Nightmare in Nantucket (Garden Girls Christian Cozy Mystery Series Book 14) Read online

  The moist meat melted in her mouth. Gloria reached inside the silverware drawer for a clean fork and then stuck the fork in the carrots and potatoes. The vegetables were tender so she shut the crockpot off, replaced the lid and headed to the workshop.

  She was halfway across the sidewalk when the sound of tires squealing on the asphalt out front stopped her in her tracks.

  Ruth’s van careened into the driveway and came to a screeching halt. She flung the door open and darted across the drive. “I finally heard back from the boss!”

  Chapter 4

  “What’s the verdict?” Gloria asked. “Yea or nay?”

  “A big fat yea!” Ruth said breathlessly. “It took a little strong arming on my end, but Devlin finally caved and approved a whole week off.”

  “That’s great news,” Gloria said. She shifted her gaze and glanced at the workshop. “I was just getting ready to call Paul in for dinner. I made a crockpot chicken and vegetables. We have plenty. Would you like to join us?”

  “I should go home and start packing,” Ruth said. “I still have a few more gadgets I want to set up inside the van before we hit the road.”

  “You have all weekend,” Gloria pointed out. “We’re not leaving until Monday morning.”

  “I guess you’re right. I don’t want to impose.”

  Gloria flung an arm around Ruth’s shoulder. “You’re not imposing. We’d love to have you eat with us. Let me go get Paul. He’s in the workshop.”

  Ruth wandered to the porch to wait while Gloria headed to the workshop. The buzz of Paul’s sander and the smell of sawdust filled the room. She didn’t want to scare Paul so she waited until the sanding stopped. “Dinner is ready.”

  Paul flinched and spun around. “You scared me half to death.”

  “Sorry,” Gloria apologized. “That’s exactly what I was trying not to do. It’s getting late and dinner is ready.”

  Paul pulled off his safety glasses and set them next to the sander before unplugging it. “I can finish this tomorrow.” He wiped the back of his hands on the front of his blue jeans. “I can’t wait to try this chicken you’ve been raving about.”

  Gloria reached for the doorknob. “Ruth stopped by to tell me she got the time off next week so I invited her to stay for dinner.”

  “I’m sure you made plenty.” Paul rubbed his wife’s shoulder as they wandered out of the workshop. “I can’t wait to see her van.”

  Gloria had told Paul about Ruth’s latest additions to her van and since he was a retired sheriff who was familiar with state-of-the-art vehicle gizmos and gadgets, he couldn’t wait to see what she’d done.

  The fact a bulletproof armor company had teamed up with Ruth to test the new material had piqued Paul’s interest, not to mention the fact Ruth had a reputation for spy, surveillance and high tech investigative gear.

  “We’ll eat first,” Gloria said as she closed the shop door behind them.

  “Hi Ruth.” Paul greeted Gloria’s friend, who was pacing back and forth across the porch.

  “Hi Paul,” Ruth said. “I hope I’m not imposing.”

  “Not at all.” He smiled at Ruth and turned to Gloria. “Any news from Andrea?”

  “No.” Gloria’s shoulders slumped. “I tried calling a couple more times but the calls are still going right to her voice mail.”

  She went on. “Maybe we should leave earlier than Monday.”

  “It will be tough rounding up all the troops on such short notice,” Paul pointed out. He held the door for Ruth and Gloria before heading to the kitchen sink. “I heard you have a new and improved ride. I can’t wait to take a look at it after we eat.”

  Ruth clasped her hands. “I can’t wait to try it out next week. You should see the polycarbonate on the windows. You can’t even tell that it’s bullet-resistant.” She proceeded to talk technical surveillance lingo with Paul while Gloria set the table.

  Gloria had baked a cherry cream cheese surprise pie earlier that day, using a batch of fresh-frozen cherries from the previous year’s harvest that she’d found hidden in the bottom of her deep freeze.

  Michigan cherries were still a few weeks out before being ready to pick, and Gloria and Paul had discussed taking a weekend trip to the Traverse City area to pick their own. The trip might be on hold now that they were heading to Nantucket.

  Ruth stopped chatting about her van long enough to help Gloria finish setting the table while Paul headed to the bathroom.

  When he returned, he eased into the seat at the head of the table while Gloria sat next to him. Ruth sat at the other end.

  The trio bowed their heads while Paul prayed. “Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for this wonderful meal before us. Lord, we thank you for this day, for blessing us with a beautiful summer season. We also say a special prayer for our friend, Andrea. We pray she’s safe and sound and just needs some time to herself. In Jesus name we pray, amen.”

  “Amen,” Gloria and Ruth echoed.

  “Guests first.” Gloria motioned to the platter of chicken and the heaping bowls filled with cooked carrots and potatoes.

  “Oh, I forgot the dinner rolls.” Gloria scooted her chair back and hurried to the pantry where she pulled out an unopened package of dinner rolls. “Sorry, these aren’t made from scratch.” She removed the twist tie and set the package of rolls on the table.

  “I’m sure they’re delicious.” Ruth eased a chicken thigh onto her plate and passed the dish to her friend. “This is a real treat, Gloria. I hardly ever cook a meal from scratch since it’s only me. I typically throw together a sandwich or pop a frozen dinner in the microwave.”

  A wave of guilt washed over Gloria. Ruth was single and lived by herself, which meant she ate the majority of her meals alone.

  Gloria didn’t know how to respond and knew Ruth wasn’t trying to make her feel guilty. She was simply stating a fact. “I-I’ll send some leftovers home.” She placed a piece of chicken onto her plate and passed the meat to Paul. She added a scoop of carrots and potatoes and then slid a roll next to the chicken.

  The chicken was as tender and delicious as the sample she’d tasted earlier and Gloria was glad she’d made a big pot.

  The conversation flowed easily as they discussed the upcoming trip, Paul and Gloria’s thriving garden and MIA Andrea.

  “She’s probably hiding from her parents.” Ruth tore a chunk off her roll and chewed thoughtfully. “The girl’s pride is wounded. She’ll come around.”

  “When we find her, we’ll drag her home,” Gloria joked. “But seriously, if we get there and she insists she doesn’t want to return to Belhaven, we can’t force her. It has to be her decision.”

  After they finished eating, Paul cleared the table while Gloria grabbed dessert plates and the homemade cherry dessert. She set the dishes and dessert on the table and headed to the freezer for a pint of vanilla ice cream.

  She cut three large pieces of pie and passed them around the table. Paul scooped a spoonful of ice cream and handed the carton to Gloria. She shook her head. “No ice cream for me. I like my cherry pie plain.”

  She handed the carton to Ruth, who carefully eased two large spoonfuls of ice cream next to her pie. “I love vanilla ice cream. Vanilla bean is the best.” She sawed off the tip of the pie, added a large chunk of ice cream and popped it into her mouth. “This is delicious. It has the perfect ratio of tart and sweet. I never was good at making homemade cherry pie. My crust always turns out too crumbly. What’s in it?”

  “I made the crust from scratch and layered it with cream cheese, cinnamon sugar, covered it with some cherries I found in my freezer and then topped it with a layer of cinnamon crumble.” Gloria cut off a chunk for her first taste. “Mmm. It is good. I think the layer of cream cheese was a nice addition. I have to admit this recipe isn’t for the faint of heart. It took a long time to throw together.”

  “Then I feel special to have gotten a chance to try it.” Ruth reached for another spoon full. “How is the trip planning progressing
?”

  “I have no idea. The only thing I’ve done is take a look at the weather and a quick glimpse at local hotels. I need to check with Margaret to see if she was able to find accommodations for the nine of us in Nantucket.” From what little Gloria was able to glean online, the island was small and lodging limited…and pricey.

  Since Paul, Gloria and Ruth were the drivers, they discussed logistics, drive time and who would ride in each of the vehicles. It was decided Lucy and Brian would ride with Paul and Gloria. Ruth could easily take Margaret, Dot, Alice and Rose in her van.

  Ruth scraped the last piece of piecrust off her plate and popped it into her mouth. “Do you think it’s wise to have Alice and Rose riding in the same vehicle?”

  Gloria frowned. She hadn’t thought about that. Alice and Rose had started off on the wrong foot and, although they had reached an uneasy truce, perhaps riding in the same vehicle might be pressing their luck. “You’re right. I’ll give you Lucy and you give me Alice so we don’t have to separate Rose and Dot.”

  After they finished their dessert, Gloria shooed Paul and Ruth outside to check out her van before it got dark while she loaded the dishwasher and assembled a to-go plate for Ruth.

  She met them in the driveway a short time later with the container of food in hand. Gloria handed the grocery bag and container to Ruth. “I put your food in a Styrofoam container so there’s no need to return the dish.”

  Ruth opened the bag and looked inside. “I hope this doesn’t leak on my seat. I just had them cleaned.” She opened the driver’s side door, leaned in and set the bag on the passenger seat. “Well, at least I don’t have far to go. I’m sure it will be fine.”

  Paul’s cell phone began ringing and he excused himself. “It’s Allie.” He headed toward the porch.

  Gloria faced Ruth. “We should plan a pre-trip meeting Sunday after church and before we make our rounds so we can go over the final details.”

  “Sounds good.” Ruth gave Gloria a thumbs up before she climbed into the driver’s seat and pulled the door shut. She rolled down the window. “Thanks again for dinner. It was delicious.” She shifted her gaze and glanced at Paul, who was standing on the porch staring at his cell phone. “Maybe someday I’ll get lucky and find a catch like Paul.”

  She didn’t wait for a reply as she started the van, revved the engine and backed out of the drive before pulling onto the road.

  Gloria didn’t have time to dwell on the comment. Paul leapt off the porch steps and began running across the drive. “Allie’s been in a car accident!”

  Chapter 5

  A bolt of fear shot down Gloria’s spine. “I-is she okay?”

  “She sent a text and told me she’s banged up. She’s at Green Springs Memorial Hospital.” Paul ran a frazzled hand though his hair.

  “I’ll go get the car keys.” Gloria hurried into the house, grabbed the keys, her purse and cell phone before dashing out the door, locking it behind her.

  Paul absentmindedly climbed into the passenger side of the car while Gloria slid behind the wheel. It was a short, quiet drive to the hospital while Paul worried and Gloria prayed.

  She dropped her husband off at the emergency room entrance and drove to the parking lot in search of a parking spot.

  Paul was nowhere in sight when Gloria reached the waiting room. She approached the desk. “My husband came in here looking for his daughter, Allison Kennedy. She was involved in a car accident.”

  The nurse directed Gloria down the hall, which looked all too familiar. It was the same emergency room where Brian had been admitted after being attacked.

  Nurses at a second nurse’s station inside the emergency room corridor directed Gloria to a small waiting room where she found her husband standing by the window.

  “The woman at the front desk said she’s in surgery but won’t tell me her current condition.” Paul’s eyes filled with unshed tears. “She said I’ll have to wait until the doctor comes out.”

  It was a tense hour and a half while the two waited for some word on Allie’s condition. The fact that she’d been able to send a brief text to her father after the accident gave Gloria hope it wasn’t too bad, although the unsettling news that she was in “surgery” did nothing to ease Paul and Gloria’s minds.

  Finally, a man wearing green scrubs strode into the waiting room, his eyes scanning the room.

  Paul made his way over and Gloria followed behind. “Mr. Kennedy?”

  “Yes, I’m Allison Kennedy’s father.”

  “I’m Doctor Cole, the surgeon who operated on your daughter. Allison is going to be okay.”

  Gloria let out the breath she’d been holding and clasped her throat. “Thank you Jesus.”

  The doctor went on to tell them she’d been involved in a front end collision, which drove the steering wheel into her arm. A team of surgeons had placed several pins in her arm and it would take some time for Allie to heal.

  “We’re going to keep her overnight to monitor her condition and then take another look at her tomorrow morning,” the doctor told them. “She’s settled into her hospital room. I can take you there if you’d like to see her.”

  The trio strode across the waiting room and down the long, sterile corridor. Dr. Cole stopped in front of a door, not far from the nurse’s station.

  “Allie, you have company,” the doctor said as he slid the privacy curtain to the side and stepped to the end of the bed.

  Allie, who had been staring out the window, turned.

  Gloria’s heart sank at the sight of the young woman’s bruised forehead and bandaged arm. She looked so small and frail lying in the bed.

  Paul slowly walked to the side and leaned over the edge of the bed. Gloria couldn’t hear the murmured conversation but when Paul stood, Allie attempted a small smile.

  The doctor exited the room after promising to return in the morning to check on her. Paul and Gloria stayed by Allie’s side for most of the evening, until they were sure Allie was going to be all right. The nurses came by to monitor her condition, check her vitals and to give her another dose of pain medication.

  Allie drifted in and out of sleep and finally, during one of her periods of being awake, Paul stood. “You get some rest and we’ll be back first thing tomorrow morning.” He gently kissed his daughter’s forehead before he and Gloria tiptoed out of the room as Allie drifted off to sleep again.

  It was the wee hours of the morning by the time the couple stumbled through the back porch door. After they climbed into bed, Paul and Gloria joined hands and prayed for Allie, for all their children before Gloria drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

  Paul, who had tossed and turned all night, woke first and crawled out of bed. She could hear him in the kitchen, talking to Allie on the phone.

  Gloria slipped her bathrobe on and wandered into the kitchen. “…we’ll be along around eleven then.” There was a small pause. “I love you too, Allie.” Paul pressed the button on the cell phone and set it on the kitchen table. “The doctor was in early to check on her. She’s sore and stiff and the nurses gave her something for the aches and pains, not to mention her arm, but other than that, they’re going to release her.”

  Gloria headed to the coffee pot. “I’ll whip up a quick breakfast and then we can ride to the hospital together,” she offered.

  Breakfast consisted of fried sausage patties, diced fried potatoes, scrambled eggs and toast. “I don’t think I should make the trip to Nantucket.” Paul reached for his slice of toast.

  “I won’t go either.” Gloria grabbed the shaker of salt. She sprinkled some on top of her eggs and fried potatoes. “The others can make the trip without me.”

  Paul gave his wife a quick glance. “I think you should still go. Allie will be fine, but I would feel better if I stayed home and kept an eye on her. Not only that, but I don’t want to have to leave Mally and Puddles with her. She’s going to be stiff and sore for several days.”

  Gloria was on the fence. On the one hand, she felt gu
ilty about making the trip knowing Paul was at home with an injured daughter while she was gallivanting halfway across the country. “I’ll think about it,” Gloria finally said.

  The two of them finished their breakfast and headed to the car. They swung by Paul’s farm on the way to the hospital to fill a backpack with clean clothes for Allie before heading to the hospital.

  When they reached the hospital, Allie was sitting in the chair by the window, still wearing her hospital gown. “I had to trash the clothes I was wearing. They’re a mess.” She pointed to the tray next to her hospital bed. “All I need to do is fill these out and I’m free to leave.”

  Paul helped her fill out the forms since her broken arm was also her writing arm.

  After they finished the paperwork, Gloria carried Allie’s backpack to the small bathroom. She waited while Allie limped inside before easing the backpack onto the bathroom floor. “Let me know if you need help, dear,” Gloria said as she closed the bathroom door.

  Allie was in there for a long time and Gloria was about to head to the small room to check on her when she emerged, her expression pinched and her face pale. “I think I need another pain killer,” she grimaced.

  A hospital worker stopped by a short time later to inspect the release forms. After inspecting the forms, she handed a small packet of papers to Paul. “There are several prescriptions here. You can stop by the hospital pharmacy on your way out to have them filled.”

  “I’ll run downstairs, get the prescription filled and meet you in the lobby,” Gloria said. Paul handed her the papers and she hurried from the room. Thankfully, the pharmacy wasn’t busy and it didn’t take the staff long to fill the prescriptions.

  Gloria paid for the medication and then made her way to the emergency room exit where Paul and Allie, who was seated in a wheelchair, waited by the door.

  “I’ll go get the car,” Gloria said. She hurried to the parking lot to pull the car around while Paul waited with Allie.