Board Stiff (An Elliott Lisbon Mystery) by Kendel Lynn

memory book I made. Leo calls it our Happily Ever Hoedown.” She handed me a stamper and a piece of pink paper. “Here, try it. It’s easy. Just stamp along the edges and make a border. It’s a self-inker, so you don’t have to worry about an ink pad.”
    I stared at the paper and my inner perfectionist started to whine. How could I get each stamp impression perfectly placed? At the same exact angle? Spaced uniformly, equidistant from the next? I noticed Bebe was staring at me, so I decided to fling away my doubts and stamp with abandon. Stamp stamp stamp stamp stamp. That was fun!
    I managed to get ink on three fingers, two photographs, and the table cover. Bebe reached over and took away my stamper supplies.
    I cleared my throat. “Will you be in New Jersey long?”
    She rifled through an egg crate filled with miniature jewels, sorted by size and color. “Well, not long enough. We’ve got so many friends to see again. But Travis graduates in a few weeks from Seabrook. So you know, bad timing…” Her voice drifted and she grabbed her drink.
    Swigging a bit greedily, I thought. Drowning her sorrows or her guilt?
    I waited until she resumed her cutting. “Do you mind if I ask some questions?”
    “About the fund you mentioned? Like to help us with expenses?”
    “Not quite. Leo put together a very thoughtful proposal for the Ballantyne to fund the Shelter Initiative. Easily the most compassionate local program we’ve had in years. I’m going to personally find the perfect board member to take it up in Leo’s honor.”
    “Oh. I guess that’s nice. So what questions?”
    I started with the easy stuff. I pulled out my notebook and discreetly poised my pen. “Tell me about your life with Leo.”
    “Well, me and Leo married eighteen years ago. Had to, you know what I mean? But we loved each other, had a nice duplex in the neighborhood. Leo opened his first Buffalo Bill’s in Hoboken right after Travis was born.” She finished cutting out the orange frame and started applying glitter to the outer edges. “Never seen anything like it. Everyone loved that store. Most people never even seen a horse up close and Leo brought one out every weekend. You ever ride one at the store here?”
    “No. But I hear they’re very popular with the kids.” And the tourists. The Buffalo Bill’s parking lot was jammed every Saturday during season. Chili cookouts, hot dogs on the bbq. A real hoedown. You know, in an asphalt corral with a grill manned by a TV salesman.
    “He grew the company from one store to twelve. Put his sights on expanding to the South. One vacation to Sea Pine Island and his mind was made up. Dragged me kicking and screaming outta Jersey, but Leo wanted it so bad, I finally gave in. He moved the headquarters, including Joseph and the tramp.” She laughed bitterly and snatched up a bottle of blue puff paint.
    “The tramp?”
    “Leo’s assistant, Cherry. Can you believe that? Cherry Avarone. Don’t know what he sees in that tacky little tart. It’s his business and good help is hard to find, he says.” She squirted out a row of blue dots on top of the glitter.
    Obviously a sore subject based on the velocity of the paint shooting out of the miniature bottle. Blobs and splats landed around the table in big gloppy mounds. “You ever worry something went on between Leo and Cherry?”
    “Leo would never cheat on me. He knows he has it good. Besides, Cherry doesn’t like men, plays for the other team.”
    “You mean she’s gay?”
    “Yep. But she’s still a tart and I don’t like her,” she said. “Wears short skirts to the office. It’s a respectable business!”
    “How was business?”
    “Business is good, real good. Leo’s got a new summer campaign for the store, filming a commercial for it soon.”
    Bebe kept referring to Leo in the present tense and I was beginning to wonder if her demeanor was more denial than guilt. She refilled her glass and I hoped I wasn’t going to hell for taking