A Sip of Murder (Japanese Tea Garden Mysteries Book 1) Read online

  Suddenly, as I followed a curve in the path, an older woman’s head popped up over the stone wall dividing the garden from the property next to it. I could barely see her shoulders, but it looked like she was wearing a red sweater with black polka dots. She must have been standing on something to be able to see over the rock wall into the garden.

  “Hello?” I called out to her uncertainly.

  “Oh!” Upon seeing me, she ducked back down behind the wall.

  I could hear whispering from the other side of the stones. Was she talking to herself?

  “Hello?” This time my voice was harsher.

  The woman appeared about a foot further down the wall than where she had been originally. Her mouth curled into a defensive snarl. “What do you want?”

  “Wait, didn’t you have on a red sweater a moment ago? With black polka dots?” I asked.

  Now she was wearing a black sweater with red polka dots. Maybe I wasn’t as well-rested as I had thought, if I was seeing things.

  “No! That was me!” An equally grouchy, identical face popped back up where I had originally seen the woman.

  They were twins! Both women sported the same shoulder-length, grey hair cut in a bob.

  “You didn’t answer our question,” one of the women pointed out. “What do you want? What are you doing over there?”

  My chest puffed out under their scrutiny. My red hair made me bolder. “I’m looking into reopening the tea gardens.”

  Both twins groaned. The one in the black sweater piped up, “Why would you want to go and do a thing like that? Oh, we hope you don’t bring in hordes of strangers like that other woman did. All those noisy people throwing their trash everywhere. Do you know they used to throw their cups and wrappers and cigarette butts into our yard?”

  “I didn’t know it. I’ll be sure to put out trash receptacles to cut down on that and put up ‘no littering’ signs.” A pleasant façade fell into place over my face. I needed to play nice with my new neighbors.

  “Well, the only way to make sure it doesn’t happen again is for you to keep that blasted place closed!” the nearest twin insisted.

  A little of my forced pleasantry crumbled. “I’m sorry, who did you say you were again?” I asked coolly, placing my hands on my hips.

  The twin in the black sweater widened her eyes in exasperation. “Well, I never! If you’re this rude to your customers, then maybe we won’t have to worry about this eyesore of a garden staying open for very long after all! You and that odd little Chinese woman who ran the place before have no sense of courtesy. I’m sure you would have been thick as thieves, if you had known her.”

  “Japanese American, actually.” The words sat sharply on my tongue. “And that ‘odd little Chinese woman’ was my grandmother.”

  I could feel the two of them noticing for the first time my slightly almond-shaped eyes.

  There was a brief pause before the first twin I had seen spoke up. She seemed to change tactics from her sister’s brusqueness. “I’m Angela Jenkins, and this is my sister Agatha. We have lived here longer than you’ve been alive, dear. You must understand that even if you get the trash under control, the tourists are so noisy! Especially the busloads of children during field trips. Back in our day, school was for learning, not for cavorting around gardens. All that noise disrupts the meetings of our quilting club. So, you see, you simply cannot open that place back up.”

  Her sticky-sweet tones made me nauseous. “Ladies, I will do what I can to ensure the peace of the neighborhood, but the tea garden will be reopening,” I said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go back to looking over the property.”

  With a polite nod of my head, I turned my back to them and marched in the opposite direction. Behind me I could hear angry whispers as the two sisters discussed our encounter. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but I doubted it was anything pleasant. They certainly weren’t fighting over who would have the honor of inviting me to their next quilting club meeting. So much for making friends.

  Marching determinedly away from the twins, I set my jaw. My courage began to falter as I ran over the conversation in my mind. Maybe I had been a little too rude with them. It certainly wasn’t the best way to get to know my neighbors. My mind was still on the twins when I turned the corner and almost bumped into someone.

  With a short shriek, I jumped and clutched my chest.

  “Sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you. I’m Kelly Ward. We spoke on the phone.” A woman about my age with short blonde hair and cheerful blue eyes held out her hand for me to shake. “I saw the gate was open, and I figured you must already be inside.”

  I laughed nervously and shook her hand. Calluses on her palm told me she wasn’t afraid of hard work.

  I said, “I thought I would take a look around in the daylight until you got here. I’m Maddie. It’s nice to meet you.”

  “You too! Your grandmother spoke highly of you.”

  Her words caught me off guard. I hadn’t seen my grandmother since I was little. The few memories I had of her were distorted with age and childish naivety.

  Quickly recovering, I steered the conversation back to the task at hand. “Okay, break it to me. What’s the damage here? I can see that the pond needs to be cleaned, and there are a few obvious repairs, but in your experience what needs to be done to get this place back on its feet?”

  “Well.” Kelly looked across the garden with sad longing. “A few of the exhibits will need to be replanted, and one of them has an irrigation issue that is causing it to hold water. Most of the garden just needs to be pruned, and the koi pond needs a little work. The gift shop has a leak that Mrs. Matsuki always meant to fix but she never got around to it. I think those are the biggest issues.”

  “What if we block off the areas that need to be replanted and the area with the standing water problem?” I asked.

  “Hmm…I think that could work. It would at least let you open up the rest of the garden to the public.”

  “Wait a second. Did you say gift shop?” I asked.

  “Oh, yeah! Come on. I’ll show you.”

  Kelly seemed nice enough, and yet... Maybe I was just still on edge from my run-in with the Jenkins sisters but something told me that under her pleasantries was something secretive. I followed her up the hill towards the pagoda.

  “How long did you work for my grandmother?”

  Kelly shrugged nonchalantly. “A few years, but this place is a local landmark. It’s been here since the 1920’s.”

  “Really?” I didn’t know it had been around that long.

  “Oh, yeah. Tourists would come from miles around to walk through the gardens. There was a flat fee for admission. Locals would come to stroll through the gardens and walk up the stone staircase to the waterfall. Some of them even paid photo fees to take engagement and prom pictures. Mrs. Matsuki would rent out the pagoda for events, too. Wedding ceremonies, graduation celebrations, all kinds of things. Plus, she had the gift shop.”

  Kelly’s words gave me hope that the gardens could be lucrative once again. We had been climbing a stone path leading uphill as we spoke and now we came to a stop at the top of the hill. We stood in front of a small building beside the pagoda. I reached out my hand and jiggled the handle. “Locked. You don’t happen to have the key, do you?”

  “No, but I know where it is.” Kelly flashed me a smile and stood on her tiptoes. Her fingers tapped along the top of the doorframe. “Ha! Got it.”

  “Nice!” I took the key from her and shimmied it into the lock.

  The door slid open easily. Inside, dusty shelves lined the walls. The wallpaper had been bleached by the sun, leaving behind the memory of the paper fans that used to adorn the wall. Cardboard boxes were piled behind the counter. My curious fingers peeled one open. Cheap Japanese tea sets were wrapped in bubble wrap. Paper fans were folded demurely and rubber banded together in groups of five. A sign on the counter listed the prices for tea and desserts. Through the cracked windows, I coul
d see tables and chairs shaded by ragged umbrellas where patrons had once enjoyed their refreshments and the view of the gardens.

  “One way or another, I’m going to get this place back up and running,” I said.

  I took a deep breath and felt my vow settle in my chest. The gardens and the souvenir shop had become the purpose guiding my life. I owed it to myself and my grandmother to keep our heritage alive.

  “She would like that.”

  “Huh?” For a moment, I had forgotten Kelly was with me.

  “Your grandmother. She would like you to put things right again. You know, it’s funny. She and I were pretty close. In a way, she was almost like a grandmother to me, too.”

  “Oh?” The word slipped out in a more menacing tone than I intended. Unreasonable jealousy sizzled in my gut. This employee had been closer to my grandmother than I had been. It seemed almost cruel to hear it.

  “Yeah. I loved this place. And her. There’s just something about the way the waterfall sounds when the gardens first open. It’s like the water is telling you a secret. Plus, I always love watching the faces of first time visitors light up when they enter the gate. There’s nothing better.”

  “Sounds like you really enjoyed your job here.”

  “It was much more than just a job to me. Hey! I’ve got an idea! Why don’t I come back and help you?” Excitement sparkled in her eyes.

  “Kelly, I’m on really limited funds right—”

  “I’ll do it for free! Consider me a volunteer! Just temporarily, of course. Until you get back on your feet. Please, it would really mean the world to me. It would give me a chance to honor your grandmother’s memory. What do you say?”

  She was willing to help me? For free? I said, “Well, I guess there’s no reason not to. If you’re sure you really want to.”

  “Yes. More than anything.” Kelly was practically jumping up and down. A smile stretched across her face.

  “Okay, well, why don’t we start tomorrow?”

  A girlish squeal bubbled up from her throat. “I’m so excited! I can’t wait! Oh, shoot. I have somewhere I need to be soon, so I’m going to go ahead and head out. I’ll see you again tomorrow, Maddie!”

  “Bye.” I waved her off and shook my head.

  How attached to a place would someone have to be to volunteer to work for free? My instincts still seemed undecided about Kelly’s real motives for wanting to help me. With a sigh, I left the gift shop. After locking the door, I tucked the key securely into my pocket. I didn’t feel safe putting it back above the door. If Kelly knew about the key, it was plausible that someone else knew about it too.

  A cloud passed over the sun while I was walking back towards the front gate. The sudden darkness over the overgrown paths of the garden made the little hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Adventure lies ahead. The sinister foreboding that had been circling the edge of my mind ever since I’d arrived in Little River made me quicken my pace. I struggled to maintain my composure. I had risked too much to be frightened away now. It was going to take more than just a bad feeling to make me abandon my project. No, the new Maddie was here, and she was determined to stay.

  Chapter 4

  After a week of intense gardening, scrubbing, and advertising, it was time to reopen the tea garden. My hands shook as I opened the refreshment shop for the first time. In the distance down the hill, I could see Kelly jumping up and down and waving what I could only assume was a thumbs up at me. I awkwardly held up my own thumb in response and watched her race to open the gate.

  The first visitors wandered inside after Kelly collected their entry fees.

  I blew out a nervous breath. “Why am I nervous?” I asked myself. “I’m not even doing anything.”

  “Hi!” A young girl appeared at my heels.

  “Hey!” An awkward smile popped into place on my face. What did she do, run up here? We had only just opened the gates. Oh, geez. Had she just heard me talking to myself like a crazy woman? This was not how I pictured today going.

  “Can I have two waters?” Her little hand offered up a wad of cash that had undoubtedly been given to her by her mom or dad.

  “Oh, sure. Yes. Just a second.” I fetched two cold bottles and passed them to her.

  “Thanks!” The little girl bounced back down the hill to a woman waiting by the koi pond.

  “Well, Maddie, you just made your first sale. And you’re still talking to yourself.” I mentally groaned and tucked the money into the cash register.

  Visitors spilled across the grounds in meandering groups of twos and threes. Laughter and joyful conversation echoed off the stone walls. Part of me wondered sarcastically if the delightful Jenkins sisters were listening next door. The happiness from the tourists settled my nerves. The garden was a hit! For the first time in years, people walked along the pathways and admired the flowers. Pride bolstered my confidence and my mood.

  It had been a busy week leading up to the reopening. I had a local landscaping crew on speed dial now. Kelly and I had worked under the afternoon sun with the landscapers to trim back hedges and repair the walkways. The souvenir shop still smelled faintly of fumes from the fresh coat of paint on it. The roof was repaired and no longer leaked. Old, faded, and broken merchandise had to be thrown out but more souvenirs had been ordered. My hope was that they would arrive quickly so the store could be restocked. Until then, guests would have to satisfy themselves with frozen treats and light snacks.

  A few of the exhibits were blocked off until the funds presented themselves to get everything back in order. It wasn’t perfect but it was good enough. Chewing on my bottom lip, I wondered if my grandmother would be proud of me for opening the tea garden back up. Would it be enough to earn her approval? Thinking about her made me remember the house. I hadn’t had time to work on cleaning it anymore since the gardens had needed all of my attention. Making a mental note to make more of an effort on the home front, I took one more appreciative look at the fruits of my labor. Perhaps best of all, despite my impending sense of doom, nothing terrible had happened during the reopening, aside from a few splinters.

  “That’s perfect! Now, put your arm around her waist.” A snippet of conversation caught my attention. A photographer was snapping photos of a cute young couple.

  “How’s it going?” I casually walked over to the woman taking pictures.

  “Great! Here, look.” She tilted the camera’s viewing screen so that I could see the images.

  “Wow, that’s beautiful! I’m Maddie by the way. I just reopened the gardens.”

  The young lady having her picture taken beamed happily. “We owe you our thanks then. I’ve been trying to find a place for us to take engagement pictures and this place is just perfect!”

  “I’m so glad you like it!” My heart was infected by her bubbly happiness. I turned to the photographer. “These are really amazing pictures. Do you think you could send me one when you print them out? I would love to put one up in the gift shop. You really captured the beauty of the garden.”

  “Of course! I would be flattered.” The photographer flashed me a smile, pleased that her work was being appreciated.

  From the corner of my eye, I spotted a group of teenagers about to toss a cup over the stone wall into the neighboring lawn.

  “Excuse me. I need to go take care of something,” I told the photographer and the engaged couple.

  In a few quick strides, I crossed over to the teenagers. “Hey, guys. How’s it going?”

  “Uh, good.” The young man with the cup guiltily moved his hand away from the wall.

  “Are you enjoying yourselves?”

  “Y-yes.”

  “I’m glad to hear that. I’m just going around to make sure everyone is enjoying their time in the gardens. Have you seen our new trashcans? I just had these brought in.”

  “Yeah, they’re great,” the boy mumbled.

  His friends chuckled and elbowed him.

  I locked eyes with him until he tossed his trash in
the receptacle.

  “Have a nice day!” I said. I turned on my heel, happy with how I had handled the situation. The Jenkins twins hadn’t been kidding about the littering. I was going to have to keep an eye on that. The last thing I needed was disgruntled neighbors.

  The sun swung higher in the sky and then began its afternoon descent. Visitors came and went and were replaced with more visitors. Overall, the whole event had been extremely successful. Giftshop sales were decent and apologetic with the promise of better souvenirs to come soon. The idea of new items prompted many patrons to vow to return. Thoughts of repeat business placated my worries over my savings drying up. Giddy positivity swelled in my chest. I couldn’t have been more pleased.

  But all of that soon came to a crashing stop.

  A scream pierced the pleasant air of the tea garden. My heart seized in my chest. A crowd was gathering in one corner of the garden. My feet carried me at a frantic pace towards a tucked away koi pond. What could have made someone scream like that? Gasps and stifled cries punctuated the murmuring crowd.

  “Excuse me. Pardon me.” I shouldered my way through the throng of people

  When I finally burst through the crowd, my jaw opened in horror.

  A body was floating in the pond amongst the peaceful lily pads and fuzzy ducklings. The woman’s garments swirled around her like a cloth halo. Her hair was cut in a familiar, grey bob. Blood matted the hair at the back of her head. Above the body, a message was painted on a rock wall.

  “You will die.” A person in the crowd read aloud the words that held everyone’s attention.

  The voice snapped me out of it. I needed to take control of the situation. “Everyone, step back. You, call the police. You, make sure no children come over here. No one touch anything.” Trying to remain calm, I delegated jobs to different people in the crowd.

  How could this have happened? It was broad daylight, but no one seemed to have seen anything. Seconds stretched on infinitely as sirens roared in the distance. Police cars, along with an ambulance, and a few news vans clogged up the parking lot outside. Uniforms trudged towards the back of the garden where I was still trying to keep curious people at bay.