Murder with Earl Grey Tea, page 21
She decided to get under his skin a bit. “Look, I know you’ve settled on Neil as the main person of interest.”
Zeke’s face was impassive.
“Tell me one thing. Do you have any evidence to tie him to Lydia’s murder?”
Zeke still kept silent.
“How about a damaged truck? Maybe somebody saw him near the property that morning. Anything?”
Zeke remained silent.
Daisy dove in. “Have you ever heard of a man named Cletus Holloback?”
“And who is he?” Zeke asked.
“He supplied chickens to The Farm Barn,” Jonas said. “We visited him because there was some question about the birds he was supplying. It didn’t take much to make him irate.”
“He’s big and burly and nasty,” Daisy said. “He told us Lydia had threatened to ruin his business by spreading the word his chickens were inferior. I swear when he was talking to us about it, he looked like he could throttle anyone. He got riled up really quickly, and we didn’t even egg him on.”
Zeke pulled a notepad in front of him and picked up a pen. “Where can I find him?”
Jonas gave Zeke the man’s address. Then he said, “His production factory is elsewhere. We just went to his office.”
Zeke looked down at the address and sighed. “You asked me about Neil Aldenkamp. I’ll tell you this. He had plenty of motive.”
“If you’re talking about his affair,” Daisy shot back, “maybe you don’t have all the facts about that.”
“How do you know about his affair?” Zeke asked. Then he shook his head. “Never mind. I know you’ve been working with him.”
“More than one person has mentioned the affair to me,” Daisy told him. “Neil told me himself, and he said he and Lydia were getting their marriage back on track.”
“Of course, he’d say that,” Zeke said. “He doesn’t want to be a suspect.”
“It could be true,” Daisy protested. “Have you looked at his ex-girlfriend, Mitzi Geitz? She seems pretty intent on restarting her relationship with Neil. She won’t let him alone, especially since Lydia died.”
“Daisy, why do you think I’m spending my nights here?” Zeke asked seriously.
“Because you’re working on the case,” she replied easily.
“Exactly. That means I’m looking at everyone who had anything to do with Lydia Aldenkamp.”
* * *
That evening, Daisy, Iris, and Glorie decided to have an evening out and visit Adele Gunnarson, Felix’s original dog mom. After Daisy picked up Iris and Glorie, she headed to Whispering Willows Assisted Living Facility. It was about two miles outside of Willow Creek. Willow tree branches swayed in the wind all over the property, the back of which stretched to Willow Creek. Daisy had brought Felix along, because Adele was always glad to see him, and he was always glad to see her. He sat beside Glorie on the back seat, his head on her lap.
When Daisy visited Adele, she always brought a basket of baked goods. Iris had packed it this time, and Daisy wasn’t exactly sure what was inside, but all of it would be treats to have with tea. As they went inside the facility, Daisy noticed again how welcoming the lobby was. At the desk, they all signed in. Daisy always included Felix.
They soon stood at the door to Adele’s suite. It had one bedroom and a kitchen, and Adele seemed happy here. The wreath on the door was a spring variety of forsythia and daisies.
Daisy knocked, and after a minute or so, Adele came to the door. She always reminded Daisy of the iconic Betty White with her snowy hair and curly bangs that she usually brushed to the right. It seemed a bit puffier tonight . . . wispier. Two bobby pins held her hair back over her left ear.
Adele said, “Welcome. Come on in. Hi there, Felix.” She stooped to pet his head. “I just had a shower after chair yoga, and I’m a bit discombobulated.” Dimples appeared on either side of her mouth as she grinned. “I have to find my glasses, or I won’t even be able to see you.”
Adele usually wore something flowered. Tonight it was a calf-length dress with a ruffle around the bottom and around the three-quarter sleeves. The material was patterned with big pink roses. On her feet, she wore pink canvas shoes.
As she led them into the suite, she said, “I see you brought a basket of goodies again. I put the kettle on for tea.”
She took the basket from Daisy and went over to the gray-and-black-tweed throw rug that lay across the vinyl plank floor, settled it on the low coffee table, swiveled around, and went to the dark sage laminated counter. She picked up her glasses on their turquoise chain.
After she slipped the chain over her head, she pointed to the chairs. “Take a seat, everybody . . . while I get the tea.”
“Do you need help?” Iris asked.
“You could carry the tray to the coffee table. I’m brewing orange pekoe tonight. Jonas brought me a supply.”
All of the appliances in the kitchen were white and matched the small, round, white table with its two chairs. The tray with its flowered teacups and saucers sat there. Iris brought it over to the coffee table while Adele poured water into a Wedgwood blue-patterned teapot.
Felix had followed her out to the kitchen, and he sat at her feet, looking up at her. “Hey, boy. I know what you want,” she said. “While I’m brewing the tea, I might be able to find you a treat. Jonas keeps me supplied with those biscuits you like.”
She took two from a ceramic jar on the counter that had painted dog faces all over it. Two dog bowls with Felix’s name on them sat on a mat on the floor. Adele was always ready for his visits. The one held water, and in the other, she settled the two biscuits. Felix gave her a woof in thank you and then chomped them down.
“How are all of you ladies tonight?” Adele asked. She targeted her attention to Glorie. “How’s your arthritis? With spring coming, I know we have a change in weather.”
Glorie lifted one of the glitzy canes that her granddaughter Brielle had bought her. “As long as I have this with me, I’m fine. Brielle and Nola insist I use a walker when I go outside, but sometimes I sneak out without it.” Giving the laser-sharp beam of her eyes to the ladies around her, she was daring them to scold her.
Daisy stepped into the breach. “As long as you’re careful.”
“You know how that is, Daisy. Even when I’m trying to be careful, I can miss steps. It’s just the way it is at my age. Though I am jealous of Adele here, who can do chair yoga.”
“If you feel up to it,” Adele said, “there are videos that will guide you through it. It’s no fun to do alone, though. I’ll admit that. Maybe I can come visit you sometime, and we can do it together.”
“That would be lovely,” Glorie said, obviously meaning it.
A few minutes later, Adele brought the teapot to the coffee table and sat on the sofa that was covered in a sunflower print. Iris had chosen the pale green fabric easy chair, and Glorie sat in its mate on the other side of the coffee table. Felix had wiggled his body in between Adele and Daisy on the sofa.
They dug into the basket of treats, which included chocolate whoopie pies, oatmeal-raisin cookies, and corn cake. Each took their favorites and munched in between sips of tea.
“When Jonas dropped off Felix’s supply of biscuits, he mentioned that you were handling a wedding reception at The Farm Barn,” Adele said.
“I was surprised it went as well as it did,” Daisy confessed. “After all, I don’t know all the servers that well or the chef, but they all seemed to work together like a good machine.”
“Maybe that was your leadership,” Adele said. “My son took me there for dinner with his fiancée a few weeks ago. An embarrassing experience happened that evening.”
“What was that?” Iris asked, giving Daisy a sideways glance.
Adele wiped a bit of the cream from the whoopie pie from the corner of her lip. Then she wiped her fingertip on her napkin and smiled. “I’m like a kid when I’m eating these.”
She returned to their conversation. “A good-looking young man got into a kerfuffle with a fragile-looking waitress.”
“Can you describe her?” Daisy asked.
“She had blond curly hair. She was very pretty. She wore a hair net, but you could see the curls peeking out here and there. She was pale. She just seemed anxious to me.”
To Daisy, that description described April to a T. “Can you describe the man?”
“My guess was he was in his twenties. I can’t always tell with young people these days. You know that musical Grease? Danny Zuko, slicked-back hair and all that. Though this young man had some stubble on his chin. I don’t really get the point of that.”
The man Adele was describing was Jake.
“What happened?” Iris asked before Daisy could.
“I was eating my fried chicken when a tray and dishes crashed all over the floor. When I looked, that young man was hovering over the girl. My son said he had put his hand on her shoulder, and she dropped the tray. It was quite a mess to clean up—fried chicken, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, even green beans all over the place. I suppose he startled her.”
Was that it? Had Jake startled April? Or was there more to it than that?
As Adele motioned to the basket of goodies again, she said, “Come on, girls, you all have to have another treat so I can, too.”
Daisy accepted an oatmeal-raisin cookie from Iris and took a bite. Was that kerfuffle at The Farm Barn an accident . . . or something else?
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The next day, Daisy continued to think about The Farm Barn and Lydia’s murder. It was difficult to think about anything else as she served tea and mingled with customers. However, after she’d finished at the tea garden for the day, Daisy, along with Tessa, headed north to the Rainbow Flamingo.
As they walked, Tessa asked Daisy, “Why are you meeting Jonas at Four Paws after we pick up the aprons?”
“He just said he wanted to show me something.”
“Maybe he wants you to volunteer with him.”
“That’s possible,” Daisy said absently, thinking about what she wanted to accomplish at the Rainbow Flamingo.
“I’m glad Heidi called that the aprons were finished,” Tessa said. “I was getting worried.”
“I knew they’d have them finished. They’re dependable.”
“Is there a reason you wanted to wait until after the tea garden closed to go fetch them?” Tessa asked.
“I’d like your opinion on the finished product,” Daisy said honestly.
“Maybe you would, but I have a feeling there’s something else going on, too. What is it?”
Daisy and Tessa had known each other since school. They’d been best friends then, and they were now. Tessa understood her moods and her motives.
“When Heidi called, I just happened to ask when Mitzi would be working there. She said she had a shift today from four to nine.”
“Are you going to question her about Neil and her affair?” Tessa’s voice held surprise, but she knew Daisy would do it if it helped her figure out who killed Lydia.
“I’d rather not do it directly,” Daisy said. “I’m hoping maybe we can engage her in conversation and see what turns up.”
“You think if Neil is the main focus on her mind, she’ll let something slip?”
“Some women like to talk and maybe even boast about their love affairs. If she and Neil broke up, she might need to vent. We can be there to nudge and listen, right?”
“I think you’ve learned too many of Jonas’s detective skills,” Tessa muttered.
“Zeke and Morris would be insulted if they heard you say that. They think they’ve taught me about detecting.”
“I think you’ve taught them a thing or two,” Tessa said admiringly. “You’ve taught them they need to listen more.”
“Maybe. But they’ve got the clout that counts.”
Tessa laughed. “That’s one way to put it.”
The image of a rainbow flamingo painted on the plate glass window was at least six feet tall. In its beak it held a sign that said OPEN. When Daisy opened the door to enter, a loud bell dinged.
Since Heidi Korn had bought the business, she’d put in a new security system. Once a clerk there, she’d learned the ins and outs from the ground up. She’d changed some of the styles they had on sale, keeping more with contemporary trends. Daisy always liked to look around. This evening, though, they were intent on picking up the aprons. However, for Daisy to engage Mitzi, she was thinking of looking for a dress for a date with Jonas. It would be a good excuse to hold a conversation with the clerk.
After greetings all around with Heidi, Daisy noticed Mitzi hanging new dresses on a rack. For now, she and Tessa followed Heidi to the back room where the alterations were done.
Greta took the aprons from a shelf. Holding the first one in front of her, she said, “This is the Alice apron.” It was a blue apron trimmed in a white ruffle. She took a baby blue bow that was attached to a headband from its pocket. “And here’s the headpiece that goes with it,” she said.
“That’s absolutely adorable,” Daisy said.
Tessa chimed in. “Cora Sue mentioned she might wear a blond wig. Can you imagine?”
“Since she’s the hostess and not handling food, that would work,” Daisy agreed.
“You’ll look adorable in the outfit, too,” Tessa said. “The perfect Alice.”
Daisy laughed. “I don’t know about that, but I might have to find a pair of Mary Janes to go with the apron.” After Daisy examined everything the seamstress had done, she said, “These are perfect. I have temporary help that day, and these will fit whoever comes.”
Greta showed them the vests she’d fashioned for the men, and Daisy approved those, too. She said to the seamstress, “Should I settle up with you or with Heidi?”
“Heidi will have the bill of sale in the computer. You can settle up with her.”
“That’s good, because I want to look around for a dress, something a little more elegant than casual.”
“I’ll package it all up,” Greta said, “and bring it out to the counter. You go ahead out and look.”
While Tessa wandered here and there around the shop, Daisy went directly to the better dresses in the back. Mitzi came to her immediately. “Are you looking for something special?” she asked.
“I am. My fiancé and I are going to a dinner theater, and I need something a little more special than what I have in my closet.”
“Let’s see,” Mitzi said, looking over Daisy’s figure, her hair, and her clogs.
“I’m sure we have something that would suit. Do you want black?”
“No,” Daisy said. “I’d rather have something colorful.”
Mitzi quickly determined Daisy’s size and went to that section of the rack. “How about red?” she asked. Then she pulled out a dress that had glitter and spangles from the neck to the very short hem.
“It’s pretty,” Daisy said. “But I don’t think it’s quite my style.”
“What do you think your style is?” Mitzi asked.
“Something classic, yet . . .”
Mitzi filled in, “Demure?”
Daisy laughed. “I suppose you could say so, though I do like to attract my fiancé.”
Mitzi’s eyes targeted Daisy’s hand, and she saw the engagement ring. “How long have you been engaged?”
Daisy thought a little personal information might encourage Mitzi to open up, too. “We were engaged in the fall, and I think we’re going marry in July. I’m so excited.” And she was.
Mitzi’s face fell. She said, “Well, I hope it happens for you. Men are so unpredictable.”
“How so?” Daisy prompted.
“One minute they can be so into you and want a future, and the next minute they’re gone.” She threw up her hands, as if that action explained it all.
“Did that happen to you?” Daisy asked.
Mitzi looked around the store and saw that Tessa was across the way and no one else was nearby. “It did.” Tears came to the woman’s eyes.
“I’m so sorry,” Daisy commiserated, and she was. Any breakup was difficult. “Have you broken up recently?” Daisy probed, shuffling through the dresses so she didn’t seem too interested.
Mitzi pulled out a lilac confection with a sweetheart neckline, capped sleeves, another short hem. “A few months now,” she said, sighing. “I met him at a convenience store. We both stopped for coffee every morning. We got to talking, and then . . . you know what happens.”
Daisy wasn’t sure she did. “A convenience store romance,” she said conversationally, hoping that would prompt Mitzi to go on.
It did.
“I’m not giving up, though,” Mitzi said. “If I let enough time pass, I’m sure we’re going to reunite.”
Daisy wondered exactly what Mitzi was prepared to do to make that reunion happen.
* * *
Daisy drove up to Four Paws Animal Shelter and parked in the parking lot. The building had once been an old schoolhouse and had been collapsing. Noah and Serena Langston had managed to buy it from the town for a mere pittance. The shelter had been created because a brother and sister had had a dream. Noah and Serena had taken care of farm animals on their mom and dad’s farm. They’d also taken in strays and found them homes. Noah had become a veterinarian and Serena had earned a business degree so they could partner in the shelter. Their former lives had given them seed funds for the nonprofit, no-kill shelter that now relied on donations and fundraising.
Daisy walked up to the front porch. The black door was decorated with four huge white paw-prints. The building, probably once a white clapboard, was now covered with red vinyl siding, and a cupola sat on the gabled roof. Daisy knew Jonas and Felix were probably near the dog runs. Felix often came along with Jonas. He was a calming source for the shelter dogs.
She stepped up to the butcher-block counter in the reception area where Serena Langston sat. Serena stood immediately when she saw Daisy and came around the desk to give her a hug. Serena was in her thirties and very pretty. Her dark brown hair was usually arranged in a distinctive braided corona around her head. Her companion, a black standard poodle, sat beside her and now came around to Daisy, too, brushed against her leg, and looked up at her with hopeful eyes.
Zeke’s face was impassive.
“Tell me one thing. Do you have any evidence to tie him to Lydia’s murder?”
Zeke still kept silent.
“How about a damaged truck? Maybe somebody saw him near the property that morning. Anything?”
Zeke remained silent.
Daisy dove in. “Have you ever heard of a man named Cletus Holloback?”
“And who is he?” Zeke asked.
“He supplied chickens to The Farm Barn,” Jonas said. “We visited him because there was some question about the birds he was supplying. It didn’t take much to make him irate.”
“He’s big and burly and nasty,” Daisy said. “He told us Lydia had threatened to ruin his business by spreading the word his chickens were inferior. I swear when he was talking to us about it, he looked like he could throttle anyone. He got riled up really quickly, and we didn’t even egg him on.”
Zeke pulled a notepad in front of him and picked up a pen. “Where can I find him?”
Jonas gave Zeke the man’s address. Then he said, “His production factory is elsewhere. We just went to his office.”
Zeke looked down at the address and sighed. “You asked me about Neil Aldenkamp. I’ll tell you this. He had plenty of motive.”
“If you’re talking about his affair,” Daisy shot back, “maybe you don’t have all the facts about that.”
“How do you know about his affair?” Zeke asked. Then he shook his head. “Never mind. I know you’ve been working with him.”
“More than one person has mentioned the affair to me,” Daisy told him. “Neil told me himself, and he said he and Lydia were getting their marriage back on track.”
“Of course, he’d say that,” Zeke said. “He doesn’t want to be a suspect.”
“It could be true,” Daisy protested. “Have you looked at his ex-girlfriend, Mitzi Geitz? She seems pretty intent on restarting her relationship with Neil. She won’t let him alone, especially since Lydia died.”
“Daisy, why do you think I’m spending my nights here?” Zeke asked seriously.
“Because you’re working on the case,” she replied easily.
“Exactly. That means I’m looking at everyone who had anything to do with Lydia Aldenkamp.”
* * *
That evening, Daisy, Iris, and Glorie decided to have an evening out and visit Adele Gunnarson, Felix’s original dog mom. After Daisy picked up Iris and Glorie, she headed to Whispering Willows Assisted Living Facility. It was about two miles outside of Willow Creek. Willow tree branches swayed in the wind all over the property, the back of which stretched to Willow Creek. Daisy had brought Felix along, because Adele was always glad to see him, and he was always glad to see her. He sat beside Glorie on the back seat, his head on her lap.
When Daisy visited Adele, she always brought a basket of baked goods. Iris had packed it this time, and Daisy wasn’t exactly sure what was inside, but all of it would be treats to have with tea. As they went inside the facility, Daisy noticed again how welcoming the lobby was. At the desk, they all signed in. Daisy always included Felix.
They soon stood at the door to Adele’s suite. It had one bedroom and a kitchen, and Adele seemed happy here. The wreath on the door was a spring variety of forsythia and daisies.
Daisy knocked, and after a minute or so, Adele came to the door. She always reminded Daisy of the iconic Betty White with her snowy hair and curly bangs that she usually brushed to the right. It seemed a bit puffier tonight . . . wispier. Two bobby pins held her hair back over her left ear.
Adele said, “Welcome. Come on in. Hi there, Felix.” She stooped to pet his head. “I just had a shower after chair yoga, and I’m a bit discombobulated.” Dimples appeared on either side of her mouth as she grinned. “I have to find my glasses, or I won’t even be able to see you.”
Adele usually wore something flowered. Tonight it was a calf-length dress with a ruffle around the bottom and around the three-quarter sleeves. The material was patterned with big pink roses. On her feet, she wore pink canvas shoes.
As she led them into the suite, she said, “I see you brought a basket of goodies again. I put the kettle on for tea.”
She took the basket from Daisy and went over to the gray-and-black-tweed throw rug that lay across the vinyl plank floor, settled it on the low coffee table, swiveled around, and went to the dark sage laminated counter. She picked up her glasses on their turquoise chain.
After she slipped the chain over her head, she pointed to the chairs. “Take a seat, everybody . . . while I get the tea.”
“Do you need help?” Iris asked.
“You could carry the tray to the coffee table. I’m brewing orange pekoe tonight. Jonas brought me a supply.”
All of the appliances in the kitchen were white and matched the small, round, white table with its two chairs. The tray with its flowered teacups and saucers sat there. Iris brought it over to the coffee table while Adele poured water into a Wedgwood blue-patterned teapot.
Felix had followed her out to the kitchen, and he sat at her feet, looking up at her. “Hey, boy. I know what you want,” she said. “While I’m brewing the tea, I might be able to find you a treat. Jonas keeps me supplied with those biscuits you like.”
She took two from a ceramic jar on the counter that had painted dog faces all over it. Two dog bowls with Felix’s name on them sat on a mat on the floor. Adele was always ready for his visits. The one held water, and in the other, she settled the two biscuits. Felix gave her a woof in thank you and then chomped them down.
“How are all of you ladies tonight?” Adele asked. She targeted her attention to Glorie. “How’s your arthritis? With spring coming, I know we have a change in weather.”
Glorie lifted one of the glitzy canes that her granddaughter Brielle had bought her. “As long as I have this with me, I’m fine. Brielle and Nola insist I use a walker when I go outside, but sometimes I sneak out without it.” Giving the laser-sharp beam of her eyes to the ladies around her, she was daring them to scold her.
Daisy stepped into the breach. “As long as you’re careful.”
“You know how that is, Daisy. Even when I’m trying to be careful, I can miss steps. It’s just the way it is at my age. Though I am jealous of Adele here, who can do chair yoga.”
“If you feel up to it,” Adele said, “there are videos that will guide you through it. It’s no fun to do alone, though. I’ll admit that. Maybe I can come visit you sometime, and we can do it together.”
“That would be lovely,” Glorie said, obviously meaning it.
A few minutes later, Adele brought the teapot to the coffee table and sat on the sofa that was covered in a sunflower print. Iris had chosen the pale green fabric easy chair, and Glorie sat in its mate on the other side of the coffee table. Felix had wiggled his body in between Adele and Daisy on the sofa.
They dug into the basket of treats, which included chocolate whoopie pies, oatmeal-raisin cookies, and corn cake. Each took their favorites and munched in between sips of tea.
“When Jonas dropped off Felix’s supply of biscuits, he mentioned that you were handling a wedding reception at The Farm Barn,” Adele said.
“I was surprised it went as well as it did,” Daisy confessed. “After all, I don’t know all the servers that well or the chef, but they all seemed to work together like a good machine.”
“Maybe that was your leadership,” Adele said. “My son took me there for dinner with his fiancée a few weeks ago. An embarrassing experience happened that evening.”
“What was that?” Iris asked, giving Daisy a sideways glance.
Adele wiped a bit of the cream from the whoopie pie from the corner of her lip. Then she wiped her fingertip on her napkin and smiled. “I’m like a kid when I’m eating these.”
She returned to their conversation. “A good-looking young man got into a kerfuffle with a fragile-looking waitress.”
“Can you describe her?” Daisy asked.
“She had blond curly hair. She was very pretty. She wore a hair net, but you could see the curls peeking out here and there. She was pale. She just seemed anxious to me.”
To Daisy, that description described April to a T. “Can you describe the man?”
“My guess was he was in his twenties. I can’t always tell with young people these days. You know that musical Grease? Danny Zuko, slicked-back hair and all that. Though this young man had some stubble on his chin. I don’t really get the point of that.”
The man Adele was describing was Jake.
“What happened?” Iris asked before Daisy could.
“I was eating my fried chicken when a tray and dishes crashed all over the floor. When I looked, that young man was hovering over the girl. My son said he had put his hand on her shoulder, and she dropped the tray. It was quite a mess to clean up—fried chicken, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, even green beans all over the place. I suppose he startled her.”
Was that it? Had Jake startled April? Or was there more to it than that?
As Adele motioned to the basket of goodies again, she said, “Come on, girls, you all have to have another treat so I can, too.”
Daisy accepted an oatmeal-raisin cookie from Iris and took a bite. Was that kerfuffle at The Farm Barn an accident . . . or something else?
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The next day, Daisy continued to think about The Farm Barn and Lydia’s murder. It was difficult to think about anything else as she served tea and mingled with customers. However, after she’d finished at the tea garden for the day, Daisy, along with Tessa, headed north to the Rainbow Flamingo.
As they walked, Tessa asked Daisy, “Why are you meeting Jonas at Four Paws after we pick up the aprons?”
“He just said he wanted to show me something.”
“Maybe he wants you to volunteer with him.”
“That’s possible,” Daisy said absently, thinking about what she wanted to accomplish at the Rainbow Flamingo.
“I’m glad Heidi called that the aprons were finished,” Tessa said. “I was getting worried.”
“I knew they’d have them finished. They’re dependable.”
“Is there a reason you wanted to wait until after the tea garden closed to go fetch them?” Tessa asked.
“I’d like your opinion on the finished product,” Daisy said honestly.
“Maybe you would, but I have a feeling there’s something else going on, too. What is it?”
Daisy and Tessa had known each other since school. They’d been best friends then, and they were now. Tessa understood her moods and her motives.
“When Heidi called, I just happened to ask when Mitzi would be working there. She said she had a shift today from four to nine.”
“Are you going to question her about Neil and her affair?” Tessa’s voice held surprise, but she knew Daisy would do it if it helped her figure out who killed Lydia.
“I’d rather not do it directly,” Daisy said. “I’m hoping maybe we can engage her in conversation and see what turns up.”
“You think if Neil is the main focus on her mind, she’ll let something slip?”
“Some women like to talk and maybe even boast about their love affairs. If she and Neil broke up, she might need to vent. We can be there to nudge and listen, right?”
“I think you’ve learned too many of Jonas’s detective skills,” Tessa muttered.
“Zeke and Morris would be insulted if they heard you say that. They think they’ve taught me about detecting.”
“I think you’ve taught them a thing or two,” Tessa said admiringly. “You’ve taught them they need to listen more.”
“Maybe. But they’ve got the clout that counts.”
Tessa laughed. “That’s one way to put it.”
The image of a rainbow flamingo painted on the plate glass window was at least six feet tall. In its beak it held a sign that said OPEN. When Daisy opened the door to enter, a loud bell dinged.
Since Heidi Korn had bought the business, she’d put in a new security system. Once a clerk there, she’d learned the ins and outs from the ground up. She’d changed some of the styles they had on sale, keeping more with contemporary trends. Daisy always liked to look around. This evening, though, they were intent on picking up the aprons. However, for Daisy to engage Mitzi, she was thinking of looking for a dress for a date with Jonas. It would be a good excuse to hold a conversation with the clerk.
After greetings all around with Heidi, Daisy noticed Mitzi hanging new dresses on a rack. For now, she and Tessa followed Heidi to the back room where the alterations were done.
Greta took the aprons from a shelf. Holding the first one in front of her, she said, “This is the Alice apron.” It was a blue apron trimmed in a white ruffle. She took a baby blue bow that was attached to a headband from its pocket. “And here’s the headpiece that goes with it,” she said.
“That’s absolutely adorable,” Daisy said.
Tessa chimed in. “Cora Sue mentioned she might wear a blond wig. Can you imagine?”
“Since she’s the hostess and not handling food, that would work,” Daisy agreed.
“You’ll look adorable in the outfit, too,” Tessa said. “The perfect Alice.”
Daisy laughed. “I don’t know about that, but I might have to find a pair of Mary Janes to go with the apron.” After Daisy examined everything the seamstress had done, she said, “These are perfect. I have temporary help that day, and these will fit whoever comes.”
Greta showed them the vests she’d fashioned for the men, and Daisy approved those, too. She said to the seamstress, “Should I settle up with you or with Heidi?”
“Heidi will have the bill of sale in the computer. You can settle up with her.”
“That’s good, because I want to look around for a dress, something a little more elegant than casual.”
“I’ll package it all up,” Greta said, “and bring it out to the counter. You go ahead out and look.”
While Tessa wandered here and there around the shop, Daisy went directly to the better dresses in the back. Mitzi came to her immediately. “Are you looking for something special?” she asked.
“I am. My fiancé and I are going to a dinner theater, and I need something a little more special than what I have in my closet.”
“Let’s see,” Mitzi said, looking over Daisy’s figure, her hair, and her clogs.
“I’m sure we have something that would suit. Do you want black?”
“No,” Daisy said. “I’d rather have something colorful.”
Mitzi quickly determined Daisy’s size and went to that section of the rack. “How about red?” she asked. Then she pulled out a dress that had glitter and spangles from the neck to the very short hem.
“It’s pretty,” Daisy said. “But I don’t think it’s quite my style.”
“What do you think your style is?” Mitzi asked.
“Something classic, yet . . .”
Mitzi filled in, “Demure?”
Daisy laughed. “I suppose you could say so, though I do like to attract my fiancé.”
Mitzi’s eyes targeted Daisy’s hand, and she saw the engagement ring. “How long have you been engaged?”
Daisy thought a little personal information might encourage Mitzi to open up, too. “We were engaged in the fall, and I think we’re going marry in July. I’m so excited.” And she was.
Mitzi’s face fell. She said, “Well, I hope it happens for you. Men are so unpredictable.”
“How so?” Daisy prompted.
“One minute they can be so into you and want a future, and the next minute they’re gone.” She threw up her hands, as if that action explained it all.
“Did that happen to you?” Daisy asked.
Mitzi looked around the store and saw that Tessa was across the way and no one else was nearby. “It did.” Tears came to the woman’s eyes.
“I’m so sorry,” Daisy commiserated, and she was. Any breakup was difficult. “Have you broken up recently?” Daisy probed, shuffling through the dresses so she didn’t seem too interested.
Mitzi pulled out a lilac confection with a sweetheart neckline, capped sleeves, another short hem. “A few months now,” she said, sighing. “I met him at a convenience store. We both stopped for coffee every morning. We got to talking, and then . . . you know what happens.”
Daisy wasn’t sure she did. “A convenience store romance,” she said conversationally, hoping that would prompt Mitzi to go on.
It did.
“I’m not giving up, though,” Mitzi said. “If I let enough time pass, I’m sure we’re going to reunite.”
Daisy wondered exactly what Mitzi was prepared to do to make that reunion happen.
* * *
Daisy drove up to Four Paws Animal Shelter and parked in the parking lot. The building had once been an old schoolhouse and had been collapsing. Noah and Serena Langston had managed to buy it from the town for a mere pittance. The shelter had been created because a brother and sister had had a dream. Noah and Serena had taken care of farm animals on their mom and dad’s farm. They’d also taken in strays and found them homes. Noah had become a veterinarian and Serena had earned a business degree so they could partner in the shelter. Their former lives had given them seed funds for the nonprofit, no-kill shelter that now relied on donations and fundraising.
Daisy walked up to the front porch. The black door was decorated with four huge white paw-prints. The building, probably once a white clapboard, was now covered with red vinyl siding, and a cupola sat on the gabled roof. Daisy knew Jonas and Felix were probably near the dog runs. Felix often came along with Jonas. He was a calming source for the shelter dogs.
She stepped up to the butcher-block counter in the reception area where Serena Langston sat. Serena stood immediately when she saw Daisy and came around the desk to give her a hug. Serena was in her thirties and very pretty. Her dark brown hair was usually arranged in a distinctive braided corona around her head. Her companion, a black standard poodle, sat beside her and now came around to Daisy, too, brushed against her leg, and looked up at her with hopeful eyes.
