Chloe in Willowmere

Detective Park arrives with such immediate seriousness that Chloe barely has time to finish her explanation before the mystery belongs to both of them. On the quiet residential sidewalk, he studies the carefully placed flower as though it were a witness that has not yet decided to speak. When Chloe asks whether a flower can really leave evidence, he answers, with absolute conviction, that even kindness leaves a trace. Then, to her astonishment, he produces a preliminary suspect list so long it spills across the pavement like a parade banner. As he solemnly includes gardeners, former gardeners, admirers of gardeners, and anyone with unresolved feelings about begonias, Chloe cannot help laughing. Still, beneath the joke, she feels the strange excitement of a real investigation taking shape. In Willowmere, even a single flower can open a very large case.