Honeysuckle Homicide (Trash-to-Treasure Crafting Mystery) by Rose Pressey

almost expected for her to shoo me away. If she couldn’t call for a tow, then I would do it for her. I’d do my part in helping and then get the heck out of there.
    After getting out of my car , I waited for a couple vehicles to pass on the road and then made my way to the front of Doreen’s SUV. She’d removed the sunglasses, but still wore the second half of her disguise, that big hat.
    “ Do you need help, Doreen?” I asked.
    She didn’t look at me for a moment, then finally she met my stare and said, “Something’s wrong. My cell won’t work and I can’t call for help.”
    After a second , I said, “Would you like for me to call someone for you?”
    I hoped she didn’t want me to call Ross.
    She pursed her lips together and then said, “That won’t be necessary.”
    “ Fine. Have it your way.”
    A semi barreled down the roa d past us. She grabbed her hat to keep it from flying away. I turned to head back toward my car.
    “ Okay. You can call someone for me,” she yelled.
    I should have had her say please before I did it, but I wouldn’t be that mean. I closed the distance between us again.
    “ Here you can just make the call,” I said handing her the phone.
    Doreen took the phone from my hand and after several seconds she finally figured out how to place the call.
    She stepped away as if she didn’t want me to hear her private conversation. Finally, she handed the phone back.
    “ Thank you,” she said through gritted teeth.
    I was sure it was hard for her to thank her nemesis.
    “My friend Luann is coming to pick me up, but she doesn’t know where this road is. She’s meeting me at the gas station down the street.” Doreen crossed her arms in front of her chest.
    “ How can she not know where this street is?” I asked.
    “Luann technically isn’t allowed to drive because of her cataracts.”
    Oh dear. “Well, it isn’t that far of a walk back to that gas station,” I said.
    Doreen sighed. “No, I suppose my bunions will be fine.”
    I groaned. “Would you like for me to take you back to the gas station?”
    “ No, that would be too much trouble and I wouldn’t dare want to inconvenience you at all.” She smirked.
    I shrugged and turned around. “Suit yourself. You can’t say that I didn’t offer. Just remember your hair will be a frizzy mess out here in this heat and even that goofy hat won’t help you.”
    I climbed in my car. As soon as I closed the door , Doreen hurried toward me. I cranked the engine and she waved her hands.
    “ Fine, will you please give me a ride?”
    Wow, she’d even said please. That was a first. I was sure it had physically hurt her to speak the word. I motioned for Doreen to hop in. She sat in the passenger seat with her hands folded on her lap. She scooted as close to the door as she could get as if I would bite her. Doreen clutched the side of the car as I pulled out onto the street.
    “ You always were a terrible driver,” she said.
    “ Thanks.  You’re lucky I came along, Doreen. There’s no telling how long you would have had to stand out there.”
    She pursed her lips and didn’t answer.
    “I still don’t understand why you are following me,” I said.
    “I was not following you,” s he snapped. “I was headed to Belleville to do some shopping.”
    I glanced over at her. I supposed she could be telling the truth, but I smelled a rat. The coincidence was unlikely. Thank goodness we pulled into the parking lot because I didn’t want to make small talk with her.
    “There’s Luann right there.” Doreen pointed at the silver Cadillac double parked by the front door of the gas station.
    “ Are you sure it’s safe to drive with her?” I asked.
    She motioned for me to pull up next to the car. “It’ll be fine… I think.”
    When I pulled up to the Cadillac , four women got out of the car.
    “ Those are my friends,” Doreen said.
    I looked at the women. “I think I remember one of them. Isn’t she the one who paints those ugly