Greed with Envy (Garden Girls Christian Cozy Mystery Series Book 15) Read online

  Greed with Envy

  Garden Girls

  Cozy Mystery Series Book 15

  Hope Callaghan

  hopecallaghan.com

  Copyright © 2017

  All rights reserved.

  ***

  This book is a work of fiction. Although places mentioned may be real, the characters, names and incidents, and all other details are products of the author’s imagination and are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events or actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

  No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced in any format, by any means, electronic or otherwise, without prior consent from the copyright owner and publisher of this book. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

  ______________________________

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  Thank you, Peggy H., Cindi G., Barbara W. and Wanda D. for taking the time to preview Greed with Envy, for the extra sets of eyes and for catching all my mistakes.

  A special thanks to my reader review team: Alice, Amary, Barbara, Becky, Becky B, Brinda, Cassie, Christina, Debbie, Denota, Devan, Francine, Grace, Jan, Jo-Ann, Joeline, Joyce, Jean K., Jean M., Kathy, Lynne, Megan, Melda, Kat, Linda, Lynne, Pat, Patsy, Paula, Renate, Rita, Rita P, Shelba, Tamara and Vicki.

  Contents

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  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

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  “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4: 16-18 (KJV)

  Chapter 1

  “Grams.” Ryan Adams tugged on the sleeve of his grandmother’s silk blouse. “What does eloped mean?” he whispered.

  Gloria lowered her head. “Eloped means to sneak off and get married.”

  Ryan’s eyes widened. “You mean Andrea didn’t have permission to get married?”

  Gloria grinned. “Yes. She had permission. It’s just that Brian and she decided it would be more fun to sneak off and get married.” It was a simple answer to a complicated situation.

  Brian Sellers and Andrea Malone, Gloria’s friends, had gone through several difficult months, starting with Brian’s amnesia, some misunderstandings between the couple and more recently, Andrea’s escape to the island of Nantucket where she met her parents and another unexpected guest.

  Things had deteriorated when the ex-boyfriend was found dead and Brian was under suspicion for his murder. Gloria couldn’t blame the couple for eloping. In fact, she might have done the same thing had she been in their shoes.

  After sneaking off to Niagara Falls, the excited newlyweds returned home, promising to renew their vows in front of family and friends, which is what they were doing now.

  The Wedding March began to play. “Here she comes.” Gloria stood. Ryan, along with his older brother, Tyler, and Paul, Gloria’s husband, followed suit.

  Sudden tears sprang to Gloria’s eyes as she watched a radiant Andrea slowly walk down the aisle. David Thornton, Andrea’s father, smiled proudly as he accompanied his daughter to the front of the Church of God where Brian, decked out in a snazzy three-piece suit, and Pastor Nate stood waiting.

  After the bride and her father reached the front, the guests inside the packed sanctuary sat. Many of the faces were familiar, but there were a few Gloria didn’t recognize.

  The ceremony was short and sweet, and when Pastor Nate informed Brian he could kiss his bride, the guests jumped to their feet and began applauding. No one applauded louder than Gloria did and she beamed with pride. Andrea was like a second daughter to her and she liked to think she had a small hand in matchmaking.

  While guests stayed behind to congratulate the couple, Gloria and her grandsons hurried to her car, while Paul, who had driven separately, headed to his vehicle.

  Gloria and her friends Dot, Lucy, Rose and Ruth were in charge of the reception, which was being held at Magnolia Mansion, Andrea’s spacious home or “mini mansion” atop a hill not far from Lake Terrace.

  Dot and Rose, co-owners of Dot’s Restaurant in downtown Belhaven, were handling the catering. Lucy and Ruth were in charge of decorating and entertainment and Gloria, the Mistress of Ceremonies, was in charge of overseeing everything.

  When Gloria, Ryan and Tyler reached Andrea’s place, Dot and Rose were already up to their elbows in hors d’oeuvres.

  “How did it go?” Dot glanced up from a large tray of canapés.

  “It was boring.” Tyler reached for a treat and Gloria tapped the top of his hand. “Uh-uh. We have to wait to eat.”

  “You should have taken a few moments off and gone with us.” Gloria turned to face Dot. “This all could’ve waited.”

  “Oh I dunno about that Gloria.” Rose wiped her hands on the front of her apron. “We got a hot mess going on in here.”

  “Let me help.” Gloria reached for an apron, hanging on a hook by the door and turned to her grandsons. “Why don’t you take Brutus out for a walk before the guests arrive?” Brutus was Andrea’s black Labrador retriever.

  The boys, who were staying with Gloria overnight so that Gloria’s daughter, Jill, and her husband could enjoy a quick weekend getaway alone, headed out.

  Gloria turned her attention to the task at hand. “What can I do?”

  Dot handed her a bag of crusty bread slices and a large bowl of tomato concoction. “You can assemble the bruschetta. Was Margaret there?”

  Margaret Hansen was one of the women’s close friends and a resident of Belhaven.

  Gloria untied the bag of bread. “No, now that you mention it. I need to call her. I wonder if Don and she are going to try to make it to the reception.”

  Don, Margaret’s husband, had recently suffered a heart attack and since coming home from the hospital had required almost around the clock care.

  From what Margaret had told her friends, Don had gotten into a heated argument on the golf course with another member of Montbay Hills Golf and Country Club. Don collapsed on the green and they’d called an ambulance.

  Margaret was responsible for the brunt of his care but the other girls had taken turns sitting with Don so Margaret could take small breaks. Don appeared to be on the mend, so much so that the couple was bickering. Stir crazy is
what Gloria called it. Don wasn’t used to being confined to the house and Margaret wasn’t used to having him underfoot.

  “Hopefully she’ll be able to stop by for a few minutes,” Gloria said. “After I finish here, I’ll run by there to give her a break.”

  The trio finished assembling the appetizers and arranging them on the tables in the front hall where the cocktail reception was being held.

  Dot and Rose began the dinner preparation at the same time Ray, Dot’s husband, and Johnnie, Rose’s husband, showed up to help.

  “We closed the restaurant,” Ray said. “I think everyone in the whole of Montbay County went to the wedding. The restaurant was deader than a doornail.”

  With reinforcements in place, Gloria removed the apron and hung it on the hook. “I’ll go check on Margaret.”

  She exited through the back porch door to round up her grandsons, who were chasing Brutus around the flowerbed, when she spied Margaret’s SUV pulling in behind Annabelle, Gloria’s car.

  Gloria hurried to greet her friend and waited until she exited the vehicle. “Did you leave Don home alone?”

  Margaret reached back inside, grabbed her purse and slammed the door shut. “Yeah. The old sourpuss. He told me to come without him and he needed a break because I was driving him crazy.” She rolled her eyes. “I’m driving him crazy?”

  “So he’s home alone?” Gloria asked.

  “Yeah. He mentioned his buddy, Chet, might stop by this afternoon so he should be fine,” Margaret said. “How was the wedding?”

  “It was nice and simple,” Gloria said as she linked arms with her friend and they meandered around the side of the house to the back porch door. She felt bad Margaret had missed the wedding and didn’t want to rub it in.

  Dot was cutting a large spiral ham when they stepped inside. “I’m glad you could make it, Margaret.”

  “Me too. What can I do to help?” Margaret asked.

  “Plop these babies on the rim of this bowl.” Rose handed Margaret two glass bowls, a large bag of shrimp and a container of bright red liquid. “It’s nice to see you out and about.” Rose gave Margaret a quick hug and hurried back to the bar area.

  While Margaret assembled the shrimp cocktail, Gloria darted to the front of the house to put the finishing touches on the gift table. The bride and groom, along with 100 plus guests, arrived a short time later.

  The afternoon was a happy blur as Gloria buzzed back and forth between the kitchen, the newly re-wedded couple and the backyard where she attempted to keep an eye on her grandsons.

  Thankfully, Paul showed up not long after and corralled the boys inside for part of the reception.

  It was a wonderful afternoon of celebrating and worth every ounce of energy the friends had invested in making sure Andrea and Brian had a memorable celebration.

  Margaret stayed for the festivities and even helped clean up after the majority of the guests had departed.

  Gloria placed an empty punch bowl near the kitchen sink and turned to Margaret. She studied her friend’s haggard face. Margaret looked tired…bone tired. Gloria placed an arm around her shoulders. “You’ve done more than your share to help, Margaret. Perhaps you should go home to check on Don.”

  Margaret nodded. “I suppose you’re right. It has been so nice to escape the house and the constant bickering.”

  Dot overhead the conversation and shuffled across the kitchen. “He’ll be up and about before you know it, Margaret. I’m sure he’s just as unhappy being cooped up in the house as you are.”

  “True.” Margaret hung her head. “I feel guilty for arguing with him. It just seems like the last couple of days, we can’t even manage to say a single nice thing to each other.”

  Lucy wandered over to join the conversation. “We should pray.”

  Rose made her way over and when Ruth burst into the room, Gloria pointed at Margaret. “Margaret needs a little divine intervention.”

  The women circled their friend and joined hands as Gloria led them in prayer. “Dear Heavenly Father, I lift up our friend, Margaret. Lord, you know she’s struggling since Don’s heart attack and that they’re arguing with one another. Please restore peace and quiet in the Hansen home. Thank you, in advance, for answering our prayers and thank you, most of all for our salvation. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

  “Amen,” the girls chimed in.

  Margaret wiped away a tear that had trickled down her cheek. “Thanks. I’m feeling better already.” Each of the friends took turns hugging Margaret before Gloria walked her to her SUV. She waited for Margaret to climb behind the wheel before shutting the door.

  Margaret rolled down the window.

  “Call me if you need anything, anything at all.” Gloria reached through the window and patted her shoulder. “You’re not alone.”

  Margaret’s lower lip trembled and she nodded her head. “Thanks Gloria,” she whispered before she started her SUV and backed out of the driveway.

  Gloria waited until her friend turned onto the road before heading back inside. Paul had taken the boys back to the farm so that Gloria and the others could clean up, and after one final sweep through Andrea’s home to make sure she hadn’t missed anything, she said her good-byes to Dot and Rose, who were boxing up the serving dishes and silverware.

  She grabbed her purse and headed to the front hall where she found Andrea and Brian chatting with Brian’s parents.

  “Are you leaving?” Andrea turned, her face flushed and beaming brightly.

  “I am,” Gloria said. “I need to get home. It was a lovely wedding, a lovely reception.”

  “Thank you for everything,” Andrea said. “We couldn’t have done it without you.”

  Brian squeezed Gloria’s hand. “Andrea is right. You’ve been a huge help and we owe you one.”

  “I’ll take payment in the form of a grandchild.” Gloria winked at Brian.

  “I’ll start working on it right away,” Brian shot back.

  “Brian.” Andrea’s cheeks turned a tinge of pink. “I’ll call you later.” She opened the front door and held it for her friend.

  “Sounds good.” Gloria limped across the drive to her car. Her feet were sore and her back was beginning to ache but she refused to gripe about one single ache or pain.

  Whoop. Whoop.

  Gloria spun around at the sound of the siren and hobbled to the end of Andrea’s drive where an ambulance roared past. It turned onto the next street…Margaret’s street.

  A chill ran down Gloria’s spine and she got an uncanny feeling she knew exactly where the ambulance was headed.

  Chapter 2

  Andrea and Brian who had also heard the sirens, caught up with Gloria near the end of the drive. “What was that?”

  “An ambulance,” Gloria said. “It turned onto the side street, heading in the same direction as Margaret’s place. I’m going to run by there just to make sure they aren’t at her house.”

  “We’ll go with you,” Brian said.

  The trio climbed into Gloria’s car and sped off toward Margaret’s place. When they rounded the curve, Gloria’s heart sank. Her gut instinct had been correct and an ambulance sat in her friend’s driveway.

  She inched Annabelle onto the front lawn and off the street before she shifted into park. “Oh no.”

  “Oh no is right,” Andrea whispered as she peered out the window. “We better hang back. Maybe it’s not as bad as we think.”

  They sat for what seemed like an eternity before a police car arrived on scene. Officer Joe Nelson hurried from his patrol car and disappeared inside the house.

  Officer Nelson and the ambulance drivers were the only two on scene for at least an hour until an unmarked police car; at least Gloria suspected it was an unmarked police car, arrived. A man exited the vehicle and made his way into the house.

  A knot formed in the pit of Gloria’s stomach. “This doesn’t look good.”

  Gloria reached for the door handle. “Maybe it’s time to see what’s going on.”
She flung the door open as a crime scene van pulled in behind the emergency vehicle. She released the handle and watched as a woman emerged from the vehicle carrying a large tote bag and made her way inside.

  After another hour had passed, Gloria glanced at her watch. “Maybe we should leave.” She stuck the car key in the ignition.

  “Wait.” Andrea tapped the car window. “Look.”

  The ambulance drivers exited the front door, carrying a stretcher covered with a white cloth.

  Gloria began to feel lightheaded and stared in disbelief at the workers, who opened the rear of the emergency vehicle and slid the stretcher inside before closing the doors. The men climbed into the front of the vehicle and slowly pulled out of the drive.

  “They didn’t turn the sirens on,” Andrea whispered.

  Several other vehicles, curiosity seekers, crept past the house but no one stopped.

  “This may take a while,” Brian said. “We can come back later.”

  “You’re right. I’ll take you home.” Gloria started the car and slowly drove away from Margaret’s home.

  When they reached Andrea and now Brian’s place, Gloria waited until they climbed out of the car. Andrea leaned back in before closing the door. “Keep me posted if you hear anything and I’ll do the same.”

  After assuring her young friends she would, Gloria pulled out onto the street. She detoured past Margaret’s home. The police car and crime scene van were still there so she headed home. She pulled into the drive and parked near the back porch. Before exiting the car, she sent a text message to Margaret, telling her she’d seen an ambulance out front and asking her to call because she was concerned.

  Paul was inside the kitchen. “I was beginning to wonder if you got lost.”

  Gloria dropped her purse on the edge of the table and plopped down in the chair. The sound of a television set blared from the back of the house. “Are the boys in the living room?”

  Paul nodded. “Yeah. When we got home, the boys and I checked on their tree fort and then took Mally for a walk down by the creek. We just got back.”