Darline's Arc

Chapter 5 of 13

Darline spent the next two days mapping out her plan. She needed everyone in one place at the same time—the florists, the merchants, the regulars who loved a good scandal. The Fat Cow was perfect. Friday nights drew a crowd, and she could set the stage without raising suspicion. She printed the invitations on pink paper with gold trim, each one decorated with flowers around the edges. The words promised an exclusive announcement about the rose trade and hinted at revelations that would change business in Skull Valley. She posted them on the community board, slipped them under doors, and handed them directly to the florists with a smile that suggested she had no idea what they'd been up to. By Thursday afternoon, half the town was asking questions. Rosie Tillman cornered her at the bar, demanding to know what the announcement was about. Darline just shrugged and said she'd heard something interesting from a traveling merchant. But when Friday arrived, Darline opened her notebook and realized she'd made a mistake. The evidence she'd gathered—the locations, the dates, the names—all pointed back to Lovelock spreading the burial ground secret, not to the florists committing new crimes. She had proof of supernatural roses blooming across the territory, but nothing that would expose Rosie's double-billing or the other scandals she'd cataloged weeks ago. If she presented what she had, people would talk about Silas and Lovelock, not the florists who'd mocked her. She closed the notebook and stared at the telegram she'd drafted to display her findings. The gathering would happen in two hours, and she had nothing worth showing.