by Sonia Parin
“Only recently. The man is a genius with pastry.”
Hearing the dogs barking, Eve hurried her step, walking past several stalls already set up for business, she headed straight to the end where Wallace Greenaway always set up his rhubarb stall.
“I don’t like the look of that,” Jill murmured.
“What?”
Jill pointed ahead. “Wallace is on the warpath.”
Glancing in the direction Jill had pointed, Eve saw Wallace Greenaway.
The rhubarb grower’s fingers had clenched into a tight fist which he waved in the air. Drawing closer, Eve heard him issue a warning. “Keep away.”
“What do you think that’s about?” Eve asked.
Sighing, Jill said, “The Wallace Greenaway feud. He’s always arguing with someone over something or other.”
“Really?” Eve shrugged. “I never noticed. He’s always so polite with me.”
“That’s because you don’t live next door to him.”
Despite her remark, Eve knew the man had a foul temper. Tall, reed thin and white-haired, his weather-beaten face a testament to the hours spent outdoors, Wallace Greenaway suffered no fools.
Eve had noticed that the first time she’d come across his rhubarb stall. A customer ahead of her had handled all the produce and had then walked away without buying anything. Wallace had then proceeded to give her a piece of his mind employing the most colorful language Eve had ever heard.
“Now that you mention it, he has on occasion struck me as being a bit cranky and gruff.”
Jill grabbed Eve’s sleeve and tugged it. “I think we should wait.”
“But what about my rhubarb?”
“This looks bad. Really bad. The blueberry guy set up his stall next to Wallace.”
“Oh, blueberries!” Eve tried to surge ahead but Jill stopped her again.
“Wait.” Jill pulled her back. “You really don’t want to get mixed up with that.”
“You’re probably right. It’s too early for local blueberries. I’d really like to stick with seasonal produce. However… Now I have blueberries in my mind. It doesn’t really matter if they come from out of state. I shouldn’t be so fussy…”
“That’s your reasoning?”
“Actually, if they are arguing then I’ll be doing a public service. I can distract them by buying their produce. I’m sure they’ll put customer service above any petty grievance.”
Jill convinced her to hold off. “Can we please play it safe and wait a few minutes? I’d prefer to avoid getting caught up in the middle of their feud.”
Eve relented. “Fine.”
While they waited, Jill filled her in. “It’s an ongoing dispute between Wallace and his neighbor. It used to be Claire Burrows. Now, her nephew, Chad Burrows, has inherited the farm and I guess Wallace has kept the feud going with him.”
“So, what’s his problem?”
“Chad Burrows’ farm is overgrown with wild blueberries and Wallace Greenaway has always complained they spread out to his land.”
Eve’s eyebrows curved in surprise. “Free blueberries. I don’t see a problem with that.”
“Yes, well… Wallace Greenaway tends to see a problem with everything.”
Instead of easing up, the argument escalated when Wallace grabbed a handful of blueberries and flung them at Chad. The young man retaliated by lunging for Wallace, his hands stretched out and going straight for the man’s throat.
“They’re not even your blueberries,” Wallace growled.
“I knew it,” Eve said. “Out of state blueberries.”
A young woman intervened and tried to break them apart.
“That’s Bernice Glover. Chad’s girlfriend,” Jill explained.
“You seem to be up to date with who’s who,” Eve remarked. “Why don’t I know about any of this?”
“Because you are trying really hard to stay out of people’s business. Remember? You even wanted to have a T-shirt printed with a logo saying ‘just minding my own business’ but you couldn’t decide on an image.”
“Oh, yes. I remember I asked you to come up with one.”
“I did but you rejected it.”
“A pair of eyes looking askance? That made me look shifty and suspicious. The one thing I’m trying to avoid at all cost.” Eve tipped her head back in thought. “Oh, I know. How about the three monkeys. See no evil. Hear no evil. Speak no evil.” Eve gasped when she saw Bernice Glover’s efforts to break apart the fight earned her a shove and she landed on her butt.
Someone had to do something.
When Eve took a step forward, Jill warned, “Eve, embrace Mizaru.”
“Who?”
“The ‘see no evil’ monkey. Remember, you’re staying right out it.”
“But she fell.” And, instead of helping her up, Wallace Greenaway and Chad Burrows continued to argue, their voices reaching a hoarse crescendo, carrying such heated rage, Eve suspected the two men were about to come to blows; the sort that left bruises and put noses out of joint.
She rushed toward them with Jill trailing behind her and grumbling something about living to regret it…
“If not Mizaru or Kikazaru, could you please… please take heed from Iwazaru. Whatever you do, don’t say anything.”
Other books by Sonia Parin
For all news about new releases, please check
Sonia Parin’s Amazon Page
or follow Sonia Parin on BookBub
An Evie Parker Mystery series
House Party Murder Rap
Murder at the Tea Party
Murder at the Car Rally
Murder in the Cards
Murder at the Seaside Hotel
Murder in the Third Act
Murder and a Christmas Gift
Murder at the Fashion House
Murder at the Garden Party
A Dear Abby Cozy Mystery series
End of the Lane
Be Still My Heart
The Last Ride
The Last Stop
The Last Dance
A Dear Abby Cozy Mystery Collection Books 1 - 3: End of the Lane, Be Still My Heart and The Last Ride
Merrily Murdered
Rocking the Boat
A Deadline Cozy Mystery series
Sunny Side Up
Snuffed Out
All Tied Up
The Last Bite
Final Cut
Sleeping With the Fishes
A Kink in the Road
The Merry Widow
Dying Trade
Yuletide Murder
Eve Lloyd's A Deadline Cozy Mystery - Books 1 to 5
Eve Lloyd’s A Deadline Cozy Mystery - Books 6 to 10
Killer Spring
A Mackenzie Coven Mystery series
Witch Inheritance
Witch Indeed
Witch Cast
Witch Charm
Witch Trials
A Mackenzie Witch Collection: Witch Namaste, Good Witch Hunting & ‘Tis the Season to be Creepy
Witch in Exile
Witch Fairy Tale
A Mackenzie Coven Mystery short
Witch Namaste (Novella)
Good Witch Hunting (Novella)
‘Tis the Season to be Creepy (Short)
Jingle Purrs (Short)
Potion Heist (Short)
The Power of Two and a Half (Short)