Dead in the Shed: Chapter 4

It was Wednesday, another volunteer workday, at Palm Lake Park.
“After everything, we’re going back?” said Edna.
“Of course, that’s what we do. Remember?” Paul said.
“Because we are insane.”
“Because we know the nature of plants is to heal people’s spirits,” Paul said.
He meant it, too. When he and Edna lived in Ohio on their 40-acre tree farm, Paul worked an hour and a half away as a computer analyst for an electric company. In the evenings and on weekends, he did what he really loved, which was growing dahlias. His dahlias were spectacular. Edna felt selfish for asking him to give up the place to move to Florida to be near her children and grandchildren. When the Senior Gardener program became available, he was the first one in line at the university extension program to sign up. He took the class seriously, studying every plant and tree in the new Florida setting.
“You’re going to hurt us one day--gawking at those trees like you do,” Edna would say from the passenger seat. He made his daily trip to Starbucks a plant-naming adventure. Edna was more interested in an espresso.

Paul once suggested that Edna sign up for the next Senior Gardener class.
“Sounds like that Stuart Black is a typical college professor--lots of lectures and hard tests. No thanks,” she replied.


Missy was usually busy when Paul and Edna arrived at the park. Normally, her energy level was remarkable, and she was in excellent shape for a woman of 65.Today she was sitting alone at the picnic table in the Rose Garden gazebo.
“I can’t get it out of my mind. Russ and I used to have such fun working together. We talked while we worked on the butterfly house or on the roses. I made everyone a copy of his obituary.”
Missy blew her nose.
Paul swallowed hard and looked at Edna. He turned away to open things up. The police had taken down the crime scene tape from the potting shed.
Edna sat with Missy and tried to help her face the day.
“Russ was such a gentle soul. To think that someone killed him for what, about $800 from the plant sale, makes me sick. He didn’t have an enemy in the world. It seemed like he never met a stranger. Like when he met the new guy, Jack. He said he felt like they were old friends. They were both from Ohio like you and Paul. Jack said they had never met, but that just shows you how friendly Russ could be. He treated his wife like a queen, I just know it.” She blew her nose again.
“I didn’t know Russ very well. Did his wife die of some terrible disease, cancer maybe?” Edna asked.
“No, it was a horrible car accident. It was only about three months ago. They were high school sweethearts, and I think that he blames—blamed--himself. Russ was driving, but a drunk driver hit them on U.S.41 near Daniels. He was still limping from injuries from the crash.”
Missy looked for another tissue in her bag. The first one was too soggy for another blow.
Edna looked across the grass and saw Mona, the senior gardener who took care of the pond. She was standing near the pond pump concentrating on it, rather than on Detectives Brumbaugh and Miori who were approaching her with notebooks for questions. Edna strained to hear what Mona told them.
“I barely spoke to Russ. We all stay so busy here. I’m here only on Wednesday mornings,” she told them.
Her comments seemed to satisfy them. They closed their notebooks and walked toward Edna and Missy in the Rose Garden gazebo.
“Good morning, ladies. We’d like to talk to you alone, Missy. Edna, if you don’t mind,” Brumbaugh said.
Edna took her coffee mug and weeding stool to the Cactus Garden. She could see Jack’s short stocky frame. His comical gardening hat was hard to miss from anywhere in the back half of the garden, especially since the cactus area was elevated about five feet above the level of the walkways around it.
Very few of the volunteers would go near the spiked, twisted plants in the Cactus Garden. It was too easy to yank a weed and end up donating blood from a jab of a leaf. One cactus, the Pereskia, fascinated Edna. She heard that it was the oldest cactus type known to man. The garden had three of them, two with pink flowers, and one orange. The cacti had twists and turns like science fiction monsters with bayonets for arms. They could hand out a knife-sharp blade topped with a tantalizing red or yellow flower.
“I can’t wait until this whole awful mess is over,” Jack said as he stacked a pile of weeds near Edna. “It gives me second thoughts about moving here.”
“You’re not planning to move back up north are you? What about you and Betty?” Edna asked.
“Oh, that’s nothing serious.”
It looked serious to Edna. She had seen him watching Betty’s every move for days. He started asking her about gardening, how she worked, and then got up his courage to ask her out. She had a nice figure still. Jack was about ten years younger than Betty, which made Edna wonder if the age difference was part of the reason Betty was interested in him.
“Charly, wait,” said Edna. Charly was pulling her weeding bench heading for the ginger area.
“We finally got some volunteer shirts delivered from the office. I have one for you in the tool shed. Let’s go back and get it.”
Edna stepped out of the Cactus Garden and she and Charly walked on the path past the Rose Garden. Missy was still talking to the detectives, telling everything she knew about Russ.
“I’m sure I had a new shirt in this drawer. I always put the person’s initial on the back of the size tag so I know I have the right size for everyone. Hazel gave me an extra when I gave Jack his. I marked it with an ‘X,’ but it’s gone. Sorry. Darn, I thought it was here.”
“No problem, I’ll wait for an--”
A yelp from Mona and the sound of splashing in the pond interrupted their discussion.
“Oh, crap!” Mona stood up completely soaked. Dissolving mascara dripped from her deep blue eyes. A lily pad was stuck to her shoulder.
Jack raced out of the Cactus Garden to the pond and stopped short of falling in on top of her.
“Jack, don’t panic, it’s only about four feet deep. I’m OK. You two can stop laughing now,” she said to Edna and Charly.

“I mean it, you two. Wait. What’s this?”
Mona had kicked something at the bottom of the pond. She scooped down and fished out a coffee can.
“Too bad,” said Charly. “We could have used it for coffee club.”
Mona shook the can and knocked off the plastic lid. When she looked inside, Edna saw her odd expression.
“What is this doing here?” Mona said as she pointed the open can toward Charly and Edna.
Someone had tucked a coil of money neatly in the can.
“Mona, don’t move. I’ll get the detectives,” Edna said.
Brumbaugh and Miori left Missy in mid-sentence when Edna announced the discovery of what could be the missing plant sale money.
Edna had a feeling that this was another Lucky Leprechaun picture that didn’t make sense.
“If Russ was killed in a robbery, why would the robber leave the money?” Edna asked the detectives. They didn’t answer.
They were talking to Mona as she dripped on the side of the pond.
“It doesn’t seem like robbery could be the motive,” Edna said louder this time.
“Mrs. Cameron, please,” Miori said, making her eyes roll.
“Just think, killed for a few measly dollars,” Charly said.
“Charly, no. There was no robbery.”