6 A Thyme to Die (17 page)

Steve texted back pretty much the same thing.
The State Department is coming for those. In the meantime, I’ll send Norris over to keep an eye on them. Love you.

Peggy balked at that idea. Norris may have been the one to tip off the media. She didn’t like the idea that her house could become part of the theft and people might look for the diamonds here. They hadn’t listed her address in the press release, but how hard would it be to find her since they’d put her name out there?

No wonder
Nightflyer
had alerted her.

She heard Paul come in the house as she was trying to decide what to do. Norris wasn’t there yet. The security guard was downstairs, but he was only one man. She wasn’t convinced the diamonds would be safe.

“Mom?” Paul yelled up the stairs, much the same way he did when he was twelve. “I’m here to escort you to the flower show again. Are you ready?”

Peggy grabbed her handbag and went downstairs. Shakespeare was outside in the backyard. “I’m going down to let Shakespeare in. I’ll be ready as soon as I get back up here.”

“Take your time.” Paul was eating an apple. “Have you got any peanut butter? Mai showed me how to dunk apples into peanut butter. It’s really good.”

“Help yourself.” She closed the door to the basement as she went downstairs.

Before she called Shakespeare in, she looked at the diamonds again. They still weren’t sparkling like cut diamonds should. Someone else might have to do a better job cleaning them. She was sure the gel hadn’t really harmed them.

That was when the idea hit her.

Her handbag wasn’t big enough to hold all the diamonds. She found a garden bag with the logo from last year’s International Flower Show in Atlanta on it. She put all the diamonds into the bag and covered them with a flowered scarf. They weren’t that heavy.

Was it safer for her to take the diamonds with her to the flower show?

She wasn’t really sure, but it seemed like the last place a thief would look for them. She certainly didn’t want to see them stolen again after Aris had given his life for them. Besides, they might need them to bargain for Tanya’s life.

Maybe it was a little unconventional, but it felt right. She could leave the garden bag at The Potting Shed exhibit. Sam and Selena would keep an eye on them.

With everything decided, at least in
her
mind, Peggy texted Steve.

I have the diamonds. Send the State Department to the flower show.

Chapter Nineteen

Dahlia

The dahlia is the national flower of Mexico. They were grown by the Aztecs and brought to the new world by Spanish conquistadors in the early 1600s. Hybridization began in the 1800s. Dahlias are easy plants to grow and will bloom from mid-summer through fall.

What?
Steve texted back.
Peggy, what are you doing?

She ignored the text as she and Paul left the house. The alarm was set. Shakespeare was inside, chewing on his toy.

Ken had left Matilda the skunk in her cage hours ago to head back to the flower show. Peggy called him and told him he’d have to wait to feed the skunk until that evening when she and Steve were home. Ken knew nothing about the diamonds.

Paul didn’t know she had the diamonds with her—which put him in a good mood.

He chuckled as he drove to the convention center. “I can’t believe you’re housing a skunk. All those years, we never had a pet at all. Now you have a dog the size of a pony and a skunk in the upstairs bedroom.”

“Matilda isn’t a permanent guest. When Ken leaves at the end of the week, she’ll leave with him.” She smiled at him. “Matilda has been a much better guest than some of your college friends.”

He winced. “It was only a small trashcan fire. Even Dad understood that college kids get a little wild sometimes.”

“Like I said.”

There was a big crowd for the flower show again. Peggy knew they’d received extra publicity because of Dabney’s death. It was grotesque, but she acknowledged the truth of it.

“Want me to help you with that bag?” Paul asked after they’d parked near the gate. He’d learned something from Steve.

“I’ve got it. Thanks. It’s only a few things Sam needed today.”

Pete greeted them as they walked by. “Let’s try to keep everyone alive today, huh? I thought flowers were safe and beautiful.”

“They are,” Peggy agreed. “It’s the people who aren’t so safe. See you later.”

She went immediately to The Potting Shed exhibit. There was another large group of people talking to Sam about landscaping.

“He did a mini-workshop on setting up a pond.” Selena pointed to the tiny pond in a washtub. “They ate it up. Now there are going to be thousands of washtub ponds around Charlotte. It’s going to become the not-so-cool thing to do.”

Peggy shrugged. “Whatever brings in business. At least he didn’t plant a garden in a toilet. I hate seeing those alongside the road.”

She took the garden bag and put it with Sam’s gear under the table where he was standing.

“Hey, Peggy!” He introduced her to some prospective customers. “Most people know her as the plant lady. She also works as a forensic botanist for the city.”

Everyone was suitably impressed by that information. They had dozens of questions to ask about Dr. Abutto’s death, as well as Dabney’s murder.

“I’m sorry. I have to run. We’re handing out some awards for the outstanding exhibits here this week at the conference area, near the stairs. I’d love it if you’d sign a contract for Sam to do your landscaping and then join us. Thank you for stopping by.”

Peggy shook a few hands and whispered to Sam, “There are diamonds in the garden bag under the table.”

The expression on his handsome face was comical. “Say again.”

“You heard me. Don’t make a big deal out of it. I’ll be back in a while.”

Sam watched her leave with a deep frown settling over his healthy, tan face.

“You look like somebody stole your last bag of mulch,” Selena remarked.

“Or something like that. Why does she
always
do these things to me?”

Peggy found Adam Morrow in the rapidly filling conference room.

“Thank goodness you’re here.” He took her hand and smiled. “I’m worried about how these vendors are going to take it when they don’t get a prize from the judges.”

“They do this every year in Atlanta. I’ve never seen anyone act like less of a lady or gentleman about it. There’s no reason why it should be any different here.”

“You weren’t out talking to those dahlia growers this morning. I was afraid they weren’t going to let me leave their exhibit without promising that they were going to win something.”

“I’m so sorry I’ve had to put so much on you, Adam. Believe me, I had no idea all of these terrible events would happen.”

“That’s okay. I’m happy to help out.” He frowned and leaned a little closer to her. “I read this morning about the diamonds. Wow! What a score.”

“Hardly worthwhile. Aris and Dabney are both dead. We’re still not sure where Tanya Abutto is. What good are millions of diamonds if even one person dies?”

“Peggy, you’re one in a million. I might be willing to sacrifice a few people for a couple of million dollars.”

She didn’t respond and hoped he was joking. She knew he was having financial difficulties and might have to close one or two of his stores. People said rash things they didn’t mean when they were desperate.

“I think it’s time. Thanks again for your help, Adam.”

He bowed slightly. “My pleasure, as always.”

Peggy ran her hand lightly across her hair and adjusted her peach-colored jacket. She went up on stage and addressed the crowd, taking a moment to honor Aris and Dabney.

She gave out four awards. Adam was right. There were definitely some hostile looks from the losers. It was only a chunk of plastic, she wanted to say to them. How much difference did it make in the long run?

She’d made the decision not to include The Potting Shed in any of the award categories, even though the rules hadn’t forbidden her from doing so. She didn’t like the idea of there being even a hint of impropriety.

Peggy thanked the panel of judges and the audience gave them a round of applause. The winners stood on the platform with their awards and had their pictures taken by media people and bloggers for the International Flower Show. She stepped aside and let them have their moment.

Several disgruntled growers and vendors waited impatiently for her to finish the ceremony before complaining about their loss. She tried to soothe their ruffled feathers and mouthed platitudes until she could get away.

Already tired after her day had begun with the alarm going off at the convention center, she stopped at the snack area for a cup of hot water. She always brought her own tea bags. She needed a double shot of Earl Grey to get through the rest of the day.

Her cell phone rang. It was an unknown number. Thinking it might be
Nightflyer
again, she answered.

“Peggy Lee?”

“Yes.” The voice sounded muffled, but not like
Nightflyer
at all. “Who is this?”

“The man who told everyone you have the diamonds. I have Tanya Abutto. I think a little horse trading may be what’s needed right now.”

Peggy sat down on a bench near the stairs. Her heart fluttered uncomfortably. She wasn’t the person that should talk to a kidnapper. She wished she could put him on hold or have him call back so she could locate Steve or Al to handle this.

“Still there?”

“Yes.” She swallowed hard on the sudden rush of fear. “I’m here, but I’m not who you need to talk to. Let me find someone who can negotiate with you.”

“I think you’re exactly who I need to talk to. I didn’t mention negotiation. Here’s the deal. You give me the diamonds and I give you the girl. Sound good?”

“I can’t make that deal,” she sputtered. “I don’t have the diamonds. I found them, but the FBI has them. Actually, I think it’s the State Department that has them. I’m sorry but I don’t have their phone number.”

“Listen carefully. No tricks. I want the diamonds. You want your friend’s daughter? Take the diamonds to the main branch of the library on Seventh Street at four today. Come alone. I’ll call you when I see you. Any police or FBI, the girl dies. Got it?”

Before Peggy could agree, or at least argue that she couldn’t possibly do this, the phone went dead.

She stared at the rapidly cooling cup of hot water in her hand.

What was she going to do?

Chapter Twenty

Fern

Ferns have been around for more than 300 million years. The American Fern Society was established in 1893 and has more than 900 members which share their love for the plant. Spring foragers have been eating the new, tightly-curled head of the plant for at least that long. Some are delicious with a little butter. Others are toxic and should be avoided. Be sure you know your fiddleheads before you eat them.

Peggy sat on the bench for a long time, watching as people walked by. Most of them seemed to be having a good time. They were exclaiming over the giant ferns in the last exhibit they saw or looking at pictures on their camera phones of amazing bulb gardens that they wanted to plant in their yards. The show was always good about giving gardeners new ideas.

Two women from Charlotte were talking about signing contracts with Sam for landscape service because they wanted to see him with his shirt off. The humor in that finally lifted her out of the terrible black hole the phone call had dropped her into.

It was wrong for the kidnapper to try and get her to bring him the diamonds, but that was what had happened. She had to deal with it.

Standing, she gazed across the crowded concourse and saw Steve’s face as he came toward her. She couldn’t help Tanya by herself, no matter what the kidnapper said. Steve would help her decide what to do. Together, they would save Aris’s daughter.

“You look like you saw a ghost.” He teased her as he put his arm around her. “Are you okay?”

“Much better now that you’re here.” She turned her head into his neck and whispered, “I got a call from Tanya’s kidnapper. He wants to trade the diamonds for her.”