Beware the Orchids (A Shady Acres Mystery Book 1) by Cynthia Hickey Page B

very well?”
    “Victims of what?” Hattie peered at me over her glasses. “Oh, the dead people. No, not more than anyone else here. I don’t usually come to the meals, but I’m short on groceries. This…” she pointed at me, “is why I stay to myself. People always want something.”
    Harry straightened and crossed his arms. “Why are you asking about them?”
    “It’s sad and a little scary, don’t you think? To have two residents murdered?”
    “Most people get what they got coming.” He picked up his empty plate and deposited it on a sideboard before leaving the room.
    As if noticing she was alone with me, Hattie leaped to her feet and did the same.
    I almost wanted to smell myself to see if I stunk. Instead, I sighed and moved to the next table where Myrna and Bob were sitting.
    “You look like you’re drumming for money,” Bob said with a scowl.
    I gave him my pitch, not expecting much in return. My eyes widened when he wrote me a check for a hundred dollars. “Why, thank you.”
    “That old pond is an eyesore, especially now that there’s been a body in there. People need something new to look at. Pay up, Myrna.”
    “I’m on a fixed income.”
    “From your dead husband.” He motioned his head toward me. “Everyone knows you don’t need to worry about money for the rest of your life.”
    “Fine.” She also wrote a check for a hundred dollars.
    I leaned my elbows on the table and lowered my voice. “Are you two worried about the murders? It’s as if we aren’t safe leaving our cottages after dark.”
    “Who says Maybelle was murdered at night?” Myrna shook her head. “No, I saw her early the morning she died. So did you, if memory serves me right. She was looking for her teeth, as usual. Now, that fat handyman…well, I saw him wandering around after dark. Looked mighty suspicious to me.”
    “Did you see anyone else out and about?”
    She glanced at the ceiling and thought for a moment. “One of the cleaning girls was coming home. Then, of course you’ve got the vampire, Leroy Manning. He’s not really a vampire. We just call him that because he only comes out at night. Oh, and Alice was snooping around. That’s all I can think of.”
    None of who seemed like a killer, except maybe for the vampire. “Thank you both for your donations.”
    I was heading for another table when Harold Belcher, uh Ball, stopped me. “Heard you’re looking for money,” he said. “Here’s twenty bucks.” He shoved it into my hand. “We can’t have our staff going without.”
    “Oh, it’s to renovate the koi pond and fountain, Mr. Ball. Not for me, personally.” How sweet of him.
    “Well, that’s a good cause, too.” He stepped closer. “Tell your grandmother that I’m a bit perturbed she’s shoved me off for that cop. That’s no way to treat a man.”
    My heart skipped a beat. “Did you date Maybelle once?”
    His eyes narrowed. “What if I did?”
    “Nothing.” I forced a smile and walked away as fast as I could. I would have to warn Grandma. What if Harold killed Maybelle because he thought she was cheating on him? It happened in movies and books all the time. Everyone knew that fiction was based on fact, right?
    “Cheryl.” I approached her at the buffet. “Have you seen Grandma?”
    “Not since earlier. She was helping me approach people about donations. She was catching them before they came into the building.” She glanced around the room. “It’s strange for her not to be here.”
    “I’m heading to her cottage.” My heart settled down around my knees. I would never forgive myself for getting her involved if something bad had happened. “Will you come with me?”
    “Of course.” Cheryl grabbed a banana and rushed outside with me.
    We ran for Grandma’s cottage. Finding the door locked, I sent Cheryl for Heath and his master key. While I waited, I circled the cottage looking for a way in. The bathroom window beckoned. Opened about six inches, it would suffice