A Flicker of Doubt - Tim Myers [32]
Eve looked absolutely startled by my reply, but she couldn’t back down either. She grabbed her jacket, then left without saying good-bye. It was doubtful whether she’d bother coming in the next day, but I was tired of constantly tiptoeing around her. I’d learned enough during my time working at the candleshop to run the place solo, though I wasn’t at all eager to do it by myself. The point was, I could if I had to, something I wouldn’t have been able to say in the past. I was finally starting to consider myself a candlemaker, by vocation as well as avocation.
At least it was peaceful as I ran my reports off the register and balanced the till. I decided to let the deposit wait until the next morning before work. I had too much on my mind to bother with it at the moment I turned off the lights, locked the door to the candleshop, then walked over to Millie’s to see what Markum had uncovered since we’d last spoke. I glanced into Heather’s shop as I walked past it but the closed sign was up and all the lights were out
I was at the door of The Crocked Pot when Pearly Gray stopped me before I could walk inside. “Harrison, may I trouble you for a moment?”
I looked through the glass and saw Markum watching us. I held up one finger, and he nodded.
I turned back to Pearly and said, “Go ahead, what’s on your mind?”
“Actually, it’s about Sanora and Heather. Have you heard about the spat they’re having?”
“Yes, it’s just come to my attention. I haven’t been able to figure out what they’re fighting about let alone work on some kind of resolution. It’s a real mess. Do you happen to know what this is all about?”
“No, I’ve been reluctant up to this point to interfere, but it’s important we stop this before it has the opportunity to escalate. As you know, I’ve had some modicum of success in the past helping people resolve their issues with one another. I think I can help them in a private session.”
I knew Pearly had worked as a very successful psychologist before becoming the River’s Edge handyman in his “retirement,” but his suggestion still managed to startle me. “Are you saying you want them to go into couple’s therapy?”
“I’m thinking more along the lines of a conflict- resolution approach,” he said.
I patted his shoulder. “Pearly, you can call it whatever you’d like if you can get them both to stay at River’s Edge.”
“Excellent,” Pearly said, the gleam in his eyes growing sharper, “thank you, Harrison.”
“Don’t thank me,” I said, “I don’t want any of the credit for this, or any blame, for that matter. Just let me know how you do.”
“Absolutely,” he said, already lost in planning his approach to the volatile situation. I could tell that Pearly was eager to speak with the women in a professional capacity, though he’d been retired for some time. If he could patch things up between Heather and Sanora, he would be a miracle worker. And the best thing about it was that I wasn’t directly involved with the problem, at least for the time being.
I walked into The Crocked Pot and asked Millie, “How about a cup of coffee? Tell you what, why don’t you surprise me with the blend?” Millie loved it when
I was feeling adventurous. I added, “No more of those strong caffeine surprises, though. It took me three days to get to sleep the last time you mixed me one of your specialties.”
“It will be something gentle, I promise.”
“Are there any more of those orange-slice muffins in back?”
“Sorry, they’re all gone. But I’m making a fresh batch in the morning.”
I considered my waistline, then denied the direct evidence to the contrary that I needed to cut back. “Save three or four for me,” I said.
“You can have two,” she said, but I saw the dimples blossom on her cheeks.
I joined Markum and took a sip of coffee. Millie had kept her word; it was a gentle, nutty blend that I really liked. I said to him, “Sorry about that Pearly cornered me before I could get inside.”
“No problem, Harrison. Was it River’s Edge business?”
I nodded, but didn’t elaborate. The last thing I wanted to do was air our dirty laundry with customers