A Flicker of Doubt - Tim Myers [30]
After a quick bite, I changed my mind about approaching Heather and Sanora first. With the new leases, I decided to take the coward’s way out and approach those I thought would resign without much grief. Maybe then if I had every tenant signed but two, I could work something out with my remaining holdouts. In quick order I had Millie signed up again, as well as Suzanne and her antiques, and a handful of the others. By the time five o’clock was approaching, I only had three more signatures to collect Markum was a shoo-in, but the other two wouldn’t be easy.
I decided to tackle Heather first her shop. The New Age was right next door to mine, and I’d known her since the day I’d moved into River’s Edge. She’d been my first friend at the complex, and I couldn’t imagine the place without her. There were crystals dangling over the front door when I walked in, and I liked they way they announced each new arrival.
Heather was behind the cash register, frowning as she stroked Esmeralda, her pat and my sometime roommate. Esme lifted her head just as Heather did when I walked in, and they looked at me with the exact same expression on their faces.
“Hey, I’m not the enemy,” I said.
I offered Esme my hand, and she rubbed her head against it. At least the cat and I were still on speaking terms.
“You know you’re not the one I’m mad at, Harrison.” Almost as an afterthought, she added, “I don’t know if I told you, but I’m so sorry about Becka.”
.”Thanks.” I had the lease tucked away in my back pocket. “I heard you were threatening to leave. What’s going on between you and Sanora?”
“Believe me, you don’t want to get into the middle of this. It doesn’t concern anyone but us.”
“Well, I don’t have much choice, because I don’t want to lose either one of you.”
She looked surprised. “I know the grapevine around - here is pretty fast, but this is ridiculous.”
“Heather, ordinarily I’d respect your wishes rod butt out, but with this lease mix-up, I’m involved.” I pulled the agreement out of my pocket and shoved it toward her. “Would you sign this? As a favor to me? I don’t want to lose you.”
She looked at the lease like a mobster eyeing a subpoena. “Did she sign one?”
“I haven’t talked to her yet,” I said. “I’ve known you longer, but I don’t want to take sides here. I came to you first, though. That’s got to count for something.”
She said, “Harrison, maybe it’s time I moved on. This might just be a sign.”
I knew Heather believed in signs, omens and portents, so it was nothing to scoff at. “The only thing it’s a sign of is the incompetence of the lawyer who drew it up. I don’t want to run River’s Edge without you.”
Heather looked touched by the declaration, but stood her ground. “I can’t imagine going another two years with that woman at the other end of the complex.”
“At least tell me what this latest scuffle is about.”
“If you want to know, ask her.” Heather hesitated, then added, “Harrison, what happened to her probation? You can refuse to renew her lease if you wanted to.”
That’s just it She hasn’t given me the slightest cause to throw her out. Sanora belongs here, too.”
“I should have known you’d say that” Heather said huffily.
Esme looked at her owner, then at me. She sneezed (Mice, then jumped off the counter and landed with fluid grace. Her tail held proudly in the air, she showed us both what she thought of us at the moment
Heather said, “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m two dollars and thirty seven cents over, and I’m not leaving until my books balance.”
I tucked the lease back in my pocket and left her with her accounting problem. Hopefully I’d have better luck with Sanora. I surely couldn’t have any less.
She was throwing at her pottery wheel when I walked into The Pot Shot
Instead of Heather’s scowl, Sanora greeted me with a broad smile. “Harrison, it’s good to see you out and about. How are you holding up?”
“I’m doing better,” I said. “But that’s not why I’m here.”
Her smile dimmed. “Then I don’t want to talk about it” The