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"Weird, how?" Jake asked.
He swallowed hard, his voice barely a whisper. "A few weeks ago, when we were still together, we went to this beekeeper's place to buy some fresh honey. The guy was really sketchy, and he tried to overcharge us. When I refused to pay, he got angry and threatened to unleash bees on us."
"Bees?" Fiona echoed, her shock evident in her voice. She exchanged a glance with Jake, who looked equally surprised. "That's… quite a threat."
"Wait, are you serious?" Jake asked, leaning forward in his chair. "This guy actually threatened to attack you with bees?"
"Dead serious," Jason replied, nodding vigorously. "He was furious. Said he had a whole swarm of them ready to go if we didn't pay up."
Fiona's mind raced, new possibilities opening up before her like pieces of a puzzle starting to fall into place. "Jason, can you give us the name of this beekeeper? His business, maybe an address?"
"Uh, yeah," Jason said, his voice shaky. "It's called Honey Haven. It's out in the countryside, not too far from here."
Fiona held her breath. If Carrie had brushed elbows with a beekeeper in the weeks leading up to her death, then this could be huge.
It could be the break they needed.
***
The drive to Honey Haven was long and winding, with lush green hills and meadows rolling by in the distance. Bright patches of wildflowers lined the edge of the road while tall trees blocked out the sun. As they got further away from the city, the noise and bustle faded away to be replaced by crisp, clean air and peace and quiet. They passed through small villages with houses painted in bright colors, rolling pastures with horses and cows grazing in them, and small farms where farmers sold their produce right at their doorsteps. The scenery was breathtakingly beautiful, and it seemed like time was standing still. But Fiona reminded herself that now wasn't the time to admire Oregon's beauty.
She could feel Jake's presence beside her the whole drive, but they barely spoke. Outworking the case and talking to people had kept them busy, but now they were alone for a long stretch of time, and Fiona could feel the awkwardness heavy in the air. She tried not to think about it and assumed Jake was feeling the same way.
As Jake drove, she continued looking into Honey Haven on her phone. According to its website, it was founded by a man named Bert Collins--a balding guy with squished features and arched eyebrows, who looked angry, even on their website photos. She decided to dive deeper, looking into Bert Collins as a person--and what she found was more damning.
An article titled SWARM OF BEES ATTACKS FAMILY AT LOCAL FARM caught her eye.
In the article, Honey Haven--and Bert--were named directly. Apparently, a family had visited the farm only to get attacked by a loose swarm of bees. The father claimed it felt intentional, but Honey Haven denied it and said the bees escaped because the family's child had interfered with a hive.
Fiona felt a wave of unease wash over her as she read the article. It seemed like Bert Collins had a history of anger issues and possibly even violence.
"Jake, listen to this," Fiona said. "A family was attacked by a swarm at this farm, and the father felt it was intentional. The company, of course, denied it--but with Jason's statement..."
Jake frowned, eyes focused on the road. "I hear you, Red. This Bert guy sounds like bad news. We should be careful when we get there."
Fiona nodded in agreement, her mind racing with possibilities. What if Bert really was responsible for Carrie's death? What could they do to prove it?
As they approached Honey Haven, Fiona felt her heart rate increase. The farm was situated on a large plot of land, with rows of beehives lined up in neat rows. There was a small building next to the hives, with the words "Honey Haven" painted above the door.It looked homey and quaint--but Fiona knew first-hand how deceitful appearances could be.
They had to be ready for anything.
CHAPTER NINE
Jake had always hated bees.
Artificial hives dotted the landscape like small, white tombstones, their buzzing like an unpleasant hum in his ears. He remembered when he was a kid, probably four of five, and a giant bee had stung him right in the arm in his backyard. His mom had rushed over to help him, but he'd never forget the searing pain and how terrifying it'd been at the time. The truth was, he'd hated them ever since.
Fiona, on the other hand, looked more impressed than anything.
"Look at all those hives," Fiona said in awe. "I never imagined there would be so many."
"Neither did I," Jake muttered, his eyes darting from one hive to another. He shook his head, trying to dislodge the images of being stung as a kid, but they clung stubbornly to the edges of his consciousness.
As they moved further onto the property, the surrounding fields and woods seemed to close in on them. Jake had a bad feeling about this.
"Where is everyone?" Fiona asked, her voice hushed.
"Good question," Jake replied, scanning the area for any signs of life. Instead, all he found was a CLOSED sign hanging in the window of the small shop near the entrance. Clearly, the farm was not open to visitors. "Looks like we're going in uninvited," he muttered.
