crossed her fingers and toes that he would renounce his alley cat ways, settle down, maybe even bring Susan officially into the family. But now Ben had Lulu worrying over Seb’s sniffling and whether he might be a druggie. Lulu was now wondering whether her son was good enough for Susan.
“Hi, Seb,” Susan said, smiling brightly. “How’s everything going?”
As usual when speaking to someone of the female persuasion, Seb automatically hugged Susan closely before sliding smoothly into the booth next to Lulu. “Well, hi there, darlin’!” he said to Susan. “Haven’t seen you here lately. Where’ve you been hiding yourself?”
Idiot! thought Lulu unkindly. Susan had been at the restaurant daily in the last week. If he’d spent more time at work, maybe he’d have run into her. Lulu hosted most uncharitable thoughts about her second-born.
Susan didn’t share Lulu’s opinion. Her eyes twinkled at Seb through her John Lennon glasses. “Oh, I’ve been around. Although lately it’s been really hard to pull away from Southern Accents. Your sister-in-law is a smash hit.”
Seb frowned. Lulu could tell he didn’t have a clue in the world why Sara and Susan’s gallery would be mentioned in the same sentence. As irritated as she was with her son, she hated seeing him look so oblivious.
“You know , Seb. Sara’s art.” Lulu pressed hard on Seb’s toes under the table with her foot. “Susan finally talked her into showing it at Southern Accents yesterday. You’ll have to run by and see it,” she added in a more threatening than encouraging tone.
Seb grunted from the pressure on his foot, then said, “Yes, ma’am, I’ll have to do that.” Then he flashed his slow smile, and Lulu saw Susan melt right then and there. Lulu gritted her teeth.
Susan gulped and tried to pull it together. “Your mother and I were talking about business at the restaurant.”
Seb raised a dark eyebrow. “Business is great. I worked on the numbers today. They look fantastic.”
Susan blushed. “Well, yes. I mean, I’m sure it has been great.” She looked to Lulu for a lifeline.
“Sales look great for before the murder, Seb.” Lulu was knocking on the wooden table. “We seem to have gotten ourselves mixed up in a poisoning, so we can’t be feeling cocky about our numbers.”
Seb shrugged. “People want barbeque, Mother. I doubt they’re really going to think about it. The lunch crowd was good.”
“Because people are curious, Seb. There are television cameras out there and reporters. They just want to see what’s going on. But what’ll happen after that?”
Seb lost interest in the conversation. “I’m sure there’ll still be plenty of guests tonight and tomorrow, too. We’ve got a great band lineup. They’ll be here when the music starts playing.”
“No, they won’t, because there won’t be a blues band. They cancelled tonight’s appearance, and the one for tomorrow night cancelled, too. I guess they’re afraid they might be murdered while they’re playing.” Lulu finally noticed that Seb had his laptop bag with him. “Where are you going, by the way?”
“It’s quitting time,” drawled Seb calmly.
“Is it? Well, I guess I’ll have to take my watch by Bing’s Clock Shop, because by my watch, Aunt Pat’s is open another four hours.”
Now Seb frowned in irritation. “I’ll check back in later, Mom.” He quickly exited the screen porch, letting the door slam behind him. Lulu clucked. That was the last she’d see of Seb for the rest of the day, she knew it.
Susan stared at the spot where he’d last stood. “I’d better go, too, Lulu. Call me later when you get the chance?”
Lulu rocked violently in her chair. Everything about this day had gone wrong from the start. Before the start. She couldn’t wait for the moment when she pulled those cotton checked sheets up to her chin, laid her head on her feather pillow, and put today to bed for good.
Then she saw three familiar figures
“Hi, Seb,” Susan said, smiling brightly. “How’s everything going?”
As usual when speaking to someone of the female persuasion, Seb automatically hugged Susan closely before sliding smoothly into the booth next to Lulu. “Well, hi there, darlin’!” he said to Susan. “Haven’t seen you here lately. Where’ve you been hiding yourself?”
Idiot! thought Lulu unkindly. Susan had been at the restaurant daily in the last week. If he’d spent more time at work, maybe he’d have run into her. Lulu hosted most uncharitable thoughts about her second-born.
Susan didn’t share Lulu’s opinion. Her eyes twinkled at Seb through her John Lennon glasses. “Oh, I’ve been around. Although lately it’s been really hard to pull away from Southern Accents. Your sister-in-law is a smash hit.”
Seb frowned. Lulu could tell he didn’t have a clue in the world why Sara and Susan’s gallery would be mentioned in the same sentence. As irritated as she was with her son, she hated seeing him look so oblivious.
“You know , Seb. Sara’s art.” Lulu pressed hard on Seb’s toes under the table with her foot. “Susan finally talked her into showing it at Southern Accents yesterday. You’ll have to run by and see it,” she added in a more threatening than encouraging tone.
Seb grunted from the pressure on his foot, then said, “Yes, ma’am, I’ll have to do that.” Then he flashed his slow smile, and Lulu saw Susan melt right then and there. Lulu gritted her teeth.
Susan gulped and tried to pull it together. “Your mother and I were talking about business at the restaurant.”
Seb raised a dark eyebrow. “Business is great. I worked on the numbers today. They look fantastic.”
Susan blushed. “Well, yes. I mean, I’m sure it has been great.” She looked to Lulu for a lifeline.
“Sales look great for before the murder, Seb.” Lulu was knocking on the wooden table. “We seem to have gotten ourselves mixed up in a poisoning, so we can’t be feeling cocky about our numbers.”
Seb shrugged. “People want barbeque, Mother. I doubt they’re really going to think about it. The lunch crowd was good.”
“Because people are curious, Seb. There are television cameras out there and reporters. They just want to see what’s going on. But what’ll happen after that?”
Seb lost interest in the conversation. “I’m sure there’ll still be plenty of guests tonight and tomorrow, too. We’ve got a great band lineup. They’ll be here when the music starts playing.”
“No, they won’t, because there won’t be a blues band. They cancelled tonight’s appearance, and the one for tomorrow night cancelled, too. I guess they’re afraid they might be murdered while they’re playing.” Lulu finally noticed that Seb had his laptop bag with him. “Where are you going, by the way?”
“It’s quitting time,” drawled Seb calmly.
“Is it? Well, I guess I’ll have to take my watch by Bing’s Clock Shop, because by my watch, Aunt Pat’s is open another four hours.”
Now Seb frowned in irritation. “I’ll check back in later, Mom.” He quickly exited the screen porch, letting the door slam behind him. Lulu clucked. That was the last she’d see of Seb for the rest of the day, she knew it.
Susan stared at the spot where he’d last stood. “I’d better go, too, Lulu. Call me later when you get the chance?”
Lulu rocked violently in her chair. Everything about this day had gone wrong from the start. Before the start. She couldn’t wait for the moment when she pulled those cotton checked sheets up to her chin, laid her head on her feather pillow, and put today to bed for good.
Then she saw three familiar figures
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