The Gardens of Digby Green: Further Notice

Connie, Jo, and Christine stood clustered in front of Christine’s car in the back lot of Rose’s Roses.
“Everybody feels better at my house,” Connie said, “so I hurried over here to help Rose. She’s been mentioning she wanted help to set up Mother’s Day displays.” The other women nodded.

“But where is she? I’ve never seen the car that’s parked so oddly in the front lot, before,” Jo said. “The store lights aren’t on, and the doors are locked. Have either of you tried phoning?”

Christine nodded. “Several times, but the recording says the voicemail box is full.”

“So what do we do? Rose never gave me a key,” Connie said as she brushed her bangs away from her eyes. The breeze was rising. “Do either of you have one? Do you know her address?”

The others shook their heads.

“Never asked her for a key, or her address. She was always here when I arrived.”

“No such thing as phone books, anymore.” Jo pulled out her phone. She tried a search. “I thought I knew how to do this, but I’m not having much luck.”

Christine was also dialing. She tapped the phone screen for the speaker function, and the other women leaned in, listening as the phone rang, and rang, and rang, and rang, until the “this number is not available” recording triggered.

Jo paced a few steps. “Something isn’t right, and I don’t like it at all. Let’s go look through the front window again. Maybe we’ll see something we missed.”

As the women rounded the corner of the building, the city bus paused at the nearby stop, and a man stepped down. He walked to the parked car in the front lot, and opened the driver’s door. The employees hurried forward.

Before the man got into the car, he wiped his face, as though he were weeping.

“Wait, wait!” Jo called, and ran, not stopping until she stood beside the car. Connie and Christine also came up.

The man turned. “Who’re you?”

“We, we work for Rose,” Christine explained, somewhat short of breath. “We don’t understand why she’s not here. Who are you?”

“I’m her husband, Ray. She’s… missing. I got a call from one of her Garden Girls friends when she didn’t show up for their game night.”

“Rose hasn’t called?” Connie interrupted.

“My wife doesn’t have her phone. It was here on her desk when I came to see if she was… okay.” His shoulders shook, and he took several uneven breaths. When the police were finished, I took the phone home. The shop is closed, at least until we find her.”

The Gardens of Digby Green is a serialized story that posts on Fridays.

Next week, part twenty-nine, Bring Spring Home.

Find a link to purchase Heartland Treasures anthology here.

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