Bunny Donuts and a Body Donut Truck Mystery 3

Cindy Bell install download

https://ebookmeta.com/product/bunny-donuts-and-a-body-donut-
truck-mystery-3-cindy-bell/

Download more ebook from https://ebookmeta.com

We believe these products will be a great fit for you. Click
the link to download now, or visit ebookmeta.com
to discover even more!

Wicked Wedding Donuts Donut Shop Cozy Mystery 54

Jessica Beck Et El

https://ebookmeta.com/product/wicked-wedding-donuts-donut-shop-
cozy-mystery-54-jessica-beck-et-el/

Beaches and Betrayal Dune House Mystery 22 Cindy Bell

https://ebookmeta.com/product/beaches-and-betrayal-dune-house-
mystery-22-cindy-bell/

Corpse at the Christmas Cookie Exchange Maddie Mills

Cozy Mystery 3 Cindy Bell

https://ebookmeta.com/product/corpse-at-the-christmas-cookie-
exchange-maddie-mills-cozy-mystery-3-cindy-bell/

Perfectoid Spaces Infosys Science Foundation Series

Debargha Banerjee (Editor)

https://ebookmeta.com/product/perfectoid-spaces-infosys-science-
foundation-series-debargha-banerjee-editor/
Larone s Medically Important Fungi A Guide to
Identification 7th Edition Lars F Westblade Eileen M
Burd Shawn R Lockhart Gary W Procop

https://ebookmeta.com/product/larone-s-medically-important-fungi-
a-guide-to-identification-7th-edition-lars-f-westblade-eileen-m-
burd-shawn-r-lockhart-gary-w-procop/

Meteorology Today: An Introduction to Weather, Climate,

and the Environment 13th Edition C. Donald Ahrens

https://ebookmeta.com/product/meteorology-today-an-introduction-
to-weather-climate-and-the-environment-13th-edition-c-donald-
ahrens/

Electromagnetic Field Theory 1st Edition Amit Sarin

https://ebookmeta.com/product/electromagnetic-field-theory-1st-
edition-amit-sarin/

The Rake s Lost Soul Lisa Campell

https://ebookmeta.com/product/the-rake-s-lost-soul-lisa-campell/

The Complete Works of Fyodor Dostoyevsky 1st Edition

Dostoyevsky

https://ebookmeta.com/product/the-complete-works-of-fyodor-
dostoyevsky-1st-edition-dostoyevsky/
Lonely Planet - Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei (2022)
15th Edition Simon Richmond

https://ebookmeta.com/product/lonely-planet-malaysia-singapore-
brunei-2022-15th-edition-simon-richmond/
BUNNY DONUTS AND A BODY
A DONUT TRUCK COZY MYSTERY SERIES
CINDY BELL
 CONTENTS

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18

Also by Cindy Bell

About the Author
Bunny Shaped Donut Recipe
 Copyright © 2018 Cindy Bell

All rights reserved.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and locations portrayed in this book and
the names herein are fictitious. Any similarity to or identification with the locations, names,
characters or history of any person, product or entity is entirely coincidental and
unintentional.

All trademarks and brands referred to in this book are for illustrative purposes only, are the
property of their respective owners and not affiliated with this publication in any way. Any
trademarks are being used without permission, and the publication of the trademark is not
authorized by, associated with or sponsored by the trademark owner.
 CHAPTER 1

Brenda poured coffee into two tall travel mugs. She smiled to herself
when she heard the sound of the car door in the driveway. She knew
it meant that her friend and business partner, Joyce had arrived. As
quietly as she could she moved around the kitchen gathering the last
items she needed. She didn’t want to wake her husband, or her
daughter, who had the luxury of sleeping in. That was not the case
for her, but she didn’t mind getting up when it was still dark outside.
She was excited to get out into the morning chill.
After a light knock Joyce let herself into the house. They had a
routine that they followed, and today was no different as Brenda
handed over one of the travel mugs.
“Good morning, Joyce.”
“Good morning.” She beamed as she took the mug. “I have some
amazing news.”
“You do?” Brenda grabbed her purse and keys, then followed
Joyce through the door.
“We were approved!” Joyce squealed as Brenda closed the door
behind her. She winced and hoped the noise didn’t wake either her
husband or daughter.
“What are you talking about?” Brenda trailed after her to the car.
Joyce left her car in the driveway, and Brenda unlocked the doors to
hers. As they settled in the car, Joyce could barely contain herself.
“We’ve been approved to be one of the vendors at the Easter egg
hunt. Isn’t it fantastic?” She slapped her palm against one of her
knees. “I thought we weren’t going to get it, but we did!”
“That is wonderful news!” Brenda started the car then looked
back towards the house briefly. As always, she felt a subtle pang at
driving away without saying good morning to her husband or
daughter. This was still new to her in many ways, and though she
was adjusting, there were moments when she wondered about her
choices.
“We need some tunes.” Joyce flipped on the radio, shot a
knowing look in Brenda’s direction, then settled in for the drive.
“Oh, I love this song!” Brenda’s excitement resurfaced as she
turned the radio up a bit and began to sing along.
“You weren’t even born when that song came out.” Joyce
laughed.
“It’s still good! You know the words, don’t you?” She grinned at
her.
“Sure do.” Joyce clapped her hands and began to sing along as
well. By the time the song ended they were both laughing.
Brenda pulled on to the main strip where several vendor trucks
were parked, and turned off the car.
“That’s a great way to start the morning.” They both stepped out
into the crisp morning air.
“Oh boy, I needed that. Now, about the hunt. There’s so much to
do. I wasn’t expecting this, truly. Apparently, the churro truck had
some mechanical issues and can’t be part of the event, so we’re up.
The only problem is the other trucks have had weeks to prepare and
we need to be ready by tomorrow.” She hurried towards the truck
with Brenda right on her heels. “We’re going to need supplies, and
we’re going to need to pay for a sign to be hung up. Each of the
vendors has to pay to have one hung up at the park. Which, don’t
worry, we have the money to do, but it will take a bit of arranging.
Plus, we need to make sure we have enough donuts for today’s
sales, which might be high.”
“Joyce, take a breath.” Brenda put her hand on her friend’s
shoulder as they reached their truck. “Everything is going to be fine.
This is a good thing, remember?”
 “Oh, I do, I’m sorry, I know I’m stressing. It’s just that this could
be such a wonderful opportunity for us, and I want everything to go
smoothly.” She unlocked the door of the truck and flipped the light
on inside.
“It will, Joyce. This is an amazing surprise. I’ll tell you what. I’ll
handle everything with the truck today. I’ll get everything set up,
keep the donuts cooking, and you can just work on getting things
ready for tomorrow. Does that sound okay?” She studied her friend
with some concern. Joyce was quite a few years older than her, and
was physically spry and incredibly intelligent. But Brenda couldn’t
overlook how tense she was, and the slight tremble in her voice.
Was it anxiety or excitement?
“Yes, that’s perfect. Thanks, Brenda. I promise I’ll feel better
once everything is in place.” She headed to the small space in the
rear of the truck that they had set up as an office. While she began
to make phone calls, Brenda focused on getting the truck up and
running for the morning. She heated up the fryer, molded dough into
donuts and dropped them inside. Then she began wiping down the
front counter and setting out the supplies they’d need for the day.
When she saw that the napkin holders were almost empty she
grabbed a new box from the storage shelf. As she started to set it
down on the counter, the timer on the fryer began to buzz. Despite
working in the truck for some time, the sound still startled her first
thing in the morning, and the napkins flew out of her hands. She
tried to catch them, but the box tumbled off the front counter and
down onto the ground in front of the truck.
“Great!” She sighed as she turned around to pull the donuts out
of the fryer and turn off the buzzer that she was sure interrupted
Joyce’s phone calls. She turned to see Joyce still chatting away on
the phone. When she turned back she found a young man, perhaps
just in his twenties, smiling at her. He held up the box of napkins.
“Are these yours?”
“Yes, thank you so much.” She laughed as she took the box. “I’m
a little wound up this morning.”
“It smells like you’re doing a great job.” He looked past her into
the truck. “I’ve been meaning to stop by here all week, but I’ve been
a little busy.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re here now. We’re going to be at a new
location tomorrow. Thanks again for your help.”
“It’s no problem. I’m Frederick.” He offered his hand.
“It’s nice to meet you.” Brenda smiled and gave his hand a quick
shake. “Would you like to try one of our new chocolate filled donuts
that we have made specially for Easter?”
“Sure. I guess you’ll be at the park for the Easter egg hunt?” He
accepted the donut she offered. “This looks delicious.”
“Thanks. Yes, we’ll be there, we just found out this morning.
We’re very excited.” She glanced over her shoulder at Joyce who was
still on the phone.
“I’ll see you there. I’m working at the park, hanging up signs. It’s
a bit more complicated than it sounds.” He chuckled. “How much do
I owe you?” He held up the donut.
“It’s on the house.” She smiled. “Just enjoy.”
“Thanks.” He gave her a light wave as he walked away.
Brenda couldn’t help but be happy. She knew that all of the hard
work they’d invested in ‘Donuts on the Move’ was going to pay off.
The sales at the park would be a big boon to the business, and she
would finally be able to feel confident that things would go well. The
first few years of a business were always nerve-wracking.
“I thought I’d never get off the phone.” Joyce laughed as she
joined her friend near the window of the truck. “Sharon loves to
chat.”
“Yes, she does.” Brenda grinned. “Did they have everything we’re
going to need?”
“Yes, it’ll be delivered tomorrow. I tried to get it today, but it was
too short notice. Who was that you were talking to?” She peered
through the window at the man who headed for the parking lot.
“His name is Frederick. I dropped a box of napkins through the
window and he grabbed it for me before they could get trampled
on.” She displayed the unopened box.
“Hmm, sounds like a decent enough fellow.” She glanced over a
group of customers that headed down the line of trucks. “It looks
like it’s about to get busy around here.”
 “Yes, it does.” Brenda took a deep breath, pushed down all other
thoughts, and prepared for the onslaught of hungry customers.

The morning rush was wilder than ever. Word had spread about their
donuts and people were coming from the other side of town to try
them. Brenda did her best to keep up and keep a friendly smile on
her face. She knew that people needed a positive start to their day.
A few quiet moments followed after eleven. She took a breath and
rushed to catch up with cleaning as well as making an afternoon
batch of donuts. As she was tidying up, she heard a sharp voice not
far from the truck.
“Where is it?” The question rang out so harshly that Brenda
turned and gasped. She saw a man approach the truck window. She
noticed that he was on his cell phone. “I need answers. I’ll call you
back.” He hung up the phone.
“How can I help you?” Brenda walked towards the window. He
was tall with short, brown hair. She didn’t think he had been there
before. But then again, she’d met many people since opening the
donut truck, so many that she couldn’t keep track of them all.
“Can I get a cream—” He looked down at his phone as it beeped.
“Ugh, I have to go.” He turned and walked away.
“Are you okay?” Brenda jumped at the sound of Joyce’s voice
right behind her.
“Oh Joyce, you startled me!” Brenda shook her head. “That was
weird. That man.”
“I know, I heard everything.”
“I’ve never seen him before.” Brenda frowned as she crossed her
arms. “Have you?”
“Not that I can say. But the Easter egg hunt is drawing people
from all over the county. Seeing as the vendors aren’t open at the
park, yet, it doesn’t surprise me to see a few strangers come to our
truck. I’m sure there are many people staying in town for a few
days. Don’t let it bother you. We’re having a great day, remember?”
 “Yes.” Brenda smiled and slung her arm around Joyce’s
shoulders. “Thanks for reminding me. How are the calls going?”
“I have to get back to it in a second. I just need some fresh air.”
Joyce stepped off the truck. She breathed in the fresh air and
glanced around. She loved to watch people and the interactions they
had. She imagined what was going on in their lives. There were
many people walking through the area. She watched a mother push
her baby in a stroller, she looked so happy. She noticed two men
walk quickly past her. They stood out to her because one was quite
tall and muscular and the other short with a round belly. They
looked so different to each other and were both dressed in long
pants and coats. She laughed to herself as she couldn’t understand
how they could be wearing such warm clothes on quite a hot day.
She took a deep breath and stepped back onto the truck. “I’m going
to make some more calls. Are you doing okay serving by yourself?”
She asked Brenda as she grabbed a cup of coffee and a baked
donut.
“Yes, it’s been busy, but I can handle it.” As she spoke she turned
to face a line of people that seemed to appear out of nowhere. Once
the line started, it didn’t stop. People kept piling up.
Just after three, a lull finally hit. Normally, the truck would close
up at that time or Joyce would keep it open and serve customers for
a while if it was very busy, and Brenda would head off to pick up
Sophie from school. But Sophie had the day off and was spending it
at home with her father.
“How is it going?” Joyce walked towards the service area, away
from the office area where her attention had been most of the day.
“It’s finally starting to quiet down, though I’m not sure if I should
trust that.” She peered out through the window. “We could get
another rush at any second.”
“If we do, they’ll be out of luck. I think we should close up soon.”
Joyce started to gather some of the donuts that remained on the
shelves.
“Joyce, are you serious?” Brenda looked over at her with some
concern. Joyce was the business-minded one and she always said
every minute is a chance to make an extra dollar.
 “Yes, I’m serious. We’re better off using the time to prepare for
the event. Let’s get the truck moved over this afternoon, that way
we’ll have a fresh start in the morning and we won’t have to worry
about where we should park, or anything else like that.” She turned
off the fryer. “Plus, I need to meet with Michael about the sign. I
confirmed it, but I want to make sure that he gets the name right.
Not ‘Donuts on the Go’, ‘Donuts on the Run’, it’s ‘Donuts on the
Move’.”
“If he can’t get that right, you should be worried.” Brenda
laughed. “Sure, let’s do it. I can’t wait to get home and tell Charlie
about all of this, but I’ll put it off just a little bit longer if it means we
get things set up.”
“I’m excited, too. Now that everything is arranged, I feel a lot
better about it.” Joyce stashed away a few items. “I think we’re just
about done here.”
“I’ll finish up, why don’t you go grab us a couple of burgers from
Sam’s truck.”
“Great, I’ll do just that. Pickles?” She smiled as she climbed down
the steps out of the truck.
“Yes, please!” Brenda finished the last bits of cleanup, then made
sure the truck was ready to be moved.
When Joyce returned to the truck with the burgers, Brenda was
ready to go.
“Thanks.” She took her burger and climbed down the steps. “Be
careful on your way over.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll beat you.” Joyce winked at her before she pulled
the doors shut.
As Brenda drove the few streets over to the park she couldn’t
help but smile. She felt great. It was nearly four when she pulled
into the gravel parking lot. There were a few other cars there, but
most people had gone home for the day. As Joyce promised, she
was already there.
“I got approved for this spot. It’s not the greatest, but at least it’s
close to the entrance.”
“It looks pretty good to me.” Brenda smiled as she looked down
the line of vendors. As she hoped, they were the only donut truck.
 “Well, it’ll do I suppose.” Joyce waved her hand towards a man
across the parking lot. “There’s Michael, I’m going to go check with
him about the sign.” As she headed off towards him, she noticed
another man beside him. She immediately recognized him as the
man that was shouting on his cell phone earlier in the day. He had
left before he had finished ordering.
As she approached Michael and the man who stood next to him,
she noticed that their conversation was getting more heated.
Instinctively, she hung back a few steps. Though it seemed they
were upset, they kept their voices low. She did her best to get an
idea of what they were saying. She focused her attention on the two
men. Her special skill, which she had taught herself when she was
young, came in handy quite often. She could read lips. It was a trick
she learned when trying to figure out her older brothers’ schemes.
Since the men were facing each other she couldn’t quite catch the
movement of their lips to distinguish much. But she did see the
same name repeated several times. Fred.
As she stepped closer she caught a snippet of their conversation.
“I don’t care where he is, you get him here now, or it’s both of
your jobs on the line!” Michael’s harsh tone seemed to snap the
younger man into action.
“All right, boss, I’m on it.” He took off on foot across the park.
As Michael turned towards her, Joyce took a step back.
“Michael, I need to speak with you.”
He squinted at her for a moment, then nodded. “Joyce, I figured
you’d pay me a visit.”
“I just want to make sure that we’re on the same page with the
sign. I didn’t mean to interrupt.” She looked towards the man that
was almost out of sight.
“Oh, that’s just Bobby. He’s one of my employees. You know
these young kids, they have no work ethic.” He raked his gaze over
her. “Not like our generation.”
“Oh, Michael you’re too kind. I don’t think we’re anywhere near
the same generation.” She fell into step beside him as he walked
back towards the line of food trucks.
 “Eh, it’s all about the same once you’re over forty, isn’t it?” He
shrugged, then winked at her. “I’ve got your sign correct, don’t
worry. And I asked my guys to make sure it’s up by tomorrow
morning, so you have nothing to worry about.”
“Thanks, Michael.” She smiled, despite the fact that something
about him made her feel uneasy. “I appreciate your attention to
detail.”
“Translation, don’t mess it up, right?” He chuckled and shook his
head. “Stop worrying. It’s going to be fine.” He gestured to a few
signs hanging near the entrance of the park. “See what a good job
they do?”
“You’re right, they do look great.” She stared up at the signs
which were perfectly positioned along the archway. There was not a
hint of drooping or sagging. The colors were vibrant, and the words
were spelled correctly.
“See? Nothing to worry about.” He gave her a light pat on the
shoulder then walked off towards the end of the food trucks. As she
headed back to join Brenda at the truck, she began to let the reality
set in. Their truck had been chosen to be part of the big Easter egg
hunt. Not only did that mean a huge increase in sales, it also meant
that they would be first chosen for future events at the park. As long
as things went smoothly, of course.
Joyce narrowed her eyes as she detected the scent of something
burning in the air.
“Brenda?” She walked up to the truck as the first curl of smoke
wafted through one of the rolled down front windows. Her heart
began to race as she jerked the door open.
“Brenda! Are you okay in here?”
 CHAPTER 2

Brenda coughed as a wisp of smoke filled her nostrils.

“Fine, I’m fine. Sorry.” She blushed as Joyce’s gaze settled on her.
She waved the smoke away from the charred donut in front of her.
“I was experimenting with one of the Easter designs for tomorrow
and I forgot that I had a batch of donuts in the fryer. I pulled them
out too fast and one fell in.” She gestured to the burnt donut. “I
wish I could say it was a victimless crime.”
“Very funny.” Joyce cracked a smile. “I’m just glad it wasn’t
something serious. I smelled the smoke, and I got a little worried.”
“Sorry for worrying you.”
“Those look so cute.” Joyce looked down at the bunny shaped
donuts Brenda had made.
“Thanks. It needs some work. Molly is my inspiration.” She
smiled, referring to Joyce’s long-eared fluffy, white rabbit. “How did
the talk with Michael go?” She tossed the burnt donut in the trash
and set about cleaning up the mess she’d made with the oil.
“It was fine. By tomorrow morning we should have a sign on
display. Just in time for the first event.” She stretched her arms and
yawned. “What a day, huh?”
“Yes, quite an exciting one.” She glanced at her watch. “But I
really should get home. Charlie and Sophie will be wondering where
I am.”
“That’s fine, I’ll lock up here. I want to stay and sort a few more
things out.” She swept her gaze over the interior of the truck. “I
want everything to be perfect.”
“It’s pretty perfect, Joyce.” Brenda gave her a light squeeze on
her shoulder. “How are you going to get home?”
“I’m sure I can catch a ride from someone, don’t worry about
me.” She waved her off. “Give Sophie a big kiss for me.”
“Will do.” Brenda flashed her a smile as she left the truck. She
didn’t like the idea of leaving her alone, but the park was fairly well
populated with other vendors and security staff.
Excitement filled her as she drove home. She knew that Charlie
might be a little irritated that she hadn’t called to update him on
running late, but she wanted to surprise him. He’d been quite
supportive of her transition into starting a business, but there were
moments when his patience ran thin. As a journalist he was often
able to work from home which meant he could be there for Sophie
when she couldn’t. But that wasn’t always easy on him, especially if
he was working to a deadline.
When Brenda pulled up in the driveway she noticed the lights on
in the kitchen. He was making dinner, even though she was
supposed to be there to make it. It reminded her of just how lucky
she was. No matter how many years of marriage passed, she still
found him incredibly attractive. She hoped he felt the same way, but
it was hard to know for sure. She’d put on some weight with the
pregnancy that she hadn’t successfully lost. He never mentioned it,
but she couldn’t help wonder sometimes if he missed the way she
used to look.
She let herself into the house and headed for the kitchen.
“Oh, that smells good!” She smiled as she walked up to her
husband.
“Hey, honey, how was your day?” He placed a light kiss on her
cheek, then turned his attention back to the stir-fry in the pan.
“Exciting.” She sniffed the air and smiled. “You’re such an
amazing cook.”
“You only say that because as long as I cook, you don’t have to
do it.” He pointed the spatula in his hand at her. “Be honest.”
“I’m being honest. I love your cooking.” She slid her arm around
his waist and snuggled up against his back. “I love everything about
you.”
“Oh, you must have had a very good day.” He laughed as he
turned around in her arms. “What’s going on? What was so
exciting?”
“We got a spot at the Easter egg hunt!” She grinned.
“What?” His eyes widened. “I thought you said you didn’t get it?”
“We didn’t, but the churro truck dropped out, so we got the
spot!” She snatched a piece of broccoli from the pan and popped it
into her mouth. “We’ve already moved the truck over to the park.
We open up tomorrow morning. See? I knew this truck thing would
work out.”
“Hey, what is that supposed to mean?” He frowned as he
playfully swatted her hand away from the pan.
“What is what supposed to mean?” She pouted and grabbed
plates from the cabinet to set the table.
“You said, ‘See?’ as if you had to prove something to me.” He slid
the food out of the pan and into a serving dish. “Sophie, dinner!”
“Charlie, I didn’t mean it that way.” She braced herself as she
could tell from the tone of his voice that he wasn’t going to let this
go.
“How else could you mean it?” He set the serving dish in the
middle of the table, then headed back around the island. “Do you
want some water?”
“Yes, please.” She crouched down and opened her arms to
Sophie as she ran towards her.
“Mommy!”
“Did you have a good day, Soph?” She kissed her cheeks and
forehead. The best feeling in the world to her was her daughter’s
arms around her.
“Daddy and I played video games!” She giggled as she peered
over her mother’s shoulder.
“You weren’t supposed to tell, Sophie!” He laughed as he carried
three glasses to the table.
“No fair.” Brenda sighed as she guided Sophie to the table. “I bet
you two beat my high score.”
“We did!” Sophie laughed so hard she almost slid out of her chair.
 “I’m glad you had such a good day.” She leaned down and kissed
the top of Sophie’s head. “I had a good day, too.”
Charlie pulled out her chair for her as she began to sit down. She
felt his hand brush along the curve of her shoulder as he walked
over to his own chair and settled across from her. Just one touch
was enough to remind her of how much she loved him. She and
Charlie had their moments like any couple, but nothing that couldn’t
be resolved before they went to bed at night.
As they shared their meal she filled them in on the big news.
“You’re going to be at the park, too?” Sophie smiled. “Yay! You
can watch me do the hunt.”
“Yes, I can.” She felt some relief. Shortly after Sophie started
school, Brenda had become a working mother, and though she loved
the business she shared with Joyce there were inevitably moments
of Sophie’s life that she missed. The morning of the Easter egg hunt
was going to be one of those, since she would be working in the
truck. But at least now she would be able to see Charlie and Sophie
at the hunt.
“And we’ll be able to get our donuts right away.” Charlie grinned.
“I’m working on a surprise donut for you, Soph,” Brenda said as
she thought of the bunny donut that she knew Sophie would love.
“You are, what is it?” Sophie’s eyes widened.
“It wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you.” Brenda laughed. “We still
need to get you a dress for the Easter egg hunt, don’t we? I can
take you after work tomorrow.” She took a bite of her food.
“No Mommy, I changed my mind, I don’t want one.” Sophie
whined and squirmed in her chair. “I hate dresses!”
“You don’t hate dresses. You have so many that you love. Your
whole closet is full of princess dresses.” She glanced at Charlie with
some surprise.
“It’s news to me.” Charlie shrugged.
“I want to be a bunny, Mommy. Please?” She looked into her
mother’s eyes. “A fluffy, furry bunny.”
“A bunny?” She stared back at her daughter. “Honey, none of the
other kids are going to be wearing a costume.”
“I don’t care.” Her eyes widened. “I want to be a bunny.”
 “Sophie, Mommy is going to buy you a dress. You’ll have lots of
fun.” Charlie brushed his hand down through her hair.
“Why? Why do I have to wear a dress?” She sighed as her eyes
filled with disappointment.
Brenda studied her daughter. It was so hard to decide what to do
as a parent, what things to be strict about, what things to let go.
She loved the fact that her daughter wanted to be different. In just a
few years she would be so focused on what other people thought
that she would read magazines and watch television to find out how
she should look, how she should act. At the moment she was still
young, still determined to be exactly who she knew she was. How
could she limit that kind of creativity?
“You don’t have to wear a dress, sweetie. You can be a bunny.”
She smiled as she saw the excitement ignite in Sophie’s eyes. “What
kind of bunny do you want to be?”
“A brown one, with big floppy ears, and very long whiskers. They
will help me find the eggs!” She squealed with happiness.
“Okay, I’ll make you a brown bunny with big floppy ears and long
whiskers. Now finish your dinner.”
“Thank you, Mommy!” She focused on her food and didn’t even
complain about the broccoli.
Charlie cleared his throat, and looked across the table at Brenda.
“Hmm?” She met his eyes.
“Nothing.” He took another bite of his food.
She knew it wasn’t nothing, but they were careful about what
they discussed around Sophie.
After they finished dinner, Brenda gathered the plates and carried
them to the sink. Charlie walked in behind her with the glasses and
set them in the sink.
“Can I watch a movie?” Sophie bounced from one foot to the
other.
“No, just a show.” Brenda glanced over at her. “Bedtime in an
hour.”
“Aw!” Sophie stomped her foot.
“No attitude or no television.” Charlie raised an eyebrow in her
direction.
 “Okay, okay.” Sophie sighed as she ran off towards the living
room.
“You’re so good with her.” Brenda smiled as she turned on the
faucet and waited for the water to get warm.
“So are you.” He leaned back against the counter and turned his
attention on her. “But don’t you think the bunny costume is a little
too much?”
“What do you mean? I don’t think it’s a big deal if she wants to
be a bunny.” She began to wash off the plates.
“No, it’s not. She can wear whatever she wants. But you offering
to make the costume when you’ve got so much on your plate right
now, that seems like too much.” Charlie grabbed a towel and took
the plate she handed him to dry off.
“It’s no big deal, I can do it.” She smiled with confidence.
“Brenda, we can buy a costume.” He took the next plate.
“I’d rather make her one. It’s something special I can do for her.”
She handed him the last plate.
“See, that’s what I’m worried about. You know that everything
you do for her is special, don’t you?” He looked into her eyes. “You
don’t need to overdo it.”
“I’m overdoing it? Who played video games all afternoon?” She
frowned.
“Brenda, I just mean, you don’t have anything to make up for.
You’re an amazing mother.” He cupped her cheek and gazed at her.
“I believe in you, and your business, I want you to know that. I
don’t want you to think that you have to prove anything to either of
us.”
“Thanks, Charlie.” She turned her cheek into his hand and smiled
at the warmth of his touch. “But I can handle it. It’ll be fine.”
She turned back to the sink to wash the silverware. As she heard
him leave the kitchen, she tried not to think about how right he was.
Going back to work was a huge step for her, and though she loved
it, she often wondered what other moments she might be missing.
Yes, Charlie was there for Sophie when she wasn’t. But that wasn’t
quite the same. So, if she wanted a bunny costume, she was going
to make her a bunny costume, no matter what it took.
 CHAPTER 3

Brenda woke up the next morning with bunny costumes on her

mind. It took her a second before she recalled the exciting day she
had ahead of her. It would be their first day vending at the park, and
she was sure that it would be quite a busy one. She sent a text to
Joyce letting her know that she would pick her up from her house,
since her car was still parked in the driveway. As she gathered two
travel mugs and a few other things, she felt tugged towards her
daughter’s room. A peek into Sophie’s room revealed she was sound
asleep. She was on spring break from school and they had outings
planned. But since they had been picked to be one of the vendors at
the park, that would have to be adjusted.
“She’ll be fine.”
She was startled by the sound of her husband’s voice as he
leaned against the wall beside her.
“How can you know that?” She looked into his eyes.
“Sweetheart, you are an amazing mother. She doesn’t need you
every minute of every day. She knows you love her, no matter where
you are.” He brushed some of her hair back behind her shoulder and
smiled. “She also knows that you’ve started a successful business,
and that tells her that she can do anything she sets her mind to. So
stop worrying.” He raised an eyebrow, then leaned in for a kiss. As
she returned it, her heart melted.
On her way out of the house she left a quick note for Sophie
telling her to have a great day and she would start on the bunny
costume that night. When she stepped outside she was surprised to
see that the ground was wet. She hadn’t heard it raining the night
before, nor was there any rain predicted in the forecast. She pulled
out her phone and checked it. Overnight, there had been several
torrential downpour warnings. The alerts hadn’t managed to wake
her. There was still a warning for incoming rain by the evening. She
wasn’t too worried about it as they would be closed up before the
next wave of rain came in. She tucked her phone away and drove to
Joyce’s house.
When she pulled up, Joyce was already outside. She looked like
she might burst with excitement as she got into the car.
“This is going to be great, Brenda.” She settled in her seat and
buckled her seatbelt as Brenda pulled away from the curb.
“How much do you think we’ll make?” Brenda stole a look in her
friend’s direction.
“We could triple our daily sales today and even more on the day
of the hunt. I mean, this really is going to be fantastic. There is no
downside to it.” Joyce sighed happily.
Brenda turned into the parking lot of the park. The sun had just
started to rise giving the park an otherworldly glow. She stepped out
of the car, closed the door, then froze where she stood. A blood-
curdling scream carried through the park, so high-pitched and
desperate that it made her tremble from the inside out.
“Joyce?” She looked across the top of the car at her friend, who
seemed to be just as shocked by the sound.
“What was that?” Joyce crept forward, but paused at the end of
the hood of the car.
“I have no idea.” Brenda stared in the direction of the scream
which had since silenced. “Don’t go any further, Joyce. Something
terrible must have happened.”
“We should see if someone needs help.” Joyce frowned as she
took another step away from the car. Just as she did, piercing sirens
filled the air, and two police cars rolled up beside them.
Brenda jumped back as one of the cars sprayed some gravel and
dirt in her direction.
 “Brenda, watch out!” Joyce rounded the car and grabbed her
hand.
Several officers piled out of the cars and ran into the park.
Brenda clutched Joyce’s hand and together they moved a few
steps forward, towards the entrance of the park. There were colorful
signs hung all over the place advertising the activities as well as the
food trucks. As the police lights flashed off the vinyl surfaces an
eerie glow was created.
“What do you think happened?” Brenda’s stomach twisted. “It
must be something pretty bad.”
An ambulance squealed to a stop a few feet behind Brenda’s car.
Paramedics rushed into the park.
“Someone’s hurt.” Brenda squeezed Joyce’s hand. “We should
stay out of the way.”
As much as Joyce wanted to take Brenda’s advice, her curiosity
made it impossible. She moved forward a few more steps, just in
time to see an officer wrap police tape around some trees.
“Ladies, stay back, please.” The officer, who Brenda vaguely
recognized, wore a stern expression. She got the feeling that she
shouldn’t test his resolve.
“We should go back to the truck.” Brenda frowned and pulled
Joyce towards it.
“Yes, you’re right. I’m sure we’ll find out what’s going on soon
enough.”
As they approached the truck there were a few other people
gathered on the strip. All were looking towards the entrance of the
park. Today was the day the trucks were supposed to open, but she
couldn’t imagine that happening now.
“Any idea what’s going on here, Lawrence?” Joyce paused beside
a tall, lanky man. He owned the taco truck.
“Somebody’s dead.” He shrugged, his eyes wide. “Don’t know
who yet. But somebody’s dead.”
“What?” Brenda stared at him. “How do you know that?”
He tipped his head towards a woman wrapped in a blanket near
the end of the row of trucks. Brenda had to squint in order to see
her well enough to recognize her.
 “Is that Amy?” She hosted a booth that sold toys and treats to
kids. She was often at the same events.
“Yes, it is. She found the body. She’s real broken up about it.” He
shook his head.
“Of course she is.” Brenda gazed at the woman with concern.
“Found the body?” Joyce repeated. “Was there some kind of
accident?”
“I’m not sure. But I get the feeling it wasn’t any accident.” He
pointed towards the additional police cars that arrived, along with
one beat-up unmarked car.
“It looks like Detective Crackle has arrived.” Joyce looked over at
Brenda.
“If he’s here then it was no accident.” Brenda frowned. “This is
quite serious.”
“I doubt we’re getting into the park today.” Lawrence kicked his
shoe against the pavement. “Today is going to be a total loss.” He
huffed, then walked back towards his truck.
“This isn’t good.” Joyce wrung her hands. “If it really is a murder
they might cancel the Easter egg hunt.”
“If it really is a murder, that means someone we might know has
been killed.” Brenda pressed her hand against her stomach. “It’s
terrible.”
“It is.” Joyce narrowed her eyes. “I’m going to find out what’s
going on.” She started towards the police tape.
“What? Wait, Joyce, no!” Brenda followed after her. “They’re
busy, we can’t bother them right now.”
“Detective! Detective Crackle! Arthur!” Joyce waved her hand
through the air as the detective approached the police tape as well.
Brenda prepared herself as he turned to face Joyce. She guessed
he would be annoyed at the very least, and possibly angry at being
interrupted.
“Joyce.” He peered at her with a puzzled expression. “What are
you doing here?”
“We’re vendors.” She stopped a step away from him. “Can you
tell me what happened?”
 “From what I understand a young man has been killed.” He
looked past her, at Brenda, then met Joyce’s eyes again. “Do you
mind if I go do my job now?”
“Can’t you tell me who it is?” Joyce placed her hand on the curve
of his shoulder. “I won’t tell anyone.”
“I’m afraid you’re going to have to wait for the gossip just like
everyone else.” He brushed her hand from his shoulder, then ducked
under the police tape, and walked off.
“Joyce!” Brenda walked over to her. “Were you just flirting with
Detective Crackle?”
“Flirting.” Joyce rolled her eyes. “No way. I’m too old for that. But
a little bit of sweet talk never hurt.”
“That’s flirting.” Brenda shook her head.
“No, it’s not.” Joyce sighed. “If I could just get a little closer I
might be able to figure out what they are saying.” She glanced
around the entrance of the park. “There’s a path over there. It might
get us closer to the scene.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Joyce. If Detective Crackle sees
us over there he might not like it.” Brenda glanced back at the line of
vendors. Several of them were already leaving, likely trying to find a
good spot to park for the day. “We should see if we can get a spot
by the courthouse before they’re all taken.”
“Brenda, it’s a public park, we can walk wherever we want.
Besides, we’re in the perfect spot. The place is surrounded by cops.
We sell coffee and donuts.” She winked at her friend.
“Good point. Then I’m going to start getting the truck opened up.
If you go down the path, be careful. Try not to get arrested.” Brenda
raised her eyebrows, then turned and walked over to the truck.
 CHAPTER 4

Joyce didn’t dignify Brenda’s words with a response. It was true that
she could have a bit of a temper, but that didn’t mean that she
would get herself arrested. Sure, it wasn’t the wisest decision to lurk
around a crime scene, but she needed to know what was going on.
It was their livelihood on the line, after all. As she picked her way
down the path she began to regret her decision. The mud from the
rain the night before slurped at her shoes so much that they slid off
the backs of her feet. The path wound around towards another
section of the park and she noticed that the police tape followed
nearly the same path.
Quite a large crime scene had been roped off. She guessed that
the police were trying to preserve as much evidence as possible. She
also knew that they would be faced with quite an uphill battle with
the ground being so soft. As she neared the end of the path where it
met with the clearing again, she noticed several muddy footprints
near one of the trees. She guessed they were left behind by the
officer that roped off the area. Still, she pulled out her phone and
snapped a picture, just in case. She loved a good mystery, and knew
that anything could be a clue.
“Sir! Detective Crackle!” A loud voice carried across the clearing.
Joyce looked up to see one of the young officers wave his hand
through the air. Detective Crackle was still near the park’s entrance.
As she watched she saw him jog across the clearing. He was far
more spry than she first assumed based on his age and the bit of
extra weight he carried. She found herself a little impressed as he
made it to the officer without ever breaking his gait.
“What is it?”
“I found something, Sir.” The officer pointed towards the ground.
“Let’s see.” The detective whipped out a pair of gloves, slid them
on, then picked something up off the ground. As he held it up in the
budding morning light a bit of sun glinted off the end of the long
metal tool. It was a shovel that a gardener would use. “Interesting.”
He nodded. “Bag it and log it. Check this area, thoroughly, I don’t
want an inch missed, understand?”
“Yes, Sir, right away, Sir.”
Joyce resisted a snort. It seemed to her that he expected quite a
bit of reverence from the officers he worked with. And what did it
matter if they’d found a shovel in a park? Wouldn’t it seem like the
appropriate place for it to be? She sighed as she realized that there
wasn’t much chance of getting the case solved if this was the speed
at which they were investigating. Every inch of the large space
they’d roped off would add up to several hundred yards. As she
swept her gaze around the crime scene for anything that might
assist in the investigation, she felt the pressure of someone watching
her. When she glanced up she found Detective Crackle staring
straight at her. Something in the way he looked at her caused her to
take a step back. Her foot slid through the mud along a small slope
and she lost her footing. As she tumbled down she grumbled under
her breath. Now of course, she had mud all over her. As she
struggled to her feet she felt a strong hand on her arm.
On instinct, she jerked back and nearly fell on her backside,
again. The grip tightened on her arm to steady her.
“Easy now, just get your feet under you.”
She looked up into the eyes of Detective Crackle. So, he’d seen
the whole thing.
“I’m just fine, thank you.”
“I can see that.” He raised an eyebrow at her mud-splattered
clothes. “What are you doing over here?”
“I just thought I’d take a look.” She was about to tell him about
the footprints she’d seen when she saw that they’d been destroyed
by her fall. She closed her mouth instead.
“Gossip is a sure way to get on my bad side.” He released her
once he was sure that she was steady on her feet. “Do you know
what the wrong information getting out can do to an investigation?”
“I’m no gossip.” She narrowed her eyes as she studied him. “I
just need to know if this is all going to be cleared up today or not.”
“No concern for a young man’s death?” He furrowed a brow.
“Business comes first, eh?”
“Don’t twist it that way. Of course, I’m concerned. But yes, I do
need to know what to expect, also. All of this secrecy is only going
to make the gossip that much more vicious. Just be straight. Who
was it? What really happened?”
“Sure, I’ll be straight with you.” He jutted a finger in the direction
of the path. “Walk straight back to the parking lot before I get the
inclination to consider you a suspect.”
“You wouldn’t.” She crossed her arms.
“I will do whatever it takes to protect my crime scene.” He placed
his hands on his hips with one finger hooked around the handcuffs
on his belt. “Should I count down from five?”
“Ridiculous!” Joyce waved her hand at him then began to make
her way back along the path. Brenda was right, she didn’t want to
be arrested, especially by Detective Crackle. The man often crawled
right under her skin, and she was glad to be walking away from him.
As she walked along the path she shifted her attention from her
annoyance at the detective to the crime scene she could still see
between the trees. As she neared the end of the path she saw two
officers break into a run. It only took a second for her to figure out
why. A man in a gardener’s uniform ran towards the parking lot. He
ran so fast that he kicked up bits of mud as he went. Her heart
raced as she witnessed the chase that ensued. The two officers
spread out, then closed in, narrowing the man’s options for exiting
the park. When he neared the entrance of the park, one of the
officers lunged forward and tackled him into the mud. The other
officer joined in and soon she couldn’t tell who was who as all of the
uniforms involved were covered in mud. However, two men stood
up, and the other on the ground ended up in handcuffs. She
watched as the officers pulled the suspect to his feet rather roughly.
Perhaps the adrenaline that coursed through them caused them to
be irritated, or maybe it was knowing how much it would cost to get
the mud out of their uniforms. Either way she was a bit put off by
their handling of the man. She crept as close as she could to the
police tape and squinted across the distance in an attempt to
recognize the man they held on to. However, she couldn’t place his
face. He looked to be in his twenties or early thirties. His hair was
dark brown, and he had a thick frame. She guessed that he was the
owner of the shovel that was found.
“Joyce?” Brenda stood at the head of the path. “Joyce, are you
down there?”
Joyce watched as the officers led the man towards Detective
Crackle. When the man in handcuffs tried to jerk away from their
grasp, the shorter of the two officers gave him a sharp thump on the
back of his head.
She opened her mouth to shout something, but before she could
get the words out, Detective Crackle had shoved the officer. His
shout would have drowned out anything she said.
“Keep your hands off him! Go cool off!” He grabbed the suspect
by the arm and led him away from the officers.
Satisfied that Detective Crackle had a bit more sense than the
officers, she turned towards Brenda.
“I’m here, I’m on my way to you.”
“Hurry, Joyce! I found out who has been killed.”

Brenda heard Joyce walk away towards the path. With every
footstep the tension within her grew. She was tempted to tell her
friend to stay out of it, but she knew better. Joyce didn’t take orders
from anyone, and once she was determined to do something, there
was no convincing her not to. Instead, she focused on what she
could do to get the truck ready for the day. She hoped that perhaps
the entire situation would turn out to be some kind of tragic
accident. However, in the back of her mind she knew that was not
likely. As she reached for the door of the truck she noticed a woman
standing not too far off. She gazed in the direction of the police, her
arms folded across her chest. Everything in her body spoke of
tension. Brenda got the impression that she knew something about
what had happened. She recognized her as one of the vendors that
sold cotton candy and shaved ice.
“Anna?” She walked over to her with a bit of hesitation. Would
she be put off by the fact that Brenda was so desperate to know
what happened?
“Yes?” She looked over, then smiled as she recognized Brenda.
“Hey, I didn’t know you got a spot here.”
“We just found out yesterday. But, with all of this.” She gestured
to the police cars.
“I know.” She sighed as she returned her attention to the
unfolding scene. “It’s just horrible, isn’t it?”
“I’m sure it is. But I’m not really sure what happened.” She
shifted from one foot to the other in an attempt to see exactly what
Anna saw.
“Oh, you haven’t heard?” She looked over at her, her eyes wide.
“I thought everyone knew by now. It was Fred.” She sighed. “Poor
kid. He was just about to turn twenty-two. Who would have thought
he would die this way?”
“Fred?” Brenda tried to recall if she’d met anyone by that name.
After a second, the memory of the man she’d met the day before
kicked in. “Frederick?”
“Yes. He worked for the sign company. It’s terrible. It happened
within the last thirty minutes apparently. At first everyone thought it
was just a fall from a ladder, but apparently the police saw more
than that.” She lowered her voice in the same moment that her eyes
widened. “He was hit over the head with a shovel. A gardening
shovel, you know.” She made a motion with her hand as if she might
be digging. She pursed her lips and looked over the park. “This place
was going to be a scene of joy, instead it’s going to be empty.
They’re going to cancel the event, I’m sure.”
 “That’s too bad.” Brenda tried to fathom how it was possible that
she met Frederick just the day before, and now he was gone, not
from an accident, but from a deliberate, murderous act. “But I don’t
see what else they could do.”
“I don’t, either.” She sighed as she shook her head. “But, it’s
going to hurt us all to lose this event. I know that shouldn’t be what
I’m thinking about right now, but I was really counting on this to
make up for some time I was sick a few months ago.” She shrugged.
“I suppose that’s just how things go, right?”
“Unfortunately, yes.” Brenda rested her hand on the woman’s
shoulder. “Maybe they’ll figure everything out quickly.”
“We can hope.” She frowned.
Brenda’s attention turned to the officers. She noticed quite a
commotion as two broke into a run. “Are they chasing someone?”
“It looks like it.” Anna moved a few steps closer to the police
tape. “Who is that?”
“I’m not sure, but he’s got some kind of uniform on.”
“I think it’s Edwin Burrows. The gardener here at the park.
Maybe they’ve already caught the killer!”
A flash of excitement and a desire for justice flooded Brenda. It
was horrible that Fred had been killed, but if the man who did it had
already been caught, then at least some balance had been restored
to the world. She gasped as the officers tackled the man to the
muddy ground. She could see that the three men were caught in
quite a struggle. What if one pulled a gun? Her thoughts
immediately went to Joyce. Where was she? She scanned what she
could see of the park, but there was no sign of her friend.
“I’m sorry I have to go, Anna.” She started to walk away, but a
cry from Anna drew her attention.
“That officer just whacked that man!” She shook her head and
clucked her tongue. “Where do they even get their training these
days? He’s in cuffs no less!”
Brenda stared in the same direction she was. She saw Detective
Crackle take custody of the suspect and lead him away. She wasn’t
sure that the suspect would be much safer with Detective Crackle.
She’d noticed that he could be quite determined, too. She shook off
the thought and headed in the direction of the path that Joyce had
taken. She didn’t want her friend to get into the middle of such a
heated situation, but she guessed that if Joyce had seen what just
unfolded, she might have something to say about it. Very loudly.
When she neared the end of the path she realized that there was
no sign of Joyce. She had likely followed it all the way around to a
place where she could get a good view of the crime scene. One of
the things she liked best about her friend was how brave she was.
She was always willing to take risks and try new things, while
Brenda had to run through all of the possible outcomes in her mind.
She attributed it to being a mother and having a responsibility to her
family, but the truth was she had always been like that. Charlie
called her an over-thinker and would often coax her into making a
decision she wasn’t ready to make. Over the years she’d gotten
better about it, but that worry was always there. Had she made the
wrong choice? Would she regret it later? Joyce on the other hand
would bulldoze through whatever might stand in her way to get to
what she wanted. She said determination came with age, but Brenda
guessed that Joyce had always been a determined and confident
person, as she was so unshakable. She picked her way down the
beginning of the path. The last thing she wanted to do was get in
the middle of Detective Crackle’s investigation.
“Joyce?” She called down the path, her mind spun as she
wondered what her friend could possibly be getting herself into.
“Joyce, are you down there?”
“I’m here! I’m on my way to you.”
Her distant voice floated back to her. She sighed with relief as
she waited for her friend to approach. With the news she had to
share, she knew that Joyce would be intrigued and want to know
more. When she spotted her friend coming towards her, she took a
few steps in her direction.
“Hurry, Joyce! I found out who has been killed.”
 CHAPTER 5

“Who was it?” Joyce joined Brenda at the edge of the path. “Who
has been killed?”
“Joyce? What happened to you?” Brenda stared at the mud
streaked all over her friend’s clothes.
“Never mind that. I have a change of clothes in the truck. Now,
what did you find out?” She met her eyes. “Who is dead?”
“Fred. The man I met yesterday. He works for the sign company.”
She swallowed hard as she held back tears. “I noticed when we
pulled up that our sign wasn’t up yet. I was irritated about it. How
could I think such things when the poor man was already dead?”
“Don’t beat yourself up, Brenda. You had no idea what
happened. If I had noticed the missing sign I would have been livid.”
She squeezed her friend’s hand. “Just take a deep breath. Okay?”
She could see the signs that Brenda was about to break down into
tears. The woman had such a sensitive heart that she felt a strong
urge to protect her. “There’s nothing either of us could have done.”
“I know.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she
clutched her hand. “I do know that. But it’s hard to believe that all of
this happened.”
“Yes, it is.” Joyce led her back towards the truck.
“At least they caught the murderer.” Brenda leaned back against
the truck and took another deep breath. “It would be horrible to
think that there is a murderer on the loose.”
 “Well, they cuffed someone. That doesn’t make him a murderer.”
Joyce glanced back towards the crime scene. She didn’t see any sign
of Detective Crackle or the suspect.
“His name is Edwin Burrows. Anna told me she’s met him a few
times. He’s a gardener at the park.” She frowned.
“Edwin, now I remember him. He has his name on his uniform.”
Joyce nodded. “He came to the truck for cinnamon donuts a few
times. He comes in very early, when you’re busy baking. Always
seemed nice, just maybe a bit tired because it was so early.”
“Oh, of course, I remember him now. I’ve never served him,
though.” Brenda frowned. “Why would he want to kill Fred?”
“No idea.” Joyce popped open the door of the truck. “I think we
need to get the truck moved now. It doesn’t look like the police are
interested in our donuts at the moment. We’ll find out soon enough
if the organizers intend to cancel the hunt. For now, we need to
focus on making up for the income we’ve already lost this morning.”
Brenda nodded, but she wondered who would want to buy
donuts with such news circulating through town? However, she
noticed that already several trucks had left to try to get spots around
the town before they were taken by other trucks. They’d be lucky to
find one by the courthouse and would probably end up close to the
school which would do nothing for them, since the schools were
closed for the week. A horrible feeling coursed through her as she
headed back to the car. She didn’t really want to leave the park. She
wanted to know everything there was to know before she did. But
Joyce already had the truck at the end of the parking lot. As she
turned out on to the road, Brenda waved to her.
When her cell phone rang she expected it to be Joyce letting her
know where she was headed. Instead it was Charlie. She had left
him a voicemail message letting him know what had happened.
“Charlie.”
“Brenda, sorry I missed your call.” His voice sounded panicked.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine.” She frowned.
“When I got your message, I turned on the TV. It’s all over the
news.” The urgency in his voice conveyed that he was worried about
her.
“Already?” She noticed a few news trucks had lined up along the
road outside of the park. It was the first time she’d seen them, she’d
been so focused on what was happening inside the crime scene.
“All that matters is that you’re okay.”
“I’m fine, sweetie, and so is Joyce. But a young man is dead. It’s
a terrible thing. Joyce and I are trying to find a new spot to set up
today. I’ll let you know where we are as soon as I know where we
will be.” She paused, then closed her eyes. “I love you, Charlie.”
“I love you, too. Be careful, okay?”
“I will be. Give Sophie kisses for me, and make sure she doesn’t
see the news.” She grimaced at the thought of Sophie overhearing
it.
“I will. She’s still in bed, but I’ll make sure she gets her kisses
when she gets up. Don’t you want to just come home for the day?”
She could tell from his tone that he would prefer it if she did. But
she also knew she had a duty to the business and her partner. Joyce
wouldn’t be pleased if they lost a whole day of sales, and neither
would she.
“Honestly, I don’t see what good that would do. The police are
here and investigating. They’ve already taken a suspect into custody.
I think all of this will be over with quickly. But every minute we’re
not selling—”
“Right, every minute is a chance to make a dollar. I get it. Call
me if you need me.” He hung up the phone before she could say
goodbye.
She stared at the phone for a moment and wondered if he was
upset with her. Charlie could be a bit abrupt in the morning. It was
hard to figure him out sometimes. A text came through from Joyce
with an address of where she’d parked the truck.
As Brenda drove, her thoughts traveled back over the moments
she spent with Fred. They were so insignificant, but it was amazing
how much she thought she knew about the man from interacting
with him for just a few minutes. He seemed like a good kid, just
starting out in life. Maybe a little sheltered.
 Brenda’s thoughts shifted to Edwin. She wasn’t sure what to
believe about Edwin’s arrest. At first, she had assumed that it was a
simple situation. Fred was killed, Edwin was arrested for it, and the
community could move on. But there was no way for her to be sure
that he was the one responsible for Fred’s death. As Joyce had said
he seemed like a nice young man. Joyce had very good instincts
about people. Had he gone from buying cinnamon donuts one
morning to being a murderer the next? She didn’t quite believe it.
She pulled the car into a parking lot near the truck. Joyce already
had the window open. As always, Joyce was determined to get the
job done.
“Hi, Joyce.” Brenda stepped onto the truck.
“Brenda! How are you holding up?”
“Okay, I guess. I feel terrible for Fred. I met him just yesterday. I
spoke to him, he smiled at me, I smiled at him.”
“And now he’s gone.” Joyce nodded as she patted her shoulder. “I
know, that is a lot to take in. I’ve been thinking about it and I think
the best thing we can do is try to figure out what happened to him,
okay? Will that help you to feel a little better?”
“Yes, I think so.” She always admired how Joyce took action in
situations like these. “I just get the feeling we might be the only
ones fighting for him. What if he had no one else?”
“Well, if we are, then he’s lucky, because we are going to fight
real hard.” Joyce tipped her head towards the open window.
“Hopefully, we’ll get some customers.”
“I’m sure they’ll be here soon.”
“I’m going to run a quick errand, if that’s okay with you?” Joyce
frowned. “There’s something I need to check on.”
“Sure, of course. I’ll be fine. But you might want to change.” She
managed a smile as a customer approached the window.
“Oh yes, you’re right.” She frowned as she headed to the small
closet in the truck. She had clothes stowed just in case.
As Joyce changed in the area at the back of the truck, out of
view of any customers, she recalled the way the detective had
spoken to her. No, he hadn’t heard the last from her. She walked
past Brenda straight towards the door. “I’ll be back soon, Brenda.”
She stepped down out of the truck and gazed down the empty
sidewalk. The lack of customers was quite concerning. Even though
the truck had been moved, most people were hesitant to come out
due to the rumors that had spread. With only a couple of days to go
until the big hunt, she knew that there wouldn’t be much of a turn
out, which meant they wouldn’t earn much. But more important
than that was the life that had been lost.
 CHAPTER 6

Throughout her years as a cop’s wife, Joyce had found that there
were many gray areas when it came to justice. She’d helped support
her husband when he dealt with the reality that he had played a part
in almost putting an innocent man behind bars. She’d also listened
patiently as he fumed about the guilty criminals that escaped
unscathed for one reason or another. She’d seen him go through so
many different emotions in regards to his work, and yet when it
came down to it, he still loved it. He said the good outweighed the
bad, and that in the end the town was a safer place because he put
on his badge each day. She believed him, but long after she soothed
him to sleep at night, she would lay awake and stare at the ceiling,
thinking about the ways that justice went wrong. She had to swallow
the truth that there were prisoners behind bars that didn’t belong
there. But it never sat right with her.
As soon as Joyce saw Edwin tackled to the ground, her defenses
went up. So he ran. Was it because he was guilty, or was it because
he was afraid? She wasn’t sure which. But she knew that he didn’t
deserve to be hit by one of the officers. He hadn’t attempted to hurt
them, so what right did they have to hurt him? She had to admit
that the strike didn’t look very hard, but still they had no right. She
sighed as she turned down a street. She needed to know more
about him. She needed to be certain that he was the murderer that
people were making him out to be. As she rolled past a small
apartment complex she noted which apartment belonged to him. His
information had been easy enough to find on the internet. The
apartment itself looked so plain from the outside that it gave no hint
as to what kind of person he was. She parked in front of it, then sat
in the car for a few minutes. She wanted to see if anyone would
approach the apartment, or come out.
After about fifteen minutes slipped by, she stepped out of the car.
The blinds were closed in the front window. She walked to the end
of the strip of apartments, and then around behind them. As she
hoped the rear window didn’t have any blinds. She peered through it
and into the apartment. It was a studio, with a small kitchen.
Although it was a tiny space, it was quite tidy. There were paintings
scattered throughout the living room, in different stages of
completion. He wasn’t only a gardener, it appeared as if he was a
talented artist. Why would he risk all of that to kill a man that hung
signs? Had they had some kind of fight? As she walked back around
to the front of the apartment she heard a few people near the end
of the walkway. They had gathered around a small table to play
cards. She watched as they laughed and interacted with each other.
After a moment she walked up to them.
“Hi there.” She smiled at the men as they turned their attention
to her.
“Hello.” The oldest nodded at her. “You don’t live around here.”
“No, I don’t. I am here to see someone. Edwin. Do you know
him?” She looked around at each face to see if any reacted.
“Sure, we know Edwin.” The oldest man responded again. “What
do you want with him?”
“I’m just supposed to discuss some business with him.” She
noted the darkness in the man’s tone.
“Ah, you need your garden done?” Another man piped up. “I’ll do
it for half price.”
“Shut it, Ken!” The first man snapped.
“What? He’s in jail, it’s not like he’s coming back. I could use the
cash. What do you say, lady?” He looked at Joyce.
“Actually, that’s not why I’m here. I just wondered if Edwin has
any family. Anyone that I can call to help him out?” She noticed the
amused looks on their faces.
 “No, he doesn’t have any family, at least not any family that’s
going to help him out. We got a game going on here, lady, we need
to get back to it.” The oldest man chuckled, then picked up his
cards.
Joyce studied each one in turn, then realized she wasn’t going to
get another word out of them. But they had confirmed what she had
suspected. It appeared as if Edwin might be vulnerable. It looked as
if he had no support and possibly no funds to protect himself. Which
meant that he might not have an adequate defense if he was cast as
a murderer, when perhaps he was not.
As she headed back to the truck, she wondered how she could
help him. When she arrived, Brenda was packing things up.
“I lost track of time.” Joyce sighed as she looked at her watch. “I
didn’t realize it was almost time for closing.”
“Why don’t you come for dinner? Sophie and Charlie would love
to see you.” She locked up the last case.
“Sure, that would be great. Thanks, Brenda.”

After they arrived at Brenda’s house. Joyce spent some fun time
playing with Sophie and joking with Charlie. After dinner, she helped
clear the table.
“Let’s go do a puzzle, Soph.” Charlie winked at Brenda.
Brenda smiled at him, then turned back to the sink.
“You know I forgot to mention earlier, but one of the customers I
served told me that Edwin is being charged with murder. There’s a
rumor going around that he confessed. This might be over sooner
than we thought.” Brenda turned on the faucet and added some dish
soap to the dishpan.
“Really? That’s ridiculous.” Joyce frowned. “I don’t believe that
the police have the right man in custody.” She grabbed a towel to
start drying off the dishes that Brenda washed. “I hate to see people
being suspects just because of their financial status. And they may
have pressured him into that confession.”
 “It was just a rumor, I don’t know if it’s true. But is that what you
think is happening?” Brenda handed her a plate as her eyes
widened.
“Yes, possibly. He was there, right? He doesn’t have the money
to hire a high-priced lawyer. So, what are his chances of getting out
of this arrest? While other people would be able to post bail and be
at home tonight, he’ll probably be sitting in that jail cell.”
“You don’t know that, he might have already been released on
bail. I know it doesn’t seem fair if he can’t post bail, but what if he is
the killer? He was there, they did find his shovel, right? Maybe he
did have something to do with Fred’s death. Who else would have
been there that early?”
“I don’t know. But a person doing their job, doesn’t make them a
killer, does it?” Joyce tossed down the towel and shook her head.
“You know, Brenda you’re probably too young to remember, or even
know about this, but there was a time when people were locked up
without a second thought as to whether they were guilty or not. I
just hate seeing it happen all over again. What proof could they
have that warrants him being locked away? I’ll tell you what, I don’t
trust that Detective Crackle, not as far as I could throw him. I bet he
had a hand in this.”
“Detective Crackle isn’t so bad. He’s been kind to us before and
proven himself to be honest. And yes, he probably did have a hand
in this, but that doesn’t mean that he did anything wrong. He’s a
detective trying to solve a murder. Maybe he really believes that
Edwin is guilty, maybe he has proof.” She tried to believe her own
words, but she wasn’t so sure about them. She didn’t really know
the detective well and Joyce’s instincts were usually right on target.
“Why don’t we just try to let this go for the night, and tomorrow we
can decide what to do.”
“Sure. Yes, you’re right. Thanks for dinner. I should get home.”
Joyce folded up the dish towel, set it on the counter, and turned to
leave the kitchen.
“Joyce, are you sure that you’re okay?”
“Just fine.” She flashed her a smile. “See you in the morning,
Brenda. Try to get some good rest. Tell Charlie and Sophie I said
goodbye, all right?”
“I will.” She studied her friend as she retreated from the kitchen.
She had the feeling that Joyce was not okay at all. But she wasn’t
sure whether she should press her. Joyce was right, she didn’t
remember a time when people were arrested without good cause.
She didn’t think that could ever happen now. Sure, one of the
officers had gotten a little rough, but that didn’t mean that they
would falsely accuse a man. Would they?

When Joyce got into her car, she knew exactly where she was going.
She was quite careful with her money, but that was because she
wanted to use it for the right things. She had a nice nest egg
created by scrimping and saving, and also what her husband left to
her. She felt as if she was well prepared for the future, but the donut
truck had been quite an investment, so she weighed each decision
carefully. However, there wasn’t even anything to consider in her
mind as she drove towards the police station. When she walked in,
she noticed several officers gathered close to a television, but she
walked past. She walked straight up to the front desk. She spoke to
the woman behind it.
“I’d like to post the bail of a prisoner.” She set her purse down
heavily on the counter and planted her feet.
“Okay.” The young woman stared at her with a puzzled look.
“How much?” She opened her purse.
“I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way. You have to go to the
courthouse.”
“Joyce?” A familiar voice drew her attention. She looked over and
saw Detective Crackle a few steps away from her. “What are you
doing here?”
“I’m here to release the innocent man you have behind bars.”
She crossed her arms as she stared at him.
“The innocent man?” He narrowed his eyes, then cracked a slight
smile. “Are you talking about Edwin?”
 “Yes, I am. You have no reason to have him behind bars, and I
am going to ensure that he is free to sleep in his own bed tonight.”
She picked up her purse. “You can’t stop me.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” He took a step back, that sly smile still
playing at his lips. “However, you might want to get some of your
facts straight.”
“Please, enlighten me.” She clutched her purse so tight that her
fingers trembled. Face to face with Detective Crackle was not an
easy place for her to be. Her head swam for more than one reason.
“Edwin is in my custody, but only for the moment. He will be
released within the hour. He wasn’t arrested, he was brought in for
questioning, which is a perfectly legal thing for me to do. By all
means, if you want to give him a ride home stick around for a bit,
you can give him a lift.” He chuckled as he studied her. “You have
quite the imagination, don’t you?”
“Was it my imagination that saw one of your officer’s strike that
poor man?”
“Joyce!” The sharp change in his tone caused her hands to
tighten even more. “Over here.” He placed his hand on her shoulder
and guided her away from the front desk, towards an isolated desk.
“What’s the problem, Detective?” She pulled away from his
touch. “Did I suddenly become too aware of the facts?”
“Stop it, just stop it, all right?” He sighed as he studied her. “You
don’t know the whole story.”
“What is there to know? An officer hit a man in handcuffs.
There’s not much gray to that, is there?” She braced herself,
uncertain of how he would react to her forcefulness. Though she
was a bold and confident woman, she still had moments of
uncertainty when it came to certain men, especially those with guns.
“Yes, that’s what happened, and if you want to make a report
you are completely within your rights. But give me the chance to
explain before you ruin the career of a very promising officer.” He
ran his hand along his chin, glanced around to be sure no one was
close by, then looked back at her.
“Well?” She studied him expectantly.
 “Edwin is the officer’s cousin. I guess, they’re more like brothers.
Things got heated, what with Edwin taking off in the first place, and
then struggling against his cousin. I mean, haven’t you ever wanted
to sock someone you love?” He raised an eyebrow.
“I doubt I’d ever put it like that.” She couldn’t help but smile
slightly. Finally, her hands relaxed. “But I can understand why he
might be upset. I still don’t think it’s right, but I can see how the
situation deserves some consideration.”
“I thought you might.” He rubbed his hands together, then leaned
them back against the desk behind him. “Maybe we got off to the
wrong start when we arrested Edwin, but I’m not interested in
mistreating any innocent people. I am interested in finding out why
a young man was killed, and who did it. What it takes me to get to
those answers, that’s for me to know. No one else. Understand?”
“I just thought he might need some help.” She frowned as she
began to feel foolish. She’d been so determined when she walked
into the police station, but now she felt as if she had tripped over
her own intentions. “I’m sure you will do a fine job, Detective.”
“Thank you. I hope you mean that.” He straightened up and
offered her his hand. “I wouldn’t want you for an adversary.”
“You’re a wise man.” She smiled as she shook his hand. “I’ll be
on my way. Sorry for the trouble.”
“It’s no trouble.” His eyes glinted as he looked into hers.
She sensed that he was very amused by the situation. However,
she was not. She swallowed back her embarrassment and headed
out of the police station. Whatever she’d thought she’d gone there
to accomplish had turned into a disaster. As she drove back towards
her house she couldn’t get the thought of Fred’s last minutes out of
her mind. He was high on a ladder, doing his job. Then everything
changed. She pushed the thoughts away as she pulled into her
driveway. Yes, something terrible had happened, but the only way
that she was going to get past it was to find out the truth. When she
let herself inside the house she heard a scuffle under the couch.
“Oh, you little sneak, you got out of your hutch again, didn’t
you?” She laughed as she saw a fluffy tail peek out from under the
couch. If Molly managed to escape, sometimes she greeted Joyce at
the door, sometimes she hid. Joyce presumed it just depended on
what mood she was in. “Come on out, I could use some snuggle
time.” She crouched down and wiggled her fingers near the rabbit’s
nose. “Come on, sweetie, it’s okay.”
The rabbit eyed her with some hesitation, then crept slowly out
from under the couch. It had taken quite some time for her beloved
pet to trust her, but once she did, there was no separating them.
She scooped her up into her arms. “It’s so good to see you, Molly.”
She ran her fingers through the rabbit’s soft, white fur and over her
long ears. She smiled as Molly’s eyes sparkled. “I missed you, too.”
As she settled on the couch with the rabbit, she tried not to think
about what Detective Crackle must think of her, or what the next day
might hold. Instead, she focused on how wonderful it was to have
Molly to snuggle with.
Discovering Diverse Content Through
Random Scribd Documents
célèbres de notre pays, et d'exciter ainsi, dans les jeunes cœurs, les
sentiments de noble émulation qui font les grands citoyens.
C'est dans l'espoir de rendre populaire cette grande figure de
Pierre-Paul Riquet de Bonrepos, que nous avons écrit ce livre, bien
modeste, mais que nous croyons utile.
 CHAPITRE DEUXIÈME
Des flancs granitiques et des antiques forêts de la montagne
Noire, qui va s'abaissant par le coteau de Saint-Félix jusqu'au col de
Naurouze, la vue embrasse une étendue considérable.
Ce sont d'abord les petits sentiers des chevriers qui descendent
aux rochers de Naurouze; puis les cultures de seigle et les beaux
pâturages qui entourent les villages de Bonrepos et de Mont-
Ferrand, nichés tous deux sur les derniers mamelons de la
montagne; puis enfin la riche et fertile plaine qui fait une ceinture
luxuriante à la petite ville de Revel. A quelque distance de ces
pierres de Naurouze, immenses roches de granit presque noires, qui
semblent, posées debout en travers de la montagne, les génies de
ce lieu sauvage, immobilisés par un brusque enchantement, le
paysage s'adoucit; de sévère et grandiose, il se fait tout-à-coup
idyllique; le contraste est saisissant:
Là un entassement de blocs monstrueux, de coulées de lave,
d'aiguilles de granit se mêlant s'enchevêtrant dans un désordre
singulier, semble défendre l'accès de la montagne. Ici, sous un
couvert de hêtres et de châtaigniers, bruit la fontaine de la Grave.
D'un tertre moussu, sort une fraîche source qui s'épanche dans un
bassin naturel; les bords sont garnis d'une herbe fine et fournie,
douce aux pieds comme du velours. Le jour où nous reprenons ce
récit, au printemps de l'année 1659, le soleil, filtrant à travers les
branches, faisait scintiller entre les verts cressons et les nénuphars
laiteux quelques diamants de cette eau tranquille et ignorée. Le
chant d'une rainette troublait seul le profond silence de ce joli coin
de forêt.
Un homme assis sur la mousse du tertre regardait, sans la voir,
l'eau couler à ses pieds. Il paraissait perdu dans une réflexion
profonde; le sourcil froncé par une contention d'esprit qui lui enlevait
la perception des choses extérieures, il ne voyait rien, n'entendait
rien, ne sentait rien que sa pensée qui bouillonnait en lui-même.
Il était de taille haute, un peu lourde; le visage ovale avait un
grand air de noblesse et de bonté; les yeux noirs, largement ouverts,
étaient profonds et doux. Le nez un peu fort s'attachait puissamment
à un front développé, aux tempes renflées des prodigues ou des
aventureux. Une fine moustache noire à peine indiquée estompait
des lèvres légèrement épaisses, mais bien dessinées. Son menton
rond avait, au milieu, cette fossette, signe ordinaire d'une volonté
opiniâtre. Quelques rides petites et fines, cerclaient les yeux,
plissaient le front de ce rêveur et donnaient seules à son mâle visage
les cinquante ans qu'il avait.
Sa perruque brune, qu'il portait longue et fournie selon la mode
du temps, s'étalait en boucles nombreuses sur un col de dentelles,
en forme de rabat. Un grand manteau de drap gris s'attachait aux
épaules et couvrait un costume de velours marron, d'une simplicité
sévère et élégante. Un chapeau de feutre, orné d'un large galon,
gisait à ses pieds.
Le coude sur le genou, le menton dans sa main, il restait
immobile, depuis de longues heures peut-être, n'entendant même
pas son cheval attaché dans le fourré qui hennissait d'impatience.
Un chant éclata brusquement sous la hêtrée: c'était une chanson
naïve, dans ce patois du Languedoc, si doux à l'oreille.
Ce chant tira le penseur de sa méditation; il murmura avec un
soupir:
—Allons! je ne trouve point.
Dérangé dans sa rêverie, il leva la tête et considéra le chanteur
qui apparaissait sur la clairière.
C'était un homme d'une trentaine d'années, un pauvre homme,
selon toute apparence, qui descendait de la montagne, les bras
chargés de plantes médicinales.
Des chausses de toile, des bas bleus, de gros souliers, une veste
de ratine, formaient tout son costume; la tête nue, les cheveux au
vent, il avait une allure franche et honnête, son visage avait le profil
accentué, le nez fin en arête, les yeux vifs de l'homme du Midi.
Il fit une grande révérence en s'avançant vers la fontaine, et dit
avec une familiarité respectueuse:
—Un beau temps, monsieur le baron, quoique nous soyons
menacés de sécheresse. Les ruisseaux de là haut commencent à
baisser, continua-t-il en désignant du geste la montagne, la fontaine
est encore aussi abondante qu'en hiver.
Il déchargea sa brassée, et la mit tremper dans le bassin.
—Tu connais les sources de la montagne? lui demanda vivement
celui qu'il appelait M. le baron.
—C'est un peu mon métier de les connaître, répondit le nouveau
venu, je suis fontainier. Si je ne connaissais pas les fontaines
naturelles alors! qui les connaîtrait? dit en riant à pleines dents
l'ouvrier. Je suis Pierre le fils du fontainier de Revel.
—Est-ce pour nettoyer tes fontaines, Pierre, lui demanda en
souriant son interlocuteur, toutes ces plantes?
—Non, monsieur de Riquet; non, elles ne nettoyeront ni ne
raccommoderont les fontaines, les pauvres; mais elles serviront
peut-être à guérir quelques membres foulés ou à soulager quelques
malades.
—Tu es rebouteur, en même temps que fontainier, alors?
—Non plus, monsieur le baron; je me connais un peu aux plantes
de mon pays et à leurs propriétés, voilà tout. Je rêve quelquefois
tout comme un autre, répondit Pierre, regardant en dessous le baron
qui sourit, comprenant l'allusion. Je rêve, je cherche, et en
cherchant on trouve, pas vrai?
—Si tu as trouvé ce que tu cherchais, toi, tu es bien heureux, fit le
baron avec un soupir.
—C'est que mes rêves sont modestes aussi, monsieur Riquet, dit
Pierre. Je cherche seulement à être utile à ceux de nos villages qui
sont trop pauvres pour consulter un médecin et trop ignorants pour
se soigner eux-mêmes.
—Et moi, dit le baron de Riquet rêveusement, comme se parlant à
lui-même, je cherche le moyen d'être utile à tout un peuple. Puis
revenant à lui, il ajouta:
—Mais tu me connais? paraît-il; je ne me souviens cependant pas
t'avoir jamais employé?
—C'est vrai, jamais. Mais je sais bien qui vous êtes. Nous
regardons les étoiles, nous les admirons de loin, mais il n'est pas sûr
qu'elles nous voient et nous distinguent, elles! Mes courses
m'amènent souvent près de votre château de Bonrepos, ou à Mont-
Ferrand, vers vos fermes de Pierre et de Paul; partout l'on m'a parlé
de la bonté du seigneur Riquet de Bonrepos, intendant du roi Louis
XIV, pour ces contrées.
Pierre-Paul Riquet de Bonrepos, car c'est lui que nous retrouvons,
écoutait en souriant ce paysan qui avait un air de franchise qui lui
plaisait.
—Puis, monsieur de Riquet, continua Pierre, je vous ai vu souvent
depuis quelques années, là-bas, près des roches de Naurouze,
prendre des mesures avec un petit compas de fer, ou rêver ainsi que
vous le faisiez tout à l'heure.
—Oui, s'écria Riquet, je réfléchis, j'étudie, j'y mets tout mon
esprit, et je ne trouve pas. Cependant je suis sûr que c'est possible,
que j'y arriverai, mais quand? disait-il nerveusement; lorsque je serai
trop vieux pour exécuter mon projet, peut être, acheva-t-il avec
découragement.
—C'est donc bien difficile ce que vous cherchez? lui demanda,
avec une audace respectueuse, l'ouvrier.
—Je cherche le point de partage des eaux de cette montagne,
s'écria Riquet emporté par l'idée fixe qui le dominait. S'apercevant
que l'artisan ouvrait de grands yeux, ne comprenant pas, il ajouta:
—Écoute, Pierre, sur les hautes montagnes, les eaux produites soit
par la fonte des neiges, soit par les pluies, soit par les sources
naturelles, lorsqu'elles sont trop refoulées dans le bassin qu'elles se
sont creusé sourdent de terre et, se traçant un lit en suivant la pente
de la montagne, descendent dans les vallées, les unes à droite, les
autres à gauche, ou s'éparpillent en ruisselets et se perdent chemin
faisant.
Ainsi, pour cette montagne Noire, les ruisseaux coulent à l'ouest
vers la Garonne, au midi vers la Méditerranée.
Or il y a toujours un endroit, point culminant, où se réunissent les
eaux et où se fait le partage. La séparation a lieu naturellement, par
la distribution des pentes.
C'est ce point que je cherche; comprends-tu?
—Oui, monsieur Riquet, oui. Mais à quoi cela vous servirait-il de
trouver ce point de partage? demanda Pierre.
—A quoi? à quoi? à unir deux mers, s'écria Riquet avec orgueil.
Et comme les yeux de Pierre tout surpris interrogeaient:
—Les gens d'ici disent que je suis un rêveur, répondit-il à cette
question muette. Eh bien! oui! j'ai rêvé de créer un canal qui ira
s'amorçant à la Garonne aux portes de Toulouse, traversera tout
notre pauvre pays si sec, si aride et ira rejoindre la mer Méditerranée
par l'étang de Thau, près de Cette, créant ainsi par le fleuve et le
canal une communication constante entre les deux mers.
L'eau, c'est la richesse d'un pays.
J'ai rêvé de remplacer les marais, les terrains incultes qui couvrent
une partie du Languedoc par des cultures qui enrichiront cette
province. J'ai rêvé d'amener l'abondance avec le commerce.
J'ai rêvé que le détroit de Gibraltar cesserait d'être un passage
forcé pour les marchandises françaises, et qu'elles ne payeront plus
tribut au roi d'Espagne, mais au roi de France! N'est-ce pas une
grande idée, Pierre?
—Oh! monsieur Riquet, c'est grand ce que vous voulez faire là!
s'écria Pierre avec admiration. Et personne avant vous ne s'était
avisé de ça?
—Si, Pierre, si; d'autres, avant moi, avaient fait des projets de
canaux, mais ces projets, mal digérés, mal compris, n'ont jamais été
réalisés.
Sous le roi Charles IX, sous Henri IV aussi,—mon père m'en parlait
souvent,—un ingénieur voulait faire un canal de quatorze lieues
seulement pour unir la Garonne à la rivière de l'Aude. Il y a quelques
années, en 1634, Pierre Petit proposait de creuser un canal à travers
la plaine de Revel, en coupant la montagne au col de Graissens, au
point où les eaux s'en vont les unes à Narbonne, les autres à
Bordeaux.
Moi, je comprends autrement ce vaste et magnifique projet. Je
veux créer un canal d'une étendue de soixante lieues qui unisse
directement l'Océan à la Méditerranée.
—Oui, je comprends, disait Pierre, ce grand chemin par eau
donnera le mouvement et la vie à toutes ces contrées où le
commerce est nul, faute de débouché; il fera revivre l'agriculture qui
languit faute d'eau sur certains points, par trop de marais stagnants
sur d'autres, et puis vous supprimez le hasard des trajets par mer, et
forcez les transports par terre, toujours si coûteux, à abaisser leurs
prix pour soutenir la concurrence!
—Mon canal, dit Riquet, rendra tout facile. On paiera tant par
quintal de marchandises embarquées. Ce droit serait donc perçu
avec équité, puisqu'il le serait d'après les quantités transportées.
—Oh! monsieur le baron, cherchez encore, s'écria Pierre, cherchez
ce point de partage, c'est si beau, votre projet!
—Je trouverai, dit Riquet, retombant dans ses pensées.
Pierre ne voulut pas le troubler davantage, il s'agenouilla devant le
petit bassin pour y reprendre ses plantes et s'éloigner sans bruit.
Riquet le regardait faire distraitement, sans plus parler.
La petite source de la Grave coulait du tertre à flots pressés;
depuis quelques instants, le bassin débordait sur l'herbe à leurs
pieds.
Tout à coup l'eau se sépara visiblement en deux petites rigoles qui
coulèrent l'une d'un côté du versant de la montagne et l'autre du
côté opposé, suivant naturellement la pente qu'elles côtoyaient.
—J'ai trouvé, s'écria Riquet, se levant d'un bond; regarde, Pierre,
voici le point de partage, fit-il, montrant à l'ouvrier d'un doigt
tremblant les filets d'eau.
Puis il se tut, immobile, réfléchissant.
Pierre considérait le penseur sans oser l'interroger davantage.
—Tu m'as dit, demanda Riquet sortant brusquement de sa rêverie,
que tu connaissais tous les détours de la montagne et les sources ou
ruisseaux qui en découlent?
—Oui, monsieur Riquet, depuis mon enfance, je cours dans ces
bois, il n'est pas un coin qui me soit inconnu.
 —Veux-tu me servir de guide? Voyons, ta fortune est là peut-être?
—La fortune, fit l'ouvrier insouciant, en haussant les épaules et
riant; on dit qu'il faut l'attendre chez soi, j'ai toujours trop aimé
courir pour la rencontrer; mais je vous suivrai, monsieur Riquet, sans
l'espoir de saisir son cheveu qui me glisserait entre les doigts. Je
vous guiderai avec bonheur, continua sérieusement l'ouvrier, je vous
suivrai toujours, je suis si heureux que vous vouliez bien m'associer
à une si grande œuvre.
—Eh bien! ami Pierre, dit Riquet joyeusement, partons, retournons
à Bonrepos, je compte sur toi, tu ne me quittes plus. A bientôt notre
première excursion dans la montagne Noire. Au revoir, petite source,
d'où sortira mon canal!
 CHAPITRE TROISIÈME
Riquet suivi de son disciple descendit de la montagne.
Aussitôt arrivé à Bonrepos, il s'occupa activement des préparatifs
de son excursion. Il désirait la faire dans les conditions les plus
simples, afin de n'être embarrassé par rien, ni par personne.
Il voulut n'emmener que Pierre comme guide et un seul
domestique pour prendre soin des chevaux et de la mule chargée
des provisions.
—Un cheval pour moi, monsieur Riquet! s'écria Pierre, lorsqu'il
apprit ce projet. Moi à cheval! continuait-il indigné, c'est faire injure
à mes jambes que de les croire incapables de vous suivre, de vous
précéder, vous et votre monture! moi à cheval, mais je le fatiguerai
votre cheval, vous le verrez, il demandera grâce, je vous l'assure.
—Ne te fâche pas, il sera fait comme tu voudras. Ne me rends pas
fourbu mon cheval, c'est tout ce que je te demande, lui répondit en
riant Riquet, qui, connaissant cette race de coureurs montagnards,
laissa faire à l'artisan ce qui lui plaisait.
Riquet se trouvait seul en ce moment au château de Bonrepos. Sa
femme et ses filles, encore au couvent et toutes jeunes fillettes, ne
devaient venir l'y rejoindre que quelques jours plus tard, à l'occasion
d'une visite que monseigneur d'Anglure, archevêque de Toulouse,
leur ami, leur avait promis de faire pendant quelques jours à
Bonrepos, au cours d'une tournée pastorale.
Le fils aîné de Riquet, Jean-Mathias, qui venait de se marier à
mademoiselle Louise de Broglie, habitait Toulouse où il était
conseiller au parlement, et son second fils, Pierre-Paul, suivait dans
cette même ville, à l'Académie, les cours militaires d'élèves-officiers.
 Libre de lui-même, Riquet résolut de commencer de suite ses
recherches, et le lendemain, les préparatifs terminés, on se mettait
en route.
Le jour naissait à peine, lorsqu'ils quittèrent Bonrepos.
Pierre, en avant, une couverture roulée sur l'épaule, marchait de
ce pas élastique et léger du montagnard.
Riquet suivait à cheval, ainsi que le laquais.
Chemin faisant, Riquet s'enquit, auprès de son guide, des
ruisseaux qui prenaient leur source dans la montagne.
—J'ai déjà relevé quelques niveaux des eaux, mais aujourd'hui je
veux me rendre compte de leur source, de leur cours et déterminer
le lieu où devront commencer mes rigoles.

MONUMENT DE NAUROUSE

—Nous irons d'abord dîner vers Naurouze, monsieur de Riquet,

puis nous grimperons jusqu'au bois de Ramondens, dans lequel vous
pourrez commencer votre travail. Mais permettez-moi une question?
Vous voulez donc réunir en un seul tous ces cours d'eaux qui
s'éparpillent et se perdent ici.
—Certainement, je veux creuser une rigole ou plutôt deux rigoles
qui recevront sur leur parcours tous les ruisseaux, et les amèneront
à la fontaine de la Grave, où se fera le partage pour les deux
versants.
Vois-tu, Pierre, le point important maintenant est d'avoir de l'eau
en quantité suffisante pour alimenter un canal.
Il faut donc être bien sûr de la capacité de chaque ruisseau, de ce
qu'il peut donner en hiver, et de ce que lui ôtera la sécheresse.
—Mais alors, en sécheresse, comment ferez-vous? monsieur de
Riquet, les ruisseaux ne fournissant que peu, et même quelquefois
pas du tout d'eau, repartit Pierre, déjà inquiet.
—J'ai songé à tout cela Pierre, répliqua Riquet.
Tu ne sais pas que, sous le tertre d'où jaillit la source de la Grave,
il y a une espèce de puits naturel qui contient ordinairement au
moins dix pieds cubes d'eau. As-tu remarqué que derrière ce tertre,
élevé de vingt-cinq toises au-dessus de la Garonne, se trouve un
terre-plein assez large pour pouvoir y creuser un grand bassin et un
canal de communication entre les deux versants? Or j'établirai là un
réservoir dans lequel j'accumulerai le trop plein des eaux d'hiver. Ce
sera la réserve contre les chômages forcés de l'été.
—Oh! je comprends, messire Riquet, je comprends maintenant,
mais je vous avoue que cette sécheresse m'avait effrayé; et, depuis
hier que j'y pensais, sans oser vous le dire, j'en avais la cervelle
brouillée.
Vers midi, après s'être reposés à Naurouze, ils atteignirent les bois
de Ramondens à deux cent vingt-huit toises et demie[1] au-dessus
de la fontaine de la Grave.
 Ils traversèrent d'abord une vaste châtaigneraie sous laquelle de
nombreux troupeaux paissaient l'herbe fine et drue; puis les flancs
granitiques de la vieille montagne semblèrent se soulever et percer
la mince couche de terre qui les recouvrait.
Des chênes énormes et vigoureux, paraissant sortir du granit
même, succédèrent aux hêtres et aux châtaigniers; une sorte de
genêt, à la fleur couleur d'or pâle, illuminait cette sombre verdure.
Quelques bûcherons et quelques misérables femmes, leurs
compagnes, arrachaient avec peine d'entre les roches les arbustes
qu'une parcelle de terre suffisait à faire vivre. Ils saluèrent tous
Pierre d'un sourire ou d'un souhait.
—Ce sont mes clients ordinaires, dit Pierre à son maître, avec
complaisance. A celui-là j'ai remis en place une épaule démise, à
celle-ci un pied foulé. Ah! les pauvres gens! messire Riquet, trop
ignorants pour faire autre chose que ces fagots de genêts qu'ils vont
vendre aux boulangers pour chauffer les fours, et trop pauvres pour
jamais sortir de leur ignorance et de leur misère! Est-ce que notre
canal (il disait notre canal maintenant) ne fera rien pour eux?
Riquet jeta un long regard de commisération sur ces pauvres êtres
qui, à peine vêtus, la face hagarde et plombée, regardaient de cet
œil étonné et indifférent de la bête de somme ce seigneur de
Bonrepos, qu'ils connaissaient de vue.
Que leur importait qu'il vînt parmi eux? que leur importait ce qu'il
y venait chercher? en pouvait-il sortir un allègement à leur triste
condition?
—Notre canal, Pierre, répondit Riquet, doit mettre fin à leurs
souffrances. Ils y trouveront tous du travail, d'abord pour les
terrassements, et plus tard le commerce leur apportera un peu de
bien-être.
Riquet et ses compagnons arrivèrent enfin après une montée
périlleuse à la source de la petite rivière d'Alzau.
 Là, sous de grands arbres touffus, sourdait un petit filet d'eau
claire, qui, bientôt, à quelques mètres plus loin, se faisait
bouillonnante et affectait des airs ravageurs de torrent écumeux.
Riquet en suivit le cours à pied, à travers les roches, et les
précipices souvent coupés à pic.
Il faisait ses calculs, prenait ses niveaux, marchant quelquefois
dans l'eau jusqu'à la ceinture, indifférent à tout, oubliant tout devant
l'idée qui le dominait.
Il était si fort absorbé par sa pensée, en suivant le bord de la
petite rivière, qu'il ne vit pas que son cours s'interrompait
brusquement, qu'elle disparaissait, en faisant un saut de quinze
pieds. Riquet avançait toujours, prenant des notes. Soudain Pierre,
qui le suivait, s'aperçut du danger; en deux bonds il fut sur lui, le
saisit par les épaules et le renversa en arrière sur la mousse. Il était
temps!
Un pied levé, Riquet était déjà suspendu au-dessus du précipice.
—Ah cadédis! messire Riquet, s'écria Pierre, tout pâle, voilà une
chute qui nous eût coûté cher à nous autres Languedociens! Et votre
canal!
—Tu feras bien d'y veiller, Pierre, répondit Riquet se relevant
tranquillement. Puis il ajouta avec bonté:—Merci, mon brave garçon,
voilà le lien qui nous attache à jamais l'un à l'autre.
Et serrant dans les siennes la main de son humble compagnon, il
reprit:
—Nous ne nous quitterons plus désormais, n'est-ce pas, Pierre?
—Oh! messire Riquet, répondit Pierre ému, il n'était pas
nécessaire que vous le disiez. Allez, je me suis donné à vous, je ne
sais pas me reprendre, et nous ferons le canal ensemble.
 —Alors travaillons-y, conclut Riquet; et, les deux hommes reprirent
leur marche.
La nuit arrivait.
Pierre fit observer respectueusement à son maître que l'on
mourait de faim tout simplement; depuis le matin on n'avait rien
pris.
Riquet, quittant à regret son travail, revint vers l'endroit choisi
pour la couchée, où le domestique les attendait et avait préparé un
souper froid.
Le repas terminé, Riquet s'étendit au pied d'un chêne, roulé dans
son manteau, et s'endormit de ce bon sommeil du travailleur et de
l'enfant.
Le lendemain et les jours suivants les mêmes travaux se
poursuivirent, tantôt sur les rives du Bernassonne et du Lampy,
tantôt sur le Rieutord impétueux, tous affluents du Fresquet.
Riquet résolut de ne faire qu'une rivière de ces quatre torrents, de
les détourner et de les dériver jusque dans la rivière du Sor.
Il redescendit ensuite la montagne jusqu'à Revel en contournant
cette dernière rivière, et se convainquit qu'il faudrait, par une
puissante digue, élever les eaux du Sor jusqu'au Rieutord pour les
amener à un col de la montagne, creuser un passage, redescendre à
Durfort, et de là, enfin, au point de partage, à la fontaine de la
Grave.
Il fit sur les lieux des dessins, et des plans informes, propres à
fixer ses souvenirs.
—Je ferai refaire tout cela, disait-il, je ne suis pas un ingénieur,
moi: mais j'ai mon canal dans la tête, il faudra bien qu'il en sorte.
Pierre, plein d'admiration, l'écoutait, l'aidait de toutes ses forces;
l'esprit vif et ouvert, il comprenait à demi-mot, et il était
suffisamment instruit des choses hydrauliques pour lui être utile.
Enfin Riquet rentra à Bonrepos.
—Pierre, dit-il aussitôt arrivé, nous allons maintenant construire à
nous deux mon canal.
Et comme Pierre, légèrement ahuri par cette proposition, le
regardait, Riquet ajouta en riant:
—Un canal en miniature seulement, ici, dans le parc. Tu feras
commencer les terrassements, là, derrière la grande allée couverte,
les jardiniers sont à tes ordres. Quelques pieds de largeur, tu
entends.
—Mais, messire Riquet, vous allez construire une digue en petit, je
le veux bien, mais enfin, une digue, nous ne savons pas comment
c'est fait.
—Nous allons l'apprendre, Pierre, répondit Riquet. Dans la vie,
vois-tu, il faut vouloir d'abord, et savoir apprendre ensuite: c'est là le
grand secret pour réussir.
 CHAPITRE QUATRIÈME
Tandis que Pierre commençait les terrassements du canal en
miniature dans le parc de Bonrepos, Riquet repartait à cheval; il
allait vers Béziers et la Méditerranée, vérifier ses notes antérieures,
puis il revint suivant toujours la ligne imaginaire de son canal jusqu'à
Toulouse, pour y chercher sa femme, ses filles, et son fils cadet.
Après deux mois d'absence, il les ramena avec lui à Bonrepos.
Alors, sur ses indications, les maçons que Pierre avait embauchés
se mirent à l'œuvre. Riquet qui lisait tous les livres spéciaux, qui
s'enquérait partout, leur fit construire une écluse qui fonctionnait fort
bien, ensuite un modèle du bassin de la Grave, puis des digues, des
ponts aqueducs sur lesquels l'eau passait.
A moitié de son parcours, le canal fut tout à coup arrêté par un
monticule de deux mètres de haut sur lequel Riquet avait
absolument voulu diriger son tracé, prétendant que l'on trouverait
une montagne en travers du canal dans les environs de Narbonne.
Pierre regimbait contre cette idée:
—Mais, messire Riquet, disait-il, si nous dérivions le canal à
gauche, là, vers ces giroflées, nous éviterions ainsi cette montagne.
—Je te dis, entêté, que je ne la puis éviter. Mon canal doit passer
au travers et pas ailleurs. J'ai bien été forcé de le reconnaître, à mon
dernier voyage.
Comment surmonter cette difficulté? Un pont? c'est trop haut!
Comment faire monter l'eau à ce niveau?
—Perce la montagne, voilà tout, répondit Riquet.
 —Percer une montagne! s'écriait Pierre, comme vous y allez,
messire Riquet! Comme cela est facile!
Et Pierre, qui avait pris au sérieux son travail, disait entre ses
dents:
—Ah! si tu nous donnes autant de mal au naturel, que le fait ta
représentation, je te ferai sauter, toi!
Le canal était presque achevé; monseigneur d'Anglure qui avait
annoncé, puis retardé sa visite, n'arriva à Bonrepos que dans les
premiers jours de 1660.
Mme et mesdemoiselles Riquet, lui faisant visiter le parc, voulurent
l'éloigner des travaux du canal.
—Que faites-vous donc construire là? demanda l'archevêque
curieusement.
—Monseigneur, répondit Riquet, ce que vous apercevez, c'est la
bête noire de ma femme. Il n'est donc pas étonnant qu'elle veuille
éloigner votre grandeur de ce monstre.
—Quel monstre, mon ami? reprit l'archevêque.
—Mon canal, monseigneur, qui s'achève en ce moment.
—Quel canal?
—Comment? ma femme ne vous a pas déjà parlé, pour vous prier
de m'ôter ce projet de la tête? elle prétend que depuis que j'y
songe, je ne m'appartiens plus, que je suis tout à ma bête. Et
mesdemoiselles mes filles m'en veulent fort, j'en suis sûr, de les
forcer à quitter Toulouse et leurs amies pour les enterrer à
Bonrepos, toujours à cause de mon canal.
—Mon père, répondit gaiement Marie, l'aînée des jeunes filles,
votre projet ne peut pas nous enterrer. A la rigueur il ne pourrait
servir qu'à nous noyer.
 —C'est bon, méchante, répliqua Riquet, pinçant le bout de l'oreille
de sa fille. Vous l'entendez, monseigneur; eh bien! je vous fais juge
de notre dispute. Et alors Riquet expliqua à l'archevêque de
Toulouse, son vaste projet, il s'anima en lui détaillant les avantages,
les biens immenses qui ressortiraient pour le Languedoc[2], pour la
France même, de l'établissement du canal qu'il rêvait.
L'archevêque écoutait:—Oui, dit-il enfin, c'est grand, c'est utile, il
faut en écrire au roi, en parler à son ministre, à M. de Colbert.
L'avez-vous fait déjà?
—Hélas non, monseigneur. Il faudrait joindre à ma lettre des plans
explicatifs, et si je comprends mon œuvre, si elle est là, fit Riquet se
frappant le front; je ne sais pas dresser un plan correct, moi. J'ai
l'intention d'en écrire à M. Roux, un ingénieur de Toulouse que je
connais.
—Mais, dit en l'interrompant monseigneur d'Anglure, j'y songe, j'ai
votre affaire tout près d'ici, dans la petite ville de Revel. J'ai vu un
jeune ingénieur, le fils du receveur des gabelles, je vais lui écrire tout
à l'instant, le mander chez vous, je vous le présenterai; et vos plans,
à vous, exécutés, vérifiés, mis en ordre par lui, vous vous adresserez
à M. de Colbert. Je me fais fort de vous obtenir une audience.
Et maintenant, M. Riquet, veuillez me montrer en détail votre
canal, conclut l'archevêque.
L'on fit l'essai, devant monseigneur d'Anglure, du petit canal; l'eau
y fut lancée, les écluses, les épanchoirs, les ponts, tout fonctionnait
à merveille.—Voilà un petit canal qui deviendra grand, dit
l'archevêque enchanté de ce qu'il voyait.
—Oui, pourvu que vous lui prêtiez assistance, monseigneur,
répondit Riquet.
François Andréossy, l'ingénieur qui habitait en ce moment Revel,
chez ses parents, était encore un tout jeune homme; il était né en
1633 et n'avait par conséquent que vingt-sept ans, lorsqu'il fut
présenté à Riquet. Il avait fait ses études à Paris où il était né.
Alors seulement les mathématiques commençaient à n'être plus
tenues en suspicion. Descartes et Fermat venaient de leur conférer
leurs titres de noblesse, et de jeter les fondements de cette méthode
d'analyse qui, depuis, est devenue le point de départ de toutes nos
connaissances positives, et a donné l'essor à tant d'hommes de
génie.
A la fin de ses études, à vingt-cinq ans, le jeune Andréossy dut
aller en Italie pour recueillir la succession d'une tante, Claire Massei,
femme de Jules Andréossy, sénateur de la république de Lucques. Il
en profita pour parcourir en tous sens le Milanais et le Padouan, en
étudiant justement les travaux hydrauliques auxquels il s'intéressait
particulièrement. Il avait vu les écluses de Léonard de Vinci pour la
jonction des canaux de l'Adda et du Tesin, il en avait rapporté des
plans pris sur les lieux; aussi demeura-t-il saisi d'étonnement
lorsqu'il vit à Bonrepos la petite écluse que Riquet, sans notions
autres que celles puisées dans les livres, avait fait établir dans son
canal en miniature.
François Andréossy était un jeune homme maigre et brun, petit et
bien pris dans sa taille; l'œil était sombre, profondément enfoncé
sous l'arcade sourcilière; le regard très noir était un peu fuyant.
Il parlait bien, avec calme, s'observant beaucoup et observant
encore davantage les autres.
Il connaissait à fond les questions dont Riquet l'entretenait; par la
clarté de ses idées, la perspicacité de ses vues, il résolvait des
problèmes qui paraissaient insolubles.
Aussitôt après le départ de monseigneur d'Anglure, Riquet l'installa
définitivement à Bonrepos: il se l'attacha en qualité d'ingénieur, pour
le grand travail qu'il méditait.