around for a back door out of here.”
She took pictures of the five people who’d purchased the brown mink coats. This gave her their addresses and phone numbers as well as their names. She realized these might not be their real names—Stewart didn’t seem all that surprised by her request. Still, there might be some truth in the numbers, especially if the buyers bought with credit cards.
“I found another door,” Ranson said. “Are you really that upset about Steve finding you here?”
“Not exactly. But I did say I’d stay home and work on that list. He worries so much. I hate to make it worse for him, bless his heart.”
Ranson chuckled. “Then we’d better get out of here. The Rolls might be a dead giveaway.”
“I don’t think so. He knows I never take it out.”
Stewart was showing his FBI visitors to the already occupied back room. Peggy and her father slipped out into the alley through the back door. They hurried out to the Rolls and got away cleanly.
Ranson hooted and slapped his leg as they started up Selwyn Avenue where the fur shop was located. “It’s always a rush working with you, Margaret.”
“You’d better not tell Mom. You know she feels like everything is bad for your heart.”
“Don’t remind me. She’s forbidden me pizza. Can you believe it? Pizza! One of my favorite foods. I have to sneak out to get it.”
“Or eat it at my house.”
“I know she means well, but life is about having a good time between bouts of working. If you’re not having a good time, what’s the point?”
Peggy smiled. “I agree, but I also love you, Dad. I don’t want you to have another heart attack.”
“I don’t either, although the last one wasn’t so bad.”
He grinned at her, and she laughed.
“I saw the scar where they cut you open. It was bad.”
Peggy pulled the Rolls into the driveway at her house. Ranson helped her cover the car again. They’d closed the garage door just a moment before Steve and Millie got there.
“Remember,” Ranson whispered. “Mum’s the word. I won’t talk even if they water- board me.”
“Steve isn’t going to waterboard anyone. He’s your father-in-law. Besides, the FBI doesn’t do things like that.”
“Yeah, right. The FBI is in cahoots with the other government offices. When they don’t torture people, it’s because they hand them over to the CIA to do it. I’ve watched those YouTube videos. Being American doesn’t protect you anymore.”
“Okay. Hush now.” Peggy smiled as she greeted her husband. “Steve! That was a short meeting.”
“I guess that was a problem for you since you didn’t stick around at the fur shop to say hello.”
“What are you talking about?” Ranson asked. “We’ve been right here all morning, writing down the names of people who want to kill Peggy. It’s a long list.”
Steve crouched and stared at the drive. “There’s always a little dirt and moss from the tires when the Rolls goes out. No one ever bothered to put a real floor in the garage. And how many people in Charlotte drive a vintage Rolls like that one?”
“Probably quite a few,” Peggy said. “But I’m not going to lie to you. We came up with a plan and went for it. We got some names and other personal info that might belong to the killer.”
“You said you were staying here,” Steve reminded her. “You could be a target for this person. I’m sure you know that.”
“Let’s go inside to argue.” Peggy took his arm. “I see Walter peeking out at us with his binoculars. He knows how to read lips. He probably saw what we just said and is picking up his phone to call the police.”
But she was mistaken. Walter came slowly out of his house to join them, walking through the paths he’d created in the flower beds between their houses.
“Steve. Peggy. I just wanted to apologize for my actions this morning. I guess I got carried away with my duties as a forensic botanist for the city. It won’t happen again. I hope you
She took pictures of the five people who’d purchased the brown mink coats. This gave her their addresses and phone numbers as well as their names. She realized these might not be their real names—Stewart didn’t seem all that surprised by her request. Still, there might be some truth in the numbers, especially if the buyers bought with credit cards.
“I found another door,” Ranson said. “Are you really that upset about Steve finding you here?”
“Not exactly. But I did say I’d stay home and work on that list. He worries so much. I hate to make it worse for him, bless his heart.”
Ranson chuckled. “Then we’d better get out of here. The Rolls might be a dead giveaway.”
“I don’t think so. He knows I never take it out.”
Stewart was showing his FBI visitors to the already occupied back room. Peggy and her father slipped out into the alley through the back door. They hurried out to the Rolls and got away cleanly.
Ranson hooted and slapped his leg as they started up Selwyn Avenue where the fur shop was located. “It’s always a rush working with you, Margaret.”
“You’d better not tell Mom. You know she feels like everything is bad for your heart.”
“Don’t remind me. She’s forbidden me pizza. Can you believe it? Pizza! One of my favorite foods. I have to sneak out to get it.”
“Or eat it at my house.”
“I know she means well, but life is about having a good time between bouts of working. If you’re not having a good time, what’s the point?”
Peggy smiled. “I agree, but I also love you, Dad. I don’t want you to have another heart attack.”
“I don’t either, although the last one wasn’t so bad.”
He grinned at her, and she laughed.
“I saw the scar where they cut you open. It was bad.”
Peggy pulled the Rolls into the driveway at her house. Ranson helped her cover the car again. They’d closed the garage door just a moment before Steve and Millie got there.
“Remember,” Ranson whispered. “Mum’s the word. I won’t talk even if they water- board me.”
“Steve isn’t going to waterboard anyone. He’s your father-in-law. Besides, the FBI doesn’t do things like that.”
“Yeah, right. The FBI is in cahoots with the other government offices. When they don’t torture people, it’s because they hand them over to the CIA to do it. I’ve watched those YouTube videos. Being American doesn’t protect you anymore.”
“Okay. Hush now.” Peggy smiled as she greeted her husband. “Steve! That was a short meeting.”
“I guess that was a problem for you since you didn’t stick around at the fur shop to say hello.”
“What are you talking about?” Ranson asked. “We’ve been right here all morning, writing down the names of people who want to kill Peggy. It’s a long list.”
Steve crouched and stared at the drive. “There’s always a little dirt and moss from the tires when the Rolls goes out. No one ever bothered to put a real floor in the garage. And how many people in Charlotte drive a vintage Rolls like that one?”
“Probably quite a few,” Peggy said. “But I’m not going to lie to you. We came up with a plan and went for it. We got some names and other personal info that might belong to the killer.”
“You said you were staying here,” Steve reminded her. “You could be a target for this person. I’m sure you know that.”
“Let’s go inside to argue.” Peggy took his arm. “I see Walter peeking out at us with his binoculars. He knows how to read lips. He probably saw what we just said and is picking up his phone to call the police.”
But she was mistaken. Walter came slowly out of his house to join them, walking through the paths he’d created in the flower beds between their houses.
“Steve. Peggy. I just wanted to apologize for my actions this morning. I guess I got carried away with my duties as a forensic botanist for the city. It won’t happen again. I hope you
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