The red creeping up his neck touched his face, which was the slightest shade of orange. "That doesn't matter. What does matter is that multiple people in this town are having really odd things happen to them. And you, and this house, and your group of...women keep being brought up."
"I love that we're popular," Ursula said calmly, "but unless you have something concrete or an accusation that holds value, we'regoing to consider this a nice visit where we've met a new friend and offered him coffee."
Eloise didn't hold back her smile as she stood. "It really was nice meeting you, officer. If we hear anything about the goings on around town, we will be sure to let you know so that you can add it to your notebook of gossip." She paused when he looked up at her. "Unless you would like to stay for a treat? I have elderflower scones that are to die for."
Ursula also stood and they both looked down on the man in uniform sitting there, as his neck and face held that interesting shade of red. He looked up at them, an uncertainty in his eyes and posture. What had started in his control had flipped.
"Mmm, maybe another time," Eloise answered for him. "Now if you will excuse us, I need to go to the coffee shop and Ursula has a busy day as well."
They walked to the front door, which opened before Eloise had started pulling and she had to put her weight behind it or it would have flung exuberantly against the wall. Ursula's eyes widened the slightest and she smiled at the officer who was now striding towards the wide open door.
"Have a lovely day," they both said waving and giving him a friendly farewell. They both held themselves tightly as he walked down the steps and one of the wood boards lifted causing him to stumble.
Breaths were held.
He righted himself and looked at the steps, that were thankfully back in their place, and he shook his head before getting into his patrol car and driving away.
Tension took over what was usually a carefree and calm atmosphere in this house. The air moved differently, the windows kept opening themselves the slightest and then closing.
"Okay," Ursula said as the door slammed itself shut. "Obviously not a wanted guest."
"Everything has felt a little...off, right?"
She nodded in response.
"I," Eloise bit her lip trying to find the words. "I smell things."
"What do you mean?"
"You know how I've always had a really good nose?"
She nodded. "Yeah, you have the nose of a bloodhound. Or a pregnant woman."
"Right, well I thought it was just this perimenopause situation, that weird smell thing, but I don't know. Lately, I've been smelling a disturbance. Like the air is frenzied and you know that feeling right before a storm?"
"Yeah. I swear, I thought I was going crazy, but my plants have been doing odd things. Turning odd colors, leaves curling in, that black willow? Slaps me whenever I walk by. And I didn't want to scare anyone but I have found random sprigs of the black prince snapdragons popping up throughout the garden."
"Didn't want to scare anyone? Scare us! We need to know what's going on, because this is all weird."
"You kept your dangerous guy secret from me," she pointed out and something flared in Eloise.
She pointed at Ursula. "That's not fair. That's different."
"How?" she asked, hands on hips, her stance strong.
"Because that was, is, about me and my past."
"Oh yeah? And if he comes here, where we both live, or heaven forbid when Bess is here, what then? Then it's still only about you?"
"No, that's not what I'm saying," she said shaking her head, feeling the truth of Ursula's words land heavy, but feeling a flame of shame that shifted to defense. "I'm saying that whatever is going on in this town is bigger than us. And we need to tell each other when something is off like the snapdragons."
"A literal abuser, someone who possibly tried to murder you, left you a message in The Black Cat and you kept that from me. I think that's a little bigger than flowers."
The air was sparked. It smelled like heat and rubber and Eloise tried not to breathe it in too deeply.
"Those are separate!"
"How do you know?!" she flung her arms wide, her porcelain cheeks flushed.
