Thirty-Four and a Half Predicaments
Page 75

“I can’t believe I’m sayin’ this, but you could always tell Skeeter.”
I gaped at her. “Have you lost your mind?”
“He’s a pretty powerful guy.”
And that was exactly what he wanted—if I ran to him and asked for help, I’d be sucked deeper into his world. “We can do this on our own. We’re merely goin’ to a bakery. How dangerous could that be?”
“Why do you keep askin’ things like that? Nothing’s ever that easy for us.”
We drove around the town square, taking a peek at the empty RBW Landscaping office before we found a parking space at the opposite end, closer to Dena’s. I looked around to make sure Merv wasn’t lurking nearby. When the coast looked clear, we got out and walked into Dena’s.
There were only two other customers in the store and Dena was behind the case, her usual cheerful smile in place. She glanced up at us and smiled even bigger when she saw Neely Kate. After she waited on the other two customers, we made our way to the counter.
Dena leaned her forearms on the case. “Good to see you, Neely Kate.”
Neely Kate offered her a soft smile in return. “Hey.”
“Dena,” I said. “When I was here a couple of days ago, you told me about Ima Jean Buchanan and her husband.”
She pursed her mouth and shook her head. “Sad, sad tale.”
“It is,” I agreed. “I know you get a lot of people in here, but do you maybe happen to remember the other customers who were in here with me? One was a tall, lanky guy, maybe late fifties? He looked really familiar.”
She nodded with a smile. “Ed Barlow. He works at the courthouse. He comes over for a cupcake every afternoon on his break.”
“I know him,” Neely Kate added. “He works in probate.”
“There were also two women. A young woman in her twenties.”
She shook her head. “I don’t remember her.” Her eyes narrowed. “Why are you asking?”
I gave her a tight smile. “I’ll tell you in a minute.” I didn’t want to prejudice her recollection. “What about the middle-aged woman? Maybe in her late forties. She sat at one of the tables in the back while you rang me up. I think her name was Marta.”
“Marta Gray. She works down at the dry cleaners.”
I gave Neely Kate a questioning glance, but she just shook her head. “Don’t know her.”
I gave her a look of disbelief. Most days it seemed like she knew all twenty-four thousand residents in the county. I turned my attention back to Dena. “She didn’t seem very happy that day.”
“She’s a bit cranky at times,” Dena said. “But her husband is good for nothing and her teenage boys aren’t much better.”
“Do you know if she worked at Atchison Manufacturing?” I asked.
Dena scrunched her nose. “I don’t know. She’s kind of young, but I guess she could have started there right out of high school.”
I turned to Neely Kate and pulled her away from the counter before I whispered, “Didn’t Gloria say the other office girl was let go because Ima Jean thought Henry was having an affair with Dora? What if Marta set the fire and then put the note on my truck to scare me off after she heard me askin’ about it?”
Neely Kate made a face. “That’s a lot of maybes…and where would Beverly fit in?”
“Maybe Beverly’s not part of it at all. For all we know, she could just be Dirk’s old girlfriend or wife.”
Neely Kate looked dubious.
Dena rested her elbows on the case, squinting at me. “What’s going on, Rose?”
I walked back over to her. “Someone left a threatening note on my truck the day I was in here. I’m trying to figure out who it was.”
Dena shook her head. “There’s no way it could be Marta. She doesn’t have it in her. Besides, why would she do such a thing?”
“There’s only one way to find out.” I glanced over at Dena. “What does Marta usually get?”
Neely Kate put her hand on her hip, giving me a disapproving glare. “You’re gonna take her cupcakes and then accuse her of arson?”
Dena gasped. “What?”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m gonna be more subtle than that.”
Dena made a face. “I don’t know, Rose. I don’t think I want any part of this.”
“I won’t outright accuse her. Neely Kate and I will take her cupcakes and introduce ourselves as new business neighbors from the landscaping office. I’ll just ask her where she used to work.”
“That might actually work.” Neely Kate sounded impressed.
Dena grabbed a box. “I’ll go along with this as long as you promise not to be mean to her. That poor woman has had a hard life.”
“I’m gonna be as sweet as your cupcakes,” I said, holding up my hand. “I’m just gonna ask her a few questions.”
Dena handed me the box. “Vanilla bean. Two of ’em. She loves them. And if I find out you were mean to her, I’ll ban you from gettin’ anything from here again.”
“I promise we’ll be nice. I’m just ruling her out.” I paid for the baked goods and Neely Kate and I headed toward the dry cleaners.
“Which one of us should start?” Neely Kate asked.
“How about we just act like we’re really introducing ourselves for no reason and wing it.” I gave her a grin. “We’ve done pretty well so far.”