Read Between the Tines (5 page)

"Maybe they can help her where I couldn't. I'll get the Bobcat key and move it to the end of the drive then go pick up my trailer. Can you stay with her?"

Lisa nodded. "Mom has the girls so I'm here as long as I'm needed."

With a worried heart, I retrieved the key and returned to the patio. I found Lisa, arm wrapped around Karen's shoulders, trying to ease her toward the door. Karen had set her feet like a stubborn child. This stance should be no match for supermom Lisa. Under any other circumstance, she would force Karen to move. Instead, Lisa spoke softly and kept encouraging Karen.

Quietly, I climbed onto the seat of the Bobcat and inserted the key.

"Good, get that thing gone." Karen pointed at the fence. "And all of these tools. Take them away, too."

With Karen watching my every move, I jumped down and loaded the tools into the front bucket. Fortunately, Karen didn't mention removing the plants delivered on Friday. Lisa and I had only transplanted a few of them this morning. I hoped Karen would let me finish the beds so her backyard wasn't left in a mess. That's the least I could do at a time like this.

I gave Lisa a farewell glance and rumbled down the drive. At my truck, I transferred the tools into the back and drove to The Garden Gate. After entering my code into the automated lock at the back door, I paused and drew in a deep breath to ease out the raw emotions flowing though me.

I'd planned to spend the afternoon at the Buzzys' house settling in more of the plants so my manager Hazel wasn't expecting me. Still, I had to let her know Daisy wasn't coming in for her afternoon shift and ask Hazel to call a possible replacement. Then I would move the Bobcat and spend time with Karen or Daisy, whoever needed me most.

I slipped into the dark hallway and let my eyes adjust. Once a service garage, I'd left the back section—office, break room and restroom—alone and concentrated on the public areas. I'd converted the three huge bays into a green house, a retail store and a classroom for teaching weekend gardening classes.

I passed through the classroom bay furnished with wrought iron tables and a coffee bar where I stopped to pump a rich black cup of my favored Columbian blend. Host of Success Serendipity Style, Tim Needlemeyer's voice drifted from up front. When Hazel was alone in the shop, she tuned the radio to KALM so she could listen to my show and often kept it on for the remainder of the day.

As I carefully sipped on the cup, I heard Hazel say, "Don't mess with me today, Mister. After Zeke's complaining all weekend, I'm not in the mood for a whiny male."

I grinned and rounded the corner. Hazel shook her finger at the large daytime cage holding Mr. T, our inherited Amazon parrot.

"Don't give me no jibba-jabba," Mr. T, short for Thunderbird, squawked. He often proved his nickname apropos as he spouted Mr. T'isms along with other favored sayings from TV. He flapped his wings and hopped to the top perch in his cage.

"Fine," Hazel said. "Turn your back on me. Maybe you'll hush up while you're at it, and I can get some work done around here." Her tone was irritated but still tinged with her love for the whacky old bird. She'd taken over most of his care since he'd moved in about a year ago. Or should I say moved back? He'd belonged to the owner of the garage, but when he'd died and Mr. T sank into a depression, I agreed to keep Mr. T to stem his loneliness.

"That's it. Take a nap, and let me get back to work." Hazel gave one last look at the bird then returned to her task of replenishing the seed racks near the cash register. Her gray braids swung in unison over her stooped shoulders as she moved.

I called my rugged, dependable, and indestructible employee a sedum. I've recently narrowed her status to the 'Dragon's Blood' cultivar. When all the locals thought I'd killed Bud Picklemann, she'd breathed fire at my naysayers like my own personal dragon. No one was brave enough to attempt to slay her.

I took another sip of my coffee and joined her at the register. "You two at it again?"

Eyebrows raised over droopy eyelids, she peered up at me. "If you know what's good for you, you'll run the other way. He's wound up today." She grinned.

"I'll risk it," I said.

"Heard the show." She pointed at the radio. "You go to Daisy's rescue?"

I nodded and set my cup on the ancient countertop.

She shoved the small box of grass seed she was holding onto the shelf and straightened. "Please don't tell me she really found a body."

"She did.
Gary
Buzzy."

"Wow, really?
Gary
?" She let her mouth fall open revealing several gaps in the back. "What happened?"

I told her about the morning and mentioned this was likely no accident and we needed to keep it quiet per Mitch's request.

"Another murder? What's going on around here?"

I shook my head. "Price we pay for living in a growing town, I guess."

"It's all that pickle factory's fault. If it'd never opened we wouldn't have so many new people moving in."

I picked up my mug. "I wouldn't go that far. The place keeps the local kids from moving away to find jobs after they graduate."

"Just like you to look at the positives. I'd rather complain." She smiled, pulling the pleated skin above her lips taut. "So, is Daisy coming in this afternoon?"

"I don't think we should count on it. I haven't heard anything from Adam so I'm assuming Mitch is still detaining her. We should call Teri. I need to go back to the Buzzys' house to move the Bobcat or I'd stay." I explained Karen's peculiar behavior regarding the patio.

"Can't imagine what's going through her mind right now. As much as I fuss at Zeke, I don't know what I'd do if I lost him." Hazel rolled her right shoulder as she often did to stretch a tendon damaged in an old accident. "Do they have any idea who might have killed him?"

I sipped the coffee and reveled in the nutty taste. "Mitch is trying to blame it on Daisy since she found
Gary
, but she didn't even know him."

"Didn't know him, hah! Guess she forgot to mention Friday afternoon." Hazel's outburst spooked Mr. T.

Dazed, he took a few faltering steps and squawked, "Is that your final answer?"

I ignored him, as we often had to do if we wanted to continue a conversation. "What about Friday afternoon?"

"You were out giving the Simpsons an estimate when
Gary
came by. I'd assigned Daisy to deliver his plants by three. Well, you know Daisy. She works on Daisy time not by a clock." Hazel rolled her eyes, and I felt her pain. "When
Gary
got home from work and didn't find his order, he stormed in here asking for you. I told him where you were, and promised his delivery would happen in the next hour. Daisy overheard and came over to apologize. He lit into her something fierce. Really let her have it, he did. She even started crying."

I took a long drag of the cooling coffee and swallowed while processing this news. Daisy had lied, and
Gary
had given her a reason to want to at the very least strike back at him. Maybe Hazel was exaggerating as she sometimes did to prove a point. "That doesn't sound like
Gary
. Maybe he had a bad day at work."

"Surprised me. I remembered how you said he became a Christian a few months back. He wasn't acting like one if you ask me." Her tone was ripe with judgment.

Her fierce reaction was nothing new. We'd talked about my faith many times in the past. She sided with Daisy and thought anything to do with God was a lot of hogwash and a waste of time. "Christians can lose their cool, too, Hazel. I'm sure, when he had a chance to think about it, he was sorry for the way he treated her."

Hazel's eyes turned sheepish. "He did call at the end of the day to issue a formal apology, but Daisy went straight home after delivering the plants."

"So she didn't know about his apology?"

"I don't know if
Gary
said anything when she dropped off his order, but I planned to tell her when she came in this afternoon."

I glanced at my watch. 1:40. "Doesn't look like she'll be here. How about you call Teri while I hitch up the trailer?" Needing time to think about Daisy's deception, I didn't wait for an answer but started for the back door. "Let me know if she can't come in."

On the way out, I grabbed a pair of leather gloves to fit the trailer's hitch onto the ball without bruising my fingers. I struggled under the weight of the trailer, but I didn't mind doing this work for Karen. Even though it was physically demanding, and even if she changed her mind and wanted me to continue the project, it was worth it to give her some peace right now.

Hot with strained muscles, I climbed into the truck and cranked up the air conditioning. I swiped a hand across by forehead and adjusted the vents to blow semi-cool air over my face. My cell rang in Adam's tone.

"What's happening?" I asked, forgoing a greeting and fanning my face.

"Lawson just released Daisy. Where are you?"

I told him about my encounter with Karen. "I'm on my way back to pick up the Bobcat now."

"Can you meet with Daisy and me in your office after you finish?" His voice lowered. "I could use your help with her. She'd kind of freaking out and not making a lot of sense."

Eager to ask Daisy why she lied about knowing
Gary
, I agreed and slipped my phone into my belt clip. As I'd talked, the air had turned cold and left a chill on my face. I pushed the fan lever to a lower setting and set off for Karen's house. Maybe I should have let the air run, preparing me for the chill that would surely invade the room once I confronted Daisy. I could only hope she hadn't sealed her fate with Mitch by lying to him.

Bobcat on the trailer and ready for transport, I stretched my back. As I'd physically worked to load the huge piece of equipment, my brain worked over Daisy's lie. Whenever I tried to reason out Daisy's thinking, I had to take into account her childlike way of thinking. It was possible she didn't lie, didn't connect the dead body with the man who'd yelled at her just three days ago. Possible, but likely? I aimed to find out, but first, a quick check on Lisa and Karen who had moved inside while I was gone.

Pressing my finger on the doorbell, I listened and heard footfalls approach.

Lisa pulled open the door. "Paige, good. I was just coming to get you."

"Is Karen any better?"

Lisa shook her head. "She's in denial. I know it takes time, but she's jabbering on about mundane things. When Pastor Stephens got here, I thought he might help. She did seem to start grieving for a while but then she clammed up and stared out the window. She saw you out here and sent me to get you. She wants to talk to you again."

"About the project?"

"I don't know. She suddenly went quiet then lost it and asked for you."

I squeezed Lisa's shoulder. "Well, let's find out what she wants."

Together we entered the living room decorated in muted variations of beige and boasting contemporary furniture. Karen spotted me and leapt from her boxy sofa. Her eyes were alight with excitement. "Paige! You are the only one who can help me." She latched onto my arm and dragged me toward the sofa.

On the way across the room, I gave Pastor Stephens a quick nod and offered a quizzical gaze. Dressed in formal clerical attire, he leaned against the wall. A monster of a frown overtook his chin, making me think he was equating me to the very devil himself. Not a good comparison from your pastor or anyone else for that matter.

Karen tugged on my arm, and we sank onto the firm cushions at the same time. "You have to figure out who killed
Gary
."

I glanced at Lisa whose face was as skeptical as my thoughts. "Karen, I don't know if—"

She tightened her hand. "Before you say no, I want you to think about it. Who better than you to solve this? You figured out who killed Bud, you can surely do the same thing for me."

I looked at Lisa again and saw the warning in her eyes. She was right. I shouldn't even consider trying to solve
Gary
's murder. True, I'd eventually figured out who killed Bud, but it wasn't easy nor was it safe. The killer had almost done me in. Mitch had been one step behind me, so he would have eventually made an arrest. Mitch. The big meany. Did I want Karen to have to deal with him and his heavy-handed tactics or should I intervene?

"Please, oh, please, Paige. I'm begging you." Karen leaned forward. "You should have time to do it since you're not working on our yard."

She had a point. A weak one, but a point nonetheless. I looked into her eyes filled with grief, but a glint of desire to know how her husband died shone through. I couldn't help her with the grief, but I could help her find out who killed
Gary
. Besides, what would it hurt if I asked just a few little questions? "Okay, Karen. I'll do it."

"Yes!" She shot a fist into the air, a simple movement seeming to exhaust her and she slumped back on the sofa.

Pastor Stephens joined Lisa and the pair glowered at me like a set of gargoyles perched on ancient buildings. I ignored them and focused on Karen. "I'll have to ask you some questions. When would you like to begin?"