the business I’d worked so hard to build suffer, and my friendships, too.
“We were wondering when you were going to get here,” Butch Hardcastle said as I walked up to Fire at Will. He was a big, meaty man, with an air of confidence no doubt honed during his former life—at least I hoped it was still former—as a crook. From the word I’d heard on the streets of Maple Ridge, he’d been a pretty good one. He was reformed now, though there were times I suspected he hadn’t fully retired from his previous style of livelihood. He was huddled with Jenna Blake and Sandy Crenshaw under the front awning of my shop as it had just started to rain, and I glanced up at the gray-black clouds in the sky and realized we’d probably be in for showers the rest of the day.
As I unlocked the front door, I said facetiously, “I didn’t realize we’d scheduled a meeting this morning. Where’s Martha?”
“She couldn’t get a sitter on such short notice,” Sandy explained as we all walked into the pottery shop. “But she’ll be along later if she has any luck finding one.” Despite her five young children, Martha Knotts somehow found time to join us in our pottery sessions, as well as our investigations.
“Do I even need to ask what this is all about?” I said as I hung my jacket on the peg by the door.
“I thought that would be obvious. We’re here to help you clear your husband’s name,” Jenna said.
Butch added, “Yeah, and don’t try to tell us you’re not going after the real killer, because we took a vote, and none of us believes for one second that you’re going to just let this one go.”
I wanted to protest, but it was no use. They were right, after all. “I confess,” I said. “You caught me.”
Sandy looked shocked. “Carolyn, are you saying that you killed Charlie Cobb?”
Before I could reply, Jenna said, “She’s not saying anything of the sort. She’s admitting to the investigation, not the crime. That’s right, isn’t it?”
I nodded, then said, “I know you don’t approve, Jenna, but I don’t have much choice, not with Bill’s life hanging in the balance.”
Jenna took her time answering, then said, “It’s not up to me to approve or disapprove of anything you or anyone else does. I’m not a judge anymore. When I took the robe off, I left all that behind me. If there’s anything I can do to help you, anything legal, of course, just ask.”
“Me, too,” Sandy said.
I looked at Butch. “Do you have anything to add?”
He grinned at me. “Just my support. Unconditional support,” he added as he looked at Jenna. “I don’t mind bending the occasional law now and then if it’s for a good cause.”
Remarkably, Jenna let that pass.
Sandy asked, “Where do we get started?”
“Can I catch my breath first?” I asked as I grabbed my apron and tied it off in back.
“We’re not trying to rush you,” Butch said. “We just assumed you’d want to jump all over this.”
“Of course I do,” I said. “But I’ve still got a business to run, and I’m just getting into my busiest season. It doesn’t make much sense to save Bill and lose everything else, though I’ll take that deal if it’s the only choice I’ve got.”
“That’s why we’re here,” Jenna said. “Butch and I can give you our full attention, and Sandy and Martha can help, too.”
Sandy said, “I’ve got some vacation time saved up, and if you need me, I’ll take it right now.”
“I’m touched, honestly I am, but you shouldn’t be spending your time off helping me.”
“What else am I going to do, stay home and do cross-word puzzles? This is a lot more interesting, believe me.”
Jenna said, “We know David can run the shop if you need to get away, but we also understand how busy you are right now. So, if you have to stay at Fire at Will, we can do some investigative legwork for you. What do you think of our offer?”
I looked around at my friends’ faces and realized just
“We were wondering when you were going to get here,” Butch Hardcastle said as I walked up to Fire at Will. He was a big, meaty man, with an air of confidence no doubt honed during his former life—at least I hoped it was still former—as a crook. From the word I’d heard on the streets of Maple Ridge, he’d been a pretty good one. He was reformed now, though there were times I suspected he hadn’t fully retired from his previous style of livelihood. He was huddled with Jenna Blake and Sandy Crenshaw under the front awning of my shop as it had just started to rain, and I glanced up at the gray-black clouds in the sky and realized we’d probably be in for showers the rest of the day.
As I unlocked the front door, I said facetiously, “I didn’t realize we’d scheduled a meeting this morning. Where’s Martha?”
“She couldn’t get a sitter on such short notice,” Sandy explained as we all walked into the pottery shop. “But she’ll be along later if she has any luck finding one.” Despite her five young children, Martha Knotts somehow found time to join us in our pottery sessions, as well as our investigations.
“Do I even need to ask what this is all about?” I said as I hung my jacket on the peg by the door.
“I thought that would be obvious. We’re here to help you clear your husband’s name,” Jenna said.
Butch added, “Yeah, and don’t try to tell us you’re not going after the real killer, because we took a vote, and none of us believes for one second that you’re going to just let this one go.”
I wanted to protest, but it was no use. They were right, after all. “I confess,” I said. “You caught me.”
Sandy looked shocked. “Carolyn, are you saying that you killed Charlie Cobb?”
Before I could reply, Jenna said, “She’s not saying anything of the sort. She’s admitting to the investigation, not the crime. That’s right, isn’t it?”
I nodded, then said, “I know you don’t approve, Jenna, but I don’t have much choice, not with Bill’s life hanging in the balance.”
Jenna took her time answering, then said, “It’s not up to me to approve or disapprove of anything you or anyone else does. I’m not a judge anymore. When I took the robe off, I left all that behind me. If there’s anything I can do to help you, anything legal, of course, just ask.”
“Me, too,” Sandy said.
I looked at Butch. “Do you have anything to add?”
He grinned at me. “Just my support. Unconditional support,” he added as he looked at Jenna. “I don’t mind bending the occasional law now and then if it’s for a good cause.”
Remarkably, Jenna let that pass.
Sandy asked, “Where do we get started?”
“Can I catch my breath first?” I asked as I grabbed my apron and tied it off in back.
“We’re not trying to rush you,” Butch said. “We just assumed you’d want to jump all over this.”
“Of course I do,” I said. “But I’ve still got a business to run, and I’m just getting into my busiest season. It doesn’t make much sense to save Bill and lose everything else, though I’ll take that deal if it’s the only choice I’ve got.”
“That’s why we’re here,” Jenna said. “Butch and I can give you our full attention, and Sandy and Martha can help, too.”
Sandy said, “I’ve got some vacation time saved up, and if you need me, I’ll take it right now.”
“I’m touched, honestly I am, but you shouldn’t be spending your time off helping me.”
“What else am I going to do, stay home and do cross-word puzzles? This is a lot more interesting, believe me.”
Jenna said, “We know David can run the shop if you need to get away, but we also understand how busy you are right now. So, if you have to stay at Fire at Will, we can do some investigative legwork for you. What do you think of our offer?”
I looked around at my friends’ faces and realized just
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