Death Waxed Over - Tim Myers [70]
“I don’t want to steal from him,” I said. “This is going to be the only inheritance that Jubal gets.”
Eve said, “As you’ve told me so many times before, we’re not running a charity here, Harrison. But don’t worry, I’ll work up a fair price. Remember, though, he’s the one who’s demanding a quick sale. I’m taking that in to account, or you can figure it and come up with an offer yourself.”
I’d been dreading the process of coming up with prices for a jumble of supplies. “No, I trust you’ll be fair to him without bankrupting us. So, it looks like we’re in the clear, doesn’t it?”
“What, just because there isn’t any competition left in town? Hickory’s not that far away, Harrison, and you know all of the craft shops they have, not to mention what all’s available in Charlotte. This is certainly no time to rest on our laurels.”
“But it’s still good news,” I insisted.
“Yes, it’s going to help us, there’s no doubt about that.”
I smiled. “That’s all I wanted to hear. I’d better get over there. I’ve got a long night ahead of me as it is.”
She said, “Hold on a second, I’ve got something that might help.”
She disappeared into the office for a few minutes, then came out with six printed sheets. I took them and asked, “What’s this?”
“It’s something I’ve been working on for the shop. I’ve just about got it ready, but it needs a little tweaking before I’m ready to use it here.”
The sheets had listed in neat entries everything we stocked at the candleshop, from additives to wicks. “Wow, this is incredible.”
She fought her smile, but I saw it creep in before she vanquished it. “I just thought it would make our lives easier when we ordered supplies.”
“This is excellent. You’ve just saved me four or five hours of work.”
“At least that,” she said. “One thing, though. You should make a copy of this before you use it. It’s my master list.”
“You did this on a typewriter?” I asked.
“I’m not a big fan of computers,” she said. “Just be careful with it.”
I went back to the office and found a large envelope, then slid the sheets inside. “Thanks, this will help a lot.”
“Go on, you’ve still got a lot of work to do.”
I left the candleshop, happy for the first time in weeks. It actually felt like we were going to make a go of it. It was too bad that Gretel wouldn’t have the chance to run her shop, and I honestly felt terrible about her death. But for now, I was feeling like At Wick’s End was a going concern again.
Chapter 18
“Have you ordered anything since you’ve been open?”
I asked Jubal as I studied his shelves.
“Gretel handled all that, I’m afraid. Is it worth your while to make an offer?”
“I’ll know better after I do a complete inventory list. It shouldn’t take too long.”
He saw the sheets in my hand. “What are those?”
I handed the copies to him and said, “Eve made these up for our shop.”
“What a grand idea.” He handed them back to me and said, “Do you need my help?”
“No, I should be fine. You’re not going anywhere, are you?”
“I’ll be right here. I’ve got scads of paperwork to complete for Hans.”
“He’s at least paying you for your work, isn’t he?” I wasn’t sure how much of a legacy I’d be able to offer for the meager supplies at the candleshop.
“Oh yes, I’m on the clock. I don’t really need the money, but he’s being such a nit about it all, I’m going to stick him for every hour I can. I daresay after this, we’ll never see each other again.”
I jumped all over that. “Then he’s in town after all?”
Jubal looked startled by the notion. “Goodness no, he’s still in South America. I suppose I should have said we won’t have any contact with each other again. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to wade through this paperwork the attorney has saddled me with.”
I started working in the front of the store and made my way toward the back, marking down quantities of each item there. Without Eve’s sheets, I’d have been there three days, despite the low inventory level. As I worked, I glanced over at Jubal and felt sorry for him. He was studying a sheaf of legal documents, and I noticed he