Read Online Elaine Orr - Jolie Gentil 06 - Behind the Walls by Elaine Orr - Free Book Online
Authors: Elaine Orr
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trash can.”
His eyebrows shot up. “You are lucky. Did they take much?”
“Nothing of consequence.” I didn’t want to get into an involved conversation. If I said nothing was taken he might ask me why I thought that to be the case and I’d have to listen to his ruminations. George’s theory had been that the thief thought someone saw him take it and wanted to dump it before he got caught.
“Guess I’ll let you get to it.” He raised his coffee cup as if toasting me.
“Have a good afternoon.” I took a deep breath as I opened the door. The only one in the store, Ocean Alley Swimwear and Gifts, was one of the two women who had bid against me at the auction. She seemed to be staring at Dorner as he walked away.
“Hello,” I said, in mild surprise.
She looked at me directly. “Ah. My bidding buddy. I’m Patricia, in case you don’t remember.” She was petite and dressed casually in denim capris and a lightweight knit top. Her auburn hair was pulled back into a pony tail that made her look about twenty instead of early thirties, which is what I thought when I met her at the auction. I decided my early estimate was probably correct.
“I’m Jolie. I do remember, but thanks for the reminder.” I glanced around the small store.
She explained that she was a teacher’s aide in the winter and worked part-time in the summer, and that the owner had asked her to come down to let me in. “We aren’t open in April.”
“Thanks for being here.” I looked around the store some more.
“I think they want to refinance so they can make the store look more up-to-date before they open Memorial Day weekend.”
“They’re lucky they had some equity in the building.” My guess was that Patricia had been told this so she wouldn’t think the building would be sold. Or maybe refinancing was the owner’s intent and Lester was only hopeful he would get a listing. Not my business.
“I’m worried that if they find out it isn’t worth enough to get a loan that they’ll close. I worked here every summer in high school and college. I used the money to pay for my band instruments, now I use the money for my kids’ soccer stuff.”
“I hope it works out.” I smiled as I pulled a tape measure and notebook from a canvas shoulder bag that holds stuff that won’t fit in my purse.
Patricia took items off shelves and dusted them as I measured. I wanted to ask her if she had taken the drawer from my chest of drawers, but I couldn’t think of a way to do it. It didn’t seem likely that she would have done something as daring as steal the drawer with all those people around. In fact, with their easy bantering, the foursome seemed like people I’d like to get to know sometime.
It didn’t take long to take measurements of the main room and small storage area and half bath in the back. I pulled my newly returned camera from my purse, hoping the photos would help me increase the appraised value. The store had been nicely decorated. I figured if it had sold last year it might have been worth a lot more than it would bring this year.
I aimed the camera toward the back of the store and pushed the shutter, but nothing happened. No batteries? Then I realized that it would not have turned on if there were no batteries.
“Problems?” Patricia asked.
“I hope not.” I looked at the bottom of the camera, trying to find what to push to eject the data card. Maybe the police had put it in wrong when they were inspecting the camera.
The data card was gone. If I’d been alone I would have cursed Sergeant Morehouse. Instead I looked at Patricia. “I just lent it to someone. They must have taken the card out and forgotten to put it back in.”
“You can use my phone camera.” She reached for her purse on a shelf behind me.
I started to say that the quality would not be sufficient, but decided against it. If the photos were okay it would save me a trip back. If not, I’d just have to return. “And you can email me the
His eyebrows shot up. “You are lucky. Did they take much?”
“Nothing of consequence.” I didn’t want to get into an involved conversation. If I said nothing was taken he might ask me why I thought that to be the case and I’d have to listen to his ruminations. George’s theory had been that the thief thought someone saw him take it and wanted to dump it before he got caught.
“Guess I’ll let you get to it.” He raised his coffee cup as if toasting me.
“Have a good afternoon.” I took a deep breath as I opened the door. The only one in the store, Ocean Alley Swimwear and Gifts, was one of the two women who had bid against me at the auction. She seemed to be staring at Dorner as he walked away.
“Hello,” I said, in mild surprise.
She looked at me directly. “Ah. My bidding buddy. I’m Patricia, in case you don’t remember.” She was petite and dressed casually in denim capris and a lightweight knit top. Her auburn hair was pulled back into a pony tail that made her look about twenty instead of early thirties, which is what I thought when I met her at the auction. I decided my early estimate was probably correct.
“I’m Jolie. I do remember, but thanks for the reminder.” I glanced around the small store.
She explained that she was a teacher’s aide in the winter and worked part-time in the summer, and that the owner had asked her to come down to let me in. “We aren’t open in April.”
“Thanks for being here.” I looked around the store some more.
“I think they want to refinance so they can make the store look more up-to-date before they open Memorial Day weekend.”
“They’re lucky they had some equity in the building.” My guess was that Patricia had been told this so she wouldn’t think the building would be sold. Or maybe refinancing was the owner’s intent and Lester was only hopeful he would get a listing. Not my business.
“I’m worried that if they find out it isn’t worth enough to get a loan that they’ll close. I worked here every summer in high school and college. I used the money to pay for my band instruments, now I use the money for my kids’ soccer stuff.”
“I hope it works out.” I smiled as I pulled a tape measure and notebook from a canvas shoulder bag that holds stuff that won’t fit in my purse.
Patricia took items off shelves and dusted them as I measured. I wanted to ask her if she had taken the drawer from my chest of drawers, but I couldn’t think of a way to do it. It didn’t seem likely that she would have done something as daring as steal the drawer with all those people around. In fact, with their easy bantering, the foursome seemed like people I’d like to get to know sometime.
It didn’t take long to take measurements of the main room and small storage area and half bath in the back. I pulled my newly returned camera from my purse, hoping the photos would help me increase the appraised value. The store had been nicely decorated. I figured if it had sold last year it might have been worth a lot more than it would bring this year.
I aimed the camera toward the back of the store and pushed the shutter, but nothing happened. No batteries? Then I realized that it would not have turned on if there were no batteries.
“Problems?” Patricia asked.
“I hope not.” I looked at the bottom of the camera, trying to find what to push to eject the data card. Maybe the police had put it in wrong when they were inspecting the camera.
The data card was gone. If I’d been alone I would have cursed Sergeant Morehouse. Instead I looked at Patricia. “I just lent it to someone. They must have taken the card out and forgotten to put it back in.”
“You can use my phone camera.” She reached for her purse on a shelf behind me.
I started to say that the quality would not be sufficient, but decided against it. If the photos were okay it would save me a trip back. If not, I’d just have to return. “And you can email me the
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