Chapter

36

I tried to keep the artificial smile plastered on my face, but it slipped a few notches under June’s cruelty. Breathe, I ordered my lungs. After they complied I motioned to a small Gone but not forgotten wreath on my right. As much as I wanted to tell June to choke on it, I said, “Can I buy this, please?”

“Why?” She sneered again. “You Luckys planning on killing someone else?”

As much as I wished June dead at the moment, I opted for a less violent approach. “Not today.” I laughed like she’d made a hilarious joke. “But I would like to buy Mary some of your fragrant flowers. Hopefully it makes her feel a fraction better.” That much was true. I couldn’t imagine how difficult tomorrow’s service would be for Mary. Losing someone you loved was bad enough, but losing them to a senseless crime … My heart ached for her.

“Oh.” June’s attitude lost some of its edge. Her face, however, remained cold. “We have two sizes, and can deliver”—she stopped, raising her thick eyebrow—“if you don’t plan to attend the service.”

“Oh, I’ll be there.” My smile hardened. “You can count on it.”

Her face pinched, as if my sheer presence in a house of God would rain fire on the faithful. Her reaction instantly brightened my day. I bit my lip to keep from laughing while I acted like I was deciding between the different, albeit by a slim variance, of sizes.

She stood there, fuming.

Finally, I pointed to the larger of the two. “I’ll take that one. And yes, please deliver it.”

Nodding, she headed behind the counter to ring up my purchase on an antiquated cash register. I suspected she hadn’t heard of QuickBooks, let alone the computer age. I glowered as she added the total up by hand on the paper next to her.

What seemed like an hour later, she said, “That will be eighty-seven dollars. We only take cash.” From the likes of you, was implied in her tone.

“But it says you take Visa.” I waved to the register, with the VISA sticker on the side under a We accept sticky note.

“Misprint,” she said with a shrug.

“But it’s in your handwriting.”

“What can I say?” she scoffed.

“You can say you’ll take my Visa.” My voice rose.

“Sorry, no.”

I pulled out my wallet, counting out enough money to cover the cost. Thankfully I had two dollars to spare. Now to get down to the real purpose for my visit. “Can I ask you a question?”

She nodded, though her heart wasn’t in it.

“Nanette at the Curl & Dye said Roger bought Mary a bouquet each week.” If I could trace Roger’s Visa card purchases, maybe I could find the Lucky Whiskey’s embezzled funds. Or better yet, another motive for his murder. I didn’t like my weak one at the moment. Yes, Rue wanted Lucky Whiskey, but that was nothing new. She’d never killed for it before. Something had to have threatened her way of life to act in such a manner.

June snorted. “Not from me.”

“What?”

“That man didn’t buy Mary a single rose from my store.”

Something in her tone had my ears perking up. Had she emphasized the word Mary? I crooked my head. “But he did buy flowers here.”

Looking around as if to make sure no one else was in the obviously empty shop, she began, “That—”

Bells jangled from over the front door of the shop. Our eyes swung to the interloper. June froze, her mouth hanging open as Grodie Brodie Gett strolled inside. At once, she shoved a receipt in my hand and pushed me toward the door with a hiss. “You better mind your own business, missy, before someone minds it for you.” She tossed in a nasty smirk. “If he isn’t already.”