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talk
about putting Whispering Falls under the protection umbrella of Locust Grove since
you are such a small community.”
    “That wouldn’t
work.” She was on a mission and it showed. “Oscar will have to live in Whispering
Falls if he takes the job. He’s a big boy, Mr. Park. I think he can decide for
himself.”
    There was an
undeniable tension brewing between them. A gate rattled in the distance catching
my attention. A top hat peeked out of the Gathering Grove Tea Shop, but quickly
slipped back behind the door as it shut.
    What had been
crystal blue skies had darkened to a dull grey.
    Jordan shrugged,
and walked back to his cruiser. He called over his shoulder, “Let’s go, Oscar.”
    Oscar looked at
Izzy. “I’ll take the job.”
    “What?” Jordan
stopped dead in his tracks. “We need to talk about this.”
    “I’m not ten
years old anymore. Izzy is right.” Oscar’s determination didn’t falter. “I can
decide for myself. I like it here.”
    “Wonderful news.”
Isadora clasped her hands together. The grey clouds parted to make way for the
brightest sun I’d ever seen.

 
    Chapter
Five
    The closer I got
to Locust Grove, the more I wanted to turn around and go back to explore
Whispering Falls. Granted, nothing went right while I was there, but Madam
Torres got my wheels turning with all her “someone’s out to get you” talk, and
memories that were flooding back. I was on a mission to find out what they knew
about Darla and what nasty, mean-spirited Ann knew about my dad. Not to
mention, those Karima sisters. I felt my head and I didn’t seem feverish, so I
couldn’t be hallucinating. Plus I remembered! I had been there before, but
when? And why did Darla never take me back? Did it have something to do with my
dad? Or his death?
    As far as I
knew, my father and Jordan Park were partners on the police force, and during a
traffic stop gone horribly wrong. Jordan and my father had gotten shot. Jordan’s
crazy looking scar on his abdomen proved it.
    Meow, meow . Mr. Prince
Charming tapped my hand with his nose. He tried everything he could to get me
to pet him while I drove, but I kept my hands on the steering wheel instead.
Deep in thought, I tried to figure out the parts of my life I thought I knew.
    He finally gave
up and batted at the turtle charm.
    What did Gerald
mean by the turtle charm meaning “ protection?”
    “Have you been
protecting me all these years?” Reaching over, I gave him a good scratch under
his chin, one of his favorite spots. He didn’t answer in his usual cat way.
    Not a moment too
soon, we pulled into my driveway.
    Seeing Oscar’s
car parked in front of my house was a welcome sight. There were a lot of
questions that needed to be answered. I never gave Isadora a definitive answer
about me moving to Whispering Falls. According to Oscar, we were.
    Since when did we become a package deal?
    “Didn’t you love
Whispering Falls?” Oscar had already made it up to the Green Machine before I
had gotten out. “Right up your alley.”
    “No! And that
woman burned down my shed.” Only ashes remained from my poor burnt down
chemical shop.
    “What woman?”
His eyes bore with questions.
    “Ann. She
admitted it.” That was another reason for me to go back and snoop around
Whispering Falls. Why in the world would they want to burn down my shed? Were
they desperate to get me there or did they want Darla’s remedies so bad they
would stop at nothing to get them?
    “June, you were
in the shed mixing stuff when it blew up.” He crossed his arms. “You are saying
she hooked it up and blew it up?”
    “No.” I shook my
head. Was it impossible for him to believe me? “The ingredients I was mixing
should not have exploded. And she admitted it. I don’t know how she did it, but
she did.” I stomped up to the porch.
    Mr. McGurtle
cleared his throat from next door.
    “Stop
eavesdropping!” I yelled across my herb garden. Although I couldn’t see him, he
was there. He was