The Edenbury Chronicles - Vol 2 - Chapter 16

Two police cars followed closely behind Zeke and Lucy all the way to the Ames Hill Graveyard. It was a small cemetery just off the main road outside of town. Brick pillars connected by a wrought iron fence outlined the aging but well-kept property. An unlocked gate was crowned with a traditional archway featuring the name.

Once parked, four patrolmen convened in front of the lead police car. They watched as Zeke took a camera out of the trunk of his vehicle. Lucy waved and smiled at the officers as she opened the gate to the cemetery, then waited for her husband. 

“What do you think we’re looking for?” Lucy asked. “Maybe they buried too many people in one plot? Or too few? Or something else?”

“Whatever it is, we need to take lots of pictures,” he replied. “We have one shot at figuring out what’s special about this graveyard. I get the impression these police officers aren’t going to wait around all day.”

“Me either,” added Lucy. “I’m starving.”

After roaming through several rows of headstones and grave markers, Zeke looked down to see the grass transforming under Lucy’s feet.

“Don’t look now, but the grass is changing again,” he said.

Lucy took the camera from Zeke. She turned and held the camera above her head, then took a picture of the ground where she had been.

Amused, Zeke watched her. “A Keepsake?” he asked.

“Who knows when it will happen again,” replied Lucy. 

Zeke took the camera back. “And who knows what creation is trying to tell us this time.”

The couple wandered throughout the property as Lucy left a trail of footprints. Before long, she pointed out a half-dozen grave sites with a curious feature.

“Look at the pretty vines on these headstones,” she remarked, running her hands along one of the plants. “The leaves are like leather. What do you make of this?”

Zeke backtracked and rubbed a leaf between his fingers. “Suspicious, for sure,” he replied and proceeded to photograph the vine-covered grave markers. 

As they continued, Lucy collected the instant prints and placed them in her purse. After about fifteen minutes, the group of officers along the road began to appear agitated.

“This is the last of the film,” reported Zeke, handing the last photo to Lucy. “I sure hope we have what we need.”

Before they left, Lucy looked down every aisle to make sure her mysterious grassy footprint coverage was consistent. If a row was missed, she ran up and down barefoot while Zeke headed to the car. As he passed the group of officers, Zeke just smiled and put his camera away in the trunk. 

When Lucy was finished, and out of breath, she closed the gate to the cemetery and turned to the policemen. 

“Will you please tell your Mayor I left a little present for him?” she asked. Lucy then returned to the car, where Zeke was holding the door open for her.

The officers straightened up and strained to see what it was Lucy was referring to.

As Zeke and Lucy drove off, the couple could see the officers in the rearview mirror running to the fence with looks of astonishment. 

—

Tuesday morning, Olivia knocked on the front door of the Chronicle office. To her left, a fake palm tree in a large pot stood as the latest addition to the ensemble of decor surrounding Rascal Rock. 

“You don’t have to knock,” said Eric as he held the door open.

Olivia entered and looked around the office. It still smelled new and lacked proper furnishings, she thought. 

“Andrea read my recent article and increased the budget for furnishings,” said Eric. “Filing cabinets are arriving today, and there’s a new chair for you in that box.” He pointed to a corner. 

Olivia turned to the large front window. “Does Andrea know about the improvements made to the outside as well?”

Eric laughed. “To be fair, it was just me and the rock until now,” he replied.

“It’s perfect,” she said, smiling.

Eric led her to a corner with a small table. “You’ve got a pretty clean slate when it comes to the advertising,” he explained. “All my records burned in the fire, and we haven’t sold any ads since the Chronicle was relaunched.” 

Olivia put her bookbag on the floor, then picked up several slips of paper she found on the table.

“Names and phone numbers?” she asked.

“These are the businesses who have called recently wanting to advertise,” replied Eric. “We’ll need a new system of organizing everything.” 

“You need a spreadsheet,” Olivia suggested as she tried to organize the notes. “I made one in school when I sold sponsorships.”

“So, what did your mother say about the position?” Eric asked as he returned to his desk.

“It took some convincing, but she said working here would be a good experience,” Olivia replied. “Sheriff Stephanie and Zeke agreed the heat is off at Imago Dei, so my mother is going back home. Speaking of Zeke, he and Lucy came back last night.”

“Already?” asked Eric. “What happened?” 

Olivia began assembling her new chair as she told Eric what happened to Zeke and Lucy in Ames Hill, their trip to jail, crooked Mayor Jenkins, and the mysterious graveyard. 

“That’s intense,” said Eric.

Olivia rolled her new chair across the floor and stopped abruptly at Eric’s desk. 

“Is this the Warren wood desk I heard about?” she asked.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” he replied. 

“It’s amazing,” said Olivia, who was then distracted by the computer. “How’s the reverse hacker stuff going?”

“I’ve been following Zeke’s instructions, but there’s nothing to report. I guess we’re just waiting to hear from Marcus.” 

“Can I help create some bogus files for the hackers?” she asked, rolling closer to the computer. 

“Help yourself,” Eric replied. “I’m all out of fake news stories.”

Olivia pulled some papers from her backpack and went back to the computer. Eric watched as her fingers flew across the keyboard with great precision.

“These keys have some great action,” Olivia commented without missing a beat.

From his desk, Eric strained to see the computer monitor. “What is it you are typing so fast?”

“Something the hackers will love,” Olivia replied. “It’s my biology homework.”

—

That night, Zeke and Lucy sat down with Father Vance and Sheriff Stephanie in the library. The latest Miracle Council meeting consisted of reviewing the instant photos taken at the graveyard and catching up on anything else from Ames Hill. 

“I paid a visit to Mayor Davies’ house today,” reported Stephanie. “He admitted he didn’t know the Mayor of Ames Hill very well and seemed genuinely shocked you were detained and then forced out of town. I’m inclined to believe him. If it came out he knowingly put you in harm’s way, Mr. Davies would be violating his parole as an accomplice.”

“In other words,” added Lucy, “he knows better.”

“I agree,” said Father Vance. “I think Bruce was honestly trying to help.”

“No harm done,” suggested Zeke. “We are now aware of the extent of the corruption in Ames Hill.”

“Those poor people. The entire town lives in fear,” said Lucy. “But in fear of what? Or who?”

“I don’t know, but whoever packed our luggage neglected to include the research materials we left in our motel room,” announced Zeke. “Fortunately, the Greyson book was safe here in the library. We have copies of everything else, but now they know what we’ve been working on.”

“But they don’t have these,” countered Stephanie as she picked up one of the instant photos on the table.

“It seems we are always given what we need to bring things to light,” added Father Vance. “If it’s in these pictures, we’ll find it.”

Lucy picked out the photo of her green footsteps, pinned it to the bulletin board on the wall, then returned to the table.

“I feel like these should be grouped together,” reported Zeke as he shuffled around four of the photos. “Look at how the vines seem to point out dates on the headstones.”

Sheriff Stephanie reviewed each of the images. “Look at that,” she agreed, passing the photos around the table. “June fifth.”

“The people buried there were all born on the same day?” asked Lucy.

“No,” replied Stephanie. “Nor did they die on the same day. And the years are all different.”

The two couples continued to hand around the photos as a variety of theories were discussed. After a few minutes, Olivia entered the library with the nightly tray of wine and cheese.

“Could it be something happened on these June fifth dates?” asked Father Vance.

“Are you talking about the play?” Olivia asked.

“The play?” asked Stephanie.

Olivia set down the glasses. “Anne and Rebecca’s big play in the park,” she explained. “It’s on June fifth.”

The group sat in silence at the revelation.

As usual, Zeke spoke first. “Maybe it’s not that something happened on any particular June fifth in the past,” he offered. “But a June fifth in the future.”

—

The next few days in Edenbury were relatively quiet. Olivia continued to work at the paper, the girls held another play practice, and Eric published another brilliant article in the Chronicle.

It was Thursday morning, and Olivia stood and looked out the front window of the office while Eric was out delivering more newspapers. The collection of items around Rascal Rock in the front yard had grown yet again, this time with a pair of Tiki torches.

This is beginning to look like a shrine, she thought. Just then, Olivia was startled by the ringing of the phone on the wall.

It wasn’t her first time answering, but it still excited Olivia to wield such great responsibility.

“The Edenbury Chronicle, how may I help you?” she asked calmly.

“Hello, this is Andrea Glenn.”

“Oh, hello, Ms. Glenn!” Olivia exclaimed as she began pacing as far as the telephone cord would allow. “This is Olivia Gregory. I’m helping Mr. Eric sell advertising, and I’m working on the computer, and we see you on the television all the time, and things are going very well.”

“That’s good to hear,” replied Andrea. “Got any juicy stories, or is everything quiet back home?”

Olivia’s mind raced as she looked again at the front lawn. “Things are getting interesting, for sure.” She then turned toward the computer. “But quiet in other ways.” 

“Can you just tell Eric to give me a call if anything newsworthy happens?”

“Yes, of course,” Olivia replied. “I’ll be sure to tell him you called, Ms. Glenn.”

“Please, call me Andrea. I look forward to meeting you one day. Goodbye, Olivia.”

Olivia hung up the phone and collapsed in her chair. 

—

Stay tuned next week for Chapter 17!