Read Online Thoroughly 03 - Who Invited the Dead Man? by Patricia Sprinkle - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Patricia Sprinkle
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business.”
“You didn’t go to Davidson, did you?”
He leaned over the counter and whispered, “Am I under suspicion for something?”
I could tell he was teasing, so I whispered back, “Should you be?”
He grinned and spoke normally, “Not that I know of.”
“I was just wondering if you’d gone to college with our younger son, Walker.”
“Sorry, no. By the way, did you hear that Augusta and Meriwether aren’t coming back until next week?”
He’d dammed my stream. First, nobody ever called Gusta “Augusta.” And second, “Where did you hear that?”
“From a primary source. I called Augusta’s cook this morning to see if they needed me to pick them up at the airport tomorrow, and she said they’re staying another week. She said Meriwether wants to do more shopping, so Augusta and Alice decided to stay with her.” He sounded like extending a vacation was routine for him. If it was, he didn’t begrudge spending pennies like Gusta. This was very puzzling.
I frowned. “I hope they’ll be back before Joe Riddley’s birthday party next weekend.”
“They’re coming Thursday, I believe.”
Like Slade, I prefer primary sources. As soon as I got back to my office I called Florine. “I hear you’re gonna have peace and quiet a few more days.”
“Yes, ma’am, looks like it. You wouldn’t believe what’s happened. Miss Gusta called yesterday all the way from Kidnap or some such place.”
“Shanghai?”
“Yeah, that was it. She said Meriwether’s taken it into her head to stay over there another week, so they gotta stay with her. I don’t know what’s gotten into that girl. Just up and announced she was staying whether Miss Gusta liked it or not.” I could practically see Florine flinging up the hand that didn’t hold the phone. “Miss Gusta can’t do a thing with her.”
“I’ll bet Gusta wasn’t too happy about it.”
“Fit to be tied. Said Meriwether dug her heels in like a stubborn mule. Decided to go on some old shoppin’ spree and won’t come home for nothin’. Miss Gusta said for two cents she’d abandon her over there with all them foreigners. But of course she can’t rightly do that.”
I could have, but neither Gusta nor Florine ever would.
“Did she say what Meriwether is shopping for? Is she buying clothes?” If Meriwether was buying a trousseau, my stock would soar in town when I found out first.
“No’m. Miss Gusta said she’s took some notion of opening a store. She’s buying up things to sell. Miss Gusta said if she wasn’t right there, Meriwether might buy up the whole country.”
“If they’re in China, it would take her more than a week to buy it all.”
“Well, Meriwether promised she’ll leave Wednesday. I hope Miss Gusta holds her to it.”
“I do, too. I don’t want them to miss Joe Riddley’s party.”
“Oh, they’ll be back for that. Don’t you worry. Miss Gusta won’t disappoint the judge.” I would never be “the judge” to Florine.
We said all the polite things folks in the south use to oil the pain of parting, and I hung up. Then I propped my elbows on the desk, cupped my cheeks with my hands, and thought over what I’d heard. What on earth had gotten into Meriwether? First she didn’t want to go on the trip because of her house. Now, instead of racing back to it, she was extending her trip. And opening a store? Surely she wasn’t foolish enough to think she could make a go in Hopemore of a shop full of painted fans, cloisonne jewelry, and tea sets. Folks might pick up a pretty flowerpot, or maybe a little screen to set on a table, but a store like that could go broke pretty fast.
Yet, that’s what folks said when her daddy, Garlon, opened his lawn and garden equipment place. They thought he was trying to compete with Yarbrough’s, and predicted he’d go belly-up. Instead, he’d found a growing niche of the market we weren’t covering, and our businesses helped each other. Garlon
“You didn’t go to Davidson, did you?”
He leaned over the counter and whispered, “Am I under suspicion for something?”
I could tell he was teasing, so I whispered back, “Should you be?”
He grinned and spoke normally, “Not that I know of.”
“I was just wondering if you’d gone to college with our younger son, Walker.”
“Sorry, no. By the way, did you hear that Augusta and Meriwether aren’t coming back until next week?”
He’d dammed my stream. First, nobody ever called Gusta “Augusta.” And second, “Where did you hear that?”
“From a primary source. I called Augusta’s cook this morning to see if they needed me to pick them up at the airport tomorrow, and she said they’re staying another week. She said Meriwether wants to do more shopping, so Augusta and Alice decided to stay with her.” He sounded like extending a vacation was routine for him. If it was, he didn’t begrudge spending pennies like Gusta. This was very puzzling.
I frowned. “I hope they’ll be back before Joe Riddley’s birthday party next weekend.”
“They’re coming Thursday, I believe.”
Like Slade, I prefer primary sources. As soon as I got back to my office I called Florine. “I hear you’re gonna have peace and quiet a few more days.”
“Yes, ma’am, looks like it. You wouldn’t believe what’s happened. Miss Gusta called yesterday all the way from Kidnap or some such place.”
“Shanghai?”
“Yeah, that was it. She said Meriwether’s taken it into her head to stay over there another week, so they gotta stay with her. I don’t know what’s gotten into that girl. Just up and announced she was staying whether Miss Gusta liked it or not.” I could practically see Florine flinging up the hand that didn’t hold the phone. “Miss Gusta can’t do a thing with her.”
“I’ll bet Gusta wasn’t too happy about it.”
“Fit to be tied. Said Meriwether dug her heels in like a stubborn mule. Decided to go on some old shoppin’ spree and won’t come home for nothin’. Miss Gusta said for two cents she’d abandon her over there with all them foreigners. But of course she can’t rightly do that.”
I could have, but neither Gusta nor Florine ever would.
“Did she say what Meriwether is shopping for? Is she buying clothes?” If Meriwether was buying a trousseau, my stock would soar in town when I found out first.
“No’m. Miss Gusta said she’s took some notion of opening a store. She’s buying up things to sell. Miss Gusta said if she wasn’t right there, Meriwether might buy up the whole country.”
“If they’re in China, it would take her more than a week to buy it all.”
“Well, Meriwether promised she’ll leave Wednesday. I hope Miss Gusta holds her to it.”
“I do, too. I don’t want them to miss Joe Riddley’s party.”
“Oh, they’ll be back for that. Don’t you worry. Miss Gusta won’t disappoint the judge.” I would never be “the judge” to Florine.
We said all the polite things folks in the south use to oil the pain of parting, and I hung up. Then I propped my elbows on the desk, cupped my cheeks with my hands, and thought over what I’d heard. What on earth had gotten into Meriwether? First she didn’t want to go on the trip because of her house. Now, instead of racing back to it, she was extending her trip. And opening a store? Surely she wasn’t foolish enough to think she could make a go in Hopemore of a shop full of painted fans, cloisonne jewelry, and tea sets. Folks might pick up a pretty flowerpot, or maybe a little screen to set on a table, but a store like that could go broke pretty fast.
Yet, that’s what folks said when her daddy, Garlon, opened his lawn and garden equipment place. They thought he was trying to compete with Yarbrough’s, and predicted he’d go belly-up. Instead, he’d found a growing niche of the market we weren’t covering, and our businesses helped each other. Garlon
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