Heather Webber - Digging Up Trouble

Next thing I knew Tam was back on the line, her voice muffled as she murmured something again, presumably to Mrs. Krauss.

“What was that?” I asked.

“I asked Ursula to turn the TV down.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “She snores too.”

I rubbed my temple with my free hand. “How do you know that?”

“We’re sharing a room.”

“What!”

“She’s really kind of nice.”

Nice? “What kind of drugs are they giving you?”

She laughed.

“Really,” I said. “How on earth did she end up in the maternity ward? Isn’t she contagious?”

“Actually, I’m in the main ward. The beds were full in maternity. And the doctors said she wasn’t contagious. I wouldn’t risk the baby’s life like that. Oh! Ana just walked in!”

“Don’t tell her about the body! Don’t tell—”

56

Heather Webber

I heard her say, “We’ve got Nina on the phone! She killed some guy!”

I hung up, turned the ringer off before I got the Grand Inquisition from my cousin.

Slowly, I walked back to Kevin, whose eyes had a glazed appearance. After two seconds I knew why.

“And the Sheefers? Well, they had a Fourth of July block party one year and Russ called the police every time a fire-cracker went off. And the Marabellis? Well, every time they leave their kids alone, he calls Children and Family Services.”

“How old are the kids?” he asked.

“Fourteen and sixteen.”

Kevin sighed, held up a hand. “Thanks for your help, Mrs.

Adams.”

“It’s Miss,” she said, batting short eyelashes.

Jeez. Eww.

“Good to know,” Kevin said, leading me down toward where the body had laid.

I got the shivvies again as I looked at the spot. Russ Grabinsky’s body shape was still indented in the dirt.

“How’d you end up here?” Kevin asked.

“I was hired to redo this backyard. I was misled into believing it was the backyard of my client.”

“Why would they mislead you?”

“Beats me.”

“So you didn’t have permission to work here?”

“Um, that would be no. Now Mrs. Grabinsky is threatening to sue me.”

“Ouch.”

“Tell me about it. She actually has a case.”

“Who hired you?” he asked. “I need to talk to them.”

I motioned with my head toward Lindsey Lockhart, who was standing on her driveway, her husband Bill’s arms around her.

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Bill, who must have known about the makeover all along.

I’d been played. I just didn’t know why.

Kevin’s eyes rounded. “You’re kidding.”

“Nope. It was your former in-laws who caused this mess.”

Seven

I finally headed back to the office around six.

It had been a long afternoon, and as I pulled into the TBS lot I figured by the looks of things it was about to get longer.

There were six cars in the lot, five I didn’t recognize and one I did. Ana’s SUV.

Let the inquisition begin.

After I parked in an open spot near the garage, I sat there thinking about how a teary Lindsey had apologized over and over for her deception.

I hadn’t decided whether or not to accept the apology yet.

I leaned toward or not.

The air conditioner blew cold air in my face and “Rockin’

Robin” played on the Oldies station as I sat in my truck trying to sort the story out.

Russ Grabinsky had a passion for healthy eating. He had the desire but not the know-how to open his own restaurant.

That’s where Bill had come in. Bill managed restaurants for a living and jumped at the chance to co-own one with Russ.

The two next door neighbors had banded together to create Growl. Healthy fast dining, affordable prices.

Bill and Russ had become business partners, whereas Greta Digging Up Trouble

59

and Lindsey had become friends. According to the Lockharts, Lindsey and Bill felt just horrible over what was happening with the homeowners’ association, especially since Russ hadn’t put much credence into the HOA’s power. Finally Bill and Lindsey decided they’d needed to step in and do something drastic to help Greta, before she lost her home. And apparently they’d had to do it on the sly because they knew that Russ was too prideful to accept help from anyone, and Greta was too reticent to go against Russ.

So they contacted me. And lied. Outright duped me, figuring no trouble would come of it because they “just knew” Greta and Russ would love the makeover once they saw it done.

Only Russ came down with the flu that was going around and went home early. And died.

And Greta, grief-stricken, lashed out.

The logistics of it all amazed me. Like how had they gotten Russ and Greta out of the house for the whole day? Turns out Russ and Greta went to the gym together every Thursday morning, and Russ went straight to work afterward. Greta, after swimming her laps, usually went home, but today had made plans to meet with Lindsey Lockhart to do a little shopping, go to lunch. Apparently a rare treat.

They’d been together when I called Lindsey, left the message about the dead guy in her yard.

Sitting in the truck, I ran my thumb over the pewter watering can key chain Riley had given me for my last birthday.

There was hope for me. Hope that once Greta had a chance to think things through, she would change her mind.

Would let me finish the yard.

Wouldn’t sue.

I pushed open the TBS door, and the set of chimes an-nounced my presence.

60

Heather Webber

Ana jumped up, out of Tam’s throne chair.

The chimes continued to jangle, snapping my last nerve. I yanked the set off the door and flung them outside into the row of boxwoods lining the path.

Ana’s eyes went wide. “Bad day?”

“No, no. Not at all.” My gaze swept over the reception area. Five people I didn’t know looked back at me, all wearing the same expression. Wide eyes and open mouths.

Probably I didn’t make a good first impression, what with chucking the chimes out the door and all.

Sue me.

Sue me. I laughed, cracking myself up.

“Um, Nina. I set up some interviews with some prospects for Tam’s job. To fill in, while she’s gone.”

I checked them out. All still wore that Warning! Warning!

In the same room as a crazy lady look.

Two men, three women. All looked respectable, and I had trouble figuring out what they’d done that landed them in Ana’s world. I’d never gotten a single guess right, so I didn’t try too hard.

All in all, Ana’s probationers had worked out for me. I’d gotten burned only a few times. Like the time Pedro Cho drove away on one of my John Deeres, never to return. Or the time Ike Hughes took a deposit for a job and disappeared. The authorities tracked him to a Disney Magic cruise ship, where he’d been whooping it up with Mickey on my dime.

I thought again about not hiring any more probationers.

“Ana, I don’t think—”

“What’s a few interviews?” she asked, hands on hips.

All I wanted to do was wrap up a few loose ends, go home, shower, and crawl into bed for the next three days.

Then I spotted a box of Almond Joys on Tam’s desk, with a bow on them.

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Bobby. He sent me Almond Joys on a regular basis.

I sighed. What was I going to do about him? The last time he’d dropped me off at home after dinner, he looked at me with those big blue eyes and asked, “Can I come in?”

I’d lied and told him Riley was home.

Ack.

I’m sure he knew I lied, but he didn’t call me on it. He just kissed me till I couldn’t breathe and walked away.

“Nina?” Ana asked.