Almost a week later, Molly lay on her back on a blanket in the grass, hands tucked behind her head. She looked up at the clouds as they floated lazily across the sky and elm leaves swayed above her. It was such a lovely evening, even if it hurt a little to lie on her back. She was still on prescribed extra-strength anti-inflammatories, but the bruises on her back were fading.
“Want a refill, Molly?” Scott asked, holding up a bottle of red wine. It was already down by two-thirds.
“Maybe after they start. I don’t want to be drunk before the performance,” she replied with a chuckle.
“Well, I’ll take some more,” Joe laughed. “Why aren’t you offering wine to everyone, Scott?” He held up his stemless wine glass.
“No one else here has an injured back, Detective. Nevertheless, you could do with some more wine too,” Scott quipped back and poured wine into his brother-in-law’s glass.
It was the Saturday evening following Molly’s run-in with Craig at Patty’s Plant Place. Molly, Scott, May, Joe, and Theo were all lounging on blankets in the Hawthorn Heights community park, eating a snack-dinner of cheese, crackers, lunchmeat, and pickled veggies. Hannah, Noah, and Vivian were running around the blankets and throwing balls back and forth to each other while everyone else lounged and munched. The community band concert was set to start in less than ten minutes. Claudia was playing the second clarinet. It had been a hard week for her, but preparing for the concert had been a productive distraction.
“I need a break, kiddos,” Vivian said as she collapsed on the blanket next to Molly, winded and sweaty. “I haven’t seen all of you since that crazy night on Monday. How’s your back, Molly?”
Molly sat up and answered: “Oh, it’s healing. All those X-rays that night in the ER did seem a bit dramatic. Nothing is broken.”
“That’s good. I can see by the way you’re moving that it’s still tender. I’m worried about you having some PTSD, though, after getting into such a physical altercation at work.” Vivian looked at Molly seriously. Her expertise as a psychologist was showing. Scott nodded in agreement.
“Oh. Well, yeah,” Molly mumbled, thinking about the question. “The electricity just got turned back on today, so it’s been a pretty unusual week. Just accepting cash and checks and limiting hours to when the sun was up and all.” She paused, considering. All eyes were on her now. She looked at her friends and family. “Honestly, Craig can’t steal Patty’s Plant Place from me. It’s my happy place. I haven’t felt scared in the backyard or worried that something like that would happen again. I think my brain knows that I did a good thing during that fight. I stood up to a bully, and all of us brought a killer to justice. I’ve been good. Just still sore. And I’m so thankful for all of you.” She smiled at Vivian, admiring her braids, as usual.
“I’m really glad to hear that. Glad you’re feeling good,” Vivian replied.
“But speaking of not talking to anyone since Monday. I really want to hear your side of this engagement story!” Molly said, taking Vivian’s left hand and admiring the sparkling ring again.
“Oh, my goodness! What a crazy night that was! So much happened!” Vivian looked sheepish. “It won’t be a night any of us forget. Our evening started when Theo asked me to go out to dinner. On a Monday! That’s a little odd, right? But we went to that new swanky place in the city, Antonio’s. The food was delicious. Then we went to the Botanical Garden.”
Theo shifted so that he was next to Vivian and put his arm around her, smiling. “I really should have done it on the Saturday before, I know.”
“Right. I knew something was up when he suggested we go to the Cleveland Botanical Garden on a Monday night, but I played along.” She elbowed Theo in the ribs jokingly and continued. “It’s such a pretty place. He told me about all the different plants and flowers. In front of a huge tropical tree and a fountain, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I cried. It was perfect. The ring is perfect. A bunch of people were there and clapped. It was a beautiful moment.”
“I know I said I’d tell you about it, Molly,” Theo said. “I promised I’d tell you when it happened.”
“You did promise.” Molly shoved him and then winced. She shouldn’t have moved so quickly because it hurt her back.
“When we were driving back from Cleveland, we got the call from Scott,” Theo said, continuing the story. “He told us what was going on, and it just happened that we were less than ten minutes away from the shop. He said that he and May and Claudia were all trying to be there at the same time to outnumber Craig. Scott was worried that the police wouldn’t get there in time. I’m really glad we were there when we were. I was just going to text you when I got home. You know, I just wanted to be present with my lady and not tell the entire world right when it happened.” He smiled at Vivian.
“He didn’t even tell his mom until the next day,” Vivian said in a shocked tone. “I told my mom that night after I got home. And my brother and my aunt and my best friend.”
“No hard feelings.” Molly smiled at them, happy for the couple. “It’s okay that you didn’t tell me right away. You told me the next day, at least. And I’m so glad that you all came to the garden center when you did. I think he would have run into the woods otherwise and gotten away. I wouldn’t have been able to keep him in the backyard for much longer without getting hurt really bad.” The others agreed, nodding among themselves.
“I have a big question,” Scott said to the group. “This money from Grandma and Grandpa that was hidden in the wall: is it still a secret?”
“Oh, you mean the $33,740 that Grandma had squirrelled away from Grandpa?” May jumped in. “We’ve been dealing with a crazy store all week. Shannon’s upset that we didn’t make as much as usual in the second week in June and we have to pay for an electrician. Honestly, I’m hoping that we can buy her out. Just hand over the cash and she’d be out of the business, but we haven’t been able to think about how to go about the proposal yet. We probably need to talk to a lawyer. I’m not sure if it’s enough money, frankly.”
“But we’re not sure if that’s what Grandma Patty would have wanted,” Molly added. “It’s a big decision to make. Grandma left the store to the three of us, after all. And we don’t know why she hid all the money. It might have been both of them saving together. I’ve been reading the journals. It’s a lot of shop details, not as much personal stuff. I’m hoping that somewhere in there she mentions the money. I haven’t found it yet, though.”
“Right,” May agreed. “There’s still information to gather and decisions to be made. We’re not doing anything with it right now.”
“It’s back in the hidey-hole,” Theo added. “Much better organized.”
“And the keys?” Scott asked.
“We know nothing more,” May said quickly. Molly knew she still hadn’t said anything to Joe and wanted to change the conversation swiftly “Kids!” she hollered at Hannah and Noah. “Time to sit down and eat. The musicians are about to start!” Subject dropped.
Molly moved so she was sitting closer to Scott and leaned into his shoulder. She was so glad to have the circle of people around her and was ready to enjoy beautiful music performed by her best friend.