CHAPTER 5
“ T he deck is going to look great, Pep,” Ian said, finishing his tea as he looked out the French doors the next morning and waved to the workers who just arrived for the day.
“I am glad I had the winter to discuss the design with you and make changes. The outside kitchen area with a covered overhang and sitting area will work much better for entertaining. We can have a summer party when it’s completed.”
He walked over to me and gave me a quick kiss. “Sounds like fun. I have a full morning of business meetings and an afternoon of photo shoots.”
“I’m going to the garden center to?—”
The front door flew open. “Do you know what your mother did now?”
My dad glared at both of us, though his frustration wasn’t directed at us.
“Coffee, Dad?” I asked and glanced at the coffeemaker.
“Yeah, sure,” he grumbled, then called out, “Morning, Ian.”
“Good morning, sir,” Ian said and turned to me and whispered, “I need to get to work.”
“Coward,” I whispered.
“Wiseman,” he whispered back.
Even Mo followed him to the door. “Is it all right if he comes with me?” Ian asked.
“He would only open the door and take the path to the lodge if I didn’t let him go with you. I swear the days he goes with you are the days he can smell his favorite breakfast foods cooking at the lodge.”
“Bacon,” Ian said with glee, and I could have sworn Mo smiled as well.
“Sorry to disturb you, Pepper,” my dad said when I joined him at the counter after pouring myself another cup of oolong tea.
“You never disturb me, Dad, though a knock announcing your arrival would be nice, even a blast on your siren would do,” I said with a chuckle.
“Funny,” my dad said, and I was glad I could make him smile.
“So, what’s Mom done now?” I asked.
He ran his fingers through his hair. “She wants to beautify the police station.”
“How do you beautify a police station?” I asked and had the answer before my dad could say anything. “Plants, flowers, a refreshment area.”
“You know your mother well. The police station shouldn’t be a welcoming place. It is a place you don’t ever want to have to go to. Next thing you know she’ll be putting blankets and pillows in the jail cells.”
I kept myself from laughing since he was right.
“Talk to her for me, will you?” he all but begged. “I don’t want to fight with her about this. Her mayoral campaign is putting enough stress on me. She tells me that she’s going to debate Mayor Barrett and to prepare, she wants me to attend a lecture at the community college on reading people.”
“Like a book,” I added.
“Yeah, that’s it. Like I don’t’ already have experience with that after all my years on the force.”
“Ian and I are going to the lecture. She can come with us,” I offered. “Although you might want to consider that Mom might learn something you don’t know and use it on you.”
“Damn,” he muttered beneath his breath, then warned me not to tell my mom.
Mom made sure our mouths remained pure of cuss words even when she wasn’t around. My brothers and I, and even Dad, worried if we slipped and someone heard us that they would rat us out to Mom.
“Up to you, Dad. Mom can come with Ian and me if you want, and I will talk with her about beautifying the police station, but you well know that you are going to have to make compromises when it comes to that.”
“I suppose a larger and more diverse refreshment area might do well for morale.”
“And a plant here and there wouldn’t hurt,” I suggested. “They do brighten a place and add some calm.” I pointed to the basket of ivy hanging in front of my kitchen window along with a pothos that I had taken cuttings from a larger pothos in the library. “And the police station could use some calm.”
He shook his head. “I don’t know what I’m going to do if she becomes mayor. She will be my boss.”
“I rested my hand on his back. “I hate to tell you this, Dad, but she already is your boss.”
“That isn’t humorous, Pepper,” he admonished.
“If you want to survive this, Dad, look at it as humorous. There’s one other thing you should consider.”
“What’s that?”
“Mom has always been fair with you, and she has always had your back. You might want to do the same for her when it comes to the mayor’s race. She is really excited about winning and doing what’s best for the town.”
“I think that’s the most difficult part. I know she would make a terrific and fair mayor.” He cringed. “Still, I would be answerable to her.”
“Again, Dad, you already are just as she is answerable to you, so not much is going to change,” I said and didn’t let him see me cross my fingers.
I remained outside after seeing my dad off to take stock of what annual flowers I wanted to plant in the front flowerbeds this year when I heard the roar of a motorcycle. I gave a quick glance around for Mo and remembered he wasn’t here.
I stepped up on my porch just as Stone pulled up my driveway.
As soon as he took off his helmet, I demanded, “What are you doing here?”
“And here I thought we got off to a good start,” he said with a smile that could easily tempt a woman.
Not so me. Ian was the only one who tempted me.
“Start of what?”
“Friendship,” he said.
I wasn’t that gullible. “Come on, Stone, what is it you really want?”
“With the short time I’ve been here, I heard how good you are at solving mysteries. I thought you could help me solve my mystery.”
“Which is?” I asked but knew what he would say.
“Proving I am a descendent of the Willow family.”
“Why is that so important to you?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess it’s the stories I’ve heard through the years and want to know if they’re true or not.”
“I don’t buy it,” I said. “There’s more to it than that.”
He grinned. “Why? Because I’m a biker?”
“Tell me, Stone, is one of your club members missing?” I asked.
“Missing?”
“Yeah, missing, like not around, haven’t seen him.”
He shook his head. “No, all club members are accounted for, that I can assure you.”
If only I could believe him.
“Will you help me?”
A sudden barking growl had Stone taking a step back and when Mo burst past the trees snarling as he ran toward me, Stone hurried to step around the side of his motorcycle as if it could stop the large dog.
“Easy, Mo, I’m safe,” I said firmly, and Mo sat in front of me, one side of his mouth curled up in a snarl.
“PEP!”
“Looks like you’re well protected,” Stone said, just as Ian appeared on the path we had carved out between here and the lodge.
Ian was at my side in a flash, his arm going around my waist.
“Something you want here, mate?” Ian more demanded than asked.
“That’s up to, Pep,” Stone said brazenly.
“The name’s Pepper,” I corrected him. “Ian calls me Pep, no one else.”
“Got it,” Stone said, though looked none too happy. “Keep in mind what I said, Pepper. We’ll talk again.”
He mounted his motorcycle and took off.
“You are getting a big bone today, Mo,” Ian said with a quick glance at the dog. “He cannot only smell bacon at a distance, he can also detect when you might be in danger. He took off like a fired bullet and scared me near to death especially when I couldn’t keep up with him. Though that might have been because I was trying to access your security camera on my cell.”
“He probably heard the motorcycle and remembered the incident at the cemetery,” I said and hunched down to give Mo a big hug. “Thanks for being there for me, Mo.”
Mo barked and looked at the front door. “You think you deserve a treat?”
Mo barked again and walked to the door, letting me know I was right.
“I am really glad you’ve got Mo, Pep,” Ian said. “Sorry, but I need to get back.”
“Thanks for coming to my non-rescue,” I said with a chuckle.
“I will always come to your rescue, Pep,” he said and kissed me before taking off.
I turned to go in the house and heard him shout, “STAY AWAY FROM THE BIKER, PEP.”
I grinned and couldn’t help but shout back, “WHICH ONE?”
“VERY FUNNY!” came his reply.
I spotted my mom speaking with a tall, slim woman with short white hair. I waved, not wanting to bother her, but she waved me over.
My mom made the introduction. “Pepper, this is Edna Wilson. She is on the board of the Willow Lake Historical Society.”
“Pepper the prepper,” Edna said with a smile. “I am delighted to finally meet you. I’m a bit of a prepper myself. It really pays to be, as you say, prepped and prepared. We could use someone like you in the historical society.”
“Recruiting younger people, that’s brilliant, Edna, and just what the historical society needs,” my mom said, enthusiastic about the idea.
“I will leave you two to discuss recruitment. I have loads of plants to get,” I said and looked to Edna. “It was nice meeting you, Edna.”
I hurried off, not wishing to get stuck in the conversation and headed into the gift shop section of the garden center to spare a minute and see how my pregnant sister-in-law was doing.
“Your brother is going to drive me crazy,” Kelly said, arranging a display of lake décor items on a shelf. “He expects me to remain home for the entire summer after our son is born. Like that will ever happen. I have too much to do here and our son will do just fine here with us. I have a whole room set up where I can nurse him, change him, and he can sleep, and I can watch him every minute on my phone when he does. Of course, I won’t begin that routine for at least four to six weeks until after the baby is born, but I will introduce him to the new schedule little by little.”
“Danny worries about you and the baby,” I said in defense of my oldest brother. Especially since it was the truth. “I’m sure once he sees how easily it can work, he’ll be relieved.” I placed my hand on her arm. “Are you all right, Kelly? I have never seen you get frustrated or upset.”
My sister-in-law was the calmest person I ever met. I never saw her get rattled.
She sighed and fiddled with her long, blonde braid, then cast a cautious glance around the shop before stepping to a corner where we could talk more privately.
“I think I’m getting nervous about the delivery.”
“Who wouldn’t be nervous about pushing another human out of their body,” I said and realized my mistake. The words alone conjured fear. I worked fast to correct my error. “But women have been doing it for thousands of years and before they even had drugs to ease the pain. You’ve got this, Kelly. You’ll take charge like you always do and breeze right through it. It’s the wait that’s bothering you. You probably want it over and done.”
“Do I ever,” she said with a laugh.
“You should talk with Mom,” I suggested. “She had four of us and delivered me without any drugs since I came so fast. She’ll set your mind at ease.”
“There was no stopping her, and she was the easiest birth out of the four of them.”
We both turned to see my mom standing there. She really could sneak up on people.
“Come with me, Kelly. We’ll have a nice cup of tea and talk,” my mom said, stretching her arms out to her.
Kelly didn’t hesitate to slip into her arms.
“Pepper, while I speak with Kelly, I need you to pick out some plants for your dad’s office at the police station. Manly plants like a snake plant and a fiddle leaf fig plant, something substantial.”
“Good thought, Mom, though you’re not going to put too many plants in the police station, are you?” I asked, trying to help out my dad.
“Plants find their way where needed. We’ll start slow and go from there.”
“We’ll?” I asked, wondering how I got brought into this.
“I think it’s a wonderful idea,” Kelly said. “There is a rubber tree plant in the greenhouse marked Employees Only that would look great with the fiddle leaf fig tree and snake plant. Make sure to pick different sizes so they coordinate well.”
Kelly was still giving directions as my mom walked her away.
I shook my head, still wondering how I became part of beautifying the police station, but then I should have known better. My mom had a way of roping people into helping. My dad was right. She would make a good mayor since she would have the whole town participating in one thing or another.
I made my way out of the shop and tried not to get sidetracked by the plethora of gorgeous flowers that graced the outside areas. I was glad I brought my truck since I intended to load up on flowers and veggies to plant.
“I can’t wait for this baby to be born.”
I turned and smiled at my middle brother, Thomas. “Why aren’t you in school?”
Thomas was a math teacher at the high school and would start working at the garden center as soon as school closed. Had I missed the end of the school year? He wasn’t handsome like Josh, but he was good-looking and just shy of six feet. My only problem was his girlfriend, Lola. She was selfish and self-centered and wore so much makeup I figured she had to chisel it off at night.
“School ended last week. Danny has himself tied in knots over the impending delivery, not only of the baby but a huge delivery of trees and shrubs today and believe me when I tell you everyone here can’t wait for the baby to be born. Though many fear Danny may get worse with the birth of the baby.”
“Danny will do fine. He’ll adapt,” I said with confidence in my brother. “Lola didn’t complain about you working here to help your brother rather than be with her?” I sounded far too sarcastic.
“Okay, Pepper, you made it clear several times that you don’t like her, and, between you and me, I’m starting to question the relationship.”
My eyes went wide on their own. “Really?”
“Really,” Thomas said. “I don’t know what I was thinking. She came on so strong, I guess it flattered me and when I finally woke up—” He shook his head.
“You saw her more clearly,” I finished for him.
“You can say that again.” Thomas held up his hand. “But please don’t. I already feel the fool.”
“At least you came to your senses,” I said, more relieved than he would ever know.
Thomas was a good guy, always giving more than he had to, just like their mom. He deserved someone who would appreciate him and give as much as he gave.
“The truck is here. We need to get moving,” Danny said, rushing up on them and turning to Pepper. “Where’s Kelly? Did you see her? Is she feeling all right? I think something is troubling her, but she won’t talk to me about it and I?—”
“Slow down, big guy. She’s with Mom and they’re talking while having tea. Everything is under control.”
Danny sighed so heavily his shoulders dropped. “Thank goodness. I was so worried.”
“No reason to worry anymore. Mom’s got it,” I said. “And I’ve been ordered to get some houseplants for Dad’s office at the police station.”
Danny and Thomas both laughed.
“I feel for him if Mom wins the election,” Thomas said.
“So do I,” Danny agreed.
“You’re both idiots,” I said. “When Mom wins, she’s in charge of the town and has the final say in things. Have you two yahoos asked yourself what she might ask of the both of you?”
They both stared at me in horror as my words soaked in their addled brains. With a smile, I grabbed one of the large open carts and walked away, one of the four wheels squealing as I went.
I made my way back to the area that was closed off to shoppers and into the Employees Only greenhouse. I got lost looking around, seeing a couple of plants I liked for myself before picking out plants for my dad’s office. The sizeable fiddle leaf fig plant was in the back, and she was a beauty. I pulled the cart along the aisle and stopped abruptly when I spotted a boot sticking out from across the aisle.
I hurried to help whoever had collapsed and stopped short when I caught sight of the guy that Ian and I had found in the mausoleum. He lay on his back lifeless, his face pale, and no signs of an injury or any blood. Though the bruise on his jaw didn’t look like it had healed much. I reached for my cell and wanted to scream at myself for having left it in the truck.
I wasn’t about to run for help until I checked to see if he was alive. He had to have been alive the last time I saw him since he disappeared, but this time I was going to make sure.
I leaned down.
“Pepper! Pepper! Are you in here?”
It was Kelly and there was no way I was going to let her get a look at the guy lying here like this, the shock possibly sending her into labor. I rushed down the aisle and all but shoved her out of the greenhouse.
“I need help. Please get Danny or Thomas for me.”
“Can I?—”
“No, you can’t help. I need someone with muscles,” I said with a smile, hoping she didn’t see through it.
“Okay, be right back,” she said.
“I will meet you out front. There are some flowers I want to ask you about,” I said, worried how she would react if the guy turned out to be dead.
“Okay,” she said, looking much happier than when I had talked with her.
I rushed back down the aisle and stopped so suddenly that I almost tumbled over.
The body had once again vanished.