Weaving The Web: A Cold Hollow Mystery (Cold Hollow Mysteries Book 2) (5 page)

***

Four o’clock rolled around. Warren Measly made his way out of the pharmacy and back home. He had left Hercules alone to guard the house while he worked. He’d gated off the kitchen for the dog to roam around in and moved his bed in there. He was ecstatic to find his dog hadn’t had an accident. He washed and changed into casual clothes, and leashed his dog. Jack had given him directions to the nursery, and he walked his dog the entire way. The dog had an accident on someone’s front lawn, but Warren, who always carried paper poop sacks, cleaned it up quickly and disposed of it in a city trashcan on Main Street. He didn’t scold the dog; he couldn’t. The pup had been so good all day Warren didn’t have the heart.

It was a longer trek than Warren had anticipated, but he felt invigorated by it, and his dog was not complaining in the least. He found the dirt and mixed gravel road off the end of Main Street Jack had told him about and walked from the pavement to the gravelly road. Hercules took to the side of the road, as though he didn’t want slushy mud and small stones under his paws. Warren smiled and noticed a truck driving toward him. He saw the man who was driving glance at him and drive past. It was Robert Collins, so Warren presumed his new job was at the nursery. If Warren knew Robert the way he presumed he did, he’d bet Robert was not too happy about the position. The only thing keeping the beast tame was cooking, and Warren had to admit, the cretin was a master at it. He had tasted it at the rehabilitation facility. Warren knew he couldn’t compare, but he decided his own cooking was above mediocre and it was just fine with him. He didn’t want to be a chef anyway.

Lost in his own contemplation, he didn’t hear the shrieking until Hercules began barking and wagging his tail. Warren looked up and saw his new acquaintance, Becky, waving her arms above her head and calling the dog to her. Hercules tugged on his leash, forcing Warren to pick up his steps. Warren chuckled and gave up. He unhooked the leash and let Hercules run to Becky. He watched as she crouched down and the dog leapt into her arms. She was laughing, and Warren noticed a woman walking up behind Becky. She was smiling and beautiful. She was slender with long, blond hair, and Warren wondered who she was.

When he finally met up with the women, Becky asked, “What’s this little guy’s name?”

Warren bent at the waist and said, “Lady Becky, it is my pleasure to introduce you to Hercules.”

Becky giggled and turned to her mother. “See, Mom? He’s nice.” She turned to Warren as she continued petting the dog. “My mom worries about me talking to strangers, but I said, what harm could there be in talking to a guy in a bakery?”

Warren took a step forward and extended his hand out. “I am Warren Measly. I am the town’s new pharmacy assistant. I just moved here, and it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

Carla stepped forward, still wearing a smile, and shook his hand. “I’m Carla Macy. I run the nursery here, and we just moved here too. It’s nice to make friends.”

Warren spun around as he heard another female voice coming from behind him. It was Sarah, and her voice was vibrating as she tried to ride her bicycle over the gravel and mud. “Mom, we have got to do something about this driveway!”

Becky shouted back, “You sound like you’re talking into a fan, you idiot!”

Sarah squealed and leapt off her bike once she saw Hercules. She ran to her sister and hugged the dog. Warren didn’t think the dog’s tail had stopped wagging since he arrived.

After introductions were made all around, the tour of the nurseries began. Warren marveled at the large greenhouses and listened to Becky and Carla explain what would be inside each one. He could already see peat pods set out and thousands upon thousands of seed sacks. He examined the labels on each bag. He pulled a pad and pen from his back pocket and began a list of he was interested in once the nursery was open full time. Carla watched. Her eyes roamed to Becky, who shrugged.

Sarah leashed Hercules and ran around the grounds with him. She had no interest in the nursery at all.

Carla’s nose scrunched and she appeared confused. Warren asked, “What is it?”

Her nose and eyes crinkled and she said, “It’s odd. I smell lilacs. It’s far too soon to smell them. I mean, I have shoots potted, but…” Her words drifted off and she shook her head.

Warren chuckled. “It’s my shampoo. I washed Hercules with it too. Nothing soothes me more than the scent of spring flowers in bloom.”

She replied, “I wasn’t complaining. Lilacs are the girls’ and my favorite flower. It just confused me.”

Becky frowned. “I found some at the market the other day, but Mom said we are watching our pennies and got a cheaper brand of shampoo.”

Warren waved his hand before his face. “I have an extra bottle at home. Come by the pharmacy tomorrow and I’ll give it to you, Becky. Consider it a housewarming gift.”

Becky glanced at her mother, who was smiling. Carla nodded and said, “Okay, but let’s not make a habit of this. Once the nursery is off the ground, we can buy our own.”

Warren agreed, and the tour continued. As they walked the muddy grounds and greenhouses, Warren could not help but notice the difference between the two sisters. Becky had dark features, dark hair, dark eyes, and piercings, whereas Sarah was fair-skinned and blond-haired like her mother, and she had blue eyes. Warren was bamboozled, but knew the friendship was too new to ask sensitive questions. Besides, he was sure Becky would tell him tomorrow.

CHAPTER 7

              One month later, spring came crashing in with a rush of snowmelt, a blast of blooms and birdsong, and warmer temperatures. Cold Hollow came to life. Not one moment was wasted. The townsfolk flocked to the nursery and purchased all of their needs. Carla Macy’s business was a success. She was able to afford to pave the long driveway to the nursery, and she obtained more landscaping orders than she knew how to fill.

              On Friday evening, Warren Measly stood on the barren town beach and aimed his camera at the gushing waterfall from the snowmelt atop the mountain peaks. The sound of the powerful rushing water pulsated through his ears. He was grateful he was alone because holding a conversation with anyone would have been futile. The noise was deafening. It was a glorious vision, and he wanted to have a few of the prints framed and matted for his office at home.

              Hercules was growing and busily rooting around beneath the pine trees for a chipmunk or squirrel to chase. Warren was pleased he didn’t have to leash him anymore. The dog was so loyal he never let Warren out of his sight, except for when Warren had to work.

              It was the weekend, and he had plenty of things to do. His order from the nursery had been delivered, and the flowerbeds and vegetable beds needed to have their soil turned and fertilized. The tender plants he ordered needed to go into the ground for what he hoped was a bumper crop season. He had also purchased an abundance of flowering shrubs to surround the house. Warren had kept in shape in the past month by walking and working out with the weights in his basement, so he was sure the vigorous activity he had planned for the weekend would not incapacitate him. With the interior of his house painted to his liking, he was prepared to do the same to the exterior.

***

Robert Collins arrived home on Friday evening with a truck bed filled with supplies for his gardens. With the daylight lasting until at least seven o’clock, he wanted to get a head start on his weekend chores. He had been purchasing and bringing home things from the nursery each day for his yard, and soon, he was convinced, it would be his private haven. The amount of vegetables he planned on planting was absurd, but his boss, Carla, had informed him of the importance of each one, their vitamin content and nutritional value. The woman was a plant fanatic. She had two great kids, and for once, women didn’t anger Robert. He tended to avoid them, but he was slowly changing.

The girls, led by Becky, had instigated a water balloon fight earlier in the afternoon as he and Carla were toiling in the sun outside of the greenhouse. They had been pruning and potting various bushes and shrubs when the attack happened. Carla had shrieked and he had sprung upright just as a balloon exploded against his chest. The girls had been in hysterics at his expression, and he couldn’t help but laugh. He circled back, stole some of their filled balloons, and watched them run. Carla went one step further and turned one of the hoses on them. Robert could not remember having such a good time or laughing as hard as he did. When the battle was over, the four of them had sat on the lawn and drank ice tea. Becky had retrieved some hand towels for them to dry off a little. He decided even though he couldn’t run his own restaurant yet, this job and the people around him were just fine.

He’d had a difficult time controlling his temper in the past, but it had finally settled down. He theorized cooking tempered his aggression, and he was determined to keep it up. The mayor, although female, was tolerable too, but in a different way. He had an inkling she was a slippery eel. A sudden sneeze overcame him, and he groaned because he knew the congestion would come next. He went to the house, poured himself a glass of water, and swallowed an allergy pill the pharmacist had suggested for him. It was the same medicine he’d used while imprisoned.

***

Sylvia Rossini arrived at home after a busy week at the seamstress shop. With summer around the corner, she and Ann had gotten an idea to make some beachwear for the women of the town. They put a few brightly colored beach cover-ups in the window, and sure enough, they received orders right away. Ann kept telling Sylvia she was a marketing genius.

When she entered her home, she heard noise in the backyard. She peeked out her kitchen window to see flowers planted in large beds and her boyfriend Ted working on a vegetable garden. She shrieked and ran out the back door.

“What a nice surprise! I planned on planting this weekend, but you got a head start!” She wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace.

He pulled away from her, wearing a smile. “I had the day off, so I wanted to do something for you. Also, did you check your refrigerator?” She shook her head. “You should have. We’re having T-bones tonight, a huge salad, and some baked potatoes. I also rented a movie for us to watch.”

She noticed he was sweaty and dirty and kissed him anyway. She patted his chest and said, “I’m going to change, and I’ll bring us out some fresh lemonade.” He swatted her backside as she scampered inside the house, filled with laughter.

They had been dating for well over a month now, and Ted spent more time at her house than his own. She decided to wait until the time felt right to ask him to move in with her. She loved the way he never pushed or prodded her into anything unless he knew she was comfortable with the idea, and she loved him for it.

***

Late Friday afternoon, Myrna drove home with Liam. They had toured the nursery and purchased far too much, but Liam was so excited Myrna couldn’t resist. Carla had done a tremendous job with the nursery and the landscaping around her new house. The tour was like something out of a fairy tale. She had several archways made out of hickory branches, and there were bright, multicolored blooms everywhere. There were garden statues of fairies, gnomes, and other oddities strewn among the trails that wound from the greenhouses to the area where she kept berry bushes and some ornamental trees. Inside the greenhouses, you could have your pick of vegetable plants and annual or perennial flowers.

Liam commented on the drive home, “I’m naming my gnome Harvey. What are you going to name yours?”

Myrna smiled. “Norman.”

Liam shook his head. “I don’t think it would work. It’s the name of our deer head on the fireplace mantel.”

Myrna concentrated hard and shrugged. “I’ll consult with Papa Tom and see what he thinks. He has to name his too, right?”

“Yup. We’re going to have a happy gnome family outside of our house, just like the one inside the home. They’ll be happy because we bought them all of their favorite flowers.”

“How do you know they are the gnomes’ favorite flowers?”

“Becky told me so.”

Myrna laughed. “So you like Becky? Do you think she’s nice?”

“Yup. I like her sister Sarah too. She makes good cookies.”

“She sure does, and it’s thanks to her I can spend more time with my two favorite men now.”

“Mama, have you thought about when I can have a baby sister? I know Papa Tom has.”

Myrna’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. She had not seen this question coming. She pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road and kept her foot on the brake. She leaned toward Liam and said, “I would love nothing more than to give you a baby sister, but what if it comes out a boy?”

His face crinkled. “Well…I guess a baby brother would be okay. When are you going to marry Papa Tom, anyway?”

She kissed his cheek and replied, “We’ll talk to Papa Tom about it, okay?”

He whispered, “We better have our family talk early, because Grandma and Grandpa Dumont are coming over later.”

She pulled out onto the road again and continued home while thinking her boyfriend, Dr. Tom Gillette, was going to have many questions to answer when he came home from work. She stopped at their mailbox, as she did each day, and reached for the mail inside. There was a small box labeled “For Liam,” but it wasn’t stamped. Someone had obviously taken the time to drive to her home and stick it inside. She sorted through the mail, placed everything inside her pocketbook, and headed up their driveway.

Tom had already asked her to marry him, but she wanted to live with him a while before making a decision. They had been living together for quite some time now, and so far, Myrna was the happiest she had been in her entire life. There were no secrets between them. She had also postponed it for Liam’s sake. She wanted to give him time to adjust to a new living situation, and he had, according to the child psychiatrist. When Liam began asking for new additions to the family and calling them Mama and Papa, the doctor had told Myrna he was ready to move on with life.

They pulled into their parking spot and Liam shouted. Myrna smiled to see Tom standing in the driveway, locking his jeep. He had gotten out of work early. When she parked her car and turned off the engine, she helped Liam unbuckle himself, and he opened the door on his own. He then proceeded to plow into Tom and embrace his legs. Myrna got out of the vehicle and popped the back hatch. While she was there, she pulled the box out of her pocketbook. Taking a deep breath, she opened it to find a dead baby chick inside it lying atop tissue paper. Her hands trembled and her eyes narrowed as she stepped back and surveyed their property. She wanted to scream, but held it in. She knew at that moment, her family had been targeted. She hid the box and would bury it later.

She heard Liam tell Tom, “Family talk right away, Papa Tom. I have a lot of questions and need answers.”

Myrna forced herself to belly-laugh at Tom’s expression of shock and began unloading their nursery purchases.

Two hours later, they sat at the dining room table and Liam was staring seriously at Tom. “Papa Tom. I don’t know if you should name your gnome Esmeralda! It will confuse him. He’s a boy gnome. Mama’s is a girl, so she can use the name, but you should chose Everett cuz it’s perfect.”

Tom stared at the ceiling and mulled the idea over. When he lowered his gaze to Liam, he said, “Okay.” Myrna was too busy giggling at the ridiculous discussion to bother adding anything. Liam’s expression was so serious it cracked her up. He was acting like a businessman at a board meeting.

Liam reiterated, “So the gnome family names are Everett, Esmeralda, and Harvey. Now, when are you going to give Mama Myrna a ring?”

Tom said, “That’s easy.” He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a small velvet case from the town jeweler.

Myrna gasped as Tom turned to her and opened the case to show her a beautiful diamond ring. “Myrna Bradbury, will you please be my wife?”

Myrna’s eyes welled up and she glanced at Liam to see the widest smile on his face she had ever witnessed. Liam nodded at Myrna and said, “Come on, Mama!” His little fists were clenching and unclenching in excitement.

She giggled and said in a choked-up voice, “Yes, I’ll marry you, Tom Gillette.”

He placed the ring on her finger and they kissed until they heard, “Okay, good. I have more questions.”

Tom finally gave in, chuckled, and pulled Myrna closer to him. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and said, “Okay, sir, let’s continue.” Tom’s expression turned serious again as Myrna wiped tears of happiness from her eyes.

“Let’s talk about babies.”

Myrna guffawed, and Tom leaned over the table and poked Liam’s nose. “We’ll discuss it after Mama Myrna has a checkup with the baby doctor.”

His eyes grew wide. “There’s a doctor for this? Is it where you go to pick out the baby you want and decide on a boy or girl?”

Tom raised his arms as Myrna bent over and wrapped her arms around her abdomen in another fit of laughter.

Tom said, “Yes. They take nine whole months to grow, so we have time.”

Liam was satisfied and nodded. “When do we have the party when you get married?” He glanced back and forth at both of them.

Myrna cleared her throat and answered, “There’s a lot to plan for a wedding, and there is no rush. We can talk when Grandma and Grandpa come over.” Myrna didn’t have parents and had wanted to ask Wally Dumont to walk her down the aisle. Alice would adopt the role of “Mother of the Bride.”

Liam jumped from his chair and headed toward the back door. “Okay, let’s get cooking. We
are
using the grill tonight, right?”

Myrna leaned into Tom and they chuckled softly. Tom whispered, “I wish I had half of his energy. We’ll talk about all of this later tonight, all right?”

“Perfect.”

She watched as Tom left the dining area and followed Liam to the backyard. She went out the front door, away from their vision and dug a shallow grave at the woods edge. She placed the bird inside and covered it up. She was determined Liam would never lay eyes upon the hellish gift someone had sent him. From that moment on, she would be sure either she or Tom knew where Liam was every moment of every day.

Late into the evening, as Myrna and Tom lay in bed, Tom said softly, “I have a confession to make.” Myrna rolled on her side and faced him. He smirked. “Liam and I had this whole thing planned out. He even helped me pick out your engagement ring.”

Her eyes went wide as she raised her hand and stared at the ring. “When? How could the two of you have planned this entire day?”