Hope Callaghan - Garden Girls 05 - Eye Spy (13 page)

Gloria’s heart skipped a beat.  That would be right up her alley.  Maybe she could play a small part! 

Ruth grabbed Gloria’s hand in a death grip.  “Only if Gloria can be a part of it,” she bargained.

Sharon gazed at Gloria.  “I suppose.” She turned back to Ruth.  “We’ll need to set a trap of sorts.  Something to draw her.  Catch her in the act, so to speak.”

She tapped the side of her head.  “The only thing is, I want to catch her red-handed and she thinks you’re on your way to jail.”

Gloria’s mind was spinning.  “What if you tell her that you’re trying to catch RUTH in the act?  That will force her to act rashly … to try to plant more drugs.”

She went on.  “We make it convenient for her to do that.  All the while, someone is watching with a camera and Voila!  Busted.”

Sharon nodded.  “That might work.  We tell Tammy Dillon that we’re keeping her at this post office to keep an eye on Ruth.  You know, to try and catch her in the act.”

Ruth’s face got red.  “I have a better idea.” Ruth made a squeezing motion with her hands.  “I’ll just wrap my hands around her chicken neck and strangle her to death!”

Lucy patted her arm.  “Now, Ruth.  You have to play it cool.  Like you have no idea that she framed you and tried to send you up river!”

Gloria cleared her throat.  “Ahem.”

Lucy shrugged.  “Well, she did.”

Ruth dropped her hands to her side.  “I can do it.  I know I can,” she vowed.

The other detectives headed out the door.  Sharon was the last to leave. “I’ll have Tammy here Monday morning at 8 sharp for work.”

She gave Ruth a hard look.  “Are you sure you can do this?”

Ruth nodded firmly.  “Yes.  One hundred percent.” She pounded her fist on her palm.  “We’re gonna take her down!”

Ruth was up early for church the next morning.  The bounce was back in her step, a light in her eyes.  Gloria was up early, too.  She was thrilled for Ruth but more than that, Gloria loved Sundays.  It was her day to be in the Lord’s house and no matter how rough her week had been, she was filled with God’s presence and peace on Sunday.

Gloria poured a cup of coffee and sat in the seat next to Ruth, who had just opened the Sunday paper. 

Ruth lifted her head and studied Gloria’s face.  “That was my little spy camera you used to catch Tammy,” she said.

Gloria grinned and nodded.  “Yeah. Sure came in handy.”

Ruth folded the paper up and set it to the side.  “How did you know to do that?”

Gloria eyed her friend.  She shrugged and reached for an apple from the basket of fruit in the center of the table.  “Just a hunch.”

“Did you think it was me?” Ruth asked.

Gloria shook her head.  The truth was, in her heart, she knew it could never be Ruth.  Not after knowing her friend all these years…

“No.” But Gloria did have a question.  “I did wonder what was in the tackle box, though,” she admitted.

Ruth didn’t answer.  She jumped out of the chair and headed to the bedroom.  She came back with the tackle box in hand.  The lid was unlatched.  She set it on the table and pushed it over to Gloria.  “Go ahead.  Look inside.”

Gloria lifted the lid.  The box was full of stamps.  She picked a pile up and sifted through them.  Each was unique.  Many of them looked old.  “I had to send Kenny into the post office one night to get these for me,” Ruth explained.

“I kept them in a locked drawer.  It’s a collection I started years ago when I first started working at the post office.” Ruth picked one up and studied the front.  “It was a hobby at first but now I think some of them are valuable.” She dropped the stamp back on top.  “I thought if the detectives found these, they’d think that I stole them.”

Gloria nodded.  That would explain why she saw Kenny staring into the camera that night he was in the post office.  Ruth had sent him on a mission to retrieve the stamp collection.

That must have been what Ruth picked up at Kenny’s that morning at his house.

Still, if it was an inside job, was Kenny in on it with Tammy?
she wondered.  She didn’t dare tell Ruth she’d followed her to Kenny’s the other morning.

She looked at the clock.  It was time to go.  “I’m ready to move back home,” Ruth announced.

Gloria glanced at her.  “Okay,” she said.

Ruth went on.  “Right after church I’ll grab my things.  That way I can spend the afternoon getting the house in order to be back at work in the morning.”

Ruth scraped the chair across the linoleum floor and stood.  “Detective Sharon told me she’d stop by later today to go over our sting operation.”

Gloria felt a twinge of envy.  She wished
she
was in on the sting operation.  But maybe it was best that she wasn’t.  Tammy was Ruth’s nemesis – not hers.

The church was packed.  She and Ruth wandered in just before the choir started to sing.  Lucy and Margaret had saved them a spot and the girls squeezed in beside them with Ruth on the end of the pew.

Margaret leaned forward.  “I heard that you’re going back to work tomorrow,” she said.  Ruth nodded and Margaret gave her the thumbs up. The congregation stood for the singing and that was the end of the talk. 

Pastor Nate’s message was thought-provoking.  It was about angels in disguise and how when we help others less fortunate we may be helping angels in disguise.  The key verse was:

“Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
Hebrews 13:2 KJV

The service ended and the girls met outside in their usual spot underneath the big oak tree, at the edge of the parking lot.  “Any new shut-ins this week we need to visit?” Gloria asked.  There hadn’t been too many lately.  Everyone seemed to be out and about with the nice weather.

Margaret hesitated.  “There is one.” Everyone looked at her.  “It’s Judith Arnett. She twisted her back swatting at some squirrels that were digging holes around her rose bushes.”

Dot looked away. Lucy cleared her throat. Ruth spoke up.  “I’d go but I have to get back home and do some work around the house to get ready for work tomorrow,” she explained.

“I’ll go visit her,” Gloria announced.  All heads spun around and stared at Gloria.  She took a deep breath.  It would be hard to explain how she’d had a change of heart about Judith after Judith tried to help Ruth.  Even though Judith was still a petty thief and gossiper, she could change.  Plus, it wasn’t her place to judge.  “I have some extras from the garden to take her and now that Ruth’s moving out, I don’t have plans for the afternoon.”

The excuse did sound a little lame but she had another reason to visit Judith.  To see if she’d stumbled upon anything else by chance.  They had Tammy, for sure.  But what about the fact that everyone seemed to think someone on the inside was involved…

Back at the farm, Ruth packed up and headed out.  She didn’t even hang around to have lunch with Gloria before she left.  Gloria rattled around the empty house for a few minutes before she noticed the light on her answering machine was blinking.  She pressed the button.

“Hi Grams.” She recognized Tyler’s voice.  “Ryan and I were wondering if we could come and spend the night at your house tonight.” He lowered his voice.  “We didn’t ask Mom yet ‘cuz we know she’d tell us no.” He sounded so grown up.  “Call me back.” The call ended abruptly.

Gloria erased the message.  The house
was
lonely.  The boys would liven it up, for sure.  Plus, they would be here the next morning for the final day of the yard sale, anyways.  She picked up the phone and dialed her daughter’s number.  “Hello?”

“Hi, Jill. It’s Mom.  Ruth went home and the house seems a bit empty today.  Do you mind if the boys come spend the night with me?”

Jill paused.  “Are you sure you’re up for that? I mean, the boys would be thrilled.”

The more Gloria thought about it, the more she liked the idea.  “I could put them to work organizing the rest of the yard sale stuff for me,” she said. 

“Okay. If you’re sure….”

Gloria could hear whoops of joy in the background as the boys overheard the conversation.  They were going to Gram’s farm!

She remembered her promise to visit Judith.  “I have a couple errands to run but the boys can go with me.”

“If you’re positive they won’t be too much trouble…” Jill’s voice trailed off.

“Yes, I’m sure. You can bring them by any time,” she said.

Ryan must’ve taken the phone from his mother.  “We’re on our way, Grams!”  The line disconnected.  Gloria grinned.  She looked down at Mally.  “The boys are coming for a visit!”

Gloria pulled a package of hot dogs from the freezer to unthaw for dinner.  They could work on the barn, then grill the hotdogs and some corn on the cob for dinner.  But first, they needed to get over to Judith’s place. 

Jill’s car made the trip in record time.  Gloria was certain the boys had driven her nuts until she relented and headed over.  The car wasn’t even shut off before the boys darted out the doors and raced to the porch.  Tyler reached her first.  He wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her as if he hadn’t seen her for days.  Although both had been there the day before for the sale. She hugged them both, then looked at her daughter.  Jill’s face was filled with concern.  “Are you
sure
you’re up for this?”

“Absolutely.” She released her grip on the boys as Jill handed them their backpacks and they headed inside.  “Don’t worry, they’ll be helping me, too.”

Gloria hugged her daughter.  “Go. Have a nice dinner with Greg.  Enjoy the evening off.”

Jill smiled.  “Thanks, Mom.  I love you.”

For some reason, the words choked Gloria up and tears filled her eyes.  Gloria’s family was precious to her.  She never wanted to take them for granted or have them feel they weren’t important to her. 

She watched as Jill backed out of the drive, then she headed inside.  The boys had raided the cookie jar and helped themselves to some chocolate chip cookies Gloria had made the other day. Before all heck broke loose with Ruth.  She poured each a glass of milk and joined them at the table.

“We have to stop by my friend Judith’s place for a few minutes before we come back and clean up the barn,” she explained.

A thought popped into her head.  “You two are my big helpers today and I’m going to pay each of you ten dollars after we’re done working.” Gloria wasn’t sure if the boys earned an allowance.  If not, it was time for them to learn the value of earning a dollar.  She wasn’t even sure if ten dollars was the going rate, but judging by the expression on their face, it was good pay.

The boys turned to each other. 
“Ten dollars?” 
They quickly finished their snack and headed to the car. 

Judith’s small ranch home was on the other side of town.  She’d remembered to call ahead and make sure Judith would be home.  She had also warned her the boys would be tagging along.  Judith’s voice sounded a little strained, as if she was in pain, but she seemed glad for the company.  “Just let yourselves in when you get here,” she said.  “I’m having a hard time getting off the couch.”

When Gloria heard that, she decided to throw the extra batch of spaghetti pie she’d made the other night in the bag, along with the vegetables.

They pulled into Judith’s drive, right behind her car.  They let themselves in the side door and into the kitchen.  Gloria set the food on the counter.

“In here,” a weak voice called from the other room.  Gloria had never been inside Judith’s house before.  It was neat and tidy and smelled like Pine Sol.  Judith was sprawled out on the couch, flat on her back. Her face was pale.

Gloria walked over to the sofa and looked down. “Oh, Judith.  You look like you’re in a lot of pain,” she said.

Ryan tugged on Gloria’s hand.  “Can we go outside Grams?”

Gloria nodded. “Stay in the yard.  And stay away from the rose bushes,” she added. 

They darted out the door.  Gloria could hear them clamber down the steps.  She made her way over to the recliner and eased onto the edge.  “I brought a spaghetti pie for dinner and some vegetables from the garden,” Gloria said.  “Is there anything else I can do?”

Judith shook her head.  “No. I took a pain pill but that only took the edge off.” She let out a big sigh.  “Thanks for the food.  Carl will be happy.” Carl was Judith’s husband.

A movement past the front picture window caught her eye.  She caught a glimpse of the boys’ heads as they ran past the window. 

“Did you hear Ruth is going back to work in the morning?” 

Judith’s eyes flew open.  She turned her head towards Gloria.  “Really?  Thank the Lord.  The woman that was running the place was incompetent!”

“You didn’t happen to get a chance to – you know – keep an eye on the post office again…”

Judith dropped a dramatic hand to her side.  “Funny you should mention that.  As a matter of fact, I did.  Right before I hurt my back.  I saw a woman and someone that looked like Kenny out behind the post office the other night.”

Ruth went on.  “Of course, it was dark so I wasn’t 100% certain.” She waved her hand to the coffee table.  “I got a picture but it’s dark and grainy.  Maybe you can make more out of it than I could.”

Gloria picked up the phone on the table and switched it to on.  She could make out Tammy as the petite figure.   The other figure was shorter.  Gloria tapped the screen and zoomed in.  It looked familiar but Gloria wasn’t 100% convinced it was Kenny.  She looked up at Judith.  “Can I send this picture to my phone?”

Judith nodded.  “Sure.” 

Gloria forwarded the picture and set the phone back on the coffee table.

“Grams!  Come quick!”  It was Ryan.  Gloria jumped to her feet and ran to the door.  He waved her to the side, then disappeared from sight.  She took the steps two at a time in hot pursuit.  She rounded the corner of the house and spotted the boys.  They were bent over what looked to be some sort of cage.  Ryan pointed inside.  “Look what we caught!”