At Wick's End - Tim Myers [54]
“Tell you what. I’ll bring everything to At Wick’s End and you can get it there.” I considered stroking Esme’s head, then thought better of it. In a formal tone, I said, “It was a pleasure rooming with you, Dame Esmeralda.”
Heather smiled. “I’m glad you two got along.”
“We had our moments, but I believe we ultimately managed to forge a bond of trust.”
“Harrison, you are too funny. Thanks again.”
As Heather carried her cat away, I could swear that rascal swished her tail at me before the door closed.
I got ready to go downstairs, amazed by how empty the apartment felt without Esmeralda’s presence.
I opened At Wick’s End with no sign of Eve in sight. As the minutes ticked down to the opening hour, my sense of panic grew stronger and stronger. Had something driven her off again? The least she could have done was call me. I got everything ready for opening, half-expecting her to show up at any time, but when I finally unlocked the door to officially start the business day, I was completely alone.
“Deep breaths, Harrison, you can handle this,” I told myself as I waited for my first customer.
A young woman with the wildest tangled hair I’d ever seen in my life came in two minutes after I opened.
“Where’s Eve?” she said before I could offer a “good morning” to her.
“She’s running late,” I said, hoping that was true. “Can I help you?”
“You’re new here, aren’t you? If Eve’s not available, Belle will do.”
I pursed my lips, then said solemnly, “I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, but Belle’s gone.”
“Where did she go?” the woman asked, a slight annoyance in her voice. “She didn’t quit her own store, did she?”
There really wasn’t any delicate way to put it. “Belle died a few days ago.”
The words hung between us for what felt like days before she said somberly, “I’m so sorry to hear that.” She paused, then added, “Well, how about you? Do you know anything about molds?”
“A bit,” I admitted.
“My candles keep sticking, and I can’t for the life of me figure out what I’m doing wrong. I just started this crazy hobby and it’s already driving me insane.”
I led her to the section with waxes and releases. “You have a couple of options,” I said. “You can add stearin, it causes the wax to shrink some as it hardens. Then there’s mold release. You coat your mold with it before you make your pour.”
She studied me, then said, “I’d say you know more than a little bit about all this.”
“What can I say, I’m a quick study. So which will it be?”
“Tell you what, give me some of each. And I’ll take another ten pounds of wax and a packet of wicks while you’re at it. I don’t get into town all that much.”
After I rang up her order and bagged the supplies, the woman shot a hand across the register to me. “I’m Emmaline Hannah. Listen, I’m really sorry about Belle. I only met her once, but I thought she had a sweet spirit. So you’re running things now.”
“I am. My name’s Harrison Black.”
She gave me a bright smile, then said, “Well Harrison Black, it’s good to meet you. I’d love to stand around and chat half the morning away, but there are things to do, places to go, and folks to pester.”
After she was gone, I had to smile myself. At Wick’s End certainly had its share of eccentric customers. Somehow it made me feel right at home.
Chapter 13
Just as I began to give up all hope of ever seeing Eve again, she walked in the door a little after 1 pm.
“You could have called,” I said as she hung up her coat.
“Why on earth would I want to do that?” she said.
“We open at 9:00 am,” I replied a little frostily.
“But I don’t come in until one today. I thought that was what you wanted. Didn’t you look at the schedule, Harrison?”
“I didn’t know we had one,” I said as I put a few extra bags under the counter. I’d had a busy morning, selling quite a bit of small-priced stock, a dollar here and there that still managed to add up to a respectable total.
She said, “I suppose I understand your pique. The schedule’s on the back of the office door.”
I walked back, with Eve on my heels.