Farm Fresh Murder (2010) by Shelton Paige - Farmer's Market

Author:Shelton, Paige - Farmer's Market [Shelton, Paige - Farmer's Market]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: PENGUIN group
Published: 2011-01-14T19:09:02.625000+00:00

Sixteen

There were two reasons I hadn’t asked Officer Brion to the dinner yet. First, I wanted to talk to Ian. Our kiss hadn’t been something that an exclusive relationship might be built upon, but I decided it was only polite to give him a heads-up. And I wanted to talk to him in person—that effort being thwarted today, even though I thought he’d told me he’d be at Bailey’s. Second, I didn’t want to talk to Officer Brion until I’d talked to Abner. Officer Brion seemed like a pretty good police officer; he’d know something was up by the guilty tone of my voice. He’d track me down before I could make the meeting.

The trip to Abner’s was easy this time around. I slowed at just the right moment to turn easily onto the hidden back road, and my truck rumbled over the bumps without too much argument. All these years, and I’d never known where Abner lived. Now I knew where his sister lived and where he’d created his magical greenhouse. I also knew where Barry and Carl Monroe lived. And it might all mean squat. But I didn’t think it did.

“It matters,” I said to myself. “I just don’t know why or how, yet.”

Abner’s house and greenhouse had a distinctly empty look to them. There was plenty of light left in the day, but there seemed to be a shadow over the property; a sadness, a longing.

“Just your imagination,” I muttered.

I stopped in front of the white house at two fifty-eight. My phone rang exactly two minutes later.

“Abner?”

“Becca?”

“Where are you?” I demanded.

“Park behind the greenhouse. There’s a path into the woods. You’ll have to walk. You’ll be here in about seven minutes.”

“You’re kidding, right?”

No response. The timer on my phone had stopped counting. The call had taken ten seconds.

“Damn.” There was no way I was going to walk into the woods, alone and unarmed. Why would anyone do such a thing?

The seconds ticked by as I sat looking at the phone in my hand.

Somehow my mind twisted reality and worked to make sense of Abner’s request. I came to the horrible conclusion that I was not going to miss this opportunity. I was going to do as Abner had instructed. I was going to walk into the woods and meet him. I knew he wasn’t a murderer. I just hoped I was right. I pulled the truck behind the greenhouse. To prove I wasn’t totally insane or stupid, I dialed Officer Brion’s number. I’d never received his voice mail before, so I was surprised to hear his business-like greeting.

After the greeting, I spoke quickly. “Uh, hi, Off . . . I mean Sam. Becca Robins here. I’m at Abner’s. He called, said he’d meet with me. I’m parked behind his greenhouse and I’m going to walk down some path. He said it should take me about seven minutes to get there. Uh, just thought I should let you know. And thanks.”

I’d probably just killed him with a heart attack, which meant he wouldn’t be able to help me.

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