Trouble in a Big Box (A Kelly O'Connell Mystery) by Judy Alter Page B

his tacos and go when the girls came into the room.
    “What do you think, Mike?” Maggie asked. “Doesn’t she make a good ballerina?”
    Em twirled in sort of a pirouette that Maggie must have just shown her.
    Mike beamed. “You’ll be great at ballet, Em. I didn’t know you want to take lessons.”
    Maggie gave him a withering look. “Not lessons. This is her Halloween costume. Mom’s gonna get her a sparkly mask.”
    News to me.
    Mike turned quiet and then looked at the girls. “Maggie, Em, I don’t think there will be any trick or treating this year. I can’t take you, and I don’t want your mom doing it.”
    Em began to pout but Maggie asked sensibly. “What about Keisha?”
    Mike pondered that. “I’d rather have a man take you.”
    Em said, “Joe!” while Maggie suggested, “Keisha’s new boyfriend, José.” I sat silently thinking that was a truly sexist remark that I didn’t expect from Mike. I suppose he was thinking in terms of physical strength, but the remark still grated on my feminist nerves a bit.
    “Let me talk to both of them,” I said, “and see what I can do. Maggie, you never told me what you want to be.”
    “I think I’ll just pick out a mask when we go to get one for Em.” Her world-weary tone implied that she was too old for a costume, and I didn’t tell her that adults had costume parties. “You girls go along. Maggie, Gus needs to go out, and Em, you put on play clothes and be very careful of Maggie’s ballet things. Hang the tutu up carefully. I’m talking to Mike.”
    “Can we listen?” It was Maggie, the ever curious.
    “No. It’s nothing that will interest you.”
    Mike repeated my words but added, “Your mom really stood up for herself this morning. I’m proud of her.”
    “Then I am too,” Em said and came over to give me a big kiss.
    “What did you do, Mom?” Maggie asked.
    “I didn’t let a man bully me into doing something I didn’t want to do. And I ended up throwing his lunch—and mine—in the wastebasket. Of course, Keisha emptied it. Said she didn’t like the smell of tacos in the office.”
    “You didn’t tell me that part,” Mike said, laughing. “Now tell me about your meeting this morning.”
    “Not much to it. Jim Price is going to call an association meeting and talk to the people at the League of Neighborhoods, and Christian is going to research zoning laws and the like. He had a copy of what Tom will present to the zoning commission. But, Mike, the most adorable man was there.”
    His eyebrows shot up.
    “No, not that kind of adorable. He’s probably close to seventy, short and a bit pudgy with chubby cheeks and a bald head. He owns a small clock shop where Tom wants to build his shopping center. And he lives behind the clock shop—says he has a hot plate and a refrigerator, and that’s all he needs. He eats out a lot, which I thought was kind of sad. Keisha’s fixing him dinner tonight at her apartment.”
    “I can see we’re going to adopt this man,” Mike smiled. “You aren’t matchmaking for your mom, are you?”
    “Heavens no. She wouldn’t be interested. I don’t think he’s ever married, and I bet he’s shy as can be around women. He’s sort of Old World courtly—but the funny part is that he’s dead serious that if this development goes through he’ll have to kill Tom Lattimore . Sort of an honor thing with him.”
    Mike drew his breath in sharply. “Girls, go do as your mother asked you to.” As soon as they were out of hearing range, he said, “Kelly, that’s hardly a story to tell in front of the girls. And probably you shouldn’t tell me. If anything happens to Lattimore , I’m honor bound to report what I heard.”
    “We told him that it was dangerous to make empty threats. I don’t think he considers it an empty threat—he’s that serious—but I don’t think he’d ever do it.”
    “Well, I’m kind of curious to meet him,” Mike admitted.
    “Good. I’ll invite him for Sunday