Bodies & Buried Secrets: A Rosewood Place Mystery (Rosewood Place Mysteries Book 1) (4 page)

Annie refused to let her mother go back into the “hidey hole,” as the old woman insisted on calling it. Instead, Rory was armed with a flashlight and sent in. He disappeared quickly into the thick darkness while Annie watched, holding her breath. The women waited anxiously for several minutes, but there was no sign that Rory was coming back out.

“I knew this was a bad idea!” Annie exclaimed after calling Rory’s name out into the darkened space for the fourth time. “Who knows what could be in there? He could have fallen into a hole or broken his leg or got bitten by a snake…” She trailed off, then squeezed her eyes shut. “Oh, my goodness, what if he’s dead?” Annie thought of all the things she still wanted to say to Rory, like how sorry she was that she’d fallen on top of him earlier and how grateful she was that he’d been there to break her fall. All the imagined conversations she’d had with him in her head would never take place, and she realized with a sudden horror that she’d never asked him if he’d remarried or had any kids. For all she knew, Annie had just sent Rory to his death and made some poor woman a widow or left some children fatherless.

She was on the verge of panic when a familiar voice whispered in her ear. “Did you miss me?”

Annie spun around to see Rory standing beside her mother, both of them giggling. Annie threw her arms around Rory’s neck and breathed a sigh of relief. “I thought you were hurt!” She yelled at him, then she smacked him in the arm, hard.

“Ow! Well, I am hurt, now,” he joked. “You wouldn’t believe what your mother found.” He looked at Bessie with pride and admiration in his eyes. “That’s an honest-to-goodness secret tunnel. It goes all the way through the length of the house, and it comes out at the back, behind those shrubs behind the house.” He shuddered a little. “There are a lot of spiders back there,” he explained. “I feel like I’m covered in cobwebs, but seriously, how neat is that?”

“I’ll bet it’s some sort of smuggler’s tunnel,” Bessie suggested. “Maybe this house was used by moonshiners during prohibition. Or, it could have been used on the Underground Railway!” Bessie’s eyes sparkled at the thought of such an exciting discovery.

“I’m not sure how old the house is, but it’s pretty old,” Rory replied.

“The realtor said that the house was from the 1700’s,” Annie explained. “It’s obviously had a lot of renovations done since then, but that tunnel could have been forgotten about for a long time. So, yeah, it could have been used to hide slaves. I mean, this used to be a cotton farm. It’s not a big stretch to think that it could have been a plantation back then.”

“It could have been a smuggler’s tunnel,” Rory said, agreeing with Bessie. “You know, pirates were said to have been active through here in the early 1700’s. Why that could have been a secret tunnel for Blackbeard’s pirates to hide in when they were sneaking up into North Carolina.” Rory grinned, and Bessie’s face lit up.

“Ooh, Rory, do you really think so? How exciting! Perhaps we’ll find buried treasure on the property,” she exclaimed, her cheeks flushing with excitement.

“Calm down, Mama. I’m sure that if there were any buried treasure on this land someone would have found it sometime during the last three hundred years.”

Bessie sulked. “Well, I still say there could be a treasure. Besides, it would be great for business if we could tell visitors that Blackbeard’s treasure was hidden around here somewhere.”

“You’d better not tell Devon about that tunnel,” Rory said suddenly. “Man, if I’d had a way to sneak out of the house like that when I was his age, I would have been out every night!”

Annie frowned. “Well, it’s not like he can actually go anywhere. I mean, we live out in the sticks out here, and he doesn’t drive yet. I think we’re safe telling him about it.” It suddenly irked Annie that Rory would think of her son as some delinquent that would sneak out, but she supposed she should keep it in mind.

It was Bessie who surprised them both by suggesting that he be told immediately. “Of course, he’s gonna sneak out, he’s a teenager. But, if you tell him about how cool his new house is, complete with hidden tunnels and who knows what else, well, it might just help him feel more excited about moving to the middle of nowhere with his mother and old granny.” She smiled weakly. “I know it’s hard for the boy, and I feel like I’ve missed so much of his life with y’all up in New York, but I really just want us all to be happy here.”

Rory looked a little uncomfortable, standing between Bessie and Annie while they discussed Annie’s past. He looked around for something to divert his attention to, but Annie touched his arm, and his discomfort melted.

“Devon didn’t really want to come down here,” she explained. “After his dad died, well, I was just lost, and coming home seemed to be the best thing for me. I hoped that Devon would be excited, but he misses his friends and the city. Mama has been trying to make up for lost time with him, trying to get to know him, but you know how teenagers are. It’s hard to bond with someone who keeps earbuds in all day and grunts instead of speaking.”

Rory smiled. “I don’t know, he seemed pretty friendly to me when we went to the store. But then again, I speak fluent teenage boy, so maybe I had an advantage over Miss Bessie here.”

“What time is it?” Bessie asked, abruptly changing the conversation.

Annie checked her phone. “It’s five-thirty. Do you have a date or something?” She joked, nudging her mother’s elbow.

“Yeah, with my dinner. I don’t know about you two, but I’m plum near starving! I can’t live on coffee and sandwiches, either. I wish we’d have brought my stove in your truck. Rory could’ve hooked it up for me and we could have had a real supper on our first night at the new house.” Bessie looked around the near-empty kitchen. “Well, we would have had to eat it on the floor, but still, it would have been something.”

Rory scratched the back of his head, picking at imagined spiderwebs as he did so. “Why don’t I run into town and grab some food for everybody. I could take Devon if you want, and let y’all finish moving those boxes to your bedroom, since you kind of got sidetracked.”

Annie blushed, remembering her trip down the stairs. “Rory, that would be wonderful, if you’re sure you don’t mind. Is that little pizza place still open down on Covington?”

Bessie piped up. “No, but there’s one of those chain pizza places over on West Elm, and I’ve got coupons!” She grabbed her purse off the kitchen counter and began digging through it, muttering to herself as she did so. Annie and Rory suppressed grins as they watched her triumphantly pull a wad of circular ads from the bottom of her large handbag. “Aha! Here it is...and it’s still in date. Now, get us one of those ham and cheese pizzas with extra mushrooms, and whatever y’all want.” She handed Rory the coupon and a twenty-dollar bill from her wallet. “Oh, and don’t forget the breadsticks!”

Bessie headed towards the parlour and the staircase. “Give me a minute and I’ll send Devon down. I’m going to go up to the powder room and freshen up before we eat,” she added. “Where’s the box for the bathroom?”

Annie stepped into the parlour and retrieved the box, which was actually a little heavier than she remembered it being when they’d brought it in. “Can you carry this?” She eyed her mother warily, afraid to send her up the stairs with such a heavy load.

Bessie tested the weight in her hands and hesitated. Then she sat the box on the bottom step and took out the toilet paper and hand soap. “This will do for now,” she said, heading up the stairs. “I’ll get the rest of it later.”

In the kitchen, Rory burst into laughter. “She is such a character! Man, I don’t remember your mama being such a wild card when we were dating,” he said to Annie,

“Well, she’s become more independent since dad died, that’s for sure.” Annie’s father had passed away nearly five before from a massive heart attack. It seemed that all the men in her life were destined to break her heart by breaking their own. “She’s been on her own until we moved back here, but she seems to have stayed busy.” Annie knew this was an understatement. Her mother had filled her days with volunteer work, senior trips with her church, and trips to the Bingo hall. Some of her mother’s antics made Annie tired just hearing about them. She hoped she could keep up with the whirlwind that was Bessie Mae Purdy.

A few moments after Bessie went upstairs, Devon came down, without his ever-present ball of fur. “I’ve shut TigerLily in my room for now,” he explained. “Are we getting pizza? I’m starving!”

Since dinner had been decided and Annie had two willing souls to go and collect it, she kissed her son on the cheek and sent them on their way. After Rory’s truck disappeared beyond the trees that lined the driveway, Annie grabbed the last box from her truck. It was in the rear passenger section, tucked in nice and tight. It was filled with toiletries and bath products, and she was hoping to use both later in the evening when she took her very first bath in her new home.

She’d been pleasantly surprised to find that the bathroom in the largest bedroom held a large claw-foot bathtub. If it held water, and she thought it would, she was going to have the mother of all bubble baths later and wash away the stress and dirt of her first day at the new place.

As she stepped across the threshold going back into the house, Annie could swear she heard a noise that sounded like a stick snapping. Spinning around, she found nothing but a vast expanse of grass, trees, and farmland. Feeling a little foolish, she turned back to the house and went inside. She thought about closing the door behind her but realized that she was probably being paranoid. It had been a long day, and it wasn’t over yet, so she really shouldn’t be surprised to find her ears playing tricks on her. But it was the unshakable feeling that someone was watching her that convinced her to pull the front door closed tightly behind her, and click the lock into place.

Annie was relieved to hear the sound of tires on gravel in front of the old farmhouse. The squeak of Rory’s camper as it bounced along up the drive was reassuring, and she somehow felt less alone with Rory and Devon back at the house. Her mother had been quiet, probably just tired from the busy day, and Annie managed to get quite a bit done while the boys were on the ‘pizza run.’

Annie and Bessie greeted Devon at the door. The teen was loaded down with pizza boxes, bags of snacks, and bottles of soda and water. Annie was on the verge of yelling at Rory for making her son carry everything when she noticed that Rory was battling to pull something out of the back of his truck. Curious, she walked over to him.

“Here, Annie, carry this one for me, will you?” Rory pulled a canvas folding chair out from among the tools, wood, and construction clutter in his truck. “Hang on a minute, I have a couple more in here somewhere…” He dug through and pulled out two more, as promised. “I couldn’t have Bessie sitting on the floor,” he explained. “Give me five minutes and I’ll have another surprise for you.”

Annie carried two of the chairs into the house and helped her mother locate some plates from one of the boxes in the kitchen. Devon ushered them both back out of the kitchen as soon as they’d found the dishes. “Go, just for a minute. We’re going to get things ready for you.”

Amused, Annie and Bessie went and waited at the bottom of the staircase. “What on earth do you think they’re doing in there?” Bessie asked, stifling a giggle. “Oh, it’s all very exciting, isn’t it? I mean, the new house, the new business, it’s all one big adventure! I’m so glad we did this, Annie. I am so glad you and Devon came home to Coopersville. I’ve missed you so.”

Annie was glad she’d come home, too, but she was much more nervous than her mother was about the whole ‘adventure’ thing. They’d sunk everything they owned into this place, and everything her mother had would go into the renovations. If it failed, it would be one expensive family home that might not be such a great investment after all.

Just minutes after they’d been banished to the parlour, Devon called them back to the kitchen. “You guys can come in now. It’s ready.”

Annie led her mother into the kitchen, which now held a table, complete with a red and white checkered tablecloth and two candles. “It’s just some plywood and two sawhorses,” Rory explained, “but I thought y’all ought to have a table to eat at for your first real meal in your new home.” He’d placed the folding chairs around the table, and he’d pulled one out slightly. “Here, Bessie, I couldn’t stand to see you sit on the floor to eat.”

Bessie marched over to Rory and threw her arms around him, pulling him into a motherly hug. “Oh, you sweet man! And Devon, did you help with all this?”

Devon grinned. “I found the tablecloth and the candles. They were at the dollar store next to the pizza place. I think it gives the whole thing a little class, don’t you?”

Annie smiled. “I think it’s perfect! Now, let’s eat before my stomach thinks something’s wrong with my mouth. I’m starving!”

They ate in silence for the first few minutes, everyone chewing and chomping down the pizza greedily. Annie hadn’t realized how hungry she actually was until she was picking up her third slice of pizza. Bessie stopped at two, then pushed herself back from the cozy little table. “Ooh, I couldn’t eat another bite! That was just lovely, Rory.” She motioned for Devon to come and stand beside her. “Here, Devon, give this to your little kitty. She’ll like these.” She handed the boy a rolled up piece of paper towel. “It’s the sausage off my pizza,” she explained. “I love sausage pizza, but the sausage gives me the worst indigestion. Give it to TigerLily, she needs it more than I do.”

Devon took the meat, and his own slice of pizza, and disappeared up the stairs. Annie pushed herself back from her spot at the table and groaned. “Oh, I ate way too much. But it was so good! Thanks again, Rory, for everything. I guess we’d better let you go now. I mean, it’s beginning to get dark out there, and I’m sure you don’t want to be driving in the dark.”

Rory coughed, then took a long sip of his water. “Uh, actually, I sleep in my camper. I mean, usually, I park it up at my folks’ place since they have that huge backyard. But I was thinking, if it’s alright with you, I’d just keep it parked here. I mean, you wouldn’t know I was here since I’d just be in the camper.” He paused, waiting for Annie or Bessie to say something. Annie looked at him as if he’d just announced that he liked to lick rocks for fun, and Bessie looked mildly confused.

“What do you mean, you live in that little old thing?” Bessie spoke first. “Well, now, isn’t that something! It doesn’t look very big, does it have a bathroom?”

Rory blushed. “Yes, ma'am, it has facilities, of a sort. I could use your bathroom before I go out, though, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course, we don’t mind! In fact,” Bessie began, and Annie’s eyebrows shot up. She could tell her mother was about to say something that Annie would regret.
Please don’t tell him he can sleep in the house!
Annie loved her mother’s generosity, but she didn’t think she was quite ready to sleep under the same roof as the man who had broken her heart all those years ago.

“--in fact, if you wanted to sleep--” Bessie trailed off, noticing Annie’s excited eyebrows. “Well, you know, nevermind.”

Rory smiled. “I will be perfectly comfortable in my camper. It’s my home. It’s just like any other home, I reckon, except it goes wherever I go.” He wiped his mouth. “I really appreciate you letting me park up here. That will let me get an early start in the morning, and I’ll save a ton of money on gas, too.”

“Well, then, that’s fine,” Annie said at last, clasping her hands together in her lap. “You can just let yourself in through the kitchen door. I’ll leave that one unlocked, so you can use our
facilities
if you need to.” She wondered if she was making a wise decision, leaving her door unlocked and inviting a convicted criminal to just let himself in whenever he wanted, but she could only really see the Rory she knew in high school, not some violent criminal. She didn’t know the whole story about his incarceration, but she made a note to herself to speak with him about it in detail, soon. If she was allowing an ex-convict to be so close to her family, even one she’d known intimately years ago, she wanted to be sure that she could trust him.

Bessie pushed her chair away from the table and stood, stretching dramatically. “I am just worn out,” she said suddenly. “I think I’m going to go upstairs and freshen up a little bit. Did you get the air mattress up?” Annie nodded. “Good, I’ll probably go on to bed shortly. I want to get an extra early start in the morning. Annie, Rory, you two behave yourselves, and I’ll see you young folks in the morning.” Despite proclaiming her fatigue, Bessie had a twinkle in her eye and a grin on her face.

Annie realized that her mother had some strange idea that she and Rory would spend the evening making up for lost time, but Annie put that idea to rest immediately. “I think I’ll join you, mother. I’m sure Rory here is tired, and I agree, the sooner we start tomorrow, the sooner we can get Mama’s furniture and appliances brought over. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m looking forward to having a refrigerator in this kitchen.” She stood, and thanked Rory again for the table.

“It really was no trouble. And it was partly Devon’s idea, so you make sure you thank him, too. He’s not bad, for a city kid,” Rory joked. “Ladies, I believe I’ll take my leave now.” He gave an exaggerated bow and headed out the kitchen door into the darkness.

Annie locked the front door, thinking to herself that it really didn’t make much difference whether she locked it or not since the back door was unlocked, but she remembered the unease she’d felt earlier in the evening as she’d stood on the threshold and heard the crackling twig. She was suddenly glad that Rory was staying close by. It had only just dawned on her that apart from her cell phone, she and her family were completely isolated out here at the farm. She would have no way of fighting off a burglar or even a rabid raccoon at that moment, so she made a mental note to buy a small caliber rifle or air gun at the very least. Either would stop an angry raccoon and hopefully, within a few days, she’d have a better plan in place to protect them all from potential burglars.

For now, she was too tired to think of such things. She made her way to the bedroom and found that Bessie was already snoring soundly on the air mattress. Annie looked at the bathroom, willing herself to summon enough energy to clean at least the bathtub so she could bathe, but her eyelids suddenly felt very heavy. She threw out the idea of cleaning anything, and instead embraced her pillow as she sunk down beside her mother on the surprisingly firm air mattress. Within minutes, Annie slipped into a dreamless sleep.