Hope Callaghan - Garden Girls 03 - Smoky Mountain Mystery (5 page)

Gloria knew pizza was a no-no for Mally but there was something else she could have.  She placed their order and sipped on a Diet Coke while she watched people as they passed by on the street.  Every so often, someone would stop at their table, bend down and pet Mally.  She loved all the attention and each one who stopped to visit would get a generous swipe of her tongue. 

By the time the pizza arrived, Gloria’s stomach was complaining rather loudly. The waitress set the piping hot, melty cheese pie and two plastic plates on the table before handing Gloria a paper plate and a medium-sized dish of chunk chicken.  “I’m guessing this is for your four-legged friend,” she said.

Gloria set Mally’s plate of chicken under the table before reaching for a slice of pepperoni pizza.  The piece was layered thick with gooey Mozzarella.  Gloria closed her eyes in pure bliss as she savored the tangy sauce and spicy pepperoni.  “This is one of the best pizza’s I’ve ever had,” she decided.

Margaret nodded in agreement.  Her mouth was full still full when she reached for a second piece.  By the time the three finished eating, not a scrap was left over. 

Gloria paid the bill with some of her casino winnings.  She pushed the wrought iron chair back from the small café table as she eased out of the hard chair.  “Man, I am stuffed.”

She grabbed Mally’s leash and stepped out onto the sidewalk. It was time to get back to business and find that distillery.  “Let’s just keep going in the same direction.  I’m sure it’s around here somewhere.” 

They found the distillery only one block up.  Its sheer size would be hard to miss.  Gloria wasn’t sure what she expected, but the outside of the distillery looked nothing like she pictured in her mind.  For some reason, she envisioned a shack in the middle of nowhere with weird metal storage bins dotting the landscape.  The place they were standing in front of was modern and new, although it also exuded a certain amount of mountain charm. 

The outside reminded the girls of a barn with its rough, weathered boards. The entrance was wide and welcoming.  The inside resembled a warehouse but the ceiling were covered with rough sawn beams and dark wooden posts.

Margaret immediately zeroed in on the line for free moonshine samples.  “C’mon.” She grabbed Gloria’s arm and dragged her over to the counter.  There were several small samples lined up for tasting.  Gloria enjoyed a nice glass of wine every once in a while, but moonshine?  She’d never tried that before…

Margaret plucked a small plastic cup filled with light blue liquid from the long wooden counter.  She pressed it into Gloria’s hand.  “Here, have a swig.”

Before Gloria could answer, Margaret picked up a cup that was light yellow.  The sign in front of it read “Lemon Lightning.”  She downed it in one gulp.  The fiery liquid burned her throat as she gasped out a small cough and pounded her chest.  “That’s some strong stuff!” she sputtered.

Gloria was still holding her sample.  No way was she going to chug this stuff.  She put the plastic cup to her lips and took a dainty sip.  It had a hint of berry flavor which was quickly overpowered by a strong burning sensation.  Her eyes began to water as she clutched her throat.  “Holy smokes!” she whispered hoarsely. 

She handed what was left in the cup over to Margaret who studied it for a brief second before finishing it off.  “Down the hatch!”  She tossed the empty cups in a nearby trash can.  “That’s some good moonshine.  I wonder how much this stuff costs?”  She wondered out loud.

She grabbed a mason jar from a nearby display shelf.  “I bet Don would really like this.”  Gloria nodded.  She wasn’t 100% convinced that Margaret wasn’t buying it for herself. 

“Can I help you ladies find something?” A stocky, middle-aged man with shocking red hair and a bright blue collared shirt was standing directly behind them. The print on his nametag was large enough for Gloria to read without her glasses.  His name was “Gordy.”

Margaret propped an elbow on the wooden counter top as she turned to Gordy.  “Which one do you recommend?” she asked.

The man leaned over the tasting counter.  “My personal favorite is the original moonshine.”  He grabbed two samples and held them out to the girls.  Gloria shook her head and took a step back.  “No thanks.  I think I’ll pass.”

“Thanks, don’t mind if I do.” Margaret took the plastic cup from his outstretched hand and quickly gulped down the clear liquid.  She only let out a small wheeze this time.  Apparently, she was getting used to the fiery liquid.  “I think I’ll buy one of those, too.”

The man escorted Margaret over to another display case as Gloria and Mally wandered around the sprawling store.  She studied the employees one by one as she tried to decide which one might be holding the next clue.  It didn’t take long for Gloria to figure out who that was. 

The banjo music floated in the air, drawing a small cluster of shoppers to the corner of the store.  Gloria stood on the outer fringe as she listened to the catchy tune. 

“Mystery in the mountains,
Treasure in the hills,
When I find the money,
I can finally pay my bills.”

She watched as several people dropped money into the open banjo case resting on the floor in front of the musician.  After the song was over, the pony-tailed, hippy-type shared a tale of buried treasure up in the mountains.  Gloria was certain this man was exactly who she was looking for. 

She waited until story time was over and the crowd moved on.  She stepped forward and dropped a five in his case.  “You’re pretty good.”

The man tilted his head to the side and grinned at the off-handed compliment.  “Thanks.”  He bent over to scoop up the small pile of money. 

“You wouldn’t happen to have run into a blonde woman that came in here in the last day or so that mentioned a treasure.”

He shoved the money in his front jeans pocket and glanced up at where she was still standing.  “You must be Gloria.”

She nodded excitedly.  “Yep, that’s me.”

He got to his feet and held up an index finger.  “Hang on.  I’ll be right back.”  Then he disappeared around the corner. 

Margaret made her way over.  In her arms was an oversized brown bag full of glass jars.  “What are you doing?” 

Gloria glanced down at the bag.  “What’d you do?  Buy up the whole store?”

Just then, the hippy returned.  He was carrying a small package.  He handed it to Gloria.  “This is for you.”

Gloria unfolded the top and pulled out an old glass jar.  It was a jar of moonshine.  She carefully turned it over.  Etched on the bottom were the words, “Blue Valley.”

She turned it around so Margaret could see.  “Wow!  That jar looks old.” She glanced around the store.  “I’d like to buy one of those…”

The banjo player returned to his chair in the corner, his instrument in hand.  “You can’t,” he explained.  “That is a one-of-a-kind moonshine.” He strummed the strings and started to hum.  “Well, it’s actually two-of-a-kind.  Probably the only two jars left on the entire planet.  I gave the other jar to Liz this morning.”

Gloria’s head snapped up.  They were hot on Liz’s trail!  “How long ago?”

The man stared at the ceiling, as if in deep thought.  “We opened at 9.” He looked back at the girls.  “Yeah, she was probably in here about 10.”

Gloria dropped another five in his case.  “Thank you.  You’ve been very helpful.”

They made their way back outside.  Gloria abruptly stopped in her tracks.  She patted the small package.  “We need to find a computer so I can figure out what’s up with this jar.”

Gloria’s GPS easily tracked down the nearest library only a few short blocks away.  She was anxious to find out what she could about the old jar.  She was also excited about the unexpected detour.  Gloria absolutely loved libraries. 

The building was on a quieter side of town.  The library itself was large and it easily took up half a city block.  They pulled Anabelle into a nice, big shady spot near the front doors.

Gloria grabbed the door handle and turned to Mally.  “Sorry, girl.  I can’t take you inside,” she explained.  “But I promise, we won’t be long!”  She opened all four windows far enough for a nice breeze to keep it cool before she jumped out. 

Margaret turned around and glanced back at Mally as they made their way to the entrance.  “I feel bad about leaving her,” she admitted.

Gloria nodded. “Me, too but there’s not much we can do…”

The sparkling glass doors slid silently open, beckoning them inside. The smell of old books lingered in the air.  Gloria closed her eyes and breathed in.  Gloria loved books.  They were like old friends.  Comforting, familiar, welcoming.

She opened her eyes and took a quick glance around before heading straight for the archives.  She plopped down in front of the first empty computer station she saw. The computer was already logged on.  She typed in
Blue Valley moonshine, Tennessee
and held her breath as the computer searched.  Seconds later, the results popped up on the small screen.  She clicked on the first link at the very top of the page.

It was a news story.  According to the dated article, the Blue Valley Distillery was an illegal moonshine business in operation during the prohibition years.  Gloria quickly read the small article before zooming in on the picture at the top.  The caption underneath said it was located in the small town of Cross Creek.  “I wonder how far we are from that,” Gloria wondered out loud.

She clicked on a couple more results but came up empty handed.  They were nothing but dead ends.  The only thing she had to go on was the first bit of information.

She cleared the screen and wandered off in search of Margaret.  She found her in the travel section, her nose buried in a book.  “We need to figure out where Liz is and then head over to Cross Creek.”

Gloria grew thoughtful.  If Liz hadn’t left the moonshine jar for her, someone else had.  Liz never would’ve thought to find out what was up with the Mason jar.  She never would’ve researched it online.  Gloria was almost 100% certain that Liz was now at a standstill and impatiently waiting for Gloria to catch up with her!

Gloria made it as far as the front doors of the library before it hit her.  An idea.  A brilliant idea at that.  She wandered over to the large display of travel brochures off to the right.  She bent down and studied the long rows before plucking two out of the rack.  “Aha.  Perfect!” she exclaimed.

She shoved the brochures for Cross Creek in her purse before stepping back outside and into the bright sunshine.  Margaret followed behind, shaking her head.  There was no telling what Gloria was up to.

Gloria had a pretty good idea where she might be able to find Liz.  There were two things she knew for certain about her older sister.  She was a creature of habit and she was addicted to caffeine.  Even more so than Gloria herself.  She slid into the driver’s side seat and then paused for a moment as she tried to put herself in Liz’s shoes.  Yes, she was pretty sure she knew where to find her sister! 

The coffee shop parking lot,
The Blended Beanery,
was jam packed.  Gloria eased Annabelle through the narrow lane before spying an empty spot way out back.  One that her car could actually fit into. 

“Could you park any further away?” Margaret unfastened her seatbelt and grabbed the door handle. She pointed at the shopping center on the far side of the parking lot.  “Hey, I think there’s an open spot over there,” she added sarcastically.

Gloria put a hand out to stop Margaret.  “We’re not getting out.”  She turned around and peered out the back window, pointing in the direction of the coffee shop lot.  “I’m almost 100% certain that’s Liz’s car.”

Margaret glanced in the rearview mirror.  She shrugged her shoulders. “So let’s go.”

Gloria shook her head, her eyes sparkling with mischief.  “Nope.  We’re going to turn the tables on my sneaky sister,” she declared.

Margaret rolled her eyes back in her head.  She let go of the door handle and sighed in exaggeration.  “Alrighty then.”

Gloria slunk down in the seat and peered out the rearview mirror, studying the cars that were coming and going out of the busy parking lot. Twenty minutes later, the girls watched as a tall, smartly dressed woman with long blonde hair exited the coffee shop and made her way to her car.  It was Liz!

Gloria flipped the ignition, all the while keeping a sharp eye on her sister as she watched her climb into her car and back out of the parking spot.  Liz’s car passed directly behind theirs as she made her way out to the street.  Gloria let a car squeeze in between them before following her out onto the main road. 

The car sandwiched between them was puttering along and Gloria grew nervous as the gap separating them widened.  On top of that, Liz was speeding.  The traffic light just ahead turned yellow.  Liz didn’t bother stopping.  Instead, she blew through the light.  Gloria couldn’t afford to lose her sister.  She stomped on the gas and squeezed her eyes shut, praying they wouldn’t get hit.

Margaret gasped as she grabbed her seatbelt.  “You just ran that red light!”

“I can’t afford to lose Liz,” Gloria insisted.  “We need to find out where she’s going.”  For a second, Gloria did lose sight of her sister’s car.  Her eyes desperately darted back and forth as she searched frantically for the familiar black sedan.

“She pulled in there.”  Margaret pointed to a small hotel just ahead on the right.   

Gloria passed by the hotel before making a U-turn and starting to backtrack. By the time they pulled into the parking lot, Liz’s car was parked in one of the spots near the front. Liz was nowhere in sight.  “She must be staying here.”

Margaret grabbed the door handle.  “Can we get out now?”

“No.” Gloria shook her head.  “We wait.”

Half an hour later, Gloria grabbed the handle.  “Ok, let’s go.”

She pointed at Mally.  “Sorry, girl.  You gotta stay here one more time,” she said.  “We’ll be right back,” she promised.

The girls stepped inside the small lobby and made their way over to the front counter and the clerk standing behind it.  “My sister is staying here in this hotel.  Her name is Liz Applegate,” Gloria explained.

The man reached for the phone.  “Would you like me to ask her to come down?”

Gloria quickly reached out to stop him.  “No.  That won’t be necessary.”  She pulled one of the brochures she picked up from the library from her purse.  She set it on the counter and slid it towards the man.  “If you don’t mind, would you give this to her when she comes back down?”

“Yes, of course.” The man picked up the pamphlet and glanced at the front. “What was your name?”

She wished more than anything she could see the look on Liz’s face when the clerk handed her the brochure!  Gloria grinned from ear-to-ear. “Gloria.  Tell her Gloria left it for her.”

The women made their way back to the car.  Margaret slid in the passenger seat and turned to face her friend.  “Let me guess.  We’re going to the moonshine place in Cross Creek.”

Gloria switched on the ignition.  “Hey, you’re getting pretty good at this!” 

They pulled out of the small lot and headed east.  “I give Liz about two hours before she comes looking for us,” Margaret predicted.

The drive to the distillery took longer than expected with its long, curvy two-lane road.  Gloria shook her head.  No way would she ever be able to get used to all the twisty-turny roads. 

They finally arrived in the quaint town of Cross Creek.  Smalls shops lined both sides of the main street.  There was only one traffic light in the entire town and it was blinking yellow.  The distillery was situated out on the far edge.  Gloria turned into the gravel parking lot and pulled up just out front. 

The place was a whole lot smaller than the one they visited earlier.  Less touristy.  More authentic.  Gloria decided she liked Cross Creek much more than the hustle and bustle of the touristy areas.  This entire town seemed a more fitting backdrop for the magnificent Smoky Mountains. 

Margaret pushed the front door of the small shop open and the girls quickly stepped inside.  The inside of the shop was filled from floor to ceiling with shelf after shelf of moonshine.  Margaret walked over to the nearest display cabinet to check them out.  She was a bit disappointed there were no free samples like the other, bigger place. 

Gloria stood near the doorway and glanced around.  There really wasn’t much here to look at unless you were shopping for moonshine. 

She left Margaret inside as she made her way out the front door and over to the car.  She opened the back door.  “C’mon, girl.” 

Gloria stepped back on the porch and wandered over to the long wooden bench.  She plopped down on the narrow wooden bench and watch as Mally sniffed around a couple of landscape bushes before taking care of business.  She faithfully padded over to where Gloria was resting and plopped down at her feet.  She lay her head down on her paws and closed her eyes. 

Margaret came out a short time later carrying a small shopping bag.  Gloria raised her eyebrows but didn’t say a word. 

Margaret settled in beside her.  “Just trying to support small local business,” she sniffed defensively.  “So what’s the plan after this?”

“We wait for Liz to catch up with us.”  Hopefully she wouldn’t take much longer. The sun was beating down on the little porch and it was almost unbearable. 

Mally was awake now and panting heavily. Gloria jumped to her feet.  “Maybe we should just wait inside where it’s a little cooler.”  She grabbed the handle on the front door and started to pull.

“There she is.” Margaret pointed at a small speck far off in the distance.  The speck was travelling at a high rate of speed and heading right towards them. 

Gloria shaded her eyes.  The vehicle was still so far away.  Surely Margaret’s vision wasn’t that great?  “How can you tell?”

“Cuz she’s driving like a bat out-of-you-know-what,” she surmised.

Margaret had a good point.  Yeah, it probably was Liz. She had quite a lead foot. The car got closer.  It was Liz. 

Gloria couldn’t help but grin.  Man, it felt good to have one up on Liz after this crazy, wild goose chase.  She could just imagine how hopping mad her sister was when the desk clerk handed her the brochure and told her it was from Gloria.

Liz whipped her black sedan into the gravel drive and pulled toward the front.

Margaret stuck a hand on her hip.  “Will ya’ look at the scowl on ole Liz’s face!”

Yeah, Gloria saw it.  She was enjoying every second of it.  Served her sister right for scaring her half to death and forcing her to follow her halfway across the country.

Liz slammed on the brakes.  The car came to an abrupt halt next to Anabelle.  The door swung open and Liz piled out.  Her eyes settled on Gloria.  A scowl blanketed her face as she angrily slammed the car door shut and marched over to where Gloria was standing. 

She shoved her hands on her hips and leaned forward so she was only inches from Gloria’s face.  “What’s the big idea?  This is my adventure, not yours,” she huffed. 

Gloria crossed her arms, the smile still firmly etched on her face.  “Just giving you a little taste of your own medicine for what you put me,” she turned to Margaret, “put us, through these past few days.”

Margaret shook her head and tsk-tsked.  “Not nice, Liz.  Not nice at all.”

Liz turned briefly to Margaret. “Hey Margaret,” before fixing her temper on her younger sister once again.  “Well, you don’t know everything yet.”  Liz bit her tongue.  She needed to know what clue Gloria might have.  Maybe she needed to back off a bit before she ticked her off.  “What
do
you know?”

“That that old jar belongs to a moonshine distillery back from the prohibition days and it’s somewhere here in Cross Creek.  Exactly where, I don’t know yet.” She motioned behind her at the store.  “I’m hoping these folks might be able to shed some light on it.  After all, this town’s not that big.”

  Liz was impatient to get going and still plenty aggravated with Gloria.  She grabbed her arm and tried pulling her forward.  “Well, let’s go find out!”

Gloria yanked her arm from Liz’s grip.  “Hang on there, fancy pants.  We need to show them the Mason jar.” She sauntered over to Anabelle and carefully pulled the small jar from the back seat.  She returned to where Margaret and Liz were waiting.  “Where’s your jar?”

Liz dropped her head and gazed at Gloria sheepishly.  “I left it back at the hotel,” she mumbled.

Gloria shook her head.  “Great detective you’d make.”

“You had me so cranked up, I completely forgot,” Liz answered in her own defense.

Gloria just shook her head.  No sense in arguing.  Not with Liz.  On top of that, she didn’t like snapping at anyone, including Liz.  She sighed heavily as she pulled the door open.  Maybe she was just overly-tired and it was making her cranky.