Beware the Orchids (A Shady Acres Mystery Book 1)

  Beware the Orchids

  A Shady Acres Mystery, Book 1

  By Cynthia Hickey

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  Copyright 2016

  Written by: Cynthia Hickey

  Published by: Winged Publications

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  No part of this book may be copied or distributed without the author’s consent.

  Prologue

  I still wore my wedding dress when I posted my resignation at Cooper Elementary. Not a strange thing considering I waited in the back room of a church for a groom to show up. One I doubted very much was actually going to attend the ceremony. Since he seemed so reluctant to marry me, I no longer wanted to teach in the same school in which he was principal. I typed my name, Shelby Hart, and hit send.

  Things had gone south between us months ago. His leaving me at the altar shouldn’t come as a big surprise. Still, I swiped the back of my hand against my tears and waited like a fool. If he showed, I’d take back my resignation.

  My cell phone dinged, signaling a text message. Yep, it was from Donald telling me he’d changed his mind, we were making a big mistake, and he wished me the best. The jerk! I tossed my cell phone across the room, smiling with satisfaction as it fell in pieces.

  “Mercy!” My mother, Sue Ellen, ducked as she entered the room. “What in Sam’s Hill are you doing?”

  I got to my feet. “I’m about to celebrate my freedom.” I ripped off my veil and tossed it to her. “Send in my maid-of-honor. I need out of this dress. Donald backed out of the wedding.”

  “Good. I never did like him.” Mom left.

  Moments later, my best friend and maid-of-honor, Cheryl Leroix, rushed into the room and wrapped her perfume-lotioned arms around me, burying my face in her ample bosom. I was tiny, but my best friend was of Amazon proportions. Not fat, just…large. “I’m so sorry, but surely this doesn’t come as a surprise?”

  “Did everyone know he was going to jilt me, but me?” I returned her hug, then got to my feet. “Help me out of this dress and then take it to the consignment shop.” My new life would begin. Where and doing what I had no idea.

  1

  Dressed in a black and white dress, adorned with a red sash and matching gardening boots, I marched through the front doors of Shady Acres retirement community to begin my new job as gardener slash event coordinator. The boots were to help me look the part. One phone call stating that I had been a third grade teacher and they’d hired me sight unseen. The director had laughed and said if I could handle thirty rowdy children I should be able to handle a retirement home of adults.

  “You must be Shelby.” A woman around the age of thirty met me at the door. “I’m Alice Johnson, esteemed manager and all around crazy woman. You have got to be the prettiest gardener I’ve ever seen.”

  “Thank you.” I think. Her gaze flickered to my thin legs then back to the mound of black curls that wouldn’t stay tied in a ponytail to save my life.

  “You aren’t bigger than a minute.” She narrowed her eyes. “Are you sure you’re up to the task?”

  “Gardening has been my hobby for years, and you don’t need to be big to plan events and plant flowers.”

  “True enough. Let me show you to your cottage and around the grounds. Then, you’ll know where to park and unpack.” Alice, dressed in a spotless suit of grey with a pink scarf tied around her neck, led me through a marble-floored foyer and through another set of double glass doors into a garden in desperate need of pruning and trimming.

  A plump bottom and two legs stuck out from underneath a juniper bush.

  “Maybelle Smith!” Alice propped her fists on her hips. “Crawl on out of there.”

  “Can’t. I lost my teeth.”

  I bit my lip to keep from grinning. “Do these kinds of things happen often?”

  “All the time.” Alice tapped the older woman on the back. “Your teeth would not be under a bush.”

  A chubby woman with rosy cheeks and silver curls crawled from the bush and stood up, brushing off the knees of her knit pants. “I’ve checked everywhere except the outhouse.”

  “We don’t have an outhouse, Maybelle. Perhaps you mean the greenhouse?”

  “Yes. The place where flowers grow.” She gave a toothless grin. “I’ll go there now.” She bustled off.

  I couldn’t help but let a giggle escape. “She’s adorable.”

  “She’s a menace. If she can’t find her teeth, she’ll steal someone else’s. She’s always where she doesn’t belong.” Alice continued down a flagstone path, her heels clicking in military precision. “You’ll need a boatload of patience to work here, Shelby. I’d introduce you to some of our other characters, but I don’t want you forming any opinions until you get to know them yourself. Here we are.” She unlocked the door to a pretty little white cottage with a green tiled roof and pink climbing roses over the doorway.

  I stepped inside my new two bedroom home. I could be very happy here. Wicker furniture filled the living room. A small glass table and four chairs took up the kitchen nook. In the master bedroom, a brass four-poster bed covered with a white Battenburg comforter invited one to lay back and relax. “It’s beautiful.”

  “We did promise a furnished place, but if you want to substitute with anything of your own, just let us know and we’ll have a volunteer switch it out for you, or Heath McLeroy, our handyman will help.”

  “Did I hear my name?”

  I turned and lost all thought as a Chris Hemsworth lookalike strolled into my cottage. I closed my mouth so he didn’t think I was a drowning fish. If this was the volunteer, I’d have to come up with a lot of reasons to use his services.

  He grinned. “I’ll be more than happy to help you with anything you need.”

  Oh, my, Father in heaven. Had I spoken my thoughts out loud? “Oh, well, I, uh…” I fished my keys from the little red purse hanging over my shoulder. “The red Volkswagon convertible is mine. Do you mind?”

  “Not at all.” He took the keys and ducked back out.

  I sagged against the door. Be still my heart. I might have recently gotten out of a relationship, but my eyes deceived me into thinking I might be interested in the hunky handyman.

  “Yes, he’s very pretty. Most of the women here are ga-ga for him no matter how ancient they might be.” Alice pointed at a stack of papers on the table. “Read over these, please. It gives your duties in great detail. If you have any questions, I’m number 2 on your phone. I’d best go help Maybelle find her teeth. See you at dinner, promptly at five.”

  I lowered myself into the nearest chair and flipped through the papers. Not too bad, once I got the garden in order. I had to plan a monthly grand event, a weekly social, and daily activities to get the residents out of their rooms and mingling. Alice wanted me to oversee the event she had planned for tomorrow. Bingo.

  I wondered if the residents would like some of the games third graders played. Oh, well. A few moments on the internet and I’d have some ideas.

  “I’m guessing you want help unloading the car?” Heath carried in a large suitcase. “And a small moving truck just pulled up. I directed them back here.”

  I jumped to my feet. “Yes, thank you.” I had no idea where I would put all my things. It looked like most of it would go in my mother’s garage after all. The clothes would have to somehow fit in the closet. Perhaps I could turn the second bedr
oom into a giant walk-in closet. “Just put everything in the guest room.” I pulled five dollars out of my purse and held it out to him.

  He laughed, the sound deep and rumbling. “I don’t take tips.” He shook his head and, still laughing, headed to the back bedroom.

  Great, Shelby. Way to make an impression. I headed for the small kitchen, surprised to find the refrigerator fully stocked. There were no dishes in the cupboards, as I’d specified, so plenty of room for my cheery yellow and blue plates. A girl needed to be surrounded by pretty things, right? No plain white for me.

  Soon, my little cottage was packed with two other muscular men and I was running out of space. Maybe I could use some of my things as prizes for Bingo. I had several stuffed animals I no longer needed, given to me by Donald. A bracelet, a necklace, the list was long of items he’d given me and I would do well to get rid of. Sweet. I had a plan.

  “That little room is packed.” Heath leaned against the table. “My cottage is a few doors down. If you need anything let me know. See you at dinner.” He flashed another breath-stopping grin and followed the movers out the door.

  The man was going to be a distraction. One I didn’t want. After five years with Donald, I didn’t want to think about another man. Heath would make that vow near to impossible to keep.

  Having a good idea of my job duties, I decided to stroll the gardens and check out the greenhouse before heading to the dining room. At one time, someone had put a lot of work into the Shady Acres garden. The flagstone path alone was a labor of love, showcasing blues, greens, and gray stones. The evergreen bushes would be divine trimmed into exotic animals. I’d taken a class on that one summer and couldn’t wait to give it a whirl. Overgrown rose bushes and other flowers simply needed pruning or replanting. I rubbed my hands together. I’d have my lovely striped boots dirty in no time. Good thing they’re made of rubber. Any job goes easier if you look and feel good.

  The greenhouse rose in the distance. The sun’s rays sparkled off the glass like diamond dust. I pulled open the door and stepped into the musty interior.

  Orchids! I rushed down the aisle, cradling a blossom between my fingers. This is the job I was born to do. While teaching had been fulfilling, I’d thought nothing of breaking my contract and paying back the remainder after Donald ditched me. I should have gotten into gardening a long time ago. Plants didn’t reject a person. No, they filled the world with their beauty and scent.

  I made note of where the tools I’d use were kept, where the water spigot was and turned to leave when I caught sight of Maybelle’s feet sticking out from under one of the work benches. Her dirty fingers were curled around a small hand-held gardening shovel. “Lost your teeth again?”

  No answer.

  “It’s me, the new gardener and event coordinator, Shelby. Do you need help?”

  Maybelle didn’t move.

  My nerves tingled as I squatted next to her. Lying on its side was a box of rat poison. “Maybelle?” I grabbed her legs and pulled her out. Her lips were pulled back in a grimace over gums too swollen to hold the teeth lying loose in her mouth. I stumbled backward and screamed.

  2

  Still screaming, I got to my feet and darted from the greenhouse. Running toward me was Heath, with Alice teetering on her heels a few feet behind. Then, a curious look on her face was my…mother? And grandmother? Could the day get any stranger?

  “What’s wrong?” Heath gripped my shoulders and peered into my eyes. “Shelby? Stop screaming and tell me what happened? Did you see a snake?”

  “What?” I frowned. “No, I’m not afraid of snakes. Maybelle is dead under the orchid plants.”

  His eyes widened right before he released me and dashed into the greenhouse. “Call 911!,” he yelled.

  Alice, breathing hard, punched in the numbers on her cell phone and told the operator about me finding the body. Alice glared at me as if I were the one who’d caused the upheaval in her day.

  I returned her sharp look, regaining my senses, and turned to my mother. “What are the two of you doing here?”

  “Your grandmother wanted to come.” Mom hugged me. “She’s decided it’s time for a retirement apartment.”

  “What better place than right where my Shelby lives.” My over-perfumed, red-haired grandmother, who fancied herself a Lucille Ball look-a-like, wrapped me and Mom in a hug. “This place might just be exciting enough for me. I’ll take it. You say there’s a dead body in there?” She motioned her head toward the greenhouse.

  “It’s horrible. I’ve never seen anything so…bad.” I rested my head on her bony shoulder. From as far back as I could remember, breathing in the combination of Taboo cologne and cigarette smoke had meant Grandma was there to make everything better. “Are you really going to live here?”

  “I think so. The cottages are adorable. I can help you plan the events. We’ll have a ball.” She stepped back, holding me with straight arms and stared into my eyes. “I think you need me.”

  Sirens wailed up the driveway, cutting short our conversation. Alice stepped forward to greet the two officers marching toward us.

  “You reported finding a dead body?” The older one, a man resembling Ted Danson, glanced at Alice while continuing toward the greenhouse.

  “She did.” Alice pointed at me. “I haven’t stepped foot inside there.”

  “You didn’t make it there when you were looking for Maybelle earlier?” I remembered her saying she was heading there.

  “I didn’t make it that far, no.” She looked at me as if to ask what I was insinuating.

  “Ma’am.” Officer Dan…uh, Lawrence, according to his badge, took me by the arm and pulled me to the side. “The body?”

  “Under the orchids.” I pointed as Heath joined us.

  “Poor Maybelle.”

  The officer sighed. “Please tell me you didn’t touch anything.”

  “Not a thing.” Heath shook his head.

  “I dragged her from under the shelf,” I volunteered.

  “Don’t say anything unless it’s the result of a direct question.” Grandma crossed her arms. “I thought I taught you that.” Then, apparently thinking the officer handsome, she batted her fake eyelashes.

  The younger officer, Officer Springer, headed into the greenhouse. By then, an ambulance had arrived and two paramedics carried one of those boards they carry bodies on, and followed the officer.

  Officer Lawrence glanced at Grandma and smiled. “That isn’t necessarily the wisest thing, Mrs…?”

  “Grayson.” Grandma cocked her head. “Ida Grayson.”

  I cleared my throat. “Don’t you have some questions for me, Officer?”

  “Yes.” He transferred his attention me. “What is your position at Shady Acres?”

  “I’m the new gardener and event coordinator. I was checking out the grounds and greenhouse when I found…Maybelle. Why would her gums be swollen? Oh, and there’s a box of rat poison next to her. Do you think she ingested some?” How horrible.

  “We won’t know anything until the autopsy, ma’am. Your name?”

  “Shelby Hart. Ida is my grandmother.”

  “Today is Miss Hart’s first day,” Alice spoke up. “We do a thorough background check before hiring someone. She has no criminal record.”

  I noticed she didn’t mention we didn’t have a face-to-face interview. I’d sent the resume and referrals over the internet and did the interview over the phone. “I don’t actually start work until tomorrow.”

  Alice glanced at her watch. “It’s almost dinner time. The residents get cranky if dinner isn’t served on time. Will you need me?” She glanced at Officer Lawrence.

  “Not at the moment. I’ll find you later.”

  She clip-clopped her way to the dining hall. “Don’t be late, Shelby. I want to introduce you.”

  For one of her residents dying what looked like a painful death, she didn’t seem to have a lot of empathy. I took a deep breath and turned my attention back to the officer. “I do
n’t really have anything more to tell you.” I averted my eyes from the black bag on the gurney containing Maybelle. “I met her a few hours ago while she was looking for her teeth under a bush. Then, I found her here. I guess she found her teeth. They were lying on her tongue.” I shuddered.

  “Sounds to me like she ate some poison.” Grandma studied her peach colored nails. “The question here is whether she did so of her own accord.”

  “Why would you think that?” Officer Lawrence frowned. “You haven’t seen the victim, have you? Why jump to this conclusion?”

  “I watch a lot of crime shows on television. That’s how my mind works. Did someone mention dinner. Are you staying Sue Ellen?”

  Her question pulled my quiet mother from her stupor. “Oh, I don’t know if I can eat after all this.”

  “Of course you can. There will be plenty of food. You can have that poor woman’s share.”

  My gaze clashed with my mom’s startled one. “Not cool, Grandma.”

  She waved a hand. “When I die, I don’t expect people to stop eating.”

  Officer Lawrence rubbed his chin, high spots of color appearing on his cheeks. “Ladies, I need your contact information in case we have further questions, then you’re free to go.”

  We gave our names, addresses and phone numbers. With a nod to me, and a smile at Grandma, Officer Lawrence joined his partner in the greenhouse.

  Should I stay and supervise them? They were cops after all, and might resent me hanging around. I glanced at a pale-faced Heath. “Should we stay?”

  “No, they can handle this.” He crooked his arms. Mom slipped her hand in one, Grandma in the other.

  “You are a doll. I hope you work here,” Grandma said.

  “I’m the handyman.”

  “I’m sure you are.”

  He glanced, red-faced at me. The poor man. His face changed colors faster than a chameleon.

  “Let’s go eat,” Grandma said. “We have a mystery to solve. I’ve always fancied myself to be a red-haired Agatha Christie.”