apart in different areas.”
“It’s usually more bicoastal than towns half an hour apart, though. I’ve known Lester for years, and I just found out about you today.”
Nancy shrugged. “It worked for us. We never felt the need to explain anything to anyone else.”
Lester’s widow was starting to get some of her bristle back, and I knew that I had to speak quickly if I was going to find out anything else. “Besides his radio program, can you think of any other ways he might have antagonized someone?”
Nancy appeared to think about it, and then she said, “Nothing, unless this has something to do with his book.”
“What book?”
Nancy’s smile lacked warmth as she explained, “The last time we spoke, Lester told me that he was writing an exposé on someone in April Springs that would blow the lid off the town. He was more excited about it than I’d seen him in years.” She paused, and then added, “Then again, I never could read the man. There might be no book at all.”
This was news to me. “Any idea who it might have been about?”
“Not a clue, and if I know Lester, it won’t be easy to figure out. He played things pretty close to the vest, even with me.” Another tear tracked down her cheek. “I know it’s going to strike a great many people as odd, but I’m going to miss him.”
“Since you two are married, I suppose you’ll inherit everything,” Grace said. She’d been standing there so quietly listening to us that I’d nearly forgotten she was there.
“I’m not concerned about that at the moment.” Nancy stood and brushed imaginary wrinkles out of her outfit. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to close the shop. I suppose I have to see to the arrangements.”
As she hustled us both out, I was nearly to the door when it occurred to me that I was forgetting something. I wasn’t about to leave without the cutter I’d just bought, and I walked back to the desk to retrieve it.
Nancy looked annoyed to see that I wouldn’t leave. “What is it? I’m afraid I have a great deal of work to do before I lock the doors.”
“I almost forgot my donut cutter,” I said.
She put a hand on it before I could pull it away. “After you pay for it, it’s yours.”
“But I already paid you in cash,” I said.
She looked at me skeptically. “I’m sorry, but I don’t believe so. Did I give you a receipt?”
What was she trying to pull here? “You were writing one when my friend told you about your husband.”
Nancy pretended to look through a pile of papers on her desk. “I don’t see it. Sorry, I wish I could help.”
I could see that Grace was about to explode when I said calmly, “Let’s call the police. I’m sure they can straighten this out. Once you balance your cash drawer, you’ll see that you already collected my money for it.”
When Nancy realized that we weren’t backing down, she looked once more on her desk. What a surprise. She suddenly “found” my nearly completed receipt after all. I took the cutter from her, as well as the receipt, and thanked her for her time.
Once we were outside, Grace said, “She’s got nerve trying to steal your money right out from under your nose. From what we’ve heard, the woman’s consistent, if nothing else; I have to give her that.”
“I can’t believe she could lie so convincingly. If I hadn’t seen her take my money, I would have started to doubt it happened myself.”
“It might just have worked on someone meeker than you,” Grace said. “I wonder how many times she’s gotten away with that particular tactic.”
As we got into my Jeep, I said, “Too many to count, most likely. One thing’s certain. We can’t trust a word she says to us.”
“That’s easy,” Grace said with a laugh. “I rarely believe the people we talk to when we’re investigating a case.” She paused, and then added, “I wonder who this mystery book is about?”
“Funny, I was just wondering if it was even true. It almost
“It’s usually more bicoastal than towns half an hour apart, though. I’ve known Lester for years, and I just found out about you today.”
Nancy shrugged. “It worked for us. We never felt the need to explain anything to anyone else.”
Lester’s widow was starting to get some of her bristle back, and I knew that I had to speak quickly if I was going to find out anything else. “Besides his radio program, can you think of any other ways he might have antagonized someone?”
Nancy appeared to think about it, and then she said, “Nothing, unless this has something to do with his book.”
“What book?”
Nancy’s smile lacked warmth as she explained, “The last time we spoke, Lester told me that he was writing an exposé on someone in April Springs that would blow the lid off the town. He was more excited about it than I’d seen him in years.” She paused, and then added, “Then again, I never could read the man. There might be no book at all.”
This was news to me. “Any idea who it might have been about?”
“Not a clue, and if I know Lester, it won’t be easy to figure out. He played things pretty close to the vest, even with me.” Another tear tracked down her cheek. “I know it’s going to strike a great many people as odd, but I’m going to miss him.”
“Since you two are married, I suppose you’ll inherit everything,” Grace said. She’d been standing there so quietly listening to us that I’d nearly forgotten she was there.
“I’m not concerned about that at the moment.” Nancy stood and brushed imaginary wrinkles out of her outfit. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to close the shop. I suppose I have to see to the arrangements.”
As she hustled us both out, I was nearly to the door when it occurred to me that I was forgetting something. I wasn’t about to leave without the cutter I’d just bought, and I walked back to the desk to retrieve it.
Nancy looked annoyed to see that I wouldn’t leave. “What is it? I’m afraid I have a great deal of work to do before I lock the doors.”
“I almost forgot my donut cutter,” I said.
She put a hand on it before I could pull it away. “After you pay for it, it’s yours.”
“But I already paid you in cash,” I said.
She looked at me skeptically. “I’m sorry, but I don’t believe so. Did I give you a receipt?”
What was she trying to pull here? “You were writing one when my friend told you about your husband.”
Nancy pretended to look through a pile of papers on her desk. “I don’t see it. Sorry, I wish I could help.”
I could see that Grace was about to explode when I said calmly, “Let’s call the police. I’m sure they can straighten this out. Once you balance your cash drawer, you’ll see that you already collected my money for it.”
When Nancy realized that we weren’t backing down, she looked once more on her desk. What a surprise. She suddenly “found” my nearly completed receipt after all. I took the cutter from her, as well as the receipt, and thanked her for her time.
Once we were outside, Grace said, “She’s got nerve trying to steal your money right out from under your nose. From what we’ve heard, the woman’s consistent, if nothing else; I have to give her that.”
“I can’t believe she could lie so convincingly. If I hadn’t seen her take my money, I would have started to doubt it happened myself.”
“It might just have worked on someone meeker than you,” Grace said. “I wonder how many times she’s gotten away with that particular tactic.”
As we got into my Jeep, I said, “Too many to count, most likely. One thing’s certain. We can’t trust a word she says to us.”
“That’s easy,” Grace said with a laugh. “I rarely believe the people we talk to when we’re investigating a case.” She paused, and then added, “I wonder who this mystery book is about?”
“Funny, I was just wondering if it was even true. It almost
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