my corner, maybe I needed to quit forcing the issue.
“Becca, I’m telling you what she’s saying. Not what I believe.”
That broke through the fog of anger. I paused and took a deep breath, turning away so he couldn’t see the tears that suddenly filled my vision.
“But ... why?” I asked quietly, squeezing my eyes shut to try and prevent the tears from falling. “Why would I possibly do that to her? Why does she think it’s me?”
I felt more than heard Daniel sigh from behind me.
“She claims she never had any issues at all until you came to Redemption, and that you’re trying to drive her away. She says you’re the only one who would benefit from her leaving, and it’s ‘obvious’ that you feel guilty for ‘stealing’ me.”
“Did I?”
“Did you what?”
I dashed my hand across my eyes and turned back to face him. “Did I ‘steal’ you?”
He gave me a slanted smile. “I guess in a way you did … years ago.”
I could feel a half-smile forming on my lips as we stared at each other, the air between us tingling with electricity. He reached over and gently touched my face with his finger. “I wish I didn’t have to have these conversations with you,” he said softly.
I was having trouble breathing. “It’s not your fault,” I said, trying to keep my voice clear, but gasping a little.
He gave me his sideways smile again. “Isn’t it? I wish I could be as sure. I was trying to hurt her as little as possible when we broke up, and now I wonder if I somehow gave her the wrong impression.”
The front door slammed. “Honey, I’m home.” Mia’s voice floated past us, causing us both to jump apart. “Oh,” she said, standing in the kitchen doorway. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.” Her wicked grin said otherwise, and it occurred to me that she would have seen Daniel’s car in the street.
“I should get going anyway,” Daniel said, setting his beer bottle down on the kitchen table. “I’ve got to be at the station early tomorrow. See you later this week?” I nodded.
He grinned. “Great, I’ll shoot you a text later. Always nice to see you, Mia,” he said, as he walked past her.
“Always nice to see you, too,” she answered, but her eyes never left mine. As soon as we heard the front door close, she raised her eyebrows. “He didn’t have to leave on my account.”
I shrugged and sipped my wine. “You heard the man. He has to work early.”
She headed over to the kitchen to pour a glass for herself. “But, still. He could have stayed a little longer. I could have made myself scarce.”
I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. “It’s fine, Mia. Really.” My tone was brusquer than I intended.
Mia eyed me over her wine glass. “Trouble in paradise? Did I interrupt a fight?”
“No, nothing like that.” Should I tell her about Gwyn? About the strange emails I’d been getting? About my mother’s ultimatum? Suddenly, I was exhausted. All I wanted to do was crawl into bed and bawl.
Mia took a closer look at my face and put the wine down. “Hey. What’s going on? Did something happen?”
I shook my head and tried a smile that felt way too small. “I’m okay. Really. I just don’t feel all that well all of a sudden. I think I’ll go lay down.”
“Of course,” Mia said, but I could see she didn’t believe me. “I’m pretty beat myself. Will probably go to bed early.”
I too
k a moment to top off my glass before heading upstairs, but not before noticing the dark, puffy circles under Mia’s eyes. She looked drawn and tired, despite sleeping more than normal as of late, and her hair hung limply around her face.
One problem at a time, I told myself as I slowly made my way up the stairs. Mia was probably just overworking herself and stressed about starting school.
I had enough of my own problems to worry about.
Chapter 11
I opened my eyes and found myself back in the psychiatric hospital—in the same room with the same depressing view of the back of the grey building.
How did I end up here again?
I tried to get up, but found I couldn’t move. I looked down at myself and saw I was wrapped in a strait jacket.
How did this happen? I tried to wrench myself free, but stopped when I heard the clanking.
I was also chained to the bed.
Before I could figure out how I could escape, the door to my room opened, and there stood Nurse Ellen. A slow, cruel smile unfurled across her face. “Did you really think it would be that easy, Becca?” she hissed.
I struggled against my binds. “What are you talking about? Would what be ‘that easy’?”
She took a couple of steps closer to me and held up her hand, showing me a long, sharp needle. “Time for your medicine.” A single, clear drop slid down the needle and onto the floor.
I tried to lunge away from her, but between the strait jacket and the chain, I couldn’t move. “I don’t want any medicine.”
Her smile widened as she came closer. “How do you expect to get better if you don’t take your medicine?” She bent down, and I could see something was wrong with her head. Her hair was smashed down on one side, and ... was that blood dripping down her cheek?
I opened my mouth to ask her what happened to her, but that’s when I saw a flicker of darkness behind her. A shadow. Dark and menacing.
“Ellen, look out! Something is behind you,” I shouted.
Ellen’s face twisted in disgust. “You think I’m stupid enough to fall for that?”
The shadow grew closer.
“I’m serious,” I said, fighting my restraints. “You’re in danger. Trust me. Just turn around and you’ll see.”
“Trust you. Right.” Her voice was thick with sarcasm. Her arm snaked out and grabbed me by the hair. “Hold still,” she said, the needle dripping with clear poison moving toward me. “This won’t hurt a bit.”
I jerked awake, opening my eyes to see the sun flooding my room, all bright and cheery, banishing the final vestiges of the dark.
What a horrifying dream. I could still feel the soft, unyielding straps of the strait jacket against my skin.
It hadn’t been a great night. I spent most of it restlessly tossing and turning as thoughts of Gwyn, the strange emails, Louise, and my mother competed for space in my brain.
Sometime in the early part of the morning, I finally dozed off into that dreadful dream.
I got out of bed and went to stand by the window. The garden below was in full bloom, the flowers a riot of colors. White, puffy clouds dotted the deep-blue sky.
It was going to be a beautiful day.
I pressed my forehead against the glass. What was I to do? I had less than a week to decide if I was staying or going. That wasn’t nearly enough time to see if I had what it took to get the business off the ground. I would need at least a few months, if not longer, for that.
How could I possibly decide?
From behind me, I heard a soft thump as Oscar jumped onto the floor, and a second later, felt his soft fur brush against my legs. He purred.
Clearly, he was ready for breakfast. I bent down to stroke him. His dark-green eyes stared into mine.
The color reminded me of Jackie’s little girl, Maggie. That day in the parking lot, she had worn a green dress with a matching green stone around her neck.
The same green as Oscar’s eyes.
I continued to stroke Oscar as I thought about Jackie’s email. She had been so excited to hear I was getting into the business. She couldn’t wait to buy some tea.
A potential client.
Oscar purred louder.
Maybe the thing to do right now was focus on taking care of her, and then I could just sort of see what happens.
Thoughtfully, I stood up and headed out to find Jackie’s file.
***
I discovered a few things during my search.
The first was that Aunt Charlie had an awful lot of clients. Easily a couple hundred. And it appeared like most of them were regulars, ordering their teas and tinctures monthly (if not weekly).
That was great news … yet I couldn’t help but wonder how many would welcome me back like Jackie. Would they buy from me as regularly as they did from Aunt Charlie?
The second discovery was that I didn’t have nearly enough plants. I would need more if I was serious about this business. I started making a list of the herbs and flowers Aunt Charlie had used in her concoctions, and mentally compared them to what I had growing in the garden.
Yeah, not nearly enough.
So, after coffee, a fast breakfast, and an even faster shower, I grabbed my keys and purse and headed off to the nursery.
In addition to everything else I had to figure out, I realized I was also going to need a bigger place than The Studio for growing herbs and flowers year-round. Should I consider putting in a greenhouse? I remembered my aunt mulling over the possibility, but clearly, it had never gotten any further than that.
And I needed a plan for cutting expenses. Would it be possible to collect and use my own seeds over time? Of course, putting in a greenhouse would hardly save money in the short-term, but hopefully over the long haul, it would allow me to expand, which would save me money.
Man, I wished Aunt Charlie was here. Not only because I had so many questions to ask her, but also because, quite simply, I missed her.
“Are you following me?”
The sharp voice cut through my sadness like glass, and I turned, one hand clutching a lavender plant. Gwyn was standing there, arms on her hips. She wore a green apron with a name tag, and her face was flushed.
With a start, I realized she worked there. First the art store and now here? How did this happen? And why was she working at a garden store anyway? I thought she was a teacher.
“I ... uh ...” I put the plant in my cart and started to edge away. “I’m going to go.” I had no idea if I had enough supplies or not, but it didn’t matter. I just needed to get out of there. I could drive to Milwaukee if I needed to.
Her hand shot out and she grabbed my shopping cart. “You didn’t answer my question.”
I tried to wrench the cart away. “Look, I’m going. I don’t want any trouble ...”
Her eyebrows went up. “Trouble? You don’t want any trouble?” She let out a short bark of laughter. “Why are you here, then?”
“Why do you think?” I gestured toward my cart, feeling a stab of irritation. “I’m buying plants.”
“And you had to pick today? The one day I’m here in the store? Yeah, I’m sure that was a coincidence.” Her voice was heavy with sarcasm.
“God Gwyn, get over yourself. I had no idea you even worked here. It’s not like there’s a lot of nurseries in this town to choose from.”
“Right. Just like you didn’t know I would be at the art store.”
“I didn’t. Look, I don’t know what’s going on, but I can tell you whatever it is, it has nothing to do with me.”
“Who else then?” Her voice had risen, and now, people were starting to glance in our direction. “Who else would call and harass me, and leave notes on my car? I’ll tell you who ... no one. No one else.”
Her cheeks were even more flushed, making her white-blonde hair appear even more white. I was ab
out to deny it again, and try and get her to lower her voice, when I suddenly realized what she said. “Wait a minute. Did you say ‘notes’? As in plural?”
She made a face. “Like you don’t know.”
I reached out to grab her arm. “Gwyn, tell me. What other notes have you gotten?”
She tore her arm away. “I’m talking about the second one I got this morning. Yeah. Sitting there on my car, waiting for me, when I left for work. Nice way to start the day.”
I could feel a cold knot of dread start to tighten in my stomach. “What did it say?”
She glared at me. “Like you don’t know.”
“Gwyn, what did it say?”
She must have seen something in my face, because she finally relented. “’Your friend Ellen had the right idea. Why don’t you join her and disappear too?’”
Disappear.
For the second time now, Gwyn was told to disappear. And she was being connected with Ellen, who had disappeared.
Maude, telling me to be careful, so I wouldn’t disappear.
The shadow I kept seeing.
You’re being set up.
Why would Gwyn’s anonymous note sender connect her with Ellen?
One had tormented me when I was trapped and helpless in a psychiatric hospital. The other was the ex-fiancée of the man I was seeing.
You’re being set up.
The Ellen in my dream loomed, shadow behind her. Time for your medicine.
I took a step back, horror blossoming in my chest. “You’re friends with Ellen,” I breathed, suddenly remembering seeing them together. “Do you know where she is?”
“Of course not. Why? Do you?” Her eyes searched mine before narrowing accusingly. “Wait. Did you do something to Ellen, too?”
How is everything always my fault in this town? “I haven’t done anything to anyone,” I said, trying not to sound as impatient as I felt. “But you need to be careful. Something is definitely going on here ...”
“You’re seriously threatening me?” She interrupted. “Here? In public?”
The Evil That Was Done (Secrets of Redemption Book 3) Page 10