A Flicker of Doubt - Tim Myers [63]
“No, but I hope this isn’t an omen or something. The pen you gave me is out of ink.”
“Blast it all, I meant to throw that one away.”
Sanora grabbed another pen and said, “Don’t worry, Harrison, I’m not someone who looks everywhere for hidden signs.” She jotted her name down in all the marked boxes, then handed the document back to me. There, it’s official. I’m staying.” “And it’s official that I’m glad.” I headed back to my apartment, happy the dry pen had been with Sanora and not Heather. There was no doubt my New Age friend would have indeed taken the dry pen as an omen. I’d have to find a brand-new one before I asked Heather to renew her lease. I took Sanora’s signed contract back upstairs, then dug into my desk drawer for a pen that wrote. I found one nearly brand-new and clipped it onto the side of Heather’s lease. She was the last one on my list, but from the way things were going, I wasn’t at all sure she was going to stay.
The New Age shop she owned had a few folks browsing inside, so Heather wasn’t too busy to talk tome.
“I brought your new lease,” I said.
“So Sanora’s moving?”
“No, she said if you had a problem with her, you were just going to have to deal with it She’s sure you’re leaving.”
Heather looked at me as if I’d slapped her. “She said that?”
“She didn’t have to. She signed her lease. That says it all, doesn’t it?”
Heather said, “Give me my lease.”
“Wait a second and think about this. As much as I want you here, I don’t want to force you to stay.”
“If you want me here, give me the lease.”
I slid it across the counter, with the pen still attached. She signed her name so hard the lease agreement paper tore under the assault.
I said, “Heather, I’m glad you’re staying.”
She snapped, “Go tell her I’m not budging, either. She’s not going to run me out”
I started to leave, but I swear Esmeralda winked at me as I walked past her. I had been reading way too much in that cat’s expressions lately. While I wasn’t particularly proud of the way I’d manipulated Heather and Sanora into staying, I was happy they were both going to be around. If it turned out that one of them was miserable with the arrangement later, I’d tear up lease and let them off the hook, and what’s more, they both knew it. But I’d given them both a reason to stay, and evidently it had been enough.
“Nice of you to grace the place with your presence,” Eve said as I walked into At Wick’s End.
‘I’m the landlord at River’s Edge, too, you know. These new leases have thrown a wrench into everything.”
Eve actually looked guilty for chastising me, a first in our working relationship. “I’m sorry, I forgot all, about that. Are we losing Heather or Sanora?”
“Guess again,” I said, keeping my face expressionless.
“Oh, dear, not both of them. Harrison, you’ve got to do something.”
“There’s another option you didn’t mention. They’re both staying.”
Eve startled me by throwing her arms around me in hug. As soon as she realized what she’d done, she quickly away. “How did you manage it?”
“I had a nudge from Pearly.”
There was a history of bad blood between the two of them, so Eve dropped her inquiry. “So the family stays together,” she said.
“For now,” I amended, fully intending to release anyone from their lease if they ever requested it. River’s Edge was more than just a place to do business. Eve was right; it was a family, and if someone wanted to leave, I wouldn’t stand in their way.
I was selling a block of bee’s wax for pouring when ‘ the telephone rang. I’d taken to carrying the portable phone around with me when I worked the candleshop, so it was easy enough to answer as I worked.
“At Wick’s End.”
“Harrison, this is Jeanie from Greg Runion’s office.”
“Hi, Jeanie. What can I do for you?”
She said, “Greg’s going on a sudden business trip that I didn’t know about I’ve got a feeling he’s not coming back.”
“What makes you say that?” I asked.
“He stormed in here ten minutes ago, then rushed out the door again just now with a box full of papers. Harrison, he looked