First In Series Sampler, Volume 1

Chapter 12

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MORGAN FOLLOWED GABRIEL"s lead when they left the house and followed the courtyard path in the opposite direction of the beach. It surprised her when he stopped at the small gate off the pathway.

"This is new since the last time I was here."

"Your aunt added it about a year ago. It leads to the community gardens. But you"ll see in a minute that the private area your aunt owns has something more than just the gardens in mind. I won"t say anything more. I want you to be surprised."

Morgan"s surprise grew as she watched him enter a code to the lockbox on the gate.

"Now that is surprising. My aunt has never been security conscious."

"She put this in more for keeping people from coming off the pathway into her courtyard. It wasn’t for security but more because she just wanted her privacy."

Holding the gate open, Gabriel motion for Morgan to go on ahead of him.

It only took a couple of steps to get into the thick of the garden. The dense canopy overhead dropped the temperature two degrees, making it a welcome relief from the setting sun. Orchids hung from the trees, and there was a sweet scent of something Morgan could not identify. The birds in the trees chattered to each other, and a small rabbit jumped in front of her. As the rabbit looked up at her, Morgan had an uneasy feeling that the rabbit would start saying, "I"m late, I"m late, I"m late! I"m late, I"m late. For a very important date. No time to say hello. Goodbye. I"m late, I"m late, I"m late," like the White Rabbit from Alice In Wonderland. But he just kept going across the pathway and disappeared into the brush. She smiled at her foolishness.

But then a strange cry echoed throughout the garden, making Morgan jump. She looked at Gabriel, but he said nothing, just motioned for her to continue. The path wandered through the garden. As it came around one curve, it opened, and Morgan stopped in her tracks, her mouth hanging open, looking at the sight before her.

"Oh my gosh, peacocks! There must be half a dozen of them here."

She stood watching the movements of the large birds and didn"t see the smile Gabriel sent in her direction. The birds didn"t seem to be afraid of the two intruders into the garden, and one magnificent male opened his tail feathers as if welcoming them to their domain. Morgan turned around to Gabriel, looking for an explanation.

"The peacocks started as a pair that your aunt adopted from an old friend. That was part of the reason she created this section of the garden. If we keep going forward, there"s another gate that will prevent people from coming in and disturbing the peacocks. Of course, the birds come and go where they want, and it"s not at all unusual for them to be in the public area as well. We have peacock-crossing signs on the roadway for the tourists to beware of. They"re harmless; they"ve attacked nobody, and Meredith has always made sure that the birds had everything they needed."

Morgan burst out laughing. "Most people have pet parakeets but not my aunt. Everything is bigger, better, and more exotic with her."

Gabriel joined in her laughter, happy to see her forgetting her troubles for a moment.

"Once we get to the second gate, we will be in the public gardens. The garden club is responsible for the maintenance of the gardens in this area. It started out as a small project and has grown into something wonderful for the island. It"s a nice break from the beach once in a while."

Gabriel stepped forward to lead the way through the second gate. Morgan looked around before she followed him, noticing a few benches scattered in the area. She had a feeling her aunt had spent time here, and she looked forward to being able to do the same herself.

"Morgan?"

Morgan looked up and realized Gabriel was at the gate waiting for her. With one last look around, Morgan picked up her pace to meet him at the entrance. Once they were through the second gate, several pathways worked their way into the public gardens from different angles. She looked at Gabriel, wondering which one to take, and he just shrugged his shoulders.

"Take your pick. All the paths lead to the center of the garden. A large fountain and benches are there to sit and relax. The fountain has a little wading pool which the kids enjoy."

Morgan picked the pathway to the right, and together they started meandering through the beautiful plantings the garden club had created. As she walked, Morgan noticed it was very organized but still appeared to be a natural setting. They came around one corner, and the smell of herbs overwhelmed her senses. Gabriel explained that this was a community garden, and the herbs were for anybody to take a snipping of.

Their time in the garden was a quiet reprieve. They didn"t run across anybody else; most people were probably home enjoying their dinners.

It was getting darker, and Gabriel suggested they head back. They"d only gone a short distance when they heard footsteps walking in their direction. Morgan instinctively slowed her pace and was glad she did when the burly figure came around the corner at a fast pace. It was Officer Stanley Newman, and a few steps behind him was his partner, Jenny Colbright.

It was Jenny who spoke first, reassuring them that everything was okay.

"We do a lot of foot patrol around here, and the garden is one of our main areas,” she explained. “We"ve had no problems, but you never know when a couple of teenagers will want to use it as a make-out spot, or a tourist from the mainland decides it’s a good spot to drink."

Morgan murmured in agreement and made to sidestep the other officer, but he wouldn"t move. Instead, he put his hands on his hips and glared at her.

"Don"t get too comfortable around here. I got my eye on you, and I"m gonna prove you killed your aunt."

Morgan took a step back, bumping into Gabriel, who put a steady hand on her arm. She took comfort from his touch and took a deep breath.

"You try, Officer Newman. But you"re wasting your time. I did not kill my aunt. And anyone who says I did is mistaken."

Jenny quickly stepped in between the two of them to break the tension. Giving her partner a slight push toward another path, he had no choice but to move forward or continue the altercation. Even he knew he had no reason to stay, and Stanley glared at Morgan as he left.

"I don"t know why he"s so convinced you killed Meredith when all the evidence points otherwise. Just stay out of his way until he gets over this. That"s the best advice I can give you. Morgan, I"m sure you"re feeling overwhelmed, but I hope you feel the island can be your home when this is all cleared up."

Not waiting to hear if Morgan would answer her, Jenny followed her partner to make sure he didn"t turn back. As they left, Morgan felt her hands tremble, surprised how much the man"s accusations bothered her.

"Come on, let"s head back to the house. Uncle Dylan will have that coffee ready by now."

Gabriel"s soft voice broke the silence, and with a nod of agreement, Morgan took the path towards the Seaver beach house.