Abbotsville, Jo had two customers stop in. Their arrival had at first given her hope that the situation might not be as bad as it had sounded. It turned out, however, that these “customers,” two women she’d never seen before, were simply curiosity seekers. While pretending interest in her craft wares they had mainly tossed stares her way in between whispered titters. They had finally left without making a purchase, leaving Jo with a sinking feeling about what lay ahead for her.
She passed the empty shop that had once been Fantastic Florals by Frannie. Jo remembered hearing that the place had been recently leased to an antiques dealer, and she saw signs of rejuvenation inside—painters’ drop cloths and ladders. She was glad the shop would be active again, but would miss the feisty little florist who had once manned it. Frannie, for one, wouldn’t have put any stock in the murder rumors, Jo was sure. But she had come to know Jo well enough, whereas the majority of townspeople still didn’t. That, apparently, was Jo’s vulnerability.
She came to the Abbot’s Kitchen and reached for the door’s handle uneasily, hoping to find the place on the empty side. She had held off coming until after the lunch rush and was relieved, as she pulled the door open, to see she had guessed right. The only face that turned her way was Ruthie’s, which crinkled into a road map of creases as she smiled warmly.
“Hi, Ruthie,” Jo said, gratefully returning the smile. “How’ve you been?”
“Working too hard. Good to see you again, Jo, though I’m sorry to hear about all your recent problems.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that more than you can know, and I’m trying to resolve at least some of them. Carrie and I would like our usual order to go, and if she has a moment would you mind if I talked with Meg Boyer?”
“Meg? No, I don’t mind at all. Something to do with this craft show business?”
Jo nodded. “Meg told me she went to high school with the woman who was murdered at Michicomi. I need to find out a few things about her.”
“Meg knew that woman? She never said a word about it! I knew she’d been to the craft festival, of course. She’s not much of a talker, is she? Hard worker, though, so I have no complaints.”
“You and Bert have done all the work yourselves up to now, haven’t you? This must give you a bit of a break.”
Ruthie smiled. “All these years, just the two of us. We’re starting to think it might be time to let go a little, take some time off, as long as we have the right people to handle things for us. Not easy finding reliable people, though, with what we can afford to pay.” Ruthie turned her head toward the kitchen. “Meg! Can you come out here a minute?”
Ruthie lowered her voice and leaned toward Jo. “I wasn’t all that impressed with Meg when she first applied. Seemed kinda listless and uninterested, you know? But then I heard she’d been stuck at home a lot with a husband who was kinda controlling. I thought this might be her first try to get out and get hold of her life a bit, you know what I mean? So I decided to give her a chance. It’s been working out.”
Jo nodded. “I’m glad.”
Ruthie straightened up as Meg stepped through the door from the kitchen, a white apron covering the front of her paisley-printed smock and wide jeans. “You wanted to see me?” the younger woman asked.
“Jo, here, wants to talk to you. Why don’t you grab a Coke or something and sit down a bit. I’ll get Bert started on the order.”
Ruthie disappeared into the kitchen, and Jo pulled a bottle of chilled iced tea from the self-serve case and turned to ask Meg, “Coke for you?”
“Uh-huh. Diet.”
Jo handed her the can and went over to one of the small tables near the window, Meg following behind. She twisted off her iced tea cap and waited until Meg popped her Coke open, then said, “I wanted to ask you more about Linda Weeks.”
Meg shrugged.
She passed the empty shop that had once been Fantastic Florals by Frannie. Jo remembered hearing that the place had been recently leased to an antiques dealer, and she saw signs of rejuvenation inside—painters’ drop cloths and ladders. She was glad the shop would be active again, but would miss the feisty little florist who had once manned it. Frannie, for one, wouldn’t have put any stock in the murder rumors, Jo was sure. But she had come to know Jo well enough, whereas the majority of townspeople still didn’t. That, apparently, was Jo’s vulnerability.
She came to the Abbot’s Kitchen and reached for the door’s handle uneasily, hoping to find the place on the empty side. She had held off coming until after the lunch rush and was relieved, as she pulled the door open, to see she had guessed right. The only face that turned her way was Ruthie’s, which crinkled into a road map of creases as she smiled warmly.
“Hi, Ruthie,” Jo said, gratefully returning the smile. “How’ve you been?”
“Working too hard. Good to see you again, Jo, though I’m sorry to hear about all your recent problems.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that more than you can know, and I’m trying to resolve at least some of them. Carrie and I would like our usual order to go, and if she has a moment would you mind if I talked with Meg Boyer?”
“Meg? No, I don’t mind at all. Something to do with this craft show business?”
Jo nodded. “Meg told me she went to high school with the woman who was murdered at Michicomi. I need to find out a few things about her.”
“Meg knew that woman? She never said a word about it! I knew she’d been to the craft festival, of course. She’s not much of a talker, is she? Hard worker, though, so I have no complaints.”
“You and Bert have done all the work yourselves up to now, haven’t you? This must give you a bit of a break.”
Ruthie smiled. “All these years, just the two of us. We’re starting to think it might be time to let go a little, take some time off, as long as we have the right people to handle things for us. Not easy finding reliable people, though, with what we can afford to pay.” Ruthie turned her head toward the kitchen. “Meg! Can you come out here a minute?”
Ruthie lowered her voice and leaned toward Jo. “I wasn’t all that impressed with Meg when she first applied. Seemed kinda listless and uninterested, you know? But then I heard she’d been stuck at home a lot with a husband who was kinda controlling. I thought this might be her first try to get out and get hold of her life a bit, you know what I mean? So I decided to give her a chance. It’s been working out.”
Jo nodded. “I’m glad.”
Ruthie straightened up as Meg stepped through the door from the kitchen, a white apron covering the front of her paisley-printed smock and wide jeans. “You wanted to see me?” the younger woman asked.
“Jo, here, wants to talk to you. Why don’t you grab a Coke or something and sit down a bit. I’ll get Bert started on the order.”
Ruthie disappeared into the kitchen, and Jo pulled a bottle of chilled iced tea from the self-serve case and turned to ask Meg, “Coke for you?”
“Uh-huh. Diet.”
Jo handed her the can and went over to one of the small tables near the window, Meg following behind. She twisted off her iced tea cap and waited until Meg popped her Coke open, then said, “I wanted to ask you more about Linda Weeks.”
Meg shrugged.
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