Fire Mountain

by Vickie McKeehan

  Gemma dabbed at her eyes. “No, no, I was just standing here feeling sentimental, thanking Gram for all this. Marissa worked so hard to put this place on the map, so to speak. I don’t want to abandon it for politics.”

  “Are you still angry about what we did? We meant well.”

  “You might’ve meant well, but Leia was trying to get back at Lando. I just had it out with her.” She reached for Lianne’s hand. “Don’t worry. We yelled at each other and already made up. It isn’t the first time.”

  “Do you plan to yell at me?”

  “I should, but no. I’d be stupid to yell at the person who kept this place going while I was deliriously happy dancing on the beach. Literally.”

  “Good for you guys. You needed some downtime.”

  “Well, it’s over now and time to get back to the daily grind.” She held up a mint green beach bag. “I brought you back some souvenirs.”

  “You didn’t have to do that.”

  “Sure, I did. Inside there’s coffee grown on the Maui hillside, a cheesy T-shirt, a key chain, soap and lotion made on the island, and macadamia nuts from the farm we toured.”

  Lianne started digging in her bag and came up with a handmade beaded bracelet that she slid on her wrist, and a bag of pineapple shortbread cookies. “This stuff is amazing. Thank you.”

  “I tried to bring the feel of Hawaii back with me. I highly recommend seeing it all up close and personal, though. How are things? How are you doing? I already know Leia’s turned into bridezilla. Was I that bad?”

  “No. She’s freaked out about Talia. Honestly, I think she’s using Talia’s disappearance to have second thoughts about Zeb.”

  “I figured as much. But Zeb and Leia have known each other forever. It’s a different situation meeting a stranger, trusting them, and then marrying them in less than a year. Look at Lando and me. With my trust issues, it had to be a childhood sweetheart kind of thing.”

  “Leia’s trust issues equal yours. But her thing about online dating borders on paranoia. I know plenty of people who’ve found love online.”

  “I’m glad they found success. But Leia does have a point. Con artists, both male and female, use the Internet to prey on lonely, vulnerable people.”

  “And Talia did go missing.”

  “Exactly. What about you and Luke? Any trust issues there?”

  “Not from me. Luke is amazing. We might get married next spring.”

  “Wait. Am I missing the engagement announcement?”

  Lianne held up her left hand and showed off a diamond ring. “Luke went traditional. I love it. Him,” she corrected.

  Gemma wrapped her up in a hug. “I leave town for two weeks and everything pops while I’m gone. Congratulations. Please don’t freak out like Leia.”

  “I’m not sure why she’s freaking out. Zeb seems so great.”

  “Let me tell you something about our friend. Don’t worry, I’m not breaking a confidence. When it comes to men, Leia has always been a skeptic. You know her dad died. She took it really hard as any daughter would. The thing is she was a daddy’s girl, adored her father. And I think she’s had this idealistic view ever since she lost him that she wants a guy like her dad—in a perfect world. Whenever Leia sees the slightest chink in the armor—in this case, Zeb’s armor—she panics, thinking that maybe she’s missed something, and he isn’t the right guy for her.”

  “The way she’s been acting lately, that makes a lot of sense. Luke and I had them over Saturday night for dinner. Leia spent the entire evening picking on Zeb. And I’m not just saying that. She bitched about the way he loaded the dishwasher, about how he buttoned his shirt. We were embarrassed for the guy.”

  “This sounds a lot worse than I thought it was. The wedding’s in three weeks. What if she really does get cold feet?”

  “Hey, it’s her life. When it comes to matters of the heart, I leave people alone to make their own life choices.”

  “Smart woman. Remind me to do the same thing. What can I do here? Because I need to go check out my office at City Hall. I brought the dogs—left them in the Volvo for now. I intended to make this stop quick. The thing is, I need the old panel truck parked outside to transport some stuff from home to spruce up my workspace.”

  “Go. I’ve got everything under control here.”

  “You certainly do. I’m feeling like a third wheel.”

  “Don’t. This morning, I ruined a batch of chocolate trying to experiment with the orange glaze and got it way too tart. It tasted terrible.”

  “Lianne, I’ve gone through and wasted an entire supply of cacao beans trying to perfect a flavor or a recipe. Don’t give it a second thought. It’s not like this is confession, but if you need me to help put together a large order, text. It’ll give me an excuse to get out of there.”

  “I certainly will, Madam Mayor.”

  Gemma made a face. “Mayor Bonner will do nicely, thank you.”

  “Has a nice ring to it.”

  “It does, doesn’t it? Since we’ve settled that little dilemma, I’m off to conquer City Hall.”

  For the most part, the layout to City Hall was in the shape of a rectangle with the jail area providing the T-shape stem. Lando’s office was to the left of the entrance. The mayor’s office was to the right.

  When Gemma walked past the double doors with the dogs on their leashes, she spotted a curvy redhead sitting behind the reception counter in the center of the lobby.

  Wearing her headphones, dispatcher Suzanne Swinton sent up a friendly wave. She gave Gemma a broad smile and jumped to her feet. “How was Hawaii, Mayor Bonner? I have to get used to calling you that.”

  Gemma dangled the beach bag full of goodies in her hand that she’d brought for Suzanne. “A few souvenirs from the island.”

  “Oh, my goodness, you’re too sweet to me,” Suzanne said as she held up a colorful aqua T-shirt with a Maui logo screened onto the front. “How did you know my size?”

  “So, it’ll fit?”

  “It will. Thank you. And look at this.” She held up a lei garland full of orange and pink flowers made from fabric and put it around her neck.

  “I tried bringing the real thing back but found the plumeria wilted after the third day. That’s when I opted for fabric instead,” Gemma explained.

  “I’m glad you did. I know just where I’ll hang it, over my dresser mirror where I can look at it and dream about going there someday.” She scoured the contents of the bag for more goodies and pulled out the macadamia nuts. “I love these things. Thank you.” The switchboard lit up with a call. Switching gears like a pro, Suzanne dealt with the issue and then turned back to Gemma. “If you’re looking for Lando, I haven’t seen him all day. The guys are back, but they’ve had their heads buried in follow-ups. They’re trying to run down leads on Talia Lewis.”

  “Ah, so they are working it. That’s good to know. The last I heard Lando was still out at the plane crash site. I’m just here with the dogs to check out my office. I brought some things from home to spruce it up a bit.”

  Suzanne’s cheeks turned crimson with embarrassment. “Of course, you are. I do run on sometimes. Sorry. I work with a bunch of guys who don’t always stop to talk. But if you ask me, that office could use a woman’s touch.”

  “That’s the plan,” Gemma stated with a grin.

  “I voted for you, by the way.”

  Pure satisfaction moved through Gemma at the knowledge. “Thank you for that. I’ll try not to let you down.”

  “You could never do that. I’m squarely in the Bonner column. After all, Lando gave me this job when I desperately needed one. He took a chance on me. And I know it was your idea. I’m grateful.”

  “So are we—that you took the job. Everything going okay for you otherwise?”

  “Sometimes I miss Buddy, even though he was an asshole. But it’s hard at the end of the day to go home to an empty house.”

  “Ever thought about getting a dog from a shelter? They make great com
panions. Inez LeMond out at Protect the Paws could help you out there. Lots of dogs that need homes.”

  “Buddy never liked dogs.”

  Which was the reason Gemma never liked Buddy in the first place, she decided as she started down the hall to her office. Over her shoulder, she heard Suzanne’s decree.

  “Screw Buddy. Having a dog would certainly be better than coming home to nothing.”

  “Good for you,” Gemma bellowed as she swung open the door to an identical space that mirrored Lando’s at the other end of the hall.

  “Didn’t even bother to lock the place up. At least it still has furniture,” she muttered aloud. “A pretty cherrywood desk with nothing on it, though. What did Fleet do, take the lamps and in-basket with him?”

  The room had a vibe she didn’t like. The overwhelming smell of rotten eggs hit her. The stench was so foul the dogs reacted to it, too. Because of that, she opened every drawer on the desk, went through the credenza, even pulled out the few books that remained on the shelves, sniffing and looking behind them for the source of the offending odor.

  Unlike Lando’s office, this one had a private restroom. But there was nothing in the little bathroom that gave off a foul smell. That only left the closet.

  For the first time, she realized Rufus stood pawing the floor outside of it. Reaching for the knob, she opened the door. The stench knocked her back a step. Her eyes locked on the metal trash can. Someone had filled it with foul-smelling garbage. Not trash. Garbage.

  Gemma gagged at the sight of maggots crawling around in the rotted fish and what looked like some type of meat, Raw sausage maybe? Doing her best to recover, she took out her cell to take pictures of the disgusting find.

  “Gross, whatever it is,” she murmured out loud, glancing around for something to use to get the thing out of there without actually having to touch the rim of the wastebasket. “How the heck are we gonna do this?”

  The contents of the furniture had been emptied of pretty much everything, nothing had been left in the drawers except a few leftover pens and a calendar. Nothing but wire clothes hangers were left in the closet.

  She grabbed one, stretching it out to create a loop, twisting the wire to tighten around the middle of the can. Using the hook for a handle, she dragged the wastebasket out of the closet.

  “Don’t tip over,” she shouted as she worked it into the hallway and maneuvered it into the lobby, past Suzanne.

  “What’s that awful smell?” Suzanne moaned, waving a hand in front of her face. “Oh, my God. That’s disgusting. Where did you get that?”

  “A little gift left for me in the office closet.”

  “Who would do that? Fleet you think?”

  “No idea, but somebody thought fish guts fermenting for two weeks would be funny.”

  “I’m so sorry, Gemma. Want me to call Lando?”

  “No. I’m handling it,” Gemma proclaimed as she opened the door to the alleyway and hauled the can to the dumpster. Picking it up and getting it into the container though proved to be tricky and problematic. She wasn’t even sure she should toss away anything this disgusting into the regular receptacle. But she couldn’t leave it where it was.

  Suzanne came running out of the building waving a plastic garbage bag and two pairs of blue latex gloves. “I thought you could use these. I took them from the supply room.”

  “You’re awesome. But no way am I dumping what’s in the wastebasket into those bags. The entire thing is getting tossed. But the gloves? Stroke of genius.”

  “Want me to help lift it?”

  “Are you sure you want to get that close?”

  “No, but you’re never going to get it up there without help.”

  “True. Thanks.”

  Both women snapped on the gloves before lifting the container up and settling it onto the trash bin on top of a pile of plastic bags.

  “There. When does the city collect the trash?”

  “Not until tomorrow.”

  “Then I’ll make a call to the waste management company and explain they’ll probably need to sanitize this dumpster after picking it up. Now I have to go air out that office.”

  “There’s air freshener in the supply closet.”

  “Good. I’ll likely need about three cans of it.”

  “What a way to start out being mayor, huh?” Suzanne grumbled.

  “You can say that again. I haven’t even been sworn in yet. Should I go with Annette Ferris or old Judge Hartwell?”

  “I’d take Ferris over Hartwell. She’s not as grumpy.”

  “Judge Ferris it is then. Could you give her a call for me? Set up a time to get it done. If someone went to all this trouble to discourage me, they just made me more determined.”

  “Good for you. What time do you prefer for the swearing-in ceremony?”

  “As soon as possible. This afternoon after the judge finishes up with court would be ideal. The sooner, the better.”

  Her next stop was Paloma’s Mediterranean-style house on Dolphin Way, a bungalow with a smattering of old-world Spanish touches and lots of charm.

  When she rang the bell, Rufus and Rolo danced in front of the door until Paloma let them in. The dogs made a beeline inside, heading for Dinkums, Paloma’s West Highland terrier.

  “So the newlyweds are back in town?”

  “We are. I come bearing gifts,” Gemma said, holding up a large sack, and looping her free arm around Paloma’s as they made their way into the living room. “How’s my favorite former mayor today? I see you’re getting around without your cane.”

  The old woman chuckled. “Not bad for a woman of seventy-two.”

  “Almost seventy-three,” Gemma added. “I didn’t forget that your birthday is next month.”

  “I don’t celebrate birthdays anymore. You know that.”

  “That’s a shame because I brought your present early.”

  Paloma plopped down on the sofa and got comfortable. “Let’s see what you have in there.”

  Gemma reached in the bag and handed her an oversized, oblong box.

  Paloma opened the lid and found a beaded turquoise necklace beneath the tissue paper. It had three large, ornate hibiscus flowers as the focal point. Gingerly, she lifted out the string of beads. “It’s beautiful. Put it on. Put it on.”

  Gemma took a seat next to her and obliged. “I hope you like it.”

  “I love it. What else is in that bag? It’s too big for just jewelry.”

  “I brought you a basket filled with chocolate, of course, along with a tin of lavender cookies, a box of lavender tea, and—don’t tell Vince Ballard—a bottle of wine from the Tedeschi Winery, grown in a place called Ulupalakua. I had to practice how to say that. They have tastings in this historic little cottage where King Kalakaua once stayed.”

  “Sounds like you had a wonderful time. How many places did you get to explore? What should we drink first? The wine or the tea?”

  Gemma got to her feet and grabbed the box of lavender tea. “I’ll put the kettle on. We’ll save the wine for later.”

  “Like maybe for your swearing-in ceremony? Oh, I see that gleam in your eye, mayor. You’ve got something else on your mind.”

  “Yeah, well, about that.” As she waited for the water to get hot, she relayed what she’d found in the closet.

  “Fleet didn’t do it,” Paloma stated.

  “No? How do you know that?”

  “Uh-uh. It was someone else who had access to that office.”

  Gemma got down Paloma’s favorite teapot and two matching cups and saucers. She put the strainer in place and measured out the loose tea. “The door was unlocked so I suppose anyone could’ve entered at any time over the last two weeks. But why couldn’t it have been Fleet?”

  “Go check his property, that big house he and Madison used to live in. The government put a freeze on every piece of property Fleet owned, all his bank accounts, even his cars. And when the state attorney general got involved, he and Madison left town in disgrace
without a stick of furniture. They left with the clothes on their backs. I heard they were living down in Sacramento in a small condo Madison’s parents owned. But who knows for sure? I don’t think Fleet would’ve had time to leave that kind of mess behind. He was too busy trying to bargain with the Feds.”

  When the kettle finally whistled, Gemma poured the water over the tea leaves and let it steep. “I think you’re giving him way too much credit. Why wouldn’t Fleet do something vengeful to get back at Lando or me? We’re the ones who discovered his father’s big fat secret and caused him to lose everything.”

  “I suppose he could fool an old woman. But I think it’s someone closer to home.”

  “And that would be…?”

  Paloma lifted a shoulder. “Beats me. Just don’t make the same mistakes that others have made in that job. Don’t go getting a big head. I’m not sure anyone’s told you this yet, but you only won by thirty-one votes.”

  “No one told me. With Arlo dying and Sam Wells turning out to be a serial murderer, I thought the competition had dried up. Tell me again who I was running against?”

  “Harry Ashcomb.”

  “The drug store owner? You’re kidding? The guy’s known me since I was a kid. He used to flirt with Marissa, and I’d get free candy because he wanted to take her out.”

  “All true. But political ambition makes people do things they ordinarily wouldn’t do. Harry saw an opportunity when word got out you weren’t interested in the job. The man went on a vigorous, word of mouth, write-in campaign. With his enthusiasm, and you not being here on election day, plus the light turnout, you only managed to eke out a very narrow win.”

  “But Mr. Ashcomb wouldn’t leave fish guts for me to find, would he?”

  “I doubt it. Harry’s vocal and a bit of a loon, but I don’t think he’d do that.”

  After pouring out the tea, Gemma took a seat across from her grandmother. “Then I’ll need to win over the people who didn’t vote for me with my charm and willingness to get things done. In fact, I was hoping you could suggest a project to kick off my tenure that would be a win-win for everyone.”