You were at the theater last night,” she said after a moment. “You saw what happened.”
I opened two sugar packets and dumped the contents into my cup. “I was there, but I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about.”
“The missing music?” Paisley said, incredulous at my slow-witted response. “The way Serena talked to Laurence? Don’t tell me you didn’t hear that .”
I added a touch of cream to my coffee. Okay, a dollop. I deserved at least that much. “I heard all that,” I agreed, “but I didn’t think it was a big deal. The missing music didn’t seem to bother Laurence.”
“Oh, it bothered him all right.” Paisley waved away the offer of cream and sugar and sipped her coffee black. “His manager came in this morning demanding that Vonetta ban Serena from the theater until the production is over.”
I almost choked on my coffee. Considering the argument I’d witnessed between Laurence and Vonetta last night, the demand came across like a declaration of war. “What did Vonetta say?”
“She said that Serena’s part of the company, and she’ll be at the theater whenever Vonetta needs her there.” Agitated, Paisley moved a paper heart out of her way and went on. “And then she told him that Laurence is free to stay away if that’s what he wants, but he’ll be in breach of contract if he does.”
Obviously, Paisley knew way more about what was going on than I did, but I didn’t say so. Instead I asked, “What did Manwaring say to that?”
Paisley glanced around the shop, then leaned in close and whispered, “I don’t think you want me to repeat it here.”
“Probably not. But emotions are running high. I’m not sure there’s anything we really need to worry about.”
Paisley scowled at me—hard. “Well, I am worried, and I thought maybe you knew something I don’t.”
“I’m afraid not,” I said with a thin smile.
“But you talked to Serena, right?”
How did Paisley know that? “I talked to her for a minute,” I admitted, “but she didn’t really say anything.”
“How did she seem to you?”
“I don’t know. Why?”
“Doesn’t she seem different? I think she’s quieter than she used to be. I thought for sure you’d notice.”
“She was always quiet,” I said, although that wasn’t exactly true. Around her mother, she’d always been quiet and reserved. Away from Vonetta, Serena had been much more gregarious. “Neither of us have seen her in twenty years. People can change.”
Paisley frowned thoughtfully for a second, then gave her head another firm shake. “It’s not like that. She’s . . . well, she’s almost secretive. She never talks about all the years she lived away.”
“That’s not a crime,” I pointed out. “Maybe she’s just trying to move on with her life.”
“Maybe.” The look on Paisley’s face made it clear that she didn’t think so.
“Is that what you’re worried about?”
Her eyes flew to mine and she shook her head. “No, not really. I can’t put my finger on what it is, but something weird is going on around the theater. You could feel it last night, couldn’t you?”
“There was some tension,” I admitted. “But I don’t think there’s anything to worry about. I’m sure Vonetta has everything well under control.”
The picture of dejection, Paisley propped her chin in one hand and picked at the lacy edges of a heart with the other. “I wish I could agree with you, but I can see the front of the Playhouse from the window of the salon.”
“Are you saying you saw something?”
“I saw Laurence Nichols and Richie going at it about an hour ago. Arguing, I mean.”
“Laurence and Richie?” Okay, that was odd. “They were fighting?”
“Not throwing punches, but they were definitely arguing. And it looked like things were getting pretty heated.”
It would be hard to find someone less confrontational than Richie, which made me place the blame squarely on Laurence’s broad shoulders.
I opened two sugar packets and dumped the contents into my cup. “I was there, but I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about.”
“The missing music?” Paisley said, incredulous at my slow-witted response. “The way Serena talked to Laurence? Don’t tell me you didn’t hear that .”
I added a touch of cream to my coffee. Okay, a dollop. I deserved at least that much. “I heard all that,” I agreed, “but I didn’t think it was a big deal. The missing music didn’t seem to bother Laurence.”
“Oh, it bothered him all right.” Paisley waved away the offer of cream and sugar and sipped her coffee black. “His manager came in this morning demanding that Vonetta ban Serena from the theater until the production is over.”
I almost choked on my coffee. Considering the argument I’d witnessed between Laurence and Vonetta last night, the demand came across like a declaration of war. “What did Vonetta say?”
“She said that Serena’s part of the company, and she’ll be at the theater whenever Vonetta needs her there.” Agitated, Paisley moved a paper heart out of her way and went on. “And then she told him that Laurence is free to stay away if that’s what he wants, but he’ll be in breach of contract if he does.”
Obviously, Paisley knew way more about what was going on than I did, but I didn’t say so. Instead I asked, “What did Manwaring say to that?”
Paisley glanced around the shop, then leaned in close and whispered, “I don’t think you want me to repeat it here.”
“Probably not. But emotions are running high. I’m not sure there’s anything we really need to worry about.”
Paisley scowled at me—hard. “Well, I am worried, and I thought maybe you knew something I don’t.”
“I’m afraid not,” I said with a thin smile.
“But you talked to Serena, right?”
How did Paisley know that? “I talked to her for a minute,” I admitted, “but she didn’t really say anything.”
“How did she seem to you?”
“I don’t know. Why?”
“Doesn’t she seem different? I think she’s quieter than she used to be. I thought for sure you’d notice.”
“She was always quiet,” I said, although that wasn’t exactly true. Around her mother, she’d always been quiet and reserved. Away from Vonetta, Serena had been much more gregarious. “Neither of us have seen her in twenty years. People can change.”
Paisley frowned thoughtfully for a second, then gave her head another firm shake. “It’s not like that. She’s . . . well, she’s almost secretive. She never talks about all the years she lived away.”
“That’s not a crime,” I pointed out. “Maybe she’s just trying to move on with her life.”
“Maybe.” The look on Paisley’s face made it clear that she didn’t think so.
“Is that what you’re worried about?”
Her eyes flew to mine and she shook her head. “No, not really. I can’t put my finger on what it is, but something weird is going on around the theater. You could feel it last night, couldn’t you?”
“There was some tension,” I admitted. “But I don’t think there’s anything to worry about. I’m sure Vonetta has everything well under control.”
The picture of dejection, Paisley propped her chin in one hand and picked at the lacy edges of a heart with the other. “I wish I could agree with you, but I can see the front of the Playhouse from the window of the salon.”
“Are you saying you saw something?”
“I saw Laurence Nichols and Richie going at it about an hour ago. Arguing, I mean.”
“Laurence and Richie?” Okay, that was odd. “They were fighting?”
“Not throwing punches, but they were definitely arguing. And it looked like things were getting pretty heated.”
It would be hard to find someone less confrontational than Richie, which made me place the blame squarely on Laurence’s broad shoulders.
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