Chapter Seven
Addie raced her Mini Cooper up her front drive and skidded to a stop. Brian’s van was parked out front and he was sitting in one of the white wicker chairs on the porch, gazing down at his cell phone.
“Sorry, Brian,” she panted, patting her chest. “A customer came in just as I was closing for lunch. I got here as soon as I could.”
“That’s okay.” He looked up at her. “I just got a text from Marc.” He flicked his sun-bleached blond hair out of his eyes. “He says you want a home security system installed, too?”
“He did, did he? Actually, I was going to ask you about it when you finished fixing the door,” she said, leading him back to the kitchen.
Brian repaired the frame that had been damaged by the crowbar. He also attached a metal lock plate and strip along the length of the door. “Since you’re looking at getting a security system, I’ll have the guys install a new lock then, one that can be coded to the alarm keypad. This lock will do for now; it doesn’t appear damaged.”
“I’m sure it’s fine for a day or two. Those metal plates have at least made it harder for someone to jimmy the door open again.”
“All done here.” He closed his toolbox. “Wanna tell me what kind of system you’re thinking of?”
“I don’t really know. Marc suggested having the windows and doors alarmed. But that sounds like a big job. There are a lot of windows in this house.”
“Might not be as bad as you think. Let’s take a look.”
They spent the next hour going from room to room. He didn’t say much. He just took window measurements and jotted down notes as they went. When they finished, he snapped his notebook closed.
“I’ll have to do up a quote first. If you have any questions, you can call me or ask me when I drop the quote off. I don’t think it will be as bad as you thought it would be though.”
“How long do you think it will be? You know, until you can install the system.”
“Once you give me the go-ahead, I’ll book it with a company I deal with in Boston. It’ll depend on them as to when it happens.”
“Okay.” She frowned and bit her lip.
“I can see you’re worried, and I don’t blame you. You’ve had more than your fair share this week. So tell you what I’m gonna do.”
“What? Make all the bad guys disappear?” She snickered.
He laughed and picked up his toolbox by the door. “I’m gonna put a rush on this, get the quote done up today, and if you agree with it, I’ll light a fire under the guys in Boston. We’ll get this done within the week.”
“That sounds good—relieving, actually. Thank you.” She smiled up at him, and their eyes locked. She hadn’t noticed before, but he had the most amazing pools of sea-blue eyes she’d ever seen. As his gaze lingered on hers, she felt heat rise from under her collar and creep up across her cheeks.
His lips curved up into a wide smile. “I’ll call you later,” he whispered.
“All . . . all right,” was all she could manage to stutter.
“To give you the quote.” He chuckled and got into his van.
He’d just brought her back to earth. She went in and slammed the door.
“Silly girl, he probably has every woman in town drooling over him.” She laughed at her vulnerability, grabbed her purse, and headed back to the store.
When she parked in her space behind the store, a red head popped out of Serena’s back door, disappeared, and reappeared again. Serena ran toward Addie carrying a small box.
“Here. I packed a lunch for you, didn’t think you’d have time to eat. I hope I’m not wrong?”
Addie laughed. “No, you’re not wrong. I am starving. Thank you, you’re a lifesaver.” She gave Serena a hug.
“Don’t you girls ever work?”
They turned in unison to see Martha standing at her back door.
“How anyone can make a living with the hours you two keep, I’ll never know.” She huffed and stormed into the bakery.
The two women burst out laughing.
“We have our own store police,” choked Serena through the tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Hilarious. I can’t believe small towns,” gasped Addie between fits of laughter.
The white head reappeared out of the bakery door. “Just in case you do want any
customers today, Miss Greyborne
, I thought you ought to know there’s a group out front waiting for you to open. That is, of course, if you’re finished playing out here,” she snapped, then disappeared back inside.
Serena giggled. “Oooh, we’re in trouble now.”
“Well, I have been gone longer than I planned, so she is right,” chuckled Addie. “I’d better get in there. Thanks again for the food.”
“No problem, see you later.”
Addie unlocked the door and went to punch in the alarm code, but it was already flashing yellow for “standby.” She shook her head. Had she really forgotten to set it when she went out? With no time to berate herself over her apparent memory lapse, she rushed to the front, tossed her keys in the drawer under the cash register, and raced for the door. A group of six women were perusing her window displays, and their faces lit up when she flipped over the “Closed” sign and held the door open for them to enter.
Her shop quickly filled with even more customers. She hadn’t had this many in her store at the same time yet and was run ragged making certain everyone was looked after, and purchases were paid for. If this kept up, she’d have to hire some part-time help, and much sooner than she’d planned.
She had just finished answering a woman’s questions about how her used-book consignment worked, and she glanced around for the next customer in need of her assistance. There was a tug on her jacket sleeve, and she spun around, almost knocking over the older woman from this morning.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” She grasped the petite woman’s shoulders to stop her from tumbling over.
“I’m fine, dear.” The woman smiled up at her. “I’ve come back and think I’m going to need your help, if you’re not too busy, that is?”
Addie glanced around at the myriad of customers. “No, never too busy.” She tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. “What can I help you with?”
“It’s back here.” The woman walked toward the rear shelves of the book department.
Addie looked back over her shoulder—she hated leaving all the shoppers unattended—and then she spotted the tall woman she’d seen the older woman with that morning. She was standing at the curio displays by the cash counter. She kept looking over her shoulder at the counter and then would walk over to the coffee maker, and then back to the display cases, all the while glancing over her shoulder. Addie thought she appeared to be looking for someone to help her, but the petite woman kept tugging on her jacket sleeve and didn’t stop until they were in the “Politics, Philosophy, and Spirituality” section in the far back corner of the shop.
“It’s here. I saw it this morning.” She pointed to a book on the top shelf. “I’m afraid I can’t reach it though. I think it’s one my daughter would like, if you don’t mind?” She smiled up at Addie.
“Of course I don’t mind. That’s what I’m here for. Is your daughter with you now?” Addie stood on her tiptoes to reach the book the woman had pointed to.
“No, she couldn’t make it this afternoon. No, it’s not that one. It’s that one.” She pointed with her twisted, rheumatic finger.
Addie stretched on her tiptoes for another one.
“No. Not that one, the one with the blue cover.”
Addie reached up and stopped. “There are three here with blue covers. Which one is it?”
The woman grimaced. “I’m not sure now. Best take them all down, and I’ll look.”
Addie sighed and retrieved the first of the blue-covered books. “Birth of the Chaordic Age
by Dee Hock.” Addie handed it to the woman. “Is this the one?”
“I’m not sure now. No. I don’t think so. I think it’s the one next to it. Do you mind?”
“Of course not.” Addie’s lips tightened, but she forced a smile while looking over the woman’s shoulder. There was a line at the cash desk. She hated to, but knew she’d have to leave the woman and go. She grabbed another blue-covered book. “Here’s another one. You can look at it while I run to the front for a minute. I’ll be right back.”
The woman grasped her arm. “Oh dear, I’m so confused now. I’m just not sure.” She sobbed.
Addie stopped. She couldn’t leave her in this state, but when she looked up front again, she could tell the other customers were getting annoyed waiting. She couldn’t see the taller woman anymore and was curious to get a better look at her. She could swear it was the same one she’d seen come out of Martha’s, who had then met up with this older one.
She turned back to the petite woman, but she was gone. Addie dashed back to the storage area, thinking she may have gotten turned around since she had seemed rather confused, but it was empty. She made her way to the front, searching over and around the bookcases as she went, but there was no sign of the woman.
When she got to the front of the store, she was kept busy apologizing for the delay in service and ringing in sales. She knew now for certain that she was going to have to hire some help. Another day like this would kill either her or her business.
It had been a long afternoon, and with the last shopper gone, she flipped the sign and leaned her throbbing head against the cool glass door. There was a rap at the window. She jumped and snapped her eyes open. Directly in front of her was the beaming face of Serena, who was waving a key ring in her hand. Addie blinked and then blinked again. Wide-eyed she opened the door. “Those are mine. How did you get them?”
“I found them out here in the corner, behind the door. You must have dropped them when you opened after lunch.”
“Impossible—I came in the back. I threw them in the drawer, ran up here, and turned the dead bolt. I don’t remember using them on the door lock. I think I forgot to lock it with the key when I left. Just the thumb-turn dead bolt was in place.” She frowned and rubbed her forehead.
“They didn’t walk out on their own, did they?” chirped Serena. “And guessing by the number of people you sent into my store—thank you, by the way—I’d say you were pretty busy this afternoon, so no wonder you don’t remember.”
Addie stared down to the spot Serena had indicated she found them, mentally retracing her steps. “I know I’m exhausted, but I’m certain. I put them in the drawer and just opened the dead bolt after lunch.”
Serena’s face turned ashen. “But how? Who?”
Addie shook her head. “I don’t know.” She rubbed her throbbing temples. “Maybe I’m just losing my mind, but I’m positive I put them in the drawer.”
“You’re not losing your mind.” Serena’s face softened. “You’ve been through a lot and you’re just tired and need food. Come on, let’s go eat. I know the perfect place to unwind.”
Addie looked back into the store and frowned. “I wonder . . .” She chewed on her bottom lip.
“Wonder what?”
“The two women? No, it’s nothing,” Addie shook her head. “You’re right. I’m just tired and hungry. Let’s go eat.”
* * *
Addie took a deep breath when they stepped onto the street in front of the restaurant, feeling full and satisfied. “It’s a nice evening for walk, isn’t it? I love the fall. The crisp air’s so fresh.”
“I don’t think there’s anywhere else I’d want to be but here this time of the year.”
“Me, too. I’m glad I moved to Greyborne Harbor,” sighed Addie.
“I’m glad you came, too.” Serena looped her arm through Addie’s as they strolled toward their shops.
“And I’m so pleased we had dinner tonight. It was a good break for both of us, plus we got to know each other a little better.” Addie squeezed her arm.
“I feel like we’ve been friends forever. Are you sure you’ve never been here before? Maybe we met when we were kids?”
“Nope, pretty sure I wasn’t. My dad was though, I guess, since he was killed not far from here, but he never said a word about the place to me. I didn’t know it even existed.”
“Oh no. The breeze from the water’s picked up.” Serena tugged her poncho tighter around her shoulders. “Doesn’t feel like such a short walk right now.” She laughed. “Now, where were we in our dinner conversation? Oh yeah. Your mysterious keys—if you didn’t drop them, how else would they have ended up outside the door?”
“Well, I’ve been retracing the afternoon in my mind all evening, and the only thing that makes sense is that the old lady took the keys out of the drawer. She watched me put them there this morning, so she knew where I kept them.”
“But you said you were with her at the back of the store?”
“Well, my gut tells me it was her or the tall woman I told you about. The one I know I saw her with this morning. I think she was her accomplice, because the more I think about it . . . she seemed more interested in the cash desk than in looking at giftware or books, and the old lady seemed intent on keeping me busy at the back, and then they were both gone.”
“But why? It doesn’t make sense. Maybe it was a coincidence with the old woman. You were busy; it could have been anyone. Or maybe you did drop them when you opened the door after lunch.”
“No, I’m positive I didn’t use them. Just the dead bolt was locked. The alarm wasn’t set, and it was on standby, I guess because I hadn’t locked the front door with the key when I rushed out to meet Brian.”
“I don’t understand what she’d want with your keys.”
“Maybe she hoped there would be larger bills in the drawer but only found the keys and thought she could get back in later to rob the cash register. Who knows?”
“Maybe she’s a kleptomaniac, you know someone that steals compulsively.” Serena’s eyes widened. “Or the poor dear has dementia. You did say she seemed confused.”
“Or maybe that was an act because her accomplice up front hadn’t done her job yet, and she was buying her time?”
Serena shook her head and shrugged. “People. Who knows what goes on in their minds? I hate to think some old lady is running around Greyborne Harbor committing thefts though. But who would suspect her? So I guess it’s a good cover. Here we are—hop in. I’ll give you a ride around to the lane to get your car.”
“Don’t be silly. I’ll cut through my shop. It’s faster than you driving around the two blocks to get to it.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to drive you around?”
“No, I’ll be fine. Good night.”