Mary stood in front of the back door of Furry Friends Pet Shop, key in hand, thinking this was too much like yesterday. Only it wasn’t. It was halfway through the morning, and the lock showed bright under a weak early spring sun. This door was truly locked and opened easily with the turn of her key. Millie, who hadn’t liked what lay on the other side of yesterday’s door, was already wagging her behind as this one swung open. Mary sighed as she followed Millie into the back room of the shop. Why did she let herself get talked into these kinds of things, anyway? She knew nothing about pet supplies, electronic cash registers, small rodents or fish. Especially fish. But here she was, and she would do the best she could. She let go of Millie’s leash and watched the little dog trot through the back room into the store, head up, ears pricked forward. Mary ignored the contents of the back room, walked through the shop, unlocked the front door, turned the sign over from ‘closed’ to ‘open’ and hoped no one would come in anytime soon. She needed to put away her purse, turn on the cash register and make coffee. Coffee first. Thank goodness they had a decent coffeemaker.
With a fresh mug in hand, Mary felt a little stronger, more in control. Yesterday had taken a bigger toll than she’d wanted to admit, even to herself. Millie circled the puppy pen, which was empty, left it to examine the dog crates stacked in one corner and ignored the fish in their tanks as she walked down the aisle to say good morning to the parakeets. They twittered something back, but Mary didn’t think it was good morning. Millie stopped next to an elevated wire cage that contained baby rabbits, who immediately hopped over to stare at the dog. Were these bunnies destined as Easter pets for small children? She hoped not. With one eye still on Millie, she walked over to the checkout counter. John had, as promised, taped a checklist on it. She examined it, ticking off each item as she turned on the cash register, made sure the date was correct and the starting amount zero. So far, so good. Then the door opened to the tinkling of a bell. She gave a start that almost emptied her coffee cup on John’s list. ‘Oh.’
Millie’s bark wasn’t any more welcoming as she looked up at Mary.
The customer laughed. ‘It doesn’t seem you two were expecting company.’
‘What are you doing here?’ Mary sank down in the rolling chair behind the counter, her heart still fluttering.
Millie ran to greet Ellen, knowing she was about to get her ears scratched.
‘I need cat food, so I thought I’d pop in and get some.’
‘And keep an eye on me at the same time?’
Ellen grinned. ‘Something like that.’
‘So far, so good.’
‘Meaning I’m the only one who’s come in so far?’
Mary grinned and nodded. ‘Want some coffee?’
‘Thought you’d never ask.’ Ellen looked around. ‘No puppies?’
‘No. Also no chicks or kittens. But there are bunnies. Poor little things. I hope no one buys them for Easter baskets.’
‘So do I. However, I think they’re destined for a not-too-pleasant life, no matter where they go. Living in a small cage on wire when you’re bred to hop around all day in a nice green garden can’t be much fun.’
Mary blinked. She hadn’t thought of it quite that way and decided she didn’t want to now, either. She was on anxiety overload, and the future life of bunnies was one thing she couldn’t deal with. At least not right now.
She changed the subject. ‘I hope we get good homes for some of those dogs and cats and some good donations for the future shelter. If we can fund the no-kill shelter, it will be wonderful.’
‘The rummage sale is usually a huge success, so you should get some money from that.’
‘If we ever get a chance to hold it.’
Ellen looked at her aunt in surprise. Gloomy was not usually her mood. ‘Dan said they’d be through in a couple of days. I thought you and Les had settled on next Thursday.’
‘We did, but you don’t always get as good a turn-out when you have to reschedule.’
Ellen laughed. ‘You’ll whip the radio station and the paper into giving you daily publicity all the rest of the week, every pastor in town will be announcing it from his or her pulpit, every club in town will be sending emails … you’ll get a good turnout.’
Mary allowed herself a small smile. Ellen was right. That was exactly what would happen, and they probably would. It was just there were so many things … so many questions … and poor Miss Emilie. She couldn’t get her out of her mind, sitting in that chair, looking so pitiful with her furry pink slippers, her robe falling off her shoulders … No, she wasn’t going to think about it. She would concentrate on minding John and Glen’s shop until they got back, and that was all. Only she wasn’t going to get off quite that easily. The little bell rang again.
Mary had never seen the young man who walked through the doorway. Tall, thin, black hair pulled back in a ponytail, his black baseball cap worn backward made it hard to know where his hat ended and his hair began. His jeans were black and so was his half-zipped hoodie. The only color on him, other than his too-white face, was his T-shirt. From what Mary could see it was covered in so many lightning bolts it could have ignited half the town. He looked around the store and studied Ellen for a minute before addressing Mary.
‘Hi. I’m Charlie Johnson. I’ve come for the lizard.’ He held up a small animal carrier.
Mary stared at it. So did Ellen.
‘You’re here for the lizard? Do you mean the Komodo dragon?’ Mary couldn’t keep her eyes off the carrier. Did he mean to try to transport that nasty tempered dragon in that flimsy carrier? It wouldn’t hold a chihuahua safely.
The young man’s narrow face creased into a frown. He took his cap off, ran his hand over his hair and slapped his cap back on. ‘No one said nothing about a dragon. My mom told me to pick up the lizard. She said it wasn’t a little bitty thing so I should take along a good-sized carrier. I did.’
He raised the small box up again and waved it slightly.
Ellen gave a snort of laughter. ‘You’ll never get that beast into that little carrier, and if you did he’d be out the other end before you got the door closed. Here. Follow me. I’ll show you.’
He followed Ellen through the store to the back wall, clutching his carrier close beside him. Mary didn’t follow. She’d seen the dragon and was sure she could live nicely without ever seeing it again. Millie didn’t need to see it either. She snapped the leash on her little dog and kept her tight beside her. It wasn’t long before she heard a sharp gasp.
‘That’s what I’m supposed to transport?’ There was a pause. ‘Guess that’s why she told me to take the truck.’
Charlie Johnson returned to the front of the store a great deal faster than he’d ambled through it to view the dragon. ‘I wouldn’t touch that thing with a … I can’t take it. I came on my motorcycle.’
Mary thought his face was even whiter, if such a thing was possible, than when he’d sauntered in, and his casual off-hand manner had disappeared. Instead, a very upset young man stood before her.
‘My mom is going to kill me, but she didn’t tell me that thing was … It spits. How do you go about getting it out of that glass fish tank and into another carrier, anyway? If she thinks I’m going to stick my hand in there and pull it out by the back leg – well, I’m not. I do a lot of things at that zoo but I’m not getting into a fight with a dragon. She said it was just a baby. If that’s a baby, what does a full-grown one look like?’
‘They can get up to ten feet long and weigh well over one hundred pounds. That one is probably just over three feet and weighs maybe thirty pounds or so,’ Karl Bennington said.
Charlie Johnson flinched as if he’d been shot. Mary smiled. She hadn’t heard Karl and Pat Bennington come in.
‘Hi,’ Ellen said. ‘Do they really get that big?’
‘In the wild, they do. Not sure if they will in a zoo. Charlie, are you sure your mother didn’t tell you how to handle it? Or did you just not listen?’ Karl’s voice was carefully neutral, but there was an undertone of displeasure.
White was replaced by red. ‘Ah, she said it was a lizard, a sort of big one and to take the truck. And to call you. Gosh, Doc. I thought I could handle a lizard, even a sort of big one. I didn’t know it was a monster. She’s going to kill me.’
Karl grinned. ‘You’re probably in more danger of your mom doing that than the lizard. I believe John and Glen named him Bernard, but I’m not sure that’s appropriate. I’ve never personally examined him, or her, and I’m not sure I want to. Dogs and cats are my thing. However, I’ve done a lot of work for your mom at the zoo, and I think I can help you get this guy moved safely. But not in that.’ Karl pointed to the small animal carrier Charlie still held. ‘Let’s give your mother a call and see what we can work out.’
He took Charlie by the arm and aimed him toward the front door and the motorcycle prominently parked in the street in front of the shop.
Pat Bennington watched, her smile barely repressed. ‘That kid is in for it. Ginger didn’t get her name for her red hair alone.’
‘What are you two doing here?’ asked Mary.
Ellen’s grin was a little broader than Pat’s, just one step from all-out laughter, but it subsided when Mary spoke.
‘So, when are we going to get rid of that blasted lizard?’ There was more than a little trepidation in Mary’s voice.
‘I don’t know,’ Pat said. ‘Karl works with Ginger at the zoo. He swore he’d never treat anything larger than a Great Dane but he’s in love with that old brown bear they have. I wonder if it’s possible to tranquilize lizards.’ She looked at Mary and grinned. ‘They’ll get it out of here soon. As for why we’re here, we’re trying to figure out the best place to put the dog crates and portable runs. What’s the weather supposed to be like tomorrow?’
‘Nice. No reason you can’t set up in the parking lot, but I was wondering, can anyone see you back there? Will they come?’
‘I was wondering the same thing. It’s a great place to have them – lots of room and it’s safe. We can set up the adoption application table in the back room. All we have to do is move some of those food bags and those boxes of stuff. We’ll ask later. I was thinking we might be able to put one dog in the front of the store, along with a sign, to sort of tell people what’s going on.’
Mary wasn’t so sure, but they had to do something. Unadvertised events weren’t usually very successful. ‘Let’s see what John says.’ She glanced at her cell phone. ‘Krissie should be along any minute. Maybe she’ll have some ideas.’
‘Who’s Krissie?’ Ellen asked.
‘If you had a dog instead of a cat, you’d know,’ Mary told her niece, a trace of tartness in her voice. That Millie spent more time at the groomer than Mary did at the hairdressers was one thing Mary hadn’t anticipated when she took on the little dog.
Pat laughed. ‘That’s why short-haired dogs are so popular.’ She turned to Ellen. ‘Didn’t you see the new station in the back of the store? John and Glen just finished it last week. Bring your dog in, get it groomed and shop for dog food, little sweaters and special dog and cat treats all at the same time.’
‘Is that what that is?’ Ellen gestured toward the back of the store, where a glass partition could be seen. ‘I thought that was new but didn’t know what it was for. Dog grooming? And this Krissie is the groomer?’
‘Yep.’ Pat beamed. ‘Krissie was a real stroke of luck. She’s been working at the Dolled Up Dog Parlor for ages and does all of the show dogs in this area, but she and the owner had some sort of falling out and when the guys heard about it they called her, and here she is. Or she will be pretty soon.’
The bell on the front door tinkled, and a tall man with a blond ponytail, a diamond earring and a small chocolate-brown poodle under one arm walked in. ‘Hi.’ He smiled. ‘I’m early, I see, but I thought I’d drop Fred off. I have to open the library and people get a little testy if I’m not on time.’
‘Hey, Luke. Hey, Fred.’ Pat reached out and gave the little poodle a scratch behind his ear. He gave her a slobbery lick on the hand. ‘Thanks.’ She whipped her hand down the side of her pants.
Luke laughed. ‘This is sure going to be convenient. I’ve been taking Fred to Krissie for a long time but it was a thirty-minute drive each way. You don’t mind if he hangs out until she gets here?’
‘Of course not,’ Mary said. ‘Millie will be delighted.’
‘So will Fred. Just don’t let them play chase.’ He set the dog on the floor, unsnapped his leash and handed it to Mary. ‘I see Charlie Johnson out there, talking with Karl. Surely he didn’t try to pick up the Komodo dragon on that motorcycle?’
Ellen burst out laughing. Pat appeared to try to smother her chuckle.
Mary wasn’t as amused. ‘He drove up here with a carrier that wouldn’t have held a small cat. Karl is out there right now making arrangements with Ginger to get the beast properly removed. How they’re going to go about doing that is beyond me. Just as long as they get it done.’
Luke watched Fred and Millie get reacquainted for a minute then looked up. ‘Is there anything new on who killed poor Miss Emilie?’
Mary shook her head. ‘Not that I’ve heard.’
‘Is it true she was in the church hall in her night clothes? That someone strangled her?’
Mary nodded.
‘You found her?’
Again, Mary nodded. It was about all she could do. The horror and sympathy on Luke’s face made her choke up all over again, and tears wouldn’t help an already impossible situation.
‘Dan’s checking on a few possible leads right now.’ Ellen reached over and touched her aunt on the arm.
Mary smiled back and dabbed at the corner of one eye.
‘I don’t understand what she was doing there, in the middle of the night, or how she got in. Did someone bring her?’ Pat looked as if she would start sniffling any minute as well.
‘Lorraine says she wanted her stuffed dog. They think it somehow got into one of the boxes of things they donated to the rummage sale. She brought Miss Emilie to the hall on Wednesday when we were setting up, but they didn’t find it. Lorraine thinks she may have come back to look again.’
‘In the middle of the night?’ Luke looked incredulous.
None of the ladies did. They all knew the Plym sisters and had watched as Miss Emilie lost track of night and day, along with other things. ‘She’d gotten a little … mixed up.’
Luke’s face softened. ‘Yeah. They’d both come into the library, her carrying that stuffed dog. She’d ask me every time if it was all right if she brought him in. “He won’t make a sound,” she’d always say. Miss Eloise would start to grumble but I’d just say don’t worry, it’s fine. She always went into the children’s section or young adults and wandered around, then Miss Eloise would bring a pile of books up to the counter and call for her to come on. What was she doing in that section anyway?’ Luke paused and watched the dogs for a minute before he looked back at the women. ‘I used to feel sorry for her, but I finally figured out she wasn’t unhappy. I’m not sure what world she lived in, but she seemed to like it.’
Mary had to agree. Miss Emilie seemed, if not happy, then content.
‘What I can’t figure out,’ Luke continued, ‘is how she found her way to the church hall in the middle of the night. Most days she couldn’t find her way home in broad daylight.’ He turned to go, pausing at the door. ‘Tell Krissie I’ll come get Fred around four. I have a short day today.’
He was halfway across the park before anyone said anything.
‘He’s got a point.’ Ellen’s voice was thoughtful, as if she was working something out.
‘Another thing. Even if she could find her way, even if she knew that’s where she wanted to look for that stupid toy dog, I can’t see her remembering to bring a key. I can’t believe she ever had one or if she did, remembered what it was for. This just doesn’t make sense.’ Pat looked around as if suddenly some answer would appear, but the door opened and it was only Karl.
‘Sorry, Mary. It looks as if your dragon isn’t going anywhere until Monday.’
‘It’s not my dragon, and I won’t be here on Monday. The problem now is where are we going to put the dogs and cats up for adoption?’
‘The cats will have to come in here, somewhere. Dogs can go in the parking lot, and if John agrees we’ll set up the adoption table in the back room. I can get my staff to make a couple of signs this afternoon. We don’t have many appointments and no surgeries,’ Karl said.
Mary stared at Karl for a moment, not sure what to say. ‘We’d just established that …’ She looked over at Pat who, with a straight face, nodded at Karl.
‘An excellent idea, dear. That’s just what we’ll do.’
Ellen watched them for a moment then put her hand over her face and coughed, trying to disguise her smile.
Concern creased Karl’s face. ‘Are you all right?’
‘She’s fine,’ Pat said, still smiling. ‘We’d better go. The office will open soon and you really should be there. Mary, you’ll fill in John? If there’s going to be any changes, let me know. Otherwise, I’ll be here before nine in the morning with the dogs in our charge and ready to meet the others. I don’t have the cats. The girls from Atascadero rescue are bringing them. Give Krissie my best and tell her I hope to see her soon.’
‘Krissie? Krissie who does the wonderful dog grooming? She’s coming here?’
‘Yes, Karl. She’s going to have her own dog grooming business right here in Furry Friends. I wonder where people get these pet store names. Let’s go. Mary, don’t go near the dragon. Karl’s people will take care of it on Monday. See you all. Ellen, you and Dan still coming over tonight? Good.’
Pat steered Karl out the door and around the corner.
‘Poor Karl. He had no idea we were way ahead of him on how to set up.’
‘He’s way ahead of us on how to get rid of that lizard.’ Mary’s tone was a little cryptic. ‘You’re going over there tonight?’
Ellen nodded.
‘See if Dan’s any closer to finding out how Miss Emilie got into the hall and who might have been with her.’
‘I’ll find that out long before we go visit the Benningtons. I think the clinic’s open tonight until six, so we’re going to take Chinese over about seven. In the meantime, I have an appointment to list a house – one that’s going to be much easier to sell than the Plyms’. I need to go home and shower and change. Can you ring up this cat food for me?’
Mary managed, and she continued to manage the rest of the morning. There was a steady stream of customers in and out of the store, almost every one of whom wanted to talk about the murder. It was close to noon when Joy arrived.
Mary watched her as she wandered around the store. If she hadn’t known Joy so well she would have thought she was a potential shoplifter. Joy walked slowly up and down the aisles, picking up one item after another, putting each down, walking on, picking up something else and not seeming to see any of them, all the while clutching a brown paper bag. Mary decided she was waiting for the woman who had been at the counter forever, mulling over which kind of wild bird seed to buy, to leave. The woman finally decided on the one that that was ten cents cheaper than the other, paid for it and left.
Joy immediately joined Mary at the counter. ‘Mary, I have no idea what to do with this so I thought I’d bring it to you. I hope you don’t mind.’
‘Bring me what?’
Joy set her paper shopping bag on the counter. ‘Miss Emilie’s stuffed dog.’
‘Oh, my goodness. What am I supposed to do with it?’
Joy sighed deeply and mournfully. ‘I don’t know, but I can’t bear the thought of throwing it in the trash and I don’t think anyone would want it if we put it back in the rummage sale. Not only is it pretty worn out but everyone in town knows it was Miss Emilie’s. I thought maybe you’d have an idea …’ Joy pushed the paper bag closer to Mary’s hand.
Mary took the bag with great reluctance and stuffed it under the counter with her purse. ‘I don’t, but I understand not wanting to throw it away. I’ll think of something.’
Joy brightened – not a usual look for her. ‘I knew you would. Now, I need some food for my granddaughter’s dog. I don’t hold with dogs in the house …’ She looked at Millie and frowned.
Millie’s tongue rolled out one side of her mouth.
‘But that dog is the best thing that’s happened to the child since she got so sick. The food comes in one of those big brown sacks.’
Mary knew exactly what kind Joy wanted. It was what she fed Millie. ‘Do you want the ten-pound sack or the big one?’
Joy took the smaller bag and left.
John walked in the door, still in his hospital scrubs, as Joy was going to walk out. ‘How’s your granddaughter’s dog?’
A rare smile creased Joy’s lips. ‘They adore each other. The dog mopes all around the house while she’s in school. Or so my daughter says,’ she added hastily.
Since Joy’s daughter worked the breakfast and lunch shift at the Yum Yum café, did the little dog mope around at her house as well? Joy left.
Mary smiled as John walked up to the counter.
‘How’d it go?’ He looked around the shop then at the floor where Millie had come to sit on one side of him. Fred sat on the other. That they expected ear scratches was not in doubt. ‘Krissie’s not in yet?’
‘Fine and no, she’s not, to the second.’
‘She’s late.’ He frowned, scratched Millie’s ears, scratched Fred’s and advanced into the store.
‘Didn’t you say she’d be here around noon? It’s just a few minutes past.’
As if to prove John wrong, the door opened again and a tall, handsome black woman, her curly hair cut no-nonsense short, her green smock open and flowing around her yellow T-shirt, rushed in. ‘Am I late? There was another accident on the freeway. If this works out, I’m moving up here. Hi, Fred. Hi, Millie. Oh, dear. Millie needs her “do done.”’
Both dogs made a beeline for the woman who must be Krissie. Mary studied the woman as she coo’d and goo’d over the dogs, who yelped and squealed with pleasure.
‘Yes, she does.’ John looked at Millie with undisguised displeasure. ‘You only have a few, so maybe you can work her in. Fred’s first.’
‘Then that’s where we’ll start.’ She gathered Fred up in her arms and finally faced Mary. ‘You must be Mrs McGill. I’m Krissie. I used to groom Millie for … before … poor Evan.’
Poor Evan, indeed. His murder had been tragic but Mary thought he’d be happy his good friends, John Lagomasino and Glen Manning, were doing such a good job taking care of his beloved shop and that Mary had acquired Millie. She took a look at her. She did look a little shaggy. A lot shaggy.
She sighed. ‘I’ve heard a lot about you, Krissie, but I didn’t know you were the one who … She needs her “do done”?’
Krissie laughed and John chuckled. ‘Her hairdo. She needs a new hairdo,’ he said.
‘Oh. I guess she does.’
‘I’m not sure I can do her today, but if you want to make an appointment, I’ll check the book.’
Having Millie groomed wasn’t an expense Mary had budgeted. Krissie could check her appointment book, but Mary needed to consult her checkbook. How much did Krissie charge? Millie didn’t like the groomer she’d been using. She was about to ask when John interrupted with other news.
‘You’ll never guess who was at the hospital today looking for a job.’
‘Gloria Sutherland.’ Krissie had started toward her grooming area but turned back, Fred tucked into the crook of her arm.
‘How did you know?’ John looked crestfallen, his interesting piece of gossip apparently not the minor bombshell he’d hoped.
‘Sissie called me. She was all up in arms. Said if they hired her and she ended up on her floor, she was quitting.’
‘Who’s Sissie?’ Mary asked. ‘And what would she be quitting?’
‘My sister, Sybil. She’s an RN at Tri-Counties Hospital. Gloria is an RPN so some things she can’t do. Gloria does them anyway. She was fired from Trinity Lutheran because of that. The RNs were afraid one day she’d do something really wrong and hurt someone. Since then she’s worked as a home health nurse’s aide but that’s dried up. She probably got caught snooping in people’s drawers and desks one too many times.’
John looked like a deflated balloon. This was his story and he wanted to tell it. She was pretty sure he had something to add.
‘It dried up because she did more than snoop. Remember that old lady who died last year, the one with dementia? Gloria took care of her. She got the old lady to sign a codicil to her will, leaving a substantial portion of her estate to Gloria. Her kids challenged it in court, and yesterday the judge threw it out. He ruled the old lady wasn’t competent to sign it, plus … and this is the good part … the witnesses’ signatures weren’t valid. Gloria got lucky. The kids won’t prosecute. They just want her to go away.’
Mary cringed. She’d known Gloria since she’d been in her seventh-grade class. She hadn’t been easy, but children of older parents sometimes weren’t. That was true in Gloria’s case. Her mother seemed perpetually surprised she was there and her father noticed only his failing business. She craved attention and didn’t seem to care if it wasn’t always approval. She dominated conversations, pushing herself into groups that increasingly rejected her. The result was Gloria often sat alone at the lunch table, at the library and on the bus home. She hadn’t outgrown the need to make herself important, and she still didn’t seem to have many friends, but somehow that didn’t translate into stealing from an old lady, or going through people’s drawers, especially when they were sick and in your care.
‘Are you sure about that?’ Mary knew her voice was a little faint, but she felt as if the air had been knocked out of her. It was Millie jumping on her leg, whining in what must have been agitation that made her straighten up. ‘That’s a very serious accusation.’ She felt stronger, and strangely, a need to protect Gloria, the last person she ever thought she’d be protecting.
John nodded. ‘It seems the brother of the assistant district attorney is another of the operating nurses. He told me. Our Gloria needs money, but cheating old ladies isn’t the way to get it.’
‘She does? I thought her parents left her in good shape.’ Mary was beginning to feel more and more out of her depth.
John shrugged. ‘I only know what I told you. There’s a real shortage of good home health nurses, but she can hardly get a job. Now, is the dragon gone? Do we know what we’re doing tomorrow? How did you get on with the cash register?’
‘Everything’s fine. The cash register wasn’t a problem but the dragon’s still here. There was a transportation mix-up. Karl was here and he got it worked out. It leaves Monday. I think they got tomorrow all worked out as well.’
John started to say something, but the sight of Millie, wiggling beside Mary’s foot, looking anxious, distracted him. ‘How long has it been since Millie’s been out? She looks like she needs to.’
‘Oh.’ Mary looked down; the little dog stood up and headed for the front door. Mary grabbed her leash and followed. ‘We won’t be long.’
‘Can you come back for about a half hour longer when Millie’s finished? I need to go home and change.’
‘Yes,’ Mary managed to say as Millie towed her through the doorway and out to the tree in the front of the store. When she was finished, she started down the block, sniffing at each tree as they went, dragging Mary after her.
‘I promised John we’d go back to the store. Aren’t you done?’
Millie ignored that statement and kept going. She had something in mind and it wasn’t returning to the store. Mary was watching her so intently, she almost ran into Lorraine.
‘Oh, Lorraine, I’m so sorry. I was watching Millie and not where I was going.’ She paused and gave an apologetic laugh, but Lorraine didn’t seem to notice.
‘Millie. Yes.’
Millie no longer tugged at the leash. She sat in the middle of the sidewalk, her head tilted, ears forward, staring at Lorraine, who hadn’t moved. She looked pale and more than a little distressed.
‘Are you all right?’ asked Mary.
Lorraine didn’t say anything for a moment, but tears pooled at the corners of her eyes. She tried to wipe them away, but without much success. Mary reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out the pack of tissues she kept there. She handed one to Lorraine, who wiped her eyes, blew her nose and handed it back. With a little surprise and a lot of reluctance, Mary took it and stuffed it back in her pocket. ‘What brings you downtown?’
‘I had to get away. Caleb wants to start packing. Cassandra is stuffing all of Miss Eloise’s clothes and everything else that’s left in her bedroom in boxes. What she’s going to do with it, I don’t know, but I expect she’ll start on Miss Emilie’s room next. She wants to get the house ready to sell. I guess we’ll have to clear out as well.’ She sniffed. ‘Oh, Mary, that’s what’s happening to me. I’m going to be stuffed in a box and dropped off with all the other discarded things.’ More tears dripped.
Mary handed her back the tissue.
Lorraine was being a little dramatic, but then it had been a hard year. First, Miss Eloise dying so suddenly, then watching Miss Emilie getting more confused month by month and now all this. Mary thought she was probably right about having to move, another trauma to overcome, but their job at the Plyms’ had ended.
‘Where are you going to go? Have you decided?’ She tried to put sympathy in her voice but she was having mixed emotions. Lorraine and Caleb had lived in the apartment above the Plyms’ garage for a long time. They’d paid no rent and Caleb had only worked for the sisters part-time. He had a full-time job as custodian of one of the local grade schools and did some yard work for a few people. Lorraine had done just about everything for the sisters – cooked, cleaned and drove them to their appointments or social engagements but still managed to find time to volunteer at St Mark’s. They’d known that arrangement would come to an end when the sisters either died or went into a care facility. Surely the Duxworths had made plans.
‘Caleb has.’ Bitterness practically dripped from those two words. Lorraine’s eyes narrowed and the tears seemed to have dried up. Her lips were so narrow Mary was surprised she got the words out.
‘What do you mean?’
‘We bought a piece of land out in Almond Tree Hills years ago. Put a mobile home on it. We’ve been renting it out all this time but now the renters want to move to town and Caleb wants to move us out there. I don’t want to live out there, and he knows it.’ Her face contorted with what Mary thought was rage, or possibly despair, or maybe some of each. Red blotches stained her cheeks, more red lined her eyes and a twitch appeared in the corner of one of them. Her hands twisted together as she looked up and down the street. ‘I love living in town. I can walk everywhere. To the farmer’s market, to the library, even to my dentist. I love volunteering at the church. Those people are my friends. I can’t do any of that if we move out there.’ She hiccupped as she tried to swallow a sob. ‘But does he care? No. We only have the truck, and he uses that for his gardening. He doesn’t like me to drive it, and he won’t want to take me into town. I’ll be stuck out there. I don’t know …’
Mary wasn’t sure what to say. She knew the area. The rolling hills used to be covered in oaks but now there wasn’t a tree for miles. They’d been pulled out when the land had been planted in barley, but that market had collapsed right along with no rain to irrigate the crops. The farmers had planted almond trees, hence the name, but that hadn’t been any more successful. Some enterprising soul had gotten the county to let him subdivide the land into ten-acre parcels and they’d sold cheap. The price was their only redeeming feature. The roads had never been paved and were little more than rutted trails. Water wasn’t plentiful and the wells were deep, unreliable and often contained sulfur. Building permits were hard to get – so was electricity – and the septic systems didn’t leach well. She wouldn’t want to live there either. She tried to think of something to say but Lorraine didn’t give her a chance.
‘You don’t know how lucky you are, Mary McGill. You have that sweet little house right in the middle of town. I’d give anything to have your house.’
Lorraine turned and scurried down the sidewalk in the direction of the bank. Mary watched her go, stunned. Someone was envious of her house? She’d lived in it for over fifty years and had no plans to live anywhere else. She and Samuel had bought it shortly after they married and had never felt the need to move. The children they had both wanted never came, so its small size hadn’t bothered her, and the location was perfect. The house was comfortable but not one that would inspire envy.
Millie barked sharply. Mary started then looked down. ‘You’re right. We need to get back. I promised John. What do you think about Lorraine? I had no idea she felt that way. Do you really think …’
Millie was already on her feet, headed back to the pet shop. What a strange conversation, Mary thought as she allowed Millie to tow her up the street. The last couple of days had been emotionally draining, and now one more sad thing to mull over. It didn’t, however, get her any closer to knowing why Miss Emilie had gone to the church hall in the middle of the night and who had been with her, or why she’d been killed.
Sighing deeply, she opened the pet shop door and entered, letting the little bell ring as she called out, ‘We’re back.’