there,” Art admitted.
“But no friends?”
His smile was a wry one. “Eleanor, I can count my friendships on one hand, with fingers left over.” He looked at me covertly, and then added softly, “I hope I can include you in that list.”
“You know you can,” I said, meaning it.
He smiled with an air of satisfaction. “I’m sure many people in our community wonder about that.”
“Let them,” I said. “I don’t submit my friendships for their approval, and I don’t expect them to consult me about theirs, either.”
He stood, brushed the seat of his pants lightly, and then said, “That’s good to hear. I’ll be in touch.”
“Don’t go to any special trouble,” I said. “Just ask around when you get the chance.”
He looked down at me. “How many times have you asked for my assistance with anything?”
I thought about it for a moment, and then admitted, “I can’t remember ever asking you for a favor before.”
“Because you never have,” he said. “Our balance sheet leans heavily in your favor, so any opportunity I can get to even things out is always welcome.”
“I don’t put my friendships on a scale, Art. That’s not what it’s about as far as I’m concerned.”
“Of course not,” he said quickly, clearly chastened by my comment. “Just know that I am thrilled to do this favor for you.”
He looked behind me and said, “Good morning.”
Maddy nodded. “Morning.”
There was an awkward silence for a moment or two, and then Art left us with a wave of his hand.
“I still can’t believe you are friends with that man,” Maddy said as she handed me a cup of coffee.
“Do you honestly want to have that conversation again?” I asked.
“You know what? I really don’t. Today is too pretty to spoil.” She looked at the bag in my hand. “Now, are you going to hand one of those over, or am I going to have to take it from you?”
“Don’t be so grabby,” I said with a smile as I gave her a muffin. “There’s plenty for both of us.”
I’d taken my first bite when I heard a pair of high heels clicking up the promenade toward us.
Why did I have a sudden premonition that this wasn’t going to be someone I wanted to talk to?
I turned to find Gina Sizemore approaching with a look of anger plastered on her pretty face.
It appeared that I wasn’t going to get to enjoy my treat after all.
Chapter 6
“G ood morning, Gina,” I said as she neared us. “How are you today?” Because of the expression on her face, I decided to stand when I greeted her. It wouldn’t do to be caught unable to flee, though I hoped it didn’t come to that.
“Stay away from my uncle,” she said flatly.
“You can’t be serious,” I said. “You heard what he said. He’s our friend.”
Her face screwed up into a deep frown, and her attractiveness took an instant nosedive, at least in my mind. “You both tricked him, and you know it. I won’t have you harassing him anymore, do you understand?”
“We never harassed him,” Maddy said, her voice matching Gina’s state of agitation. She decided to stand as well, and the three of us were faced off like gunfighters in the Wild West.
“I heard what you were talking about when I got there. Why were you grilling him about my brother? It’s none of your business, and now he’s upset about your involvement in the case. He sent me here to tell you that he never wants to see either one of you again.”
“We didn’t kill Judson,” I said a little louder than I should have.
“The police believe you both are suspects. Would you care to deny that?” There was real anger behind her glare this time.
“I have no control over what the police think,” I said. “Your uncle didn’t suspect us when we spoke this morning. What changed his mind so quickly?”
I had a hunch what the answer was, but I wanted to see if Gina was brazen enough to admit her part in his shift.
“Do you honestly have the nerve to ask me that? I’m in town
“But no friends?”
His smile was a wry one. “Eleanor, I can count my friendships on one hand, with fingers left over.” He looked at me covertly, and then added softly, “I hope I can include you in that list.”
“You know you can,” I said, meaning it.
He smiled with an air of satisfaction. “I’m sure many people in our community wonder about that.”
“Let them,” I said. “I don’t submit my friendships for their approval, and I don’t expect them to consult me about theirs, either.”
He stood, brushed the seat of his pants lightly, and then said, “That’s good to hear. I’ll be in touch.”
“Don’t go to any special trouble,” I said. “Just ask around when you get the chance.”
He looked down at me. “How many times have you asked for my assistance with anything?”
I thought about it for a moment, and then admitted, “I can’t remember ever asking you for a favor before.”
“Because you never have,” he said. “Our balance sheet leans heavily in your favor, so any opportunity I can get to even things out is always welcome.”
“I don’t put my friendships on a scale, Art. That’s not what it’s about as far as I’m concerned.”
“Of course not,” he said quickly, clearly chastened by my comment. “Just know that I am thrilled to do this favor for you.”
He looked behind me and said, “Good morning.”
Maddy nodded. “Morning.”
There was an awkward silence for a moment or two, and then Art left us with a wave of his hand.
“I still can’t believe you are friends with that man,” Maddy said as she handed me a cup of coffee.
“Do you honestly want to have that conversation again?” I asked.
“You know what? I really don’t. Today is too pretty to spoil.” She looked at the bag in my hand. “Now, are you going to hand one of those over, or am I going to have to take it from you?”
“Don’t be so grabby,” I said with a smile as I gave her a muffin. “There’s plenty for both of us.”
I’d taken my first bite when I heard a pair of high heels clicking up the promenade toward us.
Why did I have a sudden premonition that this wasn’t going to be someone I wanted to talk to?
I turned to find Gina Sizemore approaching with a look of anger plastered on her pretty face.
It appeared that I wasn’t going to get to enjoy my treat after all.
Chapter 6
“G ood morning, Gina,” I said as she neared us. “How are you today?” Because of the expression on her face, I decided to stand when I greeted her. It wouldn’t do to be caught unable to flee, though I hoped it didn’t come to that.
“Stay away from my uncle,” she said flatly.
“You can’t be serious,” I said. “You heard what he said. He’s our friend.”
Her face screwed up into a deep frown, and her attractiveness took an instant nosedive, at least in my mind. “You both tricked him, and you know it. I won’t have you harassing him anymore, do you understand?”
“We never harassed him,” Maddy said, her voice matching Gina’s state of agitation. She decided to stand as well, and the three of us were faced off like gunfighters in the Wild West.
“I heard what you were talking about when I got there. Why were you grilling him about my brother? It’s none of your business, and now he’s upset about your involvement in the case. He sent me here to tell you that he never wants to see either one of you again.”
“We didn’t kill Judson,” I said a little louder than I should have.
“The police believe you both are suspects. Would you care to deny that?” There was real anger behind her glare this time.
“I have no control over what the police think,” I said. “Your uncle didn’t suspect us when we spoke this morning. What changed his mind so quickly?”
I had a hunch what the answer was, but I wanted to see if Gina was brazen enough to admit her part in his shift.
“Do you honestly have the nerve to ask me that? I’m in town
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