Punked by the Pumpkin: A Cozy Mystery (Sweet Home Mystery Series Book 4) (10 page)

We had “accidentally
”
wandered back toward the pie tent where anxious friends and families of the bakers were hoping to get a taste of some of the delicious desserts.

Jeremy Santos walked through the timid crowd right up to Hildie’s cheesecake. “This is the one that I liked best,” he said as he sliced off a generous piece and put it on one of the small paper plates that had been set out earlier for the judges to use. “I gave two perfect scores today, but I’ll take cheesecake over pie any day of the week.”

That kind of broke the ice, and others started taking small tastes of the pumpkin delights.

“Let’s take a taste, Eli.”

I took a plate off the stack and looked for a utensil to cut a slice for Eli and me. That’s when an otherworldly moaning roar seemed to come right through the pie table. People starting stepping back when they heard the alarming and eerie sound, but I had just spotted a small plastic knife and was determined to get a slice of Hildie’s dessert first.

“It’s an alien from out space!” one young boy yelled as he hugged his mother.

“It’s a hellhound!” cried another.

The hollow, muffled echo of some indefinable sound began this time as a low, steady growl and rose to a loud, high-pitched shrieking howl that shook the table now as the beast bucked and kicked beneath it like a bronco waiting for the gate to open. The roar got louder and more plaintive again as I struggled with the flimsy plastic knife, trying to cut a slice while my hand was shaking. Monster be danged! I wanted a piece of that cheesecake! Then, all of the pies on the
t
able began to move slowly, tugged along by the tablecloth underneath them. They began moving away quickly now, so I dove in and grabbed the entire cheesecake just as all the rest of the desserts went flying off the end of the table.

The tablecloth covered the huge beast as he galloped away quickly, following the creek toward the trees by the cemetery several blocks away. The last four feet of the tablecloth flapped behind him like the cape of a superhero…or a super villain.

The crowd was stunned, small children were crying, and some of the adults were trembling. All eyes watched as the creature disappeared into the distance. Some of the reporters and photographers were talking to the people in the food tent, and one TV crew was running after the unholy creature.

Eli and I looked at each other, not quite sure what to think about the sudden occurrence. Then I held the dessert towards him. “Cheesecake?”

Chapter Nine

Dinner was delayed for a while as Eli took care of official police business regarding the disturbance. Remarkably, many of the desserts landed right-side-up and could still be eaten. But, unfortunately, the tall display platter (which may have helped Gertie win the extra presentation point she need for her victory) fell over, and her blue-ribbon pie was splattered all over the ground. Eventually, though, we made it to Sal’s.

“This is going to lead the news everywhere in Central Florida, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the networks pick it up for their cute little kicker at the end of their program.” Eli was feeling distraught about the whole thing.

“On the bright side, it will bring some attention to Sweet Home. They say there’s no such thing as bad press, you know.”

“Yeah, well, there is when it makes law enforcement look foolish. We’ve got to end this thing tonight. Some of the old codgers are already forming militias and hunting parties to hunt this thing down. Pretty soon the natives will be roaming the streets with pitchforks,” Eli said rolling his eyes.  “I’ve got the evacuation truck going around town with its megaphone telling people they’ll be arrested if they take the law into their own hands and start shooting up the cemetery, but I can’t keep them at bay for long. I had to promise that we will take care of this tonight, once and for all. All of our squads are already in prowl mode looking for it.”

“One hot beef sandwich, extra gravy, and one French dip. Anything else, folks?”

“Nope. We’re good, Becky. Thanks! Say…Becky, didn’t you enter the bake-off this year? Your one of the best pastry chefs in town.”

“Well, I’m no chef, and no I didn’t enter, but…” She looked at me with a sheepish smile. “…I helped my cousin, Lonnie, with his…I mean, you’re…pumpkin pie muffins.”

“Ahh! Okay. That makes sense now.  I wasn’t sure how to feel about it before, but now I feel good – as long as you promise to share any improvements to the recipe with me.”

“I did try one thing different. Since the muffins bake a lot faster than a pumpkin pie, instead of piping the cooked pie filling in afterwards, I baked the pie half way, made pie balls with a melon baller, got them almost frozen so they would hold together, and then put the balls right inside the wet muffin batter before we baked them. It worked pretty well.”

“You’re a genius, Becky”

Eli was half done with his meal already, but I had no problem catching up. There are a few things I’m really good at.

“That hot beef sandwich seems to be just what you needed to lift your mood.”

“You’re right, but it’s going to be dark in a less than an hour, and I want to be out there as soon as that thing starts glowing in the dark so we can get it into custody peacefully before people get their guns out.”

“Why don’t we take a walk through the cemetery as soon as we’re done here? You can visit your mom, and I can visit mine. Then we’ll be there when it gets dark.”

“You read my mind.”

We weren’t too far from the cemetery, but Eli wanted to have his car with him since he was on “medium” duty, so we drove. I ran into Shaw Florists to get some flowers, an orange lily for his mother and a white rose for Mom. Missy Grant and her father were near the cemetery gate hollering for Scotty when we drove in. We parked by the old chapel near the entrance.

“Those high school girls have the flower gardens around this dilapidated chapel looking pretty good,” I said. I don’t think Eli had ever noticed.

“Oh, yeah. Nice.”

There was a nice bright butterfly ornament on a stake in the middle of the garden to the right of the front door and a big yellow and black bumble bee staked in on the other side. There were colorful geraniums, snapdragons, and some newly-planted mums all around the little church.

“Do they still use this chapel Eli? It looks like it hasn’t had a coat of paint in a couple of decades.”

“It’s just unpainted treated wood, so it’s always been grey like that. But I’m not sure if people still use it.” He walked toward the door to check the knob. “The Methodist church had built it back before I was born, and they used to bring vigil candles in so people could pray for their loved ones and light a candle, but…” He tried the knob and it was locked. “…it looks like they might just keep it locked up nowadays.”

  The sun was not far above the horizon, and Eli took my hand as we walked towards his mother’s grave. I carried the flowers.

I was just a little girl when Harvey lost his wife and Eli lost his mother, so I never really knew her. Eli patted the gravestone and greeted his mother, and I gave him the orange flower.

“I didn’t know your mom’s name was Lily.”

“Yup. Lillian Delilah Davis.”

His eyes were locked on her grave as he laid the lily in front of the head stone. I gave him a private moment, and then we moved on to Mom’s grave maybe 500 feet away. She’s been gone for seven years now. I should really start running those breast cancer marathons, but at least I donate.

We heard occasional shouts from Missy calling her dog as we walked, and we encountered three headstones that had been knocked over.

“Who would do something like this? I hope Mom’s grave isn’t disturbed.”

“The groundskeeper says he has to put a couple markers back in place almost every morning. A few have even been broken. And I don’t think anybody is doing this; it’s just that animal that’s running around here. It sounded like maybe it was injured.”

“Injured? It sounded like it was in an underwater bubble or like it swallowed a humpback whale or maybe like it just beamed down from Alpha Centauri.”

“Yes, those are much more reasonable scenarios, Lily.”

I wanted to stick out my tongue…but then I remembered I was 33.

Eli stood back while I paid my respects to my Mom and laid the white rose on her grave. I miss her a lot, but it really helps to work with her two sisters everyday. I walked back to Eli before my emotions pushed me past the point of no return.

We didn’t say a word, but Eli knew what to do. He put his arm around my shoulders, and we walked silently towards the sunset.

It was getting dark, and two marked squad cars were cruising the cemetery. A call came in on Eli’s walkie-talkie.

“Foxtrot 6 to Lieutenant Davis. Are you there, Eli?”

“Go ahead, O’Leary. Have you seen anything?”

“Negative, Lieutenant, but Karen heard some rustling sounds from the brush around those fallen trees from the storm a few years back. The grounds crew tossed them near that swampy area on the east side.”

“I’ll meet you there in five minutes, Kevin. Davis out.”

Things were feeling a little creepy, in the cemetery at night with a creature on the loose. But Eli’s confident command of the situation helped a lot.

“You should go back to the car, Lily. This has the potential to be dangerous and I don‘t want you to get hurt. If Emery Grant and his daughter are still there, tell them to go home or get in the car with you.”

I wasn’t so sure about this. “I’d feel safer if I stayed with you, Eli.”

“Look, it’s probably nothing and I’ll be back to get you at the car in a few minutes. But if it is our vicious green chupacabra from outer space, then I don’t want it to eat you.”

He was trying to talk my language, and it was making some sense. We stopped at the main road. The car was to the right, and the swamp was to the left.

“Well, I don’t want it to eat you either.”

“Then go to the car. If you’re there and it starts chasing us, I’ll just have to stay and let it eat me so you’ll have more time to run away. But if you’re not there, then I can run.”

You know, that’s exactly what he would do. I had never thought of getting eaten by a chupacabra as a romantic gesture before. Ahhhh…

So, I was defeated. “Don’t be long, and update me as soon as you can.”

“He took out his walkie-talkie. “Kevin, lock your talk button in the on position for us to monitor, and then maintain silence when you’re on the scene.”

“Roger that, Eli.”

“Take this.” He handed me his radio device. “It will be just like you’re there, but you’ll be safe.”

We went our separate ways, and I hurried back toward the car. Missy and her dad were just returning from a different path and stopped near the gate maybe 50 feet from the old chapel, so I joined them.

“Any luck?”

“Not yet,” Emery answered.

“But it’s just getting dark now, so maybe he’ll come around.” Missy refused to lose hope. “He likes to sleep and eat during the day and then run around at night.”

“Did you hear that?” I could swear I heard Trevor’s ghost baby gurgling nearby…maybe from the chapel.

“Hear what?”

They both looked at me like I was hallucinating. Then it seemed like a dim light started to shine out the windows on the side of the chapel into the trees by the road. I thought I would wait for Eli before I walked over to the chapel to check it out.

“Scottyyyyyyy!” Missy called out scaring the bejiggers out of me.

I began to hear muffled noises that sounded like something was rolling around and snapping twigs now on the walkie-talkie, and I got puzzled looks from Emery and Missy. I pointed down the road.

“Eli and some other officers are by the swamp looking for the…um swamp thing.”

Emery and I listened more intently, but Missy was more interested in finding Scotty. We heard Kevin O’Leary’s voice first and then Eli’s:

“There’s something moving around in there!”

“Draw your Tasers!”

Missy called out again. “Scottyyyyy!”

I heard more rumbling and a muffled howl, just as I had heard in the pie tent, coming over the radio now.

“He’s on the run!”

“Lily! Lock the car. Now!”

We heard another eerie howl, but this time it was coming from down the road and getting closer. The car was far, but we hurried back to the middle of the main road.

“Scottyyyyy!”

“We have to get into the car! A wild animal is on the loose!”

I turned to run, but it was too late. Galloping right towards us was the monster, a dim green glow emanation from its body, and it seemed to have no head.

“Scotty!”

“Run! Get away!” It was Eli leading the pack, just 100 feet away now. I ran toward the chapel, but Emery and Missy just stood there.

“Run, you guys! Save yourselves!”

The beast was fast, and one second later he was jumping up on the pair, with one powerful paw on each of them as they fell backwards onto the ground.

Oh, my God!

Eli rushed up with his Taser extended, but Emery put up his hand.

“No! Don’t!”

The animal seemed excited, bounding up and down now. Its huge round head had no features, but it made an odd rattling sound. Two squad cars pulled up lights flashing, attracting some of the nearby neighbors, who began to gather around along the street.

Missy stood up and wrapped her arms around the beast.

“Scotty! I found you!”

Eli and I looked at each other, and there were curious faces all around.

“Turn your lights off, guys,” Eli ordered. “We’ve got enough of a crowd already.”

I snapped a few pictures, and Eli gave me a look.

“Really? Pictures?”

“For Jules. She’ll have an exclusive story that the whole area wants now.”

He shook his head and talked to Emery. “I thought you had a little Scottish terrier.”

“Oh, no. Eli. Scotty is a Scottish deerhound, almost seven feet tall when he stands up on his hind legs.”

Now everyone’s attention turned to the glowing green dog with a big round head. The crowd in the street had kept inching closer, and now they were gathered just ten feet away from Missy and Scotty. They probably would have come closer, but the animal smelled really, really bad.

“It looks like he got his head stuck in this…thing here.” Eli wiped off some of the brown mud that covered the entire object as the dog whimpered and moaned. “It’s orange. It looks like a big plastic pumpkin.”

“Oh, my goodness!“ Maxine Fernwald stepped forward. She lived across the street and a few houses down. “That’s my Halloween pumpkin decoration that was stolen off my front steps more than a week ago.”

Scotty was anxious to get the pumpkin off and shook his head to give us a hint.

“Why is this thing rattling like that, Maxine?” Eli grabbed it with both hands and shook it slightly, and then patted the dog to calm him down.

“The rattling? Well, it’s not very heavy, so the wind will blow it away if I don’t anchor it down. I didn’t have any rocks to put in it, so I filled it halfway up with…um…well…dog kibble.”

Now things were starting to make sense.

“Dry dog food Maxine?”

It was Jules. She stepped forward out of the darkness, and was taking notes for a newspaper article.

“That’s right. I guess I should have thought that it might attract dogs that were passing by.”

Emery shook his head and tried to smile. “So Scotty sniffed it out, knocked it over, and then stuck his head inside through the hole in the bottom for a little treat.”