Chaos in California Read online

  Dora watched Evie step on a wheel, since the bumper was held on by zip ties, and hoist herself into the truck with ease. She felt a twinge of jealousy, because while Dora continued to feel like a fish out of water in almost every situation they’d found themselves in, Evie seemed to have skills that made it easy to adapt. She took her friend’s outstretched hand and stepped on the tire before swinging her leg over the side.

  As soon as the truck started moving, the contents of the garbage can sloshed. “God,” Dora said. “What is in there? Dead bodies disintegrating in acid?”

  Evie peered inside the can and chuckled. “Slop. I think the girls we’re about to meet are pigs.”

  “Gross.” Dora glanced around to see they were on a dirt road that wound around the back of the house and were driving through a cleared meadow with a field of tall corn. A sudden jolt from a pothole made slop splash up, and Dora scurried as far away from it as possible.

  “Dor,” Evie said softly. Her brow was knit with concern, and she carefully stood up to get a better view of the land. “Yep. Just what I thought.” Evie shaded her eyes from the sun with her hand and let out a long whoosh of air. “Wow. This explains the nice things in the cabin.”

  “What?” Dora asked as she clung to the cab of the truck and stood up to look over the corn too. She saw dozens of clear translucent greenhouses containing a plant she didn’t recognize. One that had five—

  “Oh my god.” Dora looked at Evie in shock as she whispered. “This is a pot farm.”

  “Cannabis,” Evie corrected. “And it’s legal in California now.”

  “For the last fifty years?” Dora hissed.

  “I’m pretty sure cannabis farming has been legal for medicinal purposes since the 90s.”

  “That many plants?”

  “No. Probably not. Not unless she’s a legit supplier, but if she’s wanted for a crime, I don’t see how that’s possible.”

  Dora shook her head. “How do you know these things? It’s like hanging out with a criminal Trivial Pursuit expert.”

  “I listen, Dor. I had a client at the massage parlor who was looking at getting into the cannabis business.” She chuckled. “I could have started one too by the time I got the knot out of his shoulder.”

  The vehicle jerked again, and Dora nearly lost her balance before she sat down. The metal edge of the truck bed dug into her back as she pressed against it, trying to stay as far away as possible from the slop sloshing over the sides of the garbage can. Now that she knew what it was, she realized the odor wasn’t all that bad. It was kind of like walking through an ethnic marketplace with all sorts of food odors combining in the air.

  Evie said, “People will tell you all kinds of things if you let them. Something you should try once in a while.”

  “Why?” Dora grumbled. “I’ve got you to keep me informed.” It occurred to her that if they’d just seen the worst of Windy’s illegal activities, which were now likely legal, she could live with that.

  The truck stopped in front of a barn that was noticeably smaller and much more unattractive than the blue one near the entrance of Windy’s property. It wasn’t painted, and Dora’s nose twitched at the odor of animal waste as chickens came over to investigate.

  “Aww, look at them.” Evie said as the sound of pigs grunting filled Dora’s ears. “They know we’ve brought breakfast.”

  Dora glanced at the pen containing nearly a dozen pigs as Windy and Simon walked to the back of the truck. Windy handed them each a utility bucket along with a scoop for Dora. “Fill ‘er up.”

  The soupy mix splatted into a bucket as Dora filled it up, and when she handed it to Simon, Windy lifted up a clear plastic bag full of pieces of rolls. “Dora, come help me give the chickens a treat.”

  Dora exchanged a quick glance with Evie before hopping out of the truck and following Windy to the far side of the barn with Sunshine trotting along by her side as if she was the pup’s new best friend. While she was still a little nervous about the woman, something about Windy was comforting too.

  Once they were out of earshot from Evie and Simon, Windy said, “They say I was the mastermind behind an explosion that killed eight people.”

  Dora saw sadness in Windy’s eyes, and it appeared genuine. She recognized the haunting pain she often felt about Steve Franklin’s death.

  “Three of them were my friends.” Windy shook her head. “My crew was all about peaceful protests. I never would have participated in such a thing. None of us would have.”

  Dora believed the emotions Windy was displaying were real, and she took the rolls Windy handed her while Sunshine wandered through the chickens, milling at their feet and sniffing with curiosity. Dora began to rip off pieces of the bread to toss at the chickens as she imagined what it must have been like to lose friends in such a tragic way. “Do you know what really happened?”

  Windy sighed. “Best I can figure is that another group caused the accident and laid the blame at our feet. I’ll never really know.”

  “There was no way to prove you didn’t do it?”

  “No. Larry, the guy who managed to get away with me, only lasted a couple years hiding out. He turned himself in and ended up being convicted. I could have gone to trial and taken my chances, too, but I’ve gotten used to this life.”

  “It’s not a bad one.” Dora tried to envision how Evie and she could ever become as successful while hiding out from the law. “You have a beautiful place to live and seem to have done well for yourself.”

  “I have, and it’s nice to be in a position to help other innocents who are running from the corrupt law as well.” Windy handed Dora another roll. “Kindred spirits seem to find me. Like Matt.” Windy looked at Dora for a long moment before she said, “He was only with me for three weeks before he died. The police think his death was an accident, but I know better. That’s why I need you to help me prove it.”

  Dora nodded, and they didn’t talk for a while, listening to the chattering of the chickens as they scrambled for chunks of bread. Dora processed what Windy had just told her. Figuring out who killed someone whose death was ruled accidental by the police in a town where people don’t ask or answer questions wasn’t going to be easy. But she knew they had no choice. She also knew Windy had just confided in her to build trust.

  When Dora finally took a deep breath, it was because she knew Windy was waiting for her to share her story. “I’m an accountant.” As soon as the words came out of Dora’s mouth, she realized how boring it sounded. Not only wasn’t she the woman who was just an accountant, but she wasn’t sure she’d ever want to be again. “Was. I worked for a restaurant chain, and when I discovered the owner’s son was laundering money, I was going to go to his father with the intention of telling him. I figured out pretty quickly that the father was also involved, and I managed to mail the evidence I had to Evie before he threatened me with a gun, and…”

  Dora replayed the scene in her head. She remembered how she had acted quickly and turned the gun away from herself just in time. When it went off and killed Steve Franklin instead, she’d definitely freaked out, but she’d also reacted in a way she never would have expected from herself. She managed to get out of there safely instead of falling apart.

  She looked at Windy. “I protected myself, and when he pulled the trigger, he shot himself instead of me. Steve’s son Marco and his buddies erased the security footage that would have proved it. All I have is the flash drive, which Evie and I sent to Gertie to keep it safe.”

  “You actually knew her?”

  Dora chuckled at the absurdity of her situation. “No. We stuck it in a package that was in a mail truck. And when we went to retrieve it, we discovered she was dead.”

  Windy shook her head gravely, but then she chuckled too. “You sure know how to step in it.”

  Dora gave her a wry smile. Despite the fact that Windy was keeping the flash drive hostage until Evie and she helped her, Dora did feel the kinship Windy had mentioned. Maybe it was because
she imagined what Windy’s life had been like over the past fifty years. Hiding from the law, giving up everything you knew before running, and still managing to make the best of it in ways she hoped Evie and she would be able to manage if they had to.

  Evie would probably say they had a deep connection that defied scientific logic. Something Dora would usually scoff at. But not today. She couldn’t explain it, but she felt compelled to help Windy solve her crime. “Tell me about Matt. What makes you think someone killed him?”

  “I will, dear,” she said. “But let’s find your friend first. It’ll be easier to just tell it once.”

  3

  Evie wasn’t sure what Dora and Windy had talked about when they were feeding the chickens, but they’d connected on some level because Dora’s negativity about their situation was gone. In fact, they were touring the blue barn which was actually headquarters for Windy’s medicinal cannabis business.

  “Here!” Windy said as she tossed a gumdrop toward Evie. “Those gummy bear sellers stole my idea. I had CBD oil gumdrops way before little bears were in.”

  Evie popped it in her mouth, and sugar coated her tongue, masking the slight flavor of the oil. “Yum. This is good.”

  “Evie,” Dora warned. “Not too many of those. You know how you get.”

  Evie chuckled, because she could get rather philosophical when she’d had a few edibles. She gazed around at the set up. To get around federal law prohibiting the sale of cannabis products for mail order, Windy sold custom roasted coffee that could come with a few add-ons.

  Amazingly, Dora was okay with it, and she’d even thrown out a few ideas to Windy to improve her systems. Evie wouldn’t be surprised if Dora wound up pouring over her books later.

  There was something compelling about Windy for sure. Even Sunshine wanted to follow the woman around. Evie would be jealous if she didn’t get that some people just have a special charisma that makes you want to be near them.

  “Thank you so much for the tour,” Dora said as she and Windy started walking toward the door. “I’m quite impressed with your setup.”

  “That’s nice to hear, thank you.” Windy led them down the path to the house. When they got back into her kitchen, they all sat at the table where a plate of cookies sat waiting.

  “Please, have one,” Windy said. “Simon makes the best oatmeal raisin cookies you’ve ever tasted.”

  Evie grabbed a cookie as Windy got down to business. “The police think Matt fell off a cliff to his death and ruled it an accident. But I’m not buying it. It doesn’t make any sense. He was an avid hiker and rock climber. Yet not a piece of equipment was found with him. He was wearing flip flops.”

  “That does sound suspicious,” Evie said.

  “And what the police don’t know is that Matt called me just before it happened. He told me he thought someone was trying to kill him.”

  “Whoa,” Evie said over a mouthful of cookie. “And you can’t tell the police about it?”

  She shook her head. “I can’t become part of an investigation.”

  “Of course, you can’t,” Dora said. “Any idea who he might have been talking about?”

  Windy shrugged. “No. But I believed him. I discovered later his cabin had been tossed like someone was looking for something.” She let out a frustrated sigh. “A guy like Matt didn’t deserve this. He was one of the good ones, you know?”

  Tears filled the woman’s eyes, and Evie reached out her hand to Windy as Sunshine jumped in her lap to comfort her too. “I know this is really hard. You said he hadn’t been here long. Did you know him before he showed up here?”

  Windy shook her head. “No. He found us about three weeks before his death. He was a through hiker on the Coastal Trail. It runs along the edge of my land. Hikers tell each other about places that will let you take a shower and get a hot meal in exchange for a little light labor. I’m part of that network.”

  Evie’s heart warmed at Windy’s generosity. The woman was definitely not who she had thought when they first met. “He must have liked it here if he stayed for three weeks.”

  “It was beneficial for both of us. Matt was good with his hands and the kind of man who would fix whatever was broken without being asked. Someone like that can stay as long as they need to.”

  Dora said, “He sounds like he was a pretty great guy. Any chance you left his cabin as it was?”

  Windy nodded. “I did. I didn’t—” She sniffed and blinked back tears. “I didn’t have it in me to go through his things just yet.” Sunshine let out a little whine of sympathy and leaned her head against Windy. The woman stroked the dog’s fur.

  “I understand,” Dora said. “Do you think Evie and I could take a look at it?”

  “Yes,” Windy stood up holding Sunshine close. “Of course. I’ll show you the way.”

  The cabin was tucked away a good distance from the main house, surrounded by a thick grove of redwoods. Even the cleared trail that led to the small cabin was hard to find if you didn’t know what you were looking for. Evie noted the word Freedom carved into the redwood right at the beginning of the trail and felt a pang of longing for her little cottage by the sea. Would she see it anytime soon? Would Trace, her longtime musician boyfriend, be waiting for her when she got there? What would happen to them if Dora and she ended up hiding out in the woods like Windy?

  Evie shook her head as she followed Windy, Sunshine, and Dora down the trail through the thickening forest. She couldn’t spend her time worrying about what-ifs. Her grandmother always told her to look in the direction she wanted to go. If she started thinking she’d never see Trace or her small home again, it would likely become a self-fulfilling prophecy. No. She needed to start thinking about solving this Matt guy’s murder and getting back home where she and Dora could resume their lives… hopefully with Trace and Luke by their sides and lots of great stories for their old age.

  The cabin, even though it was hidden in the woods, was a solid structure and although not quite as nice as the main house, it certainly was a quality build. The front had a pretty porch with a porch swing, and the front door was solid redwood with a pretty tree carved in the center. Inside, clothes had been strewn all over, curtains torn from the large picture window, and dishes smashed on the hardwood floor. But despite the destruction, it was easy to see that the place was gorgeous with its hardwood floors, an open beam ceiling, and an updated kitchen with white cabinets and quarts counter tops. Off to the left of the main room there was a large bedroom and an oversized bathroom, complete with a Jacuzzi tub and a walk-in shower.

  “Wow. This place is nicer than mine,” Dora said after they took a quick tour.

  Evie nodded. She loved her cottage back in Pensacola, but this place was cozy and made her want to curl up with a good book and a mug of hot cocoa. “It’s a real shame someone trashed it. Everything looks like it was perfect.”

  Windy let out a sigh. “I have to admit, it was just about perfect. Nothing makes me happier than to provide a comfortable place for those who need an oasis to recharge.”

  “Did you want us to clean it up as we search or leave it as is?” Evie asked, not wanting to broach the subject of the police possibly investigating. It was clear Windy would never voluntarily let them on her property. The only way they’d be investigating the cabin was if someone tipped them off, and it wasn’t going to be Dora or Evie.

  “It’s where you’ll be staying while you’re here, so unless you want to dodge broken kitchenware for the duration of your visit, I guess you’d better,” Windy said. Then she turned and headed for the front door, Sunshine hot on her heels. “Meet me back up at the main house when you’re finished. It’s time for my afternoon tea.”

  Evie’s stomach grumbled at the thought of a snack. The eggs she’d had earlier in the day hadn’t quite been enough to tide her over after that adrenaline rush and tour of the farm.

  “There should be snacks in the pantry if you want to do something about that rumble in your belly,” Windy s
aid to Evie just before she and Sunshine slipped out the front door.

  Evie moved to look out the side windows next to the front door. Her sweet little dog trotted along beside Windy, happily wagging her tail as if she were in heaven. “Traitor,” Evie muttered under her breath. She’d been tolerant of Sunshine’s affection for the older woman, but this was getting a little ridiculous.

  “She still loves you,” Dora said gently.

  “I know.” Evie grabbed one of the couch cushions that was askew, scanned the couch frame for anything unusual and then put it back in place. She did the same for the other two and promptly flung herself into the corner of the couch. “It’s just that everything is a mess right now. I could use a little snuggle time with my favorite Instagram star.”

  Dora let out a chuckle and sat right next to Evie, surprising her by wrapping her arms around Evie and pulling her in for a stiff sideways hug. “I’m no Instagram star, but I can snuggle you if that’s what you need.”

  Evie laughed. Leave it to Dora to give her an awkward hug and call it cuddling. “You’re sweet. Thanks.” She shrugged out of Dora’s embrace. “But I’m fine. I’m just not used to Sunshine warming up to a stranger so quickly. Let’s search this place and see what we can find.”

  Dora eyed the pantry, and Evie knew her friend must be surviving on fumes as well.

  “After we find a snack,” Evie added.

  “I knew there was a reason why I love you,” Dora said, her tone light and cheery as if they hadn’t just stepped into another murder mystery.

  4

  “So much for searching the cabin,” Dora said as she followed Evie up to the main house. “The only things we found were a pair of dirty jeans and some toiletries.”

  “At least we got the place cleaned up and we don’t have to sleep in the bus tonight,” Evie said as she knocked on the front door.