confident that Ruth wouldn’t press charges.
As much as Gloria wanted to get inside and look for the box, she could envision this ending badly for her. If Ruth caught her, at the very least it could put an end to their friendship.
It wasn’t worth the risk. Gloria put Anabelle in reverse and slowly backed out of the drive. Whatever Ruth was up to, there had to be a logical explanation. After all, Ruth couldn’t really be a drug lord, could she?
Gloria passed Dot’s restaurant on her way back to the farm. She drove right by Ruth’s van, which was parked out front.
When she got home, she let Mally out before she headed to the shower. She lathered up her hair and mulled over what information she did have.
So far, nothing made sense. Obviously, whoever had been in the dumpster the other night was not part of Ruth’s little group. Maybe it was a homeless person rummaging through the bins looking for something of value. She dismissed the thought. She had never spotted a homeless person in their small town of Belhaven before.
Then Gloria had another thought. What about the person that broke into Andrea’s place? Did that have some sort of connection to the drug trafficking?
She decided a stop by Andrea’s was in order. She could check on her friend and find out if any other odd occurrences had happened.
She passed Ruth on her way to Andrea’s and waved. They were like two ships passing in the night. Or in this case, in the day.
Andrea’s car was the only one in the drive when she pulled in. There was no contractor trucks or vans. She made her way to the front door and reached for the bell. Instead of a bell, there was a brand spanking-new nifty door knocker. It was in the shape of a lion’s head. She grinned and grabbed the ring. She gave it three loud taps and waited.
Seconds later, Andrea swung the door open. She was dressed in what Gloria would term as garden gear. She had a red bandanna tied across her head. Her shorts were splattered with paint and her t-shirt was a rainbow of colors.
Andrea grabbed Gloria’s hand and pulled her in. “You must have ESP. I was just going to call you!”
“Follow me.” She didn’t wait for Gloria to answer. Instead, she grabbed the mahogany handrail and climbed the steps to the second floor.
Andrea had been taunting Gloria for weeks now about some sort of surprise. Something she’d been working on that she didn’t want Gloria to see until it was finished.
Brutus followed them up the steps. Gloria had forgotten all about Andrea’s new companion. “Well, hello there my furry friend.”
Brutus stuck his head under her hand and thumped his tail. “I bet you know all about the surprise, don’t you?” The dog and Gloria trailed Andrea up the grand staircase.
At the top of the stairs, Andrea turned left, in the direction of the master suite. She swung the double doors open and stood to the side. Her face beamed with pride.
Gloria couldn’t remember the last time she’d been in Andrea’s bedroom. It might have been the night the Blackstone brothers had kidnapped them. Or maybe it was the night Gloria and Lucy snuck in the house and found the stolen money in the floorboards. She glanced at the spot where she and Lucy had uncovered the cash.
She had never mentioned the discovery to Andrea. Of course, Andrea hadn’t owned the house at the time they found the money…
Gloria gasped at her first look around the room. It was stunning and it looked so different. The room looked bigger somehow. If that was possible.
“Well, what do you think?” Andrea asked.
“This is a room fit for a princess,” Gloria said.
The walls were painted a muted gray. The trim bright white. New plantation shutters covered all the bedroom windows. The exterior of the fireplace had been redone in a sleek, blue slate. Two pale, purple wingback chairs faced the fireplace. Wide plank wooden
As much as Gloria wanted to get inside and look for the box, she could envision this ending badly for her. If Ruth caught her, at the very least it could put an end to their friendship.
It wasn’t worth the risk. Gloria put Anabelle in reverse and slowly backed out of the drive. Whatever Ruth was up to, there had to be a logical explanation. After all, Ruth couldn’t really be a drug lord, could she?
Gloria passed Dot’s restaurant on her way back to the farm. She drove right by Ruth’s van, which was parked out front.
When she got home, she let Mally out before she headed to the shower. She lathered up her hair and mulled over what information she did have.
So far, nothing made sense. Obviously, whoever had been in the dumpster the other night was not part of Ruth’s little group. Maybe it was a homeless person rummaging through the bins looking for something of value. She dismissed the thought. She had never spotted a homeless person in their small town of Belhaven before.
Then Gloria had another thought. What about the person that broke into Andrea’s place? Did that have some sort of connection to the drug trafficking?
She decided a stop by Andrea’s was in order. She could check on her friend and find out if any other odd occurrences had happened.
She passed Ruth on her way to Andrea’s and waved. They were like two ships passing in the night. Or in this case, in the day.
Andrea’s car was the only one in the drive when she pulled in. There was no contractor trucks or vans. She made her way to the front door and reached for the bell. Instead of a bell, there was a brand spanking-new nifty door knocker. It was in the shape of a lion’s head. She grinned and grabbed the ring. She gave it three loud taps and waited.
Seconds later, Andrea swung the door open. She was dressed in what Gloria would term as garden gear. She had a red bandanna tied across her head. Her shorts were splattered with paint and her t-shirt was a rainbow of colors.
Andrea grabbed Gloria’s hand and pulled her in. “You must have ESP. I was just going to call you!”
“Follow me.” She didn’t wait for Gloria to answer. Instead, she grabbed the mahogany handrail and climbed the steps to the second floor.
Andrea had been taunting Gloria for weeks now about some sort of surprise. Something she’d been working on that she didn’t want Gloria to see until it was finished.
Brutus followed them up the steps. Gloria had forgotten all about Andrea’s new companion. “Well, hello there my furry friend.”
Brutus stuck his head under her hand and thumped his tail. “I bet you know all about the surprise, don’t you?” The dog and Gloria trailed Andrea up the grand staircase.
At the top of the stairs, Andrea turned left, in the direction of the master suite. She swung the double doors open and stood to the side. Her face beamed with pride.
Gloria couldn’t remember the last time she’d been in Andrea’s bedroom. It might have been the night the Blackstone brothers had kidnapped them. Or maybe it was the night Gloria and Lucy snuck in the house and found the stolen money in the floorboards. She glanced at the spot where she and Lucy had uncovered the cash.
She had never mentioned the discovery to Andrea. Of course, Andrea hadn’t owned the house at the time they found the money…
Gloria gasped at her first look around the room. It was stunning and it looked so different. The room looked bigger somehow. If that was possible.
“Well, what do you think?” Andrea asked.
“This is a room fit for a princess,” Gloria said.
The walls were painted a muted gray. The trim bright white. New plantation shutters covered all the bedroom windows. The exterior of the fireplace had been redone in a sleek, blue slate. Two pale, purple wingback chairs faced the fireplace. Wide plank wooden
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