being a
suspect in Earnest Joy’s murder. How in the world did you hear
about what happened with Kelly so fast?”
Cindy looked guilty as she admitted, “Louisa
called a few minutes ago. She wanted to spread the word through the
family so no one would upset you with any questions.”
“ This family could teach the
satellite communication industry a thing or two,” I
said.
“ Don’t be mad, Ben. We care
about you; that’s all.”
“ I know, but there are times
when it can all be a little claustrophobic.”
Cindy laughed. “You don’t have to tell me
that. Try being the baby of the family.”
“ No thanks. I’ve got enough
trouble being the eldest. If you need me to help you out down here
on the floor, I’ll be up in my office.”
She looked around at the nearly empty shop.
“I think I can handle it, but if a mob shows up, I’ll give you a
call.”
I walked through the boutique space, past the
classroom and the break room, then into the production area. It was
the only way to get up and down the stairs to my office, but
honestly, I usually enjoyed walking through the place on my way to
my desk. My brother Bob, the man who kept our ancient line running
by manufacturing the parts we needed himself, was filing the cogs
on an iron wheel as I walked back into the production area.
“ What’s going on?” I
asked.
“ I’m trying to make a piece
fit where it wasn’t meant to be, and it’s giving me a major
headache.” As an afterthought, he added, “Sorry about
Kelly.”
“ Yeah, me too,” I said,
hopefully burying the topic with him. Just four more offers of
condolences from my siblings, maybe a word or two from my
grandfather and a lecture from my mother, and I’d be out of the
woods.
Bob stared at me a second, then said, “Do you
want to talk about it?”
I laughed. “Not particularly.”
His relief was pretty obvious. “Good.
Jessica’s been trying to get me to communicate more at home, and
it’s driving me nuts.”
“ If that’s your worst
problem in the world, you’ve got a pretty good life. How is your
wife, by the way?”
He looked around, though no one was nearby.
“Can you keep a secret?”
“ Absolutely. What’s
up?”
He grinned broadly. “She’s pregnant. Can you
believe it? I’m going to be a dad.”
I hugged him as I pounded him on the back.
“That’s great news,” I said. “Congratulations. I bet Mom’s going
nuts about her first grandchild on the way.”
“ She doesn’t know yet,” Bob
confessed.
A wave of dread swept over me. “So I have to
keep this from her? Bob, she’ll kill me when she finds out I knew
before she did.” My mother liked to think she was on top of
everything, in our family and our business. I didn’t want to be
anywhere nearby when she learned that I’d scooped her on what she
would consider the most important news of her life.
“ Listen, you can’t even let
on to Jessica that you know. It was just killing me not telling
someone, you know? When we announce it formally, you need to act as
surprised as everyone else, okay?”
“ I’ll win an Oscar,” I said.
“Do you think I want anyone else to know that I was in on
it?”
“ Good. I knew I could count
on you.”
“ So how far along is she?” I
asked.
“ Two and a half months.
We’re going to make an announcement in two weeks when the first
trimester’s over. I still can’t believe it.”
“ Congratulations,” I said,
pounding his back again.
“ What are you two
celebrating?” my brother Jeff asked as he walked back to the
shop.
I was about to make something up when words
suddenly deserted me. Jeff was standing there with Molly Wilkes,
but it was pretty obvious she wasn’t at Where There’s Soap
investigating Earnest Joy’s murder. Molly’s luxurious long black
hair was down and she was wearing a pretty dress, but that wasn’t
the first thing that caught my eye. She and Jeff had been holding
hands when they’d walked in. Unless I was way off, it
suspect in Earnest Joy’s murder. How in the world did you hear
about what happened with Kelly so fast?”
Cindy looked guilty as she admitted, “Louisa
called a few minutes ago. She wanted to spread the word through the
family so no one would upset you with any questions.”
“ This family could teach the
satellite communication industry a thing or two,” I
said.
“ Don’t be mad, Ben. We care
about you; that’s all.”
“ I know, but there are times
when it can all be a little claustrophobic.”
Cindy laughed. “You don’t have to tell me
that. Try being the baby of the family.”
“ No thanks. I’ve got enough
trouble being the eldest. If you need me to help you out down here
on the floor, I’ll be up in my office.”
She looked around at the nearly empty shop.
“I think I can handle it, but if a mob shows up, I’ll give you a
call.”
I walked through the boutique space, past the
classroom and the break room, then into the production area. It was
the only way to get up and down the stairs to my office, but
honestly, I usually enjoyed walking through the place on my way to
my desk. My brother Bob, the man who kept our ancient line running
by manufacturing the parts we needed himself, was filing the cogs
on an iron wheel as I walked back into the production area.
“ What’s going on?” I
asked.
“ I’m trying to make a piece
fit where it wasn’t meant to be, and it’s giving me a major
headache.” As an afterthought, he added, “Sorry about
Kelly.”
“ Yeah, me too,” I said,
hopefully burying the topic with him. Just four more offers of
condolences from my siblings, maybe a word or two from my
grandfather and a lecture from my mother, and I’d be out of the
woods.
Bob stared at me a second, then said, “Do you
want to talk about it?”
I laughed. “Not particularly.”
His relief was pretty obvious. “Good.
Jessica’s been trying to get me to communicate more at home, and
it’s driving me nuts.”
“ If that’s your worst
problem in the world, you’ve got a pretty good life. How is your
wife, by the way?”
He looked around, though no one was nearby.
“Can you keep a secret?”
“ Absolutely. What’s
up?”
He grinned broadly. “She’s pregnant. Can you
believe it? I’m going to be a dad.”
I hugged him as I pounded him on the back.
“That’s great news,” I said. “Congratulations. I bet Mom’s going
nuts about her first grandchild on the way.”
“ She doesn’t know yet,” Bob
confessed.
A wave of dread swept over me. “So I have to
keep this from her? Bob, she’ll kill me when she finds out I knew
before she did.” My mother liked to think she was on top of
everything, in our family and our business. I didn’t want to be
anywhere nearby when she learned that I’d scooped her on what she
would consider the most important news of her life.
“ Listen, you can’t even let
on to Jessica that you know. It was just killing me not telling
someone, you know? When we announce it formally, you need to act as
surprised as everyone else, okay?”
“ I’ll win an Oscar,” I said.
“Do you think I want anyone else to know that I was in on
it?”
“ Good. I knew I could count
on you.”
“ So how far along is she?” I
asked.
“ Two and a half months.
We’re going to make an announcement in two weeks when the first
trimester’s over. I still can’t believe it.”
“ Congratulations,” I said,
pounding his back again.
“ What are you two
celebrating?” my brother Jeff asked as he walked back to the
shop.
I was about to make something up when words
suddenly deserted me. Jeff was standing there with Molly Wilkes,
but it was pretty obvious she wasn’t at Where There’s Soap
investigating Earnest Joy’s murder. Molly’s luxurious long black
hair was down and she was wearing a pretty dress, but that wasn’t
the first thing that caught my eye. She and Jeff had been holding
hands when they’d walked in. Unless I was way off, it
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