Page 40 of Pumpkin Patch Peril
Caught red-handed, Mona decided to abandon subtlety entirely. “Laura, we’re looking for Brenda Henderson’s missing pumpkin, and we know about the feud between you two over her pesticide use.”
“You think I stole her pumpkin?” Laura’s voice rose with indignation. “That I would stoop to theft just because I disagree with her farming methods?”
“Actually,” Mona said, reaching into her purse with dramatic flair, “we have proof you were in Brenda’s barn.”
She pulled out the small angel charm and held it up like a prosecutor presenting evidence. “We found this in Brenda’s barn right after her pumpkin was stolen.”
Mona pointed at Laura’s charm bracelet with triumph. “And unless I’m mistaken, you’re missing a wing from one of your charms.”
Laura sputtered, “That doesn’t prove anything! Anyone could have these bracelets?—”
“Not with a missing charm, though,” Helen pointed out reasonably.
Mona pressed their advantage. “Things will go much easier if you just admit you stole the pumpkin. If you return it in time for the contest, no one need even know.” She gestured toward the massive barn. “Where is it? In there?”
Laura stared at them for a long moment, and something shifted in her expression. The defensive anger was replaced by something that might have been resignation, or perhaps something more calculating.
“You ladies don’t give up, do you?” she said finally.
The three women straightened proudly. “Of course not,” Mona declared. “We’ve solved many mysteries.”
“Multiple murders,” Ruth added helpfully.
“Several cases of fraud,” Helen contributed.
“One memorable ferret situation,” Ida called from behind the butterfly bush.
Laura’s demeanor changed again, but this time the shift made Mona’s confidence waver. There was something almost predatory in Laura’s sudden smile.
“Fine then,” Laura said, her voice taking on a tone that made all three ladies exchange nervous glances. “You want to see what’s in the barn? I’ll show you.”
Suddenly, Mona didn’t feel quite so confident about their detective skills.
“Well,” Ida said, finally extricating herself from the butterfly bush with leaves in her hair, “maybe we could just take your word for it...”
But Laura was already moving, grabbing Ida firmly by the elbow. “Oh no. I’m going to show you exactly what I’ve been hiding.”
She practically dragged Ida toward the barn, with the others hurrying along behind, their earlier bravado evaporating rapidly. Laura pulled open the heavy doors with surprising strength, revealing a dark interior that could have contained anything.
“In you go,” Laura said, her voice carrying an edge that made Mona wish they’d brought backup.
Or weapons.
Or Jack.
The inside of the barn was dim and musty, filled with shadows that could hide any number of secrets. As their eyes adjusted to the darkness, Mona could make out various shapescovered with tarps, tools hanging from walls, and what might have been agricultural equipment lurking in the corners.
“You’re right,” Laura said from behind them, her voice echoing in the cavernous space. “I was in Brenda’s barn.”
“AHA!” Ida exclaimed, though her triumphant tone was somewhat undermined by the nervous quaver in her voice.
Ruth squinted into the gloom. “I don’t see any pumpkin.”
“That’s because,” Laura said, moving to a pile of tarps in the center of the barn, “I didn’t take a pumpkin.”
With a dramatic flourish, she whipped away the coverings to reveal not a giant orange gourd, but dozens of bags of chemical fertilizer, pesticide containers, and what appeared to be enough toxic agricultural products to supply a medium-sized farm operation.
“That’s what I took,” Laura said with grim satisfaction. “Every bag of poison I could carry. Saturday night, I knew Brenda would be at the bean supper, so I went over with my posse, and we took every container of chemical death we could fit in our truck. Didn’t touch a pumpkin. Didn’t even see one.”
