predecessor. I know the lingo.”
“It would be best for all of us if your son confessed. I’m sure with his record, the DA would offer some kind of deal. You should talk to him. Don’t let these circumstances drag your family’s name through the mud.”
“I’ll certainly see what I can do to prevent that, Captain Hager. Thanks for your help.”
Peggy held her head high and her back straight as she stormed out of the police station. Her feet were quick on the stairs as she wondered where Paul was. Obviously, he hadn’t been charged. They didn’t have enough evidence.
Al was waiting in the parking lot for her. “Rough day, huh?”
“A horrible day.” She leaned against the car beside him. “I’m ready to wake up now. This has to be a nightmare.”
He put his big arm around her. “Me too. I’m not suspended, but I can’t go near Paul’s case.”
“I understand. Don’t feel bad about it. We’ll figure it out.”
“I already told Mary that I’m taking some vacation time. They can keep me from looking into the facts of this case on the department’s time but not on my own.”
Peggy studied his broad, brown face that was so dear to her. “Don’t get yourself in trouble too. We’ll handle it.”
“Excuse me—who is the senior police officer in this family? If this had happened to Mary, and John was alive, he’d do exactly what I’m going to do. We’ll figure it out, but that includes me.”
She hugged him, tears misting her eyes. “Thank you.”
“Where are you off to now?”
“I need to call the insurance adjuster and let Sam and Selena know what’s going on. Steve is out of town tomorrow yet. Do you know where Paul went?”
“I know he was assigned to desk duty after they questioned him. That’s standard procedure as they work the investigation. I assumed he might be home with Mai and the baby.”
Peggy decided to go home. She let all their close friends and family know that she was holding a meeting at the house. She needed everyone to be in the loop until they could make sense of this.
Al followed her after a quick call to his wife, Mary. Sam brought Selena. Paul and Mai came a few minutes later with Baby Rosie.
“The insurance adjuster said his investigation of the break-in and vandalism couldn’t be concluded until the police investigation is over,” Peggy told them. She’d talked to Bobby Dean who was very sorry to hold up the money she needed to restock The Potting Shed, but his hands were tied.
“I’m still gonna get that shipment,” Sam said. “It will be here first thing tomorrow, and we’ll have to pay for it. I don’t know where we should store it since there’s no alarm and the police might have to go through the shop again. I’ve sold about twenty five hundred dollars of it so far. Any ideas?”
“Divert it here,” Peggy decided. “Call them right now and have it brought here. If necessary, we can cover some of it with tarps, but it will probably be fine out in the yard.”
“Good idea,” Al added. “The police might want to look through it for poisonous plants. Captain Hager is convinced that’s where Paul got the hogweed.”
“From a garden supply company?” Sam snorted. “Seriously?”
“They don’t know much about plants,” Al said. “That’s why we hire Peggy when the need arises.”
“Like I’d know what hogweed looks like,” Paul said. “But whoever set this up knew that my mother knows all about poison plants.”
“Mary Hood,” Sam said the name. “It’s what we’re all thinking, right? For whatever reason, Mary Hood has made it her occupation to ruin our lives. That’s what I think anyway.”
Selena shrugged. “It makes sense to me. The vandalism shut down The Potting Shed. This whole thing, with an unknown woman pretending to be Mary Hood, is just bad for business. And Mary Hood framed Paul for murder.”
“That’s a stretch, little girl,” Al said. “We have no proof of any of that.”
“And yet it
“It would be best for all of us if your son confessed. I’m sure with his record, the DA would offer some kind of deal. You should talk to him. Don’t let these circumstances drag your family’s name through the mud.”
“I’ll certainly see what I can do to prevent that, Captain Hager. Thanks for your help.”
Peggy held her head high and her back straight as she stormed out of the police station. Her feet were quick on the stairs as she wondered where Paul was. Obviously, he hadn’t been charged. They didn’t have enough evidence.
Al was waiting in the parking lot for her. “Rough day, huh?”
“A horrible day.” She leaned against the car beside him. “I’m ready to wake up now. This has to be a nightmare.”
He put his big arm around her. “Me too. I’m not suspended, but I can’t go near Paul’s case.”
“I understand. Don’t feel bad about it. We’ll figure it out.”
“I already told Mary that I’m taking some vacation time. They can keep me from looking into the facts of this case on the department’s time but not on my own.”
Peggy studied his broad, brown face that was so dear to her. “Don’t get yourself in trouble too. We’ll handle it.”
“Excuse me—who is the senior police officer in this family? If this had happened to Mary, and John was alive, he’d do exactly what I’m going to do. We’ll figure it out, but that includes me.”
She hugged him, tears misting her eyes. “Thank you.”
“Where are you off to now?”
“I need to call the insurance adjuster and let Sam and Selena know what’s going on. Steve is out of town tomorrow yet. Do you know where Paul went?”
“I know he was assigned to desk duty after they questioned him. That’s standard procedure as they work the investigation. I assumed he might be home with Mai and the baby.”
Peggy decided to go home. She let all their close friends and family know that she was holding a meeting at the house. She needed everyone to be in the loop until they could make sense of this.
Al followed her after a quick call to his wife, Mary. Sam brought Selena. Paul and Mai came a few minutes later with Baby Rosie.
“The insurance adjuster said his investigation of the break-in and vandalism couldn’t be concluded until the police investigation is over,” Peggy told them. She’d talked to Bobby Dean who was very sorry to hold up the money she needed to restock The Potting Shed, but his hands were tied.
“I’m still gonna get that shipment,” Sam said. “It will be here first thing tomorrow, and we’ll have to pay for it. I don’t know where we should store it since there’s no alarm and the police might have to go through the shop again. I’ve sold about twenty five hundred dollars of it so far. Any ideas?”
“Divert it here,” Peggy decided. “Call them right now and have it brought here. If necessary, we can cover some of it with tarps, but it will probably be fine out in the yard.”
“Good idea,” Al added. “The police might want to look through it for poisonous plants. Captain Hager is convinced that’s where Paul got the hogweed.”
“From a garden supply company?” Sam snorted. “Seriously?”
“They don’t know much about plants,” Al said. “That’s why we hire Peggy when the need arises.”
“Like I’d know what hogweed looks like,” Paul said. “But whoever set this up knew that my mother knows all about poison plants.”
“Mary Hood,” Sam said the name. “It’s what we’re all thinking, right? For whatever reason, Mary Hood has made it her occupation to ruin our lives. That’s what I think anyway.”
Selena shrugged. “It makes sense to me. The vandalism shut down The Potting Shed. This whole thing, with an unknown woman pretending to be Mary Hood, is just bad for business. And Mary Hood framed Paul for murder.”
“That’s a stretch, little girl,” Al said. “We have no proof of any of that.”
“And yet it
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