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

  “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Gloria had been listening to Ruth practice and offering suggestions for the last several days. “I’m bringing Paul with me if you don’t mind.”

  “Not at all. After the evening presentation, we’re roasting marshmallows and hosting a nighttime lawn bowling competition…the space alien enthusiasts versus the surveillance and spy group.”

  “It sounds exciting,” Gloria said. “Looks like I can officially check attending an alien/spy convention off my bucket list.”

  “Surveillance and spying are more my speed. Always has been, but I must admit since meeting Leonard, and learning more about SPEC, the outer space stuff is fascinating.” Ruth returned inside while Gloria climbed into her car.

  She waited for a Darth Vader lookalike to clear her bumper before backing out of the parking spot. “This is shaping up to be one wild week.”

  Chapter 3

  Gloria’s first stop was Dot’s Restaurant, to check on her friend who was down in the dumps the last time they’d talked.

  She smiled and nodded to a few familiar faces on her way to the kitchen. Gloria rounded the corner, nearly colliding with Rose. “Whoops.”

  “That was a close one.” Rose balanced her tray and cautiously took a step back. “I should know better than to come around the corner with a tray full of food. Dot and I were just talking about you. Give me a minute to drop this order off. I’ll be right back.”

  “Take your time.” Gloria found Dot standing at the center island, chopping vegetables.

  “Hey, Gloria.”

  “Hi, Dot. I was on my way home from Ruth’s convention and figured I would swing by to see how you’re feeling.”

  “Better. My rash is almost gone. I think it was a case of nerves. My annual mammogram results came back, and they didn’t find anything.”

  “That’s great news. They gave you a clean bill of health.”

  “Yep. I’m good for another year. How’s it going over at Ruth’s crazy con?”

  “Oh my gosh.” Gloria rolled her eyes. “Lucy and I helped with check-in. You wouldn’t believe some of the interesting characters we met.”

  Rose hustled into the kitchen. “Alien Elvis is in the dining room. He’s asking if you can do a special order.”

  “Let me guess…a peanut butter, banana and bacon sandwich,” Gloria said.

  “Yes, ma’am. Grilled.”

  “Sure.” Dot grinned. “How could I possibly turn down a request from Elvis?”

  “Alien Elvis at that,” Rose said. “I’ll go tell him it’s in the works.”

  Dot set the cut vegetables aside and reached for a clean frying pan. “Judith Arnett was in here a short time ago. She heard from Kenny over at the post office that a man tried to abduct one of the Belhaven Corners’ kids while he was walking to the bus stop this morning.”

  “I heard the same thing,” Gloria said. “Officer Nelson told us the suspect had long hair and was driving a van.”

  “No kidding.”

  “He thinks there may be a connection between the convention and the attempted abduction.”

  “Do you think it was one of Ruth’s NASCA people?”

  Gloria shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t remember ever hearing about an attempted child abduction in Belhaven. The fact these people started arriving last night and a bunch more this morning is suspect. The authorities are working on a sketch they plan to release to the public soon.”

  Dot changed the subject. “Are you planning on attending Ruth’s welcome address this evening?”

  “Yeah. Paul and I will both be there.”

  “Ray and I will be there too. Rose and Johnnie are gonna go.”

  Rose returned, catching the tail end of the conversation. “I took tomorrow off and rented me a vendor booth.”

  “What are you planning on selling?” Gloria leaned her hip against the counter. “Let me guess…some sort of potion.”

  “Not just any potion.” Rose wagged her finger.

  “The Elvis special is ready to go.” Dot plated the piping hot sandwich. “Give me a sec to add some chips and coleslaw.”

  “I’m sorry, Dot.” Rose stopped her. “I plum forgot. Elvis is requesting a small side of melted marshmallows to dip his sandwich in, along with bacon-topped baked beans.”

  “Coming right up.” Dot returned to the stove. She scooped a large ladle of beans into a small ceramic bowl and then placed several slices of crisp bacon on top. “One Elvis special ready to go.”

  While Dot worked on the baked beans, Rose placed a small dish of marshmallows in the microwave and turned it on. “At first I thought this sounded gross, but I’m kinda thinking I might want to give this a try myself.”

  “You should run it as a special,” Gloria said. “I bet you would get a few takers. I would try it, although I can feel my arteries hardening just looking at it.”

  “And the pounds packing on.” Rose eased the melted marshmallow dish on the other side. “Don’t leave yet. I want to show you the potion.”

  “I won’t move.”

  Rose returned a short time later, carrying a brown cardboard box. She removed a small glass vial filled with purple liquid and handed it to Gloria. “This right here is going to put my potions on the map.”

  “What is it?” Gloria wrinkled her nose.

  “I call it Alien Allure. Take a whiff.”

  Dot chuckled. “Yeah, Gloria. Take a nice big whiff.”

  Gloria shot Dot a sideways glance. “I’m not sure I like the way you said that.” She carefully removed the lid and sniffed. “It smells putrid.”

  “Disgusting,” Dot agreed.

  Rose beamed. “Your reaction is exactly what I hoped it would be.”

  “You want the potion to smell like…” Gloria struggled to come up with an accurate description.

  “Dirty socks and sour milk,” Dot said bluntly.

  Gloria started to screw the lid back on. The bottle slipped, splashing some of the contents onto her hands.

  Dot handed her a paper towel. “You’ll want to get it off as quickly as possible.”

  “Thanks.” Gloria dried her hands and finished replacing the lid. “Sorry, Rose. I didn’t mean to spill it. Why on earth…or why in outer space do you want this to smell disgusting?”

  “Because it attracts aliens.” Rose placed the jar back inside the box. “Believe me, I’ve done my research. When I found out Ruth was hosting an alien convention as part of her surveillance/spy convention, I said to myself, ‘Rose Morris, you need to rent a booth filled with Rose’s potions.’ And I got to thinking – what are space aficionados interested in?”

  Rose didn’t wait for Gloria to answer. “Making contact with aliens, so I knew I needed to come up with something to attract them.”

  She told the women she wrote to Michigan State University and learned Curiosity, NASA’s roving Martian science lab, had detected some interesting organic and chemical molecules, some of which signaled possible signs of life.

  “They discovered dimethyl sulfide, methanethiol, and most surprisingly, trace amounts of oxygen, along with nitrogen, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide were present.”

  “What does all of that have to do with stinky alien potions?” Gloria wrinkled her nose.

  “The combination of those smells has been found on Mars. Which led me to create the perfect alien attracting potion.” Rose snatched a small slip of paper from the box and handed it to Gloria. “Here’s a copy of the directions.”

  She slipped her reading glasses on. “Alien Allure. Directions. Apply a generous amount of Alien Allure to your pulse points before heading outdoors. Works best after dark.”

  “I’m still tweaking it. The smell tends to intensify in the heat,” Rose said.

  Gloria waved the sheet of paper. “How much will you be charging for your special potion?”

  “I haven’t decided yet. I was thinking either $6.99 or $8.99. I don’t want to charge too much and turn away potential customers. Did you see I added a
link to my website in case this potion sells like gangbusters?”

  “You are a savvy businesswoman.”

  “I would go with the lower price point if you’re still able to clear a profit,” Dot suggested.

  “I agree,” Gloria said. “Sell it as a limited time – convention-only special price. Regular price is $8.99.”

  “That makes sense. You’re right.” Rose picked up the box. “I better go check on Elvis.”

  “And I need to get going. I want to swing by Andrea’s place to smooch on the twins before heading home. I’ll see you tonight at six.”

  “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

  Gloria passed by Rose, who was showing “Elvis” one of the potions and gave her a quick wave.

  She began walking to the car before changing her mind, deciding instead to check on Kenny, who was filling in for Ruth at the post office. Gloria waited off to the side until he finished helping a customer.

  “Hey, Gloria. You been by the flea market yet?”

  “Yep. Lucy and I helped register the attendees. Dot, Rose, Lucy, Margaret and I will be there at six to show our support during Ruth’s welcome speech.”

  “I’m gonna try to make it. The post office has been busy today. So far, I’ve waited on two tinfoil heads and a yellow alien wearing green sunglasses. I even mailed a package for an Alien Elvis.”

  “He’s over at Dot’s eating a grilled peanut butter, banana and bacon sandwich.” Gloria propped her elbows on the counter. “I might have to try it myself. Officer Nelson stopped by the flea market earlier. He mentioned an attempted abduction.”

  “I heard it was one of the Bearney kids, one of the boys. The temp who’s filling in while Ruth is on vacation said she spotted a patrol car at their house on her way in.”

  “The poor kid must’ve been scared out of his mind.”

  “I’m sure he was. The family lives in Belhaven Corners. I’ve seen them in here before. They seem like nice people. They have a couple of boys in middle school. Not sure which one it was. I can’t remember their names.”

  Kenny continued. “I heard the guy tried to drag him into his van. He managed to break free and ran to Bea’s beauty shop.”

  “Was Bea able to catch a glimpse of the van?”

  “I don’t know.” Kenny shrugged. “I haven’t talked to Bea. Everything I’ve heard is secondhand.”

  “Bea’s place is only one block away from the flea market,” Gloria said.

  “Yep. It makes you wonder if maybe one of the alien/surveillance folks is responsible.”

  “Yes, it does.” Gloria thanked him for the information and slowly exited the post office. The fact the attempted abduction happened that morning after some of the attendees began arriving, was suspect.

  Thank goodness Bea had been there, and the young boy was able to get away. Perhaps it was an isolated incident. Regardless, the sooner the authorities made an official announcement and posted a picture, the better.

  Gloria’s final stop was Andrea and Brian’s home. She pulled in behind her friend’s minivan and made her way to the front door. She rang the doorbell and could hear the muffled sound of a baby crying.

  The door flew open, and a bedraggled Andrea appeared. The baby she was holding wailed loudly.

  “Uh-oh. Nana Gloria is here,” Gloria cooed as she took the infant. “Daisy Marie. What has got you all fussed up?”

  “Diaper rash,” Andrea pushed a stray strand of hair from her eyes. “I changed her diaper, and it made her mad.”

  “Have you tried using the bag balm I dropped off the other day?”

  “Yes. Her rash is starting to clear up, but she’s still a little cranky.”

  A baby’s cry echoed from the living room. “Trace is adding his sympathetic cry.” Andrea motioned for Gloria to follow her.

  Trace was in his baby bouncer, his feet flailing, and his tiny fists tightly clenched as he let out another loud cry.

  Gloria tiptoed over. Expertly balancing Daisy in one arm, she reached down and grasped Trace’s tiny hand. “Hey, there. Nana Gloria is here to check on my favorite little people.”

  Trace stopped fussing at the sound of Gloria’s voice. He stared up at her wide-eyed.

  “See? Isn’t that better?”

  Trace’s feet were still moving. He opened his mouth and began humming. Daisy joined in, gurgling spit bubbles.

  Andrea placed her hands on her cheeks as she watched. “I don’t know how you do it. These two can be screaming bloody murder, along comes Nana Gloria, and they become the calmest babies.”

  “It’s the grandma magic,” Gloria joked.

  Andrea took Daisy so she could pick Trace up. He batted at her face, and she pulled him close as she planted kisses on each of his chubby cheeks. “That’s Nana’s big boy.”

  “Is Alice around?” Gloria placed a light hand on his back as she bounced him up and down.

  “She’s working at the dog training place today. She’s trying to work her way back into her regular schedule now that I’m able to handle the twins on my own.”

  The women chatted while Gloria played with the babies. Finn and Brutus, the family pups, trotted in to greet her. “Good boys. Are you helping keep the babies entertained?”

  Finally, Gloria reluctantly consulted her watch. “I need to head home. Paul and I are having an early dinner.” She reminded Andrea about the convention and Ruth’s welcome speech.

  “Brian and I will try to be there, but the way things are around here, I can’t make any promises.”

  “And I’m sure Ruth will understand.” Gloria snuggled each of the babies one more time and then gave Andrea a gentle hug. “If you ever find yourself in the I’m-freaking-out-mode, give me a call. I’m here anytime you need me.”

  “Thanks, Gloria.” Andrea walked her to the door. “I may take you up on the offer.”

  One of the babies started to wail. “I think they’re getting hungry.” She quickly closed the door behind Gloria, who offered up a small prayer for her friend.

  When she reached the farm, she stopped by Paul’s workshop first. He was gearing up for deer hunting season and had almost finished working on his deer stand.

  They chatted for a couple of minutes before she headed inside. She hung her keys on the hook near the door and flipped the kitchen television on. Gloria watched the weather on the nines while waiting for her favorite new show, Missy’s Meals in Minutes, to start.

  Missy was in the middle of a new series – easy-breezy comfort foods. Several of the dishes had caught her eye. She was having trouble deciding which one to try first since all of them looked good and had finally let Paul decide.

  He had picked Missy’s mouth-watering Creamy Cajun Alfredo, which was the perfect dish for an early fall day.

  She filled a pot with water and waited for it to start boiling before adding the pasta. Gloria had started frying the spicy sausage when a news alert flashed across the television screen.

  “An attempted child abduction in nearby Belhaven has residents on edge. The local authorities have released a digital sketch of the suspect based on the boy’s description. The authorities are asking area residents to keep an eye out for the man, who was driving a late model van. The color of the van was either dark blue, black or a metallic gray. If you see this man or the van, please contact the local authorities.”

  Gloria hurried to the television for a closer look. Her breath caught in her throat when she realized the man bore a striking resemblance to someone she had recently met.

  Chapter 4

  Gloria blinked rapidly as she stared at the eerie resemblance to Leonard Navoy, minus the long hair. She snatched her cell phone from her purse and dialed Ruth’s number.

  The call went to voice mail. She started to leave a message when the line beeped. Ruth was calling her back. “Hey, Ruth.”

  “Hi, Gloria. What’s up?”

  “What sort of vehicle does Leonard drive?”

  “He’s been borrowing my van. Why?”


  “Because the police released a composite sketch of the boy’s attempted abductor, and he looks a lot like Leonard. He was driving either a dark-colored or metallic gray van.”

  “I thought the guy had long hair. Leonard doesn’t have long hair.”

  “The man could’ve been wearing a wig,” Gloria said.

  There was a moment of silence on the other end. “Leonard isn’t an abductor. You said the police released a sketch?”

  “Yes. I’m sure you can find it if you search Channel Five’s website.”

  “I’ll check it out.”

  “I stopped by to see the twins. Andrea said she and Brian will try to make it tonight. The babies were a little cranky, so I think she’s going to wait to see how it goes.”

  “The little pumpkins probably just miss Auntie Ruth,” Ruth said.

  Gloria chuckled. “I’m sure that’s true.”

  Paul, who had come inside, listened quietly until the conversation ended. “What was that all about?”

  “There was an attempted abduction of a boy this morning on his way to the bus stop. The authorities released a computerized drawing of the suspect and a description of the vehicle. Both match Ruth’s friend, Leonard, the head of NASCA. He’s borrowing Ruth’s van, and it sounds a lot like the van the boy identified.”

  Paul eased onto a chair and kicked his shoes off. “Do you think he could’ve done it?”

  “I…don’t know. I met him today. Ruth knows him better than I do. I wouldn’t rule out someone from the convention being responsible. I can’t recall us ever having an attempted abduction, although we didn’t have many kids in town until Belhaven Corners opened. Now there are a lot more, making it a magnet for that sort of person.”

  Gloria pushed the disturbing incident from her mind and finished working on the Creamy Cajun Alfredo. She drained the cooked pasta, setting it off to the side and began assembling the ingredients for the homemade sauce.

  The Alfredo sauce was surprisingly easy to make. She sampled a small spoonful, deeming it the perfect amount of creamy goodness and then dumped it, along with the sautéed sausage and steamed broccoli, into the pot of pasta.