I was breathless, unable to move, for several seconds. The entire exchange with Vince had been so astonishing, from start to finish. I feared no one would believe me when I told them about it.
Finally, my legs stopped shaking enough to allow me to walk. I staggered out of the makeshift hideaway and into the bright flashing lights of the carnival. I felt lost without my phone. For a few minutes, I wandered aimlessly, vainly searching for a friend among strangers. I also wondered what Vince was doing. Would he steal a car and drive all night? Or hitch a ride to the bus station? Maybe he’d just hide out at the carnival, then stow away with the crew whenever they traveled to the next county on their circuit.
Part of me felt sorry for Vince. I’d meant it when I’d said he wasn’t really a bad guy, not at heart. But he’d done some very bad things. The more I thought about it, the more my senses returned. I realized he had to be caught. Not only for the sake of justice, but also for the sake of clearing Calvin’s name. And mine.
Walking rapidly now, I headed toward an information booth. I planned to borrow a phone and ask them to call security. I was almost there when I heard someone shout my name.
“Sierra? Are you okay?”
Spinning around, I searched the crowd and quickly found Richard. He was still with Davy, who was now clutching an oversized teddy bear. I jogged up to them, so relieved I could’ve cried. The whole story spilled out of me in a rush. Almost before I’d finished, Richard was on the phone with Deena, and Davy was calling headquarters.
As soon as he hung up, Richard pulled me into a quick hug and patted the top my head. “Didn’t I tell you not to chase after bad guys?”
“Yes,” I mumbled contritely.
Davy gave Richard the teddy bear, then went up to the information booth and showed his badge. After speaking briefly with the head of security, he asked me to show him where Vince had run off. Davy and the security guard, flashlight in hand, climbed over the fence and headed toward the dark trailers.
“Be careful!” called Richard. He then guided me to a picnic area, where he’d told Deena we’d be.
She, Rocky, and Calvin were already there. They rushed at me like bees to honey. Richard stepped aside, and I braced myself for a scolding. I was sure they’d all be upset.
“Sierra, thank goodness!” Deena wrapped her arms around me. “We were so worried. I was afraid you’d been kidnapped or locked up someplace or—”
“Nothing like that,” I interrupted. “I’m fine.” I gave them the short version of my adventure, including Vince’s confession.
Rocky’s face was flushed, like he’d been running. “You sure you’re okay, sis? That guy didn’t touch you?”
“I’m okay, really. He stole my purse, but he didn’t hurt me.” I turned to Calvin, who hadn’t said anything yet. His face was a mask of concern. “I’m so sorry, Cal.”
He tried to give me a reassuring smile, but I could tell he was shaken. “It was weird,” he said. “At first, I assumed you’d gone to the bathroom or something. Then I realized what must’ve happened. I knew you must’ve seen Vince and the others.”
I reached for his hand and squeezed it. I didn’t know what else to say. In truth, I’d probably do the same thing all over again if given the chance. But no one needed to hear that right now.
“Rocky probably covered every inch of this fair in ten minutes flat,” said Deena, with a hint of pride in her voice. “While he raced all over the place, I got back on the Ferris wheel. I asked the operator to stop me at the top, so I could look around. You can see pretty far from up there.”
“Smart,” said Richard.
“Hey, maybe we should do that now,” said Rocky. “We might spot Vince that way.”
“Yeah!” said Deena. “If we see him, Richard can call Officer Davy.”
Richard raised his eyebrows. “How did you—oh, never mind. I can’t keep anything from the Bobbsey Twins.”
Rocky gave me a questioning look. “What do you think, sis? Do you want me to just take you home?”
“No way. I’m too jumpy to go home.” I glanced at Calvin. “I’m still not keen on the Ferris wheel though.”
Calvin moved closer to me. “Feel like taking a spin on the carousel?”
“Absolutely.”
It was agreed that we’d all check in with each other in thirty minutes. Calvin and I strolled to the carousel, saying little along the way. The fair stayed open late, but many families had gone home by now. It was mostly teenagers and couples who remained. We had our pick of seats on the ride. Normally, I’d choose the fanciest, most colorful horse I could snag, but I was feeling subdued tonight. I went straight for the elaborately carved, painted wooden bench.
Calvin slid in next to me. As the ride lurched forward, jubilant circus music rang out, covering all other sounds in the park. It wasn’t exactly conducive to intimate conversation. Still, after two revolutions without talking, I shifted in my seat to face Calvin.
“What’s on your mind?”
He answered without hesitation. “You.”
“Are you mad at me?”
“Mad? No. I think you’re amazing. You’ve stuck by me throughout this whole ordeal. You never doubted I was innocent. You’ve been fighting to get to the truth of everything. I just—I can’t thank you enough.”
My heart melted. I reached for his hand again. “I think you’re kind of amazing too.”
“Oh, yeah?” He grinned, and his eyes took on a playful gleam.
“Yeah.” I could’ve stayed there forever, bantering and flirting in our little merry-go-round bubble. Maybe there was no such thing as a tunnel of love anymore, but this was pretty darn close.
It was too bad I kept seeing something in my peripheral vision. I caught a glimpse of it every time we passed by the low concrete building housing the first-aid station. Two people were standing in the grass, one with a mass of curly yellow hair, the other with short, neatly trimmed dark hair. As the ride slowed, the recognition sank in.
I pointed them out to Calvin. “Check it out. It’s April and Isaiah. They don’t look very happy.”
In fact, they appeared to be arguing. April kept looking at her phone, while Isaiah glared at her.
“Should I make some calls?” Calvin said in a low voice.
“How ’bout sending Deena a text. She’ll alert the others.” I stood up slowly and moved to exit the ride. “I want to try to hear what they’re saying.”
“I’m coming with you,” said Calvin.
I looked back and met his eyes. “Of course.”
We had to make a wide circle so we could approach the two students without being seen. Coming up from the backside of the small, square building, we paused at the front corner. Calvin stood behind me, with one hand on my shoulder.
April’s whiny voice carried loud and clear. “Where is he? Why won’t he pick up?”
“I have a bad feeling about this,” muttered Isaiah. “He ditched us. He probably went back to Knoxville. It’s what I should’ve done.”
Calvin texted Deena, as I continued to listen. I’d finally gotten my chance to eavesdrop, and I was determined to make the most of it. I figured April and Isaiah wouldn’t wait around for much longer. It was probably past time for them to meet Sheila.
Then I heard April squeal. “Finally!” She brought her phone to her ear. “Where are you? We’ve been looking—what?”
Isaiah tried to grab the phone from her hand, but she jerked away and continued in an incredulous voice. “What are you talking about? What tour bus?”
I glanced back at Calvin to see if he was catching this. He gave me a triumphant look. Grinning, I turned back to hear more.
“What, you’re a roadie now?” said April. Then, “Oh. Just a free ride to Memphis. Like that makes it any better. I don’t understand. Why would you—”
I didn’t know what Vince was saying to her. Maybe a word of caution or maybe a final goodbye. Whatever it was, he’d made his last mistake. His final error in judgment would soon lead to his arrest. I imagined the police would locate him near the bandstand, with whatever short-lived friend he’d just made. They would approach him in much the same way two officers were even now approaching April and Isaiah.
Two weeks later, on the first of August, we held the soft opening of the Flower House café. It was a festive low-key party, exclusively for family, friends, and neighbors. The latter included Bill and Flo Morrison, who had sweetened their views on me when I decided to place a standing order with them. I figured their fresh-baked Bread n’ Butter brioche would be extra delicious when paired with our rose petal jam.
Of course, the fact that the murder had been solved put everyone’s mind at ease. The morning after the excitement at the county fair, Richard called me with an off-the-record update from Davy. He said Vince had been arrested and had given a full confession. The suspect had even returned my purse, which I took as a good sign.
April and Isaiah had been brought in as accomplices. Whether or not those charges would stick remained to be seen. As I learned later, my letter about Lowry’s schemes had made a big splash on the UT campus. Everyone was talking about it, and everything was out in the open. The jig, as they say, was up.
I circulated through the café with a tray of edible flower hors d’oeuvres. We had crostini with herbed cream cheese topped with garlic and chive flowers, fried zucchini blossoms, rose water mini-cupcakes, and, of course, Deena’s pansy cookies. Guests sipped on lavender-infused cocktails and honeysuckle iced tea.
Walking around, I heard snippets of conversation and saw plenty of warm smiles. It touched my heart to witness what an open, friendly bunch I had in my life. Deena chatted with my mom and Granny about recipes, Dad traded home-repair tips with Richard, and Calvin talked with Wanda about the history of Aerieville.
I was also heartened by the growth in business we’d seen over the past several days. I’d even had to increase our most recent wholesale order. On delivery day I’d geared myself up for another awkward encounter with Bart, but my angst was for nothing. The driver was new. Evidently, Bart had decided to take a long overdue vacation. I hoped he’d work on some of his personal issues and come back in a more relaxed state of mind.
Since everyone at the party was like family, in one way or another, I let Gus roam free among the guests. He was in his element. As a herding dog, he loved to be where the action was. It was cute how he kept trying to nudge everyone into the same room. He didn’t like it when I stepped out the front door for a moment, but Rocky held him back. There was something I had to do.
When Granny had arrived at the party, she placed a heavy gift in my hands: a cast-iron horseshoe. “For good luck,” she’d explained. “Hang it upright to keep the goodness from spilling out—and hopefully ward off any more bad fortune from entering this house.”
Calvin held the ladder and handed me a hammer. As I attached the horseshoe above the entrance to Flower House, I told myself I still believed we create our own luck.
But why take chances?