Page 13 of In Her Shadow

CHAPTER SEVEN

“Lily Cummings.What are you up to now?”Jenna muttered as she drove away from the bar.

Jake grumbled, “Why am I not surprised that her name came up?”

“Because she’s always trouble,” Jenna responded.“Lily and her Green Gaia Guardians buddies.Remember the pig debacle?”

“Hard to forget,” Jake replied.“A dozen pigs ‘liberated’ so they could run wild through downtown Trentville.It was an absolute mess.”

“Traffic at a standstill, people chasing pigs down alleys...”Jenna shook her head.The memory was vivid, even after a year and a half.She could still hear the squeals and shouts, see the bewildered expressions of the townsfolk as they navigated their unexpected porcine predicament.

“And the courthouse stunt,” Jake added, leaning back in his seat, his tone tinged with reluctant admiration for the perpetrators’ audacity.“Chained themselves right to the doors.Had to be cut free by the fire department.”

“Caused quite a stir,” Jenna acknowledged.It had been a bold move, one that had disrupted court proceedings for an entire day.

“And when they superglued the locks at the mink fur factory over in Brinton?”Jake recalled.“It took hours before anyone could get in.And the press had a field day.”

“Mayor Simmons was livid when they dyed the river green to protest water pollution from the farms,” Jenna added, the corners of her lips twitching into a fleeting smile despite herself.“Took weeks for the color to fade completely.”

“Media circus every time,” Jake agreed, the hint of a smile playing on his lips.“The Guardians have always been about shock value, but never outright violence.”

“Exactly.Vandalism and public nuisance, sure.But murder?That’s a big leap from their usual antics.”

“Unless we’re dealing with a whole new breed of activism.”

“Or someone else is using the Guardians’ reputation to cover their own tracks,” Jenna countered, pulling into the parking lot at Harvest Haven restaurant, then killing the engine.

She looked at the building that was the center of activity for the Green Gaia Guardians.The wooden facade, adorned with hanging plants and colorful banners promoting peace and sustainability, seemed more like a tranquil sanctuary than a potential crime scene.Could this quaint, eco-friendly exterior disguise possible danger?

Jenna and Jake stepped out of the cruiser into the heat of the afternoon sun.When they pushed open the door to Harvest Haven, Jenna’s senses were immediately enveloped by the earthy aroma of incense, subtly warring with the scent of roasting vegetables.

Lily Cummings herself rose from a table to greet them, her tie-dyed blouse swirling around her like the myriad of causes she championed.Her graying hair, pulled into a bun, was an untamed corona.

“Sheriff Graves, Deputy Hawkins, I’ve been expecting you.Please, come upstairs to my office.”

Jenna exchanged a brief glance with Jake before stepping forward to follow Lily.Jenna knew she and Jake were wondering the same thing—why was Lily expecting them?As they passed through the restaurant, she took note of the diners who turned to watch their procession, their wary gazes lingering just a beat too long, betraying a collective unease.

Lily led them past tables of reclaimed wood, under low-hanging lights wrapped in ivy.The atmosphere spoke of a harmony with nature, yet Jenna couldn’t shake off the sensation that this place could also be staging ground for something more confrontational.

They climbed a narrow staircase to the second floor, where Lily’s office awaited.The door creaked open to reveal a space that felt like a visual echo of the woman herself—passionate and chaotic.Walls plastered with protest posters screamed in silent indignation, while pamphlets piled like miniature towers of Babel seemed on the verge of toppling over from the weight of their messages.A large cork board served as the centerpiece, its surface a tapestry of newspaper clippings and photographs, each connected with red string to others in a web of activism and conspiracy.

The air in the cramped office was heavy, redolent with incense and the musty tang of old paper.Books and pamphlets lay scattered like relics of protests past, each one testament to Lily Cummings’ dedication—or obsession.

Jenna stood there, absorbing the room, the creases of worry on her forehead deepening.The strings on the board were not unlike the threads of her own investigations, the never-ending connections drawn in her mind, some leading to answers, others to dead ends.

“I assume you’re here to offer me protection,” Lily said as she eased into the chair behind her desk, which was as cluttered as the rest of her office.“But you needn’t bother.I respectfully decline the offer.”

“Protection?Why would you think that?”Jenna asked in surprise.

“Isn’t it obvious?Clyde Simmons is dead, and I might well be next.”Lily’s eyes pierced into Jenna’s, a clear fire burning within them.

Jenna sensed more than a hint of paranoia in Lily’s words.But she’d long since grown used to that quirk in Lily’s character.

Jake cleared his throat, the sound cutting through Jenna’s contemplation.“Actually, Ms.Cummings, we’re here because we’ve heard rumors that you’ve been threatening Clyde recently.Saying he should ‘watch his back.’”

Lily’s reaction was immediate and dismissive.“That wasn’t a threat, it was a statement of fact.One that’s been proven true, sadly.”

The room felt smaller as Jenna’s focus sharpened.“Where were you last night, Lily?”

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