I gathered up the money while Chico packed up his gear. People didn’t exactly stampede through the exit, but there were one or two body jams and more than a few exotic plants crushed before they even left the atrium.

CHAPTER

forty-five

Glory thrust a free yellow-blossomed plant into a customer’s arms and ushered him out the door.

“Thank God that’s the last one,” she said, pushing her red curls away from her flushed face. It wasn’t clear whether she meant the last plant or the last customer. It was true either way. The plant table was bare, and we were alone at last. The storm had picked up strength and hurled curtains of sleet at the glass, rattling the panes as if trying to find a way inside.

“Let’s get out of here, too,” I said. “We have to drive on the highway for a half-mile before we get to the town limits, and if the OPP closes it, we could be stuck here for days. Can one of you drop me and Rae off? Where is she, anyway?”

“Rae went home with some fat guy with a broken arm.” Dougal looked at me as though I should have known this. “She left about a half-hour ago.”

“Rae left with Mr. Archman? Why didn’t she wait for me?”

“That’s Mr. Archman, our math teacher from high school? The dude has seriously let himself go.”

“But Rae …?”

“She didn’t have her car and he offered her a ride. Guess she figured you’d get home okay. You have the whole police force in your back pocket.”

“Not so much as you’d think. Well, doesn’t matter. You can drive me home.”

“I’m meeting Holly in Toronto, remember? I got dropped off here this morning with my bag. I hired a car and driver for the trip and he should be here any minute. So, sorry, can’t help you.”

I looked at Glory. She was surveying the chaos around us with narrowed eyes.

“What about you, Glory. Are you going home before you meet Tony?”

“No, sorry. I have my weekend bag in my office. I’m getting out of here now. If I can’t outrun the OPP closures on the highway, I’ll have to take the back roads. Luckily my Land Rover has winter tires and an excellent navigation system.”

Dougal’s phone dinged, and as he answered, I said to Glory, “So, both of you are going to leave me here alone?” This was not a good idea.

“Phone Neil. He’ll come back for you or send someone. Don’t be such a baby. You won’t be here for long.”

No way would Redfern come back to get me. No way would I ask him to. I could be storm-stayed in this house of breakable glass for days.

Dougal shouted into his phone, “What! I already paid you. I don’t care about a refund. I need to get to Toronto tonight. Get here in twenty minutes …” His blue eyes were slits in his face as he pounded the end key.

He looked at Glory. “My cowardly driver isn’t coming. He’s afraid of the storm. Can I ride shotgun for you? I’ll get a taxi from your hotel to Holly’s condo.”

Say no, say no, I silently pleaded. Even Dougal was better than nobody if I had to spend the night at the greenhouse.

I really thought she’d tell him to drop dead. She wouldn’t be able to tolerate his company for however many hours it would take to drive out of Bruce County’s snowbelt and into the so-called civilization of Toronto.

She prodded him in the chest. “Two conditions. You take a tranquilizer before we leave. And you don’t make a sound. I don’t care if we slide through a guard rail into a river, you are not to whine, scream, or worse, babble. One word and I’ll leave you by the side of whichever godforsaken road we end up on. Got it?”

He nodded vigorously … and silently.

They rushed for the door and raced into the hallway to gather their bags. I stood in the middle of the atrium.

What the hell?

Glory turned back. “Bliss, since you’ll be here for a while yet, gather all the garbage into bags and set them by the door. But don’t put them outside. We don’t want to attract animals. Tidy up a bit, and mop the floor in here. You can even make a start on packing up the decorations. If something happens and neither one of us returns by late Monday, turn the misters on in Plant Rooms A through D. For five minutes only, got that? Don’t worry if there’s a power failure. The generators will come on and provide heat and light to the plant rooms. If it gets cool in here or the office areas, you may have to wait with the plants. But don’t touch any of them.”

What the fuck is happening?

Dougal stuck his head back in. “Almost forgot. Bliss, the lights are on a timer. They’re programmed to switch off at seven o’clock. The plant room lights stay on, of course. You’ll be out of here before then, though. I’ll say hi to Holly for you.”

“It’s already six o’clock,” I called after them. “How do I bypass the off-switch?” But they were already running for their luggage. Glory didn’t even change out of her silk outfit.

They ignored my pleas and, in less than a minute, raced out to the parking lot, where Glory warmed up her vehicle while Dougal used his hands to sweep the snow from the windows. Then they were gone, fishtailing out of sight. The snow was falling so fast and thick that I caught only a glimpse of the red tail lights as they disappeared onto Concession Road 10.

I looked at my watch. Only fifty-five minutes before the lights went out. I located the light timer in Glory’s … Ivy Belcourt’s office. But I had no clue how to bypass it. I was afraid if I messed with it, the lights would go off right now.

I called Rae. She answered on the first ring. “Bliss! Where are you? I was getting worried.”

“Well, don’t stop. Worrying, I mean. I’m still at the greenhouse. Alone. Glory and Dougal are trying to get to Toronto.”

“Chief Redfern is coming back for you, isn’t he?”

“We had a fight, a bad one, and I think we broke up. So, nobody’s coming back to get me. I just wanted to let you know what’s happened in case my dead, dehydrated body is found a week or two from now when the roads are open again.”

“Bliss, you’re not supposed to be by yourself until the murderer is caught!”

I hung up on her. It was her fault I was alone. And it hadn’t occurred to me until she mentioned it that I was in protective custody. Really? I looked around. Alone!

Everyone on the suspect list, past and present, had been here this afternoon. And all had followed the plow home. I had to surmise that only a totally unhinged psychopath would venture back out. Luckily, only my insane cousin, my so-called friend, and the Royal Pain knew I was here alone.

I looked at my watch again. If the lights in the plant rooms stayed on, I could find my way through the hall. It wouldn’t be dead dark anywhere in the greenhouse. One thing about thick, falling snow. It turned the black of night into the white of — night. I could sleep under a desk with my coat wrapped around me, and if the power failed, I could crawl into one of the plant rooms and cozy up to something tall, damp, and green.

I had a plan and I would survive. I wasn’t Bliss Moonbeam Cornwall for nothing.

First, I should go back to the atrium and forage for any leftover food. And Glory could kiss my heinie before I’d clean up the place.

The coffee and hot water urns hadn’t been unplugged. I shook the coffee urn. Maybe a third full. The other one, maybe half. Good, at least I could drink coffee and make myself tea until they ran dry. A few drying cookies and date squares remained on the trays.

A stray, unwelcome thought flitted through my mind. I could call Redfern. He wouldn’t leave me stranded. I quickly banished the idea. I’d rather be stranded. Another thing about Bliss Moonbeam Cornwall? I’m “cut off her nose to spite her face” stubborn. Even if it killed me.