Alien Allure: A Garden Girls Cozy Mystery (Garden Girls Christian Cozy Mystery Series Book 23) Read online

  Gloria fell to her knees, bracing herself for gunshots as she cast an anxious glance at the trailer window. “I didn’t sign up for this.”

  “Neither did I,” Lucy gasped. “Do you think she’ll take a shot at us?”

  “I’m not ruling anything out. There are hundreds of alien enthusiasts using fake names surrounding us. They paid good money to come here in the hopes of being snatched up by aliens for an out-of-this-world experience. What do you think the chances are that crazy granny takes a potshot at us?”

  “Let’s not freak out. I mean, if this lady has a gun, we need to let the authorities know, not to mention Ruth.” Lucy cautiously lifted her head as she attempted to peek inside the small trailer. “Wait a minute.”

  Gloria squeezed her eyes shut, praying they would make it out alive.

  Lucy marched across the lot and began pounding on the door. “Open up.”

  “I’ll shoot!” the woman shouted.

  “Go right ahead!”

  The woman emerged; the sawed-off shotgun pointed at Lucy’s head.

  “Shoot me.”

  There was a moment of hesitation on the gun-toting woman’s part, long enough for Lucy to snatch the weapon from her hand. “Try that stunt again, and I’m calling the cops. I’m also reporting you to Ruth, the director of the convention.”

  The woman’s face crumpled, and her lower lip started to tremble. “I wasn’t gonna shoot. I thought you were here to steal my stardust.”

  Gloria eased in behind Lucy.

  “Don’t point weapons at people. It’s dangerous,” Lucy lectured. “I’ll give the gun back, but you have to promise not to point it at anyone again.”

  “Are you crazy?” Gloria eyed her friend in disbelief.

  “Not yet, but sometimes I feel like I’m going there.” Lucy aimed the gun at the side of the trailer and pulled the trigger. A stream of water shot out of the barrel. “This is a squirt gun. I saw her filling it in the kitchen sink.”

  “You almost gave us a heart attack,” Gloria clutched her chest.

  The woman ignored her. “I need my gun back. It’s the only thing that will melt the invaders from Krostanken.”

  Lucy held the gun out of her reach. “Before I give it back, I need your name.”

  “Velma Dinkley.”

  “You are not Velma Dinkley,” Lucy snorted.

  “I am,” the woman insisted.

  “You’re not. Velma Dinkley is in the cartoon television show, Scooby-Doo.”

  “There can be more than one Velma Dinkley.”

  “We need a name to check you in.” Gloria waved the clipboard she’d managed to hang onto while running for cover. “If we can’t check you in, Ruth and the president of NASCA will escort you off the premises.”

  “I have to stay. I’m meeting friends here.” The woman’s eyes grew round as saucers. “I…my name is Faye Simmons.”

  “Faye Simmons.” Gloria studied the clipboard. “I found you. It looks as if you pre-paid.”

  “Are you going to report me?” Faye clasped her hands, a worried expression on her face.

  “I’ll need to let the coordinators know you have a weapon capable of melting Kostkens,” Gloria swallowed hard, determined not to burst out laughing. “I mean, Krostankens. I’m sure Leonard and Ruth will understand.”

  The woman thanked Lucy for returning the squirt gun and stepped back inside her camper.

  “That was interesting.”

  “You can say that again.” Gloria finished checking in the last few attendees and decided to take a shortcut through the Orion zone.

  No! An ear-piercing scream filled the air.

  “Now what?” Lucy took off at a dead run. Gloria was right behind her.

  They raced around the corner just in time to see a man grab a baseball bat and take a swing at another man.

  Chapter 2

  Thankfully, the man with the bat had terrible aim and sliced the air. Two men who were standing nearby sprang into action and tackled him to the ground.

  “Maybe Velma isn’t crazy, and I should’ve brought a weapon too,” Lucy said.

  Ruth and the flea market’s bright red go-kart careened around the corner and screeched to a halt. The man seated next to her stayed in the go-kart while she pushed her way through the crowd, a thunderous expression on her face as she confronted the troublemakers.

  “What is she saying?” Lucy whispered.

  “I don’t know. She’s ticked off, that I do know.”

  Finally, Ruth relaxed her stance and began walking away.

  Whoop…whoop. A Montbay County Sheriff’s car sped down the rutted gravel road. The car stopped next to the go-kart, sending a thick plume of dust into the air.

  Through the haze, Gloria watched as Officer Joe Nelson emerged. “What’s going on?”

  “It was a misunderstanding,” Ruth said. “We’ve cleared it up.”

  Nelson placed a light hand on his gun holster, his eyes scanning the crowd as he assessed the situation. “Since I’m here, I’m gonna have a quick look around.”

  “Be my guest. Would you like me to go with you?”

  “No. That won’t be necessary.”

  “I’ll be in the front office if you need me.” Ruth returned to the go-kart. She leaned in to say something to the man, and then they drove off.

  Gloria waited until they were gone before approaching the officer. “Hello, Joe.”

  “Gloria.” He tipped his hat. “Did Ruth rope you into helping with her crazy alien invasion/spy con?”

  “Lucy and I both volunteered to help.”

  “We heard you tell Ruth that you’re going to have a look around,” Lucy said. “Just a heads up…some of these attendees take the spy, surveillance and outer space thing seriously.”

  “Thanks for the warning. We’ll be stepping up patrols in the area. I forgot to ask, but is Ruth in charge of the convention?”

  “She’s co-hosting with Leonard Navoy, NASCA’s president,” Lucy said. “I’m not sure if he’s arrived yet.”

  “I have a list of the attendees.” Gloria tapped the top of the clipboard.

  “Mind if I have a look?”

  “Not at all.” She handed it to him.

  Nelson grew quiet as he studied the list. “Velma Dinkley? I have a feeling keeping track of this bunch will be like corralling a pen full of greased pigs.”

  “Or vanishing aliens,” Lucy laughed.

  The officer shifted his gaze. “I take it you’ve met some of these people?”

  “Almost all of them,” Gloria said. “We used this list to check them in.”

  “You have a nose for trouble. Did any of them appear suspicious to you?”

  “A better question would be who didn’t appear suspicious,” Gloria joked. “Why?”

  Nelson cast a quick glance over her shoulder and lowered his voice. “One of the Belhaven Corners’ kids was on his way to the bus stop this morning. He said a man with long hair tried to pull him into his van.”

  “An attempted abduction?” Lucy’s eyes grew wide. “Is it someone we know?”

  “The boy’s name is being withheld. He ran to Bea’s Beauty Boutique, scared half to death. By the time she realized what had happened, the van was gone.”

  Gloria’s brow furrowed. “There are dozens of vans here, and half the men have long hair. What makes you think it was one of them?”

  “Seems a little too coincidental these strangers descend on our small town, and we have our first-ever attempted child abduction.” Joe rubbed his forehead. “Which is the main reason why I plan to have a look around.”

  “This list includes the name of the attendee, their vehicle information and whether they’re staying in a tent, a camper or some other form of shelter. Would you like a copy?”

  “That would be helpful. I’ll stop by the front when I’m done.”

  The women waited for Nelson to return to the car before making their way to the flea market’s office. The office, located near the front entranc
e, was more of a metal lean-to. A small wooden office sign was above the door. The painted letters were faded making it difficult to read.

  Ruth and the go-kart passenger stood outside, watching as Gloria and Lucy approached.

  “Lucy and I saw what happened back there. That was a close call.” Gloria handed the clipboard to Ruth.

  “It was a big misunderstanding. What happened to Officer Nelson?”

  “He’s making his rounds. He’s going to swing by to pick up a copy of the attendee list.”

  “Were there any issues collecting the payments?”

  “Nope.” Lucy pulled the envelope of cash from her pocket and handed it, along with the credit card scanner, to Ruth.

  “I wish those troublemakers hadn’t gotten us started off on the wrong foot,” Ruth frowned. “Now we’re going to be on the local police and sheriff’s radar.”

  “This place was on the radar even before the incident,” Lucy said.

  “I dare say, I have to agree we’re not off to a good start.” The man standing next to Ruth spoke.

  “Where are my manners?” Ruth placed a light hand on his arm. “Leonard Navoy, these are two of my closest friends, Gloria Kennedy and Lucy Carlson.”

  Gloria extended her hand as she studied the tall, thin man. “Leonard. I’ve heard so much about you. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

  “Same here.” He grasped Gloria’s hand, his warm brown eyes meeting hers. “According to Ruth, you’re a super sleuth.”

  “I’ve solved a mystery or two,” Gloria said modestly.

  He released his grip and turned to Lucy who shook his hand. “You’re younger than I thought you would be.”

  “I’m not that young – just well-preserved,” he joked.

  The four of them made small talk before Leonard excused himself.

  Ruth waited until he was out of earshot. “Well? What do you think? Isn’t he the coolest guy ever?”

  “He seems very personable,” Lucy said. “And he’s kinda cute.”

  “Oh, boy,” Gloria let out a low whistle. “Lucy’s hot after Leonard.”

  “I am not.” Lucy whacked her arm.

  “I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Ruth said. “What’s the status on Liz?”

  “She’s somewhere between here and Florida, around Southern Ohio last I heard. I hope Margaret knows what she’s getting herself into.”

  Liz, Gloria’s sister, had spent the previous summer housesitting in Michigan. After summer ended, Liz returned to her home in Florida only to discover that her boyfriend, Martin, had taken up with a younger woman, a colleague and professional golfer.

  Fed up with the on-again, off-again relationship and facing the fact her friend, Frances, was close to marrying her rich boyfriend, leaving Liz far from home and alone, Gloria’s sister had decided to put her house up for sale and move back to Michigan.

  She was presented with a full-price offer within days. Scrambling to figure out her next move, Margaret offered to rent Liz her lakefront home since she was in the process of moving into a newer and smaller home in Belhaven Corners.

  “I love Liz. She’s my sister, but the idea of her living only a couple of miles away from me is keeping me up at night.”

  “It will be fine.” Lucy patted Gloria’s shoulder. “At least it’s temporary since she’s only renting the place.”

  “Unless Liz decides to buy the house from Margaret. Small town, country life isn’t exactly Liz’s speed. I’m hoping the one-year lease will give her a good dose of the laid-back lifestyle, and she’ll decide to move to the city.” Gloria changed the subject. “Speaking of quiet country life, Nelson told us there was an attempted child abduction this morning.” She briefly filled Ruth in on what he had shared.

  “Is that why he wanted to have a look around? He thinks one of the people here may have been involved?” Ruth asked.

  “It happened in front of Bea’s place, which is just down the street,” Gloria said. “Not to mention it does seem awfully coincidental the attendees started arriving the same day a child is almost abducted.”

  “That’s downright scary.” Ruth frowned. “Let’s head inside so I can make a copy of the list for him.”

  The flea market’s office was a compact space, with a low row of cabinets and a narrow counter facing the door. Cheap wooden stools were in front of the counter. Dark brown paneling covered the walls.

  Lucy flipped the light switch, and a single bare bulb cast a dull yellow glow inside the room. “This is a depressing place. What’s back there?” She pointed to a door on the other side of the office.

  “It’s the livestock auction floor,” Ruth explained.

  Gloria wandered to the doorway. Rows of wooden benches lined the walls, and a tall metal fence surrounded the auction floor. A small podium was centered near the back with a pair of sliding metal doors behind it.

  Lucy followed Gloria, peering over her shoulder. “Is this where you plan to auction off the aliens you round up?” she teased.

  “Very funny. No, but we are planning to hold a swap meet in there.” Ruth rubbed her hands together. “If I’m lucky, I’ll be able to negotiate a sweet deal on a heat-activated radar gun.”

  She removed the sheets of paper from the clipboard and placed them in the copy machine. “You just missed Helena.”

  Helena Giese and her husband, Peter, were the owners of Belhaven’s flea market. The Giese family had been a part of the community for generations. They not only owned the flea market but a large chunk of land adjacent to the property where they lived in a family compound.

  The senior Gieses resided in a spacious Greek revival house, complete with towering pillars. The sons and their families lived in smaller, single-story homes within the gates of the massive estate.

  According to local gossip, Peter Giese was an eccentric millionaire several times over. He rarely ventured out, preferring instead to spend his time running his business and working around the family’s compound.

  On the rare occasions when he drove into town, you couldn’t miss him in his rusty Ford pick-up truck and his signature black Stetson hat pulled low.

  Gloria and her friends had gotten to know Helena during an investigation into a counterfeiting scheme. Unfortunately, one of their sons had been involved, and it didn’t end well.

  Peter Giese, angry about the women’s interference and snooping, had made it clear he didn’t care for Gloria and her friends.

  Helena, a lonely woman, had been more diplomatic about the turn of events and befriended them.

  The Giese family were doomsday preppers. Gloria was fascinated with the idea of prepping and had even managed to talk Helena into sharing some of her prepper recipes. “How is Helena?”

  “She’s good. Peter, not so much. He just got out of the hospital after a bout with pneumonia. According to Helena, his health is on the decline,” Ruth said. “Although he was well enough to put together a contract and a list of rules for me.”

  “I’m sure he was thrilled to rent this place out since the summer season has ended,” Lucy said.

  “I think so. He even offered us a couple of extra days at no charge to clean up after the convention ends.”

  Officer Nelson arrived moments later. “You got an interesting group of…convention attendees. I met Voltar. If my memory serves me correctly, I’m almost certain Voltar was a lead character in a popular comic strip some years ago.”

  “The name sounds familiar.” Ruth removed the sheets of paper from the printer’s bin and handed them to the officer. “These are for you. Gloria told me about this morning’s attempted abduction.”

  “We’re working on a digital composite sketch based on the description the boy gave us. We should have it ready to release to the public within a couple of hours. Unlike the old hand-drawn sketches, digital is a lot faster. We want this suspect’s picture out there as soon as possible.”

  Nelson thanked them for their time and exited the building, passing by Margaret, who was on her way in.r />
  She greeted him before joining her friends. “The cops have been here already? I had my money on their first call being this evening.”

  “It was a misunderstanding,” Ruth mumbled.

  “Involving a baseball bat and a lightsaber,” Gloria chuckled. “What are you up to?”

  “I finished moving some boxes from the basement and decided to take a break to see how Ruth’s kook convention is going.”

  “It’s not a kook convention. These are serious enthusiasts of space and surveillance,” Ruth insisted. “They have a mission, and that’s to prove aliens exist.”

  “By spying on them with surveillance equipment,” Gloria teased.

  Lucy jabbed Gloria. “Speaking of kook, don’t forget about Faye, a.k.a. Velma, and her sawed-off shotgun that melts creatures from another planet.”

  “Someone here is carrying?” Ruth briefly closed her eyes.

  “Not quite. One of the attendees in the Vulcan zone pulled a squirt gun on us,” Lucy said. “At first glance, it looked like the real deal.”

  “She nearly gave me a heart attack,” Gloria said. “Her name is Faye, but she goes by the name Velma.”

  “I’ll look into it,” Ruth promised.

  Margaret set her purse on the counter. “Liz called to let me know she’ll be rolling into town sooner than expected.”

  “How much sooner?” Gloria asked.

  “I’m not sure.” Margaret shrugged. “She was a little vague on the details. At first, she told me she planned to drive straight through, and then she said something about stopping at an outlet mall near the Michigan border.”

  “Which means she could show up at any time.” Gloria glanced at her watch. “Do you need me for anything else?”

  “Not right now. I’m heading to the pavilion to fire up the grills,” Ruth said. “You can hang around and grab a bite to eat. It’s potluck and pass a dish.”

  “Thanks, but I have a few errands to run. I want to swing by Andrea’s place on the way home to check on the twins.”

  “I’m gonna stay. I can’t wait to see what kind of food we’re having,” Lucy said.

  Gloria headed for the door, and Ruth hurried after her. “Are you still planning on coming back later for my welcome speech?”