A Flicker of Doubt - Tim Myers [15]
I don’t know what those two were up to, but hopefully there will be something in what we found to point us in the right direction. Shall we meet up tonight in my office after everyone else is out of River’s Edge? In the meantime, I can check around at the overlook, then paw through those papers and see what I can come up with.”
“So what am I supposed to do?”
He laughed. “What you do best, my friend. Sell candles.”
It was a relief getting back to the candleshop and a world I was familiar with. Though I’d been forced through circumstances in the past to investigate a murder on my own, I’d never taken such an active role in things, and I was feeling shaky on new ground. I wondered yet again about my friend Markum and how little I knew about his life and his business. He’d been asking me for months to accompany him on one of his salvage and recovery jobs, but I wasn’t at all sure it was something I wanted to do.
As I walked in the door of At Wick’s End, Eve said, “I was beginning to wonder if you were ever coming back. Gary Cragg’s been looking for you. He says it’s urgent” She was in a snippy mood, and oddly enough, that just made me feel more welcome in my shop. I didn’t want anyone tiptoeing around me. I’d had a shock, but there was nothing I could do about it except try to deal with it
“With Cragg, it’s always urgent I’ll talk to him later. I thought you might be able to use a hand,” I said.
“Harrison, I almost forgot, you need to call Mrs. Jorgenson. I promised her you’d call the second you got back in. She’s determined to talk to you as soon as possible.”
“What did she want?” I asked. As my star candle- making student, Mrs. Jorgenson expected my full and immediate attention, and she paid for the privilege. There were times when the check from her private lessons made the difference between bankruptcy and solvency for my business, so I indulged her whenever I could.
“She didn’t say. You know how she feels about dealing with anyone but the owner.”
I had to laugh, since Eve still knew more about candlemaking than I did, although I was learning in great leaps and bounds. It was amazing how quickly I took to candlemaking, even with the motivation I had to learn.
I looked through the register receipts until Eve said impatiently, “Harrison, aren’t you going to call her?”
I smiled at Eve and reached for the telephone. I had just hit the sixth number when the door opened and the lady herself walked in.
“I was just trying to call you,” I said.
“I grew weary of waiting,” she replied curtly.
“Sorry about that. I had quite a shock today. I’m not myself.”
Mrs. J’s eyes softened for a moment “So I heard.” Though the shop was relatively empty, she asked, “May we speak in private in the classroom?”
“Lead the way,” I said, and followed her through the aisle to the backroom where Eve and I taught our lessons.
Once we were there, I asked, “So, are you ready for ‘ your next lesson? We’re going to tackle pouring next, right?”
‘That’s what I wanted to speak with you about”
I felt a sudden icy ball in the pit of my stomach. Was she leaving my class—and my shop—at last? I’d been dreading the day, but I wasn’t any more prepared for it than I had been the first time she’d walked through my door. “Go ahead. I’m listening.”
She said, “Is there any chance you have time for a lesson now? I’m really quite eager to get started on pouring techniques, and I’m not at all certain I can stand to wait another minute.”
Something must have shown on my face, because she added, “Harrison, I know you’ve had a difficult day. If you’d rather not, I understand completely. I do want you to know that I’m willing to pay extra for the privilege for such short notice if you’re willing to teach me today.”
“Mrs. Jorgenson, candlemaking is exactly what I need in my life right now. I won’t even charge you extra for the privilege. Let me tell Eve, and then we’ll get started.”
Eve was watching behind me as I approached her and started gathering up some of the basic supplies I’d need for