made her laugh when he came to board it up, asking her if he should set up a regular glass-replacement appointment for her from here forward.
She was trying to be thankful that the break-in was no worse, but piled on top of everything else, it was hard to do. Annie and Alice would cheer her up, though. And both of them were terrific cooks.
“Coming!”
She flung open the door and stopped short.
“Mr. Sanders.”
“Yeah, I know. Twice in the same week is a little bit much.” He shrugged and smiled. “I don’t mean to be a pest, but I was in Stony Point again, and I thought I’d take another look at your clock. I think I have the maker narrowed down to one of three from that era in Virginia, but there are a few details I wanted to make sure I got right. And I’d like to check for some particular maker’s marks too.”
Mary Beth pressed her lips together and dredged up a regretful smile. “I’m sorry, but the clock isn’t here right now. And this really isn’t a good time. I’m expecting company.”
He followed her glance through the living room to the dining room table. His eyes widened when he noticed the boarded up window.
“Oh man. What happened to your window?” He looked around the living room a little more. “A break-in?”
“I’m afraid so.”
“Then the clock was stolen?”
“No, I’m thankful to say, my friend Annie took it to Brunswick for repairs.”
He looked relieved. “Well, that’s good news. It would be a shame to lose something like that. You didn’t have any of your other antiques stolen, did you?”
“No,” she assured him, amused in spite of herself by his single-mindedness. “And I will absolutely call you first if I decide to sell any of them.”
They both turned when Alice’s red Mustang pulled into the driveway.
“There’s my company.” She waved toward the car. “Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
“Sure.” He padded down the porch steps. “But you’ll let me know, right?”
“You’ll be the very first.”
He gave Annie a little wave as he passed her, and then he was gone.
“Him again?” Annie giggled. “I think he has a crush on you.”
“Very funny.” Mary Beth tried to lift up the corner of the aluminum foil that covered the casserole dish Annie carried. “And this is … ?”
“No peeking,” Alice scolded, getting between her and Annie, “or you don’t get any of this.”
She held up a covered pie dish, and Mary Beth hurried back up to open the front door for them.
“So what did your stalker want?” Alice set down her pie dish and a plastic bag full of other goodies. “He’s persistent, isn’t he?”
“Last thing I needed today.” Mary Beth rolled her eyes when the telephone rang. “Excuse me—I’ll be right back.”
“We’ll just get everything on the table,” Alice said. “Take your time.”
Dinner was ready to serve by the time Mary Beth came back, but by then she wasn’t very interested in eating.
“That was Chief Edwards. He said they found my DVD and CD players all smashed up and thrown in one of those dumpsters out behind the Grand Avenue Fish House. At least he’s pretty sure they’re mine. They’re the same models, and it would be an awfully big coincidence for two just like mine to show up just now. Based on the other trash in the dumpster, he’s sure they were put in there today. Why would anyone steal something like that just so they could smash it all up and throw it away?”
Alice shrugged. “Cold feet? If it was kids who broke in here, maybe they decided they didn’t want to get caught with stolen goods. Did Chief Edwards say they found any fingerprints?”
Mary Beth’s mouth turned down. “Wiped clean. Evidently, not even mine are on there anymore.”
“That’s just a shame.” Annie shook her head. “You know, it just doesn’t make sense. Why did they break in?”
10
Annie stepped inside the clock shop, charmed as always by all the little ticks and whirrs and bells that greeted
She was trying to be thankful that the break-in was no worse, but piled on top of everything else, it was hard to do. Annie and Alice would cheer her up, though. And both of them were terrific cooks.
“Coming!”
She flung open the door and stopped short.
“Mr. Sanders.”
“Yeah, I know. Twice in the same week is a little bit much.” He shrugged and smiled. “I don’t mean to be a pest, but I was in Stony Point again, and I thought I’d take another look at your clock. I think I have the maker narrowed down to one of three from that era in Virginia, but there are a few details I wanted to make sure I got right. And I’d like to check for some particular maker’s marks too.”
Mary Beth pressed her lips together and dredged up a regretful smile. “I’m sorry, but the clock isn’t here right now. And this really isn’t a good time. I’m expecting company.”
He followed her glance through the living room to the dining room table. His eyes widened when he noticed the boarded up window.
“Oh man. What happened to your window?” He looked around the living room a little more. “A break-in?”
“I’m afraid so.”
“Then the clock was stolen?”
“No, I’m thankful to say, my friend Annie took it to Brunswick for repairs.”
He looked relieved. “Well, that’s good news. It would be a shame to lose something like that. You didn’t have any of your other antiques stolen, did you?”
“No,” she assured him, amused in spite of herself by his single-mindedness. “And I will absolutely call you first if I decide to sell any of them.”
They both turned when Alice’s red Mustang pulled into the driveway.
“There’s my company.” She waved toward the car. “Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
“Sure.” He padded down the porch steps. “But you’ll let me know, right?”
“You’ll be the very first.”
He gave Annie a little wave as he passed her, and then he was gone.
“Him again?” Annie giggled. “I think he has a crush on you.”
“Very funny.” Mary Beth tried to lift up the corner of the aluminum foil that covered the casserole dish Annie carried. “And this is … ?”
“No peeking,” Alice scolded, getting between her and Annie, “or you don’t get any of this.”
She held up a covered pie dish, and Mary Beth hurried back up to open the front door for them.
“So what did your stalker want?” Alice set down her pie dish and a plastic bag full of other goodies. “He’s persistent, isn’t he?”
“Last thing I needed today.” Mary Beth rolled her eyes when the telephone rang. “Excuse me—I’ll be right back.”
“We’ll just get everything on the table,” Alice said. “Take your time.”
Dinner was ready to serve by the time Mary Beth came back, but by then she wasn’t very interested in eating.
“That was Chief Edwards. He said they found my DVD and CD players all smashed up and thrown in one of those dumpsters out behind the Grand Avenue Fish House. At least he’s pretty sure they’re mine. They’re the same models, and it would be an awfully big coincidence for two just like mine to show up just now. Based on the other trash in the dumpster, he’s sure they were put in there today. Why would anyone steal something like that just so they could smash it all up and throw it away?”
Alice shrugged. “Cold feet? If it was kids who broke in here, maybe they decided they didn’t want to get caught with stolen goods. Did Chief Edwards say they found any fingerprints?”
Mary Beth’s mouth turned down. “Wiped clean. Evidently, not even mine are on there anymore.”
“That’s just a shame.” Annie shook her head. “You know, it just doesn’t make sense. Why did they break in?”
10
Annie stepped inside the clock shop, charmed as always by all the little ticks and whirrs and bells that greeted
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