Jimmy was one of the volunteers who kept the garden going.
“Did you get his statement?”
“I did,” she said.
“And you called me here even after that?” I asked Than.
“She was speaking to the volunteer when I called.”
“I know you read through the manual before you started this job,” I said. “And while you might be able to see that the plants were distressed—”
“Are distressed,” he said.
“—are distressed, because you are a god—”
That was when I heard the scuff of a shoe on the concrete behind me.
“—god danged lover of nature,” I covered, “this isn’t a murder.”
Myra moved over to block whoever had just walked up on us. “This is a restricted area,” she said.
I knew, I justknewwho it was going to be before I turned.
“I was hoping I could get an action shot.” Patrick Baum held his phone horizontally—already filming?
“Sure,” I said, stepping aside so he could get a look at the crime.
“That’s real Baum of you, Chief Reed,” he said, working his catch phrase into the conversation. “What am I looking at?” he asked, as he panned the area.
“A garden,” Than offered.
“But what crime are you investigating? Who got killed? Where is the body?”
“You’re standing on it,” Than said.
To his credit, Patrick kept the phone steady as he rabbit-hopped backward several feet. “What?” He scanned the ground, then his gaze came up to me.
It was not a happy sort of gaze.
“We’re investigating who stole the bushes,” I said.
“And flowers,” Myra added.
“And flowers,” I agreed.
He lowered the phone. “I thought there was a murder.”
“Who did you hear that from?” I asked.
“From you. I was going to film here, and saw the cruiser and your Jeep. I wanted to see what Ordinary’s police were doing in the garden.”
“Policing,” Than said.
“Most of our crimes are misdemeanors,” I said for him, and for his audience behind the camera. “Ordinary is a safe place. We have a lot of visitors who stop in for our beautiful beaches and our wonderful festivals.”
He lowered the camera and tipped his chin. “Nice advertisement you got in there.”
“Was it realBaumof me?” I asked.
