Fiona Silk Mysteries 2-Book Bundle by Mary Jane Maffini

Jean-Claude Lamontagne has made you an offer you can’t refuse.”
    â€œNot true.”
    â€œOh boy, Miz Silk. I would hate it if you had to sell your place. I love this house. It’s the only place I really feel at home.” A guilty look flashed across her freckled face. “Except at home, of course.”
    I’d seen that cabin in the woods, seen Uncle Mike passed out. “I’ll manage to hang on.”
    â€œBut things are bad for you right now, aren’t they?”
    â€œThey are. I’m stuck with this icky project.”
    â€œThat project sounds like fun, but if you really hate the idea, I have an idea for how you can get your hands on some serious cash.”
    No point in trying not to listen. I would just get worn down. “How?”
    â€œSell that picture of the woman in the boat. The one over your desk. I know you really like it a lot, but—”
    â€œJosey, I can’t.”
    â€œSure you can, Miz Silk. That picture’s worth a bundle. I checked out that artist, Alex Colville, and his stuff sells for a lot of money.”
    â€œI am not selling the painting. End of conversation.”
    â€œOne of his pictures went for more than $400,000 at an auction, last year. Do you know how much that is?”
    â€œWell, of course, I do.”
    â€œSo, maybe they’re worth even more now. It’s just one little picture. It’s worth more than the whole property and everything on it.”
    â€œThe painting means a lot to me. And I’m not going to sell it.” Josey folded her arms. The freckles stood out, almost threedimensional. “You could get a lot of special paintings for less than that, Miz Silk. And pay your taxes and all your bills and get a new car.”
    â€œWon’t be happening, Josey.”
    â€œYou could even build a ramp so that Marc-André could come and visit. I’d help with that. I even got a set of plans.”
    A ramp for Marc-André!
    â€œIt would be wonderful to have a ramp like that, and I know how much you want Marc-André to get better and get out of rehab, but I will never sell that painting, Josey. I’m not even going to discuss it any more. We’ll have to come up with some other solution to this latest cash crunch.”
    Josey shrugged. Of course, I wasn’t dumb enough to dream that I’d heard the last about selling the Colville.
    â€œI’m trying to find a way to make my, um, cookbook project work.”
    â€œPretty hard to do a cookbook in the state of that kitchen.”
    â€œWhat does the state of my kitchen have to do with it? Don’t I just have to find a few recipes? I’m a whiz with the microwave. My aunt had some cookbooks. I think they might be in the attic. I’m going to crawl around up there and find them. I might get some ideas for the framework of the book.”
    â€œJeez, Miz Silk. Cookbooks have to be up to date. They have to have food that’s in style, the latest ingredients, techniques. They have to look right.”
    â€œThere are styles in recipes? You’re kidding, right?”
    â€œNo way. People follow trends in the food world. I can’t believe you don’t know about that. You better get that satellite dish.”
    â€œForget it.”
    â€œThere’s fashionable food and unfashionable food. You got to have clear glass bowls for your ingredients. All sizes.”
    Clear glass bowls? That made no sense. “You’re kidding. Anyway, what kind of food goes out of style?”
    She frowned. “I’m not really sure. But turnip, I hope. And Brussels sprouts.”
    â€œI hear you.”
    â€œI’ll get you some recipe books from the library.”
    â€œYou don’t have to do all that, Josey. I can look after myself, you know.”
    â€œIt’s okay, Miz Silk. Remember, I’m saving up. I got a lot of expenses and more coming. I need all the odd jobs I can get. You got until I turn sixteen