Death Waxed Over - Tim Myers [54]
I shook my head and said, “Good, because I wouldn’t know where to begin to tell you.”
Millie said, “Wrong answer, my friend. How am I supposed to live with not knowing why you bought that dreadful woman lunch?”
“Do you know her?” I asked.
“She comes around for the soup of the day, my dollar ninety-nine special, then cleans out my cracker supply. Whooee, she saw you coming, didn’t she?” Millie cleaned off the tabletop with a damp rag, then said, “You’re not dating her too, are you?”
“Come on, give me more credit than that.”
“So why the free lunch?” she asked.
“She was at the fair when Gretel died,” I said as Heather walked in.
“Who was?” she asked as she joined us.
“Nobody,” I said. “It’s not important.”
Millie said, “Heather, I’ve got your sandwiches ready.”
As she went to get them, I said, “Did she say plural? Don’t tell me you’re taking somebody else out to lunch yourself.” Heather and I shared a picnic lunch occasionally on the concrete steps that led from the River’s Edge complex down to the water of the Gunpowder River. Since the weather had turned cold, we hadn’t had any outdoor feasts, but there was no doubt we’d renew the habit once things warmed up.
“I can’t wait around forever for an invitation from you,” she said with a smile.
“So who’s the lucky lunch mate?”
She said, “Sorry, it’s not all that exciting. I may be working late tonight, so I thought I’d get something for the fridge. I keep plenty of Esme’s food on hand; I don’t know why I can’t keep things around for myself.”
“Bon appétit,” Millie said. “I hope you enjoy both meals.”
“Thanks,” she said distractedly as she took the bags from her. The residents of River’s Edge all kept a tab with Millie and settled up at the end of the month. It was handy for us that way and easier for her to collect it all at once. After she was gone, Millie said, “That was odd.”
“I know, I thought she was buying lunch for somebody else, but she explained that one sandwich was for now and the other was for later.”
Millie nodded, “I guess that explains it. But who in their right mind would want to eat the same meal twice in a row?”
“You’re kidding, right? If they were your sandwiches, I’d do it myself if I could afford it.”
She snapped a towel playfully at me and said, “Harrison Black, you aren’t half as charming as you think you are.”
I returned her smile. “Hey, if I’m halfway there, I’m still doing pretty well.”
Millie frowned, then said, “Do you happen to know when Pearly’s getting back?”
“Why, is something wrong around here? You know I’m pretty good with a tool belt myself.”
She sighed. “No, nothing’s in need of repair, but I do miss him.”
“We all do,” I said. I considered sharing Morton’s dim view of our favorite handyman with her, but decided against it.
Speak of the devil and he appears, the old saying goes, but I hadn’t said anything aloud about Morton, just focused on him briefly in my thoughts, and yet there he was, walking into the cafe like he was a man on a mission.
Unfortunately, I suspected I knew just what that mission was.
Chapter 14
“I’m going to ask you one more time. Where is he, Harrison?”
“I told you, I don’t know where Pearly is. We are talking about my handyman, aren’t we?”
Morton scowled at me, then said, “You know it. I can’t believe you’d flat-out lie to me.”
I let my voice get loud enough to match his. “And I can’t believe you’re accusing me of it.”
Millie joined us and said in a calmer voice, “Would you two like to take this shouting match outside? I’ve got customers who are trying to have a peaceful lunch.”
I looked around and noticed that most folks eating at The Crocked Pot weren’t even pretending to look away. When our gazes met, though, they dropped their chins and stared at their plates, but I knew they were still listening.
“She’s right,” I said. “Let’s take this outside.”
Morton turned on his heel and stalked