The Possum Hollow Hullabaloo (The Penelope Pembroke Cozy Mystery Series) (4 page)

CHAPTER SEVEN

“Ellie’s still insisting her mother has gone to visit a sister who’s ill,” George Harris told Penelope when he stopped into the library a week later. “I don’t buy it.”

“What about the little sister?”

“Evie. She’s four. I think Ellie’s staying home to take care of her when her father’s gone.”

“Where does he go?”

George shrugged. “I don’t even want to know. Both times I went out there, she wouldn’t let me in the house—said her father was sleeping.” He shook his head. “I don’t buy it,” he said again. “And this morning Paul said he noticed some bruises on Ellie’s neck.”

“Did he ask her about them?”

“Oh, sure, but the girl didn’t give him any answers that made sense. Paul will have to report them.”

“To child welfare?”

“Unfortunately. They’re the last folks I want nosing around out here. The state education department looks the other way—gives us credit for what we’re doing to keep these kids in school, but child welfare is another matter.”

“I take it you’ve dealt with them before.”

“Once, briefly, and that was enough. But Paul has to report this. He could lose his license if he doesn’t.”

“I’m not arguing that.”

“I told him to come to my office after school and make the call with me as a witness.”

“Well, if
somebody’s abusing Ellie, it’s got to stop.”

“If her father had to smack her, I wish he’d done it where nobody would know.” George rubbed the perpetual frown lines between his eyes. “No, I don’t mean that. We all realize a lot goes on in these
kids’ homes we don’t know about, and most of the time, we don’t want to know about it. But the law is the law, and this is one we can’t wink at.”

****

Penelope relayed the information to Bradley and Rosabel that evening over pork chops, red beans, and rice. “I hope whoever they send has enough sense to come by the PD and get an officer to go out to Jeremiah Hadden’s with them,” Bradley said.

“I don’t volunteer,”
Rosabel said, winking at Penelope.

“You’re not getting within a mile of any house out in the Hollow,” Bradley snapped. “I’m proud of you for volunteering some of your time off to help out there, but don’t even think about getting involved with those kids on a personal basis.”

“They’re good kids,” Rosabel said, her voice neutral, though her cheeks had turned pink.

“I know that, Rosie,” Bradley said, turning apologetic, “but most of their parents aren’t.”

She nodded and helped herself to another roll.

“And there’s more bad news, Mother,” Bradley went on. “A man came by the PD last week and said he’d heard there was going to be a Christmas program at the community center—a Nativity Play—and wanted me to put a stop to it. I told him that wasn’t my job unless I had a court order.”

“So is he getting one?”

“I don’t know. He’s with some group I never heard of.”

“Atheist or one of those separation of church and state folks?” Jake asked.

“No idea, Pawpaw. He came in ready to fight, and I got him out of my office as quick as I could.”

“Can he get a court order to stop it?” Penelope asked.

“That all depends. The Town Council gave Aunt Mary Lynn some money to get started out there, but the rest of the work has been donated.”

“That’s right, no government money,” Jake said. “People like that just want to make trouble. They don’t really care about a prayer at high school graduation or a football game. It’s all about getting their way.”

“It’s more than that, Pawpaw,” Bradley said. “Some of the really organized groups are promoting an agenda, but they have a right to do it even if we don’t agree with what they’re after.”

“It’s wrong.” Jake set down his glass of milk with more force than necessary.

“I agree, but they have the right,” Bradley reiterated.

“Does Mary Lynn know?” Penelope asked.

“I haven’t said anything to her, but you could mention it. What kinds of records have you two kept about the money for repairs?”

“We write down the name of everybody who donates time and money—or anything else.”

“That’s good. I’m not really worried about this guy shutting down your program, but you never know.”

Jake narrowed his eyes. “That’s not what I went off to war to fight for.”

             
“Sure you did, Pawpaw—the Constitution.  Everybody’s rights.”

The older man shook his head. “I’ve got rights, too, Brad, and I aim to exercise them without anybody bothering me.”

****

Penelope’s mind ping-ponged between Ellie’s situation and the unknown protestor as she tried to fall asleep. At midnight, when she was still wide-awake, the phone rang beside her bed.

“Hello, Nell.”

“Two weeks and two days, Sam.”

He chuckled. “Still keeping track.”

“It’s all I can do. Where are you? How are you?”

“I’m not in Amaryllis, and I’m fine. What about you?”

She filled him in on Miss Maude Pendleton, Ellie
Hadden, and the man who wanted to shut down the Christmas program at the community center. “I can’t sleep,” she finished.

“If I was there, I’d rock you.”

“And get in a little grope while you did it.”

“Aw, Nell, that’s not fair. I don’t grope you anymore, and you liked it anyway.

“I did not!”

“I might be able to get there at Thanksgiving if there’s a seat at the table for me.”

“There is. It’ll just be the Hargroves and Brad and Rosabel.”

“I’m not sure yet, but I thought I’d put out some feelers. Sorry—wrong word.”

Penelope tried not to laugh, but she couldn’t help it. “Just behave yourself.”

“Don’t I always?”

“No, you don’t.”

“What’s the name of the group this fellow is with, the one who wants Brad to close down the Christmas program?”

“Brad didn’t mention a name but said he’d never heard of the group the man supposedly represented.”

“I’ll give him a call tomorrow.”

“Why?”

“I can do some nosing around. It’s my thing, you know.”

“I know.”

“
Gotta go, Nell. Be good. Be careful anyway. And I mean that.”

“I don’t go beyond the school grounds in the Hollow.”

“Good. I’ll try to let you know if I’m coming for Thanksgiving.”

“I’ll leave the garage door unlocked.”

“You never lock it anyway. ‘Night, Nell.”

“Goo
dnight, Sam. I…” But he’d hung up.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Two days later, on the drive to Possum Hollow, Penelope filled Mary Lynn in on the man who wanted to shut down the Christmas program. She didn’t mention Sam had said he’d see what he could find out.

“Darn,” Mary Lynn said, “there’s always one fly in the ointment.”

“Maybe this will turn out to be a mosquito that’ll buzz off.”

“We can always hope. So what about Paul Hollis? Did he make a report on Ellie?”

“I guess so. Uh-oh—look at that car.”

Mary Lynn sucked in her breath. “They didn’t waste any time, did they—the child welfare?”

“Well, Mary Lynn, if a child’s
being abused…” Penelope parked the SUV, and they got out. Inside the building, it was quiet until they passed the principal’s office. “I’m telling you I want to see that child.” The demand echoed in the silent hall.

Penelope and Mary Lynn entered the outer office, hoping their presence wouldn’t be noticed.

“And I’m telling you she’s not here today, and if you’re planning on going out to look for her, you’d better take a police officer with you.”

“Why?”

“Because the folks out here generally don’t shoot at a uniform—just around it.”

“What?”

Penelope rolled her eyes at Mary Lynn, who snickered.

“Go back to town and ask for an officer to go with you.”

“Why can’t you go with me?”

“I’ve been out there twice in the last two weeks. Ellie says her mother’s visiting a sick sister, and I haven’t seen hide
nor hair of her father—and you don’t want to.”

“Then I’ll just get a court order to remove her.”

“It’s not that easy, is it? Don’t you have to have proof of imminent danger or something?”

“Bruises on a child’s neck
constitutes imminent danger as far as I’m concerned.”

George Harris’s sigh could be heard through his closed door. “Then do what you have to, but if you’re smart, you won’t do it on your own.”

The woman who stalked out of the principal’s office was young—very young, Penelope thought.
Probably new at her job. Going to save the world—if she lives that long. She better do what George told her to do.

George Harris leaned against the door jamb. “I’m going out to see if I can find Ellie.”

“Is that a good idea?” Penelope asked. “You told her…”

“Alana Mueller. Miss. Newly-minted social worker.
Been on the job six weeks.”

Mary Lynn threw up her hands. “Good for her.”

“Ellie didn’t come to school yesterday either. It was Shana Bayliss’s day, and she told me she thought she could talk to Ellie about her little sister, but she didn’t show up.”

“It was worth a try. George, are you sure you ought to go back out there? Bradley said…”

“I called him as soon as Paul told me Ellie wasn’t in school again. He’s sending Parnell Garrett to go with me. Besides, this time I’m really worried. Bruises on the neck say something.”

“What about the Mueller woman?” Mary Lynn asked. “Or girl.”

George chuckled. Hopefully, she won’t pass Parnell on the road and turn around and come back. Maybe we can get some information this time around.”

“Or not,” Penelope said, turning to Mary Lynn. “I’m off to the library. It’s your day to do attendance and the rest of the paperwork.”

“I can hardly wait.” Mary Lynn flounced off toward the tiny attendance office.

****

George and Parnell showed up two hours later with Ellie in tow. Also with them, trying to hide behind Ellie’s skinny frame, a younger girl wept hysterically. She wore a faded shapeless dress, much like her older sister’s, and no shoes. Penelope stepped out of the library when she saw them in the hall.

“Now,
Evie, don’t cry anymore,” George said in the soft voice practiced in soothing the innocent and putting fear in the guilty. “It’s almost time for lunch, and I happen to know there’s an extra hamburger steak with your name on it.”

“Hush,” Ellie hissed at her sister. “We’ll go home right after lunch.”

“Yum-yum.” Parnell rubbed his flat stomach and licked his lips. Evie wailed louder.

Ellie gave her sister’s arm a jerk. “Hush up!” The child hiccupped and hid her face in Ellie’s skirt.

Ellie, why don’t you take Evie down to the kindergarten room. Tell Mrs. Harris I said you could stay in there with her until lunch.

The older girl hurried off without replying.

“Well, you blessed found them anyway,” Penelope said.

“Oh, we found them all right,” George replied, glancing at Parnell. “You fill her in. I’ve got to go do some work this morning.” He walked off, shaking his head.

Parnell followed Penelope into the library and accepted the mug of coffee she fetched from the tiny closet-turned-kitchenette-nurse’s office. “So what’s going on?”

He looked around for a chair large enough for his six-foot-five frame and folded
himself into it. “They were leaving the house—if you want to call it a house—about the time we pulled up, so we just sort of followed them back into the woods. Pretty far back in. They had some flowers in an old tin can.”

“Oh, my stars, they weren’t taking them to a…”

The officer nodded. “Yep. Hard to tell how long it’d been there. Still mounded up, so I’d say it’s more or less recent.”

Penelope’s knees felt weak. She perched on the edge of a table.
“Their mother.”

“Probably.”

“Those poor little girls.”

“We walked on back out to the edge of the trees and waited for them. Thought they were going to run when they saw
us, but Ellie just sort of gave us a look like she knew the jig was up.”

“Did she say anything?”

“Not a word.”

“What are you going to do?”

“That’s up to Chief Malone, but I’m guessing he’ll ask Judge Gilbert for an order of exhumation unless we can find Jeremiah Hadden to tell us how she died. Always possible it was natural causes. The folks out there take care of their own and don’t bother with formalities like a coroner or a death certificate.” A look of distaste passed over Parnell’s rugged features. “I hate stuff like this.”

“Oh, Parnell, that’s too bad. At least the first body in the basement of the old school was just a pile of bones.”

“This one won’t be, I’ll bet.” He swallowed the remaining coffee and unfolded himself. “George told me about the social worker. She’ll grab those little girls so fast, and they’re already scared to death, especially the little one.”

“I know, but what else can she do? They can’t go back out there. I don’t gues
s you happen to know anything about Jeremiah.”

“
Naw, he’s long gone, I bet.”

“You think he killed his wife or…”

“Whatever happened, I’m betting the kids saw it.”

“So you’re going to have to talk to them.”

“Not me. Brad gets that pleasure.”

“Poor little girls.”

“I gotta go, Mrs. Pembroke. If you should happen to take the girls home with you tonight…”

“You wouldn’t say you knew about it.”

He grinned. “Right.”

“It’s the best option for now, I suppose.”

“Reckon so.” He covered the space to the door in three strides and waved on the other side.