| |
“I DON'T THINK I COULD eat another bite.” Sue Lee said, reaching for the celery on Kane's plate.
“Hey Cuz, you snatched my rabbit food that's from Joni’s garden. Now I'll need to eat more desert, especially, Mary’s carrot cake!”
“Yum, we can share! Have you contacted Harrington about our Mr. Potts?”
“Yes, and it seems Potty is living up to his reputation. He insisted a Sicilian crime family is after him. He said he was told this by a Mafia leader in San Francisco, Nick De Jon while eating at his restaurant.”
“The Ferry bar, but didn't De Jon die recently?”
“Yeah, another mystery, Harrington said he drowned in his bed,” Kane answered as he looked over the tables set up on the lawn behind the church to accommodate the wedding goers. “Waite, I see some carrot cake.”
“That was yummy. Do you think it's a take over?” Sue Lee said as she places her empty desert plate on top of Kan’s as the young girl gathered them to return to the Church kitchen.
“Could be Harrington though the mob in Tucson, Arizona that recently set up a bookmaking ring sent a few capos this way to expand.”
“Potty’s Sicilian theory may not be far off.” Sir Jonathan said sitting down at their table. “Two of those stamps were Posta Di Sicilia. I received a phone call from Sylvester. It seems we have another assignment and have been hired by a Mr. Bernardo Guiliano to return the stamps to Sicily. I say, Kane, if in deed you have decided to be of assistance to us we certainly will cover all expenses and more. The figure for our services said to me by Sylvester is extraordinary high. Mr. Guiliano, apparently, is a very generous man. As you say here in the colonies; Never look a gift horse in the mouth!” Sir Jonathan said laughing.
Sue Lee could see that Jonathan was enjoying himself, especially now with two challenging projects.
Joni and Danny joined them, the conversation turned to the Glengarry Games to be held for the first time in Ontario Canada.
Danny was taking wagers on the caber toss. It involved the tossing of a 22-foot-long spruce log weighing 125 pounds.
He quickly enticed Sir Jonathan into his illicit bookmaking.
Sue Lee wonder if Jane knew of this. “Where was she?” Then she saw her friend on the far side of the lawn talking with a handsome guy from Napa Valley the wine grower that kept his boat at Finn's Marina. “Maybe I had better leave the outside light on? She may be coming in late tonight or not at all...”
“John, what are you trying to carry by yourself, here let me help?” Sue Lee said taking on an end of the case.
“It's not heavy, but this last one is awkward for me. I appreciate your help. Set it by the others, I'm not going to assemble it here, but I have a framed drawing I want to set on top of the boxes. They should be opening presents soon.” Sue Lee watched as John removed the framed picture from the pouch that was draped across his prosthetic arm. It was a professional rendering of a fantastic archway shelf containing wine bottles. “I made the shelving Joni chipped in on the materials and did the drawing. We thought it would make a good entrance into their tasting room.”
“Wow, what a keen present! It must have taken hours of welding I can't wait to see it assembled.”
“Thanks, it went fast after I built a jig and welded everything as sectionals, the slow part where these little grapes that prevent the bottles from sliding all the way through their holders.” He said pointing at the colorful drawing. “Jane showed me the present you bought together, that is exquisite.”
“Nevertheless, John, do you think it's too pretentious, after all they are just starting a business?”
“Heck no, they need something to build on. That's why Joni and I decided on a stylish gift. Yours too fits into that mode. It stands out. They need to be noticed not practical. They squandered every cent they had to buy the land and buildings. Hopefully, this first harvest we'll pay some of that back. Especially, when the buyers see our tasting displays.”
“I never thought of it like that, thank you, John. Oh here they come, let's stand over by the tree and watch!”