Part 16 (1/2)

”Wouldn't you like to know?”

His eyes cut to mine. ”Actually, I would, since I asked you to dinner and you said you wanted to rest.”

”Well, you certainly didn't waste any time in replacing me,” I snapped back.

”What are you talking about?”

”Oh no, don't you go acting all innocent on me.” I stabbed my finger in his chest. ”I saw you at Smokey Jo's with Lucinda Griswold III.”

”You were there?” His eyes widened.

”Ha! So you don't deny it.”

”Of course not.” He looked confused. ”I was checking her out, but don't worry about her. She's fine.”

”I'll bet. You certainly looked like you were enjoying yourself.”

Dawning washed over his face like soapy water over my teapot, when everything becomes crystal clear. ”I know what this is about. You're jealous.”

”Am not.” I stepped forward and snapped my spine straight. ”We've already established there's nothing between us and never will be.”

”Exactly.” He stepped forward as well and shoved his face close to mine. ”Then why are you so angry?” he asked softly, and I could feel his warm breath on my cheeks.

”I-I'm not angry.” I stumbled back a step. ”I don't think taking Lucinda back to your apartment is necessary to figure her out. It's not very professional, and she might get the wrong idea. And how do you know she's fine? We still don't know why she wants this particular library to stay open.”

”Trust me on this and never mind about her. She's rich and bored, that's all.”

I knew him well enough by now to know there was something he wasn't telling me. Some partner he was. Well, if he could keep secrets, then so could I. I'd keep the little matter of a certain conversation one Alex Pendleton had to myself as well.

”You still didn't say why you were at Nikko's if you already ate at Smokey Jo's,” Mitch pointed out.

I lifted my hands in the air. ”My washer broke so I was doing laundry. I went for a walk while my clothes were drying.”

He glanced in the back of my VW bug. ”Then where is your laundry basket?”

”Trust me on this and never mind about that.” I threw his words back at him. ”It's fine.”

He narrowed his eyes but didn't press the issue. ”Better call for a tow before we freeze to death. I'll drive you home.”

”Aye aye, Grump n.a.z.i,” I muttered, and grabbed his cell.

”Hey, what are you doing now?”

”I left my phone at my house.”

”And you think you can take of yourself.” He walked away to further inspect my car while I made arrangements for the tow truck to take my bug to Big Don's Auto Body.

Hopefully, the damage wouldn't be too much to fix. Without working and with this case taking longer than expected to wrap up, my savings were dwindling fast. Although, lately, going back to the city was looking better and better.

Something I never thought I'd live to say.

”What's the damage, Big Don?” I asked the next morning as I stood beside the giant of a man in his auto-body shop. He had to be at least six foot six, nearly as tall as Wally, with a waistline even bigger than Lulubelle's and a head the size of a basketball.

”Hmmm,” he grumbled while rubbing his thick beard. ”I'll try to keep her under a thousand, but you did a number on her. She's no spring chicken, you know.”

”Great.” The detective should have to go halfsies with me on this one, considering he scared me half to death. If he hadn't been following me, I never would have whirled off the road like a spinning top in the first place. ”Go ahead and fix her. She might not be much, but she's all I've got.”

”Done.”

”Good. Belle says you do great work, by the way.”

His face flushed crimson, and he nodded once. ”Belle's a good woman,” was all he said, and then he headed back into his office. I doubted Belle had any idea that Big Don actually had noticed her and, if I wasn't mistaken, was a bit sweet on her. He just needed a push to make a move.

I turned to leave, and a big old station wagon came rolling in, looking even older than my bug. I stifled a chuckle when the driver climbed out. I should have known Gladys Montgomery would be the driver, she being into old things and all. She got out of the car and made a beeline straight into Big Don's office.

Glancing around, I realized no one was watching me, so I nonchalantly walked over to the station wagon and peeked inside. The back looked empty as far as I could tell, other than a bunch of real estate listings from Rosemary on various properties in town, all of them zoned for business.

Wandering around to the front pa.s.senger's side, I tried the door, and it was unlocked, squeaking open as if it were a sign. I poked my head inside, flipped the visors open, and then ducked my head down to the floor mat to peek under the seat. My eyelids opened wide.

Gladys was packing?

”Excuse me, may I help you?” her voice said from right behind my backside.

I jumped and hit my head on the dash, yelping in pain.

”What in the world are you doing in my car, young lady?” She puckered her face like a sour pickle.

”Admiring it?” I said in question format. ”I love old cars, too, if you haven't noticed. I took a peek inside to check out the upholstery and dashboard, when I lost my earring under the seat.”

”You're not wearing an earring in the other ear.” She squinted. ”In fact, I don't see any earring holes at all.”

”It was a clip-on. Wearing only one earring is a trendy big-city thing.” I cleared my throat, and she eyed me warily.

”It's Sunny, isn't it?” she asked with a smile that looked way too bright to be natural.

”Yes, ma'am, and you must be Gladys.” I held out my hand and shook hers. ”Great speech you gave the other day at the town hall meeting.”

”Why, thank you.” She beamed, relaxing a little. ”Some people don't understand what this town needs to survive, let alone actually thrive for a change. G.o.d forbid if we get out of the red.” She bristled. ”But don't get me started on that.”

”Change is hard for anyone. I know from firsthand experience. You really think this deal with that developer, um, what was his name?” I watched her carefully.

”Alex-er, Mr. Pendleton.”

”Right. Mr. Pendleton.” You could tell a lot about a relations.h.i.+p from the way people addressed each other. ”You really think the deal will be good for Divinity?”

”Absolutely. We need this deal as much as we need our national landmarks. Turning the library into a bookstore will bring in money and jobs. Turning the hotel into a museum will also bring in revenue.”

She went on a rant, arms flailing about like something right out of a puppet show. ”As much as I love the library, we can't afford for anything to be free in these hard times. Why can't she see that? Someone needs to make her see it, is what I say. I know the people are hurting, but our town is hurting more. Stupid woman is going to ruin it all. I just know it.”

”Who is?” I had realized a long time ago it was better to let people talk. They often revealed more than if you asked them questions outright.