Goodnight Moo Read online

  “No,” Brynn said. “I suppose next year there will have to be more security.”

  “That would be a good thing, but I doubt it will happen.”

  “After Wes getting shot, you’d think they would tighten it,” Becky said.

  They all agreed.

  “Speaking of Wes . . . has he gotten out of jail while I was asleep?”

  “I’ve not seen him or his family,” Becky replied.

  “Well, let’s hope it means they are off celebrating his freedom,” Willow said.

  “Yes,” Brynn said. But she thought it odd that he wouldn’t have at least stopped by. After all, she was his employer—and friend.

  “How’s your head?” Schuyler asked.

  “Getting better. It’s not aching now and that’s a good thing. But my brain isn’t working one hundred percent yet. You know? Sometimes it takes a while.... Unfortunately, I’ve a lot of figuring out to do. It’s frustrating.”

  “Figuring out?” Schuyler sad. “What are you talking about? We’ve got everything covered.”

  “I’m trying to figure out who killed Donny.”

  Silence engulfed the room.

  “Why?” Schuyler finally said. “The police are on it, right?”

  “I’m not so sure.” She relayed the information about Wes and his credit card. “I don’t think they’re really investigating this. It’s like they want justice but are willing to pin the blame on an innocent man because on the surface it looks like he did it. They should have checked his credit card and everything. But no. His dad investigated and found it all. It’s troubling.”

  “I agree they should have investigated more thoroughly,” Schuyler said. “But they don’t really have a lot of resources. That’s no excuse, though.” She paused. “So what ideas do you have in that aching head of yours?”

  “Nothing makes much sense, unfortunately. There’s Chelsea. Everything keeps coming back to her.”

  “A sixteen-year-old girl?” Willow said.

  “She’s the common denominator—Rad dated her, Donny dated her, and Evan dated her. Could it be a coincidence?” Brynn answered. “Also, she was dating a carnie guy with a record for attempted murder.”

  “Would you like some tea?” Becky asked her as everybody sat mulling all of it over.

  “Yes, but I’d also like some justice,” Brynn said.

  “Tea and justice!” Willow said, and held up her cup.

  “To tea and justice,” Schuyler said.

  * * *

  They were on their second cup of tea when the front door opened. Becky stood. “What?”

  Wes, Max, and their father walked into the room and the women all rushed Wes.

  “Whoa! I’ve only been gone two days!” He laughed.

  “How are you doing?” Brynn asked.

  “What was it like?” Schuyler asked,

  “Are you still under suspicion?” Willow asked.

  “What was the food like?” Becky asked.

  “Give me a break! All in due time,” he said.

  His dad put his arm around him. “He needs some rest. We’re taking him back to the guest house. But he wanted to stop here first.”

  “He didn’t sleep much in jail,” Max said.

  “Guys, I’m standing right here and can speak for myself.” He turned to the women. “Yes, I’m tired and am going home to rest. But I plan to be back to work tomorrow, Brynn.”

  “If you need to take another day, it would be fine.”

  “No, I think it’s best I keep busy. But thank you.”

  He looked like he’d aged ten years. Brynn was certain it was weariness. The jail in Shenandoah Springs was not like a maximum-security prison.

  But it wasn’t simply the weakness from not sleeping, but probably the weight of being accused of murder. Brynn’s frustration burned. She needed to help him out more. This concussion needed to go away.

  She moved in and hugged him. “Go and get rested up. But if you need another day, it’s fine, too.”

  “Go ahead over, boys. I want to talk with Brynn,” Nathaniel said.

  Wes and Max took their leave.

  “Please have a seat,” Brynn said. “Would you like some tea?”

  “I want my boy to come home,” Nathaniel said.

  Willow started clearing the dishes. Schuyler leaned forward. And Becky sat, stunned.

  Brynn’s heart dropped. “I totally get that. I never wanted any problems for him. You know that.”

  He nodded. “I do. But there’s no guarantee of his safety here.”

  “Is there a guarantee in Boston?” Schuyler said.

  “Of course not, but he’s not so singled out there, if you know what I mean.”

  “We’re not all racist,” she said.

  “Of course not,” Brynn replied.

  “Not you-all, certainly.” Nathaniel took a deep breath. “But he’s being threatened, arrested, accused of murder. This is serious stuff. You can’t deny there’s a strong racist element in this valley.”

  “He’s right,” Willow said as she walked back into the room. If any of them understood racism, it would be her. “It’s not something I talk about often, but my family and I have had problems, too, through the years.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Nathaniel said.

  Brynn was shocked. She had no idea.

  “Every person who’s not white has had some kind of experience.” Willow sat down. “It’s not just this area. But there’s fewer brown-skinned people here, so it seems like it’s this area. There are racists everywhere.”

  Brynn set her teacup down. “We’d considered that Wes is being framed. Do you think it’s racism?”

  “I have no idea. It could be. I thought he was being framed, too. Whoever is using his credit card.”

  “Why didn’t they cancel the card?” Becky asked.

  “They’re trying to track him down with it. The last I heard, the police are on to something. But the crook is messing with them, almost like he realizes he’s being watched. There was a charge in Staunton and then fifteen minutes later in Culpeper. That can’t be. He’s wily.”

  Brynn, once again, was disturbed by the online stuff. All of her personal information was online. Between this and the attack on her computer, she was beginning to consider deleting everything and doing things the old-fashioned way. Her head hurt when she thought about it. It seems like it would take a lot of work to disengage herself and her business.

  “So his card is being charged?” Schuyler said.

  “Yes, but the police will take care of the expenses.”

  “That’s something anyway,” Becky said.

  Schuyler leaned forward. “They know someone had his card. The card that paid for the gun. So why don’t they absolve him of all this?”

  “It’s not easy. They have to follow the law. If the evidence says one thing they have to follow up on it. That’s all. And of course, they don’t know if Wes is a partner with this person,” Nathaniel explained.

  “I hadn’t thought of that,” Brynn said. “But what we need to do is take the matter into our own hands. We’ve led the police in the right directions so far. We can continue. You discovered his credit card was being used. I told them about the ex-con carnie.”

  “He had an alibi,” Nathaniel said. “But I’m not sure there’s anything much else to be done here. I agree there’s not much in the way of police resources and any help we could give them would benefit my son. But where to start?”

  “I think we start with Chelsea,” Brynn said. “I’d like to talk with her. But I can’t imagine how to approach her without her being suspicious.”

  “The sixteen-year-old?” Schuyler waved her off.

  “Yes, I agree,” Nathaniel said. “She’s too young to be brought into this.”

  “Everything leads back to her, though,” Becky said.

  There was an awkward pause.

  “I think you’re right,” Willow said. “Chelsea has something to do with this.”

&n
bsp; “She is sixteen. A beauty queen . . . likes boys. How can we lure her here and question her?” Brynn said.

  “I don’t think you should do this.” Nathaniel stood. “She’s a child.”

  “She’s sixteen, but she’s no child,” Willow said. “Believe me.”

  “Okay then,” Schuyler said. “Let’s ask her to tea to discuss something.... Brynn, you need a spokesperson? A pretty young woman to represent your brand?”

  “That’s a great idea!”

  As Brynn thought it over, this was definitely something she could do. She didn’t have to hire her. She could question her and then decide against it. It would help to get a sense of her personality. Why would such a young woman be involved with all these men—two of whom had been killed? One by her father, albeit accidentally.

  Chapter 28

  Later that evening, Brynn sat down at her computer and drafted a note to all the people who were in the cheese contest. What a failure it was. But it wasn’t in her control, unfortunately. What should she do next year? Have armed guards standing outside of her cheese shed? If that’s what she needed to do in order to have a successful cheese competition, then that’s what she’d do. What an utter and complete disaster. Pangs of disappointment zoomed through her.

  Then she wrote an e-mail to Chelsea. A part of her felt bad for luring a sixteen-year-old to her farm on false pretenses. But she had to remind herself this was no normal sixteen-year-old.

  But as she wrote the e-mail, she stopped. She’d planned a visit with Chelsea’s father, Josh, to offer her support. Perhaps that would be a better way to bring up the subject. Yes, she’d take the cheese Danish out of the freezer.

  “What are you up to?” Becky said, walking into the room. “You’re not supposed to be at the computer.”

  “I’m done. I wanted to send e-mails to the cheese contestants.”

  “I could’ve done that for you.”

  “I know. But here’s something you can do for me. I want to go out to the O’Connor farm. I’m going to offer my support for the family and take them some cheese Danish. You in?”

  “Of course,” she said.

  “Good. I’ve got cheese Danish in the freezer I want to take along.”

  “That’ll cheer them up. As Granny Rose used to say, a little something sweet will turn a sour disposition. Have the charges been dropped?”

  “I have no idea.”

  As the two readied for their journey, Brynn found herself wondering about Wes and hoping he was getting rest. She imagined he was more upset than he let on. She needed to touch base with him tomorrow. His dad and brother were here seeing to him. But she still was obliged to make sure he was okay. After all, he was more than an employee; he was a friend, and the grandson of one of her dearest friends. A wave of weariness came over her. The concussion, again. When was she going to get better?

  One thing at a time, she told herself as she placed the Danish in a plastic container. Really, she was taking care of three things while visiting Josh and his family. Support, Chelsea, and Wes. After all, she was trying to prove his innocence.

  Becky came into the kitchen. “Time for your medicine.” She handed her the pills.

  Brynn finished what she was doing and downed the pills. “Ready to roll!”

  The drive to the O’Connor farm was a feast for the eyes. Because of all the rain, the field held a plump, full bright green color, along with the trees Farmhouses were edged in colorful flowers and the mountains loomed over it all.

  The O’Connors were known for their honey, but they also farmed other things. When the sisters pulled up to the O’Connors’ driveway, Brynn was taken with the gorgeous, detailed bee house at the edge of it. She wondered if Samantha Hildebrand had made it.

  “Isn’t that sweet?” Becky said, and she turned into the long driveway.

  “I love it.”

  The house was simple but large: a white clapboard house. Brynn adored the simple designs of the local farmhouses. A red barn sat in the distance.

  Becky parked the car and the two sisters exited the vehicle and made their way down the daylily-lined sidewalk to the front porch. Brynn rang the doorbell.

  After a few moments, the door creaked open. “Brynn?” As the door swung open farther, Josh stood there looking almost like another person. He’d lost weight and gained some gray hair. His wrinkles were pronounced and dark circles surrounded his eyes.

  Brynn forced a smile. “Hey, Josh. Brought you some Danish.”

  He grinned. “Well, well. Come on in. Hannah? Brynn’s here.”

  His wife, Hannah, showed up and led them into the well-kept living room, with photos of their children on the walls, along with religious paintings.

  “Please sit down,” Josh said.

  Brynn handed Hannah the container of Danish.

  “Thank you,” she said. “I’ll put this in the kitchen.”

  “How are you doing, Brynn? I heard about the concussion, about Wes getting shot.”

  Brynn was touched he’d ask about her when his own troubles were looming. “I’ll be okay. This is Becky, my sister. She’s been taking good care of me.”

  “Nice to meet you, Becky. Can we get you-all something to drink?” he asked.

  “No, thank you. I wanted to stop by and see how you’re doing, offer my support. If there’s anything I can do . . .”

  He frowned. “Thank you, Brynn. I think things are going to work out with the lawsuit and everything.” He turned to look at Hannah as she walked in. “But I still can’t make sense of it . . . and I killed that boy.” His voice cracked.

  “But you didn’t mean to,” Hannah said, sitting down next to him on the couch. “Accidents happen.”

  “I know, but I swear it was as if the tractor was being controlled by someone else.”

  For some reason, Brynn remembered the remote cars she and Becky had as girls. “You mean it might have been controlled remotely?”

  “Yes, precisely. I know it doesn’t make any sense. But I had it in drive and the damned thing kept reversing and turning.” His face grew pink. “I know it sounds crazy.”

  “No, it doesn’t,” Hannah said. “All of these new tractors are sophisticated computers. So when they break, or something’s wrong with them, things go wacky. They’ll figure it out.”

  “I’m sure they will,” Brynn said. “These days, I’m almost afraid to use the computer. We were hacked with something called ransom ware.”

  “Us too!” Josh said. “We were talking about that. We had to get Charlie out here to fix our computer.”

  Brynn nodded. “That’s one busy guy.”

  Hannah sat forward. “Isn’t it strange? Technology is supposed to help us, to make our lives easier. I swear sometimes it would be better to go completely off the grid.”

  Just then Chelsea came into the room. “I’m heading out,” she said.

  “Wait,” Josh said. “Have you met Brynn? And this is her sister Becky.”

  She smiled. “Hey good to meet you.” She gave a little wave.

  “Actually, you’re part of the reason we’re here,” Brynn said.

  Chelsea suddenly looked like a doe caught in headlights.

  “Me?”

  “Yes, and I’m glad your parents are right here because what I have to say is something you should consider together.”

  “I really have to run,” she said. “Just talk to them. I’m sure whatever it is—”

  “Sit down, Chelsea,” her dad said, and she complied.

  Brynn cleared her throat. “It’s an idea we’ve been kicking around at Buttermilk Creek. We’re considering hiring a spokesmodel. And Chelsea was homecoming queen and has won some other contests. She really does have that . . . fresh appeal we want to give off, to have associated with our products.”

  Silence permeated the room.

  “Well, please think about it. And Chelsea, I’d love it if you came out to the farm. I could show you around and get to know you. It’s not a done deal yet, simply somethin
g we’re thinking about.”

  “Well, thank you for all your kind words and thanks for considering me.” She seemed genuine and maybe embarrassed. Brynn felt a pang of guilt for every bad thing she’d thought about the young woman. And for manipulating the situation. It wasn’t like her at all, which spoke of her desperation.

  “I don’t know,” Josh said. “She’s busy with school.”

  “It’s true,” Hannah chimed in.

  “Okay, well, it’s something to consider. The invitation stands.”

  As Brynn and Becky took their leave, Brynn sensed she’d stepped into something she hadn’t quite counted on.

  Chapter 29

  Brynn hated to admit defeat, but her body wouldn’t allow anything else. The trip to see Josh and his family was more than she bargained for. Becky insisted on her eating, but she went to bed. As she lay in her bed, she listened to the sound of thunder in the distance and wondered if the fair would get canceled again tonight.

  The next morning when she awakened, she heard voices downstairs. She rolled over. She was so tired, her head felt heavy and it ached. She continued to sleep. She woke up later feeling a bit better, but glancing at the clock, she was surprised to realize she’d slept until 9:00 AM.

  She sat up and glanced out the window at her cows grazing in the startlingly green field, dotted with newly sprouted dandelions.

  She stood and reached for her robe, padded down the stairs to face the day.

  “Well, you’re alive.” Becky sat at the kitchen table with her laptop.

  “Aunt Brynn!” came a voice from the computer.

  “Lily?” Brynn walked over to see her niece’s sweet face.

  “It’s called face time!” she said. “We can see each other!”

  As she and her five-year-old niece talked with each other, Becky poured Brynn coffee. “Thank you.”

  After she and Lily caught up, they rang off until tomorrow. Brynn felt a pang of guilt. “Are you missing her?”

  “Of course,” Becky answered. “But I’m needed here. And she’s having a blast at her friend’s house, now that camp is over. Her mother is one of those stay-at-home moms who come up with countless activities for the kids. She’s being kept busy.”