Jolene leaned into me and whispered, “That’s the mayor’s wife. Priscilla Hackman.”
I nodded discreetly.
“No respectable woman would be seen with the likes of that criminal. Her association with him may be the thing that keeps her from the membership.” Her Primness leaned forward to whisper.
Not that it did any good; we could still hear them. It was extremely uncomfortable to overhear idle gossip.
“He has tattoos. Have you seen them? They’re vile. Naked women. Motorcycles. A skull with a heart. How is that supposed to be romantic?”
“He has been very unreliable recently.” Rebecca pointed to the front grass area between the parking lot and the road. “That mess is because he didn’t show up. Said he fell behind in his standing appointments and had to reschedule.”
“There. She traffics with reprobates. She shouldn’t gain membership. Violet was right. Do you know he shouted at her? When she was getting gas. Drove right up to her, got out and shouted at her. Poor Violet was scared for her life. She told me so at the luncheon.”
I glanced at Jolene. Violet actually had a friend? We needed to know more but there was no way I could get out of the appointment now.
The two gossips finished up their business and Miss Prim air-kissed Rebecca before leaving. Jolene leaned in. “I got you. Just don’t leave without me,” she said and followed the woman out into the parking lot.
“Naomi, thank you for coming on such short notice.” Rebecca motioned to the chair that was just vacated by Miss Prim. “But I think I have a few places you’ll like.”
As Harmony Grove was a small town, there were few properties that suited my needs. I wanted to start small, but have a place I could grow into. I wanted something close to town but not too close that I would hit the wall of outrageous prices and not too far that it was too much trouble to get to me for business.
I wanted to own, if possible. Or have an affordable lease at the very least.
The first two spaces were...okay. They were just okay. One of them was the storefront I looked into when Jolene took me by the shopping center. I let Winston off the leash so he could explore while we looked around.
“It’s pretty and all,” I said hesitantly. It was clean, new, freshly painted with big windows at the front. Everything a new business would want. Open. Cheerful.
Sterile.
“You don’t like it,” Jolene said as she stepped up beside me.
“It’s too...” I made a face. “Just...too. You know?”
“I—” Jolene thought for a moment before relenting. “I don’t know. If you say so.”
“What do you think, Winston?”
“Did you just ask the dog for his opinion?” Rebecca asked incredulously.
“It’s his business, too, you know. He’s my official mascot.”
I waited patiently for Winston’s input.
“I don’t like it, Mary.”
And there it was, the final voice. Winston didn’t like it. “Not the place, Rebecca. Sorry.”
“Well.” She made a disapproving face and glanced at her clipboard. “I have one more place to show you. It’s in need of some work.”
A fixer-upper was fine, if the price reflected it. My dad had his own handyman business so I had access to top-notch assistance when I needed it.
Put a whisk in my hand, I would have whatever needed whisking all over the walls, counter. Thanks to my dad taking pity on me after disaster after disaster in the kitchen when Mom tried to teach me how to cook, I learned how to handle a hammer. If you need something hammered? I’m your girl.
Winston came back to me and sat at my feet. I scooped him up and headed for the door. “We have time for one more before we need to call it a day.”
The last place was an older home, one street off the square. “This area has just been rezoned for business.”
Rebecca turned the key in the lock and ran into the door when it didn’t open. She fiddled with it, and tried again. Still no luck.
I handed off Winston to Jolene and wagged my fingers for the key. “Let me try.”
Third time was a charm and we were able to shove the door in. The wood was a little tight beneath the door so that would need to be sanded. Dust coated everything. It looked like the owner hadn’t been there in a while.
It was a historic home dating from the civil war, according to Rebecca. “Modern heating and air. All plumbing has been updated. New roof.”
The stairs to the second floor were just offset to the right of the front door
“Could use a coat of paint,” Jolene observed as she split right to inspect what used to be a parlor, and we swerved left to the living room. Further into the house I saw a small hallway that led to the kitchen. Tucked away in an alcove was a half bath with a porcelain sink and toilet bowl that could use some scouring to get rid of the rust stains.
The wooden floors would need to be refinished but it wasn’t an immediate concern. Rebecca and I headed to the second floor. Just off the landing, it opened up to four bedrooms, two to each side. One bathroom located on the immediate right, the other bathroom was just off the master bedroom. A small staircase nestled at the very end of the left side of the landing led up to an open attic which had probably been used as another bedroom.
To be honest, I loved this house the moment we drove up. It was perfect, offering everything that I could have hoped for. There was no need for me to think about it. I could have my business occupy the bottom floor and my living spaces on the second and third floors.
Winston trotted up the stairs to meet us as we were coming down.
“What about this place?” I asked him.
“This should be Mary’s new home,” he said, excitedly.
“That’s what I think, too.”
Jolene sighed. “You are so weird. I take it Winston approves?”
I nodded. “Let’s talk numbers, Rebecca.”
“Oh? Oh!” Rebecca, startled by my sudden decision, fumbled with her keys, cell phone and clipboard. Obviously, she either wasn’t expecting to sell this house or she wasn’t expecting me to make up my mind so soon.
Living where I work? That is the dream. I didn’t have that in Charleston.
This house would be mine.
Provided it all checked out.
Chapter Ten
“It’s a little sudden, isn’t it, honey?” Mom washed, Jolene dried and I put the dishes away after yet another delicious meal in the Conner household.
Gramma was holding court at the kitchen table as Sarah and Robbie talked excitedly with her. Scheming, of course. Buncha schemers, those three. “Naomi has a good head on her shoulders, Phoebe,” Gramma said. “She isn’t making this decision lightly.”
“It seems kind of lightly. That’s all I’m saying, Mother. Perhaps she should sleep on this. It’s a big decision. She’s only been home a week.”
Dad put the leftovers in the refrigerator. “Do you know when the building inspector will do his walk-through?”
“We haven’t gotten that far, but I’ll let you know, Dad. I think you’re going to love it.” I ducked by Mom and kissed her cheek as I put away the gravy boat. “And you will too, Mom. It has a lot of potential.”
“I have to admit,” Jolene said, handing me a plate, “it really is the perfect place. Almost like it was built just for Naomi. Only, like, a hundred years early.”
“It won’t be stressful, living just above your business?” Mom was always such a worrier. “You need a home to go to when the work day is done. To de-stress. You’ll be tempted to overwork yourself if you’re not careful.”
“That’s the great thing about my job. Right now, I’m the only groomer. I can only work on one animal at a time so my schedule will be set every day. It won’t be like I can overbook. Most owners will pick up their dogs after work. By then, most of my day is done and the dogs are just waiting for their owners.”
Besides, I couldn’t imagine that I would be busy. Harmony Grove was small in c
omparison to Charleston.
“What about help? Will you need help?”
“Phoebe, you’re gonna worry the girl into an early grave. She’s grown and she’s been around this block before.” Gramma picked up the pad Sarah pushed in front of her to read it. “And we can pitch in if she needs it. I can answer phones. I’ve been told I have a telephone voice. Richard Striker tried to convince me to work for one of those sex lines—”
“Mother!”
“Gramma, a sex phone operator. That would ah-may-zing,” Sarah crowed.
Mom flapped her towel at Sarah. “Don’t encourage her.”
Winston danced around, trying to stay out from underfoot. He eventually gave up and went to curl up on the floor next to Dad in the middle of the doorway to the living room.
“Here.” Gramma held up her legal pad for me to take.
“What’s this?” Another Honey-Do list? I was going to have enough on my plate if the building owner accepted my offer.
“A list of names for your shop,” Sarah said with a wide grin.
I read off the first name. “Ruff Coat? Why can’t I just use Naomi’s Grooming Service?”
Sarah huffed out in annoyance. “Because it’s boring.”
“And not very memorable,” Robbie added.
“They have a point.” Jolene stacked the last of the dishes that needed to be put away. She draped the towel over the edge of the counter. “A lot of tourists come through Harmony Grove every year. You want it to be easy to remember.”
“And my name isn’t memorable?”
“It’s a lovely name,” Mom said.
Sarah made a face at Mom, then motioned at the pad. “Keep reading.”
Prim Paws. Cute, but no. I’m not prim in the least.
Whiskers, Inc. Again, cute but not really descriptive. Not like ‘grooming service’.
Tangled Tails.
I paused on that and let the name roll around in my head. Tangled Tails.
Deep down, something whirred and settled into place, like a clockwork gear. It felt right. Just like the house felt right the moment I set eyes on it.
With Robbie’s highlighter, I circled it and set the pad down. Everyone leaned over to see what I’d chosen.
Sarah groaned, Robbie laughed and Gramma sat with her hand out. “Called it,” she said with a wink to me. “Pay up. Ten each.”
We relocated to the living room for coffee and Mom’s pound cake with fresh strawberries and homemade cream. Moving to my own place will help keep my weight in check. If I continued to live here, I’d gain twenty pounds in a month.
“We passed out all the flyers, Sarah,” I said as I sipped my coffee. “Think we should distribute more?”
“Oh yeah!” Sarah bounced where she sat on the floor. Winston waited for her to stop moving and crawled onto her lap. He curled up and went right to sleep. She settled down and stroked his head gently. “I want to drop off a handful at the Chamber of Commerce to talk up to visitors, and a few places wanted me to bring more by. Everyone’s getting excited.”
“We’ve even started getting calls from people to enter their dogs in the show,” Robbie said as he stretched out next to Sarah. “I’ve started a list.”
“Thanks for taking that on.” I hadn’t even considered that someone would need to track that. Thankfully, that wasn’t falling on me.
I wouldn’t have time if my good luck held out.
When I first came home after being on my own for so many years, it was hard to climb out of bed. All I wanted to do was cover my head and hide away from the world and my failure of a life. Added to my anxiety was this whole business with Violet Pickering’s death. Discovering Winston could talk but only to me. Being on the hook on suspicion of murder, then not; it didn’t allow me much time to grieve for what I lost when I left Charleston.
Now I actually had a good reason to get out of bed.
Other than the four-pound Chihuahua standing on my chest.
“Wake up, Mary. I have to go outside to winky.”
Good Lord, Winston just used the word winky, seriously, in a sentence.
It was a good thing I was actually awake and excited to get on with my day. Otherwise, rolling out of my warm bed to let my dog out would have been met with resistance.
I had hoped to sneak downstairs to the kitchen to start the coffee but the aroma of fresh brewed wafted down the hall. I should have known that Dad was already up. “You beat me to it,” I said.
I propped the back door open for Winston so he could come back in when he was ready.
“You have to get up earlier than this to beat me,” he said.
By the time I got to the table, he already set out my mug, filled with coffee and creamer just as I liked it. That first sip was pure heaven and I sat down with a satisfied sigh.
“So how are you doing, Naomi?” He sat next to me at the table, regarding me carefully. “A lot has happened this past week.”
“It’s been a little overwhelming,” I admitted.
“Felt pushed into a lot of it?”
“A little. I mean, I know they mean well and all...”
“Your mother said the same thing. Most of the time she feels just as ganged up on as you do.”
“I don’t know how she keeps it together.”
“She’s tough. You get your ability to hang tough from her.” He patted my hand before he stood up to get the eggs out of the refrigerator. “Fancy an omelette?”
“Only if you’re cooking.”
“I remember. The scorch marks above the window sill were a devil to sand out.” With the spatula, he gestured to the phone on the wall. “Make sure to call Ben first thing this morning.”
“Ben...?”
“Our lawyer.”
Right. I vaguely remembered Ben Moore. “He’s still alive?” The man must be old as Methuselah by now.
“This is junior. Senior retired and left the office to him. I know you know what you’re doing but don’t do any business deals without running it by Ben. Your mom and I will cover his fees.”
“Thanks. And I promise.”
“What’s on your agenda for today?”
“I want to do a land search on the property as well to make sure there’re no liens on it or anything.”
“Ben can do that for you.”
The door swung open and Winston came trotting back inside. I went to close it now that he was done. He danced around near his food bowl.
Being ever the faithful servant of my dog, I gave him his breakfast.
“I know. I want to do it myself, at least to start.” Not because I thought I could do a better job than a lawyer, but because I wanted to see if I could accidentally run into Violet’s niece while at the Chancery office. You know, all accidental-like.
“Take my truck today. I have to run Louisa into Madison for her eye appointment and I’ll be using your mom’s car.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
Mom offered to watch Winston so I didn’t have to worry about keeping up with him as I ran errands. I opted to stop by Ben Moore’s office in person on my way to the chancery clerk’s office.
I could see why he was Mom’s favored husband material. He was good-looking in that lawyer-slick way but not looking for relationship material, thanks anyway.
Okay, I wasn’t seeking but I could at least admire the view.
The chancery clerk’s office building was right next to the old theater, which had been closed for half a century. No one seemed interested in trying to restore it. Maybe it was cost-prohibitive.
The moment I stepped into the chancery clerk’s building I was lost. Maybe it was because there were no signs to tell me where to go. I guess people who had business in the building already knew where they were going? That left me to play the guessing game.
I wandered down the hall and turned into the first open office I came across. There was a young woman about my sister’s age sitting at the counter sorting some paperwork. She held the phone between her cheek and her shoulder.
The name plaque on the counter read Clare Dufore.
“Hi, I’m hoping you can help me?”
With a lift of her chin to acknowledge I was there, she stopped fiddling with the paperwork and held the receiver. “Hey,” she said, smiling. It was a tender smile, one usually given to someone close to you. “I have to run but I’ll see you for lunch?”
After a pause, she nodded. “I know. We’ll figure out what to do when I see you. Slip away if you can. Right. Love you,” she said quietly, then hung up the phone. “Hi, what can I do for you?”
I felt bad for interrupting the tender, personal conversation. “Sorry for...”
“Oh it’s fine. I probably shouldn’t have been talking personal business on the phone but it was important.” She smiled shyly.
I mimed zipping my lips. “Not a word.”
“Thank you. Are you lost? Most people are lost when they first come in the building. No signs.”
“Yes, I noticed. I’m looking for land records.”
“You’re in luck.” She pointed to the sign to my left, hanging on the wall.
Land Records.
Oh.
“Thank you!” I said with continued cheerfulness.
“Are you looking for something specific? I’m still fairly new here so if I don’t know the answer, I can find it for you.”
“I wanted to research a building. Actually it’s a house that’s been zoned for business.”
Clare pursed her lips and squinted at the computer screen. “Do you have the address?”
I scribbled down the information from my phone and slid it across the counter. With her brows furrowed, the family resemblance was clear. “I’m sorry...” I said, leaning in. “But was Violet Pickering your aunt?”
“Great-aunt. Yes, she was.”
“I’m sorry about your loss.”
“Yeah, really tragic.” Clare didn’t sound all that upset about it.
“Right. Um...yeah. I didn’t know her well but...” Clare showed absolutely no emotion whatsoever. It was a little unnerving. “Did you get along with her?”
Bone Is Where the Heart Is Page 10