1 Death of a Garden Hoe

An Olive Branch Mystery

Episode #1

Death of a Garden Hoe

by

Gale Borger

Death of a Garden Hoe

An Olive Branch Mystery #1

An Echelon Electric Short eBook

First Echelon Press Publication / March 2011

All rights Reserved.

Copyright © 2011 by Gale Borger

Cover Art © Karen L. Syed

Echelon Press

9055 G Thamesmeade Road

Laurel, MD 20723

www.echelonpress.com

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information address Echelon Press LLC.

eBook 978-159080-827-6

Published by Echelon Press LLC.

Chapter 1

"A car thief, a know-it-all, a hooker, a spoiled rich boy, and an ex gang banger." Olive Boothe rubbed the back of her neck as she read the work list for the day. "Geez, are kids getting worse or am I getting old?" She left her office and stepped out the door.

The Olive Branch
Garden Center did double duty outside White Bass Lake, Wisconsin. Ollie Boothe did a brisk business selling plants and offering many garden services. The Olive Branch was also a home for kids at risk. Teens sentenced by the courts lived there. They worked off time ordered by a judge at the garden center, in town, and around the county.

Ollie looked over the bored looking kids in her yard and smiled. "How is everyone this morning?"

Three of the boys ignored her. The girl turned her back on everyone. The kid on the end who called himself Pone looked up and down the line. He crossed his arms and scowled. "Any time spent in meatspace with two llamas, a hoe daddy, and a garden ho ain't cool in my book. All this nature is givin' me hives. Find me an outlet, and log me on."

Short and lean, with tattoos up and down both arms, and a bad attitude, Shroom faced him. His ice blue eyes contrasted with his light brown skin and black hair. "You disrespectin' us is not going to make the time go faster, Pone. Speak English and leave that gaming crap in the hood,
Bro
."

The kid in the middle laughed. "Now
that
was funny! The gamer and the banger, hah!"

The girl turned and shoved him forward. "Bean, you think dog poo is funny. Shut up or go lay down by your dish."

Bean smiled. "Woof."

Ollie slapped her hand against the clipboard. "Knock it off, all of you. Come over here and pick up your work slips for today."

The teens wandered over. Ollie handed a slip to the gamer. "Pone, you, Shroom, and Bean weed and mulch the flower beds at the fire house. And Spaz?" the girl jerked her head toward Ollie, but did not speak. "You will replant the window boxes at the library that Bean messed up on Monday."

Bean looked at his feet, and Spaz almost smiled. She shoved him again. "You are an epic loser, Beaner."

Bean pushed his bangs out of his eyes. He took her work chit from Ollie and waved it in the air. "That is just part of my charm." He batted his eyes at the girl. "You know you like me."

Spaz snatched the paper out of his hand. "In your dreams, moron." She walked away.

"Enough," Ollie said. "Cash, you take care of the park entrance today. The bricks will be waiting when you get there. Throw out the bad ones and replace them with the new bricks.

Cash gave her a wide grin. He ran a hand over his perfect hair. His bleached white teeth flashed in the morning sun. He took his chit from Ollie. "Sure." Cash picked up his sunglasses and slowly slid them on his nose. He climbed into his sleek, black truck and gunned the motor.

Bean poked Shroom. "Holy cow, are those shades Oakley Trons?"

Shroom sighed. "Yeah, he can't stand to just be rich. He has to wear $800.00 sunglasses too. Come on, Bean, let's get out of here. The air is turning bad around here."

They headed for the tool shed and Pone trailed behind.

On the soft breeze they heard Ollie's, "Group at four, don't be late!"

Chapter 2

The afternoon sun was hot, but the weeding was finished at the firehouse. The flowerbeds had fresh straw around each plant. Weed and mulch. The more mulch around the plant, the fewer weeds to pull later. They didn't have to water the plants as often, either. Good reason to do it right the first time.

Pone, Shroom, and Bean cleaned their tools and put them in the caddy. They headed back toward the garden center. Spaz met them in front of Sal's Diner. She didn't say a word, but fell into step behind the others.

Bean slowed down so he could walk beside Spaz. She sighed and ignored him. Bean reached for her tool caddy and said, "Let me take that for you."

He touched the handle and Spaz snatched her hand away. "Don't touch me!"

She pushed Bean so hard he stumbled backward. He jumped back and raised both hands. "Whoa, girl! I was just trying to help. I wasn't trying to grab you! Geez, take a pill."

Spaz stopped and looked back. "Oh. Sorry. Out of my way, then." She shoved past him and walked ahead for another block. She stopped near an alley. Pone, Shroom, and Bean caught up to her.

Breathing hard, Pone stuck his hands into his back pockets. "Are we all together now?"

Bean said, "Yup, I'm good."

Spaz just looked at them. "Can we vote on that?"

Shroom didn't answer, but walked past all three and stood near the opening of the alley.

Bean saw him go and turned to follow. "Shroom? You okay?"

Pone called, "Yo Shroomster, what up?"

Shroom looked like he was sneaking up on someone. He moved slowly, and stopped. He sniffed the air and walked on. Shroom stepped into the opening of the alley and stopped dead. He held up a hand and the group went silent. The three others crept forward and stopped behind him.

Pone touched his shoulder and Shroom jumped. "Shroom, slow down, man. What are you doing?"

"There's something in the alley, now shut up."

Pone snorted. "How do you know that? Some Mexican voodoo spell or something?"

Shroom raised an eyebrow. "I'm half Swede, Pone. That's where the blue eyes come from. Why do you always dis the Mexican? Do I assume you're a pimp just because you're black?"

Pone shut up and stared. "Hell no! But I didn't mean–"

Shroom shook his head. "Forget it. It's something you pick up living on the streets. Just go with me here."

"Shroom, I'm sorry if you took what I said as a–"

Shroom held up his hand again. "Shut up, man! I don't care if you're a racist. Everyone hates us anyway. It's over, let's get out of–"

"But I'm not racist, man. I don't care if you're a Mexican or an Irishman! I just–"

Bean looked confused. "Uh, I'm Irish. Does that count?"

They all said, "Shut up, Bean!"

Shroom closed his eyes and breathed in. "Trouble. Don't you smell it? Something is dead in there, and I ain't waiting around to see what it is."

Pone grabbed Shroom's T-shirt. "Wait a minute. How would you know someone's dead in that alley? You got ESP or something?"

Shroom fisted his hands. "I said some
thing
, not someone, and I don't have ESP. I ain't no mind reader."

Bean stepped up. "Actually ESP is something different than what you guys are talking about. Unless, of course, you're using it in the sense that–"

Both Shroom and Pone turned to him and yelled "Shut up, Bean!"

Bean stabbed his toe in the ground and ducked behind Spaz. She looked him up and down. "No one likes a wise ass." She turned back and ignored him.

Bean turned red and shut his mouth. He mumbled to himself. "Can't help it I'm smart."

Spaz didn't turn around. "Can't help it you're a dumbass, either."

Shroom said, "I say we mind our own business and just leave. Let someone else find whatever it is."

Spaz rolled her eyes and pushed her way forward. "Scared little boy? I say we go see what it is. Now." She looked at Pone and hitched her thumb at Shroom. "That way we can prove that Mister Gang Banger here is full of BS."

Shroom narrowed his eyes and grumbled, "That's
ex
-gang banger to you, bi-atch."

Spaz flashed a smile. "
Ooo
that hurt. I still say we go. Are you girls coming?"

Pone hesitated. "I don't know. What if Shroom is right? I can't afford no more trouble."

Spaz shoved past him and stood hands on hips. "Whah-whah, ya babies! None of us can afford more trouble. But how can we get into more trouble if we don't do anything?"

Bean raised a hand. "Uh, I can answer that!"

All together, they answered, "Shut up, Bean!"

Bean shut up. He stepped back in frustrated silence. He couldn't help sounding stupid to them. He couldn't help being smart. He couldn't help it if he didn't grow up on the streets. He wasn't one of them. He knew that, they knew that, and they hated him for it. Bean really wasn't a criminal. Bean just got drunk and stupid. Not one of them could get it that Bean liked them. They thought he was just playing them. Bean looked at Spaz.
Especially her, she really thought he was slumming
. If she only knew the truth.

With Spaz in the lead, followed by Pone, Shroom, and Bean, they slowly walked down the filthy alley. Hundreds of hidden claws scratched as the alley vermin scrambled for cover. A rancid odor made Bean choke. Taking another step forward, Bean stopped breathing through his nose. He covered his face with his T-shirt. He could still smell it. His eyes watered. His belly clenched. The horrible stench welling up from the muck covering the ground was enough to gag a maggot. Bean stepped on an old pizza box. Something squished beneath his feet and he slid. His legs split and he looked like a cheerleader going in for the kill.
"Whaaa!"

Shroom grabbed his arm and pulled him up. "It's like walking through a mine field, Beaner. Step
around
stuff, never on, man. Ya never know what's underneath all that slime, Yo."

Suddenly Pone and Spaz stopped. Shroom and Bean bumped into them from behind, and Pone and Spaz pushed back. Pone began to make gagging noises and Spaz just stood there, stiff as a board. Pone stumbled away, leaning one hand against a building. He opened his mouth and tossed his cookies. Shroom looked at Bean and grinned. "Hope he didn't spend too much on lunch, cuz it's now part of the scenery. Let's go see what made him hurl."