Hushed Up--Myrtle Clover Mystery #15

Chapter One

"It's no fun visiting someone who's asleep," said Myrtle in a reprimanding tone.

Her friend Miles immediately jerked his head up off his chest and looked abashed. "Sorry," he mumbled. "I haven't been sleeping well lately."

"Have you ever slept well, or is your insomnia a later-in-life thing?" asked Myrtle.

Miles sighed. "Believe it or not, there was a time when I slept like the dead. Now I'm on this bizarre sleep schedule. It could have something to do with people visiting me in the middle of the night," he said, giving Myrtle a sideways glance.

Myrtle frowned at him. "I only knock on your door when it's clear you're awake. If I see a light on, I know I'm not the only one who's up for the day at 3:30."

Miles said, "That's only part of it. Everything seems to be off. I eat breakfast at 4:00, then I'm hungry for lunch at 9:30 or 10:00. That puts supper at 3:00 in the afternoon. Before I know it, it's 7:30 in the evening and I'm nodding off over my book."

Myrtle said sternly, "That doesn't completely explain why you're falling asleep now. It's only 9:00 a.m."

Miles shrugged. "I guess the lack of sleep is catching up with me. And today isn't the day for that to happen."

"I still say you should simply have told the ladies no," said Myrtle, pursing her lips.

Miles held out his hands helplessly. "I was caught off-guard! I had no idea there was a plan afoot to invite me to join garden club."

"You keep your yard too tidy," said Myrtle. "They see you out there with your pair of clippers making sure all the blades of grass are exactly the same height."

"No, I really think it's because occasionally there's heavy lifting involved for garden club," said Miles thoughtfully.

Myrtle shrugged. "Then the husbands usually help out. And I drag Red into it."

Red was Myrtle's long-suffering son. He was never excited about helping out with Myrtle's garden club, but was always relieved she at least was keeping busy and out of trouble. And wasn't investigating murders.

Miles said, "Perhaps the husbands have revolted. After all, it couldn't be too pleasant to load and carry things for the botanical sale or the fundraising soiree. Maybe they just reached the point where they decided enough was enough."

"And they said 'no.' Which is exactly what you should have done, Miles!"

Miles said in a glum voice, "I've gotten very good at saying no via email. I've even gotten pretty good at saying it on a phone call. But when I'm approached at my front door, I'm apparently unable to do it."

Myrtle said, "You should simply have told them you needed time to consider it. That you have many other obligations and needed to see if you would be able to consistently make the meetings."

"They were holding balloons," said Miles forlornly. "It's hard to put anyone off when they seem so excited and they're holding a bunch of balloons."

Myrtle tilted her head thoughtfully. "Is that so? They must really need some help. It sounds like sorority rush. That's exactly what happened, Miles: you were rushed."

"Well, the pledge period seemed awfully short," said Miles. "Now I'm already in the stage of membership where they're making me do heavy-lifting."

"Or perhaps you're being hazed. What is it you're picking up today?"

Miles said, "I'm supposed to be picking up donations. That's actually the reason I'm here right now. Today is the last day for you to donate something for the garden club silent auction. Some people are giving away packages, some baskets of items, and some are donating individual things."